Health Tips

Q. What is whey protein?

A. Until recently, egg whites were the best source of lean complete protein, and were the favorite for athletes and body builders. However, in 1992, a high-tech process was developed to extract the pure amino acids from whey-a by-product of the cheese-making process-which was until then loaded with lactose (milk sugar). This process resulted in lean complete whey protein -the purest, most biological available source of protein that had ever existed, that was fat free, and sugar free. It was also more convenient than egg whites-it was available in a great-tasting powder that could be purchased and stored in large quantities.
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Q. Is a High protein diet bad for your kidneys?

A. A diet which is too high in protein like the Atkins diet, which forces you into a ketotic (acidic) state is very bad for your kidneys and overall health. The main problem when it comes to kidney related disorders is dehydration. A high protein diet like Atkins is very dehydrating. Eating too much sodium (from processed foods) is also dehydrating. However, where you have a balance of lean high quality protein, healthy unprocessed carbohydrates and raw fat, as with the KLEAN program, there is no problem. As long as you stay well hydrated, avoid processed foods and sodium, and eat some fiber in your diet, there is no issue. The KLEAN PROGRAM recommends that you consume at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight every day, in conjunction with raw fats and unprocessed carbohydrates.
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Q. What is the best exercise I can do for fat loss, if I don’t have a whole lot of time?

A. The key to your success is to do the least means necessary to achieve the greatest results. In other words, you need to focus only on effective exercise . Around 20% of your fat loss efforts should be attributed to effective exercise, which means:

• Full body – If you simply ride a bike, walk or jog, you will burn fat and get some results. However, you can at least double the fat burning benefits by engaging your upper body in your exercise routine. The more lean mass you involve in the fat burning process the more fat you will burn. Walking with heavy hands (light hand weights) is the most efficient full body exercise for optimum fat burning and fitness.
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Q. Does the traditional food pyramid work for weight loss?

A. Absolutely not! The food pyramid is an outdated and misleading paradigm, which just like “weight loss and the scale” have led us to obesity and disease for the past 50 years! The so-called ” Eating Right Pyramid ” published by the USDA dictates that breads, cereals, rice and pasta should form the largest part of your diet (30-40%), vegetables should make up around 15-25% of your diet, fruits should make up the next 10-15%, meats, fish, dairy, nuts and beans should attribute to less than 10% of the pyramid, and fats, oils and sweets are to account for less than 5%. In essence, what we are being told to do is load up on sugar (fruits are high in sugar), processed carbohydrates (which are biologically speaking, equivalent to sugar), and minimize any kind of protein source, and any kind of fat, whether good or bad. It says nothing of the quality of each of the food sources within it. This is the recipe for disaster, and will make you fatter than ever. Sugar (and therefore carbohydrates, particularly processed, refined carbs) make you fat. Despite sugar’s “fat free” nature, excess sugar quickly gets converted into fat in your blood and stored in your fat cells.
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Q. I get really tired in the afternoon after lunch. How can I stop this?

A. Your body is trying to tell you something. All you have to do is look at what you ate for lunch that caused you to feel tired. Was your lunch high in carbohydrates, that is lots of bread, fruit, and sugary substances? Was your lunch high in bad fats, meaning saturated animal fats (like red meat, butter or whole dairy foods like cheese and milk), processed fats (fats found in margarine and most processed foods like cakes and cookies), or fried fats? Did you have any lean complete protein, like lean chicken or turkey, fish or non-fat dairy products? The culprit is more than likely too many carbohydrates and too much bad fat, and too little lean complete protein and good fats. A meal high in carbohydrates, particularly processed carbohydrates (like sugar, and anything white) breaks down very quickly into glucose in your system, causing your blood sugar to spike, which will give you an initial rush of energy. However, because your brain cannot handle such a big hit of sugar, it sends a signal to your pancreas to quickly release a powerful hormone called insulin which brings your blood sugar back down to normal.
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Q. What should I look for in a good protein supplement?

A. A good protein supplement should first and foremost, have generous amounts of all the 8 essential amino acids . Amino acids are the building blocks of all proteins. And proteins are the building blocks of muscle. “Essential” means that your body needs it, but cannot manufacture it. Therefore you must ingest it, eat it. The eight essential amino acids are: tryptophan, lysine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, valine, threonine, and isoleucine . Leucine, Valine and Isoleucine, Branched Chain amino acids (BCAA) which make up one third of muscle protein, are absolutely essential components of a protein supplement.

Research has proven that whey protein isolate produced using the cross flow micro-filtration processing method is best for maximum nitrogen retention and optimum anabolic response (muscle building/repair). This processing technique keeps the proteins in their natural form (that is, they do not denature the proteins), which is essential to the whey’s anti-cancer and immune-boosting activity. In many whey supplements you will find whey isolates mixed with whey concentrates (which are usually 70-80% pure protein). 100% pure whey isolate is best.
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Q. How much fat should I be eating if I want to lose weight?

A. The question should be not just “how much”, but also “what type” of fat should you be eating if you want to lose ” fat “, not “weight”! Despite what you may have been led to believe, let me say up front, not all fat is bad. There is some fat that is absolutely essential for your health, and for fat loss. That type of fat contains the essential fatty acids, omega 3 and omega 6. These fats are essential , because your body cannot produce them, so they must come from the foods you eat. Sources of EFA’s are raw (meaning uncooked, unprocessed, unheated) seeds and oils coming from plants. The best sources are (starting with the best) oil and seeds from flax-seed, hemp-seed, sunflower seed, sesame seed, and pumpkin seed; extra virgin olive oil, avocado, and raw nuts, including almonds, cashews etc.
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Q. Does coffee, tea, pop or juice contribute to my daily water intake?

A. In a word, “no!” Why? Because these liquids are all dehydrators. The exceptions are decaffeinated coffee and decaffeinated tea, particularly herbal tea – these do count towards your daily intake of water, if they are made with pure water. However, anything containing caffeine, which includes most pop, coffee and tea, dehydrates you. Pops and juices also contain high quantities of sugar, which is also a dehydrator. Sugar, and anything with sugar in it, also causes your blood sugar to spike, leading to excessive release of insulin, a powerful hormone that makes you fat, tired, sluggish. Sugar, in all forms, should be avoided. Note also, that your daily intake of water , should be ” pure ” water, meaning distilled, filtered, spring, or bottled water. Tap water should be used as a last resort only, given its toxic levels of chlorine, herbicide and pesticide. Drink a minimum of 8-10, 8-ounce glasses of pure water.
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-Animal Products are loaded with fat and are the most dangerous food we put into our bodies. The average American meat eater consumes over 100 pounds of fat per year. This fat clogs the arteries, ultimately causing heart attacks and strokes that kill approximately 50% of our population. Meat is the primary cause of cancer which kills 33% of our population, and adult-onset diabetes which kills 8% of our population. It causes arthritis, gout, and many other physical problems. It even causes bad breath and body odor. The only source of bad cholesterol (LDL) is animal products.

–Eliminating animal products, margarine, and other hydrogendated oils from our diet will reduce risk of heart attack or stroke by approximately 96%. Eliminating animal products, smoking, and estrogen will reduce risk of cancer to almost zero. Eliminating animal products and hydrogenated oils will reduce risk of adult-onset diabetes to almost zero. Eliminating animal products will reduce risk of osteoporosis to almost zero. It will eliminate almost all colon problems, and most acid stomach problems.
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