Mindfl Organic Tea

If you have been following health news over the past few years, you may have hard of the “War on Wheat,” shepherded by Dr. William Davis, author of “Wheat Belly.” In this book, Davis claims that modern wheat, including whole grain wheat, is responsible for the obesity epidemic, many cases of type 2 diabetes, celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, many cases of premature aging, and many cases of heart disease. In addition, he states that wheat is addictive and makes schizophrenia worse. He suggests going wheat-free for optimal health.
Davis writes (and this is agreed upon by pretty much all experts) that sophisticated genetic hybridization experiments in the 1950s created the modern high-yield strains of dwarf wheat that makes up most of what we eat today, and this wheat has never been tested for safety in humans. Davis pinpoints the larger variety of glutens in modern wheat compared to ancient wheat as one of the main causes wheat-induced dysfunction. For example, he claims that polypeptides derived from gluten cross the blood-brain barrier and bind to op**te receptors, leading to addiction and worsening schizophrenia. He uses some case studies and the work of psychiatrist F. Curtis Dohan to support his claims about schizophrenia.
Many scientists and physicians disagree with Davis’s claims, and some agree, so where does that leave the food consumer?
As a PhD scientist, my own view is that more research needs to be done to understand the health risks of modern wheat strains. If modern wheat concerns you, you can buy heritage wheat (ancient einkorn and emmer wheat) at specialty stores, or try cutting out all wheat products for a few weeks to see how you respond.
And, of course use generally accepted health tips like:
* minimize sugar
* minimize saturated and trans fats
* eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, and proteins
* as far as grains, try different ones and see what works best for you

At Mindfl Tea, we care about our customers’ health and well-being, and so I hope you found this post to be informative and helpful.

With organically farmed fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains, meat, and eggs becoming more commonly seen and purchased, you may be wondering, are they more nutritious, safer, or better for the environment than conventionally farmed foods?

As far as nutrition, most studies agree that organic foods are not a whole lot more nutritious than conventional foods. By nutritious is meant, do organic foods have more vitamins, minerals, and beneficial compounds compared to conventional foods? Although some studies did find increased omega-3 fatty acids in dairy from organic cows, and an improved fatty acid profile in meat from organic animals, overall organic fruits, vegetables, and grains do not seem to be more nutritious than those conventionally farmed.

By contrast, organic foods do seem to be safer than conventional foods. Eating organic foods is associated with a lower risk of getting non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Also, organic foods have lower levels of the toxic heavy metal cadmium. In addition, organic foods seem to have higher levels of polyphenol antioxidants, which help prevent cancer.

Somewhat surprisingly, organic fruits and vegetables were found to have only 30% less pesticide/herbicide residue than conventional foods. This may be due to runoff into organic farms from adjacent conventional farms. However, 30% less pesticide/herbicide residue is significant, especially considering that the world’s more used agricultural chemical, glyphosphate (an herbicide), was recently classified as “probably carcinogenic” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

On the third measure of comparison, the environment, organic farming is better for the environment, as there is no use of synthetic chemicals and fertilizers that can alter ecosystems and posion lakes, rivers, and oceans.

An interesting note is that whole grains have greater pesticide residue than polished grains, as the bran and germ portion is not removed from the whole grains.

I hope you found this post on the comparison of organic vs conventional foods helpful.

This is an excerpt from one of our emails. To sign up for emails, go to mindfltea.com (link in bio).
If you’re young, you may wonder why you should be thinking about high blood pressure. If you have unhealthy habits, such as physical inactivity or an unhealthy diet, plaques are likely building up in your arteries. These plaques will continue to build, and in a few short years, you may have high blood pressure.
If you’re middle aged or a senior, you are likely thinking about your health more than young people, and fortunately a lot of the adverse health effects of the unhealthy habits of your youth (if you had unhealthy habits) are reversible. Among those effects that are at least partially reversible is atherosclerosis. I will talk more about how atherosclerosis can be reversed below.
Nearly half of Americans have high blood pressure, defined as systolic blood pressure > 130 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure greater than 80 mm Hg, or are taking blood pressure medication. High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease, the leading cause of death for men, women, and all races in the U.S. High blood pressure is often the result of atherosclerosis (cholesterol deposits in the arteries), high sodium intake, low potassium intake, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, or alcohol intake.

This is an exerpt from a blog post on mindfltea.com. Link in bio.
Sarcopenia is the age-related decline in muscle mass that results in decreased muscle functioning. This can begin in your thirties, just like dementia and heart disease. Strength training and eating sufficient protein shifts the body into anabolism (building muscle) as opposed to catabolism (breaking down muscle). Sarcopenia is prevented in large part by resistance exercise and adequate protein in your diet.

So what specifically should you do to build healthy muscle? Here are some tips:
* Your first and last meals of the day should contain at least 30 g of protein.
* You should aim for at least 1 g of protein per kg of body weight per day.
* Balancing protein across meals (approx. same amount of protein in each meal) is best for muscle protein synthesis.
* Get 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise. 2 days should be full-body strength training.

I hope you found this post to be interesting and informative, and that it encourages you to build and maintain healthy muscle.

Mindfl Tea enjoyed meeting Lennox employees and offering tea tastings. Our backdrop is a reminder that we come back to the present moment as soon as we notice we’ve been in the past (replaying, regretting, remembering) or in the future (worrying, planning). Tiny efforts accumulate toward being present and happier more often.