I love guacamole.  I have made many decent attempts to make it from scratch but I had a hard time getting it right.  This November my wife and I were in Mexico and while we were waiting the “guacamole guy” came over with his cart and made it fresh right in front of us.  It was so good we paid for him to make us another batch, but this time I took pictures of what he did and what he put in it.

Here are the ingredients:

2 Avocados -mashed

1 Tomato chopped

1/2 Onion chopped

Cilantro -chopped, as much as you like.  I like a lot.

Serrano Pepper -chopped- add as much spice as you like.  I use very little.   Maybe only 1/2 inch.

Salt and pepper to taste

Squeeze fresh lime juice over the top

If by some miracle you don’t eat it all and want to save it.  Leave one of the avocado pits in the mix and it will keep it fresh and keep it from browning.

This is an updated recipe for guacamole from the end of our “Sore throat article“

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I was goofing around in the kitchen today while I was home with the kids.  I wanted something warm to drink, but not coffee.  My wife really likes Chai tea, but I don’t like the sugar.  So, like any scientist, I started playing around with some formulas.

So here it is:  docaltman’s Chai Tea (version 1)

1. Brew a cup of Tazo Organic Chai Tea (one tea bag)
2. Squeeze the tea bag out so there is lots of flavor
3. 5 drops of liquid Stevia
4. 1/8 tsp. Organic Molasses
5. Top it off with some raw milk

I know it may seem like an unusual  combo, but it was good.  I didn’t add much molasses because it has a strong flavor but it gives it a little sweetness along with the stevia.

Here is a health run down:

• Black Tea- used forever as a drink.

• Stevia- herbal sweetener, that doesn’t trigger insulin, and actually helps the body use sugar.

• Organic Molasses: A little sweetness with high amounts of Potassium, Calcium, Iron and other minerals.  This is the “waste product” from refined sugar.
• Raw milk - OK this will be difficult for some to get.  Use your best judgment on this.  Differences in milk Why raw milk is better

Just don’t use SOY milk-This I pulled from a recent press release from the Weston A Price Foundation.

“Soy foods and soy milk contain plant estrogens that cause endocrine disruption as well as components that block the uptake of protein and the utilization important vitamins and minerals,” says nutritionist Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, author of The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America’s Favorite Health Food. “Consumed in large amounts, soy foods can lead to serious reproductive and thyroid problems as well as malnutrition. Soy is totally unacceptable as a major food source, especially for growing children. The Israeli Health Ministry in 2005 warned its citizens that children should not eat soy foods or drink soy milk more than once per day or more than 3 times per week. It also advised adult men to exercise caution because of adverse effects on fertility.”

“Soy contains plant estrogens and other factors that may contribute to infertility problems for these school children later in life” says Fallon. “To regularly feed food products full of anti-fertility agents to young children and young men is unconscionable.”

Not a bad little beverage, with some health benefits to boot.

 Are you watching your fat intake? Do you count fat grams?  There is a mystery in your food.  It is hiding right in front of you.  If you are like most food shoppers, a trip to the grocery store is no cause for concern.

 

A fear of SATURATED FAT has been deeply ingrained in the American Public.

 

There are a few saturated fats that can save your life.  If you have a choice, always choose the following saturated fats over their manufactured counterparts such as: Butter over Margarine and Coconut oil over Vegetable oil.  One basic premise that I always hold onto when I choose a food is: “food should not be manufactured”.

 

Food grows perfectly.

 

The more you tweak, change, and chemically alter the food from its natural state, the less healthy it becomes.  ALWAYS.  You cannot improve the original design.

 

Saturated fat gives food structure, and taste.

REAL saturated fats will spoil relatively quickly.  To preserve food so it will sit on store shelves longer, food manufacturers now use vegetable oil and artificially saturate them with the gas hydrogen.  This is called-

 

PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED.  (Fake Saturated Fat)

 

These fake fats are hidden in the ingredients list, but they are also hidden in the saturated fat numbers.  They look similar and taste similar to saturated fat but they are toxic, unlike real fat.

 

The National Institute of Medicine recently declared there is NO safe level of Partially Hydrogenated fat.  You see labels touting they have NO trans-fats, and that is good but they can still legally put some in there.  Amazing what politics and money can buy.  So watch for them as Partially Hydrogenated fats because food manufacturers know people are on to them.

 

Partially Hydrogenated fat:

• makes your cells stupid
• raise bad LDL cholesterol
• lower good HDL cholesterol
• blocks good fatty acid conversions
• decreases red blood cell response to insulin
• Mayo Clinic even tells you to avoid this artificial stuff!

 

MARGARINE has all the toxic effects of the list above.  Throw this poison out of your house!

BUTTER has many advantages, because it is REAL Food.

• Inhibits fungi & viruses
• Contains vitamin A – good for night vision, immune system, and reproduction (only found in animals)
• Contains vitamin D-good for calcium absorption
• As with all animal products it should be ORGANIC

 

Don’t fear the natural food.  Traditional people that ate the food they grew or caught, had almost no heart disease, cancer, strokes, diabetes, or any of the other problems of today. They ate lots of real saturated fat.  One problem we face today compared to the people 70 years ago, is the hormones and antibiotics that are injected into almost all animals.

 

Why do you think most people that start the Atkins diet lose weight and have more energy?  Being overweight is not healthy.  Eating good protein and more fat helps these people lose weight.  Think about that.   That’s backwards from what “dietitians” tell you.  Eating good, organic, fats and protein is good for you.

 

One other SATURATED FAT that you should use:

COCONUT OIL.

What?

I thought that was bad for you.

Yes, we have been misinformed yet again.

 

Benefits of Coconut oil

• Smaller than other saturated fats, therefore they digest very quickly
• Long term energy
• Increases metabolism, therefore it helps you burn more calories
• Has lower calories than Vegetable oil
• Supports your thyroid
• Increases absorption of:

o       Calcium

o       Magnesium

o       B- Vitamins

o       Vitamins A,D,E,K

Coconut oil does NOT cause heart disease.  If coconut oil caused heart disease there would be no Asian or Polynesian people left.

You can use coconut oil for any cooking.  The best use would be in the place of shortening.  Shortening is loaded with partially hydrogenated fat.

 

Please replace your vegetable oil as soon as possible!  Vegetable oil forms many toxic by-products when heated. Plus, it suppresses thyroid function.  Vegetable oil is pushed hard for a cooking oil.  I wonder if there is a connection to the dramatic increase in people taking thyroid medications?  Thyroid medications are one of the most prescribed medications on the market. Hmmm

 

Consider your health now for your health in the future.  Upgrade your food and you can upgrade your life.

 

I am talking about a silent killer in this country.  This killer stalks you in the morning.  His accomplices Mr. Bread and Mr. Pasta will stalk you in the evening.  Most people I talk to can NOT imagine a life without bread.  When I say bread, that refers to cereal, pasta, chips, pretzels, muffins, donuts, and all the other grain products.

“But, I eat whole grains!”

This is a mistaken notion.  People that are eating whole grains often feel as if they are doing the best they can for their body.  Grains in general are the problem; whole grains, 7-grain, stone-ground or whatever you think is healthy. There is no chemical difference in your body.

 

The most critical problems with these grains are:

•  Gluten
• Mostly omega 6 fatty acids
• The pH of grains is acidic
• High phytic acid content
• Traditional methods have been lost

 

Gluten—Many people are very sensitive to gluten.  Many health problems can be related to gluten. The most common would be arthritic symptoms and gut problems.  It is also difficult to digest.

Gluten Grains:

• Oats, Rye, Barley, Spelt, Especially wheat

Non-Gluten Grains:

• Buckwheat, Rice, Millet

 

Omega-6 fatty acids—These are fatty acids that promote inflammation.  These are balanced by omega-3 fatty acids, which are often very deficient in the average American diet.  Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory.  An acceptable ratio would be 4 omega-6 fatty acids to 1 omega-3 fatty acid (4:1).  Since there is such an abundance of omega-6 fatty acids in grain, many Americans are between ranges of 10:1 and even 40:1.  This is a huge imbalance.

 

How does this apply to REAL life?

 

Omega-6 fatty acids Compared To Omega-3

Oatmeal = 21:1                        Broccoli = 1:3

White Bread = 21:1                  Most Lettuces = 1:2

Whole Wheat = 27:1                Fish = 1:1 to 1:7

Potato chips = 60:1                  Fruits = 1:1 to 2:1

 

To clearly decrease inflammation the majority of our diets should be vegetables, fruits, and fish.  Grass fed beef can also be rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

 

 To give you more incentive to decrease your grain consumption, we now know that hardening of the arteries and heart disease are considered chronic, smoldering inflammation that develops slowly until—Wham —A Heart Attack!

If 50% of all heart attack victims have NORMAL cholesterol, then why do the others have heart attacks?  Chronic inflammation also promotes PAIN, cancer, inflammatory gut disease, and just about any chronic disease.

 

#1 Killer = Heart Disease

#2 Killer = Cancer

 

 

If you follow the ever so clever FOOD PYRAMID that asks you to eat 6-11 grains a day, you can expect to be like every other American; overweight and a shorter life expectancy than 23 other nations.

 

You can shift this balance back by avoiding the bread family.  Taking Fish oil supplements and Flax oil supplements~ 1000mg a day.

 

One of our patients had an elevated cholesterol level for years and the Lipitor he was taking never lowered it to an acceptable level.  After taking the Linum B6 (flax oil) from our office his numbers dropped about 90 points.  That was all he did differently!

 

Acidic pH—creates a pain and inflammation just like the above omega-6 fatty acids.

 

Phytic Acid—is abundant in grains.  Some have more than others but it is in all grains.  Phytic acid blocks minerals from being absorbed in the guts, like calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and especially ZINC.  Please consider this if you did not do well on the zinc test.  Whole rice and whole millet contain less phytic acid.  What major health problem do many people get without enough calcium?

 

If I could recommend one thing to patients to both improve their lives and make their adjustments hold and work better, it would be to stop eating bread.  To top it off, many breads and cereals have partially hydrogenated oil in them.   If you do want to eat grains, care must be taken in preparation.  They must be soaked and sprouted, and the vast majority of commercial preparations do not do this.  By soaking them for as little as 7 hours you can neutralize most of the phytic acid and break down gluten into a more simpler, and absorbable component.

 

 

Breakfast cereal has no place in your house.  Cereal is made at high temperatures and pressures called extrusion.  Extrusion destroys many nutrients, causes oils to go rancid, and makes some proteins toxic.  If you are going to eat bread or grains, please, have one serving a day and soak the grains

 

 

 

 

 

“When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot become manifest, strength cannot be exerted, wealth is useless, and reason is powerless.”

 

Herophiles, 300 B.C.

The latest news in the world of nutrition is that not all fat is evil.  But that doesn’t mean it’s time to go rip open the bags of potato chips.  There are some guidelines to this whole FAT issue. Authorities on dietary guidelines agree that fat is needed for HEALTH That’s right, some fat is good for you. 

 

For many years, the American Heart Association and other health organizations have encouraged the American people to keep their total fat intake to less than 30% and reduce cholesterol in their diet.  Eggs, with their high cholesterol content, almost became taboo.  Diet-conscious people turned to eating vegetables and drinking skim milk.

 

But there are some who questioned the wisdom of these dietary guidelines.  University of Illinois Emeritus professor Fred Kummerow was one who disagreed with the low-fat guidelines.

 

“There is a mindset today that fat and cholesterol are bad, which is false,” he declared.  He pointed to populations that had low dietary cholesterol intake, such as the people of India, and noted that these people also develop heart disease.  He feels that the low-fat restrictions, “drive consumers to avoid nutrient-dense foods such as meat, milk, and eggs.”

 

But when people reduce the amount of meat, dairy products and eggs in their diets, Kummerow said that they also reduce the intake of protein, vitamins, magnesium and several important trace minerals.

• Fat actually has several important functions, according to Kummerow.  Fat contains linoleic acid, which helps the body produce a substance that keeps blood flowing through arteries.

Kummerow is not alone in his questioning of low- fat diets. Dr. Udo Erasmus, a nutritionist who has spent more than a decade investigating his theories, has written a book titled “Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill.”  

 

His research revealed that fats can increase metabolic rate, help people lose weight, improve digestion, promote heart healing and increase energy.

 

 

Erasmus noted that Americans lowered their fat intake from 42% to 35% in their diets, the number of obese people rose from 20% to 33%.  “Fats doesn’t make people FAT,”  Erasmus firmly claimed.  “What makes people fat are sugar, sweeteners, and carbohydrates…  When you don’t get the fats you need, you develop cravings and end up eating carbohydrates.  When you eat more carbohydrates than are needed, they are stored and you end up wearing around that fuel.  When you get the fats you need, you are less hungry.”

 

Erasmus distinguishes between good and bad fats and oils.  An example of a harmful fat is the hydrogenated fat found in breads, cakes, cookies and margarine.  These fats have been changed chemically interfere with functions of the body:  such as liver function and hormone conversions.

 

 

• Good fats; such as omega 3 fatty acids are essential fats.  The body can’t make them.  They must come from food.  Erasmus said “They are required for brain functions, help with autoimmune conditions, increase energy levels, lift depression, and protect DNA from damage.  If you don’t get them, everything falls apart,” he warned.

 

 

Erasmus gives specific recommendations about how to add essential fats and oils to a diet in his book.  He wants his work to shed light on the issue of low-fat diets.  “We have mostly been told, ‘don’t do this,’ and ‘don’t do that’.  It’s time to hear ‘Do this’.  I’m saying bring in the good fats and lower the bad fats,” he said.

 

Mary Enig PhD, who is a biochemist and an international authority on partial hydrogenation, has reiterated these same sentiments.  You can read more on her web site knowyourfats.com .  

 

The American Heart Association is mainly responsible for the information promoting low-fat diets. 

 

Kummerow feels that common sense mixed with knowledge should be the key to diets.  “People are bombarded with information and are spending thousands on diet foods and diets.  Don’t burden the energy system with low-nutrient foods such as soft drinks, potato chips, french fries and candy bars.  Eat fish or meat every day.  Try to have six servings of fruits and vegetables.  And sit down and have a meal with the family,” he said.

 

Dr. Altman here- This morning I told my daughter that the two most important things I can do to make you a better student are:

 

1. Give you a good breakfast, to fuel your mind all day.
2. Make sure you eat supper at home with the family.