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Pumpkin Spice MCT Oil Powder! 3 Ways to Enjoy Today

AHA Publisher — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 08:00:45 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – Sometimes, you just can’t get enough of a good thing. Take Pumpkin Spice. Simply, pumpkin spice is a mix of nourishing, delicious spices that provide a taste and aroma perfect for Autumn, Winter, and the Holidays. Next, take MCT Oil Powder. This incredibly healthy fat and brain-boosting nutrient should be an everyday part of an energizing, healthy diet. Put them together, and get more good things: Pumpkin Spice MCT Oil Powder! This decadent Keto Zone® MCT Oil Powder flavor is delicious and incredibly healthy. Here’s how to use it (3 ways!), and why you should. Keto Zone® Pumpkin Spice MCT Oil Powder – 3 Ways HOLIDAY PUMPKIN SPICE BREAD Ingredients: 2 cups almond flour 1 scoop Keto Zone® MCT Oil Powder (Pumpkin Spice) 3 tablespoons cup granulated keto-friendly sweetener 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup organic canned pumpkin puree 3 large eggs, organic Instructions: Prepare a loaf pan (9″×5″) by greasing with butter or lining with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients until completely smooth. Pour mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Bake on the oven’s center rack for 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool COMPLETELY. Then, separate the bread from the pan by scraping along the sides with a knife. Pop the loaf out onto a serving plate. To store, cover loosely overnight on the countertop, or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Makes 12 servings. Enjoy! Nutrition info (per slice): 118 calories, 10 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 2.5 grams net carbohydrates, (6 grams carbohydrates, 3.5 grams fiber), 4 grams protein Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients: 8 ounces organic cream cheese 4 ounces organic butter (grass-fed) 1 1/2 – 2 cups keto powdered sweetener 1 scoop Keto Zone® MCT Oil Powder (Pumpkin Spice) Instructions: Set the cream cheese and butter on counter and allow to warm to room temperature. Using a hand mixer, beat all ingredients until smooth. Add a bit of water or almond milk, as needed, to get to desired consistency. Adjust sweetener to preference. Enjoy on pies, breads, desserts, or in coffee! Nutrition info (per 2 tablespoons): 90 calories, 10 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat, 1 grams net carbohydrates, (1 grams carbohydrates, 0 grams fiber), 1 grams protein Pumpkin Spice Mocha Ingredients: 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree, organic if possible 1 scoop Keto Zone® MCT Oil Powder (Pumpkin Spice) 1 scoop Keto Zone® Hydrolyzed Collagen Powder (French Vanilla) 8 ounces strong coffee 1/2 cup almond milk, heated Instructions: Stovetop: In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, mix 1/2 cup water, pumpkin puree, Keto Zone® MCT Oil Powder (Pumpkin Spice), and Keto Zone® Hydrolyzed Collagen Powder. Heat and stir until melted and combined to form a syrup, about 1-2 minutes. Microwave: Combine all ingredients in a large microwavable mug. Stir well. Heat on high in 30-second intervals, and stirring in between, until melted and combined to form a syrup. Typically, it will take 1.5-2 minutes, or 3-4 intervals of heating and stirring. Add coffee and heated milk to syrup. Stir very well or place in a blender to combine and froth. Of note: when blending hot liquids in a blender, make sure to allow the steam to vent while blending by opening lid slightly. Blend with care at low speed. Make sure to not allow the hot liquid to explode out of the blender. Nutrition Info: 192 calories, 16 grams fat, 8 grams net carbs (14 grams carbs, 6 grams sugars – naturally occurring, 6 grams fiber), 28 grams protein 7 Proven Benefits of MCT Oil Powder 1. SUPPORTS HEALTHY HEART AND CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTION Medium-chain triglycerides in MCT oil have been shown to improve cholesterol profiles by decreasing LDL cholesterol, decreasing the number of LDL particles, and increasing HDL cholesterol (1, 2). There are three primary ways MCT oil improves cardiovascular health. First, MCTs improve cholesterol profiles by decreasing LDL (bad cholesterol) while increasing HDL (good cholesterol). In turn, this improves the total cholesterol ratio. In one recent study, 17 overweight women were given MCTs for 27 days. When tested, their LDL cholesterol decreased, HDL increased, cholesterol ratio improved, and plasma glutathione increased (a powerful natural antioxidant). Researchers stated that their cardiovascular risk profile was improved (3). In another 2018 study, 96 adults consumed butter, coconut oil, or olive oil. When tested, LDL remained unchanged with coconut oil and olive oil. HDL significantly increased with coconut oil. This change improved the cholesterol profile in the coconut oil group (4). 2. FIGHTS INFLAMMATORY RESPONSES Inflammation is at the center of most chronic diseases, and is linked to heart disease, diabetes, cognitive degeneration, and more. MCTs can reduce inflammation in the body. In 2014, 30 adults with high cholesterol and inflammation consumed MCTs for 30 days. When retested, scientists found significant reductions in LDL, increases in HDL, and reductions in C-reactive protein (a marker for inflammation) (5). 3. SUPPORTS BRAIN HEALTH, ENERGY AND FOCUS When you’re in ketosis, and you consume MCT oil, your body is able to produce increased ketones. Currently, scientists are studying the effects of ketones, like those from MCTs, in preserving healthy brains and inhibiting degradation from aging (6). Additionally, researchers have found that ketones are usable fuel for the brain in those with Alzheimer’s disease, similar to young healthy brains. (7). In Alzheimer’s disease, there’s an impairment in the use of glucose by the brain. Utilizing ketones in the brain rather than glucose may result in memory improvements and brain function (8). Here’s what researchers found: Ketones are associated with many benefits, including reduced brain degradation from aging and improved brain function (9). 4. PROMOTES HEALTHY WEIGHTS Amazingly, MCTs can promote healthy weights and BMIs. This is great news since even moderate weight loss can improve cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugars, and inflammation. What’s more, since MCTs and fats, in general, improve satiety you also won’t feel too hungry even while trying to lose weight (10, 11). 5. ENCOURAGES OPTIMAL BLOOD SUGARS MCTs can improve blood sugars and decrease insulin output, thereby improving health and fat metabolism (12). In fact, MCTs can help reduce the risk of diabetes by: Decreasing insulin resistance Providing an alternate energy source to carbohydrates Preserving beta-cell health (decline in these cells contributes to diabetes) Promoting weight loss In one recent study, scientists concluded that MCT oils provided benefit to beta cells in both mice and humans. One key to combating diabetes is improving the health of these cells (13). Additionally, a 2016 animal study showed that MCTs improved both insulin resistance and inflammation. (14). While more human studies are needed, MCT oil powder is a promising supplement to help improve diabetes outcomes. 6. SUPPORTS HEALTHY DIGESTION Amazingly, MCTs can fight unhealthy yeasts while supporting an increase in healthy bacteria and absorption in the digestive tract (15). Unhealthy yeasts plague many people and cause a myriad of digestive and health issues. Digestive diseases can affect the body in many ways, including: Poor absorption, stunted growth, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and low energy Direct digestive symptoms such as constipation, bloated, and cramping Declining digestive tissues with the risk of ulcers, hemorrhoids, decreased healthy bacteria growth, fungus and yeast overgrowth, and diverticular diseases MCT oil powder eases digestion, since bile isn’t needed to digest MCTs. In fact, MCTs go from the intestines directly to the liver, and the body quickly uses them as energy or storage. MCTs can nourish those who can’t digest nutrients well. In one 2018 study, MCT supplementation decreased intestinal candida overgrowth in preterm infants. The candida decreased during supplementation, then increased again once it was stopped (16). MCTs can improve healthy bacteria levels, fat-soluble vitamin absorption, and energy metabolism (17). 7. PROMOTES YOUTHFUL ENERGY AND ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE If you’re looking for a fuel that increases energy, MCTs are one such fuel. Once delivered to the liver from the intestines, MCTs increase energy output in the mitochondria, which are the energy producers in cells (18). In addition, athletes typically look for ways to decrease lactate levels. When recreational athletes consumed MCTs, they experienced lower lactate levels during moderate and intense workouts than they did with other fats. This may lead to improved endurance and performance (19). Other researchers found that MCTs reduce high-temperature exercise performance issues and improve overall performance (20). Bottom Line It’s never a bad time to add more pumpkin spice to your life. Enjoy our delicious Keto Zone® Pumpkin Spice MCT Oil Powder with these 3 recipes this year. And, let us know your favorite ways to enjoy it! To read the original article click here.

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Spinach and Berries to Prevent Muscle Soreness

AHA Publisher — Mon, 23 May 2022 07:00:32 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – What are the effects of spinach and berries on oxidative stress, inflammation, and muscle soreness in athletes? Higher fruit and vegetable consumption was “positively associated with muscle power” in adolescents, but they aren’t the ones who really need it. What about the consumption of fruits and vegetables and the risk of frailty in older adults? Researchers found that higher fruit and vegetable consumption was “associated with a lower short-term risk of frailty in a dose-response manner,” meaning more fruits or vegetables and less frailty. Those were observational studies, though, which, alone, can’t prove cause and effect. What happens when you put foods to the test? As I discuss in my video Flashback Friday: Foods to Improve Athletic Performance and Recovery, there was “no positive influence of ingesting chia seed oil on human running performance,” but an effect was found for “spinach supplementation on exercise-induced oxidative stress.” Spinach supplementation? That just meant researchers gave some guys fresh, raw spinach leaves—one gram per kilo of body weight, which turned out to be about a quarter of a bunch a day—for two weeks and then had them run a half marathon. They found that “chronic daily oral supplementation of spinach”—like eating a salad—“has alleviating effects on known markers of oxidative stress and muscle damage…” As you can see at 1:16 in my video, when you run a half marathon without supplementing with spinach, you get a big spike in oxidative stress and blood malondialdehyde levels that stay up for hours or even days later. In the spinach group, there isn’t much change before and after two weeks of spinach, but you can really see the difference after you put the body under pressure. After the rigors of a half marathon, your body, supplemented with spinach, is better able to deal with the stress. What happens when you look at muscle damage, as measured by creatine kinase (CK) leakage from the muscles? (CK is an enzyme that should be in your muscles, not leaking out into your blood.) Researchers found that levels started at about 100 U/L and went up to 200 U/L right after the half marathon, two hours later. The next day is when you really feel that delayed onset-muscle soreness, though. Without spinach supplementation, CK levels reached 600 U/L the day after the half marathon before coming back down. But on spinach? You get a similar immediate post-race bump in CK leakage, but spinach really shines that next day: You don’t get the same next-day spike. So, for a competitive athlete, that quicker recovery may get you training harder again even sooner. The researchers attributed this to spinach’s anti-inflammatory effects. As you can see at 2:36 in my video, the same effects were found with black currant juice. After some hardcore weight lifting, muscle damage indicators went up and stayed up, whereas they went up but came right back down when that same weight lifting was paired with drinking berries. These were just measures of a biomarker of muscle soreness, however. What about actual soreness? If you look at the effects of tart cherry juice on recovery following prolonged, intermittent sprints in soccer players, you see the same kind of reduction in biomarkers of inflammation. But, more importantly, you see less resulting muscle soreness, which I show at 3:08 in my video. The soreness reported by the athletes in cherry group in the days following running those sprints was only about half of that in the placebo group. Researchers then measured maximum voluntary isometric contractions of the leg muscles. They understandably took a hit in the days after the intense workout, though not in the cherry group. The researchers concluded that participants who supplemented with a tart cherry concentrate “were able to maintain greater functional performance,” but that was in testing how high participants could jump vertically. They didn’t look at whether the athletes were able to play soccer any better, but a study on purple grape juice actually showed “an ergogenic effect in recreational runners by promoting increased time-to-exhaustion.” Participants ran on a treadmill, and the researchers measured how long they could go before collapsing. As you can see at 3:56 in my video, after a month of drinking either a grape Kool-Aid-type placebo control drink or real grape juice, there was no real change in performance in the placebo group, but those in the real grape group got a whopping 15 percent improvement, hanging on for an additional 12 minutes before reaching exhaustion. These studies used juice, so the researchers could make matched placebo control drinks, but you can buy fresh Concord grapes or tart cherries that are fresh, frozen, or water-packed in a can. I mix them with oatmeal, cocoa, and mint leaves for a chocolate-covered-cherry-type sensation. You may want to try that for a few days before participating in your next big sporting event. KEY TAKEAWAYS Observational studies have found that greater intake of fruits and vegetables is positively associated with muscle power in teens and a lower short-term risk of frailty in older adults. Although chia seed oil has no positive influence on running performance, researchers found that eating spinach each day (about a quarter bunch daily) had “alleviating effects on known markers of oxidative stress and muscle damage” in half-marathoners, compared with runners who did not supplement with spinach. Creatine kinase (CK) is an enzyme found in muscle that leaks into the blood when muscle has been damaged. When researchers measured the runners’ CK levels before, immediately after, and the day after the half marathon, they found that those who supplemented with spinach did not get the same next-day spike indicating muscle damage that those who did not take spinach experienced. For competitive athletes, this quicker recovery attributed to spinach’s anti-inflammatory effects may enable you to resume training more quickly and more intensively. Similar effects were found with black current juice’s effect on muscle soreness in weight-lifters. Tart cherry juice also results in reduction of biomarkers of inflammation, as well as less muscle soreness following prolonged, intermittent sprints in soccer players. A study with purple grapes showed that a month of drinking their juice resulted in a 15 percent improvement compared with those drinking a grape Kool-Aid-type placebo control. The real juice drinkers were able to run an additional 12 minutes on a treadmill before reaching exhaustion. To read the original article click here.

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