Las recaídas en las mujeres drogodependientes: diferencias de género

In the old days when the only people who ate yogurt or organic foods were known as “health nuts,” before gyms became known as fitness facilities, and before every supermarket had a natural foods department with a dizzying array of energy bars, there were only a few supplements and powders that fitness enthusiasts used on a regular basis. One of them was brewer’s yeast.

Well, times have changed, fitness has become mainstream, and the menu of supplements, powders, bars, and things to throw into your protein shake has expanded exponentially, but brewer’s yeast still occupies a warm spot in the heart of many of those early “health nuts.”

Brewer’s yeast consists of the dried, pulverized cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a type of fungus. It’s inactive yeast, meaning the yeasts have been killed and have no leavening powder. Brewer’s yeast is actually the yeast remaining after beer or alcohol making. It’s generally regarded as a health food because it is easily digested and has a high nutrient content. It’s a rich source of the B-complex vitamins, all essential amino acids, and fifteen minerals, particularly chromium, an important trace mineral that helps the hormone insulin do its job better in the body. High-quality brewer’s yeast powder or flakes contain as much as 60 mcg of chromium per tablespoon (15 gm). (In the days in which brewer’s yeast was a common supplemental food, chromium wasn’t widely available in supplement form.) Brewer’s yeast is one of the rare vegetarian sources of B12.

WORTH KNOWING

Brewer’s yeast fell out of favor largely because better ways of obtaining higher-dose chromium became available (supplements) and because so many people have chronic yeast problems, which can conceivably be made worse by taking brewer’s yeast, even though the yeast itself is inactive and not related to the Candida albicans fungus that causes yeast infection. Brewer’s yeast also causes lots of gas in some beginners. Nonetheless, if you do not have yeast problems (Candida) and would like an easily digestible way to get some extra B vitamins, amino acids, and minerals, brewer’s yeast is a fine food.

EXPERTS’ TOP TEN

Mary Dan Eades, M.D., and Michael Eades, M.D.

Michael and Mary Dan Eades are great friends of mine, and two of the smartest and most committed M.D.s in the country. They are the best-selling authors of Protein Power (sixty-three weeks on the New York Times best-seller list) and The Protein Power Life Plan, and most recently, Staying Power: Maintaining Your Low Carb Weight Loss for Good and The Low Carb CookwoRx Cookbook. They write, coproduce, and host the PBS show Low Carb CookwoRx and can be reached at www.proteinpower.com.

1. Grass-fed beef, pork, lamb: Sources of good protein and quality fat, devoid of hormones, antibiotics, and toxins.

2. Cage-free chicken and eggs: Humanely produced, inexpensive, high-quality protein and cholesterol source.

(NOTE from JB: This is not a misprint. Cholesterol from the diet helps regulate the production of cholesterol in the body; if you don’t get it from the diet, you will make it. And cholesterol is the parent molecule of all sorts of important hormones.)

3. Sardines packed in sardine oil: Of all fish, lowest in heavy metals and other toxins, while still being rich in essential fats. Best packed in their own oil, but those packed in olive oil or water are okay, too. Avoid those in soybean or vegetable oil.

4. Coconut oil: Rich in lauric acid, important for immune health, stable at high temperatures, great for sautéing, frying, and baking.

5. Broccoli sprouts: No food is higher in sulforaphane than these. Great on salads or in wraps. If you are short on these tiny power-houses, eat cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage).

6. Spinach (and other dark green leafies): Packed with nutrients, especially folate, without a slug of carbs.

7. Tomatoes: Full of potassium and lycopene and so versatile you can serve them at any meal.

8. Pomegranate: Powerful antioxidant, and delicious to boot.

9. Celery root: All the benefits of potatoes, used in much the same way, but without the starch load.

10. Berries: King of fruits, chock-full of ORAC (a measure of antioxidant capacity), fiber, and flavor.

EXPERTS’ TOP TEN

Oz Garcia, Ph.D.

Oz Garcia and I go way back—he’s one of my best friends and hands-down one of the brightest and most cutting-edge nutritionists in the country. We’ve worked together on and off for more than a decade, and I’m always awed by the breadth and depth of his knowledge on a variety of topics. An antiaging expert, he lectures internationally on health, lifestyle, aging, supplements, and nutrition, and is CEO of the lifestyle consulting firm Personal Best, Inc. Twice voted “Best Nutritionist” by New York Magazine, he has a huge clientele of bold print names and is the best-selling author of The Balance and Look and Feel Fabulous Forever. His fourth book is The New Fifty: Redesigning 50 to Look and Feel like 35.

1 . Blueberries: Contain disease-fighting, age-proofing antioxidants and anticancer properties. They help lower cholesterol levels, help prevent short-term memory loss, and help promote weight control.

2 . Wild salmon: One of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce heart disease and inflammatory conditions. Rich in carotenoids, vitamins B, A, and D; good for calcium absorption.

3. Pomegranate: Rich in potassium and vitamin C, and has three times the antioxidants of red wine and green tea. Helps keep fatty deposits from collecting on arteries, thus preventing heart attacks, strokes, premature aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.

4. Olive oil (extra virgin): A natural anti-inflammatory much like aspirin or ibuprofen. It reduces the risk of stroke, heart and cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, lung cancer, and some forms of dementia.

5. Nuts: Great source of dietary fiber, antioxidants, magnesium, copper, folic acid, vegetable protein, potassium, vitamin E, and healthy fats, all of which help reduce the risk of heart disease.

6. Mixed vegetables: Vegetables are low in fat and calories, are a good source of dietary fiber, and provide us with extra energy. They are one of the most natural foods and contain different vitamins, minerals, and thousands of other plant chemicals known to provide many disease-reducing benefits. Eating vegetables can also help control weight.

7 . Garlic: Garlic fends off aging via its antioxidant properties. It contains strong antibacterial and antiviral compounds that boost your resistance to stress-induced colds and infections.

8 . Green tea: Rich in antioxidants, promotes heart health, aids digestion, and regulates blood sugar and body temperature. It raises the metabolic rate and speeds up fat oxidation, thus helping people lose weight. Also has a powerful effect against rheumatoid arthritis and tumors.

9. Whole grains/brown rice: They offer a wide array of health benefits. Not only do whole grains contain fiber and traditional nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, and iron, but they also contain numerous disease-fighting phytochemicals and antioxidants not found in fruits.

10. Yogurt with bioactive cultures: A great source of protein and calcium. Contains probiotics, which boost the immune system and protect the intestinal tract. Yogurt delivers calcium, potassium, and magnesium, three key nutrients that prevent hypertension and osteoporosis.

11. Coconut oil: It supports overall immune functions; prevents bacterial, viral, and fungal infections and digestive disorders; and increases the metabolic rate.

CHAPTER 11

Beverages

The best beverage in the world, bar none, is water. You can’t live very long without it, and it is necessary for almost every metabolic process. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t other beverages that are amazing for your health. There are. And nine of them (ten if you include water) are portrayed in depth in this section of this book.

Since beverages don’t grow on trees or come out of the ground, every beverage, by definition , is made from something else (like a plant or a fruit). If I may be frank, one of the difficulties in picking foods and beverages for this book had to do with the following dilemma: When does the source of a beverage (for example, apples ) get its “own” entry, when does the juice made from the source (e.g., apple juice ) get its “own” entry, and when do both get their own entry. (Similar dilemmas existed for oils

—e.g., olives vs. olive oil—and nuts—e.g., peanuts vs. peanut butter.) Here’s how I tried to solve the problem.