Adequate Folic Acid Levels During Pregnancy May Lower Autism Risk

The risk of having a child with autism has increased to one in 80. While this number is staggering, new research is helping to explain potential causes. In a new study, scientists found that women that consumed significantly more folic acid during the first month of pregnancy had a reduced risk of having a child with autism. Folic acid supplements are already suggested for use by women of childbearing age to prevent neural tube defects. Folic can also be found in many foods.To learn more, go to "Folic Acid Intake During Pregnancy Linked to Reduced Autism Risk" in the June, 2012, issue of Natural Standard's Integrative Medicine Newsletter.

Yummy Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free Coconut Milk Ice Cream

My search for a gluten free, dairy free, sugar free ice cream is over.  I came across this recipe on the paleodietlifestyle blog and made it without adding honey.  Yes, it's full of saturated fat, but coconut milk in moderation can be a satisfying treat.  I added raw cacao nibs and unsweetened coconut.  The result: heavenly!

Coconut vanilla ice cream recipe

• 1 can full-fat organic coconut milk
• 2 eggs or 4 egg yolks (yolks alone will give even more richness)
• Seeds from 2 fresh vanilla beans or 4 tbsp real vanilla extract.

Possible additions (add any or a combination of the following):

• 1/2 cup of berries (chopped or blended to a puree)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/4 cup finely chopped mint
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts
• Lemon, lime or orange zest
• 3 tbsp raw honey
• 1/4 cup 70 % dark chocolate or raw cacao nibs

1. Boil water in a pot or double boiler and reduce to a simmer.
2. Place a heat proof bowl over it in a double boiler fashion and pour in the coconut milk. Add vanilla seeds or vanilla extract to the coconut milk and heat until hot, but not boiling. 
3. Whisk the eggs or yolks in a separate bowl. Add one ladleful of the hot coconut milk to the eggs while whisking vigorously. This slowly brings the temperature up without cooking the eggs and risking that they scramble. Add two or three more ladlefuls of the coconut milk while whisking continuously.
4. Blend the tempered eggs mixture with the rest of the coconut milk in the double boiler.
5. Whisk for a couple of minutes non-stop to form a thick custard. Make sure it doesn’t get too hot and the simmering water doesn’t touch the bowl.
6. Once the custard is ready, remove from the heat source and let it cool on the counter or refrigerator.
7. You can add any additional ingredients once the custard is cool to the touch.
8. Let it cool even more in the refrigerator before freezing it.
9. Place in an ice cream maker and follow the instructions or put in a baking dish in the freezer and stir vigorously every 30 minutes for about 2 to 3 hours until it’s set.
10. Remove from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving so it softens a bit. Serve with additional coconut milk, berries, mint, coconut flakes or any other flavoring you might enjoy.

Insufficient Vitamin D Linked to Weight Gain

A new study links vitamin D “insufficiency” to added weight gain.   The study focused on older women, and found that four out of five (80 percent) had insufficient levels of vitamin D … a finding with serious implications for bone health.   The finding of a widespread lack of vitamin D was bad enough, but the researchers also found that women who lacked vitamin D gained more weight than those with blood levels deemed sufficient.   Dr. LeBlanc called that weight-gain finding unprecedented: “This is one of the first studies to show that women with low levels of vitamin D gain more weight, and although it was only two pounds, over time that can add up.” (KP 2012)   The study was conducted by researchers from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, the University of Minnesota, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Maryland.    

Drinking Kale Juice at the San Francisco Airport

Love the San Francisco airport!!  I usually bring my own dehydrated kale chips when traveling, but at this airport there's a wonderful restaurant, The Plant.  They have great organic salads and juices. I ordered the kale, parsley, cucumber, lemon (hold the apple to reduce the sugar load) juice.  The perfect drink before a long flight.

Would love to hear your suggestions for healthy travel food.

Follow My Blog and Be Inspired to Take Back Your Health and Reverse Diabesity

"My cabinets are emptying out and my refrigerator is filling up!" I'm thrilled to hear participants in my Blood Sugar Solution group program (which follows the curriculum developed by Dr. Mark Hyman in his best-selling book, The Blood Sugar Solution) voice comments like this because it means they're removing sugar-laden processed foods and adding fresh foods that their great-grandmothers would have recognized as food. Stay tuned for more postings about how people are successfully reversing "diabesity."

Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Increased Risk of Alzheimer's Disease

According to a new French study, women with higher intakes of vitamin D may be at a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, but not of developing other, less common forms of dementia (Annweiler C et al. 2012).

 

In this “prospective” study, they followed 498 women – aged 76 to 84 (average 79.8 years) – for seven years. None were taking vitamin D supplements, and all were living at home.

 

The women with the highest estimated vitamin D intakes from food were 77 percent less likely to have developed Alzheimer’s within seven years.

More Evidence that Omega-3's Curb Inflammation and Decrease Risk of Heart Disease and Cancer

What the heck are soluble adhesion molecules, and why should you care?

Well, they’re proteins belonging to the family of “cell adhesion molecules” (CAMs), and they’re implicated in cardiovascular disease and cancer.

CAMs are markers for specific inflammatory processes that impact white blood cells, blood platelet cells, and endothelial cells … with generally negative effects.

The endothelium (inner layer) of blood vessels is made of endothelial cells, which are very active players in the health of our arteries … and appear to play indirect roles in cancer growth.

Now, two new studies indicate that higher intakes of omega-3s (EPA and DHA) from fish inhibit a specific kind of CAM, with consequent benefits to heart and immune health.

Both studies looked at the effects of omega-3s on blood levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1). Researchers from China’s Jilin University analyzed 18 randomized clinical trials that tested omega-3 supplements and collected data on the participants’ blood levels of sICAM-1 (Yang Y et al. 2012). Their analysis indicates that omega-3 supplements can reduce blood levels of sICAM-1 in healthy people and people with unhealthy blood fat profiles. This seems to reveal a new way in which omega-3s may help prevent atherosclerosis and related cardiovascular disease.

Adding a new insight to the inflammation-moderating effects of omega-3s, the Chinese team found that supplements reduced inflammation by inhibiting activation of monocytes, which proliferate in response to inflammation.

Chronic inflammation drives atherosclerosis, the leading cause of cardiovascular disease.
It’s become clear that white blood (immune-system) cells – especially macrophages – promote arterial plaques, which are prone to rupture, leading to strokes, heart attack, and possible death. Like macrophages, monocytes appear to promote the formation of arterial plaques and fuel their growth by forming “foam” cells, producing free radicals, and more.

As the researchers wrote, their finding “… supports the notion that omega-3 [supplements can help] to prevent the development and progression of atherosclerosis.” (Yang Y et al. 2012)

A team from the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Paris report that higher blood levels of omega-3 may counteract the pro-cancer properties of sICAM-1 (Touvier M et al. 2012).