Third Friday of Lent is today! Please be sure to make it a certified meatless ffriday fast for Our Lord who died for us and rose again! Meatless options abound at http://CM-LO.com . No special hints for today but we are getting to the mid-way point of Lent. A good offering to the Lord is to fast a meal and give that money saved to a food bank or other worthwhile organisation. Also maybe you will consider to donate your time to the needy at a shelter or food pantry. One thing you can do is visit someone who is incarcerated. Inumerous! Here is a report that I dug up today. Take a look:

High levels of vitamin D in the blood appear to be linked to lower risks of colorectal cancer, although it’s not clear if higher intake of the vitamin actually prevents the disease, researchers say.

Still, the findings are food for thought: Scientists found that those with the highest levels of vitamin D in their blood had as much as a 40 percent lower risk for developing colorectal cancer than those with the lowest levels.

The research, published online Jan. 21 in BMJ, is based on a study of more than 520,000 people from 10 countries in Western Europe. The study participants gave blood samples and filled out diet and lifestyle questionnaires between 1992 and 1998. They were then tracked for several more years to see what happened to them.

During the follow-up period, 1,248 were diagnosed with colorectal cancer. These participants were compared with a similar group of 1,248 people who were not diagnosed with the disease.

The researchers cautioned that it’s not clear if there are risks from consuming high levels of vitamin D, which is available in supplements. It’s also not known whether supplements are necessary if people reach certain levels through a healthy diet, exercise and moderate exposure to sunlight.

The study authors noted that current recommendations for preventing colorectal cancer include exercising, not smoking, reducing obesity and abdominal fat, and limiting consumption of alcohol and red and processed meats.
SOURCE: BMJ, news release, Jan. 21, 2010

HealthDay

There never seems to be an end to all the benefits attributed to the Mediterranean Diet. CM-LO continues to expound on the benefits. Here is an article published by Health Day News, as published yesterday by the US Department of Health and Human Services:
Any one of three heart-healthy diets — low-fat, low-carbohydrate, Mediterranean — can reverse the thickening of artery walls that can lead to heart attack and stroke, an Israeli study indicates.
“Once one adheres to a sensible diet, even though you experience only a moderate weight loss, if you stick to it long enough you can cause regression of atherosclerosis,” explained Iris Shai, a nutritional epidemiologist at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and lead author of a report to be published in the March 16 print issue of the journal Circulation.
Atherosclerosis involves a thickening and narrowing of blood vessels. When narrowing leads to a full blockage of blood flow, heart attacks or strokes are the result.
Shai and her colleagues assigned 140 middle-aged, overweight men and women to one of three low-calorie diets: low-fat; low-carbohydrate; or the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables and healthy fats such as those found in olive oil.
About one-third of the participants were taking blood pressure medications and one-quarter were taking cholesterol-lowering medications, mostly statins.
The researchers tracked the participants’ adherence to the recommended diet, as well as their weight and blood pressure. Using ultrasound scans to obtain three-dimensional images, the team also assessed the volume and thickness of the carotid arteries, the major vessels carrying blood to the brain.
After two years, the researchers found that dieters experienced a significant 5 percent reduction in average carotid artery wall volume and a 1.1 percent reduction in carotid wall thickness.
There were also moderate reductions in blood pressure and average weight.
“With a healthy diet and only moderate weight loss and reduction in blood pressure, you can see regression of plaque that naturally progresses over the years,” Shai said.
“The message seems to be that weight loss, no matter how you accomplish it, is good for the carotid artery,” said Dr. Robert H. Eckel, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado, a past president of the American Heart Association.
While the reduction in blood pressure was perhaps the most important dietary effect, “with weight reduction many things change in the right direction,” Eckel said.
(SOURCES: Iris Shai, Ph.D., nutritional epidemiologist, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel; Robert H. Eckel, M.D., professor, medicine, University of Colorado, Denver; March 1, 2010, Circulation, online)
And remember, make it a CM-LO/CertifiedMeatless day!

It is Friday and it is once again a day of reflection and abstinence. Not only good as a mortification, eating fish,seafood, and vegetables is a way of cleansing the body and allowing the body to obtain useful chemical components. Omega 3’s which are found in seafood has many properties that lead to better health. I am enclosing an excerpt from a study conducted by the National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine published a few days ago. Please read and absorb the information. One note about fish oil and Omega 3 supplements: Many over the counter supplements are encased in geletin which is a meat derivative and therefore non CMLO. Choose carefully and choose supplements encased in dextrose or other CMLO acceptable capsules. More infomation at http://CM-LO.com.
Here is the excerpt and have a Certified Meatless Friday!

About Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids—also known as n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)—are important for a number of bodily functions, including the relaxation and contraction of muscles, blood clotting, digestion, fertility, cell division, growth, and movement of calcium and other substances in and out of cells.

The three major types of omega-3 fatty acids are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). ALA is found in seeds, vegetable oils (canola, flaxseed, and soybean), green leafy vegetables, nuts, and beans. ALA is converted, usually in small amounts, into EPA and DHA, after it is ingested. Fish oil and fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, and tuna are the primary sources of EPA and DHA. Algae oils are a vegetarian source of DHA. Omega-3s are available as dietary supplements, usually in the form of capsules or oils. Commonly used supplements include fish oil, flaxseed oil, and walnut oil.

Most American diets provide at least 10 times more omega-6 than omega-3 fatty acids. Scientists generally agree that people should consume less omega-6s and more omega-3s for good health; however, the best ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s has not been determined.

Today is the last monday for January 2010! Lets make this a day to become Meatless or even CertitiedMeatless! Read a nice little blurb about oats and strawberries! Sounds like a tasty treat. Here in the greater NYC area it is wet and dank. For myself to start off the meatless monday and meatless week ahead, I shall have a nice warm bowl of Cream of Wheat with honey and cinnamon! Fantastic eh? Try more ideas at CM-LO.com!

This is from the U.S. National Health Library

I just came across this fascinating diet which I will blog more of in the days to come! This diet fits in great with a meatless food or should I say CertifiedMeatless diet. Try to tinker with your Meatless Wednesday meal tonight with ideas from here. The Mediterranean diet has fewer meats and carbohydrates and more plant-based foods and monounsaturated (good) fat than a typical American diet. Many people who live in Italy, Spain, and other countries in the Mediterranean region have eaten this way for centuries.

Following the Mediterranean diet may lead to more stable blood sugars, lower cholesterol and triglycerides, and a lower risk of heart disease and other health problems.

How to Follow the Diet
The Mediterranean diet is based on:

Plant-based meals, with just small amounts of meat and chicken, when they are used
Larger servings of grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, and legumes
Foods that naturally contain high amounts of fiber, antioxidants, and other nutrients
Plenty of fish and other seafood that are rich in omega 3 fats
Olive oil, a healthy, monounsaturated fat, as the main source of fat used to flavor and prepare foods
Food that is prepared and seasoned simply, without sauces and gravies
Flavorful meals that bring out the natural taste of foods
Dining with others at a relaxed pace
Foods Not in the Diet
Foods that are eaten in small amounts or NOT at all in the Mediterranean diet include:

Red meats
Sweets and other desserts
Eggs
Butter

Thanks to the U.S. National Health LIbrary

Yes folks CertifiedMeatless.com can really pick some tasty recipies. Check out this link thanks to the lady of cooking, no not Julia Child but Martha Stewart! Tasty and delicious for a meatless Monday or Meatless friday! Meatless always!
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/shrimp-and-scallion-stir-fry

What a weekend! With wining and dining, birthday parties and family get togethers, it was certainly hard to be meatless. But good ol’ sis cooked up a beautiful piece of Alaskan salmon. Delightful with a bit of Hollandaise sauce, sweet french beans and some garlic potatoes. With a nice Bordeaux Blanc, it was quite a meal. So guess what, you can even make it a meatless Sunday. For more meatless ideas, you need to search CertifiedMeatless!