Tension headaches don't always start inside your head. Any strain on your neck muscles (like bad posture, staring down at a laptop, sleeping on a plane) can also turn into a headache. Remind your spouse about this the next time you ask for a massage. There are lots of other ways to help prevent a headache, too:
• Drink water. Dehydration can cause headaches, so be sure you get the recommended eight glasses of water a day. You may need even more if you exercise a lot or if it's hot outside.
• Sit up straight. Poor posture can strain your back and neck muscles and lead to a headache. (Looks like mom was right, after all.)
• Eat regularly. Skipping meals can be a cause of headaches, especially if you go without food for 5 waking hours or 13 nighttime hours.
Finding the cause is the first step to understand the treatment. In many diseases the cause is still not well understood, but we do have clues that are leading us to the new frontiers of treatment and remedies. Look around the site for everything from headache causes to medications to natural treatments to lifestyle changes that can minimize your pain.
How to relieve a headache
Useful food and kitchen tips: S - Y
Samosa: Bake them instead of deep frying to make them fat free. Don't fry the filling potato masala. Preserve the samosas in freezer. For eating, take out of the freezer two hours in advance and bake them over low temp.
Sugar: Put 2-3 cloves in the sugar to keep ants at bay.
Tadka: Use sprouted mustard seeds (rayee) and fenugreek (methi) seeds for your tadkas. Both of them when sprouted have more nutritional values. Also this add flavour to the dish and can be more beneficial, besides giving decorative look to the dish. Submitted by MS Itisha Madhav
Tomato: To remove the skin of tomatoes, place them in warm water for 5-10 minutes. The skin can then be easily peeled off.When tomatoes are not available or too costly, substitute with tomato puree or tomato ketchup/sauce.Place overripe tomatoes in cold water and add some salt. Overnight they will become firm and fresh.
Tamarind: Tamarind is an excellent polish for brass and copper items. Rub a slab of wet tamarind with some salt sprinkled on it on the object to be polished.
Gargles with tamarind water is recommended for a sore throat.
Utensils: Use nonsticking utensils. Use thick bottom utensils, they get uniformly heated. For electric stoves, use flat bottom utensils.
Add a little bit of common salt to the washing powder for better cleaning of utensils.
Vegetables: Don't discard the water in which the vegetables are soaked or cooked. Use it in making soup or gravy. To keep the vegetables fresh for a longer time, wrap them in newspaper before putting them in freeze.
Chop the vegetables only when you are ready to use them. Don't cut them in too advance. It would spoil their food value.
Sink (Blocked): To clear the blocked drain pipe of your kitchen sink, mix 1/2 cup sodium bicarbonate in 1 cup vinegar and pour it into the sink, and pour about 1 cup water. In an hour the drain pipe will open.
Soup Salty: Place a raw peeled potato in the bowl, it will absorb the extra salt.
Yoghurt (Home Made): To set
yogurt in winter, place the container in a warm place like oven or over the voltage stabliser.
Yogurt: If the yogurt has become sour, put it in a muslin cloth and drain all the water. Then add milk to make it as good as fresh in taste. Use the drained water in making tasty gravy for vegetables or for basen curry. To keep the yogurt fresh for many days, fill the vessel containing yogurt with water to the brim and refrigerate. Change the water daily..
Use the search box to searh for more tips and healthy information.
Useful food and kitchen tips: M - R
Milk: Moisten the base of the vessel with water to reduce the chances of milk to stick at the bottom. Keep a spoon in the vessel while boiling milk at medium heat. It will avoid sticking the milk at the bottom of the vessel.Adding half a tsp of sodium bicarbonate in the milk while boiling will not spoil the milk even if you don't put it in the fridge.
Mixer/Grinder: Grind some common salt in your mixer/grinder fro some time every month. This will keep your mixer blades sharp.
Mosquitoes: Put a few camphor tablets in a cup of water and keep it in the bed room near your bed, or in any place with mosquitoes.
Noodles: When the noodles are boiled, drain all the hot water and add cold water. This way all the noodles will get separated.
Onions: To avoid crying, cut the onions into two parts and place them in water for 15 minutes before chopping them.Wrap the onions individually in a newspaper and store in a cool and dark place to keep them fresh for long time.
Oven: Watch from the oven window to conserve energy because the
oven temperature drops by 25 degrees every time its door is opened,
To clean the oven, apply a paste of sodium bicarbonate and water on the walls and floor of the oven and keep the oven on low heat for about half an hour. Dried food can easily be removed.
Paneer: To keep paneer fresh for several days, wrap it in a blotting paper while storing in the refrigerator.
Do not fry paneer, immerse it in boiling water to make it soft and spongy.
Papad: Bake in microwave oven.
Wrap the papads in polythene sheet and place with dal or rice will prevent them from drying and breaking.
Pickles: To prevent the growth of fungus in pickles, burn a small grain of asafoetida over a burning coal and invert the empty pickle jar for some time before putting pickles in the jar.
Popcorn: Keep the maize/corn seeds in the freezer and pop while still frozen to get better pops.
Potato: To bake potatoes quickly, place them in salt water for 15 minutes before baking.
Use the skin of boiled potatoes to wipe mirrors to sparkling clean.Don't store potatoes and onions together. Potatoes will rot quickly if stored with onions.
Refrigerator: To prevent formation of ice, rub table salt to the insides of your freeze.
Rice: Add a few drops of lemon juice in the water before boiling the rice to make rice whiter.
Add a tsp of canola oil in the water before boiling the rice to separate each grain after cooking.
Don't throw away the rice water after cooking. Use it to make soup or add it in making dal (lentils). Add 5g of dried powdered mint leaves to 1kg of rice. It will keep insects at bay.
Put a small paper packet of boric powder in the container of rice to keep insects at bay. Put a few leaves of mint in the container of rice to keep insects at bay.
Use the search box to search for more tips and information.
Useful food and kitchen tips: D - L
Dry Fruits: To chop dry fruits, place them in fridge for half an hour before cutting. Take the fruits out and cut them with a hot knife (dip it in hot water before cutting).
Dough/Rolling pin: If the dough sticks to the rolling pin, place it in freezer for a few minutes.
Egg peeling off: Make a small hole in the egg by piercing a pin before boiling it. You will be able to remove its skin very easily.
Egg fresh: Immerse the egg in a pan of cool salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh; if it rises to the surface, it is certainly quite old.
Garlic: Garlic skin comes off easily if the garlic cloves are slightly warmed before peeling.
Ghee: Avoid the use of ghee. If it is necessary, substitute it with canola oil. Even for making halwa, you can partly substitute it with oil.
Green Chillies: To keep the chillies fresh for a longer time, remove the stems before storing.
Green Peas: To preserve green peas, keep them in a polythene bag in the freezer.
Idlies: Place a betel (paan) leaf over the leftover idli and dosa batter to prevent them sour.
Do not beat idli batter too much, the air which has been incorporated during fermentation will escape.
If you add half a tsp of fenugreek seeds to the lentil and rice mixture while soaking, dosas will be more crisp.
Fruits: To ripen fruits, wrap them in newspaper and put in a warm place for 2-3 days. The ethylene gas they emit will make them ripe.
Frying: Avoid deep frying. Substitute deep frying with stir frying or oven bake. Don't pour the oil, but make a habit of spraying the oil in the utensil for cooking. Heat the utensil first, then add oil. This way oil spreads well. You will use less oil this way.
Left Over: Don't throw away the foods left over. Store them in Fridge. Use them in making tasty dishes.
Lemon/Lime: If the lemon or lime is hard, put it in warm water for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to squeeze.
Lizards: Hang a peacock feather, lizards will leave your house.
Use the search box provided to search for more food and kitchen tips......
Useful food and kitchen tips: A - C
Almonds: To remove the skin of almonds easily, soak them in hot water for 15-20 minutes.
Ants: Putting 3-4 cloves in the sugar container will keep the ants at bay.
Biscuits: If you keep a piece of blotting paper at the bottom of the container, it will keep biscuits fresh for a longer time.
Butter: Avoid the use of butter. If it is essential to use, use a butter containing low saturated fat or with plant stanols (which avoid absorption of cholesterol by our body) or similar substitutes.
Apples: Apply some lemon juice on the cut surface of the apple to avoid browning. They will look fresh for a longer time.
Banana: Apply mashed banana over a burn on your body to have a cooling effect.
Bee and Scorpion Sting Relief: Apply a mixture of 1 pinch of chewing tobacco and 1 drop of water. Mix and apply directly and immediately to the sting; cover with band aid to hold in place. Pain will go away in just a few short minutes
Bitter Gourd (Karela): Slit Karelas at the middle and apply a mixture of salt, wheat flour and curd all round. Keep aside for 1/2 an hour and then cook.
Celery: To keep celery fresh for long time, wrap it in aluminium foil and place in the refrigerator.
Burnt Food: Place some chopped onion in the vessel having burnt food, pour boiling water in it, keep for 5 minutes and then clean.
Chilli Powder: Keeping a small piece of hing (asafoetida) in the same container will store chilli powder for long time.
Chopping: Use a wooden board to chop. It will not blunt the knife. Don't use a plastic board, small plastic pieces may go with the vegetables.
Coriander/Mint: You can use dried coriander and mint leaves in coarse powder form in vegetable curry or chutney, if fresh ones are not available.
To keep them fresh for a longer time, wrap them in a muslin cloth and keep in a fridge.
Cockroaches: Put some boric powder in kitchen in corners and other places. Cockroaches will leave your house.
Coconut: Immerse coconut in water for 1/2 an hour to remove its hust.
You may consider the search box provided to search for the food you want.
Factors that influence water needs
You may need to modify your total fluid intake depending on how active you are, the climate you live in, your health status, and if you're pregnant or breast-feeding.
* Exercise. The more you exercise, the more fluid you'll need to keep your body hydrated. An extra 1 or 2 cups of water should suffice for short bouts of exercise, but intense exercise lasting more than an hour (for example, running a marathon) requires additional fluid. How much additional fluid is needed depends on how much you sweat during the exercise, but 13 to26 ounces (or about 2 to 3 cups) an hour will generally be adequate, unless the weather is exceptionally warm.
During long bouts of intense exercise, it's best to use a sports drink that contains sodium, as this will help replace sodium lost in sweat and reduce the chances of developing hyponatremia, which can be life-threatening. Fluid also should be replaced after exercise. Drinking 16 ounces of fluid per pound of body weight lost during exercise is recommended.
* Environment. Hot or humid weather can make you sweat and requires additional intake of fluid. Heated indoor air also can cause your skin to lose moisture during wintertime. Further, altitudes greater than 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) may trigger increased urination and more rapid breathing, which use up more of your fluid reserves.
* Illnesses or health conditions. Signs of illnesses, such as fever, vomiting and diarrhea, cause your body to lose additional fluids. In these cases you should drink more water and may even need oral rehydration solutions, such as Gatorade, Powerade or Ceralyte. Certain conditions, including bladder infections or urinary tract stones, also require increased water intake. On the other hand, certain conditions such as heart failure and some types of kidney, liver and adrenal diseases may impair excretion of water and even require that you limit your fluid intake.
* Pregnancy or breast-feeding. Women who are expecting or breast-feeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated. Large amounts of fluid are lost especially when nursing. The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women drink 2.4 liters (about 10 cups) of fluids daily and women who breast-feed consume 3.0 liters (about 12.5 cups) of fluids a day.
8 Ways to Fight Holiday Weight Gain
Drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily, including one glass before every meal.
Avoid emotional eating. The next time you reach for that cookie, ask yourself whether you're being prompted by stress, hurt, depression, boredom, or even joy. The purpose of eating is to fuel your body, not temper your feelings.
Always have breakfast. It provides energy to your body and brain and keeps you from going into starvation mode and binge-eating later.
Schedule time to eat. Plan on three meals and two fruit or veggie snacks every day. Look at your schedule for the day and block out windows of time to eat; "not enough time" is not an excuse.
Count to your age before you "cheat." Anytime you find you are about to eat something that's not healthy, count to your age. If you still want a bit after your countdown, feel free; you've made a conscious decision to indulge.
Ditch the defeatist attitude. Everyone falls off the wagon sometimes. The important thing is to get back on. So when you succumb to that late-night bowl of ice cream, don't think "Well, I've already been bad, so I might as well finish the rest of the carton." Instead, enjoy the occasional indulgence and then return to your resolve.
Get off the couch. A daily exercise routine would be ideal. But even walking up a few flights of stairs for a face-to-face conversation is better than text messaging.
Avoid processed snacks. Always try to have a piece of fruit rather than processed snack foods, especially late at night. If fruit alone doesn't cut it, try adding some peanut butter. If you need a sugar fix, nuke a handful of dark chocolate chips in the microwave for a few seconds and dip your fruit into that.
Eat more weigh less
Believe it or not, enjoying a fiberful diet -- especially at breakfast -- can reduce your calorie intake for up to 18 hours a day. And it helps control blood sugar and lower insulin levels. Although you should aim for 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day, avoid adding it all at once or you'll produce more gas than a Saudi oil field, say the doctors. Start with an additional 1 to 2 grams of dietary fiber -- the amount in a slice of whole-grain bread or 1/2 cup of green beans -- at and between meals and slowly increase from there.
Putting fiber-rich foods like oatmeal, whole-grain toast, or a veggie-packed omelet on your morning menu to curb afternoon binging on Cheetos or cookies. That's because fiber acts like a speed bump in your gastrointestinal tract, slowing everything way down, so you stay fuller longer.
These tips can help you choose a healthy balance of foods to lower the calorie density of your diet:
• Sneak vegetables and fruit into your diet throughout the day: top cereal with berries, snack on an apple or carrot sticks, tuck your favorite veggies into sandwiches or casseroles, increase the proportion of veggies on your plate.
• Cut the fat in foods without sacrificing taste by using a smaller amount of highly flavored vegetable oils, switching to lower fat milk and buying lean cuts of meat. Fat packs more than twice as many calories into an ounce of food as carbohydrates or protein.
• Keep your pantry well-stocked with a variety of your favorite low-calorie-dense foods so these are what you eat when you have the munchies.
• Focus on what you can eat, rather than what you can’t. Find a low-calorie-dense eating pattern that you enjoy so you will stick to it.
• Find ways to tweak your own diet using foods that you like and find appealing.
Cranberries
Cranberries were high on the list of best-for-your-heart foods in a review of 134 studies examining cardio-smart nutrition. Researchers suspect that an arsenal of polyphenolic compounds in the tart red fruit may help your ticker in several ways:
1. They calm your tissues. Compounds that are close to becoming household words (quercetin, proanthocyanidins, and resveratrol) help put the chill on chronic vascular inflammation -- and that may lead to younger arteries and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
2. They clean house. The antioxidants in cranberries help cells in your heart and elsewhere rid themselves of troublemaking free radicals.
3. They may even balance your blood fats. Although further research is needed, cranberry juice may increase good-for-you HDL cholesterol and reduce lousy LDL cholesterol.
Foods that Calm You Down Fast
• Berries, any berries. Eat them one by one instead of M&Ms when the pressure's on. For those tough times when tension tightens your jaw, try rolling a frozen berry around in your mouth. And then another, and another. Since the carbs in berries turn to sugar very slowly, you won't have a blood-sugar crash. The bonus: They're a good source of vitamin C, which helps fight a jump in cortisol, a stress hormone.
• Guacamole. If you're craving something creamy, look no further. Avocados are loaded with B vitamins, which stress quickly depletes and which your body needs in order to maintain nerves and brain cells. Plus, their creaminess comes from healthy fat. Scoop up the stuff with whole-grain baked chips -- crunching keeps you from gritting your teeth.
• Mixed nuts. Just an ounce will do. Walnuts help replace those stress-depleted B vitamins, Brazil nuts give you a whopping amount of zinc (which is also drained by high anxiety), and almonds boost your E, which helps fight cellular damage linked to chronic stress. Buy nuts in the shell and think of it as multitasking: With every squeeze of the nutcracker, you're releasing a little tension.
• Oranges. People who take 1,000 milligrams of C before giving a speech have lower levels of cortisol and lower blood pressures than those who don't. So lean back, take a deep breath, and concentrate on peeling a large orange. The 5-minute mindfulness break will ease your mind, and you'll get a bunch of C as well.
• Asparagus. Each tender stalk is a source of folic acid, a natural mood lightener. Dip the spears in fat-free yogurt or sour cream for a hit of calcium with each bite.
• Chai tea. A warm drink is a supersoother, and curling up with a cup of aromatic decaf chai tea (Tazo makes ready-to-brew bags) can make the whole evil day go away.
• Dark chocolate. Okay, there's nothing in it that relieves stress, but when only chocolate will do, reach for the dark, sultry kind that's at least 70% cocoa. You figure if the antioxidant flavonoids in it are potent enough to fight cancer and heart disease, they've got to be able to temper tension's effects.
Artificial sweeteners may be safe, but are they healthy?
When you're on a diet, the "no-sugar" label on many packaged foods can be tempting. Sometimes no sugar means not sweetened. And sometimes it means the food has been sweetened artificially. As many as 75% of us in the U.S. consume artificial sweeteners. Sugar substitutes may be safe, but are they a healthy choice? Not if they are causing you to 1) overeat; 2) consume too many empty calories; or 3) neglect nutrients.
If the sucrose (or other sugar) replaced has contributed to the texture of the product, then a bulking agent is often also needed. This may be seen in soft drinks labeled as "diet" or "light," which contain artificial sweeteners and often have notably different mouthfeel, or in table sugar replacements that mix maltodextrins with an intense sweetener to achieve satisfactory texture sensation.
Substituting artificial sweeteners for sugar is an easy way to cut back on calories and thus lose weight, right? Not really. Although sugar substitutes may help you maintain your weight after shedding pounds, they generally will not help you lose weight.
In fact, some studies show they may do the opposite. The latest research on sugar substitutes has led some researchers to believe that consuming products that contain artificial sweeteners may actually encourage you to eat more servings than you would if the food or drinks were sweetened with real sugar. Animal studies have revealed behaviors that suggest sugar substitutes may interfere with the body's natural ability to count calories based on a food's sweetness. When this calorie-counting ability is skewed, you may consume excess calories.
Animal studies have convincingly proven that artificial sweeteners cause body weight gain. A sweet taste induces an insulin response, which causes blood sugar to be stored in tissues (including fat), but because blood sugar does not increase with artificial sugars, there is hypoglycemia and increased food intake the next time there is a meal. After a while, rats given sweeteners have steadily increased caloric intake, increased body weight, and increased adiposity (fatness). Furthermore, the natural responses to eating sugary foods (eating less at the next meal and using some of the extra calories to warm the body after the sugary meal) are gradually lost.
It's fine to treat yourself to something sweet from time to time. In fact, denying yourself sweet foods may increase their appeal and cause you to overeat when you finally satisfy the craving. But because many artificially sweetened foods still contain calories (and some tend to be nutritionally weak), you should think of artificially sweetened foods the same way you think about sugar-sweetened ones and practice moderation with them. Otherwise, a healthy diet could quickly be transformed into a calorie-dense or nutrient-poor one.
10 Healthiest Low Calorie Snacks
1. Midmorning Fill-Up: Just add hot water to a 100-calorie packet of McCann's Instant Cinnamon Roll Irish Oatmeal, which smells ahh-mazing and comes sweetened with Splenda. No doughnut guilt, and there's a bonus: 3 grams of filling, cholesterol-fighting oat fiber.
2. Peanut Butter and Crackers: Make sandwiches out of six All-Bran Multi-Grain Crackers (45 deliciously crunchy calories) and 1 1/2 teaspoons peanut butter (45 smooth calories). You'll get about 2 grams of fiber and a little healthy fat.
3. Apple Mousse: Mix a half cup of unsweetened applesauce (50 calories) with 3 tablespoons of fat-free nondairy topping (45 calories), and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. Make a batch and refrigerate in portable snack cups. Supplies 20% of your daily vitamin C and counts as one serving of fruit. Sweet.
4. Veggies and Dip: Flavor ready-to-eat veggies from the produce section -- which have almost no calories -- with a dip: 2 tablespoons of hummus (60 calories) or light ranch dressing (80 calories). For the veggies, think broccoli and cauliflower florets, baby carrots, snap peas, pepper strips, baby squash -- all of them filled with fiber, vitamins, and protective phytonutrients.
5. Cafe Mocha: Stir a packet of Swiss Miss No Sugar Added Hot Chocolate mix (60 calories) into hot coffee for an instant afternoon pick-me-up that only tastes decadent. It actually delivers 30% of your calcium, 6% of your iron, and even a gram of fiber. Add a splash of milk for more goodness. Compare that to 200 calories for the smallest Starbucks Caffe Mocha (2% milk, no whip), with 6 grams of fat.
6. Mexican Potato: Microwave a medium potato and slice in half (80 calories). Save one piece for tomorrow. Mash the other half inside the potato skin and top it with 2 tablespoons of salsa (10 calories). Eat the whole thing, including the skin. Warm, spicy, satisfying and 2 grams each of protein and fiber, some vitamin C, plus a little iron.
7. Finger Food: Munch edamame like nuts. 1/2 cup of these quick-cooked frozen soybeans (about 95 calories) makes a great nibble. That’s why they're a staple at hip bars -- which probably don't care that they're serving you 8 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and lots of minerals.
8. Snack on a Minimeal: When you're starving but trying to hold back, try this: Wrap a Morningstar Farms Vegan Burger (100 calories), a tomato slice, hamburger pickles, and a little mustard or ketchup in lettuce leaves instead of bread. The 10 grams of protein will keep you filled till it's really mealtime.
9. Happy Hour Combo: Mix 1/2 cup of tomato juice (22 calories) with 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 drops of Tabasco sauce, and a dash of lemon juice. Serve over ice with a celery stick and about a dozen dry roasted peanuts (about 60 calories). Have a second "drink" if you like -- no biggie!
10. Healthy Confetti Crisps: If chips are your downfall, make a batch of these RealAge crisps and divide into 6 portions (95 calories each). Munch through a bag while sipping your club soda and lime. Remember to enjoy the good fat from the olive oil and the fiber and vitamins in the veggies -- these taste so good, you may forget they're healthy.
6 usages for Pumpkins
1. It gives your immune system a flu-season boost. A 1/2-cup serving of pumpkin delivers a boatload of immune-boosting vitamins and nutrients, including alpha carotene and beta carotene, vitamin C, iron, and enough vitamin A to last you 3 days!
2. It fills you up for very few calories. Half a cup of Libby's canned 100% pumpkin puree packs 5 grams of stomach-satisfying fiber (20% of the recommended daily intake) for only 40 calories. In comparison, a slice of whole-wheat bread has 2 grams of fiber and 70 calories.
3. It's got the goods to protect your vision. Pumpkin delivers a duo of sight-saving carotenoid antioxidants (lutein and beta cryptoxanthin) that reduce the risk of age-related cataracts and sight-stealing macular degeneration.
4. It keeps your body humming. Pumpkin is a great source of potassium, which keeps your cells, nerves, and muscles running smoothly. Healthy potassium levels also help keep blood pressure in check and can lower the odds of stroke and heart disease.
5. It could cut your cancer risk. A diet high in carotenoids can lower the risk of breast cancer. And beta cryptoxanthin, a carotenoid that's particularly plentiful in pumpkin, may help protect against lung cancer. Aim to get your beta carotene from foods like pumpkin, since supplements don't offer the same cancer protection.
6. It gives your bones a little extra love. You'll also pick up a little extra bone-building calcium with each serving. Plus, beta cryptoxanthin defends against joint-destroying rheumatoid arthritis.
Squeeze fruit juice information
Squeezed fruit is as healthy as eating a piece of raw fruit out of your hand. Unlike many people think there is not a whole lot of fruit flesh lost when you squeeze fruit. This means that your glass of orange juice does contain all the fibers you need! These fibers prevent from many diseases. Fibers stimulate the digestive system so if you have a substantial amount of fruit intake it is not necessary to eat bran or other intestine stimulating foods.
If you are in the possession of a fruit press you can squeeze the citrus fruits. Real fruit lovers also have a blender so they can make mixes of all types of fruit. A juice-centrifuge easily extracts the juice out of all fruits and many vegetables and is in our opinion for the more extreme squeezers who also want to drink vegetable juices. It is not very practical in use (a lot of cleaning) and for squeezing almost any type of fruit a fruit press and a blender will do.
Try to get it into your system: squeeze those wonder-fruits yourself everyday. Freshly squeezed juices are best. Magical characteristics are ascribed to freshly squeezed juice. Avoid to drink fruit juice from a can or glass bottle because when the bottle or can is closed the juice is heated and gets an acid structure. Juice from cartons, cans and glass bottles has been pasteurized. This means the juice has been heated (cooked) to kill all the germs. The heating of food changes the enzymes of the food so it looses (some of) its nutritious value. This means you can't substitute freshly squeezed juice by juice from cartons.
New food pyramid for aging
Old age is a consequence of civilization; it is seen seldom in primitive societies and very rarely seen in wild animals. Although in this century the average life span of women and men has increased by 30% since the onset of industrialization and by over 300% since Neolithic times, we don't exactly know how or why aging occurs. We do know that aging is a function of cells ceasing to divide.
Many of the precautions against premature death are well known: wear seat belts; eat a low fat, high fiber, high complex- carbohydrate diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables; get regular, moderate, exercise; get enough sleep; love yourself and your friends; do work that makes you happy; don't do drugs. It is worth repeating the low fat part: low fat.
Tufts University researchers have updated their Food Guide Pyramid for Older Adults to correspond with the new USDA food pyramid, now known as MyPyramid. The Tufts version is specifically designed for older adults and has changed in appearance and content. The Modified MyPyramid for Older Adults continues to emphasize nutrient-dense food choices and the importance of fluid balance, but has added additional guidance about forms of foods that could best meet the unique needs of older adults and about the importance of regular physical activity.
Source: http://nutrition.tufts.edu/docs/pdf/releases/ModifiedMyPyramid.pdf
The Modified MyPyramid for Older Adults will be published in the January 2008 issue of the Journal of Nutrition. Added to the new pyramid is a foundation depicting physical activities characteristic of older adults, such as walking, yard work and swimming. "Regular physical activity is linked to reduced risk of chronic disease and lower body weights. Government statistics indicate that obesity in adults 70 years and older has been increasing. Physical activity is one way to avoid weight gain in later years and its adverse consequences," says Lichtenstein, also the Stanley N. Gershoff Professor at Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. "In addition, regular physical activity can improve quality of life for older adults."
Given the general trend in soil mineral depletion with the advent of mechanized farming and pesticide use, it may well be advisable to take a basic vitamin/mineral supplement. It is especially important for vegetarians to supplement B12. All of us will benefit from consuming antioxidants (which protect against excessive free radical damage) such as the fat-soluble vitamins A, E, and C; and the micronutrients zinc and selenium -- both co- factors in enzymes which break down by-products of peroxidation (cellular oxygen damage). All of the above (except B12) may be automatically accomplished by a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables. Organic produce is preferable, especially for root crops such as carrots, onions and potatoes, which sit in the soil to grow. Avoid all forms of animal fat (there's just nothing good about it) except fresh fish oil, which has been shown to significantly reduce inflammation and the damage incurred by tissue irritation.
What is caffeine? Drinking coffee may benefit health by targeting and killing viruses such as herpes and poliovirus
What is caffeine?
Caffeine is a widely used drug that has been around for centuries. It is a naturally occurring substance in cocoa beans, kola nuts and tea leaves which are used to make coffee, tea, cola drinks and chocolate. It is an additive in many soft drinks and nonprescription medications.
Coffee provides the primary source of caffeine for most Americans. Americans consume half of the world's coffee, or more than one thousand cups per person per year. In small to moderate amounts (50-300 mg) caffeine acts as a mild stimulant by increasing the heart rate and blood pressure. However, caffeine is a double-edged sword in that it provides an initial boost of energy, but if not continued throughout the day, it also provides the fatigue that comes from the withdrawl.
People who take in excessive caffeine and those individuals who are hypersensitive to caffeine may experience anxiety, trembling, insomnia, headaches, stomach irritations, diarrhea and/or irregular heartbeats.
Many studies have tried to link caffeine to increased risks of cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease and fibrocystic breast disease. However, most of these claims are unfounded. It is true that large amounts of caffeine can aggravate fibrocystic breast disease - but not cause it. Fibrocystic breast disease is a condition with benign fibrous lumps in the breast.
Heart Disease
Caffeine has been known to raise blood pressure. Theoretically this could raise the risk of stroke and heart attack, especially if high blood pressure is already a problem. However, experts agree that this increase is temporary and is not a factor in people who regularly consume caffeine. Because caffeine sensitivity varies greatly among people, people with hypertension should discuss caffeine consumption with their doctor.
Coffee is not linked to cardiac arrest, nor does caffeine raise serum cholesterol. It is actually substances called terpenes, which are found in coffee, that may have a cholesterol elevating effect. Using a gold filter or paper filter will help trap these substances.
Bone Loss
Recent research has shown that any bone loss effects attributable to caffeine can be neutralized by milk or calcium from other sources. So, having low-fat milk in your filtered coffee might be more helpful than harmful.
Arthritis
No reputable studies have found any association between coffee and rheumatoid arthritis.
Pain
Caffeine can aggravate or trigger migraine headaches and might also be associated with chronic back pain. If you suffer from either one, try gradually eliminating caffeine to see if it helps. If you stop caffeine intake too quickly, it can result in a very bad headache.
Broccoli Juice
A cancer patient credits his morning glass of broccoli juice with halting the disease.Ray Wiseman's claim has prompted more research into the vegetable's healing powers.Doctors told Mr Wiseman they did not expect him to survive, when they diagnosed him five years ago.
Green magic: Ray Wiseman with his wife JoanBut scans show that his cancer has stopped spreading - vastly improving his chances of a recovery.The grandfather, 79, puts his health down to the tumbler of broccoli juice that his wife prepares for him each day.Mr Wiseman, who lives in Braunstone, Leicestershire, said: 'I take this juice every day. I know it's done me good.'I suppose it would be the same for everybody.'
His wife Joan, 72, started giving him the juice after a friend told her about the healing benefits of green vegetables.For each half-tumbler dose she combines a head of broccoli with some apples and carrots to improve the taste.She said: 'We believe my husband's incredible luck is down to broccoli. I hope our experience can help other cancer sufferers.'The juice is a mess to make but it's something we have been happy to clear up. He now just takes it as second nature.'If anybody else's husband is suffering from cancer and they are not getting on too well, it could help them.'
Scientists from Cancer Research UK have asked her for the recipe, to further study the vegetable's benefits.Recent medical studies have highlighted the possible cancer-beating powers of broccoli. British scientists at the Institute ofFood Research found that men who ate one daily portion had altered patterns of gene activity in their prostates, suggestingthat the chemicals in the vegetable might be able to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
According to a report published in the British Journal of Cancer in 2006, natural chemicals found in certain vegetables, such as broccoli-cauliflower and cabbage, can enhance DNA repair in cells, which could help stop them becoming cancerous.
A spokesman for Cancer Research UK said: 'There's a lot of research that's focused on broccoli and the healing properties thatthe vegetable contains. 'If taken, broccoli needs to be with a healthy diet that is high in all fruit and vegetables. This can alsoreduce the chances of developing cancer..'
Around 10,000 are diagnosed with bladder cancer every year in the UK . It is the fifth most common form of the disease and affectsmore men than women.
A member of the cabbage family, broccoli is rich in vitamin C and has properties that boost the human immune systems that fightviruses, bacteria and cancer. Studies have found that boiling broccoli can reduce its anti-cancer compounds, but steaming and microwaving do not.
Caffeine and Food
Caffeine and Food
Caffeine can also be used to mask hunger and fatigue due to poor eating or sleeping habits. It is not unusual for caffeine to be used to provide extra energy when lacking sleep or food. Temporarily, this is normal, and certainly provides relief. However, use of caffeine to replace food and/or sleep on an on-going basis is not appropriate and can be detrimental. Many studies have shown the negative impact of sleep deprivation on judgment, acuity and physical well-being. Continually using caffeine as a means to address hunger and avoid food can be an early sign of disordered eating.
Moderation is Best
A moderate amount of caffeine per day, approximately 300 milligrams, is relatively harmless for most people.
Who should avoid or severely limit Caffeine?
* People with ulcers or who are prone to stomach stress
* People who are hypersensitive to caffeine
* Pregnant and nursing mothers
How can I reduce the caffeine in my diet?
* Drink decaffeinated coffee or mix it half and half with regular coffee.
* Drink decaffeinated tea or caffeine free herbal teas.
* Brew tea for shorter amounts of time.
* Read soft drink labels. Many citrus flavored sodas have more caffeine than colas.
* Read medicine labels. One dose of over-the-counter medications can contain the equivalent of one to two cups of coffee.
* Remember that tea and coffee contain substances that significantly reduce iron absorption if the beverage is drunk with the meal or up to one hour after the meal.
Aging Part 3
MUSCLES - Start ageing at 30
Muscle is constantly being built up and broken down, a process which is well balanced in young adults. However, by the time we're 30, breakdown is greater than buildup, explains Professor Robert Moots. Once adults reach 40, they start to lose between 0.5 and 2 per cent of their muscle each year. Regular exercise can help prevent this.
HEARING - Starts ageing mid-50s
More than half of people over 60 lose hearing because of their age, according to the Royal National Institute for the Deaf.
SKIN - Starts ageing mid-20s
The skin starts to age naturally in your mid-20s.
TASTE AND SMELL - Start ageing at 60
We start out in life with about 10,000 taste buds scattered on the tongue. This number can halve later in life. After we turn 60, taste and smell gradually decline, partly as a result of the normal ageing process.
FERTILITY - Starts ageing at 35
Female fertility begins to decline after 35, as the number and quality of eggs in the ovaries start to fall. The lining of the womb may become thinner, making it less likely for a fertilised egg to take, and also creating an environment hostile to sperm.
HAIR - Starts ageing at 30
Male hair loss usually begins in the 30s. Hair is made in tiny pouches just under the skin's surface, known as follices. A hair normally grows from each follicle for about three years, is then shed, and a new hair grows.Most people will have some grey hair by the age of 35. When we are young, our hair is coloured by the pigments produced by cells in the hair follicle known as melanocytes.
Aging Part 2
EYES - Start ageing at 40
Glasses are the norm for many over-40s as failing eyesight kicks in - usually long-sightedness, affecting our ability to see objects up close.
HEART - Starts ageing at 40
The heart pumps blood less effectively around the body as we get older. This is because blood vessels become less elastic, while arteries can harden or become blocked because of fatty deposits forming on the coronary arteries - caused by eating too much saturated fat. The blood supply to the heart is then reduced, resulting in painful angina. Men over 45 and women over 55 are at greater risk of a heart attack.
LIVER - Starts ageing at 70
This is the only organ in the body which seems to defy the aging process.
KIDNEYS - Starts ageing at 50
With kidneys, the number of filtering units (nephrons) that remove waste from the bloodstream starts to reduce in middle age.
PROSTATE - Starts ageing at 50
The prostate often becomes enlarged with age, leading to problems such as increased need to urinate, says Professor Roger Kirby, director of the Prostate Centre in London . This is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia and affects half of men over 50, but rarely those under 40. It occurs when the prostate absorbs large amounts of the male sex hormone testosterone, which increases the growth of cells in the prostate. A normal prostate is the size of a walnut, but the condition can increase this to the size of a tangerine.
BONES - Start ageing at 35
'Throughout our life, old bone is broken down by cells called osteoclasts and replaced by bone-building cells called osteoblasts - a process called bone turnover,' explains Robert Moots, professor of rheumatology at Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool . Children's bone growth is rapid - the skeleton takes just two years to renew itself completely. In adults, this can take ten years. Until our mid-20s, bone density is still increasing. But at 35 bone loss begins as part of the natural ageing process.
TEETH - Start ageing at 40
As we age, we produce less saliva, which washes away bacteria, so teeth and gums are more vulnerable to decay. Receding gums - when tissue is lost from gums around the teeth - is common in adults over 40.
Aging Part I
BRAIN - Starts ageing at 20
As we get older, the number of nerve cells - or neurons - in the brain decrease. We start with around 100 billion, but in our 20s this number starts to decline. By 40, we could be losing up to 10,000 per day, affecting memory, co-ordination and brain function.
GUT - Starts ageing at 55
A healthy gut has a good balance between harmful and 'friendly' bacteria. But levels of friendly bacteria in the gut drop significantly after 55, particularly in the large intestine, says Tom MacDonald, professor of immunology at Barts And The London medical school. As a result, we suffer from poor digestion and an increased risk of gut disease. Constipation is more likely as we age, as the flow of digestive juices from the stomach, liver, pancreas and small intestine slows down.
BREASTS - Start ageing at 35
BY their mid-30s, women's breasts start losing tissue and fat, reducing size and fullness. Sagging starts properly at 40 and the areola (the area surrounding the nipple) can shrink considerably.
BLADDER - Starts ageing at 65
Loss of bladder control is more likely when you hit 65. Women are more vulnerable to bladder problems as, after the menopause, declining oestrogen
levels make tissues in the urethra - the tube through which urine passes - thinner and weaker, reducing bladder support. Bladder capacity in an older adult generally is about half that of a younger person - about two cups in a 30-year-old and one cup in a 70-year-old.
LUNGS - Start ageing at 20
Lung capacity slowly starts to decrease from the age of 20. By the age of 40, some people are already experiencing breathlessness. This is partly because the muscles and the rib cage which control breathing stiffen up.
VOICE - Starts ageing at 65
Our voices become quieter and hoarser with age. The soft tissues in the voice box (larynx) weaken, affecting the pitch, loudness and quality of the voice.
A woman's voice may become huskier and lower in pitch, whereas a man's might become thinner and higher.
Fruit against Flu
New research indicates that fruit flies can muster their own army of proteins against microbial invaders, hinting that the insect immune system is more complex then previously thought. In a recent animal study, quercetin did just that: The normal dip in immunity that comes with physical fatigue was pretty much cancelled out by the flavonoid. If it works as well in humans, quercetin could help power the body through both physical and psychological stress. Using antibodies that recognize such proteins, Schmucker's postdoc, Fiona Watson, found the molecules in fruit fly hemolymph--the insect equivalent of blood serum--and on the surfaces of fat body cells and immune cells called hemocytes. Graduate student Roland Püttmann-Holgado also showed through microarray studies that the insect's immune system used a wide variety of Dscam proteins.
Apples:
Apples (and red onions, broccoli, and tea) are great sources of quercetin -- a flavonoid that may stave off the influenza virus when the body is under stress.
Papayas:
With 250 percent of the RDA of vitamin C, a papaya can help kick a cold right out of your system. The beta-carotene and vitamins C and E in papayas reduce inflammation throughout the body, lessening the effects of asthma.
Cranberries:
Cranberries have more antioxidants than other common fruits and veggies. One serving has five times the amount in broccoli. Cranberries are a natural probiotic, enhancing good bacteria levels in the gut and protecting it from foodborne illnesses.
Grapefruit:
Loaded with vitamin C, grapefruit also contains natural compounds called limonoids, which can lower cholesterol. The red varieties are a potent source of the cancer-fighting substance lycopene.
Bananas:
One of the top food sources of vitamin B6, bananas help reduce fatigue, depression, stress, and insomnia. Bananas are high in magnesium, which keeps bones strong, and potassium, which helps prevent heart disease and high blood pressure.
Get Healthy in a Cheap Way
Doing simple, cost effective things to stay healthy today will keep you from spending more money down the line.
Fish Oil. Omega-3 is found in fish oil. Benefits of omega-3 consumption include:
* Lowered cholesterol levels
* Decreased body fat
* Reduced inflammation
You need to eat fatty fish 3 times a week to get these benefits. Time consuming & expensive, I know.
Always buy fruit and vegetables in season. This old-fashioned wisdom guarantees the best produce for the least coin. And peak produce is easy to spot. Just look for whatever’s most plentiful at the grocery or farmers market. In season now: The last of summer’s peaches, tomatoes, corn, and peppers. Coming next? Apples, pears, winter squash, yams, and brussels sprouts.
Look for healthy bargains. They’re usually right in front of you. One recent USDA study found that you can get three fruit servings plus four vegetable servings a day for a total of 64 cents -- much less than the cost of a candy bar or a fast-food snack. Other healthy, low-cost choices include oatmeal instead of expensive boxed cereals; beans instead of red meat; and frozen orange juice concentrate instead of fruit punch, soda, or bottled OJ.
Eat Less. This one is obvious. The less you eat, the lower your grocery bill. If you’re overweight, get on a diet. Your health & bank account will thank you. Don’t Buy Junk Food. The last one. Stop buying anything that comes out of a box, it’s: Unhealthy and Expensive. If you actually find junk food that is cheaper than whole food, think long-term. Health implications.
Quit smoking. There are scores of reasons to do this, but the one that fits this column is that the average price of a pack of cigarettes is $4.22, and as much as $7.50 to $10 in places like Chicago and New York City. If you’re a pack-a-day smoker, quitting will put an extra $1,540 or more per year in your pocket while it removes all kinds of gunk from your lungs.
Diet vs. Exercise
With excess weight a greater problem than ever, the question of whether changing eating habits or exercise is more likely to produce weight loss is vital. A new study confirms the overall research findings that dietary change, specifically eating less fat, produces more weight loss than changes in exercise. But it also shows that changes in one kind of behavior may help promote changes in the other, especially among women.
Because even if you lose weight through dieting alone, your body won’t burn fat any easier. To rev up your fat-burning engines, focus less on how often you empty your plate and more on how often you fill your walking shoes. When a group of sedentary and overweight older adults recently tested three weight loss systems -- exercise only (mostly walking), diet only, and exercise plus diet -- there was no question about the results. When it came to fat burning, the walkers won hands down over those who simply watched what they ate. The bodies of the people who strutted their stuff used more fat to fuel their activity.
We become overweight when we consume more calories in food and drink than we burn up. To lose weight, we need to shift that balance and burn up more than we consume. We can accomplish that by consuming fewer calories, burning more, or both. Cutting calories doesn’t necessarily have to mean going on a “diet.” It can just mean avoiding or limiting one or more foods high in calories from fat (such as high-fat meat, cheese, or snack foods, or too much added fat), lots of sugar (like sweets or sweetened drinks), or alcohol. Cutting calories can also be accomplished by reducing our portion sizes, or by eating smaller portions of those high-calorie foods and filling up on larger portions of low-calorie vegetables and fruits.
In another study in J.A.M.A., research from the ongoing Women's Health Study found that overweight and obese women--regardless of how regularly they exercised--were up to nine times as likely to develop diabetes as women of normal weight. Bottom line: there's no easy way around it. Stay trim and active.
For a Better Memory
For a quick and easy boost to your brainpower this weekend, pull down the shades, close your eyes, and catch some daytime ZZZs.
Bacopa (Bacopa monnieri) is an herb native to India that has been used traditionally in Ayurvedic medicine to enhance memory, learning and concentration and also to treat anxiety, heart problems, digestive disorders, asthma, and bronchitis. Most of the research on bacopa has been in animals, but a few small studies on humans have also been done. People who take daytime naps outperform non-nappers on memory exercises. And, surprisingly, a mere 6 minutes of shut-eye is enough to refresh the mind.
The single study I've been able to find on bacopa's effect on memory was a small, double-blind, placebo-controlled 12-week trial conducted in Australia with 46 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 60, divided into two groups. The volunteers in one group were given 300 milligrams of bacopa daily, and the others received a placebo. Prior to the study, the researchers tested all the volunteers to assess their verbal learning abilities, memory and speed of information processing. The tests were repeated five and 12 weeks after the study began. The researchers noted a significant improvement among the volunteers in the bacopa group compared to those in the placebo group. How does a quick catnap power up your thinker? Seems the mere act of falling asleep triggers a brain-boosting neurobiological process that remains effective regardless of how long you snooze.
Bacopa is now being widely promoted as a treatment for memory problems, but I would recommend more proven protective strategies. Keep your mind active by reading newspapers and books, doing crossword puzzles, playing musical instruments, participating in ongoing education, and learning a new language.
7 Great Breakfast-Drink Choices
Try one of these morning favorites. They taste great and do stuff like relieve achy joints, fend off insulin problems, and boost your brainpower.
1. Peppermint Tea. Peppermint not only gives you energy but it is great for your digestive system. Sipping on a cup of this tasty tea after a meal will get things moving and prevent indigestion and cramping.
2. Hot chocolate. Hot chocolate is a great treat that can be enjoyed guilt-free. If made from real coco, hot chocolate contains powerful antioxidants which combat aging and cancer.
3. Orange juice. Your favorite breakfast drink just got a little more appealing. It contains vitamin C and may help fight cancer, cataracts, and can boost your immunity. Having a glass of OJ every day will fight off those nasty colds.
4. Aloe Vera Juice. You can buy Aloe Vera juice at most health food stores. It is very refreshing and heals your body from the inside out. Mixing a few ounces a day into a glass of water or juice will keep your tissues and organs healthy.
5. Lemonade. If it’s made with real lemon juice and very low in sugar, home made lemonade can be great for you. Lemons are a miraculous fruit which are great for cleansing the liver and ridding your body of unwanted toxins.
6. Coffee: Researchers think the brew may improve insulin sensitivity. Men in a study who quaffed four 8-ounce cups a day had a whopping one-third reduction in type 2 diabetes risk.
7. Apple juice: This sweet drink is swimming with the brain-boosting chemical acetylcholine, which feeds memory and juices up learning skills.
8 Hours to Healthier Cells
Your body does important things while you sleep -- like healing your cells. But just one night of tossing and turning could trigger cell-damaging inflammation. So turn off the tube, slip on that sleep mask, and get your 40 winks.
Scientists at the University of Southern California (along with Italian researchers) report today that fasting for 48 hours before receiving chemotherapy could help limit the treatment's toxic effects to cancer cells—and spare healthy ones. The new finding may pave the way for higher and more frequent chemo doses that better shrink tumors without harming normal cells.
In a recent study, sleep-deprived people -- especially women -- showed a marked increase in their levels of a protein called NF-kB. That’s bad news, because NF-kB plays an essential role in the body’s inflammation response. The study may help explain why poor sleep is associated with several inflammation-related disorders, including cardiovascular disease, arthritis, diabetes, cancer, and obesity.
The technique stems from lessons learned during research on aging, according to Valter Longo, a U.S.C. gerontologist and co-author of the new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA: When normal cells are starved, the body uses up stores of glucose and energy to keep them functioning; in response, the cells shift into survival mode, revving up repair mechanisms and protective processes to resist anything—including potentially fatal drugs—that threaten to damage their genetic material.
Why Popeye Has Good Blood Sugar
Popeye’s power vegetable can do good things for your body, too -- like fortify it against blood sugar problems.
That’s right. Eating spinach -- and other leafy greens -- was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes in a recent study. Spinach is known as a rich source of iron and calcium. According to the USDA, a 180 gram serving of boiled spinach contains 6.43 mg of iron, whereas one 6 oz. (170 gram) ground hamburger patty contains at most 4.42 mg. Thus spinach does contain a relatively high level of iron, compared to other vegetable and meat sources.
Spinach may reinforce the body on multiple fronts. First, it’s got a low glycemic load, so it doesn’t dramatically affect blood sugar levels when you eat it. Second, it’s a good source of magnesium, a mighty mineral associated with lower type 2 diabetes risk. Third, spinach is packed with alpha-lipoic acid, a disease-shielding antioxidant. And fourth, it’s low in calories and rich in fiber.
Ultimately, the bioavailability of iron is dependent on its absorption. This is influenced by a number of factors. Iron enters the body in two forms: nonheme iron and heme iron. All of the iron in grains and vegetables, and about three fifths of the iron in animal food sources (meats), is nonheme iron. The much smaller remaining portion from meats is heme iron.
Healthy Looking Hair
Go natural. "All shampoos contain cleansers," explains Christyn Nawrot, a regional educator for Phyto. But those with naturally derived cleansers are less apt to rob your hair of vital oils. (Phyto, Lavett & Chin, Ojon and Aveda use natural cleansers in all of their shampoos.)
Eat more salmon. Omega-3 rich foods like salmon and sardines help seal in shine. Distilled fish oils or DHA supplements will work, too.
Be a bran lover. Bran is rich in vitamin B, which may slow hair loss and promote hair growth. Other B-rich victuals include beans, peas, carrots, cauliflower, soybeans, nuts, and eggs.
Use products properly. For maximum benefits, before applying shampoo or conditioner, emulsify them in your hands. Then massage onto roots (where hair is most porous), crown and finally, down sides of hair.
Say yes to avocados. Avocados and avocado oil may prevent some funky stuff that kills hair follicles -- dihydrotestosterone (DHT) -- from getting where it needs to go.
Don't overwash. "Shampooing every day is drying to your hair and scalp," says Rodney Groves, a stylist at the Vartali salon in New York City. Instead, aim for two to three times a week - and on off days, rinse with water and condition only your ends.
Stock up on green tea. Brew a strong pot, cool it, then give your head a rinse to help kill off dandruff-causing fungus. Incidentally, if you drink green tea, the caffeine in it may help slow balding, too.
ARE YOU BUYING AND EATING " BABY CARROTS " ?
The following is information from a farmer who grows and packages carrots for IGA, METRO, LOBLAWS, etc. The small cocktail (baby) carrots you buy in small plastic bags are made using the larger carrots which are put through a machine which cuts and shapes them into cocktail carrots .
What you may not know and should know is the following: once the carrots are cut and shaped into cocktail carrots they are dipped in a solution of water and chlorine in order to preserve them (this is the same chlorine used your pool) and since they do not have their skin or natural protective covering, they give them a higher dose of chlorine.
You will notice that once you keep these carrots in your refrigerator for a few days, a white covering will form on the carrots; this is the chlorine which resurfaces. At what cost do we put our health at risk to have esthetically pleasing and simple to serve vegetables which are unhealthy?
We do hope that this information can be passed on to as many people as possible in the hopes of informing them where these carrots come from and how they are processed. Chlorine is a very well known carcinogen.'
Nutrition During Pregnancy
Pregnant women are occasionally worried about gaining surplus weight. However it should be borne in mind that one's diet is the foremost source of energy for the baby. That signifies one has to consume more while pregnant. When an individual is pregnant, she requires approximately 300 calories additionally everyday day than she generally consumes. The amount of weight a woman puts on during pregnancy is dependent on her weight prior to pregnancy. A beneficial gain for the majority of women is between 25 and 35 pounds. If a woman is obese, she should put on less, but certain weight gain is usual. If a woman is underweight, she should put on additional weight.
* Pregnant women may require additional nutrients and these may consist of iron, folic acid and calcium.
* They can be made available as single pills or as an amalgamated pill.
* Occasionally a prenatal vitamin has all that one requires.
* In order to avert neural tube flaws, a woman ought to receive 0.4 milligrams of folic acid every day ahead of and all through pregnancy.
* It should be taken for one month ahead of pregnancy and throughout the initial three months of pregnancy.
Milk and additional dairy products are the most excellent sources of calcium in one's diet. However, several women have indications for example bloating, diarrhea, gas and indigestion subsequent to drinking milk or consuming dairy products. This is referred to as lactose intolerance.
Cherry rich diet lowered cholesterol
The study led by researchers by the University of Michigan showed eating tart cherry rich diet lowered cholesterol and other biomarkers of inflammation linked to increased risk for heart disease. For the study, the researchers fed obese rats tart cherry rich diet for 12 weeks and found the rats had 14 percent less body fat compared to controls while lean muscle is left unchanged compared to the rats eating the same diet but without cherry powder. They also found that the rats that ate cherries lost body weight significantly, particularly belly fat that has been linked to increased risk of heart disease. The tart cherry rich diet also reduced total cholesterol in the rats by 11 percent and two known biomarkers of inflammation associated with increased risk for heart disease by 31 to 40 percent.
Since no single food group can nourish the body with all the vital ingredients it requires, it is important that we consume a variety of healthy foods to derive the nutrition our body needs. There are five main food groups, they are:
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Cereals and Pulses
• Dairy
• Poultry, Fish and Meat products
A healthy balanced diet of these five food groups ensures essential vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. The food group serving size will depend upon various factors like age, activity level, body size and gender. It is also important that one eat a variety of foods from within and across the food groups. As some foods from within a food group provide more nutrients than others.
Eye vitatmin
They prevent many eye diseases too. Although vitamins should go in naturally in an organic way, but our food habits have gone so distorted that their supply has gone considerably down. Hence the need for eye vitamins as far as eye health is concerned! High levels of antioxidants, vitamins and zinc (a mineral) reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
But very high levels may prove dangerous too!
Vitamins for eyes along with antioxidants and minerals should contain:
* Lutein: is an antioxidant and has gained much popularity recently.
Its concentrations are more there in the retina, the macula, and in the crystalline lens.
Hence it is very effective as far as the health of these eye parts is considered.
* Zinc: is a mineral that the eye needs in order to keep AMD at bay.
* Selenium: is a mineral again acting as a general eye health booster.
* Vitamin A: also called beta carotene, it must be avoided by the smokers as the two together are vulnerable to certain eye diseases.
* Vitamin C: acts as a shield against AMD.
* Vitamin E: is also a very effective shield against AMD.
* Vitamin B2: is a general eye care vitamin
Breakfast with cereal
our out of ten teenagers are regularly skipping breakfast and missing out on vital daily nutrients, a new report reveals today . Research released by the Breakfast Cereal Information Service shows that, although the majority of UK adults understand the importance of breakfast for improving physical and mental performance (65%) and believe it to be the most important meal of the day (60%), 40% of teenagers are still ignoring the benefits.
When they do eat breakfast, four out of five (81%) teenagers opt for a bowl of breakfast cereal, which is also the way the majority of teenagers consume milk (75%). However parents report that a number of factors are consistently preventing their teenage children from eating breakfast in the morning, with:
* Just over half of teenagers claiming not to be hungry (51%)
* Almost half getting out of bed too late (49%)
* More than two in five complaining that they can't be bothered to eat breakfast (44%)
As a result, experts warn that teenagers are missing out on important nutrients. Dietary fibre helps maintain a healthy digestive tract and may help protect against cancer of the colon, reduce the risk of becoming overweight and developing type 2 diabetes. Cereal fibre has important water retaining properties that help prevent constipation and keep the large intestines healthy. It also helps to promote the feeling of fullness after a meal and may therefore help reduce cravings for snack foods and aid weight control. The fibre from cereals containing oats also helps lower blood cholesterol levels. Breakfast cereals play an important role in providing dietary fibre and the richest sources are bran, wholegrain and oat-based cereals.
Balanced Diet and Health
Diet food refers to any food or drink whose recipe has been altered in some way to make it part of a body modification diet. Although the usual intention is weight loss and change in body type, sometimes the intention is to aid in gaining weight or muscle as in bodybuilding supplements. The process of making a diet version of a food usually requires finding an acceptable low calorie substitute for some high calorie ingredient. This can be as simple as replacing some or all of the food's sugar with a sugar substitute as is common with diet soft drinks such as Coca-Cola. In some snacks, the food may be baked instead of fried thus reducing the calories. In other cases, low fat ingredients may be used as replacements.
Eat plenty of bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods – choose wholegrain varieties whenever you can. some milk and dairy foods. However, a lack of consumption of these nutrients or feeding upon the wrong kinds of food leads to an accumulation of toxins within the body, resulting in chronic diseases in the long run. A nutritious diet while ensuring overall well being, helps to maintain a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI), reduces the risk of several debilitating diseases like cancer, cardiovascular ailments, diabetes, osteoporosis and stroke.
In conclusion, it must be noted that allopathic medicine treats the symptoms rather than the root cause of the disease, which is usually caused by wrong eating habits leading to an accumulation of toxins within the system. Whereas a nutritious diet can rectify underlying causes of diseases and restore one to wholeness of mind and body. Once we realize the connection between a wholesome balanced diet and good health, our food will be our medicine and maintaining good health will be a matter of making the right food choices and leading a healthy lifestyle.
The top five cancer-causing foods are ...
The top five cancer-causing foods are:
1. Hot dogs
Because they are high in nitrates, the Cancer Prevention Coalition advises that children eat no more than 12 hot dogs a month. If you can't live without hot dogs, buy those made without sodium nitrate.
2. Processed meats and bacon
Also high in the same sodium nitrates found in hot dogs, bacon, and other processed meats raise the risk of heart disease. The saturated fat in bacon also contributes to cancer.
3. Doughnuts
Doughnuts are cancer-causing double trouble. First, they are made with white flour, sugar, and hydrogenated oils, then fried at high temperatures. Doughnuts, says Adams , may be the worst food you can possibly eat to raise your risk of cancer.
4. French fries
Like doughnuts, French fries are made with hydrogenated oils and then fried at high temperatures. They also contain cancer- causing acryl amides which occur during the frying process. They should be called cancer fries, not French fries, said Adams .
5. Chips, crackers, and cookies
All are usually made with white flour and sugar. Even the ones whose labels claim to be free of trans-fats generally contain small amounts of trans-fats.
The main causes of liver damage
1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are main cause.
2. Not urinating in the morning.
3. Too much eating.
4. Skipping breakfast.
5. Consuming too much medication.
6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring , and artificial sweetener.
7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil.. As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.
8. Consuming raw (overly done) Foods also add to the burden of liver. Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store.
10 brain damaging habits
1. No Breakfast. People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.
2. Overeating. It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.
3. Smoking. It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.
4. High Sugar consumption. Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.
5. Air Pollution. The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.
6. Sleep Deprivation. Sleep allows our brain to rest.. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells.
7. Head covered while sleeping. Sleeping with the head covered, increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.
8. Working your brain during illness. Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.
9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts. Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.
10. Talking Rarely. Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain.
