Jul 03
Many still continue to invest in diet books promising rapid weight loss by restricting the intake of carbohydrates and eating unlimited amounts of meat and other proteins.
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| When you severely restrict carbohydrate intake, your body responds by converting available proteins into sugar. If you take too much, your body will store them as fat. |
Carbohydrates on a molecular level are a mix of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen that function as either simple or complex. Eventually, all carbohydrates turn into glucose, your body and brain’s main energy source.
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Any excess is stored as glycogen in the muscles or the liver for later use when you need energy again. When you decrease or eliminate the consumption of carbohydrates in your diet, you begin to feel sluggish, unable to exercise, lose focus and lack concentration.
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| Consume fibrous carbs by including more asparagus, broccoli, carrots, green and red peppers, spinach and lettuce in your meals. |
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\\ tags: carbohydrates, diet, Nutrition
Jul 02
| Just a few more portions of broccoli each week may protect men from prostate cancer, British researchers reported on Wednesday. |
| The researchers believe a chemical in the food sparks hundreds of genetic changes, activating some genes that fight cancer and switching off others that fuel tumors, said Richard Mithen, a biologist at Britain’s Institute of Food Research. |
| Mithen and colleagues split into two groups 24 men with pre-cancerous lesions that increase prostate cancer risk and had them eat four extra servings of either broccoli or peas each week for a year. |
| The researchers also took tissue samples over the course of the study and found that men who ate broccoli showed hundreds of changes in genes known to play a role in fighting cancer. |
| The benefit would likely be the same in other cruciferous vegetables that contain a compound called isothiocyanate, including brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, rocket or arugula, watercress and horse radish, they added. |
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\\ tags: broccoli, cancer
Jul 01
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Antioxidants
Thyme contains the flavonoids apigenin, naringenin, luteolin, and thymonin, which have antioxidant activity.
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Anti Bacterial
The thyme extract thymol is one of the ingredients in the anti bacterial Listerine mouthwash, which in studies has exhibited potent anti bacteria properties.
The results of a study demonstrated that the thyme oil ingredients carvacrol and p-cymene could potentially be used as antimicrobial agents in unpasteurized fruit juices.
In preliminary studies thyme and the essential oils thymol and carvacrol inhibited the formation of Shigella, a food borne bacteria that can cause severe dysentery.
In a study of the antimicrobial properties of 21 plant essential oils against 5 bacteria, of which Salmonella and E. coli were included, thyme oil was one of the most inhibitory.
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Anti Inflammatory
The thymol in thyme inhibits elastase, an enzyme that breaks down elastin, and is considered a marker of inflammatory diseases.
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\\ tags: anti bacterial, anti fungal, bronchitis, health benefits thyme, herbs, natural mosquito repellent, Nutrition
Jun 27
Cholesterol
In a study on moderately obese male and female subjects, polyphenols extracted from apples significantly decreased total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels. Apples are also high in pectin, a soluble fiber with the ability to lower cholesterol levels, and it has been demonstrated that an apple a day lowered cholesterol levels by up to 16 percent.
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Dietary fiber
The high fiber content of apples is also of great benefit to the bowels. A 5-ounce apple can supply the body with more than 3 grams of fiber, 10 percent of the daily-recommended intake. The fiber in apples will be beneficial for losing weight, and the fructose will help to stabilize blood sugar levels. Apple polyphenols have demonstrated the ability to regulate fat metabolism.
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Heart disease
The quercetin found in apples is associated with reduced risk of coronary heart disease, and apple consumption has consistently been associated with reduced heart disease.
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\\ tags: anticancer properties, antioxidants, cholesterol, dietary fiber, flavanoids, health benefits apples, nutrient values apples, Nutrition, quercetin, Weight Loss
Jun 24
| Turmeric, an Asian spice found in many curries, has a long history of use in reducing inflammation, healing wounds and relieving pain, but can it prevent diabetes? |
| Since inflammation plays a big role in many diseases and is believed to be involved in onset of both obesity and Type 2 diabetes, Drew Tortoriello, M.D., an endocrinologist and research scientist at the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University Medical Center, and his colleagues were curious what effect the herb might have on diabetic mice. |
| Turmeric-treated mice were less susceptible to developing Type 2 diabetes, based on their blood glucose levels, and glucose and insulin tolerance tests. They also discovered that turmeric-fed obese mice showed significantly reduced inflammation in fat tissue and liver compared to controls. |
| Curcumin administration was also associated with a small but significant decline in body weight and fat content, despite level or higher calorie consumption. |
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\\ tags: diabetes, obesity, turmeric
Jun 22
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Nutrients
Bananas are an excellent source of potassium and vitamin B6. They are a good source of vitamin C, riboflavin, magnesium, biotin and carbohydrates.
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Blood pressure
Bananas are high in potassium, an element important in the regulation of blood pressure.
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Diarrhea
The banana is an effective treatment for diarrhea, and in a study involving infants with persistent diarrhea, green banana and pectin improved small intestinal permeability and reduced fluid loss. Bananas are well known amongst travelers to third world countries for their anti-diarrhea properties.
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Prebiotic
Fructooligosaccharide is a prebiotic found in bananas and other foods. Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients that stimulate the growth and activity of beneficial bacteria in the colon. These bacteria improve the body’s ability to absorb important nutrients.
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Stomach ulcers
Bananas have also been found to help eliminate bacteria in the stomach that cause stomach ulcers.
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\\ tags: bananas, cholesterol, diarrhea, nutritients, Nutrition, pectin, potassium, vitamin A
Jun 19
Dietary fiber
Although almonds are high in calories, they are exceptionally high in nutrition. They are a rich source of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, high in protein, potassium, magnesium and calcium, a good source of Vitamin E and Niacin, and an excellent source of fiber.
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Weight loss
There is some concern of weight gain from consumption of the fat content in almonds. A study of twenty women was conducted which demonstrated that ten weeks of daily almond consumption did not affect weight. In another 24-week trial, it was concluded that a low calorie diet supplemented with almonds was effective in a greater and more sustained loss of weight.
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Smoking
In another study involving 60 healthy male smokers and 30 healthy non-smokers, it was found that the antioxidant nutrients found in almonds could increase antioxidant defenses and reduce oxidative damage in smokers.
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Cancer
In preliminary studies, results suggest that almonds may be helpful in the prevention of colon cancer.
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\\ tags: Alzheimers disease, antioxidants, cancer, corn, dietary fiber, eyesight, Health, lutein, Nutrition, thiamine
Jun 15
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Nutrients
Chickpeas are an excellent source of the essential trace element molybdenum. They are a very good source of fiber, folic acid, and manganese. They are a good source of protein, as well as minerals such as iron, magnesium, copper, and zinc.
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Glycemic Index (GI)
In a study to determine the GI of various foods, it was concluded that chickpeas have a low GI of 28 - 32.
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Protein
Pulses such as chickpeas are an important source of macro nutrients, containing almost twice the amount of protein compared to cereal grains.
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Cholesterol
The fiber in chickpeas helps to decrease blood cholesterol levels by binding bile acids in the small intestine, and preventing re-absorption to the liver.
47 participants took part in a study to compare the effects of a chickpea-supplemented diet and those of a wheat-supplemented diet on human serum lipids. The inclusion of chickpeas in the diet resulted in lower serum total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.
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\\ tags: chickpeas, cholesterol, diabetes, diet, folic acid, garbanzos, glycemic index, Health, heart disease, molybdenum, Nutrition, protein
Jun 14
| Hemp Seeds, are the most nutritionally complete food source in the world! Hemp has been eaten for thousands of years in different parts of the world. It’s the seed that we eat, and it’s beneficial in terms of protein and essential fatty acids. There’s evidence that goes back thousands of years that it was being eaten in China and in different places around the world for there health benefits. |
| Hemp seeds have an astonishing balanced nutritional make-up. It is one of the plant kingdom’s most concentrated, complete and balanced sources of all 10 essential amino acids (EAA’s) and essential fatty acids (EFA’s) which are necessary to maintain healthy human life. You can divide it roughly into three components. |
| There are the essential fatty acids in the oil — omega-6, omega-3, omega-9 — and also minor fatty acids like gamma linolenic acid (GLA) and stearidonic acid, which is biosynthesized from the alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). |
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\\ tags: hemp seeds
Jun 11
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Nutrients
Pineapple is an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese. It’s a very good source of vitamin Bl. It’s a good source of vitamin B6, copper, magnesium, and dietary fiber.
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Glycemic Index (GI)
In a study to determine the GI of various foods, it was concluded that pineapples have a low GI of 46 - 51.
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Digestion
Bromelain in pineapple aids and promotes digestion due to its protein digesting capabilities, and may relieve symptoms of stomach upset or heartburn.
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Sinusitis
In Germany, where bromelain is approved by the German Commission E for the treatment of sinusitis, a clinical trial demonstrated that children diagnosed with acute sinusitis recovered significantly faster when treated with pineapple bromelain compared to other treatments.
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Thrombosis
Studies have shown bromelain from pineapples to display fibrinolytic and antithrombotic activity, and two clinical trials on heart patients have shown a practically complete elimination of thrombosis.
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\\ tags: anti inflammatory, bromelain, glycemic index, Mucha Habermanns disease, nutrients, Nutrition, pineapple, sinusitis
