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Health Foods You Should Be Eating

There were quite a few scientific studies that indicated the beneficial properties of health supplements.  By eating healthy foods and sidelining processed junk food, you could dramatically increase your life expectancy. Here are a few specific foods that assist in this process.

Algae

Not many people would consider algae as a health food source. There are scientific studies that prove that you should. The algae Spirulina has been shown to contain antioxidant benefits, as well as serving as an anti-inflammatory supplement.

Cloves

Originating in Indonesia and commonly considered to be the first breath fresheners, cloves have been used as a spice for thousands of years and have been praised for their antioxidant properties. Cloves are most often used when stewing fruit.

Kiwi

The Kiwi is famous for its high levels of vitamins C and E which not only serve to boost your immune system but also boosts your T-cell count.

Cinnamon

This spice has been used by diabetics to assist with regulating their blood sugar levels. Other benefits that can be attributed to this spice are its properties as an anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and its ability to reduce the risks of blood clots. It has been shown that even a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon would be enough to cut your cholesterol and triglycerides by thirty percent.

Chocolate Milk

It may sound strange but chocolate milk should be added to your diet. It provides the same nutrients as ordinary milk and the amount of sugar contained in chocolate milk can be compared to a normal glass of apple juice. There are only two nutrients in apple juice, this compared to the sixteen contained in chocolate milk.

Swiss Chard

This leafy horde of nutrients has long been revered for its cancer fighting properties, thanks to its chlorophyll and phytonutrients. The antioxidant lutein which assists in fending off blindness is also present in this leafy treasure trove.

Flaxseeds

A mere tablespoon of flaxseed will provide you with 2.3 grams of fibre. Flaxseeds also contain lingams, which have been shown to reduce the possibility of hormone related cancers. Flaxseeds can also serve as an anti-inflammatory.

Red Cabbage

The red colour which these cabbages are known for can be attributed to the high concentration of antioxidants that’s known as anthocyanins. It’s believed that these antioxidants assist in fighting off cancer, diabetes, and prevent the hardening of arteries. Improvement in brain function has also been attributed to these antioxidants.

Passion Fruit

Passion fruit is high in vitamin C and E. The seeds of this fruit are edible and are high in fibre and antioxidants.

Oats

Oats have been shown to lower cholesterol as well as blood pressure. It has been noted that consuming a cup and a half of oatmeal on a daily basis would lower the amount of cholesterol contained in your blood by five percent, and decrease your risk of heart attack by ten percent.

From this list it is quite clear that in order to maintain healthy eating habits, you would have to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Nathan Johnston is an experienced online content writer who enjoys writing about various topics such as manuka honey,healthy living ,vitamins and herbs.

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Healthy Juice Drinks – Fighting Insomnia

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If you suffer from insomnia, whether as a temporary thing, or if you are more unlucky, as a regular occurrence, then you’ll no doubt have tried everything under the sun to get yourself those forty winks at night. But most insomnia sufferers quickly discover that medicine like sleeping tablets will usually only provide you with a short term solution to your problem and not something you could do continually without causing your body more damage. In the long run you are far more likely to resolve your insomnia by looking at both your way of life and your diet. Think carefully about what you eat or drink before you go to bed, and get yourself a relaxing and regular nightly ritual. With that in mind have a look at this juice drink mixed to help you catch up on those much needed hours of sleep:

Take the following ingredients:

125g (4 oz) of grapes
125g (4 oz) of fresh pineapple, with the skin removed
50g (2 oz) of lettuce
50g (2 oz) of celery.

Simply juice all the ingredients together in your juicer and then serve in a tall, cold glass over some ice for a soothing and tasty drink. Not only will it help you sleep by giving you a boost of blood sugar from the grapes and pineapple, but it will also relax your muscles and nerves through the addition of the celery and lettuce. Nutritionally it offers you a good dose of Vitamin C, Magnesium, Vitamin B6, niacin, tryptophan and comes in at a healthy 167 calories.

Alex is a food writer and blogger. He loves writing about beautiful food and healthy living and currently writes for Coupon Croc .

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B12 Injection Dosage: The Right Amount

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As much as vitamin b12 is very important in the boy, it is worth noting that it cannot be produced from within the body. There are certain external foods such as meat, dairy and fish that contain high levels of this vitamin. However, since most people are not able to get sufficient nutrients from the foods, taking vitamin b12 injection dosage is recommended. People who are constantly tired and also those who end up over working should make use of this vitamin. It is effective and has been known to contribute immensely when it comes to weight loss.

The process of absorption of vitamin b12 begins for the mouth and then proceeds to the mucosa membrane. As the foods that contain proteins are being absorbed in the body, the acid within the stomach will release vitamin b12. The vitamin b12 injection dosage that is recommended should be up to 3 milligrams per day. However, pregnant and lactating women should take a higher level of dosage since their body requires extra vitamin b12. Using vitamin b12 injection is very safe as long as the recommended dosage is adhered to. However, it does not imply that if you are out on a dose, you will end up becoming deficient of the vitamin. This can be justified by the fact that the liver stores extra vitamin b12 that can be used for quite a number of years.

Vitamin B12 can be found in foods such as milk, eggs, meat. Milk and poultry there are notable side effects of using the vitamins B12 injections dosage. A person may experience itching, urticaria and even a rash after using the injection. These symptoms can remain visible for up to four month s and this will warrant the use of other treatment options to get rid of them.

Vitamin b12 injection dosage has been known top contribute largely in weight loss and also in the treatment of anemia. It is advisable not to self medicate but rather seek the advice of the doctor, who will be in a position to provide you with more information and details on the same.

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Probiotics vs. Prebiotics—What’s the Difference?

You have probably heard or seen the words probiotic and prebiotic more than once.  Maybe you’ve seen it on your yogurt carton or read an article in a magazine about them.  So…what’s the fuss about?  Why are probiotics and prebiotics so important for your diet and what’s the difference between the two?

First of all, you need to know that more than 400 types of microorganisms are living in your gastrointestinal tract—right now, at this moment.  It may disgust you, but many of them are actually healthy.  However, some are not.  The healthy bacteria are there to protect your body against the unhealthy bacteria.  They also help your body digest food and use some important vitamins you get from that digested food.

So what is a probiotic?  It is a live microorganism that is beneficial in many ways.  It stimulates the growth of microorganisms with beneficial properties.  In simpler words—it encourages the growth of the “good” bacteria in your digestive system.  Probiotics synthesize vitamins, particularly B vitamins that are necessary for several body functions.  They have been known to decrease allergies and dental caries.  Individuals with digestive problems like irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease may see an improvement in their symptoms if they make probiotics part of their diet.  These “good” bacteria can also improve cholesterol levels and decrease one’s risk for colon cancer.  The wide range of probiotic health benefits is very convincing and makes you wonder why anyone would be discouraged to take them.  There is a list of foods containing probiotics including yogurt, cottage cheese, fresh sauerkraut, soy sauce and buttermilk—just to name a few.  Probiotics can also be taken in the form of a supplement.

A prebiotic is a non-digestible food ingredient that “feeds” the probiotics.  Because of them, beneficial bacteria are able to thrive in the digestive tract.  It is important to consume prebiotics and probiotics at the same time to sustain the life of the probiotic.  Prebiotics enhance mineral absorption, particularity calcium, iron and magnesium.  Because of their ability to enhance calcium absorption, they can decrease one’s risk for developing osteoporosis and other bone conditions.   Same as probiotics, prebiotics are known to improve cholesterol levels and decrease risks for colon cancer.  You can obtain prebiotics from foods such as: chicory root, bananas, wheat, rye, barley, berries, honey, flax, oatmeal, garlic, onions, leafy greens, legumes—and the list goes on.

To enhance the benefits of probiotics, you can consider incorporating resistant starch into your diet.  They have a function similar to that of prebiotics—they help to feed probiotics.  This substance is found in cooked starchy products.

Supplements for probiotics and prebiotics are available, but you need to be cautious when deciding which to purchase.  This is because probiotics in supplements aren’t always live—and they are only beneficial when they are live.  Accuflora has been found to be highly survivable throughout the digestive process…this is important because probiotics will not even technically be considered a probiotic if they aren’t alive.  Prebiotic supplements come in many forms, and you can talk to a doctor or decide for yourself which is the best for you.

Probiotics and prebiotics should be emphasized in everyone’s diet.  They provide the body with benefits that range from the digestive system to the cardiovascular system.  Something like that should not be ignored.  Make changes to your diet if you don’t think you consume enough of these healthy microorganisms.  And remember, not all bacteria is bad!

Brianna Elliott is a third year dietetics student.  She has grown a passion for nutrition through her years of studying.  She thinks it is important for people to learn about probiotics and prebiotics because of how healthy they are for the various body systems.  Brianna also contributes regularly to ProbioticSmart.com – the web’s leading product and information hub for probiotics.

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Top 4 Supplements that are a Waste of Money

Today, people have become engrossed with supplements to help them live a longer, healthier life. Companies are more than willing to mass produce a wide variety of products to meet these ever growing needs. However, not all these supplements are actually necessary. Below are four supplements that for most people are not necessary and only decrease the size of their wallet, not their waistline.

Superfruit Drinks

Many companies have taken the concept of “fruits and vegetables = health” way too far. Any one who has ever actually tasted a dragonfruit will know what I mean. A dragonfruit is wonderfully exotic to look at and has run me as much as US $8 for a single bulb; however, it is simply the most bland fruit I have ever tasted. Rarity does not a health food make.

When you pay a premium for these superfruit drinks with the imported fruits, you are not paying for any extra health benefits; you are paying for the cost of shipping those most likely underwhelming fruits to whatever domestic shore you call home. We have never had to add a letter to the alphabet to define the nutrition value of an imported fruit, and as most of these drinks are supplemented with fruits that companies know we will find tasty (apples, grapes), what is the true value of these drinks? You can most definitely forget about any superfood drink that is less than 100% all natural, and even if it is, there is nothing in that expensive drink that you can’t get from your local fruits other than the thrill of eating something from Polynesia or South Africa.

Many of the reputations of these fruits come from their preparation and are based in custom rather than any scientific evidence. Take the noni, for example, a common fruit in Polynesia, but quite exotic anywhere else. The funny thing is that the Polynesian people do not even consider this fruit edible. The few concoctions that include the noni are meant for celebrations and are steeped in tradition, much like chitlands (the feet of a pig) for some families in the Southern United States. They do not in any way taste good.

It is the American companies which are adding a bunch of sugar to exotic fruits like these and selling them as one size fits all health supplements. Don’t believe the hype.

Protein Powders

Protein, in all its forms, from soy to hemp to whey, is no less meant to be separated and “refined” on its own than water is from a melon. Especially in developed countries, marketing schemes have been able to create the problem that we somehow do not get enough protein in our every day meals to build a healthy body, especially if we are trying to do something athletic. However, all one has to do is look back to times before there were any supplements – somehow people have always been able to build strong, lean, aesthetically pleasing bodies even before supplements existed. Does that huge intimidating jar sitting in our cupboard meant more for our musculature or for our ego?

Any nutrition authority will tell you that it is not even necessary to eat meat to obtain all the protein you need to build or maintain a healthy, muscular body. It can be obtained solely from vegetables and fruits, if so desired.

Green Drinks or Powders

Green has an association with humans in general as being “of the earth” and therefore healthy. Little wonder then, that many “nutrition” companies go out of their way to color their drinks green, or include lots of things that are colored green to sell a notion of health in a supplement.

Green vegetables, some green algae, and grass can be healthy for us in small doses, with a proper balance of other nutrients. However, we are not cows. We have no need to graze to obtain maxmium health. As a matter of fact, you gain that same nutrition from eating the cow that ate the grass, and is better able to metabolize it into the nutrients that we actually need.

There is a reason that grass and algae do not taste good to us: Different organisms require different things to maintain health. Plants photosynthesize our carbon dioxide into nourishment – oxygen is their waste product. But if you start inhaling pure carbon dioxide instead of oxygen, the results will not impress you.

Green vegetables that taste good to the palette, like spinach, lettuce, celery, and parsley are the green things to focus on putting in your mouth.

Once a Day Multivitamins

Though the multivitamin that you take every day so religiously with the egg whites, plain toast and skim milk breakfast may truthfully say that it contains 1000% of the daily intake value for everything, there is a reason that you do not instantly feel like Superman upon intaking said vitamin. Quite simply, the body is not made to synthesize pure vitamins and minerals, and will only retain from 1 to 10% of the total value of each vitamin inside the tablet.

What is worse, the body tends to synthesize the fattening portions of the multivitamin more readily than the other parts, so taking two will not help. You will only retain the worst parts of anything you intake.

What is the Bottom Line?

When it comes to personal health, realize the difference between a marketing campaign designed to make you think that you are suddenly missing out on some vital nutrient, and a hole in your nutrition that you really need to fix. Every supplement has a natural alternative, and as the body is used to eating FOOD, not synthesizing supplements, natural is usually the way to go. Some supplements have their place, but in moderation.

In this modern world of mobile everything and super efficiency, people are always on the go. However, it is essential that you take time out of life to take care of the most important aspect of your life – your health. It is quite true that you can’t do much of anything without your body.

 

Author Bio: Angela is a freelance writer for a fitness site. She loves to help other people get into the best shape of their lives. If she is not at the gym, she can be found biking in the woods.

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Brown Rice vs. White Rice

It’s a popular modern debate: brown rice vs. white rice. But which is better?

I don’t know about you, but I never saw brown rice until I went to college. I was raised strictly in a Minute Rice family and aside from the occasional side of gravy, my rice remained white throughout my formative years. As I got older, I developed an affinity for brown rice. Its naturally “nutty” texture and flavor just seemed more fulfilling and it prompted me to do the research on the difference between these two “grain cousins. “They’re actually not cousins at all: both brown and white rice are the same rice. It’s the process it follows from the field to your table that differs.

Brown Rice vs. White Rice: the Process

The first step rice takes on the way to your kitchen is the removal of the hull. Once the hull is removed, you’re left with brown rice. In order to obtain white rice, there are a few more steps, however. Following hull removal, rice is then milled and polished. As with any processing, these additional steps remove a fair amount of the nutritional value from rice. In fact, a good rule of thumb when considering the nutritional value of any food is to consider how much processing went into making it. Not to suggest that white rice is bad for you, but it certainly lacks some good stuff that brown rice keeps.

The Result

Brown rice is the least processed of the two varieties of rice and thus retains more of it nutritional value. On the average, brown rice boasts greater levels of naturally occurring vitamins B1, B3 and B6 as well as significantly greater levels of dietary fiber, selenium and manganese (all of which contribute to colon health). While all white rice in the United States must be enriched with vitamins B1, B3 and B6, the vitamins aren’t nearly as bioavailable as their natural sources found in brown rice.

Preparation of Rice

When buying any kind of rice, be sure to rinse the grains under cool water to remove any debris before cooking. To conserve water, rice is best cooked using the absorption method. Add one part rice to two parts water, bring to a boil and then cover at a simmer until the water is absorbed. This keeps you from having to add additional water and allows you to use as little water as possible during the cooking process by making the most of the steam and condensation.

 

 

Nathan Joynt works with Gaiam.com, a leading yoga and healthy living company in Boulder, Colorado.

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