Health Tip of the Day

[SamuraiArcher]

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Health Tip of the Day: 7 Foods that Cure - # 2

Thank You Berry Much…

Strawberries, raspberries and especially blueberries have been touted as great sources for antioxidants. Researchers at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University analyzed 40 fruits and vegetables for their disease-fighting antioxidant activity. They found blueberries to have two to three times as much antioxidants as apples, broccoli, spinach and many other fruits and vegetables.
Berries are thought to slow the deterioration of joints as well. According to a Boston University study of arthritis patients, these foods protected joints because of the vitamin C they contain. Vitamin C is also a key component in the creation of collagen, a necessary component of cartilage and bone.

[SamuraiArcher]

Health Tip of the Day: 7 Foods that Cure - # 3

Go nuts for your heart.
Nuts are a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids (you know this), but did you know they can help lower "bad" LDL cholesterol levels? Walnuts have especially high levels of omega-3s, which reduce the risk of heart disease and hypertension.

Japanese men and women who ate a one-fourth to one-third cup of walnuts a day lowered their "bad" LDL cholesterol levels by up to 10 percent. Walnuts, almonds and pistachios are all high in arginine, an amino acid that increases blood flow to the heart.

[SamuraiArcher]

Health Tip of the Day: 7 foods that Cure - # 4 & # 5

#4 Grainy reception
Researchers at the University of Minnesota suggest that eating three daily servings of whole grains can reduce the risk of heart disease by 25 percent to 36 percent, stroke by 37 percent and type 2 diabetes by 21 percent to 27 percent. Whole grains include oats, whole wheat, brown rice, bulgur and bran. Ditch the Wonder Bread -- you're a grown up now. Go for breads labeled "whole" and skip those "enriched" kiddy breads.

#5 Yo-Yo-Yogurt
Yogurt is the king of foods containing probiotics, the "friendly" bacteria that helps fight illness and disease. Yogurt seems be the most beneficial of the probiotics. Two recent studies suggest that eating yogurt significantly improved a person's ability to fight off pneumonia. You can eat yogurt every day -- just make sure the brand you buy contains "live" or "active" cultures, as the bacteria won't be very effective if they're dead before you ingest them.

[SamuraiArcher]

Health Tip of the Day: 7 Foods that Cure - #6 & #7

#6 Fish Food
Study upon study indicates that incorporating salmon into your diet reduces blood pressure, lowers cholesterol and helps prevent heart disease. New research from the University of California, San Diego, reports that a higher intake of omega-3s appear to preserve bone density, keeping your bones stronger and protecting against fractures. These omega-3s can also be found in other cold-water fish, such as sardines, tuna and mackerel.


#7 Cabbage curbs cancer?
The American Association for Cancer Research presented a study at the November 2005 meeting that found Polish women who ate cabbage or sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) four or more times per week were 74 percent less likely to develop breast cancer. Additional studies found that cabbage may also protect against lung, stomach and colon cancers. The secret ingredient seems to be sulforaphane, a phytochemical in cabbage that works by stimulating cells to eradicate cancerous substances.

[miong]

katong dli ganahan motake ug breakfast kai walai gana.
saun ra. pagutom una para ganahan nka mokaon ug breakfast.
because this the most essential meal in a day. take jud ug pamahaw.
pareha nko. walai gana inig buntag, after sa taas nga biyahe (kai gkan man ko opon
nya naa ko magwork sa CBP) gutom na after biyahe. lami na ikaon ug breakfast.

[SamuraiArcher]

Health Tip of the Day: Where the Germs Hide

E.T., phone home -- and ask for some disinfecting wipes, pronto.

That device you use to reach out and touch someone -- your phone -- may be touching you back with dirt, germs, and other baddies. In a study of household surfaces in kitchens and bathrooms, scientists discovered that phone handsets and mouthpieces were two of the most contaminated. So grab a cleaning wipe and give yours a rubdown regularly.


High levels of amylase, an enzyme that warns of contamination from saliva, sweat, urine, or other bodily fluids, were found on the handsets and mouthpieces of phones that researches recently tested in 17 households. Phones tended to have even more amylase than baby gear, including baby changing mats.

If that's not bad enough, researchers speculate that contaminated phones might be a culprit in nasty cold and flu infections. Viruses can survive on certain surfaces for hours, or even days, depending on the room's humidity and temperature. And once you touch a contaminated surface with your hands, it's maddeningly likely that the virus will be transferred to your nose or mouth -- and bingo, the bug's in your body. So clean your phone, and don't forget to wash your hands afterward!

[SamuraiArcher]

[b]Deciphering the Ingredients Label
By Jaclyn Johnson
eDiets Staff Writer

Look at the ingredients on the back of your ice cream. What do you expect to see? Milk, sugar, perhaps vanilla? What you might find is glycerol monostearate, an emulsifier that can help to keep the milk fat in suspension, and limit the growth of ice crystals on the ice cream. Labels can be deceiving and many times we don't even know what we are eating!
The ingredients with the strange names usually fall under certain categories and serve certain functions in our food. For instance:

Acidity regulators: These are used to adjust the acidity or basicity of foods and include buffers, acids, alkalis and neutralizing agents.
Anti-caking agents: These make the product more free-flowing.

Emulsifiers: These are very common and allow for easier mixing of oils and water. An example of a food emulsifier is an egg yolk.

Flavor enhancers: These help bring out the natural flavor in the food. The most known is the controversial monosodium glutamate (MSG) sodium salt of the amino acid glutamic acid and a form of glutamate.

Modified Starch: A type of thickening agent.

Stabilizers: These are added to food to help stop foods from separating.

Sweeteners: Natural and nonsugar sweeteners. How many ways can you say "sugar"!
"There are many, many ways to say sugar, and consumers are not often aware that a product contains a lot of sugar, because it doesn't say sugar," said eDiets Chief Nutritionist Susan Burke.
All nutritive sweeteners have a similar amount of calories, ranging from 16 calories per teaspoon for white sugar (sucrose), to 20 calories for honey. Read the label; you'll be surprised to see all the sugars in a box of breakfast cereal. They all have similar nutrition. Even if you think it's healthier, it's still just sugar as far as your body is concerned. If you eat too much, it's stored as fat."
These sugars often appear on food ingredient lists: glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose, sucrose (white sugar), corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup, brown sugar, honey, malt syrup, fruit-juice concentrate and cane sugar.
So the unpronounceable ingredients you find in your food usually serve one of the functions listed above. Now, while it is near impossible to list all the strange ingredients you might encounter, we can list for you some of those you're likely to encounter:

SWEETNERS AND FLAVOR ENHANCERS

Aspartame -- Aspartame is better known by its trade name Nutrasweet, an artificial low-calorie sweetener. Aspartame can be found in breath mints, carbonated soft drinks, cereals and yogurts.
"This FDA-approved sweetener has been proven safe over more than 10 years of testing," Burke said. "Only people who can't process phenylalanine (a rare genetic defect) need to avoid aspartame."

Maltol -- This is another flavor enhancer that gives a taste reminiscent of freshly baked bread. It is used in cakes and different varieties of bread.

Sorbitol -- A type of low-calorie sweetener also called sugar alcohol. It is a sweetener that occurs naturally in fruits and is also a thickening agent. It is often considered better for diabetics because it is absorbed more slowly and does not cause a rapid blood sugar rise or promote tooth decay. It is used in sugar-free candies, chewing gums, frozen desserts and baked goods.
"Excess consumption can lead to gastrointestinal upset, including bloating, gas and diarrhea," Burke said. "Children are especially vulnerable. And since sorbitol does contain carbohydrates and is not calorie-free, consumers need to consider that sorbitol provides one-third fewer calories than sugar -- about 2.6 calories per gram."


EMULSIFIERS

Lecithin -- Susan says lecithin is "naturally occurring in eggs. It's used commercially as an emulsifier and processed from soybean or sesame seed oil." Lecithin is used for homogeneity in food products. For instance, lecithin is the emulsifier that keeps chocolate and cocoa butter from separating when making a candy bar. Limited research shows that soy-derived lecithin may positively affect cholesterol and triglyceride blood levels.

Xanthan Gum -- A polysaccharide used as a stabilizer and emulsifier. It can be used as a thickener in sauces and as a fat substitute with fewer calories.

Preservatives are additives that inhibit the growth of bacteria, yeasts and molds in foods.
Antioxidants are chemicals used to stop the oxidation process from taking place and prevent the product from
spoiling. Often these are used to keep products fresh for longer periods.

PRESERVATIVES
Beta-Hydroxy-Toluene (BHT) -- It is an antioxidant and preservative added to food to protect freshness. It is also added directly to shortening, cereals and other foods mainly containing fats and oils.

Sorbic acid -- Susan says this is "commonly used in cheese making, because it allows the growth of some bacteria (necessary for cheese production) but limits fungal growth. Also used in other fermented goods, including wine and yeast breads."

[SamuraiArcher]

Health Tip of the Day: Good-Mood Food

Which food can make you happier: an apple or some chocolate?

If you immediately said "Chocolate!" you're right, but (there's always a but) only if you really enjoy it. If a wave of fat-and-calorie guilt washes over you after the last bite, it negates the mood boost that chocolate provides. Sweet solution: Buy chocolate that has at least 70 percent cocoa. It's high in cholesterol-fighting antioxidants, and the flavor is so intense that a little goes a long way.


Cocoa is derived from the seed of the cocoa tree and is an essential component in real chocolate. It's rich in flavonoids, antioxidant compounds that boost cardiovascular health by relaxing blood vessels and improving blood flow. Cocoa also has been found to fight LDL -- the bad cholesterol that encourages plaque to build up and clog your arteries. So when you need a chocolate fix, nibble on dark chocolate that has a cocoa content of 70 percent or higher. And use it when you're making chocolate recipes.

[SamuraiArcher]

Can diabetes and eating fruits go together?


Diabetes is one of the most dreaded diseases of the current generation. While for some, diabetes may not be as frightening as cancer or brain damage, it can indeed be a grave condition that could affect one's life entirely. Such is why those who have diabetes cannot be too careful to adjust their lifestyles to keep the symptoms of the disease manageable. Some people even go too careful that they believe that they have to leave out so much of the things they enjoy in life such as eating sweet food. However, such is not entirely the case. Diabetic people can still take pleasure in certain foods to keep their sweet cravings at bay. One way of doing this is by eating fruits ñ Mother Nature's sweet gift to people.
In general, eating fruits can be good for people because fruits are great sources of many essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients that provide a lot of benefits to one's health. However, diabetics might be concerned whether fruits can increase their blood sugar levels or not. The quick answer to that is a simple yes. Fruit, like any other food that contains sugar does increase one's blood sugar. Moreover, fruit can increase blood sugar as fast and as high as other types of food with the same amount of sugar. But does this mean that a diabetic patient has to avoid eating fruits in the same manner as avoiding candy? Not entirely.
Missing out on fruits is not a good idea for diabetics, or any other person. The many benefits that fruits give are very important. Compared to cakes, candy, and other sugar-rich foods, the calories provided by fruits are not empty. Add to this the fact that the concentration of sugar in most fruits is not as high as those in sugar-laded food items, thus eating a piece of apple would not increase blood sugar as much as eating a slice of chocolate cake. The key here is moderation. Of course one would expect to have a great rise in blood sugar after eating a basketful of grapes, but who can eat that big amount of fruits in one sitting? The truth is, one can only eat so much amount of fruits because they can provide satisfaction quicker than sugary snacks.

People are also not created equal. One's reaction to a certain type of food might be different from another's response. Thus, it might take two bananas to increase the blood sugar significantly for one person, but for another guy, the same increase might happen after just eating one banana. The responsibility of the diabetic patient therefore is to find out how his or her body responds to the fruits being eaten. This can be done by monitoring one's blood sugar levels.
When monitoring one's sugar levels, it is important to be honest regarding the serving sizes one consumes. A very large apple may not count as just one serving, thus it is important to honestly judge whatever amount is taken in. One can then have a blood sugar level test an hour or two after eating fruit to see how high or low the fruit has increased the glucose in the blood. Monitoring is very important for one to know how the body gets fruits in. Once a good understanding regarding the relationship of fruits with one's glucose levels, one can then have pretty much a good knowledge of how little or how big fruit servings should be.

Diabetics can indeed eat fruit, and eating fruits may be a great way for them not only to meet the body's nutritive requirements, but also to manage those sweet cravings. By knowing how the body reacts to the fruits one consumes, one would certainly know how best to enjoy fruits, making one enjoy life as well.

[SamuraiArcher]

10 Superfoods for Stress Relief

Which foods to eat for your busy life, and which foods to avoid when you're overwhelmed.
By Dorie Eisenstein
You're overwhelmed, overtired, and in desperate need of some mental and physical nourishment. You're stressed. What can you do beyond throwing in the towel and hiding under the covers? Thankfully, you can relieve stress by eating certain foods and avoiding others.
Tara Geise, a registered dietitian (RD) in private practice in Orlando, Florida, and a spokesperson for American Dietetic Association says, "One of the keys is avoiding things that will give your body and mind real highs and lows like caffeine and alcohol. You don't want to intake a lot of stimulants or a lot of depressants when you're stressed." Geise also recommends skipping that sugary snack you crave when the stress builds up. "Sugar causes your blood sugar to spike and then fall quickly, which can make your energy level dip," says Geise. "Then you're low energy and stressed and that's not a good picture."


Not to worry -- there are many foods you can eat that will help with your stress levels.



Asparagus
This green veggie is high in folic acid, which can help stabilize your mood. "When you're stressed, your body releases hormones that affect your mood," says Geise. "Eating certain vitamins and minerals like folic acid and B vitamins can help keep your mood steady because they're needed to make serotonin, which is a chemical that directly affects mood in a positive way."
Recommended Serving Size: 7 spears, 1/2 inch thick, cooked, 25 calories

Beef
Even though beef often gets a bad rap, it's a great dinner option for a stressed-out family. Beef contains high levels of zinc, iron, and B vitamins, which are also known to help stabilize your mood. "People think they should stay away from beef, but it's very nutrient rich, even compared to chicken," says Geise. Ask your grocery store butcher for a lean cut if you're concerned about fat content.
Recommended Serving Size: Scant 1 cup of raw lean ground chunk, 137 calories Scant 1 cup of regular ground beef, 310 calories


Milk
Milk is high in antioxidants and vitamins B2 and B12, as well as protein and calcium. Have a bowl of whole-grain cereal and low-fat milk in the morning to start your day with a stress-fighting breakfast.
Recommended Serving Size: Whole cow's milk, scant 1/2 cup, 66 calories Two percent cow's milk, scant 1/2 cup, 46 calories


Cottage Cheese and Fruit
Cottage cheese is high in protein and calcium. "Foods with high protein content that aren't loaded with sugar won't cause a spike in blood sugar and will keep you satiated for a longer time," says Geise. Try mixing the cottage cheese with a fruit that is high in vitamin C like oranges. Vitamin C plays a role in fighting stress because it's an antioxidant that fights the free radicals that get released when you're stressed. These free radicals have been shown to cause cancer.
Recommended Serving Size: Creamed cottage cheese, scant 1/2 cup, 79 calories One percent fat cottage cheese, scant 1/2 cup, 72 calories 1 orange, 60 calories
Almonds
Are you ever looking for something you can really dig your teeth into when you're stressed? Try crunching on almonds to get some aggression out. A good source of Vitamin B2 and E, as well as magnesium and zinc, almonds are high in fat, but most of the fat is unsaturated. Like vitamin C, vitamin E has been shown to fight the free radicals associated with stress, and in particular, those free radicals that cause heart disease.
Recommended Serving Size: Shelled almonds, 1/3 cup, 306 calories


Blueberries
Very rich in antioxidants, blueberries offer a high-fiber, low-calorie fruit option that is also rich in stress-fighting vitamin C. Try them with cottage cheese or as a snack on their own.
Recommended Serving Size: Blueberries, 2/3 cup, 30 calories

Tuna
A great lunch option, tuna is high in stress-fighting vitamins B6 and B12. Tuna is also a good low-fat protein source. "Don't load tuna down with fat by using a lot of mayonnaise," cautions Geise. "Choose a light mayo instead."
Recommended Serving Size: Tuna canned in brine, 3.5 ounces drained, 99 calories Tuna canned in oil, 3.5 ounces, drained, 189 calories


Cornflakes or Crispy Rice Cereal
Although they aren't low in sugar, cornflakes and crispy rice cereal are fortified with B vitamins and folic acid to help reduce stress. Have them for breakfast with milk. Geise also recommends having them dry as an afternoon snack.
Recommended Serving Size: Cornflakes, 1 cup, 108 calories Crispy rice cereal, 2 cups, 111 calories