Posts Tagged ‘health’
Herbal Foods
You already know about Phytochemicals for the most popular is Antioxidants. We all know how great antioxidants are for our health, that they fight off oxidation and reduce our risk of most of our common ailments. Did you know you could receive 100 different Phytochemicals in a single serving of fruits or vegetables? Do you know that the different colored fruits carry different amounts of Phytochemicals?
Beta Carotine, Lycopene, Cryptothanxin, Indoles, Anthocyanins, and Allicin. Do any of these words mean anything to you? If you said no then I am here to tell you they are all Phytochemicals. Naturally occurring chemicals, which help to maintain a healthy body. Did you know that Beta Carotine could help prevent Lung Cancer? Studies suggest that it most certainly does. How about that it can also fight against oral cancer, cancer of the stomach, and for the ladies cancer of the uterus and cervix.
Fiber is a great reducer of Blood Pressure. We all need to make sure to keep a low blood pressure for it keeps our heart healthy. Boron helps to ward off osteoporosis. Vitamin C fights Cancer and Cataracts. With all of us living longer lives don’t you want to see your children and grandchildren, maybe even your great grandchildren grow up to be healthy adults? If you do make sure you are finding great sources of Vitamin C.
So you are feeling stressed and tired and just ready to go to bed? Don’t! How many times did you think, “Hey if I am tired and stressed why don’t I just go and run a mile or hit something.” ? You should have thought “Hey why don’t I sit down and have something to eat.” Some foods such as fresh fish and nuts can help with depression and mental disorders. Happiness is just a walnut away.
You thought sunflower seeds were just to spit and chew didn’t you! Well guess again my friend. Sunflower seeds help you with a little friend called Vitamin E! Woohoo! lets here it for this cancer fighting antioxidant! Vitamin E can reduce the risk of heart disease by 40%. Now that is something to get your pom-poms out of the attic and cheer about! Ladies we need to be watching our intake of Triglycerides! Start eating more fresh fish with omega 3 fatty acids; this will help us reduce our hearts blood fat content! I want a healthy heart how about you?
Did you ever wonder what the difference between good food and bad food can do for you’re out look on life? If not then you should. If yes then here is some information you might like to know. Remember how moms always said eat your vegetables? Well she had a reason for it, and I assure you it wasn’t entirely because it was a waste of food if you didn’t.
Doctors and Scientists are finding out more and more through new advances in research and studies that food has a direct effect on our outlook on life. Food can make you happy or sad, can also help reduce your risk of heart disease, decrease the painful effects of arthritis, and help to improve your eye health. Research has shown that there are chemicals in our fruits and vegetables that are called Phytochemicals, which are naturally occurring chemicals, in other words Healthy Good For Your Body Chemicals.
Fiber is a good way to lower your diabetes, reduce obesity, heart disease, cancer and constipation. I don’t know about you but like they always say “An apple a day keeps the Doctor away.” Give me an apple! Eating whole grains is a good way to keep that doctor away also. Whole grains contain a variety of phytochemicals. They clean your system and keep you healthy. Healthy is where we all want to be.
Lowering your cholesterol is essential in maintaining good health. Eating a variety of nuts helps to reduce your cholesterol and risk of heart attacks. Just 2 little ounces of Walnuts five times a week, think of the sundaes you could have, helps reduce your cholesterol by 12 percent! That is a big drop for those who are “borderline” into high cholesterol. For those of you who like to cook at home try replacing your vegetable oil with olive oil. Not only is it healthier but also it helps reduce your cholesterol.
All About Your Food
Fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, legumes are all words you may think to yourself what is that? Well they are the support system of your body. Fruits and vegetables have lots of phytochemicals in them and you can get about 100 different phytochemicals per serving of fruits and vegetables. What are phytochemicals? Well the most commonly known phytochemical is the antioxidant. Antioxidants help to protect our cells from toxic substances and free radicals. You want to keep your cells strong for the long haul of life ahead.
Cholesterol. Yes we all have it and no we don’t want to have to worry about it. Well unfortunately we all must in this day and age worry about our cholesterol. A good way to lower your cholesterol is with oats. Just by eating three grams of soluble fiber a day, the same amount found in a large bowl of one hundred percent oat bran or three packages of instant oatmeal, can lower your LDL cholesterol by at least five point six percent in six weeks. That is an awesome decrease in LDL cholesterol and can save your life.
Do you know what is in your food? Did you ever think about what could be there and not there? How about what it is doing to you or your loved ones? Is there something good in your food other then making you not hungry? Yes there is! Your food is consisting of several awesome parts. Try looking at your food differently now. Try looking at it as a challenge and a conquest for better health and life. We laugh at vegetarians, but why? They are very healthy and happy. Vegetarians are getting more of the daily recommend dose of vegetables and fruits then the meat eating population. They are also getting more of the phytochemicals that help fight off the viruses that are in society today.
Still worried about your cholesterol and hate the thought of oatmeal three times a day? Try cooking with olive oil. If you are unhappy with the flavor of olive oil the try canola oil. Both are a great source of monounsaturated fat; A great reducer of cholesterol. Other sources of monounsaturated oils are Peanut oil, Walnut oil, Sesame Oil, and Soybean oil. What ever you do though do not, I repeat, do not go overboard with any oil. They all have fourteen grams of saturated fat and one hundred twenty calories per tablespoon. Lets face it we are an obese society; we need all the help we can get to not add extra fat to our bodies.
Did you know the benefits of Nuts? They are surprisingly good for your heart. Macadamia nuts are the best for you as far as monounsaturated fats go. Walnuts are the lowest on the scale for monounsaturated fats. Apparently replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fats found in nuts reduces your risk of heart disease.
Omega three fatty acids found in fish oils are superb at lowering blood fats such as triglycerides. Omega three fatty acids also help reduce blood pressure and may ease the symptoms of arthritis. You should eat fresh fish two to three times a week, however do not take fish oil supplements with out talking to your doctor first.
Vitamin E, is the great protector. Vitamin E helps to fight cancer, heart disease, and cataracts. Now that is one tough antioxidant! Spinach! I know why Popeye ate his spinach, because it is a powerhouse in the antioxidant family. Not to mention it has every nutrient out there. It is a great source of folic acid, which can reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects. It also protects against cervical displaysia which is a condition that precedes cervical cancer. Women! You must eat your spinach. Women who eat spinach daily are forty three percent less likely to suffer from a stroke, then those women who only ate spinach once a month or less. Now I don’t care those numbers are hard to beat. Eat your spinach ladies and live long happy lives. Women you also need to eat your squashes, which are high in beta carotene. Those of us who eat fruits and vegetables high in carotene reduce our risk of cataracts by thirty nine percent.