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Archive for the ‘Nutrition’ Category

Nov
04

This kind of fruit is black blue or dark red and seems very cute. Its name is bilberry. Bilberry origin in North America, and there are more than 130 species around the world, widely distributed in the northern hemisphere from the Arctic to the tropical mountain region.

Bilberry is a 16-inch tall shrub with pointed, oval leaves and small white and pink flowers which bloom between April and June. It has sharp edged, green branches and black wrinkled berries, which are ripe for picking in late summer. Its fruits are nearly round fruit. Blueberry is the world’s largest area of cultivation and it is a relative of blueberry, cranberry, and huckleberry, and its fruit looks and tastes much like the American blueberry.

The use of Bilberry as an herbal remedy stems back almost one thousand years to Europe, where it was mainly used to relieve diarrhea. Bilberry extract should be standardized to contain 25% anthocyanidin. The extract contains the highest percentage of anthocyanosides, making it the strongest form of bilberry.

Anthocyanidin is the primary compound in bilberry fruit, building strong capillaries and improving circulation throughout the entire body. It can minimize the risk of blood clots. I search the information from many articles, due to a substance that called tannins, bilberry fruit can stop bleeding. These two strange substances may equalize each other when the whole bilberry fruit is used for medicinal purposes.

Clinical trials have demonstrated benefits of Bilberry fruit preparations in vision care, including retinal conditions in eyes and the management of microcirculatory function. Modern scientific studies have linked Bilberry extract’s effectiveness to a group of flavonoids called anthocyanins.

In addition, Bilberry Extract can improve vision and prevent hardening of the arteries of the body. This natural cranberry is from the low evergreen shrub plant leaves in the cold Scandinavian mountain area. And the essences of its main ingredients are natural rhodopsin and flavonoid.

Maybe you don’t know the advantages of rhodopsin and flavonoid. Rhodopsin is the most basic substance to produce visual material and enhances the low-light sensitivity to adapt to the dark. Flavonoids contain the activity of vitamin P, which is the best material to protect the blood vessels.

Bilberry extracts are used in Europe to treat a condition that occurs when valves in veins in the legs that carry blood to the heart are damaged and according to some studies, all berries can help reduce the body’s glucose response after eating a high sugar meal.

With this information, we can see bilberry has a great deal of benefits to help people cure or prevent some diseases. Drink bilberry juice is one of the best natural ways to make your body get the bilberry extracts.

Sep
17

Many scientists and health researchers have reached the conclusion that the body’s pH level has a massive impact on our health, vitality and well-being. The body’s natural pH should be around 7.3, meaning that the human body should be naturally mildly alkaline. If your pH deviates from this, both up or down, you are susceptible to illness and disease. So what affects our body’s pH? Research has shown that it is what we eat. Certain foods can have a detrimental effect on our pH level, if not eaten as part of a balanced diet. We essentially can become too acidic.

What Are The Effects Of Our Bodies pH When It Increases Or Decreases?

Our pH levels can affect various functions in our body; here are a few examples of how a pH imbalance, (particularly when we are too acidic) can have negative consequences.

The relationship between pH and health can have negative outcomes when we consider its effect on enzymes. Enzymes which are usually useful in the body can become destructive if we are too acidic. This can lead to poor health.

Important organs such as the heart, liver and brain can be damaged if we have a long term pH imbalance. This can lead to serious ill health.

Microbes can mutate and change form; this can lead to a reduced immune system, leaving you prone to disease. The body’s absorbance of valuable nutrients such as minerals can be affected; this can result in poor health.The proper delivery of Oxygen to all of the body’s cells can be affected, causing a reduction of the proper spread of oxygen throughout our system.

The effects of the relationship between body pH and health can be wide ranging. It will have a direct effect in terms of how your feel and your overall health in general. So how can your control your body’s pH effectively? The answer to this is through good diet. Doctors recommend that you should have around 5 portions of ‘green’ vegetables per day. This is because these vegetables have a high Alkaline content and help counter act the effect of eating foods such as breads, dairy products and meats. Most nutritionists recommend that you should have a balance of around 20% Acidic foods to 80% Alkaline based foods. This balance should allow your body to maintain the desired pH of 7.3.

May
25

A new study shows that your vitamin D level may affect what dosage your doctor will prescribe for certain medications. This study, published in Drug Metabolism & Disposition, was the first of its kind to show that the body’s vitamin D level can affect the liver’s ability to break down and metabolize medication. This may give physicians and researchers insight into a puzzling question: Why do patients with otherwise similar medical histories respond differently to the same dosage of medicines?

The study was conducted at the Karolinska Institute, a medical university in Sweden. Researchers evaluated data on 70,000 patients who were taking immune-suppressant drugs, including tacrolimus and sirolimus, to prevent transplant rejection.

These patients had their blood monitored regularly, so it was easy for researchers to compare blood samples drawn in the winter (January – March) with those taken in late summer (July – September). The comparison showed that blood concentrations levels of tacrolimus and sirolimus were lower in the summer months and higher in the winter months. This means that these patients required more of the medicine in the summer to achieve the same amount of protection they could receive in the winter from a lower dosage.

Sweden has long winter nights and long summer days, so one’s exposure to sunlight-and its ability to produce vitamin D-is significantly different in winter and summer. Sunlight and vitamin D activate a liver enzyme called CYP3A4, which aids in the breaking down of certain medicines, including tacrolimus and sirolimus.

Researchers also took blood samples from patients taking cyclosporine, a drug used for the same purpose. No significant difference was seen in blood concentration levels between winter or summer, probably because the enzyme CYP3A4 is not required for metabolizing cyclosporine.

Although more research is necessary, this study suggests that the enzyme CYP3A4 may provide an important piece of information to doctors prescribing medications. Given that vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin, and vitamin D levels increase with sun exposure, it’s likely that researchers will discover additional medications that can be lowered in the summer while still conferring the needed benefits.

This may call for closer monitoring of certain drug blood levels depending on the season. In the case of these immunosuppressant transplant drugs correct dosage is critical to prevent organ transplants from being rejected. As more and more people realize the benefits of taking Vitamin D this also will require doctors to monitor blood levels of drugs.

Although more research is required, it seems that Vitamin D dosages of patients will probably affect the metabolism of some drugs. Prospective studies need to be done to prove a causal relationship.

Apr
02

When you go to Asian countries like China, Japan, Indonesia, India, and many more, one of the obvious things you will notice is how rarely you see any obese citizens. Another thing that’s quite amazing about Asian people is how long most of their lives are. Many people even reach the age of 90 above. Maybe they are able to do this because they don’t acquire chronic diseases quite as often as people who live in the Western part of world do. It is a given fact that most of the diseases around are obtained from having an unhealthy diet and lifestyle. This can only mean one thing; Asians are able to stay healthy because of an Asian Diet, Nutrition, and Fitness.

Asian Diet, Nutrition and Fitness is probably the best kind of diet and lifestyle practice around, if your goal is to have both a healthy body and a sound mind. The diet, in particular, if prepared correctly, is very low in cholesterol and fats, which can help people prevent certain diseases, such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and many types of cancers.

Unlike with Western Diets, where the main source of protein are meats, the Asian diet have a variety of protein sources to choose from, such as beans, rice, fish meat, nuts, grains, and soy products. In contrast with Western diets, where meat is often the main ingredient in dishes, healthy but delicious Asian recipes usually use meats as flavor enhancers. Consuming meats often could lead to certain types of cancers, as well as heart diseases, which is why the Asian diet is very healthy for the body. With it, you will be influenced to eat more grains, vegetables and fruits. All of which, are packed with vitamins, fiber, and other nutrients.

Rice is a common component of an Asian meal. Wherever you go in Asia, whether in Japan, China, Malaysia, Philippines, even in India, you will see that every meal is always accompanied by steamed or fried rice. Rice is very healthy for the body, especially ones that are unprocessed, like brown rice. It is rich in carbohydrates, which helps us feel energetic to perform everyday duties and chores. Brown rice is packed with fiber that can help our digestive system eliminate toxins, as well as decreasing the bad cholesterol in our body, to keep us away from heart disease. Another popular element of the Asian diet that are made of grains are noodles. Tea, a popular beverage among Asians, on the other hand, has loads of antioxidants that can help our body fight free radicals.

Of course, what’s the use of maintaining a good diet if you don’t exercise at all, right? Asian Fitness and Exercise are made up of routines that not only exercise the body, but even the mind, since they are relaxing and relieve stress. Some examples include Yoga and Tai-Chi. Other exercise routines popular to Asia are those that impacts the entire body, which are known to help you maintain an ideal weight.

Feb
27

Congratulations are in order because you’ve purchased low fat milk and eaten an apple. By doing so you will, according to half of the internet, lose 5 kg’s by the end of business today and be capable of firing laser beams from your retina. In all seriousness, the net is flooded with hordes of unqualified information regarding healthy eating and weight loss, and all too many of these recommendations come with their own agendas.

Statistics are the favoured weapons of the layman since with just a slight creative touch, they can be altered to mean absolutely anything you want them to – ask your local government. In today’s society where fitness experts are going on TV and publicly endorsing scientific dribble, like the Power Balance Bracelet, and family doctors just pump you full of harmful antibiotics because you stumped your toe – we have to question our sources carefully. That being said, the catch phrase of a ‘healthy balanced diet’ is no lie or over exaggeration.


When experts publicly disagree who do you place your faith in? As someone from outside the health and fitness industry, who are you to separate value from hype? The fact of the matter is that we live in the age of free information flow, and although I’ve already pointed out that this has its down side, it also means that you can easily corroborate anything someone tells you.

Mix this in with a little bit of logic and common sense and you shouldn’t have any trouble finding the health foods which work for you. Any pill that solves all of your health woes is more than likely as scientifically valuable as the aforementioned Power Balance Bracelet. When someone attempts to sell you anything which would instantaneously cure a problem that has tormented humanity for hundreds of years – it’s time to check those credentials.

Fitness and exercise is clearly required, along with which ever products you eventually deem as a quality investment. Sure, it’s known that cutting bread and other carbohydrates out of your diet will cause you to lose weight, but remember that losing large amounts of weight when you’re not gaining additional vitamins and minerals, i.e eating healthily, will mean that your body will begin to break down. It’s all about balance. Lack of balance is what leads to poor health in the first place, so reversing that process in order to strengthen your body again is simple logic. Drop the hypochondria and stop listening to quacks – health is a science, not an art.

Feb
26

Do you know the meaning of breakfast? It means breaking the 6-8 hour fast that you kept while you were sleeping. A good breakfast sets the tone for the day. So, skipping breakfast means you failed to set out your day right. Eating a healthy snack early in the morning increases your metabolic rate as well which means fast calorie burning. It has been proven in many studies that children who eat breakfast regularly tend to perform better in school than those who skip breakfast. In the same way, adults too experience an improved performance if they begin their day with a nutritious breakfast.

Breakfast and Weight Loss

It is not uncommon to find people trying to lose weight by skipping breakfast. However, this is not effective and, definitely, not a smart thing to do. People who skip breakfast are bound to gain weight rather than lose it as shown by many studies. Such people, in fact, tend to eat more than usual during the course of the day, although unintentionally. Morning is the best time to refuel your body and nourish your brain to keep yourself up and running throughout the day. Moreover, breakfast keeps the metabolism high and the calories burning.

What to Include in Your Breakfast and What to Avoid

Protein and fiber are the two major components your breakfast should include. The best sources of protein are dairy products, eggs, beans and low fat meat. To include fiber in your breakfast eat vegetables, fruits and foods made of whole grains, such as whole grain bread and biscuits. An example of an ideal breakfast could be a boiled egg, a banana, a bowl of whole grain cereal and a glass of low fat milk.

White bread is widely eaten for breakfast and so are sugary cereals. Steer clear of such foods as they get digested fast, making you fell like eating very soon. Also, avoid eating pastries and syrups in the morning. Eating protein and fiber rich breakfast will not make you hungry until lunch hour.

If you never feel like eating in the morning, it makes sense to split your breakfast into two smaller meals. For instance, you can have a boiled egg before leaving home and have an apple an hour or two later.

To know more about which foods make an ideal breakfast, visit GNGH. Apart from nutritious food, the website provides relevant information on keeping yourself on track for losing weight.

Feb
09

Airport delays, lost luggage, long lines, security checks: Traveling is anything but relaxing these days. One way to reduce the stress is to make sure you eat regular, healthful meals. Noshing regularly can keep you energized and ward off hunger-related irritability. So what should you eat? Stephanie Clarke, M.S., R.D., outlined a day of diet-friendly eating during a Best Life Webcast. So before you grab your bags and head out the door, be sure to grab a healthy bite first.

Leave on a Full Tank
Don’t head out hungry!
Eat a balanced Best Life meal as close to leaving as possible so that you don’t get stuck in a hunger crunch later on.

Snack Well
Pack a snack or two so that you don’t have to depend on the food available at the airport or on the road. Enjoy some string cheese and WASA crisp bread (or any other whole-grain crackers or flatbread) for a morning snack. Craving an afternoon nibble? Have 1/2 ounce of nuts (about 11 almonds or 7 walnut halves) and an orange.

Munch a Lunch
You can find a healthy lunch from just about any place, including a gas station, strip mall or airport food court, if you know what to order. One eatery that offers a bunch of nutritious options is Subway. If you stop there, go for the 6-inch turkey club Subway sandwich on wheat bread with Swiss cheese, lots of veggies, mustard and a box of raisins on the side. One thing to remember, particularly if you’re watching your sodium, is that cheese is high in sodium. Opt for another topping, if you can.

Dinner on the Dash
If you’re still on the road when dinner rolls around, or your flight has landed late, you may be looking for a quick bite, which probably means fast food.
(Remember: Skipping meals is not an option!) At McDonald’s, have a hamburger with ketchup (ask for extra lettuce and tomato). Add a Southwest salad (without chicken) with a packet of Newman’s Own Southwest Dressing for a 490-calorie meal. At KFC, the Grilled Filet Sandwich and a side of Three Bean Salad is a relatively healthy 460-calorie dinner.

You’ve arrived at your destination with your diet still intact.

 Now, make sure to avoid these common travel traps:

• Making up for big dinners by skipping breakfast and/or lunch

• Ditching your water bottles

• Overdoing caffeine

• Using “I’m on vacation, so it doesn’t count” logic

• Sipping Pina Coladas (or most other frozen drinks) by the pool.

Feb
08

Losing inches and eliminating fat without those crazy diets sounds like fun! As a matter of fact, this is particularly something that everyone wants to have. If there is something that we know of, or at least, if there is a particular weight loss program that allows us to achieve a great body right from our home, what is it? You’ll be thrilled to know that there are home body wraps readily available in the market to help everyone achieve their dream body. Before, body wraps are services that can only be attained from spas and other massage parlors. But today, thanks to technology, everyone now has the opportunity to save themselves from the embarrassment of going to these spa parlors, or save them energy and time whenever they are busy, but still wanted to lose some weight.
Mexican pharmacy no prescription
Basically speaking, home body wraps had already invaded the market, and more and more people are starting to understand and even believe the effects! First of all, home body wraps is an effective way of detoxifying the body, making it look firmer and leaner. Isn’t this what you have always wanted?

Let’s admit the fact that diet can make us go whack, enormous exercise or workout routines make some individuals get tired even before the day starts. Why should you avail of these expensive programs if there is a better alternative?

If you are hesitant about the side effects of home body wraps, you’ll be pleased to know that there isn’t any. As a matter of fact, it is a way that had been used over the past 1000 years – Egyptians used this technique to lose weight and rejuvenate their skins. There is no wonder why they have blooming and bright looking, radiant skins after all.

Why is home body wraps effective and how it actually targets the body fat? It eliminates toxins and concentrates on the area that you are having problems with. The skin is the largest organ of the human body. This is also the reason why this technique is a lot more effective than the others! This is because it targets large portions of the body. During this procedure, you shed water – the components of what you’re body sheds are toxins that may carry fat and excessive inches in your body. It’s an all natural method so you don’t have to worry about allergic reactions and even about the possible side effects or contraindications with drugs that you are taking with (if any.)

Home body wraps are dissolved in hot water, applied in the part of the body that you wanted to shed inches off. You can adjust the tightness of these wraps depending on your preference. During the entire process, your body sweats, and that’s the start of a healthier skin, a firmer body and a higher confidence level on your end. You don’t have to do anything – just lay back, and relax while the towels are wrapped around your body. You’ll feel slight heat – this merely indicates that the product / package is already taking into effect.

Jan
12

Cleaning the Colon

Colon cancer had been tagged as one of the causes of cancer death in the United States. As science and medical breakthroughs try to fight the cancer, some studies and researches show that keeping the colon clean is one way of preventing such disease. This process is call colon irrigation also known as colon cleansing or colon detoxification. It is another way of eliminating unwanted substance or toxics inside the body that could cause diseases or illnesses. It is an internal cleansing of the body that involves detoxifying the intestinal area in the procedure.

Colon: What is it?

If sanitation of a city or metropolis is the concern, then the mayor should be checking the sewerage system. Just like a progressive city, the body needs to have a certain dumpster to flush out waste. Colon acts as the body’s sewer; it is an aid to the ‘sewerage system’ of the body, which is referred to as the excretory system. As the process of digestion ends, (from swallowing, chewing or masticating to the absorption of nutrients) the ‘leftovers’ are settled in the colon for a time until expelled from the body. A key to healthy body is a regular bowel movement. If this would not be fulfilled over time, the wastes or toxins that should be flushed out would be possible absorbed by the body and this is where possible illness would occur.

Why Detoxify the Colon?

Just like the sewers in the metropolis, colon could also be congested. Having an unhealthy eating lifestyle has been the common culprit why colon tends to be clogged. Artificial preservatives, fat-rich foods, unnatural substances and refined sugars are some of the detrimental stuffs that should not be in the body or in the colon overtime. The more they stay in the system, the more the health of an individual is compromised. Thus, as asserted on the first statements, these toxins would be reabsorbed and would be discharged to the bloodstreams.

Ways of Colon Cleansing

Colonic Hydrotherapy is a usual way of doing colon detoxification. It involves a tube being inserted to the individual’s rectum to infuse water inside. Utilizing edemas is another way of cleaning the colon. This process involves propelling water into the rectum as the individual tries to hold the water and then expelled it. Another way of eliminating unwanted wastes in the colon is by taking herbal supplements or laxatives to induce defecation in the process. The last two methods seem to be the popular options of detoxifying the colon based on convenience and safety.

Best Outcomes of Colon Detoxification

Since a lot of lethal substances had been expelled, the immune system of the body gets a lift. In some cases, some allergies had been treated and in the process making the skin glow. For those who would like to loss weight, then colon cleansing should be considered as an option other than usual physical activities or exercises. As a wise move, before trying to risk health by getting into colon detoxification, it would still be better to consult a doctor and to be surer, get a second opinion.

Dec
16

The world of health and nutrition has many options to offer consumers. How do you know if what you are getting is really best for your body and health? Maybe you regularly work out, or just have a busy lifestyle and want to add some additional nutrition to your diet. You should be aware of the advantages that occur when you buy whole food vitamins and organic multivitamins. When taking and utilizing whole food vitamins into your daily diet, you can be assured that you are using the most absorbable substances, made with only organic and plant based ingredients.

Ingredients in whole food vitamins often include superfood powders, herbs, and mushrooms. These have the maximum possible nutritional value and content. They are not the ordinary vitamins you grab on a trip to the grocery store. Organic multivitamins naturally help the body use its own sources to heal itself. There are no harmful additives like sugar, preservatives, flavors, or colors. Our bodies need pure nutrition such as those found in organic multivitamins. When you buy organic multivitamins, you enable your body to maintain better overall health. This in turn helps with energy levels and healthy digestion.

Natural protein is much better for your body than animal protein. Animal proteins are linked to disease, ageing, and poor health. Natural vegan and vegetarian proteins are easily digested and assimilated by the body. Entirely natural and organic, you may use these powders as a great supplement for extra protein in your daily diet. When you buy all natural protein, it should be entirely plant based. This is as absorbable as mother’s milk. It also naturally enhances insulin and leptin functions within the body. Natural protein is a living substance, unlike animal protein, which causes acid accumulations in the body when digested.

Raw vegan protein is not heat treated. It is entirely alkaline, which means it does not add any acidity to the body. When you buy raw protein powder, you are getting highly digestible 85% protein that is gluten free. It is also hypoallergenic, which means you will experience no gas or bloating. A complete amino acid profile is provided in raw vegan protein, with zero sugar, and low fat. Vegan and raw protein powders give your body a supreme advantage for fat loss and gaining lean muscle mass. When you buy vegan protein powder, you help your body achieve optimum fitness levels. Immunity is strengthened, antioxidant functions are enabled, and good HDL cholesterol is built.