Saturday, September 13, 2014
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Did you know
Soy and Health
Soy has long been recognized as a highly nutritious food. Western scientists became particularly interested in soy when they noticed that people eating Asian diets enjoyed lower rates of heart disease as well as less cancer and osteoporosis, and had fewer hormonal problems than those eating a typical Western diet. There is now broad scientific agreement on various positive connections between soy and health.
Soy’s most conclusively demonstrated benefit concerns cardiovascular health. There have been extensive studies on the cholesterol-lowering effect of soy in our regular diet. One frequently cited study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1995, describes an analysis of thirty-eight different studies. The authors found that regular consumption of soy protein resulted in significant reductions in total cholesterol (9.3 percent), LDL cholesterol (12.9 percent), and triglycerides (10.5 percent) with a small though not significant increase in HDL cholesterol. A recent study (March 2003) in the Journal of Nutritiondemonstrated that the intake of soy foods among the pre-menopausal subjects was inversely related to their risk for coronary artery disease and stroke as well as other disorders. Similar studies have demonstrated the same effect with people with diabetes and people with high cholesterol.
Soy has long been recognized as a highly nutritious food. Western scientists became particularly interested in soy when they noticed that people eating Asian diets enjoyed lower rates of heart disease as well as less cancer and osteoporosis, and had fewer hormonal problems than those eating a typical Western diet. There is now broad scientific agreement on various positive connections between soy and health.
Soy’s most conclusively demonstrated benefit concerns cardiovascular health. There have been extensive studies on the cholesterol-lowering effect of soy in our regular diet. One frequently cited study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1995, describes an analysis of thirty-eight different studies. The authors found that regular consumption of soy protein resulted in significant reductions in total cholesterol (9.3 percent), LDL cholesterol (12.9 percent), and triglycerides (10.5 percent) with a small though not significant increase in HDL cholesterol. A recent study (March 2003) in the Journal of Nutritiondemonstrated that the intake of soy foods among the pre-menopausal subjects was inversely related to their risk for coronary artery disease and stroke as well as other disorders. Similar studies have demonstrated the same effect with people with diabetes and people with high cholesterol.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Did you know
Honey and Your Health
Maintaining optimal blood sugar levels has a positive effect on overall health, and honey may help to contribute to this goal. Ancient Olympics competitors used honey to enhance performance and help maintain energy levels and promote muscle strength recovery.
In one recent study of thirty-nine male and female athletes, following a workout the participants ate a protein supplement blended with a sweetener. Those who ate the supplement sweetened with honey, as opposed to sugar or maltodextrin, enjoyed the best results. They maintained optimal blood sugar levels for two hours following the workout and had better muscle recuperation.
There are more than three hundred kinds of honey in the United States, such as clover, buckwheat, and orange blossom. Light-colored honeys are generally mildly flavored, while dark honeys are more robust.
We know that daily consumption of honey raises blood levels of protective antioxidants. In one study, participants were given about four tablespoons daily of buckwheat honey while eating their regular diets for twenty-nine days. A direct link was found between the subjects’ honey consumption and the levels of protective polyphenolic antioxidants in their blood. In another study, twenty-five healthy men drank plain water or water with buckwheat honey. Those consuming the honey-water enjoyed a 7 percent increase in their antioxidant capacity. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that the average U.S. citizen consumes about 68 kilograms of sweetener annually. Substituting honey for at least part of this amount would make an impressive contribution to our overall antioxidant status and would no doubt be a significant health promoter.
Note: Never give honey to children younger than a year old. About 10 percent of honey contains dormant Clostridium botulinum spores, which can cause botulism in infants.
Honey has been used for centuries as a topical antiseptic for treating burns, ulcers, and wounds. A study in India compared the effectiveness of honey with a conventional wound-healing treatment, silver sulfadiazine. In the honey-dressed wounds, early subsidence of acute inflammatory changes, better control of infection, and quicker wound healing were observed. Some researchers attribute this effect to nutrients in honey that promote skin growth and antibacterial substances present in honey. While we don't recommending using honey topically, its power in this role is further evidence of its wide range of health benefits.
Oligosaccharides in honey increase the numbers of 'good' bacteria in the colon, reduce levels of toxic metabolites in the intestine, help prevent constipation, and help reduce cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
Feeling under the weather? Throat sore and scratchy? Try sipping some hot green tea with a spoonful of honey and a dash of red pepper (cayenne). The potent mix of these SuperFoods (tea and honey) along with red pepper can soothe that inflamed throat. Researchers think that in neutralizing substance P - a neuropeptide that carries pain signals to the brain, red pepper can help you swallow more comfortably.
Maintaining optimal blood sugar levels has a positive effect on overall health, and honey may help to contribute to this goal. Ancient Olympics competitors used honey to enhance performance and help maintain energy levels and promote muscle strength recovery.
In one recent study of thirty-nine male and female athletes, following a workout the participants ate a protein supplement blended with a sweetener. Those who ate the supplement sweetened with honey, as opposed to sugar or maltodextrin, enjoyed the best results. They maintained optimal blood sugar levels for two hours following the workout and had better muscle recuperation.
There are more than three hundred kinds of honey in the United States, such as clover, buckwheat, and orange blossom. Light-colored honeys are generally mildly flavored, while dark honeys are more robust.
We know that daily consumption of honey raises blood levels of protective antioxidants. In one study, participants were given about four tablespoons daily of buckwheat honey while eating their regular diets for twenty-nine days. A direct link was found between the subjects’ honey consumption and the levels of protective polyphenolic antioxidants in their blood. In another study, twenty-five healthy men drank plain water or water with buckwheat honey. Those consuming the honey-water enjoyed a 7 percent increase in their antioxidant capacity. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that the average U.S. citizen consumes about 68 kilograms of sweetener annually. Substituting honey for at least part of this amount would make an impressive contribution to our overall antioxidant status and would no doubt be a significant health promoter.
Note: Never give honey to children younger than a year old. About 10 percent of honey contains dormant Clostridium botulinum spores, which can cause botulism in infants.
Honey has been used for centuries as a topical antiseptic for treating burns, ulcers, and wounds. A study in India compared the effectiveness of honey with a conventional wound-healing treatment, silver sulfadiazine. In the honey-dressed wounds, early subsidence of acute inflammatory changes, better control of infection, and quicker wound healing were observed. Some researchers attribute this effect to nutrients in honey that promote skin growth and antibacterial substances present in honey. While we don't recommending using honey topically, its power in this role is further evidence of its wide range of health benefits.
Oligosaccharides in honey increase the numbers of 'good' bacteria in the colon, reduce levels of toxic metabolites in the intestine, help prevent constipation, and help reduce cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
Feeling under the weather? Throat sore and scratchy? Try sipping some hot green tea with a spoonful of honey and a dash of red pepper (cayenne). The potent mix of these SuperFoods (tea and honey) along with red pepper can soothe that inflamed throat. Researchers think that in neutralizing substance P - a neuropeptide that carries pain signals to the brain, red pepper can help you swallow more comfortably.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Did you know
Blueberries And Your Brain
Exciting new research hints that blueberries may actually help slow the progession of many of the degenerative diseases that are associated with aging of the brain, including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Considering that by the year 2050 over 30 percent of the American population will be over the age of 65, this is important information.
Research done on aging rats has produced intriguing results. When fed the human equivalent of 1 cup of blueberries per day, the rats showed improvements in both balance and coordination. These improvements are due to better cell communication in the rat brain cells. Because blueberries are rich in phytonutrients, especially polyphenols and flavonoids, these findings should come as no surprise. Phytonutrients have been shown to improve critical communication between our body’s cells.
With age, our brain cells become less and less effective at communicating with each other. When these signals become too weak, neurological pathways are lost and brain function is diminished. By helping our brain cells communicate more efficiently, the nutrients in blueberries are actually helping to halt the progression of the degenerative brain diseases associated with aging.
Exciting new research hints that blueberries may actually help slow the progession of many of the degenerative diseases that are associated with aging of the brain, including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Considering that by the year 2050 over 30 percent of the American population will be over the age of 65, this is important information.
Research done on aging rats has produced intriguing results. When fed the human equivalent of 1 cup of blueberries per day, the rats showed improvements in both balance and coordination. These improvements are due to better cell communication in the rat brain cells. Because blueberries are rich in phytonutrients, especially polyphenols and flavonoids, these findings should come as no surprise. Phytonutrients have been shown to improve critical communication between our body’s cells.
With age, our brain cells become less and less effective at communicating with each other. When these signals become too weak, neurological pathways are lost and brain function is diminished. By helping our brain cells communicate more efficiently, the nutrients in blueberries are actually helping to halt the progression of the degenerative brain diseases associated with aging.
Nutrition
Did you know
Beans And Blood Sugar
If you have insulin resistance, hypoglycemia, or diabetes, adding beans to your regular diet can be very helpful. The soluble fiber in beans helps the body regulate the utilization of complex carbohydrates and proteins. Since these macronutrients take longer for your body to break down, blood sugar levels remain stabilized. When blood sugar levels are stabilized your body does not need to release as much insulin to control the glucose in the blood.
If you have insulin resistance, hypoglycemia, or diabetes, adding beans to your regular diet can be very helpful. The soluble fiber in beans helps the body regulate the utilization of complex carbohydrates and proteins. Since these macronutrients take longer for your body to break down, blood sugar levels remain stabilized. When blood sugar levels are stabilized your body does not need to release as much insulin to control the glucose in the blood.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
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