Category Archives: health
Discover the many health benefits of Moringa, the ultimate survival ‘superfood’
by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Often referred to as the “miracle tree” because of its uniquely diverse array of nutritional, medicinal, and purifying properties, Moringa oleifera is a little-known, and highly undervalued, “superfood” treasure with incredible potential to greatly improve health and eliminate hunger around the world. This whole food plant contains high amounts of protein, all eight essential amino acids, a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals, and a plethora of phytonutrients and other powerful disease-fighting antioxidants.
Natively found in the southern foothills of the Himalayan Mountains in northern India, Moringa is widely cultivated today throughout Africa, Central and South America, and many parts of Asia. Because of its many valuable uses, and the fact that it grows so quickly and easily in semi-arid, tropical, and subtropical climates, Moringa is quickly becoming a go-to plant for combating malnutrition, treating inflammation, promoting healthy blood flow, and preventing infection, among other things.
Moringa, the multi-purpose superfood with endless health benefits
What is particularly unique about Moringa is the fact that every part of the plant, including its bark, leaves, flowers, and roots serves a unique purpose in promoting human health. Its seeds, for instance, contain up to 40 percent of a non-drying, edible oil known as “Ben Oil” that is rich in antioxidants and similar in its nutritional profile to olive oil. The clear, sweet, odorless oil also has an indefinite shelf life, as it does not turn rancid like many other oils.
“The leaves, flowers, seeds, pods, roots, bark, gum, and seed oil from the Moringa (malunggay) plant are continually being subjected to intensive research and development programs because the various constituents of the Moringa are known to have, among other properties, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-viral, anti-parasitic, anti-tumor, and anti-aging activities,” writes Nelly Favis-Villafuerte for the Manila Bulletin about Moringa.
Perhaps the most utilized component of Moringa is its leaves, which can be dried and ground up into a nutrient-dense, tart-flavored powder. According to another report in the Manila Bulletin, Moringa powder contains seven times the amount of vitamin C typically found in oranges, four times the amount of vitamin A in carrots, 36 times the amount of magnesium in eggs, 25 times the amount of iron in spinach, 50 times the amount of vitamin B3 in peanuts, and 50 times the vitamin B2 in bananas. (http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/215853/moringa-the-miracle-plant)
Like Ben Oil, Moringa leaf powder does not spoil, which makes it an excellent long-term survival food. Particularly in third world countries, Moringa powder provides nutritional sustenance at a level unparalleled by most other food plants. And because Moringa seeds can grow to full-size, harvestable trees in as few as 65 days, the Moringa plant is a highly-sustainable source of food that is virtually unmatched in its viability and usefulness.
If you live in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Hardiness Zones 9, 10, or 11, you can very easily, with very little maintenance, grow your own outdoor Moringa trees at home. If you live in a cooler climate, you can either grow your own Moringa trees indoors or in a greenhouse, or purchase pure Moringa powder, oil, and tea products from various online vendors.
Sources for this article include:
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com
http://www.naturalnews.com/022272.html
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/201276/moringa-malunggay-philippines
Eat less for longer, healthier lives
by Gigi Chow N.D.
(NaturalNews) Diet, as a major environmental factor, has been shown to have a profound effect on many aspects of health. Specifically caloric restriction (CR) has been shown to expand the maximal lifespan of many species. While CR has not been proven to increase lifespan in humans, CR has also been shown to delay a wide range of aging-associated diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases and neurodegenerative diseases in higher mammals, such as nonhuman primates and humans. CR may therefore increase longevity by favorably influencing broad aspects of human health.
The research
Although some define CR as a 30 to 40 percent reduction in calorie intake (as determined by daily energy expenditure) there is no “official” definition of caloric restriction, and investigations have revealed CR benefits can still occur with less-restrictive caloric intakes. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) sponsored a randomized, human clinical study to assess the safety and efficacy of CR in non-obese but overweight, healthy individuals. Researchers followed overweight, middle-aged (average age, 37) individuals for six months who reduced their daily caloric intake by 25 percent or by 12.5 percent with an additional 12.5 percent caloric expenditure from exercise. Both intervention groups demonstrated reduced body weight and abdominal fat, as well as reduced liver fat deposits and DNA damage. In addition, the participants were able to improve two markers of longevity (reduced body temperature and reduced fasting plasma insulin), as well as reduce cardiovascular risk factors (LDL, triglycerides, and blood pressure).
Similar results have also been observed from another study on slightly older 50-60-year-old non-obese, overweight volunteers after one year of CR. However, some of the older volunteers also experienced decrease in muscle mass, strength, and aerobic capacity. Exercise is therefore very important for this age group in order to minimize these consequences.
Ways CR may improve longevity
There are many hypotheses on how CR minimizes aging-associated diseases and improve longevity. Possible mechanisms include protection from oxidative damage, increased cellular and DNA repair, reduction in the inflammatory molecules and therefore inflammation that may be responsible for a wide range of conditions from cancer to cardiovascular diseases and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s.
Resveratrol may mimic CR
The significant impact of CR on delaying aging and preventing aging-related diseases has motivated efforts to identify natural or synthetic compounds that mimic the effects of CR. Resveratrol is such a compound that has garnered much research as a CR mimicker. Resveratrol is a compound found in the skin of red grapes and it is a potent antioxidant. Studies have revealed promising and universal effects of resveratrol by favorably increasing cellular detoxification, protecting DNA damage, modulating metabolic processes such as blood sugar and insulin regulation and inhibiting tumor formation and growth, all of which significantly improve human health and lead to increased human lifespan.
While there is no specific and definite composition of the CR diet, the potentially significant reduction in caloric intake requires the consumption of nutrient-dense foods, and the avoidance of “empty” calories from foods such as white flour and refined sugar. It is also important to mention that the focus of CR is on health and longevity and not merely weight loss. When adopted long-term, the CR lifestyle may be a simple way to prevent various potentially debilitating diseases and promote longevity.
Sources for this article include:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3175174/?tool=pubmed
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3278796/?tool=pubmed
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3058481/?tool=pubmed
http://www.lef.org
About the author:
Dr. Gigi Chow is currently in private practice in New York City.
http://www.customhealthnyc.com
Seven ways that taking ginger can spice up your health
by Jonathan Benson, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Cultivated and used medicinally for thousands of years all around the world, ginger root is a powerful medicinal herb that offers a variety of unique health benefits. When taken regularly in therapeutic doses, ginger root can effectively cure nausea; promote healthy digestion; boost immunity; treat asthma; improve cardiovascular function and heart health; relieve pain; and even prevent and cure chronic disease by quelling inflammation.
Besides being widely known for the exotic, spicy flavor it adds to food and beverages, one of ginger’s other main claims to fame is its amazing ability to 1) improve digestion and promote better assimilation of nutrients into the body. A plethora of scientific research conducted throughout the past several decades confirms that ginger contains a distinct enzymatic profile that works synergistically to promote healthy digestion, and ease the processing of food in the stomach and intestines. (http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/ginger-000246.htm)
“The ‘quintessential digestive herb,’ ginger has the ability to restore digestive balance as in the cases of ulcers, parasites or nausea; the anti-emetic effects of ginger are therapeutic in cases of motion sickness, morning sickness, and other kinds of nausea,” writes Paul Schulick in his 1995 paper entitled “The Many Roles of Ginger.” “Ginger also encourages full digestive potential, and due in part to its enzyme activity, can increase bioavailability of drugs and nutrients.”
On a similar note, ginger root is a proven 2) remedy for motion sickness, seasickness, and various other forms of nausea. Pregnant women, chemotherapy patients, and individuals with mild or moderate upset stomach can all experience relief by taking therapeutic doses of ginger, which was shown in at least one major study to eliminate nausea symptoms with as little as a one-quarter of a teaspoon dose. (http://articles.cnn.com)
As quoted in the book Alternative Cures: The Most Effective Natural Home Remedies for 160 Health Problems, Dr. Robert Dozor, M.D., explains that “[g]inger in any form — as a capsule, as a tea, even as ginger candy, if it’s actually made with the herb — can quickly calm nausea” (http://www.naturalpedia.com/book_Alternative_Cures.html). This includes cancer patients who experience debilitating nausea as a result of chemotherapy treatments.
Even better than its power to eliminate post-chemotherapy nausea; however, is ginger’s amazing ability to 3) treat inflammation and boost immunity. Chronic inflammation is linked to a host of debilitating diseases, including cancer, all of which can be effectively prevented and even treated with therapeutic doses of whole ginger extract.
Numerous studies, including one that was published in the British Journal of Nutrition back in 2011, have shown that whole ginger extract effectively fights cancer cells by inducing apoptosis, a process by which cancer cells essentially “commit suicide.” In the book Cooking with Foods that Fight Cancer, authors Richard Beliveau and Denis Gingras explain how ginger’s powerful anti-inflammatory effect creates an environment within the body that precludes the growth and spread of cancer cells and resultant tumors. (http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/turmeric-ginger.htm)
This same anti-inflammatory effect also makes ginger a powerful 4) pain reliever, particularly for chronic pain conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, sciatica, and fibromyalgia. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism back in 2001, for instance, found that patients with osteoarthritis experienced dramatic pain relief when they took ginger extract twice daily. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11710709)
Ginger is also an effective treatment for milder pain symptoms associated with conditions like the occasional headache, sore muscles, and the common cold. Ginger’s unique compositional blend of analgesic substances naturally inhibits pain-producing prostaglandins from activating an inflammatory response within the body. Synthetic pain reliever drugs, on the other hand, cannot accomplish this, at least not without eliciting harmful side-effects.
“Ginger inhibits the production of immune-system components called cytokines, chemicals that create a long-term tendency toward inflammation. It also stimulates blood circulation,” writes Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C., in her book Prescription for Herbal Healing: An Easy-to-Use A-Z Reference to Hundreds of Common Disorders and Their Herbal Remedies(http://www.naturalpedia.com/book_Prescription_for_Herbal_Healing.html). “These effects make ginger useful in treating a number of disorders marked by swelling and pain, such as arthritis.”
Speaking of circulation, ginger has been shown to greatly promote 5) cardiovascular health by suppressing the biosynthesis of an inflammatory mediator known as leukotrienes. The dual-action, anti-inflammatory nature of ginger, while it inhibits both leukotrienes and prostaglandins, it helps maintain optimal arterial flow. Ginger also prevents platelet aggregation while also stimulating the release of adrenaline, processes that both help strengthen the heart.
Another way that ginger helps prevent and cure disease is through its diverse array of 6) antioxidants, the two most prominent of which are curcumin and gingerol. Not only do these and several other free radical scavengers prevent the growth and spread of cancer cells, but they also prevent from forming, and even eliminate, amyloid plaques in the brain that are linked to causing Alzheimer’s disease and other degenerative brain conditions.
“Ginger is a source of a large number of important antioxidants that, amongst other activities, reduce lipid oxidation by enhancing the activities of crucial internally produced antioxidants, such as superoxide dismutase,” says Dr. Keith Scott, M.D., author of the book Medicinal Seasonings, the Healing Power of Spices. “Melatonin, in particular, is not only a highly effective free-radical scavenger itself, but also stimulates production of the main antioxidant enzyme of the brain, glutathione peroxidase.” (http://keithscottmd.articlealley.com)
Children and adults who suffer from asthma symptoms will also be pleased to learn that ginger is an effective 7) asthma treatment as well. Ginger naturally contains several different compounds that can help alleviate asthma symptoms. These include alpha-pinene, which loosens mucus in the bronchial tubes, and beta-carotene, the antioxidant precursor to vitamin A.
Honey and its many benefits to overall health and wellness
(NaturalNews) Honey is a popular sweetener produced from nectar, propolis or “bee glue” and enzymes in a bees’ saliva. Other insects produce honey but bee honey is the more popular kind. Honey is composed of simple sugars easily used by the body. It was the earliest reliable sweetener used in baking, enjoyed as spreads and added to drinks. It is also currently used in the manufacturing of certain processed foods like ham.
Light colored honeys are generally milder in flavor while darker ones are more robust. Depending on the bees’ nectar source, the color and flavor of honey may differ. There are currently more than 300 kinds of unique honey in the United States.
Forms of honey
Although honey is normally found in a liquid state, it can also change into a semi-solid state otherwise known as granulated honey. This condition can sometimes happen when glucose, the main sugar in honey, separates from the honey solution creating crystallization; losing its water content. The crystal then forms a framework that places other elements of honey into suspension resulting in the semi-solid state.
The displaced water condenses in some part of the container increasing moisture content; jump-starting the growth of yeast and fermentation. Although honey can sometimes crystallize on its own, dust and pollen or air bubbles can serve as triggers for crystallization of honey. To avoid crystallization, it is essential to store honey properly. Using air tight, moisture resistant containers is recommended when storing honey for long periods of time.
Honey that has crystallized; however, does not need to be thrown out as it has not gone bad. Heating it slowly in a warm bath will dissolve the sugar crystals back to liquid form. Other forms of honey include comb honey, which is honey in its original state, cut comb honey; which is liquid honey with added chunks of honey comb in the jar, liquid honey; which is honey extracted from the honey comb and whipped honey, which is brought to markets in a crystallized state. According to Honey.com, crystallization is controlled so that the honey can be spread at room temperature like jelly or butter. Whipped honey is a popular choice in certain parts of the world and, for breakfast, it is sometimes preferred over liquid honey.
Most of the honey available in the United States is in liquid form.
Uses of honey and its nutritional benefits
Honey is popularly known as a sweetener, but many do not know that it also contains nutritional and medical qualities praised by none other than Hippocrates, the father of medicine.
Nutritional Benefits
According to a Swiss study that discussed the nutritional value of honey, honey is rich in carbohydrates but has a low glycemic index (GI). Its GI varies within a range of 32 to 86 depending on the botanical source. Fructose rich honey, such as acacia honey, has a low GI; lower in fact than sucrose which is pegged at 60 to 110. Foods with low GI release glucose into the blood slowly and steadily; high GI foods cause blood sugar to spike. High GI foods are not suitable for diabetics; but those after a workout or are experiencing hypoglycemia will benefit from its ability to give immediate energy.
Honey contains the following trace minerals: potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, chloride, sulfur, iron, copper, iodine and zinc which although marginal, may contribute to the recommended daily intake requirements. It contains choline, a B-vitamin essential for brain and cardiovascular functions, cellular membrane composition and repair; and a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine.
Medical Benefits
Honey has anti-viral, anti-microbial and anti-parasitic effects. Its capacity to inhibit the growth of micro-organisms and fungi is well documented. The low water activity of honey inhibits bacterial growth and honey glucose oxidase produces the anti-bacterial agent hydrogen peroxide.
Depending on its botanical source, honey gives significant anti-oxidant activity protecting against oxidation responsible for chronic diseases. It also has anti-mutagenic, anti-tumor as well as anti-inflammatory qualities that stimulate anti-body production.
Honey is effective in dressing wounds. It has recently been used in clinical settings for treating fist sized ulcers extending to the bone as well as in the treatment of first, second and third degree burns. Complete recovery has been reported with no infections, muscle loss or any need of skin grafts. When the wounds are clean, honey acts as a healer. Garlic honey, which is just a mixture of honey and garlic, can be applied directly to infected wounds to clean the area. Dr. Peter Molan of Waikato University in New Zealand observed that honey was more effective in managing infections on burn wounds than anti-bacterial ointments used in hospitals.
Moreover, in a study conducted by Penn State University, honey was discovered to be better at alleviating cough than over the counter drugs. The study led by Dr. Ian Paul found that a small amount of buckwheat honey, given before bedtime, provided better relief for kids from night time cough and sleep difficulty than the use of dextromethorphan (DM). DM is an over the counter cold medication. This finding is significant in light of a recent Food and Drug Administration advisory that cautioned against giving cough and cold medicine to children below six years old due to its potential side effects ineffectiveness. Incidentally, consumers spend billion of dollars each year for medication not proven to give significant relief.
Who can benefit from honey?
Clinical studies have found that honey sits well with infants. It was observed to increase their weight, haemoglobin content, give them better skin and digestion while increasing their immunity from disease. In fact, honey has been observed to produce a mild laxative effect and is recognized as a treatment for constipation in Eastern Europe.
Athletes will find honey to be an effective source of carbohydrates that can improve their athletic performance. Patients suffering from hepatitis A can benefit from honey’s capacity to cause a decrease in the alanine aminotransferase activity (an increased ALT is indicative of liver damage) and a decrease in bilirubin production (a product breakdown responsible for the yellow color in bruises and urine and increased levels may indicate certain diseases). Among cancer patients undergoing cancer radiation therapy, honey was observed to reduce incidents of radiation mucositis, a common toxicity for head and neck cancer whose consequences include pain, weight loss and micro-nutrient deficiencies.
Side effects
Generally, honey is safe for children and adults even in large qualities. Avoid giving honey to infants under 12 months to avoid the risk of botulism poisoning. Allergic reactions to honey have also been reported in individuals allergic to pollen.
Health Basics – What exactly is a raw food diet?
by S. D. Wells
(NaturalNews) Most Americans have “hot meals” two out of every three sit downs per day, and usually that food itself has already been cooked, maybe at very high temperatures, and then processed, and finally loaded with preservatives and artificial ingredients. Even organic food which is cooked at over 118 degrees will most likely kill the nutrients, but there are some exceptions.
When food is boiled, broiled, fried in oil, baked, roasted, charbroiled or toasted, it’s “dead.” When food is cooked out back on the grill, especially with the lid on, it’s dead, meaning the food simply loses the vitamins, enzymes, amino acids (proteins), antioxidants and all of the essential minerals that fuel every system in the human body and defend it against cancer. When infants are fed cooked food and cooked milk, they could be getting next to ZERO in the nutrition department, and that can get serious rather quickly.
Chemical agriculture and dead soil
On the contrary, when food is fresh and raw, it can still be rather dead, and that’s where a lot of people go wrong when they first “go raw.” Most soil in America is massively depleted of nutrients thanks to pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, pollution from factories, improper mass waste disposal from hospitals, and so on.
That means that no matter HOW MUCH you eat (and drink) of your favorite fruits and vegetables, if they came from toxic, polluted, DEAD SOIL, then the plants did not absorb nutrients, and they can’t make them up themselves. It’s as simple as that.
The toxic waste spreads out from the huge urban and metropolitan cities to the suburbs and rural areas. The genocidal waste that the corrupt “Big 6” chemical agriculture monopolies Monsanto, Dow, Dupont, BASF, Bayer and Syngenta pour on the farmlands of America is like hospital waste times a thousand! Plus, now most non-organic vegetation in America is GMO. If you don’t know what GMO stands for, then you need to buy some cancer prevention books today and read them. (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Monsanto)
So where’s the good soil, what countries still have fruitful, nutrient rich soil? Here’s a glimpse: (http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/blog/?p=1917). If you live in the United States, the best move you can make is to order organic soil and drop it in the back yard, and then compost. (http://www.gardeners.com/Building-Healthy-Soil/5060,default,pg.html)
Going raw over night is difficult
For many, a hot meal is part of their daily ritual, and their well-trained taste buds and pallet won’t go for more than two or three days without caving and then going off the rails a bit. People just want their steaks, burgers, fries, rolls and buns, tacos and barbeque, spaghetti and pizza, and they’ll run you over in the road to get to it if they’re hungry enough. So then comes the question: “Is the raw foods diet effective to naturally detoxify the body?” Can you just stop on a dime and instantly transform the body from a toxic, poisoned mess to a high octane, highly functioning machine?
You can start and never look back, yes. Raw food; it’s not some “flash in the pan” diet, rather it is THE WAY to eat right for life. RAW is all about transformation. Raw food enthusiasts know it’s difficult to transition from cooked food over to 75, 90, and especially 100 percent raw, so you will hear advice on patiently molding yourself as you go.
Strategies: keeping RAW exciting and fresh
• Marinating – If you want attention-grabbing flavor, cut your portions thin to soak up your favorite oil/spices. Lime or lemon juice tenderizes veggies and helps them soak up flavors.
• Juicing and blending – Are you used to a standard “deluxe” breakfast at Denny’s or IHOP; a breakfast of pancakes with syrup, or biscuits, meat and eggs? If so, it’s slowing down your life. Never again! The trick to raw food juicing and blending is simply buying a quality juicer and blender, and then simply figuring out which combinations of vegetables are your favorite.
• Dehydrating below 118 degrees – If you crave the texture of breads, cereals or chips, dehydration is a great option. Dehydration machines or the sun can safely dry out your foods so the nutritious enzymes remain intact. Make your own potato chips!
• Soaking and sprouting – Cold soaking grains or nuts makes the elements easier for our bodies to digest, and sprouting (germinating) seeds or nuts has the same effect.
• Fermenting or culturing – If you ferment fresh vegetables in an airtight container, the acidity level naturally increases, and sugar and starches in the food begin to break down and form lactic and acetic acids, which in turn keep the vegetables from spoiling. After that, the refrigerator will add extended life to those tasty treats. Bye-bye excess body fat!
Stimulating natural detoxification
• Raw nuts provide healthy fats that are essential to the body and lower the LDL “bad” cholesterol in the blood. Watch out though, cooked over 170 degrees, nuts do just the opposite and cause plaque in the blood.
• Raw garlic provides a DNA-protecting compound called allicin. One minute of cooking, though, completely inactivates this enzyme. Grow your own garlic! It’s one of the easiest perennials to grow.
• Raw juice – A fairly good juicer runs less than $150 now, so now juice is easy to make at home and isn’t cooked, pasteurized and then loaded with high fructose corn syrup and toxic artificial colors.
• Raw salts contain trace minerals essential to good health. Table salt is typically heated to high temperatures, treated with chemicals and then bleached. This kind of salt is toxic. Raw mineral salts such as Himalayan are crucial for proper mineral balance.
• Raw cacao is brain food and contains a wealth of essential vitamins and minerals that boost the body’s neurotransmitters and phyto-chemicals, thus activating mood-elevating emotions.
• Raw chia seeds – Four tablespoons supply as much calcium as three cups of milk, as much magnesium as 10 stalks of broccoli, and as much iron as one-half cup of red kidney beans.
• Fermenting foods – Fermented foods such as kimchi help support intestinal flora and provide probiotics (good bacteria) that fight off disease and boost our immune system.
The reward of superfoods
Want the most energy possible, a super-powered immune system, and fuel for your wonderful brain? Load up your pantry and fridge with some or all of the following: Organic cacao powder, medicinal mushroom powders, green powders, red berry powders, spirulina, chlorella, dried super fruits, kale chips, and trail mix. By stocking up with superfoods, you’ll also be preparing your home for emergencies and/or travel.
Last but not least, the crutch for most people is sweet tea or sweet coffee, so instead of using boiled coffee and cooked tea loaded with processed honey, white sugar, or agave, make the switch to cold brews with coconut nectar as your sweetener, and then your new “ritual” of COLD BREWED tea or coffee is sweet, organic, and feeding your transformation. You too can live past 110 years and love your healthy life.
Honey Health: How The Sweet Stuff Keeps You Well
10 Benefits of Lemon Water for Health
1. Good for stomach
Lemon can help relieve many digestion problems when mixed with hot water. These include nausea, heartburn and parasites. Due to the digestive qualities of lemon juice, symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn, bloating and belching are relieved. By drinking lemon juice regularly, the bowels are aided in eliminating waste more efficiently. Lemon acts as a blood purifier and as a cleansing agent. The intake of lemon juice can cure constipation. It is even known to help relieve hiccups when consumed as a juice. Lemon juice acts as a liver tonic and helps you digest your food by helping your liver produce more bile. It decreases the amount of phlegm produced by your body. It is also thought to help dissolve gallstones.
2. Excellent for Skin Care
Lemon, being a natural antiseptic medicine, can participate to cure problems related to skin. Lemon is a vitamin C rich citrus fruit that enhances your beauty, by rejuvenating skin from within and thus bringing a glow on your face. Daily consumption of lemon water can make a huge difference in the appearance of your skin. It acts as an anti-aging remedy and can remove wrinkles and blackheads. Lemon water if applied on the areas of burns can fade the scars. As lemon is a cooling agent, it reduces the burning sensation on the skin.
3. Aids in Dental Care
Lemon water is used in dental care also. If fresh lemon juice is applied on the areas of toothache, it can assist in getting rid of the pain. The massages of lemon juice on gums can stop gum bleeding. It gives relief from bad smell and other problems related to gums.
4. Cures Throat Infections
Lemon is an excellent fruit that aids in fighting problems related to throat infections, sore throat and tonsillitis as it has an antibacterial property. For sore throat, dilute one-half lemon juice with one-half water and gargle frequently.
5. Good for Weight Loss
One of the major health benefits of drinking lemon water is that it paves way for losing weight faster, thus acting as a great weight loss remedy. If a person takes lemon juice mixed with lukewarm water and honey, it can reduce the body weight as well.
6. Controls High Blood Pressure
Lemon water works wonders for people having heart problem, owing to its high potassium content. It controls high blood pressure, dizziness, nausea as well as provides relaxation to mind and body. It also reduces mental stress and depression.
7. Assist in curing Respiratory Disorders
Lemon water assists in curing respiratory problems, along with breathing problems and revives a person suffering from asthma.
8. Good for treating Rheumatism
Lemon is also a diuretic and hence lemon water can treat rheumatism and arthritis. It helps to flush out bacteria and toxins out of the body.
9. Reduces Fever
Lemon water can treat a person who is suffering from cold, flu or fever. It helps to break fever by increasing perspiration.
10. Acts as a blood purifier
The diseases like cholera or malaria can be treated with lemon water as it can act as a blood purifier.
Coconut oil may be able to reverse the progression of Alzheimer’s disease
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
(NaturalNews) Reliable conclusions about the causes of Alzheimer’s disease remain elusive, and effective drugs to treat the disease remain equally scarce. An actual pharmaceutical cure seems as close to becoming reality as a cure for cancer (i.e. nowhere in sight). Yet a Florida doctor was actually able to reverse her husband’s Alzheimer’s disease just by giving him four teaspoons of coconut oil per day. In the course of a year he not only regained the ability to exercise and to care for himself, but his brain atrophy was completely halted.
The most cutting-edge research suggests that Alzheimer’s may stem from an inability of the brain to process glucose, leading to cell death. But the brain has another source of fuel: ketones, produced by the body from mid-chain triglycerides like those found in coconut oil. In fat, the most promising experimental Alzheimer’s drugs being tested today is nothing more than medium-chain triglycerides derived from coconut and palm kernel oil.
Coconut oil also turns out to be an extraordinary cooking oil because it resists smoking, even at high temperatures. Try cooking in coconut oil instead of olive oil (or cheaper vegetable oils) and you’ll notice a clear difference. Finally, coconut oil is also a fantastic food storage item as long as you can keep it cool. It’s a dense source of healthy calories that’s usable as both food and medicine. In fact, it can be used as the base for many salves, pastes or even herbal suppositories.
Source: 25 Amazing Facts About Food, authored by Mike Adams and David Guiterrez. This report reveals surprising things about where your food comes from and what’s really in it! Download the full report (FREE) by clicking here. Inside, you’ll learn 24 more amazing but true facts about foods, beverages and food ingredients. Instant download of the complete PDF. All 25 facts are documented and true.
Additional Sources:
http://www.coconutketones.com/
http://www.anh-usa.org/coconut-oil-and-alzheimer%E2%80%99s-disease/
Make Every Meal Healthier
Use these simple strategies to boost the health benefits of your produce
While we’ve been dutifully eating our fruits and vegetables all these years, a strange thing has been happening to our produce. It’s losing its nutrients. That’s right: Today’s conventionally grown produce isn’t as healthful as it was 30 years ago—and it’s only getting worse.
In 2004, Donald Davis, PhD, a former researcher with the Biochemical Institute at the University of Texas, Austin, led a team that analyzed 43 fruits and vegetables from 1950 to 1999 and reported reductions in vitamins,
minerals, and protein. Using USDA data, he found that broccoli, for example, had 130 mg of calcium in 1950. Today, that number is only 48 mg.
What’s going on? Davis believes it’s due to the farming industry’s desire to grow bigger vegetables faster.
The very things that speed growth—selective breeding and synthetic fertilizers—decrease produce’s ability to synthesize nutrients or absorb them from the soil.
A different story is playing out with organic produce. “By avoiding synthetic fertilizers, organic farmers put more stress on plants, and when plants experience stress, they protect themselves by producing phytochemicals,” explains Alyson Mitchell, PhD, a professor of
nutritionscience at the University of California, Davis. Her 10-year study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry showed that organic tomatoes can have as much as 30% more phytochemicals than conventional ones.
But even if organic is not in your budget, you can buck the trend. Here,
9 expert tips to put the nutrient punch back in your produce.
1. Sleuth Out Strong Colors
“Look for bold or brightly hued produce,” says SherryTanumihardjo, PhD, an associate professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A richly colored skin (think red leaf versus iceberg lettuce) indicates a higher count of healthy phytochemicals. Tanumihardjo recently published a study showing that darker orange carrots contain more beta-carotene.
2. Pair Your Produce
“When eaten together, some produce contains compounds that can affect how we absorb their nutrients,” explains Steve Schwartz, PhD, a professor of food science at Ohio State University. His 2004 study of tomato-based salsa and avocado found this food pairing significantly upped the body’s absorption of the tomato’s cancer-fighting lycopene. Check out Healthy Power Pairs for more examples.
3. Buy Smaller Items
Bigger isn’t better, so skip the huge tomatoes and giantpeppers. “Plants have a finite amount of nutrients they can pass on to their fruit, so if the produce is smaller, then its level of nutrients will be more concentrated,” Davis says.
4. Cook Smarter
Certain vegetables release more nutrients when cooked. Broccoli and carrots, for example, are more nutritious when steamed than when raw or boiled—the gentle heat softens cell walls, making nutrients more accessible. Tomatoes release more lycopene when lightly sauteed or roasted, says Johnny Bowden, PhD, nutritionist and author of The Healthiest Meals on Earth.
5. Eat Within a Week
“The nutrients in most fruits and vegetables start to diminish as soon as they’re picked, so for optimal nutrition, eat all produce within 1 week of buying,” says Preston Andrews, PhD, a plant researcher and associate professor of horticulture at Washington State University. “If you can, plan your meals in advance and buy only fresh ingredients you can use that week.”
6. Skip Time-Savers
Precut produce and bagged salads are time-savers. But peeling and chopping carrots, for example, can sap nutrients. Plus, tossing peels deprives you of good-for-you compounds. If possible, prep produce just before eating, says Bowden: “When sliced and peeled or shredded, then shipped to stores, their nutrients are significantly reduced.”
7. Mix Them Up
If you’re used to munching on red tomatoes, try orange or yellow, or serve purple cauliflower along with your usual white. “Many of us buy the same kinds of fruits and vegetables each week,” Andrews says. “But there are hundreds of varieties besides your usual mainstays—and their nutrient levels can differ dramatically. In general, the more varied your diet is, the more vitamins and minerals you’ll get.”
8. Opt for Old-Timers
Seek out heirloom varieties like Brandywine tomatoes, Early Jersey Wakefield cabbage, Golden Bantam corn, or Jenny Lind melon. Plants that were bred prior to World War II are naturally hardier because they were established—and thrived—before the development of modern fertilizers and pesticides.
9. Find a Farmers’ Market
Unlike prematurely picked supermarket produce, which typically travels hundreds of miles before landing onstore shelves, a farmers’ market or pick-your-own venue offers local, freshly harvested, in-season fare that’s had a chance to ripen naturally—a process that amplifies its amount of phytonutrients, says Andrews: “As a crop gets closer to full ripeness, it converts its phytonutrients to the most readily absorbable forms, so you’ll get a higher concentration of healthful compounds.”
Learn how to be a budget organic! Find out what’s worth the cost, what’s not, plus other ways to save.
How nutritious is Vitaminwater?
By Jennifer LaRue Huget
Thursday, July 1, 2010;
Vitaminwater was on sale at my local grocery store this week, 10 20-ounce bottles for $10, which made me wonder whether anybody really needs that much of the stuff.
The major player in the “vitamin-enhanced water” market, Glaceau Vitaminwater sold 142 million cases in the United States in 2009, according to John Sicher, editor and publisher of Beverage Digest, which tracks beverage sales by the case, not the dollar.
Introduced in 1996, Vitaminwater, owned by Coca-Cola, has built a strong identity in the bottled beverage world. Part of its allure is its hip-looking packaging and its engaging product names, such as Revive, Focus and Connect.
Vitaminwater tastes okay, if you like fruity flavor without the fruit. There is almost no actual fruit, even in the “Fruit Punch” variety, and what little there is mostly provides color.
But it’s the added vitamins and electrolytes that define Vitaminwater (and its competitors, including SoBe Life Water and Propel).
Do the drinks deliver?
Nancy Rodriguez, a professor of nutrition and a sports nutritionist at the University of Connecticut, says that drinking bottled water can help you track how much water you drink. Your body needs one milliliter — that’s a thousandth of a liter — of water for every calorie you consume, Rodriguez explains, so a daily diet of 1,800 to 2,000 calories requires about 1.8 to two liters of H2O. That’s close to the commonly recommended six to eight eight-ounce glasses.
But tap water works just fine, Rodriguez says. Unless, of course, you live in the District, where lead may linger in some residents’ water. (People who are concerned about this can have their water tested by D.C. Water.)
As for electrolytes, only people “dedicated” to exercising need to replenish them, she says, and then it’s necessary only if they work out vigorously for more than an hour.
“Vitaminwater,” she concludes, “is a marketing ploy.”
Tap water has the added benefits of being all but free, and free of calories. Critics have bashed Vitaminwater for being a calorie trap. While a single eight-ounce serving has just 50 calories, a bottle contains 2.5 servings, so you could easily drink 125 calories — just 15 ounces shy of the calories in a can of Coca-Cola — at once.
But, as with many other brands, Sicher says low- and no-calorie versions are gaining popularity. While sales of regular Vitaminwater dropped 28 percent last year, he says, sales of the zero-calorie, unflavored Smartwater variety jumped 33 percent. A 10-calorie version of flavored Vitaminwater introduced last year sold “very well,” Sicher says. It has been replaced this year by a zero-calorie version, which “also appears to be off to a good start.”
Dietitian Lona Sandon, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, says enhanced waters are basically “liquid vitamins, with a little added sugar or stevia.” Vitaminwater focuses on B vitamins and Vitamin C, which, Sandon notes, are water-soluble and not stored in the body, which means you need to replenish them every day. But, Sandon says, “Once you go beyond what you need, you urinate it out. You’re peeing that money away.”
A multivitamin is a better option when trying to supplement your diet, she says, because Vitaminwater doesn’t provide a full complement of nutrients as does One-a-Day or Centrum.
Better yet, Sandon suggests, food should be the source for vitamins and minerals.
“The truth is that the research on supplementing with vitamins does not prove or show that people who take them are healthier than anyone else,” she explains. Indeed, the proposed Dietary Guidelines for Americans for 2010 explicitly say most people don’t need vitamin supplements.
“I would hate for someone to choose to use Vitaminwater in lieu of eating fruits and vegetables,” Sandon says. While enhanced water isn’t likely to do harm, it also cannot provide the complex, quality nutrition that produce does.
“Whole fruit, whole vegetables contain phytonutrients and fiber that work together” in ways that scientists don’t yet fully understand, she says. “You don’t find the same benefit in a bottle.”