Eat Yourself Healthy

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO)  85% of adult cancers are avoidable. Of these 85%, around 1/2 in the West are due to nutritional deficiencies. A UK government report has shown how nearly 70,000 premature deaths could be prevented each year just by improving diet.

A study by professor Steven Aldana at Brigham Young University found that a combination of 30 minutes of cardio exercise a day along with a switch to a healthier diet dropped the participants’ health risks for diabetes, cancer, and heart disease dramatically in just 6 weeks (published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, March, 2005).

So here's a few healthy alternatives to add to your diet which you can combine with 5 minutes a day of intense cardio workout: 

• Avocados, are well known for their cholesterol-lowering properties and ability to maintain cardiovascular health. Phytochemicals extracted from the popular Haas avocado are able to destroy oral cancer cells as well as prevent pre-cancerous cells from developing into cancer. 
• Two tablespoons of Salba seeds contain more fibre than a serving of the constipation remedy Metamucil and delivers 3,050mg of omega-3s – that’s the equivalent of more than five flax oil capsules, or ten fish oil capsules. With its high content of chlorogenic and caffeic acid as well, Salba seeds also aids glucose metabolism and weight control among its huge list of other super health-boosting benefits.
• Bananas are an excellent source of vitamin B6 and vitamin C, dietary fibre, manganese and potassium. Potassium, for example, is necessary for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function so a banana a day can help to prevent high blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis. The potassium found in bananas may do wonders for our bone strength by counteracting the increased urinary calcium loss caused by a high-salt diet. Bananas have also long been recognized for their antacid effects that protect against stomach ulcers and ulcer damage. Also the Tryptophan found in bananas has the additional benefit of being a natural mood enhancer so can help if you suffer from PMT or depression.
• Studies have shown that ashitaba (a green leafy vegetable from Japan with a rapid growth time) “can help improve overall health as well as help treat a number of medical complaints.These include weakened immunity, bacterial or viral infections, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, joint or muscular pain, and Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. It also promotes detoxification of the blood, liver and kidneys.
• The apple could be the greatest Super Food of them all. A compound it contains called procyanidin B-2 has been found to play a key role in inhibiting age-related problems,preventing wrinkles and promoting hair growth. Researchers have found that a flavanoid called phloridzin, which is found only in apples, may protect post-menopausal women from osteoporosis and may also increase bone density. Numerous studies have also shown that eating apples can help prevent many different kinds of cancer, asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure and weight gain!
• A daily intake of celery  can have a powerful effect on reducing stress hormones. It also acts as a useful diuretic (helping to rid your body of excess fluid), as well as helping to reduce the inflammation associated with conditions like arthritis. 
• Tart cherries have been found to be beneficial for helping to alleviate gout and other forms of arthritis, including both osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis. Also, adding tart cherries to the diet may lower cholesterol, lead to less fat storage and improve antioxidant defences
• Eating oily fish as little as once a week could lower your risk of Alzheimer’s by a staggering 60 per cent. Fish oils have also been found to lower blood pressure, prevent blood platelets from clumping and dramatically lower blood fat levels. Fish oils and flaxseed oil have also been linked with a significantly lower incidence of breast cancer among many other benefits.
• If you are type 1 diabetic then adding pumpkin to your diet could help regulate your blood sugar levels, promote the regeneration of damaged pancreatic cells and boost levels of insulin-producing beta cells and insulin in the blood. 

May you be well and happy

May you be free from suffering

The Tastiest Medication For Obesity and Heart Disease

The humble tangerine has become the darling of medical science after recent research has shown it to have many beneficial properties. Like all other citrus fruit, tangerines are high in Vitamin C and fibre and also high in Vitamin A. If that is not enough to make you want to eat them, they are also the easiest citrus fruit to peel. Now that should get you wanting them now... If that didn't work, then how about this? Researchers from the University of Western Ontario found that tangerines also contain a substance called Nobiletin, which is a flavonoid. Nobiletin prevents obesity and protects against type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis. That means they also protect against heart disease and stroke. Got your attention now? Now, flavonoids are not only found in tangerines. They are also found in other citrus fruits, like the grapefruit. Earlier research on the grapefruit flavonoid showed it to have similar benefits to that of the tangerine flavonoid, Nobiletin.  The difference is that it is ten times more potent in tangerines than grapefruit, and tangerines also help the body fight heart disease. That makes tangerines the tastiest medication for obesity and heart disease. This is brilliant news considering that both obesity and heart disease are the biggest health problems of our times.  For the scientifically minded (and less-squeamish) the study was conducted by setting up a model of metabolic syndrome by using the old lab favourite - the lab mouse (or mice in this case). All the mice in this study were fed a typically modern, American (or Western) diet high in fats and sugars. The mice were divided into two groups. One group was also being fed Nobiletin.  The group that had no Nobiletin at all became obese. As a result they suffered with all the complications that arise as a result of metabolic syndrome: fatty liver, high levels of insulin, high levels of glucose, and high triglycerides. these are precursors to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.  The Nobiletin group of mice stayed healthy! There was no obesity and no metabolic syndrome. The researchers concluded that Nobiletin improved the health of the mice and that it plays a part in stimulating the genes that play a role in burning excess fat, as well as suppressing those genes that play a part in manufacturing fat. The researchers say that Nobiletin protected the mice against atherosclerosis in the long term. They are planning to look into using Nobiletin as a treatment for metabolic syndrome.  Yet again Nature has the answers to our problems. So make sure you add tangerines to your five-a-day...   :-)

Sources:

Medicalexpress.com, 6 April 2011, "Substance in tangerines fights obesity and protects against heart disease, 

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-substance-tangerines-obesity-heart-disease.html

Health Sciences Institute e-Alert (UK Edition), 23 June 2011.