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Archive for the ‘Healthy Food & Drink’ Category

Because there are so many choices for natural health drinks, it is mystifying to nutritionists why anyone still consumes soft drinks. Unfortunately, when they are often associated with fun things like movies and sporting events, soft drinks are not fun for the body.

These 5 characteristics of soft drinks explain why they are bad for the body, and why natural health drinks are a better option.

1. Soft drinks work very much like a diuretic, denying the body essential hydration. A healthy dose of water is required just to process the high levels of sugar and artificial ingredients in sodas. To reverse that lack of hydration, 8-12 servings of water are needed for every soft drink consumed. On the other hand, health drinks made with natural ingredients assist the body in the absorption of water.

2. The high sugar content in soft drinks can cause the pancreas to create excess insulin, leading to unhealthy blood sugar variations. This is felt most notably after a meal that is high in simple carbs from white flour in things like bread, pasta and desserts. Continual spikes and crashes of sugar and insulin can turn into diabetes. This is a big problem for growing children.

Young people will go for natural health drinks that have a real fruit flavor. Fortunately, a Google search for natural health drinks will reveal some flavorful options. We’re not talking about those superficially enhanced vitamin waters or candy-colored sports drinks, but health drinks created from real whole foods, like fruits and herbs.

3. Soft drinks impede digestion. Common ingredients like sugar and caffeine virtually shut down the digestive process, forcing the body to use more energy on those things while essential nutrients go to waste. That means the body is essentially taking in fewer nutrients from any food being consumed, especially when soft drinks are used to wash it down. Health drinks with natural ingredients are far more beneficial for working with the body’s natural digestive processes.

4. Many diet soft drinks contain artificial sweeteners that have been linked to depression, insomnia, neurological diseases and a wide array of other illnesses. So far, the FDA has received over ten thousand complaints from consumers regarding Aspartame. That is eighty percent of all complaints about food additives. This is encouraging many health conscious individuals to take a closer look at stevia, an herbal product that is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, yet has proven to be beneficial for maintaining normal blood sugar levels in healthy individuals. Stevia is calorie free, puts down a big fat zero on the Glycemic index, is totally natural, and adds quite a bit of flavor to natural health drinks without causing problems for the pancreas.

5. Soft drinks are so very acidic that they have been known to leach aluminum from their own cans when sitting on the shelf too long. Alzheimer patients who have been autopsied reveal significant levels of aluminum in their brains. Soft drinks have been used to remove rust from a car bumper or other metal objects. It’s not hard to visualize what they can do to the digestive tract as well as the rest of the body, including the brain.

Take note and you will see the myriad of ways that these bubbly little beverages are destroying the health and fitness of too many good people, and why natural health drinks are far better for the body than soft drinks.

The old way of cooking soul food resulted in health problems for many African Americans, like high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. Dishes are being prepared very differently these days because of all the negative health consequences of the old methods. Advanced cooking methods and healthier ingredients are being used now to make dishes that are lighter and leaner.

This is not the same as your grandmothers soul food, which was full of unhealthy animal fat. This newer approach attempts to maintain the hearty flavors and satisfying textures produced by the older methods. What you want is to make the great classic dishes without harming your health.

For one thing, modern soul food meals don’t include the classic, artery-clogging fatback. Fatback is the name for the fatty layer along a pig’s back. The old style of cooking called for fatback to be added when making black-eyed peas, greens, and other vegetables.

You can use the healthier smoked turkey necks for flavoring Southern meals, rather than the traditional fatback. Smoked turkey necks frequently have only 10% of the fat that the more commonly used fatback has.

Another difference in soul food recipes nowadays is the notable decrease in sodium. Instead of using salt as a main flavoring agent, which contributes to blood pressure problems, other spices are used. You can add plenty of flavor by using hot or savory spices like gumbo file, cayenne, onion powder and garlic.

A big revision in the way soul food is prepared today is the total absence of lard, the animal fat that was formerly used. Oils that are less heavy are more in demand among cooks these days. Like oil made from olives, peanuts, rapeseed or other vegetables.

An increasingly common difference in soul food dishes has come about due to their altered preparation techniques. Healthier techniques and methods of cooking are replacing the old tradition of deep frying food in lots of fat. People who are concerned about their health are now opting to braise, oven roast, bake, and broil rather than deep fry. Deep-frying is known to be more harmful to your health than these approaches.

Pork products are gradually decreasing in popularity as soul food staples as time goes by. Pork products have long been considered a significant causative factor for the higher rate of high blood pressure among African-Americans. Increasingly, dishes are based on chicken, fish and vegetables which are better for everyone’s health.

Given all the changes in soul food for the better, even Grandma would approve. Grandma’s tradition of just plain good food being served at family celebrations is kept going. But people who shift to this modern brand of Southern cooking will be healthier, and will be around to enjoy it longer.

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Coconut water is the newest natural sports drink on today’s market, however it has been around a long time. It is a popular drink in the tropics where coconuts are readily available and sold fresh on the streets cut right in front of your eyes. Like its predecessors the acai berry, smart water and green drinks, coconut water exploded onto the health food market as if out of thin air. Touting its many health benefits coconut water has become available in many brands and flavors. For those in the health industry its just the newest, natural health drink, however for the public it’s the latest in a long line of highly marketed sports drinks that we have gone crazy over. However, with its newfound popularity, comes some skeptism. For up to $ 3 a bottle not everyone believes in all of coconut waters hype.

So what is this so-called coconut water? Coconut water is the clear liquid inside of young, green coconuts.

As coconuts mature the water is replaced by coconut meat. Coconut water is lightly cloudy with a slightly sweet and nutty taste. Before opening a coconut to remove the water, coconut water is sterile. Once removed it is packaged in cans, tetrapaks, or plastic bottles to keep it from fermenting. In its natural habitat of the tropics, Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands, and the Caribbean, coconut water is sold fresh by street vendors who cut open the coconut right in front of your eyes.

Coconut water is a naturally isotonic beverage, a solution that has the same salt concentration as normal cells of the body and blood. That’s why coconut water has been called a life-enhancing beverage.

It hydrates the body’s cells because it’s rich in minerals such as potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Coconut water has antiviral, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties. Coconut water is fat free, cholesterol free, rich in electrolytes, low calorie, low in carbohydrates, and low in sugars.  The antioxidants and cytokinins in coconut water help to rid the body of damaging free radicals and promote proper cellular function such as cell division.

Coconut water was originally marketed as a natural sports drink for people who lose electrolytes due to vigorous exercise. Coconut water has two times the amount of potassium than a banana and three times the amount of potassium than most sports drinks such as Gatorade. Potassium regulates blood pressure by counteracting the effects of sodium and lowering blood pressure. It helps to reduce muscle cramping due to its electrolyte content. It prevents dehydration by rehydrating cells with electrolytes and potassium.  Because of its rich mineral content coconut water helps to prevent stroke, heart attack, and hangovers.

There are additional health claims associated with coconut water that have not been substantiated yet. For example there are claims that coconut water helps with anti aging and hydrates the skin. This is due to its antioxidants and because its an isotonic beverage. Other claims include constipation relief, relief of vision problems, and bladder and kidney disorders, raise metabolism to promote weight loss, boost the immune system, aid in digestion and control diabetes. Until some of these claims can be justified, coconut water will remain the newest natural health sports drink available on the market today. Its best used as a sports drink for hydration. Coconut water has become available at many grocery stores in several brands and flavors.

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The Pomegranate is native to Persia. Brought along the silk route, it is became popular in South China and South East Asia. The fruit is a berry, round hexagonal shape about 5 to 12 centimeters in diameter. It has thick reddish skin and has 600 seeds. The seeds are covered with a translucent layer of flesh called arils. The arils can range in colors from white to dark red. The arils are consumed together with the seeds.

The pomegranate juice made from the pomegranate fruit, has long been a popular drink in Middle East and India. It is also widely used for cooking in the Persian cuisine. Since 2002, it becomes widely distributed in United States and Canada as a health drink.

The pomegranate juice has become very popular due to many studies showing the potential health benefits of consuming the juice. It has been touted as miracle drink for anti-aging and prevents certain cancers, coronary diseases, Alzheimer’s disease and arthritis.

Health Properties of Pomegranate

Having dark colored juice means that it is loaded with lots of antioxidants. Antioxidants help maintain a smooth and wrinkle free skin and prevents blot clots in the arteries.
Drinking pomegranate juice is believed to lower the chances of having heart attacks and strokes as experts believed that drinking pomegranate juice regularly helps in the improvement of blood flow to the heart.
The high levels of antioxidant called “flavenoids” in pomegranates are believed to be effective in counteracting various cancer-causing radicals. Many experts today are recommending pomegranate juice to cancer patients because it is believed that the properties found in this fruit can help prevent the multiplication of cancer cells.
The medicinal properties found in pomegranate can help diminish the thickening and hardening of arterial walls as well as the damage in cartilage and joints. Therefore, people who are prone to diseases such as atherosclerosis, osteoarthritis, and diabetes are advised to use pomegranate juice as a health drink.
It is rich in vitamins A, C and E and it is also a natural source of folic acid, which is good for pregnant women as it helps reduce the possibilities of having premature babies. Regular consumption of pomegranate juice by pregnant women helps to protect the unborn baby from brain injuries.

To learn more about health drinks, visit http://www.squidoo.com/healthdrinks.

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The interest in raw food health is growing. What do I mean by “raw food health?” Simply that amazing positive changes in health can often be achieved when one turns to a diet that consists mostly of raw vegetables and fruits.

Is there any evidence of this? There sure is.

Disease happens inside the human body for various reasons. There are causes for disease. And the cause just may be with the foods we’re eating.

I’ve been privileged to discover the human body can often rid itself of much disease … in an almost miraculous way. If you know anyone who is now battling disease then there is hope … in the same way there was hope for tens of thousands of individuals who found out the same thing I did.

Somewhere back in the mid-1990s, my mother-in-law came to our house for a visit. She set a magazine in front of me about health and nutrition and said she was amazed by its contents, especially the testimonials.

Apparently, individuals in the magazine claimed they were totally healed from all types of diseases, including things like cancer, diabetes, lupus and severe arthritis …

after simply changing their diet.

“Uh Huh,” I thought to myself. “Sure they were. It’s nothing more than quackery, except this form of delusion was coming under the guise of nutrition instead of some ‘magic potion’ sold inside a bottle.”

Since I’d always thought myself to be a healthy eater I perused the reading material out of curiosity … especially the stories. What I read almost seemed fictional, especially considering the severity of the diseases, depth of sicknesses and reported miraculous healings.

There were some things within the material, however, that seemed plausible.

For instance, the notion a person’s immune system could be suppressed because of poor nutrition, which could then lead to sickness.

Accepting that idea, however, opened the door for more questions: Could a proper diet cause a person’s immune system to begin functioning at an optimal level? Could the diseased condition then be reversed if it were brought about by poor nutrition or a suppressed immune system?

My initial skepticism about the material was taken over by thoughts of theoretical plausibility. The stories in the magazine certainly conveyed a hint of truthfulness in them. There did seem to be some evidence (at least on the surface) that there may be more of a connection between diet and disease than most people — myself included – ever considered.

At the very least, this magazine offered some interesting ideas to consider. I couldn’t help but think to myself how great it would be if there was some degree of genuineness within its pages.

How wonderful it would be if tens of thousands of individuals now sick with terrible diseases could get well … simply by changing from their present diet to one that consisted primarily of raw “living” foods!

My interest in raw food health has continued to grow in recent years. Eventually I was moved to interview people who had experienced the type of jaw-dropping health change that often comes with the adoption of a raw diet. While there is no uniformity of agreement among health professionals on this, or any other, subject. It’s hard to argue with the testimonies of individuals who have experienced the truth of raw food health in their own lives.

For most of my life, I was never a water drinker. It was always soft drinks, dairy, or juice- but never water. But then I wanted to lose weight- about 30lbs from my 140 lb, 5′ 1″ frame. I’d been reading that people who drank a couple of glasses of water before every meal consumed fewer calories. Ok, I’m in! I’ll give it a try. I’d also read that water helps flush toxins from your body and that once those toxins are removed, you’ll have more energy. Ok, I need more energy, so sign me up!

I’d also read where the high fructose corn syrup in all the pop (yes, I’m a Midwesterner!) I’d been drinking is difficult for the body to process and can actually make you crave more calories. Nope, don’t want that. So instead of drinking soft drinks at work, I made a small “lifestyle change” and decided to drink only water at work.

(My employer has a filtered water machine available for employees.) Not only did I save money by purchasing way less pop (yes, I still drink it), but I also eliminated 140 calories a day from my diet right off the bat! With a home exercise plan and being more mindful of what I eat and drink, I lost my 30lbs in about 4 months and have been able to keep it off. Staying physically active and making SMALL changes in my diet was the key for me.

I also wanted to start drinking more water when I wasn’t at work, but didn’t like the taste of my tap water. It seemed to taste too much of chlorine. In thinking about it, I guess that’s the main reason why I’d always avoided drinking water in the past- I just didn’t like the taste. Too many chemicals seemed to be in it, even though it was city water treated by a major municipal water treatment system.

So I bought a drinking water filter- a pitcher filter that I keep in the fridge.

Wow, what a difference it made in my attitude towards drinking water, not to mention my overall health! Now, water is my drink of choice, even when dining out. Making this change in my life has enabled me to maintain my desired weight and energy levels and makes me feel like I’m a healthier person. I’m now researching and writing about the benefits of adding more drinking water to your diet and the effects on your health.

If you don’t drink a lot of water, ask yourself why. Adding more water to your diet can be one of the best things you can do for your health and wellness!

Within the Philippines, the ampalaya leaves are largely applied for children’s coughs. It’s yet applied in the medication of skin ailments, infertility in women, as a parasiticide, as an antipyretic, and as a purgative. In ancient belief, parasites within the body are extracted whenever ampalaya juices made from leaves are taken. Decoction of leaves and roots will be used for cough, fever, worms, diarrhea, diabetes and as a stringent to cure hemorrhoids. Each leaves and fruits will be both juiced and taken orally. Also, warmed leaves will apply to headaches, wounds, burn and a few skin infections.

Seeds are as well used to eject worms. Extracted juice from fruit applied for dysentery and unceasing colitis. The vine or the juice of leaves used as gentle purgative for children. In giant doses, the contemporary juice may be a drastic purgative.

Decoction of roots and seeds used for urethral discharges. Pounded leaves used for scalds. Mixtures of leaves or leaf juice cure fevers. In Jamaica, leaf decoction or infusion is taken for colds, as medication and blood cleanser. Warm tea infusions conjointly used for toothaches and mouth infections. Additionally used as a bath/wash for skin eruptions and acne. Used for eczema, malaria, gout, jaundice, abdominal pain, kidney (stone), leprosy, leucorrhea, piles, pneumonia, psoriasis,, rheumatism, fever and scabies.

AMPALAYA

Among the vegetables grown in the Philippines, ampalaya is one amongst them. Which grown even in wild areas of the Philippines like the wild distant regions of Batanes. Ampalaya or bitter melon possesses a bitter taste thanks to its momordicin content. Sufficient researches and studies are conducted on the potency of utilizing ampalaya in the medication of diabetes. It’s been exposed to amplify generation of beta cells by the pancreas, thus enhancing the body’s aptitude to come up with insulin. As recommended by the Department of Health of the Philippines, it’s one in all the supreme herbal remedy thanks to its potential to sustain liver difficulties, diabetes and HIV.

SCIENTIFIC HEALTH BENEFITS

One among the terribly effective elements in herbal medication is that the amplaya. Ampalaya fruit is identified to cure and lighten the indications of rheumatism and gout and illness inside the spleen and liver. It’s in addition economical in aiding reducing the body’s sugar and blood pressure levels.

The following are the various advantageous options of applying bitter gourd:

• Superior for rheumatism and gout

• Cures disease on spleen and liver

• Lower sugar and blood pressure levels

• Ease headaches

• As antibacterial for wounds and burns

• Remedy for cough and fever

• Treats intestinal parasites and diarrhea

• Averts some type of cancer

• Improve immune system

• Sensible antioxidant, antibacterial and antipyretic agent

AMPALAYA FOOD SUPPLEMENTS

CHARAGEN AMPALAYA FORTE

Methodical and epidemiological proofs shows that ampalaya assists to enhance and regulate the blood sugar among diabetics. Its dynamic part, momordicin is an extract seen within the leaves and fruits that is revealed to own antidiabetic traits as contained in the Physician”s Guide to Philippine Nutraceutical. CharaGen is made from only the simplest ampalaya fruits.

CharaGen is very prompt for individual having Kind a pair of diabetes, individual who have a family history of diabetes and people who would wish to avert the commencement of harmful sugar rates.

CharaGen is manufactured during a facility that corresponds to gift Good Producing Practices and is subjected to an exclusive process referred to as QualiCheck. This method may be a type of quality management in which measures are applied at vital points within the creation of the product. CharaGen is accepted by the Bureau of Food and Drug of the Philippines and is sporadically tested by the Societe Generales de Surveillance (SGS) for its quality. CharaGen does not enclose any artificial preservatives nor pretend coloring and shoppers are guaranteed of its security and effectiveness.

During past couple of decades, health awareness increased at tremendous level in all parts of society. Today’s people are more cautious about their health issues as compare to the people 100 years ago. Daily intake of different types of different of drinks including coffee may affect your health on both ways. Careful studies around the world show that coffee is very helpful in reducing risk of asthma by more than 30% when four or more cups are taken per day. Likewise there are also some proven studies that coffee is quite useful in reducing asthma condition in many patients by regular intake of coffee.
There is also a misconception about coffee that it maybe a major cause of cancer. Many authentic studies proved that coffee drinking has no relationship with cancer risk. Also studies showed that coffee has no connection with any type of breast cancer.
It is very interesting that coffee create different types of responses in different people.

The caffeine in coffee is often a major concern for many people. Many people face problem in sleeping, if an intake of coffee is taken by them just before their bed time. At the other hand many people drink coffee in order to boost their energy. It is true that large quantity of caffeine may have adverse effects but there are some benefits of caffeine as well. Like couple of clinical studies proved that caffeine is useful in prevention of Parkinson’s disease.
Caffeine is good in cavity protection. It contains a compound called which in fact gives coffee a bitter taste. It has nature gifted feature of anti-bacterial and anti-adhesive which is helpful in prevention of dental cavities. Coffee enhances mental concentration that is main reason that people take coffee as energy booster too. Another extra ordinary benefit of coffee is that it is very useful in reducing type 2 diabetes. People who drink up to three cups of coffee on daily basis can successfully decrease the level of diabetes from their bodies.
There are several methods to make a perfect cup of coffee. Also there are different names of coffee in different regions of world. Popular names are Espresso coffee, Fresh coffee, Turkish coffee, Roasted Coffee and Organic coffee Each coffee type has its own unique preparation method plus each of the coffee type has its different taste. You can find different tastes of coffee every where in the world and also it is available in very much affordable prices.

It is crucial that one is aware of what constitutes good food health vitamin intake. The federal drug administration produces a recommended daily allowance for most of vitamins which it regards as a superb food health vitamin intake. These figures vary according to one’s age, sex and some other factors so that the nice food health vitamin intake for a young woman is going to be different to that of a man in his seventies. 
The food health vitamin intake amounts of certain foods are included in the nutritional labelling. This labelling is very important for a person to think about and helps ensure that they’re receiving the correct food health vitamin intake from the foods they eat. The nutritional information is often represented as being a percentage of the recommended daily allowance of every vitamin and mineral and can help assess the value of the foods in the hunt for good food health vitamin intake.
There are also several items that an individual may want to restrict in their diet as part of their good food health vitamin intake.

Again, the nutritional labelling of certain foods can help an individual to see how high a product is in these undesirable contents. Salt and fat, e.g., might be items that a person wants to consider limiting as part of their good food health vitamin intake even though they are not strictly vitamins. The majority of people actually refer to nutrients when they use the word vitamin and food manufacturers are aware that an individual is looking at minerals and other items when they are considering their good food health vitamin intake. Fiber is another element that a lot of people tend to be more awake to as forming an essential part of a balanced diet and is necessary for good food health vitamin intake.
If a person is on a restricted diet for any reason then they need to pay much more attention to their good food health vitamin intake. Obviously, some foods contain different nutrients to others and this is applicable to vitamins too and it might be tougher for one to accomplish their good food health vitamin intake if they are unable to eat certain foods. Vitamin supplements can form an essential part of a great food health vitamin intake for people who are unable to obtain their vitamins from their normal diet. It’s also worth remembering that the nice food health vitamin intake for one varies throughout their life depending on their general health.

Presuming vitamin water products are health drinks that enhance the benefits of drinking water is like believing that cotton candy is ok for you because it’s fat free. To truly improve the benefits of drinking water, it is intelligent to search online for natural health drinks that contain live enzymes, real whole food nutrients, and alkaline ingredients.

What do those candy colored bottles of vitamin water really provide and are they health drinks? The big selling point for a bottle of kiwi-strawberry vitamin water says it will somehow enhance “focus”. The first thing to focus on is that this beverage is the color of pink cotton candy. Next, it is easy to focus on what is missing from the ingredients list for these health drinks, not one mention of actual kiwi or strawberries, only “natural flavor”. In fact, on this bottle of “nutrient enhanced water beverage” the label states that it contains less than 1% fruit juice. Focusing even more clearly, it is quite clear that these vitamin water health drinks are actually de-ionized waters with colorful dyes and chemically isolated vitamins and minerals.

One astounding nutrition fact to note on the label of this enhanced vitamin water is that each bottle contains 2.5 servings, which is where the total amount of sugar in one bottle can be deceiving. The nutrition fact label reveals 13g of sugar, but that is the amount per serving, not per bottle. Multiply 13g times 2.5 servings and you end up with 32.5 grams of sugar in each bottle, more than most any other drink, including sodas. The first ingredient in this particular vitamin water, after the de-mineralized water, is crystalline fructose, which might best be described as concentrated sugar. That is what this labratory produced liquid tastes like, liquid candy, only with less appeal and more of a chemical aftertaste. With just a few sips, it is easy to clearly focus on how these health drinks do not enhance the benefits of drinking water.

Further investigation reveals other issues with the so-called vitamins in these vitamin water health drinks. According to the label, each serving contains 10% of your daily requirements for Vitamins A, B3, B6, B12, and B5 plus a hefty 40% of your daily allowance of Vitamin C. The shortfall is that these vitamins are not from any whole foods similar to real strawberries or kiwis. Remember, those whole foods were not listed in the ingredients. Therefore, the live enzymes necessary to help the body absorb the vitamins are not there. Nutrition facts reveal that whole foods like fruits and vegetables contain live enzymes, which act as catalysts for vitamins and minerals to work in the body. Without those whole food properties in health drinks, vitamins are not easily absorbed and are more than likely flushed down the toilet. So, none of those vitamins in vitamin water are actually being put to use by the body.

This is why it is wise to look past vitamin water sales gimmicks and celebrity endorsements, read labels carefully, learn about health drinks with live enzymes, whole foods, and how the body absorbs nutrients. If you are serious about your fitness and want something above and beyond a vitamin water gimmick, search the web. Look for valuable nutrition facts online about whole foods and natural health drinks that absolutely will enhance the benefits of drinking water.

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