Organic Health Food

The interest in organic health food in modern society grows along with the strong emphasis on “going green”, the awareness of the dangers of pollution as well as the importance of preserving the earth. There are guidelines set for farmers and ranchers to have their products considered as organic health food. Thus, it is essential for them to understand the procedure of product labeling in order to understand what organic health food really is.

What will be Considered Organic Health Food?

The drive in increasing productivity has caused many farmers and ranchers choose the route of hormones, pesticides and other chemicals to have their cows grow bigger and their crop production grows larger. Luckily, there are still some individuals who prefer living off their land by using the traditional means instead of using the modern technology of farming and ranching. The foods produced by these traditional measures are considered as organic health food.

The obvious differences between the traditional technology and the modern one in farming and ranching are found in the process used to grow the crops and raise the cattle. In organic health food, you won’t find any pesticides used for ranching antibiotics and hormones to speed up growth. Instead, the farmers use other friendly methods, including ways to keep from polluting water sources as well as keeping the crops from being exposed to chemicals.

In growing organic health food, the farmers use natural fertilizers like manure in order to make their crops healthy. This way not only benefits the crops but also prevents the soil and water from becoming contaminated with chemicals from fertilizers and pesticides. What’s more, the farmers may also incorporate the use of natural pesticides, like using insects or birds to control the pest problem, or hand tilling as well as manually pulling weeds instead of using chemical weed control. Meanwhile, ranchers only use natural organic foods for their livestock that is allowed to graze in a more natural environment instead of being penned up.

To be labeled organic, organic health food should get the label of such from the FDA and needs to meet the stringent criteria of the Food and Drug Administration. They should perform such things in order to have the consumers ensured that the marked foods are truly organic as what they are advertised. With more and more farmers succeed to meet the consumer’s demand for organic products, now it’s time for us to enter the era of organic health food!

Vitamins

Vitamins (or VItal AMINes) are, as the name suggests, vital for good health. The primary source of vitamins is from our dieat, however due to the excessive processing of modern foods, which destroys or renders inactive many vitamins, plus the chronic problem of depleted soils, many people today are deficient on one or more vitamins, and many modern diseases can be either worsened, or even caused by vitamin deficiencies.

With the exception of Vitamin D, which is manufactured in response to sunlight, the vitamins are an essential part of the diet and play vitally important roles in controlling organ and body funtion.


Vitamin A ( Beta-carotene)

The B-Vitamins
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin)
Biotin
Folic Acid

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

Vitamin D (Calciferol)

Vitamin E (Tocopherol)

Vitamin K (Phylloquinone)

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis b is really contagious, especially if your children has no anti-hepa b vaccine. For adults, you can easily get Hepa b through sexual intercourse with an affected person.

If you think that you don't have any symptoms of hepa b, try to have a blood check. Try to undergo a hepatitis profile and if you are negative with HbsAg, Then you still have a chance to have have a shot of anti-hepa b vaccine.(3 shots)

Now if one of your family has hepa b and you want to prevent yourself and the rest of your family from getting it, then you have to follow these:

try to separate spoons, forks, drinking glass and plates of the affected person from the rest of your dinner stuffs. Because the virus is just in the body fluids of the affected person. It can be in the saliva, tears, blood, semen, and sweat of the a hepa b positive person. But if the patient recovers from it. everything goes back to normal.

Now, there is no cure for hepa b or let me say there is no medicine that is meant to cure it. because it is caused by a virus and not a bacteria or fungus. Just like chicken pox. The medicine that is generally given are just vitamins (jetefar, essentiale) for liver. that's why It is usually symptomatic way to help the affected person. For example, if the patient has a headache, They would give him analgesic or if the patient has fever he will be given paracetamol.

In addition in preventing this virus.You should try to avoid eating too much fatty food, too much alcohol intake, because it is not helping the liver at all. Because vaccine can't do anything to an affected person. So better have your children take those anti-hepa shots. It is very important

Cancers

Besides being poorly understood by most, cancer - the "C" word, is perhaps the most feared of all medical diagnoses, not least because the modern medical establishment veils it in mystery and inaccessibility, largely to hide their own ignorance of its causes, prevention and (in most cases) the cure, which has been known at least for decades and probably for over a century.

It is this fear of the unknown, combined with the misplaced reverence given to cancer Doctors that leads many unwittingly to their deaths, usually at the hands of the very "treatments" they have received, rather than the cancer itself. Indeed, oncology is perhaps the only branch of medicine that in any way considers dead patients as "treatment successes", as their many hundreds of thousands of "cured but dead" victims would rightly attest - if only they could.

This curious (and, frankly ridiculous) epithet is given to those who have "successfully" undergone butchery, masquerading as treatment by these so-called "medics", and whose "treatment" has eliminated any detectable trace of cancer cells, usually by eliminating any detectable trace of life itself. The patient is thereby treated as a treatment "success", despite not being there to enjoy it.

This complete absurdity shows just how far modern medicine has strayed from the principles of Hippocrates they claim to follow.

What are cancers?

Oncologists (cancer Doctors) would have you believe that cancers are some myriad collection of loosely-related, locally specific disruptions to cell biology that, therefore require local treatment only.

Nothing could be further from the truth (although truth, as we have seen above, is a somewhat foreign concept in this most ineffective of medical specialities).

In fact, all cancers have the same origins and develop by the same process, for the same reasons. As this might suggest, It is merely a question of which part of the body is affected that decides which of the various cancers result.


Cell damage

Unbeknown to most of us, an immense battle rages continuously inside our bodies, of epic proportions. Every day, millions of cells are born, other millions die and massive numbers are damaged either in the course of their various functions or as a result of external influences. Like all finely-tuned machines, this damage must be repaired if the machine (that is you and me) is to carry on working properly, and various body systems have no other function but to carry out these repairs 24/7, 365 days a year.

Some toxins are more or less organ specific, e.g. alcohol will cause liver damage as the liver tries to remove it from the blood, and smoking predisposes to lung damage as the chemicals in the smoke are directly inhaled. Others, such as environmental toxins, water-born toxins (e.g. fluoride, chlorine, estrogen) and food-based toxins (e.g. sugar, aspartame, food additives) may have more generalised effects, following distribution throughout the body.

Studies show that our bodies (and even those of newborn babies) now contain hundreds of known cancer-causing chemicals, many of which didn't even exist 50 or 100 years ago.


Healthy healing response.

Wherever it happens, damage to cells causes a similar response. Stem cells in the blood join together to form a stem cell trophoblast, covering the injury site and preventing further damage. Further stem cells then begin to change into the appropriate type of cell to replace the damaged ones. Once the damaged cell is repaired or replaced, the trophoblast is dissolved by enzymes from the pancreas, along with various other co-factors, such as Vitamin B17, Vitamin C and Vitamin A, which help digest the trophoblast for excretion.


The failed healing response - cancers

When the body doesn't have the proper nutrients present, it can't make the proper trophoblast, enzymes or other compounds required in the healing process. The result is a poorly formed trophoblast, which keeps growing unchecked because of the lack of pancreatic enzymes and their co-factors (e.g. Vitamin B17).

Simply put, the body lacks the chemical "switch" required to turn off the healing process, and the various cancers are the result.

The role of parasites (and yeasts/fungi) in cancers.

Much discussion surrounds the role that parasites play in the developments of cancers. Our bodies are home to billions of bacteria, most of which help us with digestion etc, but some of which have little or no beneficial function. Normally, these are kept in check by the "good bacteria", but under certain conditions, the "bad guys" thrive, causing more cell damage, and even damaging the trophoblast itself.

Almost ALL cancers (well over 90%) occur in tissues close to storage vessels and ducts. It is the sugar-rich nature of these cells, along with the acidic, oxygen-poor environment caused by a high sugar, high animal-protein diet that provides an ideal breeding ground for yeasts, fungi and parasites. Once they start to grow, they branch out filaments, called mycelia, which grow like roots into the cells, damaging, feeding off of them and leaving behind toxic waste products (mycotoxins) and fermentation products that encourage more parasitic growth.

They even grow into the trophoblast cells, weakening and damaging them, and causing more trophoblast to be formed from the healing stem cells. The normal cells try to divide to fix the problem, but, in doing so, both "daughter cells" become damaged and mutated. This is how cancers turn healthy cells into tumour cells, consuming tissue.

ALL cancer patients have a parasite problem, which is fundamental to the continuation of the growth of their cancers.

There are, of course, other elements to the story, but this is the basic mechanism by which ALL cancers develop, spread and wreak their havoc. However, it should be remembered that very FEW patients with cancers actually die of their cancers, and MOST die of the so-called "treatments" that maim, burn and wreck their immune systems.

The real success story when dealing with cancers is the simple, effective cancer treatment program which was devised almost exactly 100 years ago and remains THE MOST EFFECTIVE way of treating cancers to this day - and it doesn't include the horrible effects of chemo, radio, or butchery.

Calcium and Vitamin D

What is calcium and vitamin D?
Calcium is one of the many minerals that you need to be healthy. Calcium is very important to ensure strong, healthy bones and teeth. It also helps muscles and nerves to work properly. In addition, calcium may help you to manage your weight and blood pressure, and play a role in preventing colon cancer. Vitamin D helps you to absorb and use calcium and has other health benefits.

How much calcium and vitamin D do I need?
Recommended Calcium Intake
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Age (Male and Female)
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0-6 months 210 mg/day
7-12 months 270 mg/day
1-3 years 500 mg/day
4-8 years 800 mg/day
9-18 years 1300 mg/day
19-50 years 1000 mg/day
Over 50 years 1200 mg/day


Recommended Vitamin D Intake
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Age (Male and Female)
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0-1 year 400 IU/day
1-50 years 200 IU/day
51-70 years 400 IU/day
Over 70 years 600 IU/day

Note:
People with osteoporosis may need more calcium and vitamin D. Check with your doctor.


What foods contain calcium?
Breastfeeding is the best way to meet your baby's calcium needs. Infant formula provides calcium for babies who cannot be breastfed.

Dairy foods are very high in calcium, especially milk, yogurt and cheese. Other good sources include calcium-enriched orange juice, rice beverages, and soy beverages. For more information, see Food Sources of Calcium below.

What foods contain vitamin D?
There are only a few food sources of vitamin D. Good sources of vitamin D are fortified foods and beverages like milk, soy drinks, and margarine. Check the labels on these foods. Fish, liver, and egg yolk are the only foods that naturally contain vitamin D.

If you do not eat vitamin D rich foods often, you may want to consider taking a vitamin D supplement. Most multiple vitamin supplements contain vitamin D. Breastfed babies under 1 year of age need 400 IU of vitamin D from a supplement each day. People over 50 need extra vitamin D and should take 400 IU from a supplement each day.

Food Sources of Vitamin D
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Food Serving Vitamin D (IU)
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Milk 1 cup 100
Fortified rice or soy beverage 1 cup 80
Fortified orange juice 1/2 cup 45
Fortified margarine 2 tsp 51
Egg yolk 1 25
Herring or trout, cooked 75 g 156
Mackerel, cooked 75 g 80
Salmon, Atlantic, cooked 75 g 225
Salmon, canned or cooked* 75 g 608
Sardines, Atlantic, canned 75 g 70
Sardines, Pacific, canned 75 g 360
Tuna, canned, light or white 75 g 41
Tuna, canned, yellowfin (albacore, ahi) 75 g 105
Tuna, skipjack, cooked 75 g 381
Tuna, bluefin, cooked 75 g 690
*includes Chinook, Coho, Humpback (pink), Sockeye

What if I do not eat dairy foods?
Every day, choose a variety of foods from the Food Sources of Calcium list below. Plan your food choices carefully. If you find it difficult to get the recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin D from foods, a combination of food sources and supplements is recommended.

Food Sources of Calcium
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Dairy Foods Serving calcium (mg)
Milk, with added calcium 1 cup 430
Milk, whole, 2%, 1% skim 1 cup 300
Milk, evaporated 1/2 cup 367
Cheese, hard 50 gm 360 (average)*
Processed cheese spread 4 Tbsp 348
Cheese, processed slices 50 gm 276
Cottage cheese, 1 or 2% 2 cups 310
Cottage cheese, <0.1% 2 cups 156
Yogurt, plain 3/4 cup 290 (average)*
Yogurt, fruit bottom 3/4 cup 233 (average)*
Frozen yogurt, soft serve 1 cup 218
Ice cream 1 cup 194
*calcium content varies, check label

Beans and Bean Products Serving calcium (mg)
Tofu, medium firm or firm, made with calcium sulphate 150 gm 347
Tofu, firm, made with calcium sulphate and magnesium chloride 150 gm 234
White beans 3/4 cup 119
Navy beans 3/4 cup 93
Black turtle beans 3/4 cup 75
Pinto beans, chickpeas 3/4 cup 58

Nuts and Seeds Portion calcium (mg)
Tahini (sesame seed butter) 2 Tbsp 130
Almonds, dry roast 1/4 cup 93
Almond butter 2 Tbsp 88
Sesame seed kernels, dried 1/4 cup 50

Meats, Fish, and Poultry Serving calcium (mg)
Sardines, Atlantic, canned with bones 75 gm 286
Sardines, Pacific, canned with bones 75 gm 180
Salmon, canned with bones 75 gm 208

Grains Serving calcium (mg)
Bannock 1 med 84
Oats, instant, regular, no sugar added 1 pouch 165

Non Dairy Drinks Serving calcium (mg)
Fortified rice or soy beverage 1 cup 319**
Orange juice fortified with calcium and vitamin D 1/2 cup 165
Regular soy beverage 1 cup 110
**added calcium sometimes settles at the bottom of the container; shake well before drinking

Vegetables (all measures for cooked vegetables) Serving calcium (mg)
Turnip greens 1/2 cup 104
Chinese cabbage/bok choy 1/2 cup 84
Okra, frozen 1/2 cup 65
Mustard greens 1/2 cup 55
Kale 1/2 cup 49
Chinese broccoli (gai lan) 1/2 cup 46
Rutabaga 1/2 cup 43
Broccoli 1/2 cup 33

Fruit Serving calcium (mg)
Orange 1 med 52


Other Serving calcium (mg)
Brown sugar 1 cup 198
Blackstrap molasses 1 Tbsp 179
Regular molasses 1 Tbsp 44

Asian Foods Serving calcium (mg)
Dried fish, smelt 35 gm 560
Soy bean curd slab, semisoft 100 gm 308
Daylily flower 100 gm 303
Sea cucumber, fresh 100 gm 285
Soy bean milk film, stick shape 100 gm 77
Seaweed, Wakame, raw 1/2 cup 63
Seaweed, dry (agar) 1/2 cup 50
Fat-choy, dried 1/4 cup 50
Soy bean milk film, dried 100 gm 48
Boiled bone soup 1/2 cup negligible

Sunburn

If you have ever sunbathed, swum in tropical waters, had a summers picnic, or any one of a million ther activities, it is quite likely you have had sunburn - that itchy, painful, smarting ugly redness that tells us we have overdone it in the sun.

But, what is sunburn, what does it mean and what can we do about it?

When the suns rays strike the skin, they penetrate through the uppermost layer (the epidermis), which sonsists largely of dead, old skin cells, to the dermis, the living, growing part of the skin that creates new skin cells.

These young, newly-formed cells are particularly sensitive to sunlight, which, when over-exposed, can dehydrate them, damage the cell walls, leading to disease and even cause severe damage to the DNA of the cell itself, which is one of the recognised starting points of skin cancer. As the heat persists in the skin, it causes further damage, literally "cooking" these new skin cells as they emerge.

These different forms of irritation all require a healing response, whose design is to stop us from causing further damage, whilst giving the skin time to repair itself. If we continue to gets lots of sun exposure, the skin will gradually darken, increasing its melanin content in the form of a suntan to filter out some of the harmful rays and protect us from chronic skin damage.


The image on the felt, shows some of the damaged cells in sunburnt skin.

In the short-term, however, the result is sunburn - probably the single most effective way of getting us to keep out of the sun (the body is VERY clever like that :-)

Like many other problems, children's skin heals more quickly from sunburn, but is also less likely to contain protective melanin. As we age, the components of our skin change in the same way that other parts of our body do, generaly making them less efficient at what they do.

So what can you do about sunburn?

The most obvious point is not to get burnt in the first place, either by not getting overexposed, or by using a high-quality, reflective suncreen (unlike most sunscreens, which can actually CAUSE skin cancer), but that isn't always possible.

The vast majority of aftersun products concentrate on remoisturising the skin, helping dissipate the heat at the same time as soothing the pain and itching. Some traditional remedies such as lavender or aloe vera oil can actually reduce the extent of the burn as they do for conventional burns (tip - ALWAYS keep lavender oil in the kitchen - you'll be amazed at how effective it is on burns!), but do little to help the healing process.

Recently, however, new preparations have appeared that actually stimulate the healing process and help repair the DNA damage that can be so dangerous if left unchecked.

This is a remarkable advance on previous treatments and can actually halt the damage in its tracks, not only reducing the pain, swelling, redness and itchiness of sunburn, but also helping resolve the dangerous DNA damage that can be the start of skin cancer.

The visual results are just as impressive. In the images below, the left-hand photo is of a man who has developed sunburn after overexposure. The right-hand image is of the same man the next day after applying DNA repair creme the night before. As you can see, the results were dramatic and enabled him to venture out the next day, which his friends who had been equally burnt could not.

HIV AIDS

No-one can have escaped the controversy surrounding the recent decision by South Africa to provide anti-retroviral drugs to the massive number of HIV AIDS sufferers in that country. Many will consider this to be a victory for the HIV AIDS lobby in South Africa, but is it?
Or are we about to see a massive jump in AIDS deaths from the use of these dangerous, toxic drugs.

The following is a summary of what the public generally believes about AIDS today:

AIDS is a disease arising from an infection from the virus known as HIV.

The virus is spread in humans either through promiscuous, unprotected homosexual sex, through sexual contact with an HIV-infected member of the opposite sex, through the sharing of intravenous drug users' contaminated needles or through contaminated blood supplies.

Pregnant women who test positive can pass the virus on to their unborn child

HIV can also be transmitted to the baby outside of the womb through breast-feeding.

The AIDS test is a simple and accurate method of detecting HIV.

In the West, HIV infection is spreading among women and heterosexual men and is increasing exponentially every year.

Drugs are available to treat AIDS patients but they are very expensive. A new range of anti-HIV drugs, the 'protease inhibitors', are now believed to be more effective.

AIDS is devastating the Third World.

There is currently no cure for AIDS.
With the exception of AIDS drugs being expensive, everything you have just read in the above summary is ENTIRELY FALSE and has no scientific validity whatsoever.

In this astonishing new book, FIND OUT...

Why, in spite of the millions it has spent, medical science still cannot find and isolate a human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV)

Why AIDS is NOT a sexually transmitted syndrome

Why the HIV=AIDS=DEATH hypothesis is fraudulent

Why the 'AIDS test' routinely throws up 'false positives'

How a positive 'AIDS test' result is being used to traumatise patients and coerce them into taking highly toxic drugs

What REALLY is causing the immune suppression

How the man who 'popularised AIDS' was subsequently convicted of science fraud

Why Africa is NOT being devastated by HIV

The real story behind these African illnesses

The real story behind the Western-led AIDS 'agenda'

How 'AIDS sufferers' who learn the truth are curing themselves of HIV AIDS

Open the windows after you enter your car

In brief, the above article says: According to research done by a U.C., the car dashboard, sofa, air freshener will emit Benzene, a cancer causing toxin (carcinogen). In addition to causing cancer, it poisons your bones, causes anemia, and reduces white blood cells. Prolonged exposure will cause Leukemia, increasing the risk of cancer. May also cause miscarriage.

Acceptable Benezene level indoors is 50 mg per sq. ft. A car parked indoors with the windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of Benezene. If parked outdoors under the sun at a temperature above 60 degrees F, the Benezene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level. The people inside the car will inevitably inhale an excess amount of the toxin.

It is recommended that you open the windows and door to give time for the interior to air out before you enter. Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidney and liver, and is difficult for your body to expel.

Correct way cooking instant noodles

Ah... Instant noodles, it's bad for health, counting the calories and the sodium and MSG inside, but in the busy cities of most countries, and with the way how marketing side is promoting, instant noodles has become quite a norm to the society.

I know many may disagree that we should continue to consume instant noodles, but when we just can't avoid having a quick fill of the stomach and ahead with the rush of assignments we have in hand, there are some tips and reminders you need to know about cooking instant noodles.

Normally, we cook the instant noodles byputting the noodles into a pot with water, throw in the powder and let it cook for 3 mins.

Believe it or not, this is the WRONG method of cooking the instant noodles.

By doing this, when we actually boil the ingredients in the powder, normally with MSG, it will change the molecular structures of the MSG causing it to be toxic. The other thing that you may or may not realized is that, the noodles are coated with wax and it will take around 4 to 5 days for the body to excrete the wax after you have taken the noodles.


The Correct Way
which you may or may not know

1. boil the noodles in a pot with water.

2. once the noodles is cooked, take out the noodles, and throw away the water which contains wax.
3. boil another pot of water till boiling and put the noodles into the hot boiling water and then shut the fire.

4. only at this stage when the fire is off, and while the water is very hot, put the ingredient with the powder into the water, to make noodle soup.

5. however, if you need dry noodles, take out the noodles n add the ingredient with the powder and toss it to get dry noodles.

Hope this piece of information is of importance to your health in relation to eating instant noodles and please apply this cooking method with immediate effect.

Omega-3 Fatty Acid

Omega-3 fatty acids are extraordinarily important to health. Whilst their cousins, the Omega-6 fatty acids are abundant in all sorts of vegetable oils and meats, the omega-3's (including EPA) are much harder to come by. They can be found in oily fish (salmon, mackerel, trout) as well as some seeds and nuts, including walnuts, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds. Unfortunately, however, most of us are not including enough of these items in our diet - if we are including any at all!
A recent study discovered that, in the USA, 25% of adults tested had so little Omega-3 fatty acid in their blood that it was undetectable, i.e. there was none present. Now, that would be bad for any nutrient, but Omega-3 fats are the main building block of the brain and nervous system, so if you haven't got them . . . . don't expect your brain or nervous system to work as well as it should!

Firstly, you can try to add into your diet the foods that contain EPA, listed above, to which can be added grass-fed beef (grain-fed beef has NO omega-3 content). In doing this, bear in mind that some Governments, such as the UK are now recommending that you eat no more than 200g of sea-fish a week, due to the levels of toxins such as dioxin and mercury in fish, especially fish livers, where toxins concentrate.

Secondly, and this goes for most people, you should add a high-quality EPA supplement to your diet. Be sure that the fish oil used to produce it is from sources that filter out all the toxins (we only know of one manufacturer that uses this expensive process, but charges no more for their oil than others), is PURE Omega-3 and is not diluted with other oils, e.g. vegetable oils.


Essential qualities of Omega-3 Fatty acid

Make sure it is PURE Omega-3
Check it is undiluted
Ask if dioxin has been removed
Pregnancy warning.

By the time most mothers come to term, their bodies are completely exhausted of the Omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, which are the main building blocks of the baby's brain and nerves. For a healthy baby, and to help prevent premature birth you MUST include these supplements in your diet, taking note of the required qualities above.

Heart Disease

Although heart disease takes many forms, we are concerned here with ischemic heart disease (IHD) in its various guises.
Ischemia (lack of oxygen due to low blood flow), causes many problems, from angina to Myocardial Infarction (MI, Heart Attack) and strokes to gangrene. What is clear is that none of these consequences are pleasant and most are life-threatening.

All cells in our body require oxygen and glucose to survive. When the supply of these vital nutrients is cut off (or severely reduced, so that the cell can't function properly), two things happen. First of all, the cell goes into "survival mode", reducing its activities so that it conserves what little oxygen and glucose it has. Some cells may be able to last longer than others in this mode. However, few, if any cells will be able to carry out their normal functions under these conditions and most will start to malfunction.

Once the internal stores of oxygen and glucose are used up, the cell can no longer survive and dies (called necrosis). This may not be too bad if we are talking about a hair follicle, but can be catstrophic if we are talking about, for example myocardial (or heart muscle) cells, as is the case with ischemic heart disease.

What is worse is that, these problems rarely affect single cells, they usually affect whole groups of cells, or even whole organs. Clearly, the bigger the area afected, the worse the consequences are likely to be. If the heart disease is severe enough to affect the whole heart, total necrosis results and the consequence is a massive heart attack, which is invariably fatal.

So what causes heart disease and what can we do about it?
Perhaps one of the biggest scandals of the twentieth century is the way we have been led to believe that cholesterol causes heart disease. This fabrication, created by the propaganda machines of the food oil industry, was put together in the 1940's and 50's, when hydrogenation of vegetable oils was discovered and enabled the creation of butter replacements.

A market had to be found for these new-fangle margarines, and sothe public and the medical fraternity alike were fed a bunkum story that saturated fat led to clogged arteries and therefore heart disease. The fact that we had been eating saturated fat (from butter, cheese, eggs and meat) for centuries, even milennia WITHOUT heart disease (which only appeared when margerines were introduced!) was deemed irrelevant and after the AHA, everyone else jumped on the bandwagon that has careered out of control for decades.

The truth is that saturated fat PROTECTS against heart disease, and artificial, chemically changed fats such as margerines are a leading CAUSE of heart disease. Unfortunatel, the researchers who have proved this time and time again are not only starved of research funding (by "health" organizations largely supported by the food oil industry), they are also prevented from publishing their results in the "prestigious" journals controlled by the same bodies!

So what is the real cause of heart disease?

Cholesterol is not the CAUSE of heart disease, it is merely the SIGN of a bigger problem, namely nutritional deficiency, specifically of vitamin C.

What's that? Heart disease can't be caused by food, you say? Then why believe it is caused by cholesterol?

Simply put, we do not take in enough vitamin C these days to maintain our artery walls (vitamin C is the main component of collagen, from which arteries are constructed). To stop us from bleeding to death, the continual damage being done to our artery cells means they have to be repaired. However, if we can't make collagen (because we don't have enough vitamin C), we can't repair the holes.

Enter cholesterol. Cholesterol acts as the body's "band-aid", repairing the holes in the artery wall by sticking to the hole and blocking it. It is when this happens repeatedly that cholesterol build up in the artery, blocking it and leading to heart disease.

But saying that cholesterol causes heart disease is like saying liver spots cause old age - it is merely a sign that something else is going on!

So what about margerines? How are they involved?

Well, the trans-fats that are created when vegetable oils are hydrogenated are not like normal fats. Normal, CIS-fats are a curved molecule, which means that one side is "open" for the binding of enzymes required for many cell functions. However, due to their structure, trans-fats are flat, straight molecules, that the enzyme can't bind to.

Normally, this might not be such a bad thing, but when these fats are taken up by cells, such as the artery cells, and used in the cell-wall structure, this means that these cells can't respond to the enzymes they normally would, as the enzymes can't bind to them - this is a VERY bad situation and causes all sorts of cell dysfunction.

In addition to this, the trans fats, instead of being supple and strong, are brittle and weak. this means that where cells have used these fats in their structure, the cells are weak and can easily be pushed aside, ruptured or stetched, like a balloon.

When this happens in an artery cell, and it is stretched by the high-pressure blood flowing in the artery, the cell stretches and eventually ruptures, leading to yet-more of the damage that cholesterol must repair, and eventually various forms of heart disease.

It is for this simple reason that margerines are known to be directly related to heart disease, and why everyone, but especially those with heart disease should AVOID MARGERINE AND ALL HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS.

Water works

We need water

It is essential for eliminating toxins from the body via the kidneys.

It lubricates the joints.

It is necessary for the efficient functioning of the lungs.

We lose approximately one pint of fluid everyday just by breathing and 99 % of the chemical reactions in our body depend on water.

The quality of our tissues, their performance and their resistance to injury is absolutely dependent on the quality of the water we drink.

If dehydration occurs, temperature suddenly changes and blood is diverted to the skin for emergency cooling and muscles and brain are left short of oxygen to avoid overheating and sustain performance we must drink enough water to sweat.



Hydrating the body

Dehydration may play a role in many chronic health problems, so how do we ensure that the body is optimally hydrate

1. Increase water intake. Drink water at regular intervals throughout the day.

2. Increase fruits and vegetables in the diet as they contain 90 % water.

3. Eat plenty of complex carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains with moderate amounts of protein. Each unit of glycogen is bound with 9 unit of water.

4. Avoid diuretic drinks such as tea, coffee and alcohol. This includes red tea ! This will only further increase the need for water in the body.

Tips for healthy eating in pregnancy

Use fats, oil and sugar sparingly
Focus on healthy fats instead from sources like olive oil, avocados and coldwater fish.

Increase your fibre intake
Constipation can be a painful experience, so include fruits and brans in you diet everyday.

Avoid unsafe food
Steer clear of raw or unpasteurised foods like sushi, seafood and certain cheeses. If in doubt of the hygiene during preparation, don’t eat it and put baby at risk of infection.

Avoid excessive weight gain, but don’t go on diets too
Overweight mothers are at higher risk of pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes and complex labour. But also don’t skip meals or diet at this time as restricting calories can stunt baby’s growth.

Nutrients for vegetarian diet

The following nutrients are generally thought to be low in a vegetarian diet :

Vitamin B12
Sources :
- Fortified food
- Yeast extract
- Fortified vegan margarines
- Fortified Soya milk
- Breakfast cereals
- Microalgae (i.e. spirulina, chlorella and blue-green algae)

Vitamin D
Sources :
- Watercress
- Parsley
- Pulses
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Mushrooms
- Dried fruits
- Potato skin
- Asparagus
- Beetroots
- Oatmeal
- Blackstrap Molasses

Calcium
Sources :
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Pulses
- Dark green leafy vegetables

Protein
Sources :
- Beans
- Pulses
- Quinoa
- Soya base products
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Grains as well as buckwheat

Food sources of antioxidants

Food sources of antioxidants :

Beta-carotene
Sources :
- Red, orange, yellow fruits
- Vegetables

Vitamin C
Sources :
- Fruits
- Vegetables

Vitamin E
Sources :
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Peas
- Broad beans

Selenium
Sources :
- Tuna
- Oyster
- Mushrooms
- Herrings

Zinc
Sources :
- Oysters
- Ginger root
- Lamb
- Pecan nuts
- Dry split peas

Bioflavanoids
Sources :
- Citrus fruits

Anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins
Sources :
- Berries
- Grapes

Curcumin
Sources :
- Mustard
- Tumeric
- Corn
- Yellow peppers

Lycopene
Sources:
- Tomatoes

Lutein
Sources :
- Fruits
- Vegetables

Eating well in pregnancy

Here, we have compiled the ultimate shortlist of the essential nutrients mums require for a healthy pregnancy. Tuck it and make the best of these nine months !

Calcium
For baby’s strong bones
Sources :
- Fortified cereals
- Tofu
- Diary foods or yoghurt
- Canned sardines or salmon
- Fortified soymilk or orange juice

Vitamin C
To prevent preterm delivery
Sources :
- Broccoli
- Citrus fruits and juices
- Mangoes
- Kiwis
- Bell peppers
- Tomatoes
- Strawberries

DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid)
To boost brain development
Sources :
- Canola or flax oil
- Tofu
- Coldwater fish like salmon, catfish, sardines
- Pumpkin seeds, walnuts

Protein
For muscles and organ development
Sources :
- Lean cuts of meat like pork and poultry
- Legumes
- Fish
- Tofu

Iron
For red blood cell production
Sources :
- Lean red meat like beef or duck
- Green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale
- Liver
- Tofu
- Bran Flakes

Fibre
For red blood cell production
Sources :
- Whole grains
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Beans

Folic Acid :
For baby’s growth
Sources :
- Brussels sprouts
- Bran flakes
- Steamed or boiled asparagus / broccoli
- Oranges
- Papayas

4 foods that can raise diabetes risk

1. Sugar-sweetened drinks.
2. Alcoholic beverages.
3. Fast food.
4. Bacon and hot dogs.

First Aid Kits

Commercially available first aid kits available via normal retail routes have traditionally been intended for treatment of minor injuries only. Typical contents include adhesive bandages, regular strength pain medication, gauze and low grade disinfectant.

Specialized first aid kits are available for various regions, vehicles or activities. For example, first aid kits sold through marine supply stores for use in watercraft may contain seasickness remedies. Also, regions where malaria exist require antimalaria drugs, ...

Determining the right commercial kit may be done trough the sources as the EU-website Myfirstaidkit.eu. To make your own special first aid kit, guide books, certain websites (such as CDC.gov) and other literature may be used.


Typical contents

Dressings (sterile, applied directly to wound)
Pads
Sterile eye pads
Sterile gauze pads
Sterile non-adherent pads
Burn dressing (sterile pad soaked in a cooling gel)

Bandages Gauze roller bandages - absorbent, breathable, and often elastic
Elastic bandages - used for sprains, and pressure bandages
Adhesive, elastic roller bandages - very effective pressure bandages or durable, waterproof bandaging
Triangular bandages - used as slings, tourniquets, to tie splints, and many other uses

Adhesive bandages (band-aids, sticking plasters)
Straight adhesive bandages
Moleskin— for blister treatment
Butterfly (knuckle) bandages and wound closure strips

Instruments
Adhesive tape, hypoallergenic
Trauma shears, for cutting clothing and general use
Tweezers
Lighter, for sterilizing tweezers or pliers etc
20-cc syringe with catheter tip for wound irrigation with sterile saline solution
Rubber suction bulb, for clearing the airway of an unconscious patient

Equipment
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Gloves, disposable non-latex
CPR mask or other breathing barrier such as a face shield
Scissors
Eye cup or small plastic cup
Torch (also known as a flashlight)
Instant-acting chemical cold packs
Sterile eye wash (commonly saline)
Sterile saline (used for cleaning wounds where clean tap water is not available, but note that even clean tap water should be converted to normal saline by adding salt)
Swabs, sterile non-woven
Space blanket (lightweight plastic foil blanket, also known as "emergency blanket")
Alcohol rub (hand sanitizer) or antiseptic hand wipes
Thermometer
Penlight

Medication
Antiseptics/antimicrobial
Povidone iodine wipes (use for first-aid disputed)
Benzalkonium Chloride (use for first-aid disputed)
Alcohol pads - used to prep unbroken skin for injections etc. or to disinfect equipment such as thermometers.
Antibiotic pills (use for first-aid disputed)
Antibiotic ointment - single, double, or triple antibiotic ointment in petroleum jelly base (use for first-aid disputed)
Antiseptic/anesthetic ointment, fluid or spray, for example Lidocaine
Anti-fungal cream
Anti-itch ointment
Hydrocortisone cream
Calamine lotion
Painkillers / fever reducers
Acetaminophen
Ibuprofen - anti-inflammatory, often more effective than acetaminophen.
Aspirin
Anti diarrhea medication such as Loperamide Immodium
Oral rehydration salt
Antihistamine
diphenhydramine (brand name Benadryl)
Aloe vera gel - used for a wide variety of skin problems, including burns, sunburns, itching, and dry skin; used as a substitute for triple-antibiotic gel to keep a wound moist and prevent bandages from sticking
Burn gel - a water-based gel that acts as a cooling agent and often includes a mild anesthetic such as lidocaine and, sometimes, an antiseptic such as tea tree oil
Epinephrine auto-injector (brand name Epipen) - often included in kits for wilderness use and in places such as summer camps, to treat anaphylactic shock.
Poison treatments
Activated charcoal
Syrup of ipecac
QuikClot is a hemostatic agent sometimes included in first aid kits, especially military kits, to control severe bleeding.
Tincture of benzoin— improves tape adhesion to skin, toughens cracked skin

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency medical procedure for a victim of cardiac arrest or, in some circumstances, respiratory arrest. CPR is performed in hospitals, or in the community by laypersons or by emergency response professionals.

For 50 years CPR has consisted of the combination of artificial blood circulation with artificial respiration i.e., chest compressions and lung ventilation. However, in March 2008 the American Heart Association and the European Resuscitation Council, in a historic reversal, endorsed the effectiveness of chest compressions alone--without artificial respiration--for adult victims who collapse suddenly in cardiac arrest (see Cardiocerebral Resuscitation below). CPR is generally continued, usually in the presence of advanced life support, until the patient regains a heart beat (called "return of spontaneous circulation" or "ROSC") or is declared dead.

CPR is unlikely to restart the heart, but rather its purpose is to maintain a flow of oxygenated blood to the brain and the heart, thereby delaying tissue death and extending the brief window of opportunity for a successful resuscitation without permanent brain damage. Defibrillation and advanced life support are usually needed to restart the heart.

Eat Fresh Fruits

We all think eating fruits means simply buying fruit, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths. You will benefit much more if you know how and when to eat.

Fruits should be taken in an empty stomach…not as dessert after the meal as is often done. If you eat fruit like that, it will also serve a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.

Let's say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit. Fruit is important food. As fruit digests faster than bread, the slice of fruit digests quickly and is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but its passage is blocked by the bread which takes longer to digest…

…In the meantime the whole meal ferments and turns to acid. Consequently, when the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil.

So it is better to eat your fruits in an empty stomach or before your meals !

You have heard people complaining – every time I eat water-melon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats up, when I eat banana I feel like running to the toilet etc – actually all this will not arise if you eat the fruit in an empty stomach.

The fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat ! Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, dark circles under the eyes all these will not happen if you take fruits in an empty stomach.

It is incorrectly presumed that some fruits like orange and lemon are acidic and will enhance acidity in the stomach. Research however shows that all fruits become alkaline in our body.

When you need to drink fruit juice – drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans. Don't drink juice that has been heated up. Don't eat cooked fruits because you don't get the nutrients at all. You only get to taste.

So stop making 'durian porridge' if you want nutrients. Cooking fruit destroys all the vitamins. Eating the pulp or whole fruit is far better than drinking the juice as the fibre is good for you.

If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. A 3-day “fruit fast” is a very simple and effective way to cleanse and de-toxify your body.

Just eat fruits and drink fruit juice throughout the 3 days and you will be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look !

During the “fruit fast” you can eat different fruits at different times, although occasionally mixed fruit salad would also be permissible and more interesting.

If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight.

Bananas

Containing 3 natural sugars -- sucrose, fructose & glucose combined with fiber EQUALS instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.
2 Bananas EQUALS Energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout!
BANANAS also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions !

Helps Cure/Prevent :

Seasonal Affective Disorder or Depression.
Bananas contain the natural mood enhancer Tryptophan (a type of protein that the body converts to serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and make you happier).

Anemia.
High in Iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and helps cases of anemia.

Strokes.
According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine,eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%.

Stress.
Potassium is a vital mineral which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain, and regulates the body?s water balance.

Ulcers.
Banana is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Mosquito bites.
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Constipation.
High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers.
Make a Banana Milkshake, sweetened with Honey. The banana calms the stomach, and with the help of honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates the system.

Blood Pressure.
This is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect for blood pressure! So much so that the US Food and Drug Administration has allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruits ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Morning Sickness.
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickess.

PMS.
Forget the pills, eat a banana. The Vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Warts.
Those keen on natural alternatives Swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take A piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold The skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape.


OTHER BENEFITS?

Temperature control.
Many other cultures see Bananas as a cooling fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers.

Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking.
The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Brain Power.
Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

15 Simple changes that will energise your life

Stop drinking soft drinks and start drinking water.

When you feel stressed take 10 deep breaths. Focus on your breathing.

Exercise at least 30 minutes a day. It's as easy as a walk around the block.

Drink Green Tea instead of Coffee.

Sleep at least 8 hours a night.

Stay away from Hydrogenated Oils. Read the ingredients on the back of products.

Surround yourself with positive and supportive people.

Do one thing special for yourself every day.

Eat fruits with your breakfast and eat vegetables with your lunch and dinner.

Say a prayer or affirmation before you go to bed and when you wake up.

Read one inspirational book a month .

Listen to your favorite song whenever you need a pick-me-up.

Eat breakfast. It will increase your energy and productivity at work.

Don't be too busy for lunch. Researchers agree that performance scores plunge when people miss lunch.

Take short breaks throughout the day. Get up from your chair and take a little walk. Stop looking at the computer screen. Stretch. Go get a cold drink of water. Short breaks help you refocus and reenergize.

Why eating Chocolate is good ?

Here are 10 reasons why eating Chocolate is good for you & don't
feel guilty about eating chocs next time when U wants to indulge
But please over do it! Anything less will be BAD!

1. CHOCOLATE MAKES YOU LIVE LONGER
Researchers at Harvard University in the U.S. studied 8,000 men for
65 years and found that those who ate modest amounts of chocolate up
to three times a month, lived almost a year longer than those who didn't eat
any.
They concluded that this is likely to be due to the fact that cocoa
contains anti-oxidants called polyphenols, also found in red wine,
which prevent the oxidation of harmful cholesterol.
Anti-oxidants are also known to protect against cancer.

2. CHOCOLATE IS GOOD FOR STRESS
This is thought to be because it contains valeric acid, which is
a relaxant and tranquilliser. Also, the sugar in chocolate may reduce
stress - sugar has been shown to have a calming and pain-relieving
effect on babies and animals because sweet tastes activate the opiate-like
substances in our brain.

3. WE ALL KNOW CHOCOLATE MAKES US FEEL BETTER
There are a number of scientific reasons for this. The smell of
chocolate has been found to slow down brain waves, making us feel calm.
Most of the time our brains are dominated by beta waves - normal
waking frequency. When our brain activity slows to alpha waves, we
experience a pleasant feeling of calm but alert relaxation.
Also, because most of us find eating chocolate so pleasurable, we
release endorphins (also released during sex) in the brain.
These have similar pharmacological actions as morphine, acting as
pain-relievers and giving us a sense of well-being.

4. CHOCOLATE DOES NOT GIVE YOU SPOTS
Although many teenagers blame chocolate for their acne, there's no
scientific data to confirm this link.
Scientists at Missouri University even gave spot-prone subjects
chocolate to eat and observed their skin for the next week - with
no effect.

5. NUTRITIONISTS SAY THAT CHOCOLATE DOES NOT MAKE YOU PUT ON
WEIGHT
You can't blame any single food on weight gain. So long as you
don't eat more calories than you burn off, you won't get fat.

6. CHOCOLATE COULD BOOST CONCENTRATION
This can occur, for example, if you eat it mid-afternoon, when blood
sugar levels get a bit low. Chocolate has a reasonably low glycaemic
index (GI), which means it gives long-lasting energy because it doesn't
raise blood sugar too quickly.
For example, a typical bar of chocolate has a GI of 70 compared with
73 for a bowl of cornflakes. This means a chocolate bar will keep
you going for longer.
Also, chocolate is a good source of chromium, which helps control
blood sugar because it is involved in making glucose available in the body.

7. CHOCOLATE HELPS US DIGEST MILK
This means it is good for those who are lactose-intolerant.
Researchers at Rhode Island University have shown that cocoa
stimulates activity of the enzyme lactase in the intestine.
We need this to digest lactose, the sugar found in milk.
Lactose-intolerant patients showed a reduction in bloating, cramping and
diarrhoea when one-and-a-half teaspoons of cocoa were added to a cup
of milk.

8. CHOCOLATE BOOSTS THE APPETITE
This could be because it contains cannabinoid-like substances that
are known to affect the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that
controls hunger.
This isn't ideal if you're on a diet but for those who need to put on
weight or who are convalescing, chocolate could be just what you
need to help get your appetite back.

9. CHOCOLATE CAN MAKE YOU MORE ALERT
It contains a stimulant called theobromine, a caffeine-like substance
that is thought to make us more alert.
But theobromine doesn't have the side-effect of giving us the
jitters, like caffeine, and chocolate contains only minute amounts of
caffeine - a mug of coffee has about 85mg compared with just 1mg
in three squares of chocolate.

10. CHOCOLATE IS NUTRITIOUS
A 50g bar of plain chocolate contains 1.2mg of iron, and 45mg of
magnesium.
And milk chocolate is a reasonable source of calcium - a 50g bar
contains 110mg.
However, we'd need to eat about seven bars to get the recommended
daily allowances of these minerals.

How To Avoid The Flu

Eat right!
Make sure you get your daily dose of fruits and veggies.
Take your vitamins and bump up your vitamin C.

Get plenty of exercise because exercise helps build your immune system.
Walk for at least an hour a day, go for a swim, take the stairs instead of the elevator, etc.

Wash your hands often.
If you can't wash them, keep a bottle of antibacterial stuff around.

Get lost of fresh air.
Open doors & windows whenever possible.
Try to eliminate as much stress from your life as you can.

Get plenty of rest.
OR
Take the doctor's approach.

Think about it . . .
When you go for a shot, what do they do first?
They clean your arm with alcohol . . .
Why?
Because Alcohol KILLS GERMS.

So . . .
I walk to the liquor store. (exercise)
I put lime in my Corona...(fruit)
Celery in my Bloody Mary (veggies)
Drink outdoors on the bar patio..(fresh air)
Tell jokes, laugh....(eliminate stress)
Then pass out. (rest)
The way I see it . . .

Healthy Juices for Total Wellness

Recommend below are the secret recipe for healthy drinking.

Carrot + Ginger + Apple
> Boost and cleanse our system.

Apple + Cucumber + Celery
> Prevent cancer, reduce cholesterol, and improve stomach upset and headache.

Tomato + Carrot + Apple
> Improve skin complexion and bad breath.

Bitter gourd + Apple + Milk
> Avoid bad breath and reduce internal body heat.

Orange + Ginger + Cucumber
> Improve skin texture and moisture and reduce body heat.


Pineapple + Apple + Watermelon
> To dispel excess salts, nourishes the bladder and kidney

Apple + Cucumber + Kiwi
> To improves skin complexion.

Pear & Banana
> To regulates sugar content.

Carrot + Apple + Pear + Mango
> Clear body heat, counteracts toxicity, decreased blood pressure and Fight oxidization!

Honeydew + Grape + Watermelon + Milk
> Rich in vitamin C + Vitamin B2 that increases cell
activity and Strengthen body immunity.

Papaya + Pineapple + Milk
> Rich in vitamin C, E, Iron. Improve skin complexion and metabolism.

Banana + Pineapple + Milk
> Rich in Vitamin with nutritious and prevent constipation

Food as medicine

HEADACHE? EAT FISH!
Eat plenty of fish -- fish oil helps prevent headaches.
So does ginger, which reduces inflammation and pain.

HAY FEVER? EAT YOGURT!
Eat lots of yogurt before pollen season.
Also-eat honey from your area (local region) daily.

TO PREVENT STROKE DRINK TEA!
Prevent buildup of fatty deposits on artery walls with regular doses of tea. (actually, tea suppresses my appetite and keeps the pounds from invading....Green tea is great for our immune system)!

INSOMNIA (CAN'T SLEEP?) HONEY!
Use honey as a tranquilizer and sedative.

ASTHMA? EAT ONIONS!!!!
Eating onions helps ease constriction of bronchial tubes. (when I was young, my mother would make onion packs to place on our chest, helped the respiratory ailments and actually made us breathe better).

ARTHRITIS? EAT FISH, TOO!!
Salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines actually prevent arthritis. (fish has omega oils, good for our immune system)

UPSET STOMACH? BANANAS - GINGER!!!!!
Bananas will settle an upset stomach.
Ginger will cure morning sickness and nausea.

BLADDER INFECTION? DRINK CRANBERRY JUICE!!!!
High-acid cranberry juice controls harmful bacteria.

BONE PROBLEMS? EAT PINEAPPLE!!!
Bone fractures and osteoporosis can be prevented by the manganese in pineapple.

PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME? EAT CORNFLAKES!!!!
Women can ward off the effects of PMS with cornflakes, which help reduce depression, anxiety and fatigue.

MEMORY PROBLEMS? EAT OYSTERS!
Oysters help improve your mental functioning by supplying much-needed zinc.

COLDS? EAT GARLIC!
Clear up that stuffy head with garlic. (remember, garlic lowers cholesterol, too.)

COUGHING? USE RED PEPPERS!!
A substance similar to that found in the cough syrups is found in hot red pepper. Use red (cayenne) pepper with caution-it can irritate your tummy.

BREAST CANCER? EAT Wheat, bran and cabbage
Helps to maintain estrogen at healthy levels.

LUNG CANCER? EAT DARK GREEN AND ORANGE AND VEGGIES!!!
A good antidote is beta carotene, a form of Vitamin A found in dark green and orange vegetables.

ULCERS? EAT CABBAGE ALSO!!!
Cabbage contains chemicals that help heal both gastric and duodenal ulcers.

DIARRHEA? EAT APPLES!
Grate an apple with its skin, let it turn brown and eat it to cure this condition. (Bananas are good for this ailment)

CLOGGED ARTERIES? EAT AVOCADO!
Mono unsaturated fat in avocados lowers cholesterol.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE? EAT CELERY AND OLIVE OIL!!!
Olive oil has been shown to lower blood pressure.
Celery contains a chemical that lowers pressure too.

BLOOD SUGAR IMBALANCE? EAT BROCCOLI AND PEANUTS!!!
The chromium in broccoli and peanuts helps regulate insulin and blood sugar.

Kiwi:
Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, Vitamin E &fiber. It's Vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

Apple:
An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low Vitamin C content, it has antioxidants &flavonoids which enhances the activity of Vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

Strawberry:
Protective fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits &protects the body from cancer causing, blood vessels clogging free radicals. (Actually, any berry is good for you..they're high in anti-oxidants and they actually keep us young.........blueberries are the best and very versatile in the health field........they get rid of all the free-radicals that invade our bodies)

Orange:
Sweetest medicine. Taking 2 - 4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessen the risk of colon cancer.

Watermelon:
Coolest Thirst Quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients
found in watermelon are Vitamin C &Potassium. (watermelon also has natural substances [natural SPF sources] that keep our skin healthy, protecting our skin from those darn suv rays)

Guava & Papaya:
Top awards for Vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high Vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber which helps prevent constipation.
Papaya is rich in carotene, this is good for your eyes. (also good for gas and indigestion)

Tomatoes:
Tomatoes are very good as a preventative measure for men, keeps those prostrate problems from invading their bodies.

Vanilla Magic

Much more than just an ingredient in baked goods, vanilla is a magical flavoring and can do wonders for most foods and beverages. It's also very useful in calming our minds and bodies and helping us to feel good. Here are some thoughts and suggestions for making use of vanilla's magic. For instance, did you know that vanilla is...

an antacid?
Add a few drops to pineapple, fruit salads, or sauces containing citrus, to soften the sharpness and give it extra sweetening. Put a little vanilla in tomato sauces to neutralize the acidity.

a lifter and enhancer?
Add vanilla to give new "life" to flavorless seasonal fruits or other foods that need a flavor boost. Did you know that chocolate by itself tastes "flat" which is why it usually contains vanilla?

an emulsifier?
Add vanilla extract to egg batters (sweet or savory), waffle or pancake mix, baked goods, or cream sauces to smooth and blend overpowering flavors.

a natural sweetener?
Add a few drops of vanilla to vegetables, sweet potatoes, and salad dressings. It increases the natural sweetness of vegetables and provides a delicate, subtle flavor to salads.

an adjunct flavor for seafood, fowl, and meat?
Use with roasted, sautéed or barbequed meats, poultry, wild game or seafood. Split a vanilla bean and place it in a bottle of olive or other quality oils for sautéing meats, poultry, or seafood, or add a few drops of vanilla extract to cooked fish, fowl, or game as well as to sauces and marinades.

a stomach sedative?
Add pure vanilla extract to mineral water or apple juice to settle a nervous stomach. To soothe and please cranky, teething or sick children add a few drops of vanilla to their milk or juice. Away from home and need something quickly? Coca cola is filled with vanilla, and therefore used in many countries for calming an agitated stomach.

a natural calmative?
Place several vanilla beans in a bottle or jar. Use as aromatherapy to soothe jangled nerves. Sloane-Kettering and other medical facilities use the vanilla aroma to calm patients undergoing MRI and CAT scans.

More Vanilla Magic :

Burn your tongue on pizza or other hot food?
Put a few drops of vanilla on your tongue to ease the pain and soothe the burn.

Love the flavor of chilies but can't take the heat?
Sweet neutralizes heat: add some vanilla to soften the bite but bring out the sweetness and flavor of the peppers.

Have problems with spiders living on the underside of your furniture?
Add a vanilla bean or two to your furniture polish. Apply to both sides of your furniture. Bugs don't like the smell and will leave, whereas you will have the sweet smell of vanilla lingering in the air.

House paint smell too strong?
Add a tablespoon of vanilla extract to a gallon of paint to help cut the smell.

Want to disguise your scent when fishing?
Rub vanilla on your hands before handling your fishing line. Lots of seasoned fishermen and women use this trick.

Want to attract attention with the opposite sex?
Maybe even bring that special someone into your life? Wear some vanilla, check out the section on love and aphrodisia, and be sure to look at our wonderful selection of natural and pure vanilla-fragranced products.

The top 5 cancer-causing food

There are some food that people who are at high risk for developing cancer should definitely avoid. Generally, said natural-health researcher Mike Adams, they should avoid food which contain ingredients known to cause cancer such as refined sugar and grains, hydrogenated oil, and nitrates. But which food are the absolute worst?

The top 5 cancer-causing food are:

1. Hot Dogs
Because they are high in nitrates. The cancer-prevention coalition advises that children eat no more than 12 hot dogs/month. If you can't live without hot dog, buy those made without sodium nitrate.

2. Processed Meat & Bacon
Also high in the same sodium nitrates found in hot dogs, bacon, and other processed meats raise the risk of heart disease. The saturated fat in bacon also contributes to cancer.

3. Doughnuts
Doughnuts are cancer-causing double-trouble. First, they are made from flour, sugar, and hydrogenated oil, then fried at high temperature. Doughnut, said Adams, may be the worst food you can possibly eat to raise your risk of cancer.

4. French Fries
Like doughnuts, french fries are made from hydrogenated oil and then fried at high temperature. They also contain cancer-causing acrylamides, which occur during the frying process. They should be called "cancer fries", not french fries, said Adams.

5. Chips, crackers, and cookies
All are usually made from flour and sugar. Even the ones whose labels claim to be "free of trans fat" generally contain small amount of trans fat.

Stroke

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters...S.T.R.

My friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. Seriously.. Please read: STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00pm , Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to iden tify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead. It only takes a minute to read this...

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough. RECOGNIZING A STROKE Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps, STR . Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * Ask the person to TALK to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e. . . It is sunny out today).
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

NOTE:
Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke. If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately!! and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

Sleep more to slim down, scientists say

by Brigitte CastelnauFri Apr 4, 3:00 PM ET PARIS (AFP)

An extra hour between the sheets at night might be the key to shedding excess weight and fighting obesity, according to recent research. ADVERTISEMENT "More sleep could be the ideal way of stabilising weight or slimming," said neuro-scientist Karine Spiegel, of France's INSERM, a public organisation dedicated to biological, medical and public health research. While poor eating habits and lack of exercise clearly play a role in the global rise of obesity, recent data indicates that lack of sleep may also be a factor, and one that is often under-estimated.

Around 30 surveys carried out on wide population samples in seven countries have underlined a link between lack of sleep and excess weight or obesity in both children and adults, Spiegel said. The first of the studies, carried out in 1992 in France, highlighted the problem in children and teenagers. Spiegel said the increase in obesity in the US in the second half of the 20th century corresponded with a mounting decrease in sleep.

Two key hormones produced at night which help regulate appetite were at play, she said. Grehlin makes people hungry, slows metabolism and decreases the body's ability to burn body fat, and leptin, a protein hormone produced by fatty tissue, regulates fat storage. "We have shown that less sleep (two four-hour nights) caused an 18 percent loss of appetite-cutting leptin and a 28 percent increase of appetite-causing grehlin," she said. Such hormonal changes made people hungry for foods heavy in fats and sugars such as chips, biscuits, cakes and peanuts, she added.

The sleep loss caused a 23 to 24 percent increase in hunger, Spiegel said, translating into an extra 350 to 500 kilocalories a day, "which for a young sedentary adult of normal weight could lead to a major amount of added weight." It was unclear whether several years of sleep deprivation could lastingly harm the body's ability to restore a balance between the two hormones.

A study released in Washington in February showed children lacking shut-eye faced a greater risk of becoming obese than kids who got a good night's sleep. Each extra hour of sleep cuts a child's risk of becoming overweight or obese by nine percent, according to an analysis of epidemiological studies by researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

By contrast, children who got the least sleep had a 92 percent higher chance of being overweight or obese than children who slept enough, said the study published in the journal Obesity. "Our analysis of the data shows a clear association between sleep duration and the risk for overweight or obesity in children. The risk declined with more sleep," said Youfa Wang, a senior author of the study. "Desirable sleep behavior may be an important low cost means for preventing childhood obesity and should be considered in future intervention studies," Wang said in a news release.

The researchers reviewed 17 published studies on sleep duration and childhood obesity. Some research recommends that children under five years old sleep 11 hours or more a day, while children age five to 10 should get 10 or more hours of sleep, and children older than 10 should sleep at least nine hours.

Rat Droppings

This is information worth sharing stock clerk was sent to clean up a storeroom in Maui, Hawaii. When he got back, he was complaining that the storeroom was really filthy and that he had noticed dried mouse/rat droppings in some areas.

A couple of days later, he started to feel like he was coming down with a stomach flu, complained of sore joints and headaches, and began to vomit. He went to bed and never really got up again. Within two days he was severely ill and weak. His blood sugar count was down to 66, and his face and eyeballs were yellow.

He was rushed to the emergency at Pali-Momi, where he was diagnosed to be suffering from massive organ failure. He died shortly before midnight . No one would have made the connection between his job and his death, had it not been for a doctor who specifically asked if he had been in a warehouse or exposed to dried rat/mouse dropping s at any time.

They said there is a virus (much like the Hanta virus) that lives in dried rat and mouse droppings. Once dried, these droppings are like dust and can easily be breathed in or ingested if a person does not wear protective gear or fails to wash face and hands thoroughly.

An autopsy was performed on the clerk to verify the doctor's suspicions. This is why it is extremely important to ALWAYS carefully rinse off the tops of canned sodas or foods, and to wipe off pasta packaging, cereal boxes, and so on. Almost everything you buy in a supermarket was stored in a warehouse at one time or another, and stores themselves often have rodents.

Most of us remember to wash vegetables and fruits but never think of boxes and cans. The ugly truth is, even the most modern, upper-class, super store has rats and mice. And their warehouse most assuredly does! Whenever you buy any canned soft drink, please make sure that you wash the top with running water and soap or, if that is not available, drink with a straw.

The investigation of soda cans by the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta discovered that the tops of soda cans can be encrusted with dried rat's urine, which is so toxic it can be lethal. Canned drinks and other foodstuffs are stored in warehouses and containers that are usually infested with rodents, and then they get transported to retail outlets without being properly cleaned.

The One Anti-Aging Trick That Works

Live Longer: The One Anti-Aging Trick That Works

Robert Roy Britt LiveScience Managing Editor LiveScience.comTue Jul 8, 11:51 AM ET While the quest for the proverbial Fountain of Youth is endless and typically fruitless, one method known to extend the human lifespan by up to five years has quietly become accepted among leading researchers.

The formula is simple: Eat less. It could add years to your life, several experts now say. And done in moderation, it could at least help you live a more healthy life. The only question is: Will the average person do it? While little short of a nip-and-tuck will make you look younger, calorie restriction, as it is called, is as close to a real Fountain of Youth as any known technique comes.

Even scientists who are cautious about anti-aging hype say it works, both by cutting risks for some diseases and by allowing all body cells, somehow, to hang in there longer. "There is plenty of evidence that calorie restriction can reduce your risks for many common diseases including cancer, diabetes and heart disease," says Saint Louis University researcher Edward Weiss, who last week announced a new study that brings fresh understanding to how it works. "And you may live to be substantially older."

The numbers Here's a rough rule of thumb that many experts generally agree on now: Eat 15 percent less starting at age 25 and you might add 4.5 years to your life, says Eric Ravussin, who studies human health and performance at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana.

One important caveat: Ravussin's estimate is based mostly on studies of other animals and only preliminary research in humans. But the work by Weiss and others is unlocking the mysteries of aging and suggesting the animal studies apply to humans. "There is absolutely no reason to think it won't work," Ravussin told LiveScience.

Perhaps even more promising, though in early stages of research, are drugs designed on the basis of what's been learned from calorie-restriction studies. Those drugs would target human cells to deliver the same benefits, turning off bad things and turning on good things to extend cell life in general, or offer new therapies and cures to vexing diseases like Alzheimer's and cancer.

If you can hang in there until these promising new drug therapies are developed, you may live in a world where lifespan increases by 10 to 15 years, researchers say. Don't plan on living to be 200, Ravussin said, "but I think we're going to gain quite a few years." Mysteries remain Scientists aren't sure exactly why calorie restriction slows aging. But they're on the verge of a firm understanding.

In a nutshell, it is thought to lower metabolic rate and cause the body to generate fewer damaging "free radicals." One hypothesis is that it decreases a thyroid hormone, triiodothyronine (T3), which then slows metabolism and tissue aging. Weiss and colleagues studied men and women, aged 50 to 60, who did not smoke, were not obese and were in good health.

The volunteers were split into three groups - a calorie-restriction group, an exercise group, or a control group - and followed for one year. The calorie-restriction group cut back by 300 to 500 calories per day. (A typical healthy adult diet should include about 2,000 calories.) Volunteers in the exercise group maintained their regular diet and exercised regularly. While both the calorie-restriction and exercise groups experienced similar changes of body fat mass, only those in the calorie restriction group also experienced lower levels of the thyroid hormone.

A longer-term study is still needed to pin down whether reducing T3 levels through calorie restriction indeed slows the aging process as suspected, the scientists say. The results were published in the June issue of the journal Rejuvenation Research. Step-by-step Weiss' work advances the body of anti-aging knowledge, said Christy Carter, an aging researcher and assistant professor at the University of Florida College of Medicine.

"The more that scientists can demonstrate similar biological profiles between rodents and humans with regards to calorie restriction, the greater the possibility that lifespan extension will translate to human as well," Carter said. Weiss figured it's sensible to take steps now. You can cut 300 to 500 calories by simply skipping dessert or substituting a turkey sandwich for fast food.

A nutritional diet and exercise are important to any weight-loss effort, Weiss and others caution. "Our research provides evidence that calorie restriction does work in humans like it has been shown to work in animals," Weiss said. "The next step is to determine if this in fact slows age-related tissue deterioration. The only way to be certain, though, is to do a long-term study."

Others agree: more research is needed. "I think that they've documented a real and interesting effect of caloric restriction in humans," said UCLA evolutionary biologist Jay Phelan. "But they are still a long way from demonstrating that it changes human lifespan at all." Proven in animals Evidence that calorie restriction boosts lifespans in rodents is solid.

Christiaan Leeuwenburgh of the University of Florida's Institute on Aging showed in 2006 that eating just 8 percent less and exercising a little more over a lifespan can reduce or even reverse aging-related cell and organ damage in rats. Various studies have shown that cutting calories by 20 to 40 percent significantly both extends life and, with a little exercise, leaves old animals in better shape.

Eating fewer calories also reduces age-related chronic diseases such as cancers, heart disease, and stroke in rodents. That's important because it suggests ways to not just make us live longer, but to allow us to age more gracefully, healthwise. Research last year found that rats on a restricted diet are more physically fit in old age, apparently slowing the typical onset of physical disability.

The rodents also looked and probably felt better: "Rats that ate a normal diet lost a significant amount of lean muscle mass and acquired more fat, while calorie-restricted rats maintained lean muscle mass as they aged," said lead researcher Tongjian You from the University of Buffalo.

The finding was published in the October issue of the Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. Rodents are thought to be good analogues to humans. Dogs are even better. A 14-year study of 48 Labrador Retrievers found restricting their diets by 25 percent starting at 8 weeks of age extended their lives by an average of 1.8 years. For a creature that typically never gets beyond its early teens, that's a big number.

The findings were published back in 2002 in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. "The study also showed that lean body conformation forestalls some chronic illnesses, most notably osteoarthritis," said University of Pennsylvania researcher Gail K. Smith, who worked on the dog study. Ailments typically struck the lean dogs 2.1 years later than the others. Probably works in humans Convincing humans to eat less, and then studying the effects over a lifetime, is considerably more challenging.

But mounting research suggests that what works for rats and dogs seems to apply to people. Studies are under way with monkeys, which have lifespans of around 25 to 30 years, and early indications are promising, Ravussin said. A study of humans last year found that cutting calories in human test subjects reduced oxidative damage in muscle cells.

In the journal PLoS Medicine, the researchers speculated that the effect might translate into longer life. Researchers caution, however, that longer lifespans does not mean immortality. The vast majority of mainstream researchers envision lifespans extending a few years. "My estimate would be that 40 years of caloric restriction would give a 3 to 7 percent increase in longevity, so an optimistic estimate would be an additional four years or so," said Phelan, the UCLA researcher.

But researchers are quick to point out that human nature is not conducive to life-long calorie-restriction diets. "It's going to be limited to a few people who are going to try to do that," Ravussin said. Seeking balance "Suffering years of misery to remain super-skinny is not going to have a big payoff in terms of a longer life," Phelan said back in 2005 when the idea of "living forever" was particularly hyped in the media. "I once heard someone say caloric restriction may not make you live forever, but it sure would seem like it. Try to maintain a healthy body weight, but don't deprive yourself of all pleasure. Moderation appears to be a more sensible solution."

Phelan uses rodents as an example of why caution is warranted: Mice will live longer if their diet is restricted by 10 percent, he said in 2005. "If you restrict their intake by 20 percent, they live even longer, and restrict them to 50 percent, they live longer still. But restrict their intake by 60 percent and they starve to death." In an email interview the other day, Phelan said he stands by this assessment.

And Phelan now thinks there is "nothing" on the research horizon "that would extend lifespan in a significant amount, on the order of 10 or more years." Big promise? Other experts are optimistic that research into calorie restriction will lead to greater things. Scientists are investigating what they call CR mimetics, or compounds that mimic the effects of calorie restriction. "This includes naturally occurring compounds and pharmaceuticals," explained Carter, the University of Florida researcher. "One that has received much attention lately is a compound called resveratrol, found in red wine."

Researchers have long pondered the French paradox: The French eat high-fat diets but live relatively long lives. Resveratrol and other compounds in red wine are thought by many to contribute to that good life. But testing any anti-aging drug or therapy sets up another tricky paradox: Nobody wants to invest in a 70-year test, and the Food and Drug Administration won't approve a chemical's use without thorough testing.

There's a potential shortcut: Researchers are testing compounds thought to thwart aging on Alzheimer's patients to see if they slow the degradation of neurons. And similar human trials will begin soon on diabetes patients. "However, many of these studies are still in the development phase, still being tested in rodent models," Carter said. "I expect that this field will begin to explode in the next few years. Caution is still merited given the need for extensive study of these compounds as to their efficacy and long-term safety."

Eventually, Ravussin thinks the combined efforts of all these research angles could extend lifespans by 15 years later this century. In a society where lifespan has already increased significantly in recent decades, many people are at least as concerned with aging well as they are with living long. "Many researchers are focusing on the effects of CR on health-span as opposed lifespan," Carter said. "We know that small reductions in caloric intake, even as little as 8 percent, result in improvements in health related outcomes."

Healthy lifestyle triggers genetic changes

Healthy lifestyle triggers genetic changes:
study By Will Dunham Mon, Jun 16, 9:21 PM ET WASHINGTON (Reuters)

Comprehensive lifestyle changes including a better diet and more exercise can lead not only to a better physique, but also to swift and dramatic changes at the genetic level, U.S. researchers said on Monday. In a small study, the researchers tracked 30 men with low-riskprostate cancer who decided against conventional medical treatment such as surgery and radiation or hormone therapy.

The men underwent three months of major lifestyle changes, including eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and soy products, moderate exercise such as walking for half an hour a day, and an hour of daily stress management methods such as meditation. As expected, they lost weight, lowered their blood pressure and saw other health improvements.

But the researchers found more profound changes when they compared prostate biopsies taken before and after the lifestyle changes. After the three months, the men had changes in activity in about 500 genes -- including 48 that were turned on and 453 genes that were turned off. The activity of disease-preventing genes increased while a number of disease-promoting genes, including those involved in prostate cancer and breast cancer, shut down, according to the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The research was led by Dr. Dean Ornish, head of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, and a well-known author advocating lifestyle changes to improve health. "It's an exciting finding because so often people say, 'Oh, it's all in my genes, what can I do?' Well, it turns out you may be able to do a lot," Ornish, who is also affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco, said in a telephone interview. "'In just three months, I can change hundreds of my genes simply by changing what I eat and how I live?' That's pretty exciting," Ornish said.

"The implications of our study are not limited to men with prostate cancer." Ornish said the men avoided conventional medical treatment for prostate cancer for reasons separate from the study. But in making that decision, they allowed the researchers to look at biopsies in people with cancer before and after lifestyle changes.

"It gave us the opportunity to have an ethical reason for doing repeat biopsies in just a three-month period because they needed that anyway to look at their clinical changes (in their prostate cancer)," Ornish said. (Editing by Julie Steenhuysen and Xavier Briand)

Exercise slows Alzheimer's brain atrophy

Study: Exercise slows Alzheimer's brain atrophy

Sun Jul 27, 7:13 PM ET NEW YORK - Patients with early Alzheimer's disease who exercised regularly saw less deterioration in the areas of the brain which control memory, according to a study released Sunday at the 2008 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Chicago. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies showed that exercise positively affected the hippocampus region of patients' brains, an area which is important for both memory and balance.

In Alzheimer's, the hippocampus is one of the first parts of the brain to suffer damage. Exercise and physical fitness have been shown to slow down age-related brain cell death in healthy older adults, and earlier this month a preliminary study was published showing that exercise may help slow brain shrinkage in people with early Alzheimer's disease.

Now, researchers at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan., have used MRI and other neuroimaging tools to analyze how exercise affects the brains of those with early Alzheimer's. The researchers found that patients with early Alzheimer's had a "significant relationship" between the size of key brain areas associated with memory and fitness, unlike healthy older adults. Those patients with better fitness ratings had less brain tissue atrophy and those with worse fitness had more brain damage.

"This is the first study to get an inside look into specifically where these changes occur in the brain we're able to locate the changes associated with fitness to the actual memory region, the hippocampus, which is a key area for Alzheimer's-related atrophy," said Robyn A. Honea, PhD, a lead investigator on the study.

"This suggests that maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness may positively modify Alzheimer's-related brain atrophy." The study was funded by the National Institute on Aging and National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Another report from ICAD 2008 showed that a 12-month home-based exercise program reduced falls and improved balance in patients with dementia.

According to researchers from Western Medicine, a consultant physician service provider for Hollywood Hospital in Nedlands, Western Australia, people suffering from dementia fall up to three times more than those who have no cognitive impairment. "Falls have a negative impact on a person's quality of life, often resulting in nursing home placement, increased mortality and significant costs to the community," said Megan J. Wraith, a speech pathologist at Western Medicine and a researcher on the study.

"Targeting this high risk group may be a relatively cost effective way of having a significant impact on the overall rate of falling in the elderly." The study was funded by the Sir Charles Gairdner Research Foundation and Hollywood Private Hospital Research Foundation. Currently, the prognosis for patients with Alzheimer's is bleak.

The Alzheimer's treatment market is small, led by Pfizer Inc.'s Aricept, Forest Laboratories Inc.'s Namenda, Razadyne from Johnson & Johnson and Shire Ltd., Novartis AG's Exelon and Sciele Pharma Inc.'s Cognex. But while those drugs fight Alzheimer's symptoms, they can't stop its ultimate progress.

Wyeth and Elan Corp. are currently developing a new kind of Alzheimer's treatment, bapineuzumab, which is designed to actually slow progress of the disease. In June, study data showed that drug was shown to benefit Alzheimer's patients who lacked a certain gene.

Green Potatoes

Green = vegetables = good, right?

Not when it comes to potatoes.

Here's an important piece of information that my mother taught me years ago, but fewer and fewer people these days seem to know about. Green in potatoes indicates the presence of a rather harmful toxin . When you see patches of green in your potatoes as you peel them, cut out the green parts entirely and discard them.

What is the green? Actually it's chlorophyll. Not bad for you at all. But the chlorophyll indicates that the potato has been exposed to sunlight. And where the potato has been exposed to light is where a natural toxin in the potato (solanine) becomes concentrated at harmful levels. So, never store your potatoes on the counter. Always keep them in a cool, completely dark ple.

According to the Wikipedia , deep-frying potatoes at a high temperature (306°F) effectively lowers the level of toxins. But boiling them (212°F) has no effect.

Best to stay on the safe side and just cut away the green parts. The NIH website mentions that the potato sprouts can also have concentrated solanine, so those too should never be eaten.