Friday, March 26, 2010

Does what we eat, really affect our health?

What we eat really does affect our Health. What we eat has an effect on our heart, blood pressure, bone health, and the possibility of getting cancer. People who eat excessive amounts of high saturated fat, sugar, and sodium are more likely to fall victim to heart disease, hypertension, cancer, obesity, diabetes, and many other life threatening disorders.

Too much saturated fat and trans-fat in your diet can contribute to high cholesterol, which can lead to heart disease. There are two types of cholesterol in foods. Low density lipoprotein which is the bad cholesterol that clogs arteries and impedes blood flow to the heart. And there is high density lipoprotein, or good cholesterol which is beneficial because of its ability to carry out the bad cholesterol from your body. If too much bad cholesterol is accumulated in the arteries, a heart attack can occur. Lean cuts of beef, chicken breasts, skim milk, fish, and cottage cheese are foods with low amounts of cholesterol in them.

Bone thinning or osteoporosis not only affects senior citizens, but people who do not receive enough calcium in their diet. Calcium is essential for bone growth and repair. Without calcium people's bones would break, and in females the possibility of not having the bone strength to bare children is possible as well. Calcium is many found in dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese. Other non dairy foods with calcium include seaweed, nuts, beans, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, and orange juice.

Hypertension or elevated blood pressure can happen to a person with too much salt intake. Salt is composed of sodium, and chloride. Salt helps in maintaining proper fluid balance between water and cells in your body. A normal person needs about 1000 milligrams of sodium per day. But unfortunately many people get seven times that amount daily. There are many ways to reduce salt consumption. Reducing your intake of ham, bacon, potato chips, deli meats, catsup, mustard, and random seasons all can lower your sodium levels.

Two out of every five Americans will get cancer in their life. There are however ways to reduce the likeliness of dieing as a direct result of cancer. Various nutrients found in certain foods have the anti-oxidatives to help fight and repair damage done to the body through free radicals. Free radicals are compounds that tear down, and damage cell structures in our bodies. Carotenoids, Vitamin C, and E are all nutrients found in the body and certain foods. Good sources of food high in nutrients are mixed nuts, olive oil, green leafy vegetables, soy milk, flax seed, and fruit.

So to answer the question, HELL YES! The right foods can heal us as well as promote muscle growth and healthy life style. While the bad foods can diminish our health, injure our bodies, and in some cases cause death.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Salad myth

It's salad. It is very healthy and there is nothing bad about it. Yeah right. And my hair loss is just temporary!

We all think a salad is extremely healthy, and low in calories. Well the fact of the matter is this. Salad can be just as bad if not worse than a cheeseburger.
Most people make their salads with just iceberg lettuce, and maybe put in a small amount of one vegetable. Then, they top it with cheese, bacon bits, and thick dressing. Well iceberg lettuce has next to no calories, and next to no nutritional value. And all that added junk packs on the calories.

Example:

3 oz cup of iceberg lettuce- 12 calories
1 oz of cheese 117 calories 10 grams of fat 5grams saturated
1 oz of bacon bits 100 calories 6 grams of fat 2 grams saturated
1 oz or 2 tbsp ranch 148 calories 16 grams fat 2 grams saturated
3 oz fried chicken strips 213 calories 12 grams fat 3 grams saturated

A grand total of 590 calories, 44 grams of fat, 12 grams saturated.

Now does that sound like a healthy salad? Not really enough to fill an average person’s stomach. Not to mention no good nutrients or protein. Well at least the salad is low carb????????


A better choice would be a mixture of nutrient rich spinach, romaine, and green leaf. Add tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, broccoli, and any other type of vegetables. The more the merrier. The added nutrients are great for you. Use light dressing, or a splash of olive or grape seed oil. Low fat cheese if you must, with grilled chicken or salmon. If you only fatty dressing is available, have a small amount in a side dish and just dip your fork in the dressing before you dig into the salad. These few tips alone will save hundreds of calories and over half the fat.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

The virtual magic of green tea.

We have all heard how wonderfully healthy green tea is. Adding lemon or other citrus can make green tea even healthier. But how does citrus affect the already tasty beverage? Adding citrus or fruit juice to green tea increases the antioxidant effect. What’s an antioxidant? Antioxidants are chemical compounds or substances that inhibit oxidation. What is oxidation? Oxidation is a natural phenomenon which is occurring continuously in our surroundings. Some examples being, damaging cells, the browning of sliced fruit, or even the rusting of a metal. In lamens terms, oxidation causes damage to our cells. The added citrus increases the catechin in green tea several times higher. What is catechin? Catechin is a natural antibacterial substance derived from tea leaves that kills germs.

I know, TMI! What we really need to take from this is to more DRINK GREEN TEA! Especially with some added citrus. It has been scientifically proven that green tea helps heal types of cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and coronary artery disease. Green tea drinkers also have healthier gums and teeth. However to get the full affect, a person should strive for 3-5 cups of green tea a day. That may seem like a lot of tea. But how much soda, or juice do you drink a day? Switch to green tea, your family and body will thank you for it.