Health & Fitness Guide » Nutrition

The many benefits of oatmeal

admin — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 06:35:10 +0000

Oatmeal has been, over the years, used to cure itchiness. Its natural properties have been hailed by the US health watchdog the Food and Drug Administration.

Oatmeal is ground oat groats or porridge made from oats. Daily consumption of a bowl of oatmeal can lower blood cholesterol, because of its soluble fibre content.

Oatmeal, a low-fat food, is an excellent source of calcium. Calcium, in turn, helps to strengthen bones, teeth and hair and staves off osteoporosis.

Oatmeal has also proven to be an excellent irritation healer. When insect bites and poisonous plants ravage your skin, oatmeal can also be used to relieve these skin rashes.

Foods to boost sex drive

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:23:30 +0000

While there are foods known to pump up your mood, sharpen your memory, fight your flab, boost your stamina, the aphrodisiac snacks serve a sexier purpose – they improve your sex life.

Hot Chilies

Capsaicin, an active component of chili peppers, increases blood circulation and stimulates nerve endings, thus making you feel more turned on.

Asparagus and Avocados

The flowering perennial plant species are abundantly high in vitamin E. These green plants help your body churn out sex hormones like testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone. The high levels of these hormones are known to circulate in the bloodstream, thereby stimulating sexual responses like clitoral swelling and vaginal lubrication.

Bananas

The phallus-shaped fruit is rich in potassium, a nutrient key to muscle strength.

Chocolate

Phenylethylamine, the key chemical in cocoa, refreshes the mind and invokes subtle feelings of well-being and excitement.

Oysters

Oysters are known to can spark readiness. The shellfish is high on zinc, a mineral that pumps up the production of testosterone, the hormone linked to a higher sex drive.

Pomegranates

Rich in antioxidants, the fruit protects the lining of blood vessels, allowing more blood to flow through them. As a result the genital feel an increased sensitivity.

Red Wine

It has always been popular for its relaxant properties. Red wine contains resveratrol, an antioxidant that helps boost blood flow and improves circulation before and during intercourse.

Salmon and Walnuts

Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, salmon and walnuts will keep sex-hormone production at its peak. Pumpkin seeds and flaxseeds also confer similar benefits.

Vanilla

The sweet bean mildly stimulates nerves, making sexual sensations feel even better.

Watermelon

The juicy fruit contains phytonutrient citrulline, the chemical which leads to an uptick in the amount of nitric oxide in the body. Higher levels cause blood vessels to relax and speeds up circulation, thus feeling more aroused in lesser time.

Healthy Barbecue Ideas

admin — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:29:22 +0000

Barbecues are popular especially during the summer months. Although many people may be put off because of the link between burnt food and cancer, with careful cooking you can make your barbecue nutritious as well as fun. Barbecued food is healthiest when cooked over fuel that’s extremely hot. If you begin to cook over charcoal that is still flaming or only partly burning, strong, unpleasant smoke rises and the food tends to start sizzling. This can lead to excessive charring and a transfer of potentially harmful smoke components to the food.

Meat

Always use the best cuts you can afford as cheaper cuts don’t have sufficient time to tenderise with barbecue cooking. These cuts are also healthier because they provide less invisible fat. Because barbecuing quickly seals the outside of the meat, there is not much loss of the water soluble vitamins through loss of juices. For best results, meat should be thawed out before barbecuing. Take care that the inside is cooked as well as the outside. Never prod or turn over meat with a fork as it may dry out on the barbecue; use a flat metal spatula or tongs instead.

Fish

Fish cooks well on a barbecue, but some white fish is inclined to dry out or break up so cooking in foil is the best option. Small, individual oily fish coook well but they need to be moved around a lot to avoid flare-ups from the oil dripping onto the charcoal. Other good fish for barbecuing are prawns, halibut and sword fish.

Vegetables

Baked potatoes and fried onions are often cooked during barbecues but other vegetables can also help to balance a barbecue nutritionally. Most vegetables can be cooked directly on the grill over a moderate heat, but they will require basting with an oil or marinade. Thread pieces of pepper, onion, mushroom and courgette on to kebab skewers with fish or meat in between.

Fruit

Barbecued fruit makes a refreshing pudding and also provides vital vitamins and trace elements. Apples may be baked in foil, bananas chargrilled and fresh pineaple basted with honey.

All About Vitamin C

admin — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:34:25 +0000

Vitamin C comes in three forms, and it is alternately known by the names ascorbic acid, ascorbate calcium and ascorbate sodium. Vitamin C plays an integral role in the human body in many ezymatic functions as well as being vital for the proper growth and development of teeth, bones, gums, blood vessels and even ligaments. In fact, Vitamin C is a component in all of the organs in the human body. In addition, the nuerotransmitters in the body as well as adrenal hormones are dependent on Vitamin C for their processes. Without Vitamin C, the human body would not be able to absorb two other important supplements, iron and folic acid.

The dietary sources for Vitamin C are easily obtained, and you can find Vitamin C in most fruits and vegetables, with citrus fruits having the highest concentrations of this vitamin. You can also get your dietary Vitamin C through many vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes and the green leafy vegetables. Even cantaloupe, honeydew and strawberries are rich in Vitamin C.

Even though it is so important to proper functioning of the human organism, Vitamin C deficiency does occur with mild deficiency causes random aches, pains, weakness and occasionally sore gums or nose bleeds. When deficiency becomes sever, symptoms result in scurvy which includes red and swollen gums, excessive bruising and even internal bleeding. An individual with scurvy may have bones that easily break, skin that tears open and abnormal bone or tooth development. Because of it’s relation to iron, Vitamin C deficiency also often lead to anemia which can include paleness, shortness of breath, weakness and even heart palpitations.

Recommended intakes of Vitamin C vary, but the common agreement among professionals seems to be about 35 top 50 milligrams a day in a healthy adult. Depending on severity of deficiency, doseage can range from 100 to 300 milligrams daily, but excess intake of this Vitamin for even a short time can cause severe problems such as diarrhea, stomache cramps and nausea or vomiting. Of course, before starting any form of supplementation you should consult your health care practitioner.

Diabetes Diet – What to Eat During Diabetic Problem

admin — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:05:41 +0000

Meal planning includes choosing healthy foods, eating the right amount of food, and eating meals at the right time. The American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association developed 6 food exchange lists for the purpose of meal planning for people with diabetes.

The 6 lists are: starch or bread, meat and substitutes, vegetables, fruits, milk or dairy, and fat. Every food on the list has approximately the same amount of carbohydrate, fat, protein, and calories for the amount given.

Any food on the list can be exchanged for any other food on the same list. The food exchange lists also show the number of food choices that can be eaten at each meal and snack. Using the foods on the exchange list (along with a personal meal plan designed by a registered dietitian or nutritional counselor) will control the distribution of calories throughout the day so that food and insulin will be balanced.

Meal plans differ depending on the type of diabetes. With insulin-dependent diabetes (Type I), consistency in the time meals are eaten and the amounts and types of food eaten is very important to allow food and insulin to work together to regulate blood-glucose levels. If meals and insulin are out of balance, extreme variations in blood glucose can occur. In noninsulin-dependent diabetes, weight control is the most important principle in addition to a well-balanced diet.

Consultation with a registered dietitian or nutrition counselor is an invaluable tool for planning meals and controlling diet for persons with diabetes.

Cayenne as a health supplement

admin — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:24:08 +0000

Cayenne is a well know alternative treatment to aid with stimulating circulation. It has been used as a means of stimulating the thyroid, pineal and pituitary glands.

It is an effective treatment for fatigue, endurance, colds and flu, and to strengthen the heart beat. Cayenne sprinkled in your socks or gloves on a icy day is said to give added warmth. But with all these known uses of cayenne, the most important reason for taking this fruit remains a mystery to most people.

Capsicum fruit, which is better known as cayenne, has an even greater job when one is taking a regimen of herbal remedies. Without the aid of cayenne, other herbs may not be reaching the infected area as quickly as they should. It is a little known fact that chemical medications are made up to provide a carrier which will aid the needed medication in reaching the area of infection. In the world of alternative medicine cayenne provides the same action.

The main job of cayenne is to bring other agents to the troubled areas. The best way to test this is to take a hot cayenne the next time you take an herbal remedy for an infection. Become attuned to your body and you will feel the burning sensation as the cayenne arrives at the infected site.Although this may be uncomfortable for some, it can be a deciding factor in adding cayenne to your healing regimen of herbs.

Cayenne works by chemically generating action in the other herbs you are taking to create waves of movement that move through out your body to the infection. If hot cayenne creates too much discomfort, the cool cayenne is just as effective as a carrier. To get the carrier action from cayenne is it only necessary to take one capsule each time you ingest other herbal remedies.

Almonds promote good health

admin — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:04:01 +0000

Almonds are among the earliest cultivated foods in history. Almonds are thought to have originated in China and Central Asia. Explorers brought almonds back with them, and before long almond trees flourished.

Almonds, like most nuts, were thought to have too much fat to be a healthy snack. But research has debunked that belief as an old myth. One study showed that three ounces of almonds a day actually lowered a person’s cholesterol by 14 percent. Munching on almonds helps people feel satisfied and less inclined to overeat at dinner!

Ninety percent of the fat in almonds is unsaturated fat, and frequent consumption, as a result, could help lower blood cholesterol levels. Of course, since almonds are a plant based food, they contain no cholesterol.

Almonds are loaded with protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E and other antioxidants and phytochemicals. Almonds have been shown to promote good health, especially when they are part of a healthful diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, and low fat whole grain products.

According to one study, almonds are a well balanced food. They contain the right kind of fats-monounsaturated and some polyunsaturated, so they help lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the bad cholesterol, while not touching the high-density, or good cholesterol levels.

One ounce of almonds contains 35 percent of the daily intake of vitamin E. Vitamin E is believed to protect the body’s cells from cancer, heart disease, and aging.

Since almonds contain calcium, potassium, and magnesium, they also help prevent osteoporosis and regulate blood pressure. The folic acid in almonds is believed to help lower levels of homocystein, the amino acid that is thought to contribute to the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries. And studies have shown links between nut (especially almond) consumption and lower risk of cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and other chronic illnesses.

In a nutshell, almonds are an excellent source of fiber, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, biotin, riboflavin, niacin and iron. Almonds are the most nutritious of all nuts. So enjoy delicious almonds. They promote good health!

Lower Your Blood Pressure & Cholesterol Without Drugs

admin — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:51:51 +0000

Simply cut down on fatty foods and eat more foods with potassium bananas, tangerines, and or-anges.

For quick results, try a diet of rice, fruit and vegetables. And if you don’t already know your cholesterol level, ask your doctor about being tested.

Curing Nail Problems with Vitamins and Herbs

admin — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:02:26 +0000

Fingernails, which are made mainly of a protein known as keratin, are one of the bodies strongest tissues. They not only protect the finger tips and toes but can often tell a story about the overall health of your body. Nail problems may signal a more serious disorder such as asthma, emphysema or heart disease, improper nutrition and stress.

Vitamins and herbs can be used to aid with healing of nail problems since it is known that good nutrition is the key to healthy nails. Studies have shown that gelatin which has long been hailed to strengthen nails does not contain the proper mixture of amino acids for nail growth.

Herbs like horsetail, nettle and oatstraw which are rich in silica are known to improve the health of your nails. Amino acid complex, vitamin C, vitamin E and biotin taken together will help the body build keratin. Ridges in the fingernail is a sign of insufficient B vitamins.

Calcium and bone building formulas will benefit the nails by supplying much needed minerals. A calcium deficiency will usually show up as ragged cuticles, brittleness or dryness.

The essential fatty acids in evening primrose oil and flaxseed oil will keep nails from cracking from lack of nourishment. A paste made with alum and water is effective in relieving ingrown nails. What is commonly called ring-a-round causes the finger to swell and become painful. This usually indicates toxity in the body and can be treated with a poultice of comfrey. Binding a piece of fresh lemon to the infected area will work as well.

Tea tree oil, garlic oil and calendula ointment are the best treatments for nail fungus. Tea tree oil is a popular antifungal medication that has proved successful in treating athletes foot and other infections. To protect the nails from bacteria it is wise not to trim the cuticles. Wearing gloves when you are cleaning and keeping the nails cut short are good preventative measures.