Archive for the ‘Healthy Foods’ Category
Vitamin C to Strengthen the Immune System
Vitamin C and calcium are essential to prevent allergies or viral disease affecting the respiratory system. As newspapers have reported so far, swine fever mainly affects young healthy adults, ie persons between 25 and 45 years without children and the elderly as commonly occurs. What happens is that children and the elderly are more protected than the rest of the population. The national vaccination programs require children and elderly to get vaccinated against influenza at least once a year, whereas the population from age 11 to 65 leaves out this kind of protection. We are also talking about people who work, and low stress defenses, as well as not eating well.
The problem with this or any other type of virus is not treatable with antibiotics, such as when it is a bacterial infection. Antiviral medication should be applied also within the first 48 hours of symptoms to be effective, otherwise the lung damage may be such that it is irreparable. In fact, people who have had complicated the picture viral, specifically swine fever die from a “Sirpa” or respiratory distress syndrome in adults. To reach this state, 7 out of 10 people die, sometimes not on a respirator is achieved the patient move forward.
And is that not all who come into contact with the virus develop the disease. Nor die all who develop the disease. The immunoglobulins are responsible for giving warning when the body comes into contact with a virus, are also those that provide the mechanism for defending the body cells of the foreign agent, to be killed, but to do these have to be strong in quality and quantity, and that can only be achieved with intake of cofactors such as vitamin C and calcium, they help the formation of these cells. Influenza vaccines are another good option for protection of respiratory viruses and young adults should be vaccinated against it each year. These vaccines change from year to year, for example, which came out in 2008 carried the virus that most problems occurred in 2007 and this year has produced the highest disease in 2008. Of course, swine fever is not included in the vaccine more recently. Read the rest of this entry »
Microwave: Good Ally of Those Who are Dieting
The microwave celebrates 55 years of existence! The micro can heat foods faster than the oven and using less energy. It is also ideal for those who want to watch the calories they consume.
A study by the University of Illinois showed that people who consumed diet frozen meals twice a day for two months lost four pounds more than those who did not. The good thing about these meals is that they have included portion control. Follow these tips to get the most out of your diet in box.
Not much salt. Find foods that limit sodium to 750 milligrams, according to American Dietetic Association recommendations. Some low-sodium foods contain only about 100 mg. If you find it too bland, add a little salt, anyway be less sodium than a regular.
Alcohol: Serious Enemy of Digestion
While some drinks like orange juice or sparkling allies that enable and ease the digestion, there are others that are very harmful and often blame the food considered heavy, but rarely do we realize that may be what you drink.
Why alcohol is harmful?
Hinders the process. Delayed gastric emptying the revolver with the diet, so people with slower or older systems should take into account this fact.
With sugar, even worse. Sweet wines or spirits to have higher sugar content as they also cause more trouble dealing with our juices. For some reason everything sweet is taken at the end, when digestion process has begun.
Animal Protein to Vegetable Protein
It is known that amino acids are like the bricks with which proteins are constructed, and when we consume, we are really just assimilating amino acids.
These amino acids in proteins exist in both animal and plant cells. However, our body can not distinguish from which source these.
Animal proteins are larger and more complex than those of plant origin, are also rich in amino acids so that their biological value is higher, but are more difficult to digest.
Benefits of Poppy Seeds in Food
Poppy seeds from the flower and for years began to be included in the diet because of the large number of properties that contribute to health. Are also required to decorate sweet and savory dishes.
Poppy seeds from Asia and Africa, characterized by its bluish-gray color. When the kitchen, give off a rich aroma and great taste almond or walnut, so they are used to decorate cakes, breads flavor or prepare sweet and sour dishes. Now, with the rise of oriental food, we can enjoy the wok dishes and also in some varieties of sushi.
Benefits of Flax seeds
Flax seeds are rich omega 3 fatty acids and the inclusion of these little brown seeds in your diet can help reduce total blood cholesterol, particularly the “bad” cholesterol or LDL.
Flax seeds can get in the grocery stores and health food stores, it is advisable to consume grind in a coffee grinder or food processor.
So we can add to yogurt or cereal for breakfast, and incorporate them into soups, stews or baked goods, representing a very healthy nutritional option.
Omega-3 fatty acids, are found in blue sins, as recommended today to the prevention of heart disease and mental and Alzheimers.
Flax seed is a plant source of omega 3, plus other vitamins and minerals, very important to our health because they have the ability to reduce or keep off our blood cholesterol levels, according to recent nutritional studies.
Sleep Disorders: 3 solutions for better sleep eating
You could be one of many brands of sleeping pills that are available in pharmacies, but we advise you not to take them before trying natural remedies based on food. Indeed, taking sleeping pills long term can lead to headaches and possible addiction.
1) Drink warm milk before going to bed
For decades, scientists have analyzed this folk remedy, and implied that tryptophan, an amino acid that is found in milk (as well as other foods like turkey, lobster, spinach, bananas, etc.. ), could be responsible for its supposed soporific effects. Studies have shown that when the tryptophans are released in the brain, they produce serotonin (a neurotransmitter that stimulates the serenity). But when milk and other foods rich in tryptophan were tested, they failed to affect sleep patterns.
Foods containing tryptophan does not produce hypnotic effects like tryptophan pure fact. This is because other amino acids which are also found in these foods are a competition to get into the brain. Drink warm milk (with honey for example) at the time of going to bed could be very comforting, but no rigorous study has offered evidence that it increases production of serotonin sleep aid. Whatever happens, drinking warm milk before bedtime can help you sleep better, especially for the elderly, since it determines your mindset to prepare to sleep better (as if s ‘acting with a placebo).
2) Eat a healthy snack before going to bed or a dinner with high glycemic index
A small snack at bedtime can to curb hunger, a thief of sleep recognized. But eating carbohydrates glycemic index (GI) high, several hours before going to bed (dinner for example) may also help. Foods that have a glycemic index (GI) cause a large increase in higher rates of blood sugar and insulin than those with lower GI.
A U.S. study found that in 2009 when the sleepers who have no problem falling asleep taking a high carbohydrate dinner, with vegetables and tomato sauce with rice, they fall asleep significantly faster in ‘bedtime if dinner included rice jamin (which has a high GI) rather than long grain rice (which has a lower GI).
Although researchers are not sure yet why this sleep accelerated by eating high GI foods, they assume that larger amounts of insulin triggered by meals high glycemic index increase in the ratio of tryptophan on other amino acids in the blood, allowing more tryptophan (proportionately) to enter the brain. So keep foods with high glycemic index for dinner, when their side effects (sleepiness) becomes an advantage for people who have trouble falling asleep.
Speaking of dinner, you take your meals at times constant, do not overload your dinner, do not eat too spicy evening and dinner at least 2 hours before going to bed. Indeed, to sleep better, your stomach should be neither too full nor too empty. You digest it more difficult at night, whereas a turbulent digestion because of too much food or heartburn caused by excess of spices (like hunger) can make you wake up.
3) Drink herbal teas, herbal teas
The chamomile, lemon balm, hops, the flower of the Passion, etc.. are presented as teas and infusions with sleep-promoting properties. You will often find them in tea blends “to find sleep. Make sure you prepare teas or infusions for at least 20 minutes to get all benefits as simply soak a bag of chamomile in hot water for 5 minutes (for example) does not remove enough of herbal extract to obtain a advantage to the organism.
Although their effectiveness has not been proven by large studies, lots of experts do not doubt that drinking herbal teas or herbal teas can make some people sleep better. Drinking a hot liquid as a tea or infusion (as well as hot milk, see # 1 above) before going to bed can produce numbness in the generation of body heat.
But be careful, if you drink too much fluid in the moments before going to bed earlier, you may go back and make the toilet at night. A cup of tea, or hot tea at bedtime might be worth it … if you have a bladder that can hold (you do not have to wake you up at night).
Heart health for the whole family: 3 good habits
A healthy heart for the whole family helps strengthen relations between its members. Health, including heart health, your children depends greatly on you, since children naturally develop the same type of lifestyle than their parents. If you want to see your children grow up healthy, happy and set a good example for their own children later, it is important that you show them how to get a healthy heart.
3 good habits to promote a healthy heart for the whole family:
1) Set a good example
When children spend many hours in front of sedentary computer or TV and easy access to junk food and fast food, they are more likely to suffer from diabetes and childhood obesity. However, you can show them how to stay active and eat healthily so they do not develop chronic diseases that can cause heart disease.
2) Eating meals at family table
Despite busy schedules, make a healthy meal at the table with family a daily priority. You teach your children that the meals on the run, often unhealthy, are not a standard. In addition, it gives your family the benefits of quality time spent together, and the opportunity to explain a heart healthy life.
3) Make exercise a family activity
Your children are more likely to exercise if you’re exercising too. Especially if you offer fun family activities that do not always think of the exercise. Play cat and mouse, hide and seek, cops and robbers, shoot hoops, to catch, walking the dogs at ball games in the pool, etc.. to move the whole family to work the heart. Make physical activities like games, and remember to play fun the whole family every day.
Benefits of Prebiotics and Probiotics (Part 2)
3. Prebiotics are found naturally in breast milk and some fruits and vegetables: bananas, garlic, leek, onion, artichokes, asparagus, tomato, chicory root, and so on.
Due to its beneficial effects, has started to add inulin and oligofructose in foods such as yogurt, ice cream, milk drinks, juices, breakfast cereals, bread, snacks, confectionery … without adversely affecting the taste of them. Yogurt and fermented milks are the most common foods that we find the probiotics.
As a result of their action, can be highlighted a number of beneficial effects on the body:
Prebiotics:
- Prevents constipation and diarrhea.
- Decrease blood pressure and plasma cholesterol.
- They promote bone mineralization.
- They have protective properties against cancer colorectal.
Probiotics:
- Are useful in the prevention and treatment of infectious diarrhea due to antibiotic use.
- Decrease lactose intolerance.
- Reduce the symptoms of intestinal inflammation.
- Reduce cholesterol levels.
- Prevent colon cancer and atopic disease.
Benefits of Prebiotics and Probiotics (Part 1)
Functional foods are those which, besides its nutritional, show that exert beneficial physiological effects in the body, thus improving the health and welfare of people and even reducing the risk of certain diseases. Prebiotics and probiotics are the two types of functional food ingredients that most well known and studied, being and acting in a different way, achieve a profit similar to “promote intestinal health.”
1. Functional foods
Functional foods are those with a healthy addition to our diet. In addition to foods that naturally contain functional ingredients, food is traditional to the food industry has added, deleted, increased or modified any of its components to contribute to improve the functionality of the organism as a whole (hence is his name).
Among the fortified functional foods that most often we are in the market include milk, yogurt, juices, cereals, eggs, margarine, bread, salt, etc. The components most often added to these products are minerals (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, selenium), vitamins (A, D, E, C, folic acid), fiber, fatty acids ( oleic acid, omega-3, or conjugated linoleic acid CLA), antioxidants (isoflavones, carotenoids, selenium, vitamin E), phytosterols (plant sterols and stanols), phytoestrogens, prebiotics, probiotics.