Reasons Why Your Diet Isn’t Working

This is a guest post by krishna..

If you’re being repeatedly disappointed every time you step on the scales or slip into your jeans, then you know your diet isn’t working. How could this be, you ask yourself. You could have sworn you were doing everything right! Below, you will find the top five most plausible reasons your diet isn’t working:

1. You’re Not Trying Hard Enough – Ouch. That’s the one thing you didn’t want to hear, wasn’t it? Still, you need to take a step back and assess how much you are committed to this new diet. Are you still sneaking in things you shouldn’t? Are you allowing yourself “breaks” on the weekend?

2. Your Body Is Adjusting – It’s possible that your body has slowed its metabolism in order to conserve energy. As your body adjusts to your new diet (which, hopefully, is a safe and sensible diet), you may see a stalemate for a while when you step on the scales.

3. You Don’t Drink Enough Water – Hydration is essential for both physical and mental well-being and people really underestimate the power of drinking water. It will flush out your body’s toxins, stem cravings and more, so drink your recommended 8-10 glasses a day. If you are sweating a lot from a regular workout routine, you should be drinking even more than that!

4. You Are Still Eating “American-Sized” Portions – There is a growing problem in America and other Westernized cultures where people’s ideas of portion size are completely skewed. Maybe we should blame restaurants that offer us enormous meals. Still, you need to learn how to properly portion your meals, rather than adhere to society’s newfound standard.

5. Your Diet Isn’t “Working” Because You Are Impatient – It is very possible that your diet is working fine, yet it will be doomed to failure because you get impatient. The slower you drop the pounds, the better, which may disappoint those of you trying to get bikini fit in six weeks. Just remember, you are doing this for long-term health.

The above tips are provided on the assumption that your diet is a sensible one. Of course something like the carrot juice diet fad was doomed for failure – that is no way to sustain your life on a long-term basis. Instead, your “diet” should merely consist of well-rounded, lean meals. Throw in some regular exercise and you will realize just how much you were over thinking this weight loss thing.

Green Tea and Resistance Training

The study investigated the effects of the consumption of green tea for 7 days on biomarkers (i.e. indicators) of oxidative stress in young men undergoing resistance exercise. Blood samples were taken before and after exercise and were analysed for total antioxidant capacity. The control group (i.e. those who didn’t drink green tea) had reduced levels of Glutathione (a very strong antioxidant produced in the body). In addition other activities increased in the control group as a result of exercise (i.e. by-products: creatine kinase (CK), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) & xanthine oxidase (XO)). Green tea reduced the post-exercise concentration of some of the above by-products and increased the values of total polyphenols (antioxidants from Green Tea) and Glutathione. Green tea also inhibited a significant rise in the other by-products, namely CK and XO activities.

Fructose and Fat gain Study

According to a new study in the Journal of Nutrition, fat-build up from fructose consumption may be greater than consumption of other types of sugars such as glucose and sucrose.

The study involved six young, lean participants who had to drink either:

A soft drink sweetened with 100% glucos

A soft drink sweetened with 50% glucose and 50% fructose

A soft drink sweetened with 25% glucose and 75% fructose

The tests were random and blinded.

The groups who drank the beverages containing fructose gained more fat at a quicker rate than the glucose group.
We have to remember that the participants in this study were young, healthy and lean.

Therefore it is fair to surmise that people who are less healthy, not as lean and maybe older maybe pre-disposed to even easier fat gain and other health related issues.Read the rest of this entry »

cookies benefit breast milk

Who would’ve thought that “The Health People” might advocate the consumption of cookies, huh?Ok there’s a slight catch, these aren’t ordinary cookies, they are enriched with CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid).

As a result of eating these enriched cookies, researchers found these healthy fatty acids to be present in breast milk at a higher level (46% ~ higher) than those who only consumed normal biscuits.

The study aims to show how CLA supplementation can make its way into the breastmilk and therefore benefit the child – I think it’s fair to surmise that

CLA is a group of fatty acids that has potential anti-cancer and antioxidant effects.

The study doesn’t show where you can buy these biscuits though!

Maybe you could get a CLA pill and put it in between two cookies, somewhat like a sandwich?!

Or on the other hand, just get rid of the biscuits and take the supplement by itself – yeah…that makes more sense!

Grandes Ecoles: For whom the bell tolls? It tolls for thee.

Writing about health issues also means thinking about how people learn — we all want our health professionals to be highly trained and educated. We are also generally mindful that talent should prevail over privilege. Such appears to be an issue for President Nicholas Sarkozy of France and the elitist Grandes Ecoles that enable the French elite to reproduce their status and privilege.

It is with some disgust that one learns that these institutions of knowledge are fearful that their standards would decline if they admitted people from poorer social backgrounds, and this in the land of equality and fratnernity — perhaps these institutions need a history lesson.

It is a tired and dated rhetoric that income and social background should be determinants of future success. That such institutions in a country with such a commitment to intellectual debate should be fearful tells us more about them, than about France, itself.

As institutions funded from public sources, perhaps even more generously than the underfunded French universities, this should bestow upon them an even greater public duty to find the best and brightest in the land.

Le Monde is undoubtedly right when they say the Grandes Ecoles have had their day. Whether it is right to merge them with weakly performing universities may not be as wise, but redefining their admission practices to better help France meet the needs of the 21st Century would seem to be a priority.

This can be accomplished. The evidence from highly selective institutions of higher learning is to be blind to social factors and sharp-eyed for the bright and talented. Perhaps the continuing decline of much of value in France comes from its ossified system of higher education, which rewards the status quo, and discourages innovation — didn’t someone say the French don’t have a word for ‘entrepreneur’?

I weep not for those who covet privilege. In the end, it is worthless currency and those who seek it will become objects of ridicule. I can hear the bells now.

POM Wonderful

So I guess you must’ve seen the massive ad campaign being conducted by the ‘POM Wonderful’ company, especially here in the UK, if not, where have you been?! To my knowledge, the drink is not new, it has been around for quite some time now, so why such a big campaign? No idea.

What is ‘POM Wonderful’? Simply…a pomegranate juice drink!

You’re probably wondering why I am writing about this drink?

Well, firstly beause it is a relevant topic to the site and secondly because I was contacted a few weeks ago by ‘POM Wonderful’ and kindly offered two free bottles to try for free!

Omega-3 Diet Linked to Lower Heart Disease Risk

In yet another study showing the benefits of consuming foods high in Omega-3, Akira Sekikawa (MD) and colleagues found that rather than genetic factors contributing to the lower heart disease risk in Japan’s population, the actual Omega-3 content of Japanese diets may be responsible instead.

The study, cited in the August edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, involved 281 men living in Japan, 306 Caucasian American men and 281 Japanese-American men living in Hawaii.

The researchers conducted blood tests to measure total fatty acids and Omega-3 fatty acids.

Although the total fatty acid levels were similar amongst all three groups, the amount of fatty acids from fish consumption was twice as high among the Japanese men group as compared to both American groups.

The study also indicated that men living in Japan had significantly less atherosclerosis (plaque build up inside the arteries).

Dr. Sekikawa concluded that increasing the intake of Omega-3 fatty acids could “…have a very substantial impact on heart disease.”

Raw Honey in Belgium!

Currently I’m in Belgium visiting some family and I came across an amazing shop and also learnt some very interesting information.

You guessed right, the shop was a honey shop!

And the information that I learnt was that all honey in Belgium is not pasteurised, apparently the pasterurisation of honey is not allowed in Belgium (by law).

Hence, all the honey in this shop was not pasteruised and I was one happy blogger

Apart from the various types of honey, the shop also sells various other items such as skin and body care products.

Click the pictures below to see what the shop looks like.

I’ll soon be selling some different types of Raw, Unfiltered, Cold Extracted, Unpasteurised Honey!

Keep tuned!

Do you know of any good shops/places where honey fanatics can purchase real, pure good honey? If so, please leave a comment and let the rest of us know.

Honey and Water: Is it Really that Good?

Every morning, or just about every morning, the first thing I do after waking up and using the bathroom (I guess you don’t need to know that part) is to make a honey + water drink. This may sound like an old wives tale or something your grandmother might have told you, but there is some serious truth behind the benefits of such a practice…I’m sure you’ll be surprised once you finish reading the information below.

First, how do you make the drink?
Simply add a teaspoon (or a tablespoon if you have a really sweet tooth) to a glass of natural mineral water (preferably room temperature) – which means NO tap water – that’s another subject that shall require an article within itself (stay tuned).
Stirring with a fork quickens the process – be patient now.

Did you know that honey has been shown to be far superior to conventional antibiotics in treating infections and without the negative side effects associated with antibiotic use.
It is amazing that the bacteria-killing properties of honey increase two-fold when diluted with water. Maybe that explains why newly born bees are nourished with diluted honey.
Also, when honey is mixed with water, a chemical reaction takes place resulting in the creation of hydrogen peroxide, the most powerful natural antibiotic. Unlike the hydrogen peroxide purchased in the pharmacy, the one produced by the above mixture is natural and therefore protects itself from being associated with conventional man-made antibiotics and their negative effects.

It only takes approximately 7 minutes for the honey + water mixture to diffuse into the bloodstream – ready to fight the bad stuff!

Apparently Mr. Hippocrates (430BC approx.) used two different honey mixtures, sometimes mixing the honey with vinegar and sometimes with water. He found that the honey water solution was far superior in treating wounds, though he probably did not know why.

5 Super Foods: the Next Generation

Garlic, broccoli, soy, peanuts and salmon: These were the top five super foods a decade ago. After 10 years of new scientific discoveries, which food stays on the list and which foods are the rising stars?
Top 5 Super Foods - picked by Dietitians

1.
Walnuts

super foodsWalnuts are one of the best plant sources of protein. They are rich in fiber, B vitamins, magnesium and antioxidants such as Vitamin E. Nuts in general are also high in plant sterols and omega 3 fatty acids. Walnuts, in particular, have significantly higher amounts of omega 3 fatty acids as compared to other nuts. In March 2004, the FDA endorsed the health benefits of walnuts by approving its heart health claim.

super foodsFor more details, read Health Benefits of Walnuts

2.
Flax Seed

Derived from the plant source, flax seed offers a vegetarian alternative to provide omega 3 fatty acid. Flax seed has been shown in many studies to offer heart-healthy benefits. In addition, flax seed also contain other beneficial ingredients such as fiber and lignan, a type of antioxidant phytoestrogen. Research revealed that lignan in flax seed shows promising results in fighting disease, particularly cancer. Studies show that lignan possesses anti-cancer properties. Results were most promising in breast cancer prevention.

super foods For more details, read Flaxseed vs. Flaxseed Oil

3.
Pomegranate

super foodsPomegranate has quickly become one of the most talked about super foods in the past two years. Pomegranate fruits contain polyphenols, tannins and anthocyanins, which are all beneficial antioxidants. On the other hand, pomegranate juice contains high levels of antioxidants - higher than most other fruit juices, red wine or tea. Preliminary evidence suggested that drinking concentrated pomegranate juice may reduce cholesterol. It was further suggested that drinking a glass of pomegranate juice a day for one year reduced blood pressure (particularly systolic pressure) and slowed down low density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) oxidation.

Many studies so far were small, thus more research is needed to fully evaluate the possible health benefits of pomegranate. Pomegranate juice is generally safe to drink. Most studies have administered a daily helping of 1.5 ounces (45 milliliters) of pomegranate juice with no significant side effects.

super foods For more details, read Pomegranate Juice helps fight Heart Disease among Diabetics

4.
Salmon

super foodsSalmon is a perfect food to substitute meats. It is a good source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids. With more than a decade of solid supporting scientific evidence, no wonder salmon stays on the top five super food list! In 2002, the American Heart Association recommended eating at least two servings of fish a week, particularly fatty fish such as salmon. With increasing public concerns over farmed salmon, choose wild salmon. Most canned salmon are wild.

super foodsFor more details, read Eating Salmon helps lower your blood cholesterol

5.
Dark Greens

super foodsDark green vegetables such as kale, chard, collard greens, bok choy, broccoli, asparagus, green beans etc are packed with vitamins A and C, iron, calcium and phytonutrients. They are very filling, high in fiber and low in calories, making them perfect foods to keep your heart healthy and your waistline slim. The new diet recommendation made by the American Heart Association recommends eating at least 4 servings of vegetables a day from a variety source.

Flax seed in Heart Disease and Cholesterol Lowering heart smart diet healthy nutrition

Benefits of Flax seed

(HealthCastle.com) Its high content of alpha linolenic acids has made the ancient flax seed become our modern miracle food. Alpha linolenic acid is a type of plant-derived omega 3 fatty acid, similar to those found in fish such as salmon. Benefits of flax seed as shown in many studies include lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) levels. Other benefits show that flax seed may also help lower blood triglyceride and blood pressure. It may also keep platelets from becoming sticky therefore reducing the risk of a heart attack.
flax seed health benefits
Other Benefits of Flax seed

Aside from alpha linolenic acid, flax seed is rich in lignan. Lignan is a type phytoestrogen (antioxidant) and also provides fiber. Researches reveal that lignan in flax seed shows a lot of promise in fighting disease -- including a possible role in cancer prevention especially breast cancer. It is thought that lignan metabolites can bind to estrogen receptors, hence inhibiting the onset of estrogen-stimulated breast cancer.

Recent studies also showed positive benefits of flax seed oil in IBD (Crohn's Disease and Colitis). Flax seed oil seems to be able to heal the inner lining of the inflamed intestines.

Moderately include flax seed in your diet. Indeed, a lot of food products contain flax seed such as bread, cereal and bakery goods. Bakers may use flax seed flour or include flax seed in baking.

Low Sodium Diet:

low sodium diet high blood pressure dash(HealthCastle.com) To lower the risk of high blood pressure and other heart diseases, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 updated its guideline on sodium based on the DASH diet. The DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) was tested and established by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute NHLBI. It recommends limiting salt and sodium intake to control blood pressure.

The sodium recommendation made by the Federal Government's National High Blood Pressure Education Program NHBPEP is less than 2400 mg per day (~1 tsp of salt). The Dietary Guidelines suggested an even stricter amount of 2,300 mg daily. For people with heart disease, the American Heart Association recommended not more than 2,000 mg of sodium intake per day.
Where do you find Sodium?

Hiding your salt shaker is not enough to cut back on sodium as 75% of our salt intake comes from packaged foods alone!
Processed Foods High in Sodium

* canned soup
* canned vegetables and beans
* frozen dinners
* cup noodles or instant noodles/ramen
* frozen pizza
* sauce, marinade & dressings
* breakfast bagel and pancake mix
* processed meats such as bacon, ham & sausages
* smoked/cured fish and meat
* crackers & cookies

How do you cut back on Sodium?
The good news is - you can cut down on sodium by simply switching from processed foods to fresh foods. In addition, always look for the low-sodium versions of the packaged food.

* choose fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned
* choose low-sodium broth and soup
* limit cured meats or foods packed in brine; choose fresh meats instead
* limit instant foods such as instant rice & noodles as well as frozen dinners
* rinse and drain canned foods such as canned vegetables if possible

Furthermore, look out for any form of the word "sodium" on the ingredient list. Additives such as sodium chloride, sodium citrate, sodium bicarbonate are a few examples of hidden sodium found in packaged foods.
Understanding Sodium terms

* Sodium Free - Less than 5mg per serving
* Low Sodium - 140mg or less per serving
* Very Low Sodium - 35mg or less per serving
* Reduced or Less Sodium - At least 25% less per serving than reference food
* Light in Sodium - If food is "Low Calorie" and "Low Fat" and sodium is reduced by at least 50%

UK sets Salt Reduction Targets for Packaged Foods

low sodium salt diet high blood pressureUK leads the pack in promoting Sodium Reduction!

Since October 2003, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) of the United Kingdom has been working on educating the public about salt reduction. Their goal is to achieve an average population salt intake target of 6g per day by 2010. On March 21, 2006, the FSA published voluntary salt reduction targets for food manufacturers and retailers to further encourage a reduction in the amount of salt in a wide range of processed foods.

In the salt targets document, FSA specifically limits the amount of salt per 100 g of an array of packaged foods such as meat, canned soup, sauces, and even take-outs. These targets definitely help push the whole food industry in UK to lower the use of salt in manufacturing their packaged foods.
Where do you find Sodium?

Hiding your salt shaker is not enough to cut back on sodium as 75% of our salt intake comes from packaged foods alone!
Packaged Foods high in Sodium

* canned soup
* canned vegetables and beans
* frozen dinners
* cup noodles/soup-to-go
* frozen pizza
* sauce, marinade & dressings
* breakfast cereal
* processed meats such as bacon, ham & sausages
* smoked/cured fish and meat
* crackers & cookies

What is the sodium recommendation in the US?

The sodium recommendation made by the National High Blood Pressure Education Program NHBPEP is less than 2400 mg per day (~1 tsp of salt). This recommendation is consistent with the UK's 6 g salt target (1 g salt roughly = 400 mg sodium). The Dietary Guidelines suggested an even stricter amount of 2,300 mg daily. For people with heart disease, the American Heart Association recommended not more than 2,000 mg of sodium intake per day.
How do you cut back on Sodium?

The good news is - you can cut down on sodium by simply switching from processed foods to fresh foods. In addition, always look for the low-sodium versions of the packaged food.

* choose fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned
* choose low-sodium broth and soup
* limit cured meats or foods packed in brine; choose fresh meats instead
* limit instant foods such as instant rice & noodles as well as frozen dinners
* rinse and drain canned foods such as canned vegetables if possible

Furthermore, look out for any form of the word "sodium" on the ingredient list. Additives such as sodium chloride, sodium citrate, sodium bicarbonate are a few examples of hidden sodium found in packaged foods.

Shopping and eating tips for lower fat eating

Vegetable oils, lard, shortening and table fats like butter, margarine, mayonnaise, and salad dressing are high fat items. Buy less and use less. Choose fat-reduced brands whenever you can. When you cook and bake, reduce the amount of fat called for in recipes. Look for lower-fat recipes and ideas to reduce the fat in traditional recipes.
* Buy milk, cottage cheese, and yogurt that contains no more than 2% butterfat. The lower the fat, the better. Read more about Yogurt here.
* Buy lower fat cheese (15% B.F or less) for regular use and keep the richer cheese (30% or more) for special occasions.
* Buy the leanest cuts of meat and eat only the recommended portion sizes (~3oz per meal). Trim all visible fat from meat before cooking. Include more fish and legumes in your diet.
* When you cook meats, avoid adding extra fat. Use non-stick pans for stir-frying and use a little broth or juice to prevent sticking at the start of cooking.
* Reduce the amount of baked goodies and snack items that you buy. Choose lower fat cookie choices like: arrowroot biscuits; social tea biscuits; ginger snaps; sultana and newton-type cookies. Pretzels and popcorn are lower fat alternatives to chips, cheese flavored snacks or corn chips.
* Choose carefully in restaurants. Most restaurant chains have lower calorie, lower fat options from which to choose.

The value for total fat is a key piece of fat information on the label Although there is a lot of publicity given to the pros and cons of the various types of fat, it is becoming clear that the effects of the various types of fat aren't as simple and predictable as once thought. For this reason, total fat remains the most useful fat information. When comparing brands choose the lower fat product.

Heart Association revises

Diet Recommendations
heart smart diet healthy nutrition


For the first time in history, the American Heart Association (AHA) has set a limit on trans fatty acid intake. Published on the web site of the Circulation Journal on June 19, this 16-page Diet and Lifestyle Recommendation report sets goals for heart disease risk reduction as well as practical suggestions for reaching those goals. This 2006 revision is meant to replace the old guidelines, which were released in 2000.
Summary of the new AHA Heart Diet Recommendations

Vegetables at least 4 servings a day

Fruits at least 4 servings a day

Grains choose whole grains, high fiber

Fish at least 2 servings a week

# Fats Aim: cholesterol: <300 mg
# trans fat: <1% of total kcal
# saturated fat: <7% of total kcal

Salt use little or no salt; aim at 2300 mg of sodium daily (~1 tsp of salt)

Sugar minimize sugary foods and drinks to < 5 servings a week

Alcohol limit alcohol intake to no more than 2 drinks a day for men, 1 drink a day for women





new guideline heart disease prevention american heart associationEditor's Note: New AHA Diet Recommendation is Overdue

This new diet recommendation is long overdue. The AHA released a new set of heart disease prevention guidelines one month ago in the same journal, suggesting that LDL cholesterol should be less than 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L). However, no practical diet recommendations were made on how to achieve this level.
Heart Smart Diet

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Find out if the Heart Smart Diet is right for you. Try a free diet profile now!

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This new recommendation is consistent with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. One new recommendation made by AHA is to limit trans fat to less than one percent of total calories. For an average adult consuming a 2,000 kcal diet, that means no more than two grams of trans fat a day!

Coincidently, KFC was sued by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) last week over their extensive use of frying oil containing trans fat. CSPI claimed that a three-piece meal at KFC contains a startling 15 grams of trans fat. That is seven times more than what AHA recommends!

Over-dressing Your Food Adds a Ton of Extra Calories

These days, there are lots of options for "dressing-up" your favorite foods. Maybe you like creamy sauces, dressings, and dips - just to add a little extra taste. But be careful - you could be adding a ton of extra calories, fat, and sodium to your daily diet, without even realizing it.
Healthy Foods You May be Over-dressing

1. dressing sauce caloriesBaked potato: A baked potato is a good, healthy accompaniment to any meal, right? Well, yes - as long as you stick to eating just the potato.

One medium baked potato has 168 calories, 0 fat, and 14 mg sodium. But, add a tablespoon each of sour cream and bacon bits, and that balloons to a total of 227 calories, 4 g fat, and 144 mg sodium!

2. dressing sauce caloriesSalad: Salad has a well-earned reputation as being a light, healthy meal - and if you're using the right kind of dressing, it can be. But if you're telling yourself a Caesar salad is a light lunch, you might want to think again.

Two cups of shredded romaine lettuce have only 16 calories, 0 fat, and 8 mg sodium. But, add 2 tablespoons of Caesar dressing (a conservative amount), and your salad now has 160 calories, a scary 17 g fat, and an incredible 325 mg sodium! Croutons can add almost another 50 calories, 2 g fat, and 124 mg sodium.

3. dressing sauce caloriesPasta: Pasta can be healthy, filling, and wholesome - especially if you choose a whole grain variety. But drown your pasta in alfredo sauce and you've added way more than just good taste.

One cup of whole wheat pasta has 176 calories, 1g fat, and 4mg sodium. But add a serving (1/4 cup) of alfredo sauce, and suddenly your pasta has 286 calories, 11 g fat, and 364 mg sodium! Topping it off with a tablespoon of parmesan cheese can add another 22 calories.

4. dressing sauce caloriesPopcorn: Air-popped popcorn is a really healthy snack - it's whole grain, and a 3-cup serving has only 90 calories, 1 g fat, and 2 mg sodium. Oil-popped or microwave popcorns usually have double the calories.

If you pop your popcorn in oil, then cover it with 2 tbsp melted butter, your healthy snack ends up packing in 370 calories, 32 g fat, and a whopping 455 mg sodium. Wow!

Potassium and High Blood Pressure

potassium High Blood PressureNot Just Sodium, but also Potassium

(HealthCastle.com) Many of us are aware of sodium restriction to manage high blood pressure. It was not until 2005 when the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans drew much attention to potassium having beneficial effects on high blood pressure.

One of the key recommendations from the guidelines is to "consume potassium-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables".

The guidelines reignited public interest in a well-known diet called the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). The DASH diet, established by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute NHLBI, recommends limiting sodium intake to control blood pressure. In addition, it also recognizes the roles of 3 other minerals in controlling blood pressure - calcium, magnesium and potassium.
Potassium and High Blood Pressure

The benefit of potassium on blood pressure was confirmed by the Third National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES III). Published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in February 2001, data on more than 17,000 adults indicated that adequate potassium intake from fruits and vegetables can lower blood pressure. Results showed that a diet with 8.5 daily servings of fruits & vegetables (providing 4,100 mg of potassium) lowered blood pressure by 7.2/2.8 mmHg (systolic/diastolic) in people diagnosed with high blood pressured, compared to a diet providing only 3.5 servings of fruits & vegetables (providing 1,700 mg of potassium). A study published in the January 2009 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine also showed that people with a low sodium-to-potassium ratio (low sodium, high potassium) are less likely to experience heart diseases

Every day ways to cut back on fat

cut fat The amount of fat you eat will vary from day to day. Some meals and some days will be higher in fat. That's okay. Even high fat meals can be in keeping with healthy eating as long as you balance higher fat meals or days with some lower fat meals or days.

It is the average intake of fat over the course of weeks and months that is important, not the fat content of every food and meal you eat.
Ways to Cut Fat

Scenario: You drink 1 glass of whole/homo milk a day.
Action: Switch to 1% milk and cut out 6g of fat.

Scenario: When you make a sandwich you butter or spread margarine lightly on the bread and use mayonnaise with the filling as well.
Action: Omit the butter on the sandwich and cut out 4g of fat (1 tsp. of butter/margarine). Use light mayonnaise, instead or regular mayonnaise and cut out an additional 6g of fat.

Scenario: You buy lean meat but you like a generous portion......about 6oz of cooked meat for dinner.
Action: Reduce the portion size to the recommended 3 oz and cut out about 9g of fat for beef, pork and lamb and 5g of fat for poultry.

Scenario: You only drink 2 cups of coffee a day but you like double cream in both.
Action: Switch to 2% milk and cut out about 6g of fat. Think about what this means if you drink more than 2 cups of coffee!

Scenario: Everyone at your house loves pizza and you order one in once a week.
Action: Choose a vegetarian pizza with single cheese instead of pizza with the "works" and extra cheese, and cut out 13g of fat for every 2 slices.

Lung cancer

Lung cancer, familial: Lung cancer that recurs in families. Lung cancer can occur sporadically in people with no known family history of lung cancer or it can recur in two or more members of the same family and constitute familial lung cancer.

Vitamin B12 function may be diminished by excessive folate

When folic acid was added to enriched grains, some scientists warned that this was the largest experiment ever done in American history. While folic acid prevents neural tube defects in developing fetuses, the high levels of synthetic folate is apparently , One of the problems is increased homocysteine levels, which is a marker associated with heart disease (a far stronger marker than cholesterol, BTW). This means that people need to make sure to have adequate B-12. High folate and normal to high B-12 is beneficial. For those who do not eat sufficient amounts of animal products, supplements may be advised.

Antidepressants' benefits may be exaggerated

fairly high percentage of studies done on anti-depressants of all types concluded that they did not work nearly as well as claimed. It is interesting because the effectiveness of St. John's Wort was dismissed some time back as a result of one clinical study that had equivocal results. It is likely that many people are experiencing placebo effects when taking these drugs. They make a huge amount of money for the pharmaceutical industry. I have long thought mild to moderate depression was a lifestyle issue. Good diet and exercise along with stress management is probably a better route for those with mild to moderate depression. Severe depression with suicidal ideation is another thing altogether. In any event, no one should discontinue their meds without discussing it with their doctor. It could probably be argued that much of the stress that leads to depression is caused being overworked, living in a polluted environment, not having time to "smell the roses," etc.

Major causes of allergies

Allergies can start with a simple itch. If left untreated it would leave to other complications or even death. If you have one, make sure that you know the cause of your allergy before taking or using medicines that could treat allergies.
One of the most common causes of allergy is food.

What to look for in a herbal supplement

Because people today would like to approach health and well-being the natural way, many are now patronizing and believing in the wonders of herbal supplements. There are now thousands of herbal supplements flourishing all over the international market but not all has the high quality that is worth your money.

Avoiding computer eye strain

With everything that is just a click away, people can’t seem to get their eyes off of their computers. Just like the rest of your body, eyes too can get tired. That is why it is important that you give it a little rest or at least reduce the amount of time that you spend.

Sodium or MSG, should you avoid it?

Many are confused about the benefits and disadvantages of using MSG or sodium in their foods. Contrary to what people belive, sodium is actually important in building a healthier you. Of course, just like all things, having too much or excessive sodium can also be dangerous to one’s health.

Major causes of Heart Diseases

Every year, thousands of people die because of heart disease. The factors contributing to this health condition have been said thousands of times before but some people are still aware of the fact that they are eating food or doing activities that would put their hearts at risk.

Treat High Blood Pressure at Home

High blood pressure can be the deadliest health condition one could ever have. It can attack anytime or anywhere especially if you don’t know how to treat it when you’re outside the hospital. In order for you to avoid complications, as healthy lifestyle is a must and so these home remedies that could help you.

Recommended Breakfasts for Diabetic

By the time that you knew that you have diabetes, everything will change starting from your lifestyle and of course, to the food that you eat. But it doesn’t mean that diabetic must eat the same old boring and bland breakfast the whole time. Below are some of the recommended menus that you can eat.

First cloned human embryo created from skin cell

This appears to be a major breakthrough. Even though the egg in questions was never actually fertilized, it is still an embryo, which means it could conceivably be born. So the right-to-lifers are not gonna be on board with this. Though, the fact that the embryo is a clone of the donor does add an interesting variable. The embryo in this case is not a separate organism in the same sense that an embryo taken from a fertility clinic is. It is made from the donor's DNA and no joining of egg and sperm was involved. Bioethicists sure have their work cut out for them these days.

As an aside, if stem cell therapies result in dramatically increased lifespans or dramatically decreased morbidity, how will this affect the planet? If people continue to reproduce at the same rate, but fewer die, will the population increase exponentially? Will only the wealthy or those in wealthy countries have access to the therapies? Will it lead to increased or decreased costs of healthcare, thus either draining our resources further or freeing them up for other things?

How do I lower my cholesterol?

Small changes to diet and lifestyle can make a big difference to your cholesterol level such as:

• Avoiding ‘bad’ fats and/or reducing saturated fats, limiting other animal fats like cheese, cream, full cream milks and yoghurts and fatty meats. Choose lean meats and low fat dairy products instead. Also cutting down on biscuits, pastries and the like too.
• Choosing ‘good’ fats. Replacing bad fats with polyunsaturated vegetable oils such as sunflower oil and polyunsaturated margarine spreads will have a positive effect on cholesterol levels.
• Eating more vegetables – including 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables everyday and include wholegrain foods in your daily diet.
• Having a healthy lifestyle by aiming for a healthy body weight, quitting smoking, including physical exercise.
• Using a plant sterol margarine spread will also help lower cholesterol absorption.

I would urge you however, if you have any concerns about your cholesterol levels or heart health, your first point of contact should always be your GP. Some people have cholesterol levels that require medication as well as diet and lifestyle changes and your doctor will need to advise you. Keeping a nice close eye on your cholesterol levels is highly recommended because they change over time. Something I didn’t realize until recently was that when women go through menopause and their estrogen levels drop, their cholesterol increases! (but this is another topic!)

I would love to hear your comments and experiences. It doesn’t matter how old you are, it’s never to early or late to love your heart!

So what about total cholesterol?

Total cholesterol is a figure made up from the bad (LDL) and the good (HDL) cholesterol levels. The Heart Foundation recommends the cholesterol level for the general public is ideally should be below 5.5mmol/L or lower. For people at higher risk of heart problems, they suggest a cholesterol level of less than 4.0 mmo/l. Basically, the lower the better

Cholesterol: What is it and what should your level be?

It can be so confusing especially when you hear about ‘good and bad cholesterol’ and then ‘total’ cholesterol – what is the difference? Isn’t it all the same?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance which is found naturally in our blood – in fact it is made by our liver but we also receive a small amount from the food we eat. Without cholesterol our bodies could not perform a number of important body processes like making hormones and vitamin D. Having a low level of cholesterol our blood is natural and healthy but having a high cholesterol level can be dangerous. ‘Bad’ cholesterol gets stuck to the walls of blood vessels, making them harder and narrower so less blood can flow through and around the body. Eventually this spells big trouble for your heart, often leading to heart attack and stroke. ‘Good’ cholesterol on the other hand, takes cholesterol from body tissues back to the liver for re-processing and elimination.

To help keep your heart healthy it is important to keep your ‘bad’ cholesterol low (known as ‘LDL cholesterol’) and your ‘good’ cholesterol high (known as ‘HDL cholesterol’).