The Top 10 Healthy Foods We Never Eat
Posted on April 30, 2008
Filed Under Nutrition, Health
There are many healthy foods that never see the inside of a shopping cart or in your fridge. Some you’ve never heard of, and others you’ve simply forgotten about. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best of the bunch. Make a place for them on your kitchen and you’ll instantly upgrade your health with no a prescription.
1. Cabbage - Cabbage is a vegetable few people really appreciate, but it’s truly a dieter’s
friend. It’s strong-flavored, but it’s this feature that makes it enjoyable in certain dishes.
This leafy vegetable ranks right up there with broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts with a reputation for fighting cancer. It’s also a good source of vitamin C, fiber, potassium, and other nutrients. Cabbage also offers a major payoff — the fewest calories and least fat of any vegetable. This powerful veggie is a must for dieters trying to lose weight. From green cabbage you’ll enjoy a fiber boost and a respectable amount of vitamin C. Two types of cabbage, savoy and bok choy, provide beta-carotene — an antioxidant that battles cancer and heart disease. For those who don’t eat dairy products, bok choy is an important source of calcium, which may help prevent osteoporosis and aid in controlling blood pressure.
2. Blueberrys - are the best fruit because they contain the most antioxidants, significantly
less pesticides are used in their cultivation, and they are the least perishable of all berries. They are high in vitamins A, C, and E, and contain significant amounts of potassium, manganese and magnesium. Recent studies have shown that eating blueberries may improve memory, intelligence, and coordination.
Consuming blueberries au naturel is a good idea, since heat diminishes the benefits of the phytonutrients they contain. (Health experts agree that eating cooked berries, fresh or frozen, still provides significant benefits.)
3. Spinach. There are many reasons to enjoy the dark green leafy vegetable known as
spinach. For many years spinach has been touted as a health food, and this superfood certainly lives up to its reputation. Spinach is a rich source of many important vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, iron, calcium and beta-carotene.
Spinach is also a rich source of dietary fiber, thought to play an important role in protecting the body from many forms of cancer. As a matter of fact, the compounds contained in spinach are being studied for their possible role in preventing many forms of cancer, including such major killers as lung cancer. One reason may be the high concentration of vitamin K found in spinach. Vitamin K has long been associated with cancer prevention, and spinach is one of the very best sources of this vital nutrient. Read more
Learning to Listen to Your Body
Posted on January 11, 2008
Filed Under Life, Health
“Each patient carries his own doctor inside him. They come to us not knowing that truth. We are at our best when we give the doctor who resides within each patient a chance to go to work.”
- Albert Schweitzer, M.D.
One of the most important ways for you to become a healthy person is to learn to listen
closely to what your body tells you, to recognize what it needs and desires in order to feel fit and comfortable. When you listen long and hard enough to your body, you will begin to differentiate sensations and feelings.
Can you feel any tension in your neck? Are your knees locked or at ease? Can you feel all 10 toes on the ground? Is your breath long and smooth or short and fast?
Reality is, most of us are focused on our external environment most of the time. We use our minds so much to accomplish and discriminate that we often lose awareness of the body our mind inhabits. Some of us even seem to have “disinherited” our bodies for various reasons, such as harsh judgments about our physical condition, aches and pains, chronic disease, abuse or simple neglect.
Regardless of your particular circumstances, you know you inhabit a body. However, can you feel your body right now? Can you compassionately observe your own body without judgment, simply being aware and present to what is going on right now? Here are a few tips on how to get started.You can begin right now by observing your body by feeling your breath coming in through your nose and flowing down into your lungs. Allow your awareness to stay focused in your chest area, appreciating your capacity to breathe without even thinking about it. Your mind may wander off. If it does, simply bring it back to feeling the breath with patience and no harsh judgment about yourself. Read more
Eat by Color for Optimum Health
Posted on January 7, 2008
Filed Under Nutrition, Health
Both doctors and nutritionists suggest eating a variety of foods rich in color in order to obtain the highest levels of protection of the health of antioxidants in your diet. Each color you see that occurs naturally in foods is due to an antioxidant, which protects the body in his own way.
We all know that fruits and vegetables are good for us, but here’s a list of what the different colors mean for your health:
- - The color: Reds such as strawberries, red grapes, beets, papayas, and tomatoes.
The payoff: Improves blood flow to the heart, protects against Alzheimer’s disease. Rich in lycopene, a carotenoid that appears to reduce the risk for prostate cancer.
- - The color: Greens like kiwi, pears, broccoli, spinach, avocado and peas. The payoff: Helps build strong bones and teeth and protects your vision. Rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect the eyes from cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, as well as sulforaphane, which helps ward off cancer.
- - The color: Blues/Purples like figs, blueberries, eggplant, prunes and cabbage. The payoff: Protects your memory, helps your urinary tract stay healthy. Rich in antioxidants called anthocyanins, which may protect against cancer, and cell damage caused by aging. Read more
The Secret of Scent: The Wonderful Health Benefits of Aromatherapy
Posted on December 13, 2007
Filed Under Life, Health
Aromatherapy treats mind and body together. The scent of the essential oils used can have a powerful effect on the emotions while the oils’ chemistry affects the body.
Aromatherapy refers to the use of essential oils extracted from herbs, trees and plants
for therapeutic purposes. The oils are obtained by steam distillation, expression (squeezing the oil from peel), maceration (immersing the plant in hot oil to release the essence) or effleurage (pressing flowers between oiled glass plates).Today, most practitioners of aromatherapy use about 40 different scents, either on their own or in various combinations, to relieve stress, invigorate the body and promote well-being. Generally, the scent is mixed with a neutral oil (like vegetable oil) and spread over the body in a massage, added to bathwater or inhaled.
Types of Aromatherapy:
- Cosmetic Aromatherapy Cosmetic aromatherapy uses essential oils in facial, skin, body and hair care products. Essential oils can be toning, cleansing, drying or moisturizing. Certain oils are appropriate for various skin and hair types. An aromatherapy facial demonstrates the versatility of essential oils in promoting healthy skin. A full-body or footbath is a simple way to experience cosmetic aromatherapy on a personal level. A few drops of the appropriate oil in a warm bath will create a rejuvenating, revitalizing experience. The Ancient Egyptians are believed to have been the first to employ essential oils for beautifying purposes, thereby becoming the first aroma therapists some 5,000 years ago.
- Psycho-Aromatherapy Psycho-Aromatherapy is the influence of scents on moods and emotions. The Psycho-Therapeutic Aromatherapy and Perfumery is the use of essential oils in perfumery and for the psycho-therapeutic effect. In this form, the oils are usually inhaled directly, or sometimes indirectly by infusing into a room. Psycho-aromatherapy shares similarities with aromachology, the perfume industry’s study of the effects of both natural and artificial aromas. Psycho-aromatherapy sets itself apart, however, by dealing solely with natural essential oils. Read more
Brain Software: Mind-reading Brain Implant could give Paralyses Man a Voice
Posted on November 19, 2007
Filed Under Life, Health
It is eight years since a car accident left Ramsey “locked-in” - aware but paralyzed and unable to communicate other than through eye movements. By listening in on a tiny population of cells in his brain, neuroscientists hope to give him back his “voice” - a first for someone with his problems.
- Ramsey had a wireless electrode implanted 6 millimeters or so below the surface of
his brain in 2004 . The electrode records the electronic pulses sent by 41 neurons that surround it in an area of the brain involved in generating speech. By analyzing the signals created when Ramsey imagines speaking, the team has developed software that may one day turn his thoughts into speech.
- For now, the team is focusing on the building blocks of words. In a series of experiments over the last few years, Ramsey has imagined saying three vowel sounds: “oh”, “ee” and “oo”.
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