Category Archives: health & nutrition

Foods that Fight Colds & Flu Infection

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Since ancient times people have been victims of cold and flu and tried to find a cure for them without success. The common cold is one of the most prevalent causes of illness in the world.
Most adults will have an average of two to four colds each year. During each infection you can expect to spend approximately between 8 to 10 days coughing, sniffling, sneezing, and feeling miserable in general.

The cause of the common cold is the invasion of one of the 200 cold-causing viruses into the cells of your nose and throat. These tiny viruses are practical indestructible.
Antibiotic drugs that destroy bacteria have no change with viruses. Medicines strong enough to kill most cold-causing microbes would probably kill you also in the process, says Dr.McAllister.

The flu, which is also caused by a virus, affects 5 to 20% of the people in the United Sates, of which 36,000 die each year. Fortunately, there is a flu shot that, according to studies, is effective in 70 to 90% of healthy people under age 65, as long as the match between the vaccine and circulating virus is close.

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta), among people over age 65, who are living outside of nursing homes, the flu shot is 30 to 70% effective in preventing hospitalization for the flu, and also for pneumonia. And for people over age 65 who are living in nursing homes, the flu shot is 50 to 60% effective in preventing hospitalization for the flu and pneumonia, and 80% effective in preventing death from the flu.

One of the best strategies you can do is to eat all the best immune-boosting foods you can find, and there are plenty to choose from. According to research, some of the foods we daily eat contain powerful compounds that can help stop viruses from taking hold. Even when you’re already sick, choosing the right foods will ease the discomfort and possibly help you to get better sooner.

You only need a few viruses into your system to start colds and flu. Once they are inside, when your immune system don’t stop them early on, they multiply quickly to enormous numbers, and that’s when you start feeling sick.

One way to stop this invasion is to eat yogurt that contains Lactobacillus recuteri, which is only found in the US in a brand called Stonyfield Farm. Researchers in Sweden gave 262 people either a supplement containing this bacteria or a placebo. After taking the supplement or the placebo for 80 days, the researchers found that people who took the supplement were 2 ½ times less likely to have caught a cold than the ones that took the placebo.

The other, less surprising way to stop the microbial invasion is to eat more fruits and vegetables.
These foods contain a variety of compounds called glutathione, that strengthen the immune system and stimulates it to release large numbers of macrophages, specialized cells that seize viruses and destroy them before they make you sick.

Avocados, watermelons, asparagus, winter squash and grapefruit are all rich in glutathione.
Okra, oranges, tomatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, cantaloupe, strawberries, and peaches are also good sources.

Another powerful compound in many fruits and vegetables is vitamin C. Doctors are debating for years and are still debating, whether vitamin C can help to prevent colds. When you’re already sick, however, taking extra vitamin C has been proven to relieve cold symptoms and help you get better sooner.
Vitamin C appears to strengthen white blood cells, which are essential for fighting infections.

Researchers in Finland found that by taking 1,000 mg vitamin C per day can reduce cold symptoms and shorten the duration of illness by 23%.

To get enough of this important nutrient you have to eat a lot of oranges, broccoli and other foods rich in vitamin C. Drinking orange juice, which contains 61 mg in a 6-ounce serving, is probably your best choice, but cranberry and grapefruit also contain lots of vitamin C.

Benefits from Red Wine
To put up an even stronger defense against the flu, consider filling your glass with red wine instead of juice. A study conducted in Rome found that resveratrol, the polyphenol found in red wine, actually stopped influenza cells from replicating. The best wine to pick for this is Pinot Noir from California, which has the most resveratrol, according to a research at the University of Mississippi.

It’s important to keep in mind, however, that alcohol can come with some unwanted effects. For example, drinking heavily can raise blood pressure and have other damaging effects on your health. So if you do drink, drink in moderation.

Healthy Bulbs
Garlic has always been used for treating virtually every type of infection.
There is also growing evidence that it can help protect against colds and flu.
Garlic contains dozens of chemically active compounds. Two of them, allicin and alliin,
have proved to kill germs directly. Garlic also seems to support the immune system,
by releasing natural killer cells, which destroy even more germs.

However, to get the benefits from garlic you have to eat a lot of it, as much as a whole bulb a day to combat colds and flu, says Elson Haas, MD.director of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin in San Rafael, California, and author of :”Staying Healthy with Nutrition.”

Unless you have developed a taste for it, you probably can’t eat that much garlic.
Microwaving or baking garlic till it’s tender, however, will take away some of the burn and sweeten the taste, says Irwin Ziment, MD, professor emeritus at the University of California, Los Angeles. “The softened garlic seems to be still quite potent ,” he added.

Hot drinks can help
According to research, two traditional treatments for cold and flu – a cup of hot tea and a steaming bowl of chicken soup – are two of the most potent home remedies.
Both of these, besides chile peppers and other spicy foods, contain compounds that can relieve congestion and keeps the immune system strong.

Tea, for example, contains a compound called theophylline, which help break up congestion. Tea also contains quercetin, a compound that may help viruses from multiplying.Instead of black tea, though you may want to sip chamomile. Researchers in London (where else?!) found that people who drank 5 cups of chamomile tea a day for 2 weeks, had increased blood levels of polyphenols. These plant based chemicals have been associated with antibacterial activity.

Chicken soup is another folk remedy that has been proven to be effective. In fact, having a bowl of chicken soup is one of the best ways to relieve stuffiness and other cold and flu symptoms. In laboratory studies, researchers at the University of Nebraska, found that chicken soup was able to prevent white blood cells from causing inflammation and congestion in the airways.

You may also like to try a hot pepper. Jalapenos, ground red pepper (cayenne), and their fiery kin contain a compound called capsaicin, which is similar to a drug used in medications against cold and flu, will help you to breath easy again.
Capsaicin also can stop sickness before it starts. You can get plenty of capsaicin from hot peppers and they don’t need to be fresh to get the benefits. Mixing 1/4 teaspoon of ground red pepper in a glass of water and drinking it can be very effective, “it’s heating but not irritating”, says Dr Haas.

Cholesterol Control

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High Cholesterol levels is the cause of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.
Almost 100 million Americans have cholesterol levels over 200, of these about 34.5 million
have cholesterol levels of 240 or above.

But there is good news for these people. You can control the risk for heart disease by eating foods that contain less saturated fat and cholesterol. This is an efficient way to reduce the amount of cholesterol in your blood.

Facts about Cholesterol
People in general think that cholesterol is bad for you. But as a matter of fact, your body need cholesterol, which is produced in the liver to make cell membranes, sex hormones, bile acids, and vitamin D. You couldn’t live without it. Cholesterol is found in animal foods such as meats, milk, eggs and butter. But if you get too much of it, it becomes dangerous.

This is particularly true for the type of cholesterol called low-density lipoprotein (LDL).When LDL cholesterol circulates in the bloodstream, it undergoes a process called oxidation. In other words, it spoils and becomes rancid. Your immune system react to it as it would to any other invader. Immune cells gobble up the cholesterol molecules. Once engorged, they
stick to the walls of arteries, and hardening into a dense, fatty layer called plaque.When a lot of plaque accumulates, there is less room for blood to flow. Eventually blood flow may slow down and could even stop. When this happens in the arteries that supply the heart, the result is a heart attack. When it happens in the arteries supplying the brain, the result is
a stroke.

Your body has a mechanism for dealing with this threat. Another form of cholesterol, called high-density lipoprotein, (HDL), transports the dangerous type of cholesterol out of the blood and into the liver for disposal. Normally, it does a good job One study found that every one-point rise in HDL cholesterol protects the heart at least as much as a point drop in LDL
cholesterol, reducing risk of a fatal heart attack by 2%. But when cholesterol levels get too high, the HDL cholesterol can’t keep up, and LDL gradually rises to dangerous levels.

Ideally, you want to have high levels of HDL cholesterol and low levels of the dangerous LDL. The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends keeping total cholesterol below 200 milligrams per deciliter of blood. Actually, LDL should be below 130, and HDL should be above 40. An HDL above 60 would be even better to protect against disease.

A good way to keep your blood cholesterol level within healthy limits is to eat no more than 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol a day (a little more than the amount in 11/2 egg yorks). But because the body itself makes cholesterol, limiting the amount of cholesterol in your diet is only part of the solution.

Saturated and Monounsaturated Fat
“The component in food that has the most effect on blood cholesterol levels is saturated fat”, says Mark Kentor, PhD, of the University of Maryland, College Park. Saturated fats, which are found mostly in animal foods such as red meats, milk, egg yolks, butter and cheese, can increase the amount of harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the bloodstream as well as the total amount of cholesterol.

Every day, the Average American eats the fat equivalent of a full stick of butter. Experts strongly recommend to decrease the amount of fat in your diet.

But there is one time of fat you can eat moderate amounts of and that is monounsaturated fat, which you find in avocados, olive oil and canola oil. It can lower levels of bad LDL cholesterol, while leaving the beneficial high-density lipoprotein (HDL) untouched.

Researchers have known for a long time that people in Mediterranian countries where olive oil is consumed every day, have some of the lowest rates of heart disease in the world, even when their cholesterol levels are fairly high.

But we can’t give all the credit to olive oil for all the benefits. People in the Mediterranian region also eat a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables, plus they walk more than Americans and are less likely to be overweight.If you decide to add more olive ol to your diet, use it in moderation, and cut back on all fats.

Health benefits of Nuts
One of the many health benefits of nuts is their ability to reduce the level of LDL cholesterol.an Scientists at the USDA found that nuts contain significant levels of nutrients called plant sterols. These nutrients can lower LDL cholesterol, possibly by keeping your digestive system from absuntorbing the cholesterol in the foods you eat. Researchers in Canada found that when people with high cholesterol levels in their blood, ate 1.8 grams of plant sterols a day, their cholesterol levels dropped by 8%.

You can find sterols in sesame seeds, 144 mg, sunflower seeds, 104 mg and pistachios, 83 mg. in 1/4 cup. Coconut got a bad reputation because it contains more saturated fat than butter, however, more than half of the saturated fat in coconuts is lauric acid. Research discovered that even though lauric acid raises LDL cholesterol, it boosts HDL cholesterol even more.the al So in the long run, this is good for your overall cholesterol profile.

An even more favorable nut than the coconut is the almond. Researchers at Tufts University found that the skin of almonds are rich in antioxidants that help to remove LDL cholesterol. They found that extract of almond skin flavonoids reduced LDL oxidation by 18 % in hamsters.

Eat one to two fistfuls of almonds per day. This amount – 1 to 2 ounces – or raw, unblanchedalmonds each day gives a significant reduction of cholesterol in a University of Toronto study. Even better: the addition of this amount of almonds to the diet didn’t result in any weight gain.

Fiber Support
Besides eating whole grains, beans and fresh fruits to help keep your digestive system in top shape, you will also reduce your cholesterol level by eating these foods. They are filled with soluble fiber, a substance that forms a gummy gel in the digestive tract, which helps lower cholesterol levels.

Researchers from the USDA put 25 people on heart-healthy diets for 5 weeks.
They gave some of the people 3 grams of soluble fiber each day from barley – about the amount in a half-cup. When compared with the other people, who didn’t get the barley, their total cholesterol level dropped by 9%.

The Daily Value of fiber is 25 grams. This is equivalent to eating 2 to 4 servings of fruits, 3 to 5 servings of vegetables and 6 to 11 servings of breads, cereals and grains each day. Eating oatmeal or oat bran cereal several times a week will add even more soluble fiber to your diet. Other good sources of soluble fiber include pinto beans, red kidney beans, Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes.

Benefits from milk and wine.
These two very different beverages may help improve cholesterol levels. Fat free or low-fat milk is best. According to a research, after 4 weeks of consuming 1,060 mg of calcium, 490 mg of phosphorus ( a combination found in dairy products) in supplement form, the cholesterol levels of healthy people were reduced by 6%, compared with people who didn’t get the supplements. One 8-ounce glass of milk contains about a third of the amounts taken in the study.

Another study, conducted in Boston, found that drinking an average of 5 wine drinks a week cut the risk of having dangerously low HDL levels by a whopping 78%. It’s important to keep in mind that drinking more heavily can raise blood pressure, which is another risk factor for heart disease, and can have other damaging effects on your health.

Asian Super food
Asian people eat soybeans and other soy products like tofu, which contain a compound called phytostrogens, which lowers total cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol levels. These compounds help to transport LDL cholesterol from the blood stream to the liver, where it’s broken down and excreted. They also may prevent LDL from oxidizing, which helps to avoid clogging of coronary arteries. To get the benefits of lowering cholesterol levels you have to eat two or three servings of soy foods per day.

Marine Support
Besides watching your cholesterol levels, there is another factor to watch: your level of blood fats called triglycerides. People with high levels of triglycerides are more likely to have low levels of protective HDL. Conversely, lowering your level of triglycerides can help decrease your risk of heart disease.

Salmon, tuna, mackerel and other oily fish contain omega-3 fatty acids, which have proved to lower triglycerides. Omega-3 may raise levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol as well.Fish is also low in calories and saturated fat. To get the maximum benefits from omega-3s, plan on eating 3 to 4 ounces of fish two times a week.

Chile Peppers are Potent Red Hot Healers

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Hot chilies have long been used as natural remedies for coughs, colds, sinusitis, and bronchitis. There is some evidence that they can lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the type associated with stroke, high blood pressure, and heart disease. There is also some evidence that chilies can help prevent stomach ulcers. And research suggests that chilies might prevent cancer.

Weight loss
In the past, Chile peppers were used to stimulate appetite. But ironically, they may do just the opposite.In fact, Chile peppers seem to provide a three-pronged attack against obesity.Eating Chile peppers may help fight off cravings.According to some experts, eating sharp-tasting foods like hot peppers, pickles and tomato juice can overwhelm taste buds, cutting off cravings.

Also, Chile peppers may help you to eat less. Researchers in the Netherlands gave 12 men 0.9 gram of ground Chile pepper, either as a pill or mixed into a tomato juice beverage. Thirty minutes later they turned the men loose at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Compared with men who were given a placebo, the men who had Chile pepper reduced their food intake by 10 to 16%.

Thirdly, it actually requires energy to eat Chile peppers.That’s right! It burns calories to eat them. That’s because the heat you feel when you eat Chile peppers takes energy to produce.

Cancer protection
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh discovered that the capsaicin, the compound that gives Chile peppers their heat, caused pancreatic cancer cells that had been implanted in mice, to die through a process called apoptosis. Pancreatic cancer, one of the most aggressive cancers, is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in the United States.

Another study, this one by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that capsaicin stops the spread of prostate cancer cells. It does that in several ways, including causing cancer cells to commit suicide. Researchers gave animals capsaicin three times a week. After a month, the animals’ prostate cancer tumor growth and seize had decreased significantly

Decongestants
Hot peppers are the ultimate decongestant to clear up a stuffy nose. “A hot chili can work as well as over-the-counter cold remedies”, says Dr. Ziment,”Some of the foods used to fight respiratory diseases for centuries, including hot peppers, are very similar to the drugs we use now.”
The plant chemical that gives hot peppers their sting and makes them so nose-clearing good is capsaicin. It is similar to a drug called guaifenesin, which is used in many over-the-counter and prescription cold remedies, says Dr. Ziment.

Of course, eating a Chile pepper has more of an immediate impact than taking a spoonful of medicine. When you get a hot pepper on your tongue, your brain is slammed with an onslaught of nerve messages. The brain respond to this “Ow!” message by stimulating secretion-producing glands that line the airways. The result is a flood of fluids that make your eyes water,your nose run, and the mucus in your lungs loosen. In other words, Chile peppers are a natural decongestant and expectorant.

Support for heart and stomach
Consuming peppers may lower your risk for heart disease. Capsaicin not only improves circulation, it also decreases the clotting potential of your blood, preventing blockages in the arteries of the heart and brain that can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

In experiments at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute, capsaicin was found to reduce the occurrence of dangerous heart-rhythm disturbances, lower blood pressure, and improve blood flow to the heart. It seems to function in these roles as a natural calcium channel blocker, analogue to some prescription heart drugs,says Dr. McAllister

Interestingly, capsaicin has been shown to lower cholesterol levels in turkeys, eating high-cholesterol diets. Like humans, turkeys are known to develop hardening of the arteries that can lead to heart disease.

For years, doctors advised people prone to ulcers to abstain from spicy foods. Research now suggests the opposite -that Chile peppers may help prevent occurring ulcers. Capcaicin seems to shield the stomach lining from ulcer-causing bacteria by stimulating the flow of protective digestive juices.

Red-Hot Vitamins
Getting more hot Chiles into your diet may strengthen your personal anti aging arsenal, because they are a rich source of the antioxidants vitamin C and beta-carotene (which is converted to vitamin A in the body).Increasing your intake of antioxidant vitamins, researchers believe, may help prevent damage that can lead to cancer, heart disease and stroke, as well as arthritis and a weakened immune system.

One red Chile packs 3 milligrams of beta-carotene, between 30 and 50% of the amount recommended by most experts. Studies show that people who consume more beta-carotene rich foods are not as prone to cancer and heart disease.

Eating the entire pepper-seeds and all-gives you the highest concentration of the healing compound capsaicin and most heat.

Buy fresh Chile peppers that have vivid, deep colors. Their skin should be glossy, firm and taut, and their stems should be hardy and fresh.

Store them in paper bags, instead of plastic. Enjoy them raw, that’s the best way to get the most vitamin C.

The hottest Chile pepper is not necessarily the most healing, so don’t make yourself suffer. Here are a few different type of Chiles, from hot to mild, you may like to try:

* Habanero pepper and Scotch bonnet are among the most mouth-blistering peppers.
* Jalapeno and Fresno peppers weigh in at 50% firepower, compared to the Habanero.
* Hungarian cherry and Anaheim emit more of a glow than a flame and are a good
choice for tamer palates.

Eating to Maximize Energy Levels

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leader of marathon young athlete runner running on road in autumn Park

Carbohydrates are the main energy source for your brain and muscles. They are broken down in our gut and released into our blood stream as glucose. This glucose is used by our brain and muscles as fuel. By supplying our body the carbohydrate it needs at meal times, we are supplying it with the fuel necessary to maximize energy levels and minimize fatigue.

The key to optimizing energy levels is controlling your blood glucose levels. There are many ways of achieving this.

Firstly, when it comes to carbohydrate, it’s important to consider how much you need to eat for your size and activity levels (i.e. the quantity) and to focus on the type of carbohydrate you’re eating (or in other words the quality).

Plants contain carbohydrate, with starches providing more than fruit or veggies. It’s a good idea to ensure that half your meal is fruit or vegetables and allow starches to occupy ¼ of your plate. When choosing which starchy carbohydrates to include in your meal, always focus on two things… variety and fiber content. More often than not, the more natural it is the more fiber it will contain. So eat your carbohydrates as near to how they grew out of the ground as possible. For example, oats, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat and bulgur are all excellent sources of carbohydrate and great suppliers of steady energy.

Another trick is ensuring balance… protein, fat and fiber help to slow down the release of carbohydrate from the stomach into the gut, thereby creating a steady absorption of glucose into the blood stream. There are foods that are naturally quite high in the necessary protein, fat and fiber such as nuts, seeds and avocado which, when added to meals, will have beneficial effects on energy levels. However, another trick is to ensure a healthy balance of the food groups at meal times. As half of the meal should be fruit or vegetables and ¼ starch, aim for the other ¼ of your meal to be a good quality source of protein.

Lastly, another tip is to add soluble fiber to meals. Soluble fiber forms a gel-like matrix in the stomach, thereby slowing digestion and the subsequent release of food from the stomach into the gut for absorption. Good sources of soluble fiber include fruit, vegetables, oats, linseeds or flaxseeds as well as chia seeds.

that protein’s Happy Happy Hemp and Baobab Super Protein is an excellent choice when energy is lacking. High in protein, it is also high in fiber and high in Vitamin C which is proven to help reduce tiredness and fatigue. Adding some to you favorite recipes will help you feel less tired.

A Vegan lifestyle: Plant Based Nutrition

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There is no one right way to eat for everyone. We are all different and what works for one person may not work for the next. However with more and more people choosing to follow a vegan lifestyle I hope this plant-based eating blog will be of interest.

The extent to which plant-based sources can provide excellent sources of nutrition is endless. With a balanced vegan diet, you can help yourself become the healthiest version of yourself. For those starting Veganuary this month, these minimally processed substitute animal products can be seen as ideal replacements.

Tofu and tempeh:
versatile protein-rich alternatives to meat, fish, poultry and eggs.

Legumes:
Beans, lentils and peas are excellent sources of many nutrients.

Nuts and nut butters:
Most nuts are good sources of iron, fibre, magnesium, zinc, selenium and vitamin E with almonds, walnuts and pistachios the most nutritious varieties.

Seeds:
Hemp, chia and flaxseeds are also sources of protein and omega-3 fatty acids Alpha linoleic Acid (ALA). That Protein I Heart Pumpkin and Chia Seeds Super Protein is a great source of ALA.

Calcium-fortified plant milks and yoghurts:
In order to achieve your recommend daily allowance of calcium, opt for fortified varieties with vitamins B12 and D.

Algae:
Spirulina chlorella are sources of complete protein that aren’t animal based, they have added bonus of containing Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA), the most active Omega-3 fatty acid.

Whole grains:
Spelt, amaranth, brown rice protein and quinoa (technically a seed) are all great sources of complex carbs, fibre, iron, B-vitamins and are especially high in protein.

Sprouted and fermented plant foods:
Tempeh, miso, sauerkraut and kimchi all contain probiotics and vitamin K2.

Fruits and vegetables:
Leafy greens such as spinach, kale and bok choy are both particularly high in iron, calcium and other key nutrients.

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF A PLANT-BASED DIET?

Plant-based diets have an array of health benefits including a 15% lower risk of developing or dying from a cancer, reducing symptoms of arthritis and reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Those that follow a plant-based diet also tend to be slimmer than those who don’t, with studies demonstrating vegans have a lower body mass index (BMI) than non-vegans. This lower BMI trend may be caused by a higher dietary fibre with a vegan diet intake which can make you feel fuller. For such health benefits to come to fruition, a well-planned diet that limits processed foods and embraces organic and nutrient-rich ones is crucial. Those who follow poorly planned plant-based diets – just as with badly planned omnivore diets – are at risk of certain nutrient deficiencies. These include a significantly higher risk of having inadequate levels of vitamin B12, vitamin D, omega-3s, iodine, iron, calcium and zinc.

These nutritional requirements are particularly important for children and pregnant women as development can be hindered through nutritional deficiencies. There are however particular elements that every plant-based diet should be aware of.

5 POTENTIAL PLANT-BASED NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES


Protein
A common concern amongst plant-based diets is a lack of sufficient protein. Higher protein diets promote muscle strength and satiety. Protein is of course vital for muscle and bone health but also for our cellular structure, even affecting our skin and hair. With about 20% of the human body made up of protein and as our bodies don’t store protein, it’s important to get an adequate amount from your diet every single day. Thankfully, there are plenty of delicious, protein rich plant-based foods to consider including tofu, lentils, quinoa, hemp, chia and beans.

That Protein is a plant based range of organic super proteins that are all organic and cold pressed and an excellent and easy way to add protein and nutrition to your vegan diet.

You can add to all you fav recipes or make protein shakes. It is also important to vary your sources of protein throughout the day, as each provides different amino acids, vitamins and minerals that are all uniquely important for your health.

Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is a water soluble vitamin that is involved in the function of every cell in the body.

It is particularly important in the formation of blood and the function of the brain. As B12 is critical for life is by far the most important nutrient that plant-based eaters must be concerned with. Palmyra Nectar is an excellent way to get B12 and a range of B vitamins into a vegan diet as this sweet superfood is extremely high in all the B Vits. Nutritional Yeast like Marmite will also add B12.

Vitamin D
The type of Vitamin D we get from the sun isn’t always enough, especially in colder countries such as the UK. This issue is so apparent that it is now widely recommended that everyone supplements with vitamin D in winter months.

With studies suggesting vegans are up to 74% more likely to be deficient that meat eaters, fortified milk alternatives should be consumed.

Omega-3
Omega-3 containing foods, especially those high in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), can help the body produce longer-chain omega-3s such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Foods rich in Omega-3 include, hemp, flaxseeds, walnuts and soybeans.

A daily intake of 200–300mg of EPA and DHA from an algae oil supplement is an alternative preventive measure against Omega-3 deficiency.

Iron
Despite a plentiful dark leafy green diet, without vitamin C very little iron is absorbed and any benefits won’t be obtained. Additionally, the type of iron in plant-based sources contain non-haem iron which is very difficult to be absorbed effectively. With too much iron causing serious health complications, iron supplementation should only be considered where there is documented deficiency.

If these potential deficiencies are enough to consider a complete plant-based diet one step too far, meat-free Mondays are a great way to dip your toe in the water.

A TYPICAL MEAT-FREE MONDAY FOOD DIARY

Breakfast: Porridge with That Protein I Heart Pumpkin and Chia Seed Raw Vegan Super protein is a great start. With almond milk and topped with almond nut butter and a handful of raspberries.
Lunch: Quinoa falafel on a bed of spinach, peppers and pomegranate topped with flaxseed and seeds.
Snack: Brown rice cakes with hummus.
Dinner: An Asian stir fry with tons of vegetables and bok choy, complete with some baked tofu.
Dessert: Fortified coconut yoghurt with blueberries topped with crushed nuts That Protein’s Blissful Brown Rice and Raw Cacao Super Protein and some cacao nibs.

Cancer Prevention from Cherries

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The hard little pits from cherries give a bit more work to eat than most other fruits.
But research suggests that this fruit, which contains a compound called perillyl alcohol,
is worth the bother.

According to Michael Gould, PhD, professor of oncology and medical physics at the University of Wisconsin Medical School in Madison, “perillyl alcohol is about the best thing we’ve ever seen for curing mammary cancer in laboratory animals”
In fact, it shows so much promise that it’s being tried in cancer patients at the University of Wisconsin.

Perillyl alcohol belongs to a group of compounds called monoterpenes. Limonene, which is found in the peel of citrus fruits, also belongs to this family. These compounds have been shown in studies to block the formation of a variety of cancers, including those of the breasts, lungs, stomach, liver, and skin. Expectations from perillyl alcohol are high, mainly because it is 5 to 10 times more potent than limonene, which itself has been proven to be very effective.

It’s not yet known how much perillyl alcohol there is in cherries, but even a small amount of the compound probably has some beneficial effects. So cherries, when eaten as part of a well-rounded diet, can play a small but important role in helping the body ward off cancer.

Vitamin C +
In addition to exotic new compounds, cherries also contain a variety of antioxidants.
Researchers have found that 1 cup of sweet cherries has more than twice as many antioxidants as green tea.

Additionally, a half-cup of sour cherries has 5 mg vitamin C, about 8% of the Daily Value (DV) for this vitamin.
Sour cherries also provide vitamins A and E, and more than in sweet cherries.

The vitamin E in cherries is of particular interest, since one study of postmenopausal women found that those who consumed the most vitamin E had the least risk of heart disease. And there was an interesting twist. The women who got their vitamin E naturally- solely from food -had less risk than women who were taking vitamin E supplements.

The problem with vitamin E is that it is difficult to get the DV of 30 IU from food alone.
In facts, the only foods with a lot of vitamin E are high-fat cooking oil and nuts, but you can’t eat a lot of them.
Cherries are one of the better food sources for vitamin E.

Finally, cherries contain a compound called quercitin.Like vitamin C and other antioxidants quercitin helps to prevent damage caused by free radicals.

Relief from gout and other forms of arthritis
Folklore is full of stories about people who relieved the agonizing pain of gout by eating cherries or drinking cherry juice daily. Although the Arthritis Foundation still says that there’s no absolute evidence to suggest that cherries really can ease the ache of this form of arthritis or any other, many gout sufferers swear by them.

The results of several studies showed that natural compounds in cherries may reduce the painful inflammation from arthritis.The first study conducted at the University of California, Davis, instructed 10 healthy women to eat 45 fresh Bing cherries one day for breakfast. The women were asked not to eat other fruits or vegetables or to drink tea or red wine for the two days before the cherry breakfast, because the researchers were concerned that these other high-oxidant foods would interfere with the results. The researchers measured the women’s plasma urate, a marker for gout, before and after the cherry breakfast. The researchers found that the women’s urate levels decreased significantly after eating cherries, which suggest that cherries might play an important role in fighting gout.

A survey by Prevention magazine found that 67% of readers who tried cherries for gout had good results. Steve Schumacher, a kinesiologist in Louisville, Kentucky, enthousiastically recommends them. He advises people with gout to quit eating red meats and organ meats and also to drink two to three glasses of cherry juice daily. He recommends using pure black-cherry juice diluted with an equal amount of water. “All who have followed this diet faithfully have all gotten results, some within 48 to 72 hours, and some within a week, depending on the severity,” Schumacher says.

Some tips when buying cherries
Fresh cherries are at their best during the summer months.
When buying cherries, check the stems, they should be green with fresh cherries.
Cherries are highly perishable, even when properly stored in the fridge.
So plan to buy only what you’re going to eat right away.
It’s best not to wash them, but store them dry. it’s important, however, to wash them
thoroughly. Cherries arre often coated with a mixture of insecticides, anti fungal oils,
and moisture seals that producers use to keep them fresh.
When you’re tired of munching cherries, you may want to try some juice.
Simply wash, stem, pit, and crush the sherries. Heat them in a saucepan, then
press the mixture through a strainer. Refrigerate several hours, then pour off the
clear juice and add sugar to taste.

The Superior Protection from Buckweat

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Buckweat has been an under appreciated food in America. In the past, if you had a diet rich in buckweat, you would probably be a farm animal. Until recent years, it was primarily grown as feed for livestock. The name may confuse you. It’s not a grain, but a seed from a plant related to rhubarb.

However, buckweat is popular in Japan and some researchers suspect that this may be the reason for the remarkable low cancer rates in Japan. If you’re familiar with Japanese cuisine, you might recognize soba noodles, which contain buckweat. It’s also commonly available in pancake mixes.

Wide protection
Buckweat contains a variety of compounds called flavonoids that have been shown in studies to help block the spread of cancer. Two compounds in particular, quercetin and rutin, are especially promising because they appear to thwart cancer in two ways.

These substances make it difficult for cancer promoting hormones to attach to healthy cells.
They can literally stop cancers before they start. Should cancer-causing substances get into cells, these compounds may be able to reduce damage to the DNA, the body’s chemical blueprint for normal cell division.

Japanese researchers have found that buckweat extract can help interfere with colon and breast cancer in rats.

Keeping blood flowing
The rutin in buckweat plays yet another protective role. Working in conjunction with other compounds, it helps prevent platelets – the components in blood that assist in clotting – from clumping together.
By helping to keep blood fluid, buckweat can play an important role in any heart-protection plan. Rutin has also proved to stabilize blood vessels and help lower blood pressure, thus helping to protect against heart disease. And it act as an antioxidant, protecting your cells from the damaging attacks from free radicals.

Research believe that when flavonoids are combined with vitamin E, which is also found in buckweat, the benefits are even more significant. Fat-soluble vitamin E can neutralize dangerous free radicals, that can damage cells, in the fatty portion of cells. Flavonoids, on the other hand, are water soluble; they attack free radicals in the watery parts of cells.”That puts an antioxidant in both the watery and fatty portions of cells,” says Timothy Johns, PhD, professor at the School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition at McGill University in Montreal.

An Italian Study tested the antioxidant capacity of a number of spices, fruits, cereal products, and other foods. It found that among the 18 cereal products tested, whole-meal buckweat and wheat bran had the highest total antioxidant capacity.

Protein Power
Buckweat is the best known non-animal source of high-quality protein. That’s good news if you are vegetarian or trying to cut back on meat. It also helps to lower cholesterol as well.
We need protein for everything, from healing wounds to producing brain power.

In laboratory experiments, animals that were fed extracts of buckweat protein had significantly lower cholesterol levels than there non-buckweat-eating companions. Levels in the buckweat-fed animals, in fact, were even lower than in animals given soy protein extract, one of the most cholesterol-busting foods.

In addition, buckweat is an excellent source of essential nutrients. “It’s rich in several minerals, most especially magnesium and manganese, but also zinc and copper,” says Dr. Eskin.

One cup of buckweat flour made from whole groats (the grain with the hull removed ) contains 301 mg of magnesium, or 75% of the Daily Value (DV) for this mineral. It also contains 25% of the DV for zinc, 40% of the DV for phosphorus, 27% of the DV for iron, and 20% of the DV for potassium.

Blood Sugar Control
One of the most valuable aspects of buckweat is its ability to help control blood sugar levels in people with adult-onset, or type-2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease.

The carbohydrates in buckweat, amylose and amylopectin are digested more slowly than other types of carbohydrates. This causes blood sugar levels to rise more evenly. While this good for everyone, it’s especially important for people with diabetes, whose blood sugar levels tend to rise steeply and stay high too long. Keeping blood sugar under control has been shown to reduce or prevent many of the serious complications of diabetes, including kidney damage.

Because buckweat is absorbed more slowly than grains, it leaves you feeling full longer. This makes it easier to eat less and thus control your weight.

British researchers found that using buckweat flour in pasta made it more filling. One easy way to get buckweat into your diet is in pancake mixes that contain buckweat flour. You may find that buckweat pancakes “stick with you” than those made with regular flour.

People who are sensitive to gluten who have celiac disease, a serious intestinal problem, caused by gluten found in wheat and other grain products will have no problem with buckweat, because it is free of gluten.

Excellent Source of Vitamin B
Buckweat is also an excellent source of several B vitamins. One cup of buckweat flour contains 37% of the DV for niacin, 35% of the DV for vitamin B6 and 33% of the DV for thiamin.

Niacin helps to transform the food your body uses into energy.Vitamin B6 is needed because it helps the hemoglobin in your red blood cells to carry oxygen, and it plays a role in maintaining a healthy immune system and a healthy nervous system.
Like niacin, thiamin also helps to transform fuel into energy and helps your nervous system.

If you have a sweet taste, some honey producers bottle honey that is made by bees that harvest nectar from buckweat fields. This honey is rich in antioxidants, like phenolic acid, and flavonoids. This honey seems to be particularly powerful. Researchers found that buckweat honey has 20 times more antioxidant activity then any light-colored honey.

However, buckweat honey has a strong flavor that some people call “full body”, but it’s taste is not for everyone.

How to use buckwheat in the kitchen
As already mentioned, buckweat contains no gluten like rice and wheat. Without gluten to hold the grain together, it will turn to mush unless you precook it.

Here is what you can do. Put the buckweat in a hot skillet, and toss gently for 3 to 5 minutes. This expands and strenghtens the outer skin, which will help it stay in tact during the simmering process.

If you’re using kasha (the roasted form of buckweat) that’s been cracked, toss it with an egg white before before adding it to the pan. The albumen in the egg will help to keep it firm. Uncracked kasha however, can be cooked without an egg.

Put the buckweat in a saucepan. Cook it the same way as brown rice.Add two cups of boiling water for each cup of buckweat.
Boiling water will seal the outer shell and keeps the buckweat together during cooking.

Simmer the buckweat, covered, untill all the water is absorbed and the kernels are tender. Cracked kasha will take 8 to 10 minutes, and whole kasha 10 to 12 minutes.

The Great Disease Stopping Power of Brussels Sprouts

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Have you ever wondered how Brussels Sprouts are growing on a farm?
Brussels Sprouts grow in bunches of 20 to 40 up and down the sides of a central stalk that is several feet tall. You may have some other misconceptions about Brussels Sprouts.

You may have unpleasant memories about Brussels Sprouts from your childhood as having a strong and bitter taste, but today their taste has changed.
It’s time to have a fresh look at this vegetable with its undeserved bad reputation.
Today’s Brussels Sprouts taste better than they used to do in the past, and researchers have discovered that they may contain great disease stopping power.

Brussels sprouts are related to cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli. In recent years, Brussels sprouts growers have developed varieties that are sweeter and milder than those you may remember from your childhood. Also, if you are careful to store and cook them properly,you can maximize their tastiness.

Cancer protection
As Brussels sprouts belong to the family of crusiferous vegetables, they are loaded with natural plant compounds called phytonutrients, which may help protect against cancer.
These compounds may be particularly effective against common cancers, like breast and colon cancers.

One of the key protective compounds in Brussels sprouts is sulforaphane. Research from test tubes to lab animals to humans shows that this component can interfere with cancer at many stages of its development. It can keep cancer-causing chemicals from becoming activated in your body; it may trigger cancer cells to spontaneously die; it can prevent new blood vessels from growing to a tumor to feed it; an it may help prevent cancer from metastasizing, or spreading to new locations.

A study which reviewed 80 studies looking at the relationship between consumption of brassica vegetables (such as Brussels sprouts0, found that most showed a link between higher consumption of these vegetables and a lower risk of cancer. The results were most consistent with cancer of the lungs, stomach, colon, and rectum.

Brussels sprouts contain another protective phytonutrient called indole-3- carbinol, or I3C.
This compound works as an antiestrogen, that means it helps break down your body’s estrogens before they contribute to the growth of cancer cells. It also helps boost the production of certain enzymes that help clear cancer-causing toxins from the body.

Lab tests have shown that I3C inhibits the growth of a variety of types of cancer cells, including breast, prostate, endometrial, colon, and leukemia.

In one small study, researchers in the Netherlands found that people who ate more than 10 ounces of Brussels sprouts (about 14 sprouts) a day for one week had levels of protective cancer-fighting enzymes in their colon that were, on average, 23% higher than people who did not eat Brussels sprouts.

There are also well-known vitamins, minerals and other substances that can help fight off cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol, and a host of other health problems.
Topping this list is fiber. Brussels sprouts are a decent source of fiber, with about 3 grams in a half-cup serving.That’s more than you get in a slice of whole-grain bread.

When you eat your daily portion of Brussels sprouts it will help you to avoid all the conditions that a diet rich in fiber is known of to prevent : constipation, hemorrhoids, and other digestive complains.

A half-cup of Brussels sprouts also provides 48 mgs of vitamin C, more than 80% of the DV for this vitamin. It also provides 47 mgs of folate, about 12% of the DV. Folate, a B vitamin, is essential for normal tissue growth, and studies show that it may protect against cancer, heart disease, and birth defects. Women who are on birth control pills often have low levels
of this important vitamin.

Tips on how to cook Brussels sprouts.
To allow the tough stems to cook as quickly as the leaves, make an “X” on the bottom of each stem, using a sharp knife. Then steam them for 7 to 14 minutes, until they’re just tender enough to poke with a fork.

The big sulfur smell thrown off by these little cabbages discourages some people from taking advantage of their healing power. Add a celery stalk to the cooking water, it will help to neutralize the smell.

Use them quickly.
Although you can keep them for a week or longer in the refrigerator, they start to get bitter after about three days, Which may discourage you and your family from eating them and reaping their benefits. Buy only as many as you need in the next couple of days.

BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL

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High blood pressure is often called “the silent killer”. But although high blood pressure works quietly, it’s frequently deadly. Since high blood pressure usually causes no symptoms, you might not even know that you have it until you develop a serious health problem.

“High blood pressure is just a reflection of a cardiovascular system that’s about to burst internally”, says John A. McDougall, MD, medical director of the McDougall Program in Santa Rosa, California, and author of “The McDougall Program for a Healthy Heart.” But if you eat a good diet – lots of fruits and vegetables and whole grains versus rich foods – you can
help to change all that,” he says.

According to the National Institute of Health, nearly one in three adults has high blood pressure.
By eating a healthy diet, you can make sure that you will not be one of them.

Hypertension
Your blood pressure can vary during the course of the day, even from minute to minute. Your heart pumps blood throughout your body through a system of arteries.With every heart beat a new wave of blood is sent out and your blood pressure goes up. This is your systolic blood pressure. Between beats, your heart briefly relaxes and the pressure subsides.
This is your diastolic blood pressure. When you have your blood pressure tested, you’re given two numbers ( your systolic over your diastolic ) measure in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).A sample blood pressure might be 135/68 mm Hg.

All your organs depend on a reliable blood flow that courses through your delicate “plumbing”.When you develop chronic high blood pressure, or hypertension, trouble follows.

High-pressure blood whooshes through the arteries with damaging force. Your heart has to struggle harder to push out the blood, and it may grow enlarged and unable to bear the extra strain. Your arteries, which should be elastic and flexible, may more rapidly grow stiff and narrow. They may deliver less blood to your organs, and a blood clot can more readily get “stuck” and totally block the flow, causing a heart attack.

In most cases, doctors don’t know the exact cause of high blood pressure. But they do know the preventable lifestyle factors that increase your change of getting into problems:
being overweight or obese, excessive use of alcohol , a diet that contains too much salt or too little potassium, smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, chronic stress, and taking certain medications.
Other risk factors can’t be changed: your age ( high blood pressure is more common in middle age and after), your race (it’s more common in African Americans than Caucasians),and family history of high blood pressure.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Heart Association use the following classifications to identify normal and high blood pressure:

Blood Pressure Classification Systolic Blood Pressure Diastolic Blood Pressure
Normal less than 120 less than 80
Prehypertension 120 – 139 80 – 89
Stage 1 hypertension 140 – 159 90 – 99
Stage 2 hypertension more than 160 more than 100

Even if your blood pressure falls into the normal or “prehypertension” categories, it’s not time to breathe a sigh of relief. Your risk of death from heart disease or stroke rises progressively as your blood pressure goes up in theses early stages.
In other words – you need to get starting concerned well before you have a diagnosis of hypertension.

Research from the major, long-running Framingham Heart Study shows that having systolic blood pressure between 130 and 139 or diastolic blood pressure between 885 and 89 may more than double your risk of cardiovascular disease versus having blood pressure in the “normal” range.

According to the NIH, people in the prehypertension category should be “firmly and unambiguously advised to practice lifestyle modifications in order to reduce their risk of developing hypertension in the future.”

Mild high blood pressure responds well to non drug therapies. If you feed and exercise
your body well, you may be able to avoid blood pressure drugs (and their often
troublesome side effects ) and calm your rushing blood. Don’t be misled by the “mild”
label, though. “Most heart attacks and strokes that occur does in people with stage 1
high blood pressure,” says Norman Kaplan, MD, professor of internal medicine and
hypertension specialist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.

Give Your Heart a Break
Losing weight – even just 10 pounds – can reduce your blood pressure or prevent you
from developing hypertension. There is a connection between excess weight and
hypertension. The more tissue you have in your body, the harder your heart has to pump
to feed it. And that work exerts more pressure on your artery walls.

Everybody knows that loosing weight is easier said than done. But exercise makes it
easier. And the best weight loss diet is the same as the best diet for controlling blood
pressure: low fat and lots of fruits and vegetables.

Facts about Salt
Experts believe that many people with high blood pressure are salt “responders”,
meaning that their blood pressure levels depend on the amount of salt they eat.
“But there is some controversy about the issue”, says Prof. Lawrence Appel.

“Some people have a greater response than others. Older people tend to be more
sensitive to salt. If you eat more than the recommended 2,400 mg limit – your
blood pressure rises.If you’re sensitive to salt, the sodium it contains makes your body
attract more water like a sponge. You soak it up and your blood vessels expand with it
producing higher pressure.

“If you have high blood pressure, your salt intake has to be reduced by half”, says
Dr. Kaplan. “Don’t put salt on the table or in the food you cook.Avoid most processed
foods, which is where 80% of the sodium in American diets comes from. If that doesn’t
bring your blood pressure down, then sodium isn’t the culprit”, he says.

According to the NIH, reducing sodium in your diet to no more than 2,400 mgs daily
(equal to about a teaspoon table salt) will lower your systolic blood pressure by
2- 8 mm Hg. An even better goal is to reduce your daily sodium intake to 1,500 mgs,
or 2/3 teaspoon, to lower your blood pressure even further.

Mining for Minerals
Potassium and calcium are two minerals that help the blood vessels relax.
When arteries relax, they dilate, or open up and give blood the room it needs to
move calmly.

You can think of potassium as the opposite of sodium, potassium helps the body
excrete sodium. The more potassium you get in your diet, the more sodium you get
rid of. Fruits and vegetables are naturally low in sodium and high in potassium.
A diet high in vegetables and fruits almost mimics a vegetarian diet, which is known
to be linked to lower blood pressure.
Foods that are rich in potassium includes beans, potatoes, avocados, bananas and
apricots.

Calcium has shown similar ties to blood pressure in studies. Some have found that
low intake a actually a risk factor for developing high blood pressure.
Since regular diary foods contain saturated fat, it’s wise to make sure that you get
your calcium from low-fat or fat-free dairy products.

Besides low-fat diary products, your best sources of calcium include tofu, kale,
broccoli, and collard greens.

Sodium appears in many foods in which you might not expect it. Baking soda and
baking powder are both sodium bicarbonate. Dried fruit contains sodium sulfate,
and ice cream often has sodium caseinate and sodium alginate.

Instant chocolate-flavored pudding. A half-cup contains 470 mg sodium.
Ketchup. One tablespoon contains 156 mg sodium
Pastries. A fruit Danish has 333 mg of sodium, while a cheese Danish has 319 mg.
Scones and baking- powder biscuits also tend to be high in sodium.
Cheese. Most types are high in sodium. This includes cottage cheese, which has
425 mg in a half-cup serving.

Eating Right
For starters, you should practice what Dr. Appel calls “active shopping”.
In other words: Read the nutrition labels and be sure to look at the sodium content.
Sodium-free is a good phrase to look for a label, so is low-sodium.
The word “light” is, however, is not as conclusive. Light soy sauce, for example,
can still have 605 mg sodium per tablespoon. “No salt added” doesn’t mean
a food is sodium free, either.

Bread too is occasionally high in salt. If you buy bread fresh at a bakery, where it isn’t
labeled, don’t be shy about asking how much salt is in each loaf.

When you’re buying canned foods, salt can be a real problem. In many cases, however,
rinsing the food will eliminate a good percentage of the salt.

Since produce is the cornerstone of a diet for healthy blood pressue, you should always be
looking for ways to eat more fruits and vegetables. Here are a few of Dr. Lin’s suggestions:
* Buy prepackaged salads for busy days ( best to rinse it before using, however.
* Order a fruit plate as an appetizer before your meal at a restaurant.
* Eat two vegetarian dinners per week.

When you’re buying produce, make sure you choose some oranges, apples and pears.
These fruits are fiber kings. And heart researchers are starting to find that not only fiber
decrease dangerous cholesterol, it may also lower blood pressure.

Finally, it’s essential to reduce the amount of fat in your diet. Dr. Lin recommends making
small, gradual changes that will cut the total amount of fat you use in half.
Buy butter substitutes and trans-fat-free versions of margarine. Use mustard instead of
mayonnaise, and snack on low-salt pretzels instead of potato chips.

The Mighty Nutritional Value of Beans

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Beans are an excellent way to add to a healthy diet. Although they are small in seize, they are packed with a variety of nutrients which are vital for good health.
Firstly, they are full of fiber. “They are one of the better sources of fiber there is,” according to Joe Hughes, PhD, assistant professor in the nutrition and food sciences program at California State University in San Bernardino, who has beans at the center of his research.

What’s so good about this is that they have a high content of soluble and insoluble fiber, which causes different effect in the body. Besides beans, oats are also one of the few other foods which are high in both types of fiber. But you can use beans in many more other type of dishes than oats.

Besides fiber, beans are also rich in minerals, protein, and surprisingly: antioxidants.

Although beans are not the only food that help lower cholesterol levels, they certainly are one of the best. The soluble fiber is the same gummy stuff found in apples, barley and oat bran.
In the digestive tract, soluble fiber traps cholesterol-containing bile and remove it from the body before it gets absorbed.

“Eating a cup of cooked beans a day can lower total cholesterol by 10% in 6 weeks, “ says Patti Bazel Geil, MS, RD, a diabetes educator and nutrition author in Lexington, Kentucky, who has written about the benefits of beans. While 10% doesn’t seem like much, keep in mind that every 1% reduction in total cholesterol means a 2% less risk for heart attack.

Beans can lower cholesterol in just about anyone, but the higher your cholesterol content, the better they work. In a study at the University of Kentucky, 20 men with high cholesterol ( over 260 milligrams per deciliter of blood ) were given about 3/4 cup of pinto and navy beans per day. The men’s total cholesterol dropped an average of 19% in three weeks, possibly lower their risk of heart attack by almost 40%. Even more remarkable, the dangerous low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol – that’s what cause the blocking of arteries, plunged by 24%.

Apparently all beans can help to lower cholesterol levels, even canned baked beans.
In another study at the University of Kentucky, 24 men with high cholesterol ate 1 cup of canned beans in tomato sauce every day for 3 weeks. Their total cholesterol dropped by 10.4 %, and their triglycerides ( another blood fat that contributes to heart disease)dropped 10.8 %.)

In further research into the cholesterol-lowering effects of beans and other legumes, authors of a report in the British Journal of Nutrition compiled the findings of 11 studies that looked at the relationship between cholesterol and different types of legumes, such as pinto beans, chickpeas, white beans, and mixed beans ( except soybeans).
They found that the beans in these studies lowered total cholesterol by 7.2%, LDL (bad)
cholesterol by 6.2%, and triglycerides by 16.6%. The soluble fiber in these foods appeared to be the most important factor responsible for their cholesterol lowering effect.

Steady Blood Sugar
Keeping steady blood sugar levels is vital to keep diabetes under control.
“Many people don’t realize how good beans are for people with diabetes,” says Geil.
In fact, eating about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of beans a day has proved to significantly improve
blood sugar control. And beans provide yet another benefit for people with diabetes,
she says.”People with diabetes have a four to six times greater change to develop heart
disease,” she says.”Eating more beans will keep their cholesterol low, thereby reducing
their risk.”

Beans are also rich in complex carbohydrates. Not like sugarly foods, which dump sugar
(glucose) into the bloodstream all at once, complex carbohydrates are digested more slowly. This means that the glucose enters your bloodstream a little at a time, and helping to keep blood sugar levels steady, says Geil.

The effect that food has on blood sugar is commonly measured on a scale called the
Glycemic Index. The lower the GI, the better. Beans have a low GI, which is very good,
because of their soluble fiber, says Dr. Hughes. This should be good news for the 21 million Americans with diabetes, and the 54 million with “prediabetes,” a condition that
causes a rise in blood sugar and usually occurs in people before they develop diabetes.

Unfortunately, Americans only eat 17 grams of fiber daily, on average – and people with
diabetes only eat 16 grams – according to a survey from the federal government.
The American Dietetic Association recommends 25 grams daily.

Something nice about beans is that you can buy them in many varieties – and you can
prepare them in different ways – which makes it easy to eat beans even more than once
a day in relatively large quantities to benefit from their fiber content, says Dr. Hughes.

Cancer-Licking Legumes
As we all know, fruits and vegetables are the foods rich in antioxidants.
To prove this fact, the USDA researchers compiled the antioxidant capacity of hundreds
of foods in the American diet and many of these foods stood out.
The Granny Smith apple, for example, scored a 5,381 on the measurement of total
antioxidant capacity per serving. The artichoke scored 7,904 and the low bush blueberry
got a hopping 13,427. But several beans more than held their own, too.
The pinto bean scored 11,864 and the red kidney bean scored 13,259!

Beans are rich sources of phytochemicals, which are plant components that have
antioxidant and other disease fighting properties, says Dr. Hughes.
Beans may contain hundreds of types of antioxidant chemicals.
If you can remember what I have written in my previous articles, that antioxidants
help to protect you from cancer by limiting damaging attacks on your cells from
free radicals. Also, unlike some antioxidant rich plant foods like blueberries,
you can put lots of different beans on your plate, meal after meal, without getting
bored or overwhelmed by the flavor.

Some other compounds in beans – like lignans, isoflavones, saponins, phytic acid,
and protease inhibiters – have proved to inhibit cancer cell growth.
These compounds appear to keep normal cells from turning cancerous and prevent
cancer cells from growing.

The Healthy Alternative to Meat
Beans used to be called the ” poor man’s meat”. But a more accurate name would be
the healthy man’s meat. Like red meat, beans are loaded with protein. But unlike
meat, they’re low in fat, particularly dangerous, artery-glogging saturated fat.
For example, a cup of black beans contains less than 1 gram of fat and less than 1%
of that comes from saturated fat. Three ounces of lean, broiled ground beef on the
other hand, has 15 grams of fat, of which 22% is of the saturated kind.

Beans are also a great source of vitamins and minerals. A half cup of black beans
contains 128 micro grams, or 32% of the Daily Value for folate, a B vitamin that may
lower risk of heart disease and fight birth defects. That same cup has 2 milligrams
of iron, 11% of the Daily Value, and 305 milligrams of potassium, or 9 % of the DV.
Potassium is a mineral that has been shown to help control blood presure.

The darker the beans, the more antioxidants they contain. Black beans also contain
more fiber, about 6 grams.
If you don’t have the time to cook you can buy canned beans as they contained their
nutrients. Only they may have a higher sodium content.

If you have a problem with uncomfortable and embarrassing gas, start eating beans
once a week and the next month twice a week, for example.
It may also help to add ground ginger to the beans.