Category Archives: health & nutrition

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.

Soy Foods – Controls Your Weight

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This highly versatile food is loaded with beneficial nutrients, like fiber, omega-3 fatty acids,
low-fat protein, and a series of important vitamins and minerals. Also, it’s low in saturated fat,cholesterol and calories. When you take soy you get many of the health benefits you usually find only in fruits and vegetables. Soy can lower your risk of heart disease, and because it contains less fat and calories than meat, it can also help to control your weight.
Once hidden in Asian supermarkets and health food stores, soy is decidedly mainstream.
Sales of soy foods in the United States have skyrocketed – from $300 million in 1992 to $3.9 billion by 2004.

The new bottom line on soy? Choose it if you are looking for new alternatives to high-fat
mainstream protein products like meat and cheeses.
Skip it, if you never loved the taste of it.
And if you are at risk for breast and prostate cancer, be cautious ( the jury’s still out on
whether plant hormones in soy might stimulate tumor cells).Here’s what you need to know.

Soy foods faced big setbacks in 2005, when a US government panel decided that there was
protect bones from osteoporosis. In response, the National Institute of Health said it would
stop paying for new soy studies. That fall, soy producers withdrew a petition that asked
the FDA to permit food labels to claim that soy protein helps prevent cancer.
Behind these changes were new studies that put soy foods in perspective.

Modest cholesterol benefits
An American Heart Association review of soy research concluded that a daily dose of soy
might cut cholesterol by just 3%. The panel said the slight drop was probably due to the
fiber in soy and low fat, not to estrogen – like isoflavones in the beans.

No significant help for hot flashes
Out of eight randomized controlled trials of soy foods, only one found a significant reduction in the frequency of hot flashes, according to a report from the Oregon State University’s Linus Pauling Institute. While three out of five studies of soy isoflavone extracts found that isoflavones did help, they only cooled hot flashes by about 10% to 20%. And soy didn’t
improve vaginal dryness at all.

Doubt about cancer protection
While eating soy foods in childhood may help protect against breast cancer in adulthood,
studies have found that eating soy as an adult didn’t seem to help at all, according to Linus
Pauling Institute experts. Researchers had thought that the plant estrogens – called isoflavones- in soy could protect against breast cancer, triggered by more potent human estrogens, but studies showed that it doesn’t seem to help.

Soy Safety
Experts advice to be careful with soy products – especially for women who’ve had breast
cancer or are at risk. Because the isoflavones, which researchers worry, could have an impact on estrogen-fueled breast cancers.According to soy experts from the National Cancer Institute there is not enough evidence to say whether soy foods or supplements increase risk for developing breast cancer, or having a recurrence. Prostate cancer survivors
should be cautious too, say Tufts University cancer experts.
Even if you like soy and have no cancer risk you shouldn’t have more than 50 to 70 milligrams of isoflavones per day. That’s the equivalent of 1 to 2 (8-ounce) cups of soy milk or 6 to 9 ounces of tofu

Good reasons to Try Soy
For most people, soy foods like tofu, tempeh, and other meat replacements made with soy,
can be a healthy replacement for higher fat content meats and cheeses. “There are lots of reasons to add soy to your diet just from a basic nutritional perspective,” says prominent
soy researcher Mark Messina, PhD, of Loma LInda University in California.
For example, a half-cup of tofu provides about 20 grams of protein, or 40% of the Daily
Value (DV). The same half cup supplies about 258 milligrams of calcium, or more than 25%
of the DV, and 13 milligrams of iron, or 87% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
for women and 130% of the RDA for men.

While soy foods are moderately high in fat, most of the fat is polyunsaturated.
Soy foods contain little of the artery-clogging saturated fat found in meat and many dairy foods, says Dr. Mesina.

How to Eat Tofu
You can eat tofu anyway you like. It has little taste of its own but it takes on the flavor
of whatever you cook it with. You can use it in soups, vegetable dishes or desserts.
There are two main types of tofu.

Firm Tofu
It has most of the water removed, making it more solid.
Soft (or silken) tofu
It contains more water, giving it a soft, creamy texture.
It is often used for salad dressings and desserts.

Rinse both types with cold water before using.
Keep it submerged in fresh water or frozen.
Remove excess water which will help the tofu to maintain its shape during preparation.

Tempeh
These are chunky, tender cakes, made from fermented soybeans, that have been laced
with mold, giving them their distinctive smoky, nutty flavor.
You can grill tempeh or add it to spaghetti sauce.

The Secret to a Healthy Heart

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From the time when the fruits of fermentation were discovered, wine has been a welcome guest.
Not only at dinner tables, but also at weddings, religious rituals and even in doctors’ offices.

Not so long ago, however, scientists began to investigate the actual health benefits of drinking wine.
And the findings they’ve uncorked are enough to make any wine lover raise his glass and say “Salut!”

When sipped in moderation, particularly red wine, can help lower cholesterol and prevent hardening of the arteries and heart disease. Also, studies discovered that it can kill the bacteria that cause food poisoning and travelers’ diarrhea. Obviously, experts don’t recommend that people start guzzling wine rather than sipping it or that people who don’t drink should suddenly start. Rather, what the evidence suggest is that moderate drinking can be a helpful addition to a healthy diet.

For many years, scientists were amazed that their French allies indulged themselves in cigarettes, buttery croissants, and fatty pates – and were still 2 1/2 times less likely to develop heart disease than their supposedly healthier American counterparts.

Researchers are still investigating the so called French paradox, but it appears likely that the French have healthier hearts, at least partly because of their preference for red wine.
These wines are rich in compounds that help lower cholesterol and prevent harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol from sticking to the lining of artery walls – the process that leads to heart disease.
Red wines also help blood platelets from sticking together and forming dangerous clots.

Heart Protection
Red wine keeps your pump primed in complex ways. There are several chemical compounds at work, and some of them have more than one benefit. As a start, the alcohol in red wine may be beneficial. People who drink small amounts of alcohol seems to have increased protection from heart disease, studies proves.

According to research, the reason is that ethanol, or alcohol, in spirited drinks raises levels of good cholesterol , heart-protecting high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Beer and other alcoholic drinks have some benefits, but wine is the only one with health-promoting polyphenols.

The reason for its superior protection is that wine contains powerful flavonoids, like quercetin.
Along with other potentially protective compounds, like resveratrol, , it helps prevent the body’s dangerous LDL cholesterol from oxidizing. This, in turn, makes bad LDL cholesterol less likely to stick to artery walls.

Laboratory studies have shown that resveratrol slows down aging in mice, protect against weight gain, and boost endurance by improving the functioning of mitochondria – which are tiny power plants inside every cell of your body.

“Flavonoids in red wine are more powerful than vitamin E, which everyone knows is an important antioxidant,” says John D Folts, PhD, professor of medicine and director of the coronary thrombosis Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin Medical School in Madison.

Keeping LDL cholesterol under control is a good start against heat disease, besides helping to prevent platelets in blood from sticking together.
A study led by professor Folts and his colleagues found that when reed wine was given to laboratory animals, it eliminated potentially dangerous clots, which can cause heart attacks and stroke. “Red wine performs double duty, giving you two important benefits at the same time,” says Dr. Folts.

It’s in the color
When we talk about the healing power of wine for a healthy heart, we are referring to red wine.
A laboratory study at the University of California, Davis, revealed that red wines could prevent from 46% to 100% of LDL cholesterol from oxidizing, while white wines were less protective.
In addition, laboratory studies found that white wine miss the blood clot-blocking ability.

The reason why red wine is so much superior to white has to do with wine making.
When vintners make wine, they throw everything in the vat – not just grapes but also the skins, seeds and stems.They’re all mashed up to create a chunky mixture called must, and this contains the healthy flavonoids.

“The longer the must ferments in the alcohol, the more of these compounds release into the wine, according to Dr Folts. With white wine, the must is taken out early so that the wine never darkens. With red wine, the must is kept in a long time, and the wine picks up a lot of flovonoids.”

UC Davis researchers have found that some red wines are also rich in saponins, which lower heart disease risk by binding to cholesterol and preventing their absorption. Saponins may also cool body wide inflammation, which could also lower the risk of heart disease and cancer.

Red wines contain 3 to 10 times more saponins than whites. The ricchest source is red Zinfandel, followed by Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Savignon. The two white varieties, Savignon Blanc and Shardonnay contains less.
The saponin may come from the waxy grape skins and seems to dissolve into the wine during fermentation. Wines with the highest alcohol content also has the most saponin.

Wine may also maintain a healthy weight. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic followed drinking behavior and weight in 8,200 men ad women. They found that those who enjoyed one or two alcoholic beverages a day were 54% less likely to be obese than non drinkers.
Non drinkers and ex drinkers had twice as much change of becoming obese. People who have a glass of wine or beer every day usually have it with there evening meal, and it could be that a drink replaces a later, high-calory evening snack.
However, four or more glasses per day doesn’t make you super slim but gives you 50% more change of becoming obese.

Wine protect against infection
Scientists from Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu tested red wine, white wine and bismouth found that they subsalicylate against some of the meanest intestinal germs, including shigella, salmonella and Escherichia coli, and that both red and white wines were more effective than drugs for wiping out harmful bacteria.

Headaches
For some people with a tendensy toward migraine headaches, even a small glass of wine can cause a lot of headache. Red wine contains substances called amines, which cause blood vessels in the brain to constrict and then expand. For sensitive people this can result in eye-popping headaches.

Although white wine contains fewer headache producing amines than the red varieties, it doesn’t contain as many healing compounds.either. So if headaches are a problem for you, you may want to ask your doctor if a nonalcoholic wine will allow you to enjoy the great tastes without the pain.

Know your limit
The most important tip for getting the maximum health benefits from your wine cellar is knowing when to put your glass down. The daily limit is one 5-ounce glass a day for women and two 5-ounce glasses for men. Experts agree, however, that if you are tempted to overindulging, or if you have a personal or family history of alcoholism, you’re better off skipping a alcohol entirely.

Go for the Gusto
When you are scanning the shelves for the wine with the highest levels of heart-healthy compounds, go for the full-bodied, robust varieties. There is a close relationship between the level of tannin, the substance that makes wine dry, and the level of healing compounds in red wines. Three of the most heart-healthy wines are Cabernet Savignon, Petite Sirah, and Merlot.

The Healing Power of Vegetarian Diets

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In the 1960’s chefs started to experiment with cooking without meat.
But the meals were often tasteless. But now-a-days after experiencing
for more than a quarter of a century, cooks are combining fruits, vegetables
grains, and legumes in exciting new ways. The tastes are so good that even
large restaurants are now offering meatless meals.

As a result, more than 30 million Americans, including one in three teens,
have tried vegetarian meals, according to the American Dietetic Association.
They like the health benefits and how good the food tastes.
Vegetarian diets have changed, but one thing stayed the same: a plant based diet ,
which is low in saturated fat, high in fiber,vitamins, antioxidants, and a powerful
array of protective chemicals. This is the ultimate prescription for a longer and
healthier life, according to Virginia Messina, MPH, R.D. a dietitian in Port Townsend,
Washington, and coauthor of The Vegetarian Way.

Research results have showed that vegetarians have lower rates of cancer, heart
disease, high blood pressure, type two diabetes and obesity than people who eat meat.
According to British researchers, vegetarians have a 20% lower risk of fatal heart
disease and a 40% lower risk of cancer.

Other studies found more positive facts. Fifty years ago a large study of 27,530
Seventh-Day Adventists, whose religion advocates a vegetarian diet, provided the
first scientific link between vegetarian diets and better health.
Researchers were amazed to discover that among the vegetarian Adventists,
death rate from cancer were 50 to 70% lower than among other Americans.
Since then, study after study has confirmed the benefits of vegetarian eating.

In China, where people eat little or no meat, diseases such as heart disease,
breast cancer and diabetes, are far less common than in the United States.

Naturally lean
Something that makes vegetarian meals so healthy is that they don’t have all the
saturated fat and cholesterol that comes from meat. In fact, while most Americans
get about 36% of their total calories from fat, vegetarians get less, usually
between 30% and 34%. And most of the fat they get is the healthier polyunsaturated
and monounsaturated type – and not the dangerous saturated fat that comes from
animal foods.

In one study, researchers put 500 people on a vegetarian diet. After twelve days,
cholesterol levels had dropped an average of 11%.

Besides the fact that vegetarian meals don’t contain saturated fat that makes
vegetarian meals so healthy, they also contain the “good” fats.
According to studies, both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, which are
found in olive oil, canola oil, nuts, seeds, and many other plant foods, can lower
the level of cholesterol when they’re used to replace saturated fat in the diet.
And the omega-3 fatty acids found in some plant foods, such as walnuts and
flaxeed, can further protect against heart disease by helping to keep artery walls
flexible and supporting the electrical “system” within the heart that regulates
a healthy heartbeat.

The Power of Plants
Doctors in the US have been pleading with Americans for years to eat more fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, the same foods that vegetarians eat in
abundance. Most plant foods are loaded with antioxidants, like beta-carotene and
vitamin C and E. They are essential to protect you against diseases.
Also, plant foods contain an abundance of phytonutrients, which are natural plant
compounds that have been shown to lower the risk of cataracts, heart disease,
and many other serious problems.

In another study researchers found that people who got the most carotenoids,
the plant pigment that are found in dark green and deep orange, yellow, and red
fruits and vegetables, had half the risk of developing macular degeneration
(the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in older adults) as people getting less.

Vegetarian diets cut the risk of breast, colon, ovarian, and prostate cancer in a
number of studies. The magic ingredients include a number of cancer-fighting
phytochemicals. The naturally lower levels of saturated fat in most vegetarian diets
(except those that rely heavily on cheese) avoid a problem which is connected
with meat-rich diets: High-saturated fat diets seem to promote the production of
a form of estrogen called estradiol, which is linked to breast cancer.
In a study it showed that women who ate the most animal fats had a one-third
higher risk of breast cancer than those who ate the least.

Another study found that vegetarians have higher levels of “natural killer cells” –
special white blood cells that attack cancer cells – in their bloodstreams.

But even if you took all the nutrients out of plant foods, the vegetarian diet
would still have an edge, because of all the dietary fiber it contains.
The average American gets only 12 to 15 grams of fiber per day,
while vegetarians are getting as much as three times that amount.

It is almost impossible to exaggerate the importance of getting enough dietary
fiber. because it isn’t absorbed by the body, fiber passes through the
digestive tract, adding bulk to stools and helping them to move more quickly.
This does more than preventing constipation. The more quickly stools
and any harmful substances they contain move through the colon,
the less likely they are to do cellular damage that could lead to cancer.

Also, one type of fiber called soluble fiber, forms a gel in the intestine that
helps to prevent fat and cholesterol from passing through the intestinal wall
and into the bloodstream. In a study of more than 43,000 men, for example,
researchers found that those who added just 10 grams of fiber a day to their
diets – about 25% of the amount vegetarians get each day – decreased their
risk of heart disease by almost 30%.

Vegetarian diets also guard against other health issues, like kidney stones,
gallstones, and asthma. Because high-protein diets with much meat prompt
your body to excrete more calcium, oxalate, and uric acid – which are the
main building blocks of kidney stones. Diets with a lot of meat increase
the change of getting gallstones in women and could threaten bone density
by prompting the excretion of calcium.

In a Swedish study of 24 women and men, vegetable-based meals cut
the frequency and severity of asthma attacks.

Balance is the Key
A vegetarian diet can provide all the nutrients your body needs, including protein.
This is even true for strict vegetarians, who may avoid eggs, milk and other
animal foods all together. The proteins in meat are complete, that means they
contain all the amino acids your body needs.
The proteins in legumes and grains, however, may be low in one or more of the
amino acids, but because legumes and grains contain some amino acids, eating
a variety of these foods throughout the day will provide the proper balance.

However, vegetarians have the risk of vitamin B12 deficiency, which the body
needs to make red blood cells. It’s only found in animal foods.
People who don’t get enough vitamin B12 feel weak and tired.
You can get plenty of vitamin B12 by eating foods which are fortified with this
nutrient, such as fortified cereals, or/and you can take vitamin B12 supplements.

Why don’t you try Vegan Cooking? It’s one of the best things you can do for your health!
Try it here!

Prevention of Diabetes

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The number of diabetes cases have increased five fold over the past fifty years.
An estimated 16 million people in the US have diabetes and $150 billion is spent annually on the treatment of diabetes.
But amazingly, almost half of these people don’t even know that they are diabetic.

Although diabetes itself is a big enough health problem, the side effects are also ominous.
For example, one-third of the new cases of end-stage kidney disease are the result of diabetes.
Four out of five patients will die – not from diabetes itself, but from cardiovascular disease
(heart attack, stroke, or peripheral vascular disease) initiated by the diabetes.
Diabetes is the leading cause of amputations and blindness in older people.

Diabetes mellitus has reached epidemic proportions.More than 90% of these cases are known as type-2 diabetes (formerly known as adult-onset diabetes). We must seriously consider what is going wrong.
Type-one diabetes used to be called juvenile diabetes, because this type
of diabetes is usually found in children and is the result of an autoimmune attack on the pancreas.
Which leaves these children without any insulin and therefor they must take insulin
to survive. However, there is a way to decrease the risk of developing diabetes.

Syndrome X
Dr. Gerald Reavens, a physician and professor at Stanford University chose this term to
describe a number of problems that have a common cause: insulin resistance.
Through medical research, Dr. Reavens estimates that more than 80 million Americans
have insulin resistance, or Syndrome X.

What is the common cause of developing insulin resistance?
Over the years, our diet has taken its toll. Because of a high carbohydrate and high fat
diet, many people have become less and less sensitive to insulin as a result.

The body desires to control our blood sugars. Therefore, when the body becomes less
sensitive to its own insulin, it compensates by making more insulin.
In other words, our bodies respond to increasing blood sugar levels by forcing the beta
cells of the pancreas to produce more insulin in order to control our blood sugars.

Insulin is basically a storage hormone that drives sugar into the cells to be utilized
or stored as fat.
We know that diabetes damage from sugar occurs mainly by oxidation of fat molecules,
to form toxic lipid peroxides.
Insulin enables the body to deal with sugar. But people usually don’t know that insulin also
controls fat and muscle.

People with insulin resistance need more and more insulin as the years go by to keep
there blood sugars normal. Although these elevated insulin levels are effective in controlling our blood sugars,
they also may lead to some serious health problems.
Here follows a list of harmful effects caused by elevated insulin levels, called syndrome X.

* significant inflammation of the arteries, which can cause heart attack and stroke
* elevated blood pressure (hypertension)
* elevated triglycerides – other fat in the blood besides cholesterol
* lowered HDL (good cholesterol)
* increased LDL (bad cholesterol)
* increased tendency to form blood clots
* development of significant “uncontrolled” weight gain – usually around the middle

When all the syndrome X factors are combined, our risk of developing heart disease
actually jumps twenty fold! When we consider the fact that heart disease is the number
one killer in the industrialized world today, we can’t afford to disregard a growing risk
of developing it!

After patients have had Syndrome X for several years, possibly even ten to twenty,
the beta cells of the pancreas simply wear out and can no longer produce such high
levels of insulin. At this point insulin levels begin to drop and blood sugars begin to rise.

At first only mild elevations of blood sugar may develop, which is known as glucose
intolerance (preclinical diabetes). More than 24 million people in the United States
are at this stage of glucose intolerance. Then, usually within a year or two, if no change
in lifestyle occurs, full blown diabetes mellitus will develop. The aging of the arteries
then accelerates even faster as blood sugar begin to steadily rise.

The cause of Insulin Resistance
There are several reasons which are suggesting why we become less and less sensitive
to insulin over the years. But I truly believe that insulin resistance is the result of the
Western diet. Although we are cutting back on fats, we still like to eat far too much
carbohydrates. Most people don’t realize is that carbohydrates are simply long chains
of sugar that the body absorbs at various rates. White bread, white flour, pasta,rice,
and potatoes release their sugars into the blood stream even faster than table sugar.
That’s why these foods are called high-glycemic.

Compared with foods such as green beans, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, apples,
and oranges , which release their sugars into the bloodstream much slower and are
therefore considered low-glycemic foods.

When you eat too many high-glycemic foods,it causes blood sugar to rise very rapidly
and stimulates the release of insulin.When our blood sugar drops, we feel hungry.
So we grab a snack or have a big meal and the whole process starts all over again.
After a period of time, the release of insulin has been overstimulated so often that
our bodies simply become less and less sensitive to it. In order for the body to control
the blood sugar levels, the pancreas need to put out higher levels of insulin. It is these
elevated levels of insulin that cause the destructive metabolic changes associated with
syndrome X.

How do you know if you have Syndrome X?
After a blood test, you should get the level of HDL (good) cholesterol . LDL (bad)
cholesterol, and triglycerides (the other fat in the blood).
If you divide the triglyceride level by the HDL cholesterol, the ratio you get is an
indication of whether you are developing the syndrome.
If the ratio is greater than two, you may be starting to develop Syndrome X.
Also, if you notice that your blood pressure or that your waistline is increasing,
it is even more likely that you are developing a serious case of Syndrome X.

When a patient treats his insulin resistance with simple but effective lifestyle changes,
not only does he prevent accelerated damage to the arteries, but he also avoids
diabetes itself.This is true preventive medicine. A healthier lifestyle, not the drugs
doctors prescribe, will make the difference.

Diagnosis of Diabetes
The most common test for diabetes is a fasting blood sugar test. Physicians also use
a sugar-challenge test, in which a patient is given a sugar load (a pop-like drink
that is loaded with sugar), and then takes a blood sugar level test two hours later.

Most physicians believe that a two-hour blood sugar above 200 is the level
to diagnose diabetes. A normal two-hour blood sugar level should be less than 110.
Patients who have a slightly elevated fasting blood sugar and a two-hour blood sugar
between 130 and 190 are classified as having glucose intolerance- preclinical diabetes-
and not actual diabetes.)

Since a blood sugar measurement indicates only how a patient is doing at a particular
moment, another helpful test is a hemoglobin A1C, which reveals the amount of sugar
found in a red blood cell. This test is preferably done every four to six months.
Since our red blood cells remain in our body for approximately 140 days, this test is
a great indicator of how well a patient is truly controlling his or her diabetes.
The normal range for a hemoglobin A1C in most labs is 3.5 to 5.7.
A diabetic should keep good control so that the hemoglobin A1C level remains below
6.5%. Then the risk of complications is less than 3%.

Of greater concern is the fact that at the time of actual diagnosis of diabetes, a majority
(more than 60% ) of these patients already have major cardiovascular disease.
This is why it is critical for physicians as soon as possible and encourage lifestyle changes
that can correct the problem. A patient may have Syndrome X for many years before
he truly becomes diabetic.

Obesity
People who are seriously overweight, men and women over 50-60 lbs, are 3000% more likely to develop diabetes.
Even if you are moderate overweight, your risk of diabetes increases by 100%. Insulin resistance (Syndrome X)
leads to central obesity, not the other way around. In fact, obesity is a major aspect of this Syndrome.

What do we mean by “central obesity”? This has to do with how your weight is distributed
in your body. If it is evenly dispersed all over or you are heavy in the bottom (pear shaped),
you may need to drop some weight. But in relation to Syndrome X, you are fine.
But if you have gained substantial weight around your waist line (apple shaped), you may be
in trouble. You have developed a resistance to insulin. If you have essentially a high-
carbohydrate, low fat diet, this makes the insulin resistance worse.
The solution is to balance your diet by eating low-glycemic carbohydrates with good protein
and good fat and when this diet is combined with a modest exercise program and cellular
nutrition, the insulin resistance may be corrected.

Treatment of Diabetes
All physicians agree in order to improve their patients condition that they should encourage
them, firstly: to pay more attention to insulin resistance, the underlying problem in most cases of
type 2 diabetes mellitus, and not simply focus on treating blood sugar levels.
This accounts for the fact that 80% of diabetics still die from cardiovascular disease.
Secondly: they should encourage patients to make effective lifestyle changes that will improve
insulin sensitivity. Physicians should rely on medications only as a last resort.

Healthy Diet
The American Diabetic Association primarily encourage diabetics to have a low fat,
high carbohydrate diet. When we want to treat the underlying problem of insulin resistance,
we have to take into consideration that there are low-glycemic and high glycemic
carbohydrates.The Glycemic Index gives an indication of the rate in which the body absorbs
various carbohydrates and turns them into simple sugar.

Complex carbohydrates (the ones with a lot of fiber) like beans, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts,
and apples release their sugars slowly. When we combine these low-glycemic carbohydrates
with good proteins and good fats, in a balanced meal, our blood sugar does not spike.
Few people know that high-glycemic foods raise blood sugar much faster than when you
eat candy.

The best protein and fats come from vegetables and vegetable oils. Avocados, olive oil,
nuts, beans, and soy are great sources of protein and contain fats that will actually lower
your cholesterol. The best carbohydrates come from fresh whole fruits and vegetables.
Avoid all processed food. An apple is better than apple juice.Whole grains are essential
and avoiding processed grains is critical in developing a healthy diet for everyone,
especially the diabetics. The worst fats and protein comes from red meats and dairy
products, except low-fat cottage cheese, milk and egg whites.

Trans-fatty acids are one of the worst fats you can eat. These are called rancid fats,
because they are so harmful to our bodies. Look at labels when you shop.
When you read “partially hydrogenated”, don’t buy it.

If everyone would eat this way, exercise, and take some basic nutritional supplements,
the diabetic epidemic would be nonexistent.

Exercise
Modest exercise has tremendous health benefits. And exercise is especially critical
for people with Syndrome X or diabetes mellitus. Because exercise makes patients
significantly more sensitive to their own insulin and is therefore a critical part of the
lifestyle changes needed for diabetes and those who have insulin resistance.

Nutritional Supplements
Several studies have indicated that all antioxidants may improve insulin resistance.
It is important for diabetics to take a good mixture of several antioxidants in
supplementation at optimal levels.

Chromium is critical in the metabolism of glucose and to improve insulin resistance.
A study has shown that 90% of the American population has a chromium deficiency.
Chromium significantly increase insulin sensitivity, especially for those who are deficient
in this mineral. Diabetics and patients with Syndrome X need 300 mcg of chromium
in supplementation.

Vitamin E not only improves antioxidant defenses, but also seems to help the body
in the problem of insulin resistance. People with low levels of vitamin E have a five fold higher
risk of developing diabetes than those with a normal amount of vitamin E.

Many studies have proven that vitamin E can protect animals with diabetes from this damage.
It works by complex mechanisms that also neutralize sugar directly, besides reducing peroxide formation.
Vitamin E works in humans too.
In a study by Dr. Guiseppe Paolisso at the University of Napels in Italy gave groups of diabetics
900 IU of vitamin E. After four months the diabetics showed a remarkable reduction in blood sugar.

Magnesium
Magnesium deficit has been associated with both type1 and type 2 diabetes, as well as an
increased risk of retinopathy in diabetic patients.Studies have shown that when this deficiency
is corrected in the elderly, insulin function improves significantly.

Unfortunately, diagnosing magnesium deficiency is very difficult. Typically, serum magnesium
levels are tested where only a trace amount of the body’s total magnesium is located.
Cellular levels of magnesium are much more sensitive and accurate; however, these can only
be tested in research labs, not in hospitals. This is why magnesium deficiency is so under diagnosed.
We all need at least 400 – 500 mg of magnesium in supplementation.

Vanadium
Vanadium is not a well-known mineral, but it is very important for the diabetic patient.
It has been shown to significantly increase insulin sensitivity when taken in supplementation.
A diabetic needs to take 50 – 100 mcg of vanadium in supplementation each day.

As I said before, diabetes is increasing at epidemic proportions.
In spite of the billions of dollars spent on this disease, we are losing the battle.
Physicians and laypeople alike must refocus their attitudes and attack insulin resistance
rather than elevated blood sugars. When we see elevated triglyceride levels along with
lower HDL cholesterol levels, hypertension, or unusual weight gain, we need to recognize
the possible development of Syndrome X and accelerated cardiovascular damage that
may have already begun.

Rather than simply treating the diseases that insulin resistance causes, we need to
aggressively treat the insulin resistance itself. Isn’t it amazing that such simple lifestyle changes
can effect a near-miracle: the disappearance of diabetes? .

.

Prevention of Neuro-degenerative Diseases

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Have you ever thought about your ability to think? Thinking about thinking –
what a concept! When you search back into your memory banks and remember
a vivid childhood experience or that special moment with your family, do you
ever marvel at how you can remember even some of the smallest details?
Stop reading for a moment and take a look outside your window.
Have you ever thought about how amazing your colored, wide-angled, binocular
vision is? This is all possible with the brain, one of God’s marvelous creation.

The brain is our most precious organ. Without its full function, we humans
simply exist, unable to relate to the world around us.
The ten billion nerve cells of your brain process such uncountable amounts of
information each second, they make our most advanced computers look like
children’s toys.
Your brain controls everything, from the merest wiggle of toes, to the moment
to moment balancing of hundreds of hormones, to the microscopically regulated
metabolism of all the thirty trillion cells that enable you to think, feel, and behave
as a human being. When even a few thousand brain cells get damaged or die,
your whole body suffers.

However the brain (central nervous system) and our nerves (peripheral nervous
system) are not out of the reach of oxidative stress. This common enemy has been
strongly implicated in a variety of diseases that wreak devastating damage
on the brain and nerves, known as neurodegenerative diseases.
Some of these include Alzheimer’s dementia, Parkinson’s disease, ALS
(Lou Gehrig’s disease), multiple sclerosis, and Huntington’s chorea.
There are several reasons why the brain and the nerves are especially vulnerable
to oxidative stress:

* Relative to its size, the brain experience an increased rate of oxidative activity,
which creates a significant number of free radicals.

* The normal activity, which various chemicals create to establish nerve conduction
is a major producer of free radicals.

* The brain and nerve tissue contain relatively low levels of antioxidants.

* Millions of nonreplicable cells make up the central nervous system.
This means that once they are damaged, they are most likely dysfunctional for life.

* The brain and nervous system are easily disrupted. a small amount of damage
in a critical area can cause severe problems.

The brain is the most important organ of our body. Our thoughts, emotions,
our ability to reason and communicate with the outside world are all in danger
if something damages our brain. How can we best defend this most precious asset?
It’s not just a matter of trying to avoid the devastation of neurodegenerative diseases,
but first and foremost, it’s a matter of protecting our ability to think and reason.

Aging of the brain
Oxidative stress is the leading cause of the aging process. Nowhere is evidence
stronger for this concept than when it comes to the actual aging of the brain.
Several scientific studies have shown oxidative damage to the mitochondria
(the furnace of the cell) and to the DNA of the brain cell.
This can lead to the malfunction and even death of these very sensitive brain cells.

Brain cells do not have the ability to regenerate themselves. So as we lose more
and more brain cells throughout our lifetime due to this oxidative damage,
the brain simply does not function as well as it did when we were younger.
In medical terms this lead to what is called loss of cognition.
In lay terms this is a decrease in our ability to think or reason.
Therefore, oxidative damage to our sensitive brain cells is the greatest enemy
to the functioning of our brain.

Aging of the brain is essentially the first stage of degeneration of these very important
cells in our body. Just as we don’t contract other degenerative diseases out of
the blue, people don’t wake up one day and have Alzheimer’s dementia or
Parkinson’s disease. These diseases represent the final stages of oxidative damage
to the brain. They are part of a progression that begins with the aging of the brain.
When eventually enough brain cells are damaged, a disease manifests.

When a patient is first diagnosed as having Parkinson’s disease, more than 80%
of the brain cells in a particular part of the brain, called the substancia nigra,
have already been destroyed. The same is true for someone who develops
Alzheimer’s dementia. These neurodegenerative diseases have actually been
developing over a period of ten to twenty years.
Let’s look at some of these diseases individually.

Alzheimer’s Dementia
Alzheimer’s dementia affects more than 2 million Americans and is the major cause
for admission in nursing homes.Alzheimer’s patients not only don’t know what day
it is, they don’t even recognize their own families.

Nothing is more devastating than losing the ability to think.Most folk who become
senile, develop Alzheimer’s, or other irriversable forms of brain degeneration know
it is happening. Their anguish is far worse than physical pain.
Progressive senility is living death, turning the most brilliant professors, the greatest
athletes, the most gifted artists, into dribbling zombies. The worst of it is, we do
most of the damage to ourselves.

Anyone who has had to deal with Alzheimer’s dementia within his family understands
just how tragic this is.If you have a loved one who suffers from Alzhemer’s,you
appreciate the fact that it’s the quality of life, not the quantity, with which most of us
are concerned.
The passage of another birthday becomes an empty and painful event for those
suffering from Alzheimer’s dementia and their families.

Numerous studies have shown evidence that free radical damage as the cause of
Alzheimer’s dementia. Recent findings by researchers at Case Western Reserve
University concluded that increasing oxidative stress with age most likely accounts
for all aspects of Alzheimer’s disease. Strong evidence exists that patients with
Alzheimer’s disease have significantly depleted levels of antioxidants in their brains
as well as high levels of oxidative stress.

There is now great interest in the therapeutic benefits that Alzheimer’s patients
could receive from antioxidants. The New England Journal of Medicine
reported a study showing that high doses of vitamin E could significantly decrease
the progression of Alzheimer’s dementia.
Other clinical trials in which patients with Alzheimer’s dementia used various
antioxidants, such as vitamin C, vitamin A, zinc, selenium, and rutin ( a bioflavanoid
antioxidant) have also been encouraging.

Parkinson’s disease
A stooped posture, slow voluntary movement, rigidity, and a “pill rolling” tremor
that causes the hands to move back and forth in a “rolling” action characterize
Parkinson’s disease. Public appearances by Muhammad Ali have made us all
more aware of effects of this debilitating disease.

A wide variety of studies support the role of free radicals as the underlying cause
of Parkinson’s. The actual cell death (approximately 80%) in the area of the brain
called the substantia nigra leads to decreased production of dopamine,
a substance that allows the brain to function normally.

Studies indicate that patients with early Parkinson’s disease who received high
doses of vitamin C and vitamin E were able to slow down the progression of
their disease. They actually avoided taking any medication for their disease for
approximately two years longer than the control group.
Glutathione and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (both antioxidants) were also effective in
protecting the nerves in the substania nigra from further damage by oxidative stress.

Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis affects more than 250,000 Americans and is about twice as
common in women as in men. Unlike Alzheimer’s dementia and Parkinson’s
disease, in which the brain cells are actually damaged, this disorder affects
the myelin sheath (the insulation around the nerve). This breakdown of the myelin,
called demyelination, results in impairment of the function of the nerve.
It is like an electrical wire that shorts out because of a breakdown in the insulation
around the wire, and is responsible for the clinical symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

Investigators have stated the fact that oxidative stress was significantly higher in
patients with MS during a flare-up when compared to MS patients who were stable.
MS differ from the other forms of neurodegenerative diseases in that the mechanism
of injury to the central nervous system and peripheral nerves is the immune system,
rather than outside toxins. When one’s own immune system attacks the myelin sheath,
this creates oxidative stress that then damages the nerves.

Multiple sclerosis responds amazingly well to cellular nutrition. The body does have
the potential to repair damage to the myelin sheath. Placing MS patients on potent
antioxidants is critical.

If we are going to have any success decreased risk or delayed progression of neuro-
degenerative diseases, we must research the effects of antioxidants that cross over
into the brain easily. Researchers are not studying antioxidants that can smoothly pass
through what is known as the blood brain barrier.

The Blood Brain Barrier
The brain needs a barrier that separates it from the blood to permit complex nerve
signaling. The blood brain barrier is a thick lining of epithelial cells that are present in
the small arteries that course through the brain. This lining is designed with very tight
junctions, which makes crossover of nutrients into the brain cells particularly difficult.

Important nutrients needed by the brain actually have specialized transporting proteins
available that allows them to cross this barrier. At the same time, toxic substances,
infectious organisms, and most other nutrients, have difficulty passing through this barrier.
This keeps the brain isolated with only the most essential nutrients to be able to enter.
Our brain has significant protection from the dangers of the outside world.
God created this amazing defensive barrier for the protection of this very sensitive area
of our body.

What has gone wrong in the case of aging of the brain and neurological disease?
The neurology department of the Rabin Medical Center in Tel Aviv concluded that
as a result of today’s environment, the brain is exposed to significantly increased amount
of toxins, such as heavy metals, and thus oxidative stress.
The antioxidant defense system is no longer completely effective in protecting this vital
organ. They believe that additional antioxidants, which particularly need to be taken in
as supplements, have the potential for reduce or even preventing the damage from
increased oxidative stress. They stress, however, that the antioxidants must be able to
readily cross the blood brain barrier.

The Right Antioxidants for the Brain

Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant which is very important in the protection of brain
and peripheral nerve cells. It has some difficulty crossing the blood brain barrier and
need therefore to be supplied in high doses. This vitamin is important to protect the brain
cells but probably not the best one for this purpose.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C can concentrate in the tissue and fluid around the brain and nerves.
It is able to pass through the blood brain barrier, and in fact, vitamin C levels are 10 times
higher in this tissue than in the plasma. When you realize that vitamin C is not only a great
antioxidant but also has the ability to regenerate vitamin E and glutathione, it becomes
a very important nutrient in protecting brain and nerve cells.

Dr. M. C. Morris reported a study showing that vitaminC and vitamin E given as
supplements to normal patients over the age of sixty-five actually decreased their risk
of developing Alzhemer’s dementia. This was only a small study, but larger and more
aggressive studies need to be done.

Glutathione
Glutathione is the most important antioxidant within the brain and nerve cells.
But this nutrient is difficult to absorb from oral supplements, and its ability to cross
the blood brain barrier is not yet clear.
The best strategy at tis time is to supplement the nutrients the body needs to make
its own glutathione (N-acetyl-L-cysteine, niacin, selenium, and vitamin B2).
You also need to have those antioxidant nutrients available that regenerate glutathione,
so it can be used again and again ( vitamin C, alpha-lipoic acid, and QoQ10).

Alpha-lipoic Acid
The medical community is recognizing alpha-lipoic acid more and more as an important
antioxidant. It is both fat- and water-soluble and it has also the ability to cross over the
blood brain barrier. It can regenerate vitamin C & E, intracellular gluthacione and CoQ10.

Another important property of this antioxidant is that it can attach itself to
toxic metals in the brain and help eliminate them from our body.
Heavy metals, such as mercury, aluminum, cadmium, and lead have been implicated in
increasing the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases.
These metals tend to deposit themselves in brain tissue because of the high amount of fat
concentrated in that part of the body.These metals can cause an increased amount of
oxidative stress and are extremely difficult to remove from the central nervous system
once they are there. Antioxidants that not only are potent but have the ability to help
remove these toxic heavy metals will become more and more important in the prevention
and treatment of these diseases.

Coenzyme Q10
Coenzyme Q10 is a very potent antioxidant as well as one of the most important nutrients
for the production of energy within the cell. Clinical studies have shown that oxidative
damage in the mitochondria (this is where CoQ10 works) is an important aspect in the
developing of neurodegenerative diseases.

As we age, the level of CoQ10 in our brains and nerve cells decreases significantly.
CoQ10 may be a missing link in the prevention of diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
disease. However, more study in this subject is necessary. How well QoQ10 passes
through the blood brain barrier is not yet been fully evaluated.

Grape-Seed Extract
Studies show that grape-seed extract crosses the blood brain barrier quite easily.
It is an exceptionally potent antioxidant, and the mere fact that high concentrations can be
obtained in the fluid and cells of the brain and nerve tissue makes it an ideal antioxidant
for the brain.

Serotonin and memory
Professors Eric Kandel and James Schwartz at the Center of Neurobiology at
Columbia University have shown that memory storage can be increased by putting
additional serotonin into the neuron. In humans also, we know that periods of additional
serotonin release improve memory storage.

Acetylcholine and memory
As memory declines with age, so does acetylcholine. This biochemical deficit is especially evident in the post-morton bains of people who had suffered the severe
memory problems of premature senility or Alzheimer’s disease.

Studies using drugs to block acetylcholine synthesis in the brain, provide further strong
evidence that optimum acetylcholine levels are crucial to good memory.

Acetyl-l-carnitine
The big discovery about the brain is that much of the damage to brain cells occurs
by oxidation. In addition to the antioxidants we have discussed previously, European
research shows that the amino acid acetyl-l-carnitine maintains brain function partly by
antioxidant action.

More than 50 controlled studies show that this remarkable nutrient has profound effects
in addition to antioxidant action. It improves memory, prevents brain cell loss, boosts
intelligence, and restores acetylcholine metabolism. It is used in millions of doses of
1000- 2000 mg per day throughout Europe, for treatment of Alzheimer’s, depression,
and memory loss in the aged, and for improvement of cognition in normal folk.

Protecting our most precious asset
Everyone desires to maintain and protect the ability to reason and to think.
In fact, losing this ability is probably the number-one fear of most people.
As we age, we all have this concern at one time or other.

The principle of optimizing our own natural antioxidant defense system is paramount
when it comes to protecting the cells in our brain against our common enemy:
oxidative stress. Remember, we must focus on prevention and protection, because
once a brain cell is destroyed, it is not readily replaced.

There are two main concepts to keep in mind.
Firstly, we must use a cocktail of antioxidants that will work in synergy while readily
crossing the blood brain barrier.
Secondly, we must avoid any excessive exposure to the heavy metals, and other toxins
in our environment.
Balance is th. key, and we must work on decreasing our toxic exposures as well as
building up our body’s natural defenses.

It is quite obvious that the proper function of our brain and our nerves is an essential
aspect of our health, and we now realize that the main enemy to this central part of
our body is oxidative stress. It is paramount that we protect these sensitive cells from
being damaged in the first place.
Supplementing our diet with potent antioxidants that readily cross over the blood
brain barrier can effectively protect us against these horrible diseases.

I believe the evidence in the medical literature is strong enough to advice people
to supplement a healthy diet with antioxidants at optimal levels.
Such a regimen can only help!