Food for the brain.....mmm, delicious

Just as diet affects your heart, diet can affect your brain. Diet has a major impact on our brain not only in our body. Fruits and vegetables are high in anti oxidants, and they're perfect for information in our brain.

If we eat our fruits and vegetables for to five times a day everyday, You make your brain about five years younger, but we all know that it's hard to get fruits and vegetables everyday, but in general I think you should make an effort to eat or reach for an apple or reach for a pear, get some grapes when you want some snacks. Seafood is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids such as DHA and DHA is the best brain food, so make sure you eat fish 2 or 3 times a week.

High-fiber diet reduces the bad cholesterol, and increase your good cholesterol, good for treating the atheroscelrosis, it increase blood flow, so it's absolutely. make sure that you also add a glass of wine every night in your diet but not too much. Remember one glass of wine in dinner is actually good for your brain.

Another tip is to reach for baked potatoes instead of those french fries. Use common sense when it comes to food. If you look at the food and it looks like the food is not good at you then it's not got for you. the bottom line is if you eat fruits and vegetables everyday and eat fish 2 to 3 times a week, your do wonders for your brain, Your brain stay healthy and younger.

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Healthy diet? Get nutty.

Almonds, peanuts, pistachio, cashew, walnuts, hazelnuts etc. Who doesn't like nuts?, I only know few people who dislike nuts, Mainly because of health problems and they can't take it. but the rest just all love nuts. When you start eating, sometimes you just can't stop. It's hard to tell yourself. " okay go get 3 pieces only! " We usually end up with a handful or two handfuls or even three. There is nothing wrong with that As long as you have to know when to stop. Nuts are usually high in calories when taken in large amounts. You should at least eat 2 ounces of nuts a week.

You may want to add nuts in your diet but you have to balance it. when nuts are combined with other very healthy foods, The results can be surprisingly remarkable. You can try to switch your unhealthy snacks to nuts, such as potato chips or high calorie cookies and chocolates. Nuts may not cure any diseases directly but its a step or a way to help battle those illness.

Here are the lists of benefits you get from being nutty, i mean from eating nuts.

It has arginine, a substance that may help you improve the function of your blood vessels.

Nuts has mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which is good for the heart. So if you love your heart eat nuts.

the omega-3 usually found in walnuts, another helpful fat that helps heart problems.

And finally nuts may helps you lower cholesterol. Again, good nutrtion works best with a well balanced diet. So don't just grab some nuts and eat as much as you can. Balance it. ! happy eating!


image courtesy of healhtnut.org

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High cholesterol? Best ways to lower cholesterol.

High cholesterol? Manage your cholesterol and live your life to the fullest.
People who are already in between 25 to 54 years old. Based on research studies, This is the age bracket wherein the highest cholesterol levels are found. Most of these people has 86% chances to develop Parkinson's disease in the next 18 years, compared to those who have low cholesterol and those who are just in the normal level.

Experts proved that there is no clear relations between cholesterol and Parkinson's Disease to people 55 years old and above.High cholesterol also increases the risk of heart problems and other diseases.

Of course the best ways to reduce high cholesterol are the following:

1. add oat bran, oatmeal, walnuts, almonds, fish and omega 3 fatty acids, and soy in your daily diet.

2. Reduce you fat intake.

3. Exercise, and more exercise. (Walking, running, cycling etc. Plan your exercise. Few minutes of daily exercise, reduce bad cholesterol.

4. Try not to eat read meat as much as possible.

5. Quit smoking and reduce your alcohol intake, or better yet totally remove it from your habit.

6. Try to add garlic in your daily diet, my grandmother has been taking garlic pills and it really helped her a lot. You can easily get it over the counter. Just make sure you ask your doctor about it.

Prevention is always better than cure so help yourself, And you might add few more years to your life.

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Health food, Noodles from seaweeds and vegetables.

Last time, i wrote about how popular Camel's milk now in UAE,. In the Philippines The government is now introducing veggie noodles. Through the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of Department of Science and Technology.

They developed different types of noodles that were made out of different vegetables, like squash,jute leaves and other green leafy vegetables, not to mention seaweeds too.
Vegetables are known to be very rich in vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin A, iodine, iron, protein and a lot more.

Noodles that are made of squash are pasta, instant noodles, and fresh miki or eggless noodles. Seaweeds and jute leaves were made as instant spaghetti, flat noodles and iodine-rich fresh miki.These noodles was first made for a feeding program to the less fortunate. Especially those who have Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD), Iodine Deficiency Disorder(IDD) and Protein Energy Malnutrition. This is just on time right now, While the price of flour(one main ingredient of noodles) is constantly increasing in the world market.

Based on FNRI 50-gram serving of squash noodles, can give 16 % of energy, 20% of protein and 24% of Vitamin A. Which is just enough for recommended Energy and Nutrient intake for children ages 4 to 6 years old. While noodles made of jute leaves can give us 15 % of energy, 18 % protein and 36% of Vitamin A. And seaweed(guso) noodles/ pasta can give us 12 % protein and 22 % of iodine. These may not be much, but it's better to eat veggie noodles than just the plain ones.

The color of squash noodles are bright yellow. While noodles from vegetables are all green. These noodles are firm and don't have unpleasant smell. and has a fine texture compare to those commercial noodles.




image courtesy of www. allposters.com

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Eating healthy, Healthy foods on a tight budget!

Image via Wikipedia You have to get a variety of foods that include proteins, carbohydrates, beneficial fats, vitamins and don't forget the water! It is essential too.

1. You can get your protein from animal sources - (lean meats like chicken), vegetable sources - (beans, legumes, soy.) or you can get it from fish too.

2. Everyone needs Omega 3 essential fatty acids which you can get from fish like salmon, or you can buy ground flax seed (it has a nutty flavor) for less than $3 and spinkle it on cereal, salads or anything you like.

Here are some great, low cost meals to try:

• soup (you can make enough for a few days) - you can start with vegetable stock and add leftover meats and veggies.

• chili (you can make a big batch and freeze for later) - buy dried small red beans and soak overnight and put in some carrots and tomato paste and any other veggies you have. It's great and can be made with or without meat. You can even add tofu (cheap and very healthy.

• fruit and vegetable salads -you can make a great meal with chili and salad and soup and salad.Try to get your fruits and vegetables from a local farmer's market - you can get some good prices and you will also be eating seasonally which will give you variety. You don't have to buy organic - just be aware that some fruits and vegetables in the supermarket have more pesticides than others, i.e, apples, green and red peppers, peaches, etc.High nutrient vegetables like sweet potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes and carrots can all be used in recipes that can be frozen.
  

Keep the trimmings from your salads and cook up with water to make a great vegetable stock for using in soups and gravies.
Casseroles also work well and can be frozen.

For carbohydrates try:

• Whole grain bread, Starchy vegetables like potatoes and carrots

• Cereals (oatmeal is great and you can add half a banana and berries or any fruit that suits your taste buds.)

Always remember that the more processed the food the more expensive it usually is. Don't forget to use coupons from the paper and you can print some from the internet. Being healthy doesn't mean you have to spend a lot.

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Fish, For firmer and glowing skin

Image via Wikipedia Anybody can save a lot of money from buying expensive beauty products and creams. Just for us to get beautiful, smooth and glowing skin.
Now, It's still important for many of us to have a well-balanced diet. Aside from the creams and lotions that we apply to our skin. The many healthy fats, proteins, and a lot of fruits and vegetable consumption can help us improve the texture and the tone of our skin. But there are many nutritious food that can give you softer smoother skin.

But one food stands out.

Fish. Fatty fish like salmon tuna, cod, mackerel and other fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
This is good to our skin, because our body can produce natural lipids that we need. A simple addition of omega-3's in your daily diet can help you to make your skin firm, from the layers of the lipids that consume the moisture.

Being a whole food, these fish also have DMAE, which is excellent for protecting cellular membranes and improving your skin tone.Recommended sources of DMAE from fish are anchovies, sardines, and wild salmon. you will find that your skin is more supple and less prone to dryness. Just imagine if you'll try to add fish in your daily diet, not only you will have beautiful skin but it will also reduce certain diseases and heart attacks. And supple and glowing skin, needs not a lot of lotions. such savings! eat fish and be healthy and beautiful.

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Diabetes and getting pregnant

Image via Wikipedia It is important for pregnant women with diabetes to monitor their weight.
I just got a message from a diabetic friend that she's pregnant, so i did my research and send her this:

You should monitor your weight and food intake.

Drastic increase in weight approximately 6.5 pounds per month contributes to insulin resistance' while weight gain of only half a pound per week (or less than 2 pounds per month ) is a sign that you and your baby are not receiving sufficient nourishment.

you should receive a total of40% to 50% of your daily caloric count from carbohydrates make sure these are spread throughout the day. Low carb intake may result in hypoglycemia, while too much carb intake will elevate your blood sugar levels. Time and plan your day's first and last meals no more than 10 hours apart to avoid low blood sugar.

Choose food rich in complex carbs such as high-fiber breads, oatmeal, whole wheat and brown rice. Avoid refined sugars and sweets as well as instant noodles and processed breakfast cereals.

Protein should compromise 20% to 25% of your daily diet, limiting fat too only 30% (monounsaturated and Omega-3) Limit your sodium intake to less than 1/10 tsp per meal.
Evey pregnant women should watch what they eat, because they are eating for two. But Diabetic women should be more concern about their weight and food consumption.

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How to raise smart kids? ....Right healthy food

Image via Wikipedia It's the food. Most parents( like us) knows that good nutrition provide good energy and health in our little ones but do we really know which food makes our babies smart?
The most rapid brain growth occurs during the first year of life, With the infant's brain tripling in size by the first birthday. At this time, the brain uses 60% of total energy.

That's why getting enough (and the right kinds) of fat greatly affects brain developments and performance. It should compromise half of baby's daily diet( as mother nature knows so well- 50% of breast milk is fat) So for all mom to be, never think twice of breast feeding you babies on the way.

Different species provide different fat in their milk, fine tuned to the needs of that particular animal. For example mother cows provide milk high in saturated fats and low in brain building fats, such as DHA. This helps their calves grow rapidly, though it may not be much for the brains. In adult cows, the brain is small compared to the body. Cows don't have to do a lot of thinking to survive. In human infants, the brain grows faster than the body. Human milk is low in body-building saturated fats and rich in brain-building fats, such as DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), an omega 3 fatty acid. Now you have one significant reason why you should breastfeed.


Now here's just some of the list of food that you may want to add in your babies daily diet. This will help their brain development while making them smarter compare to other babies.

• Avocado
• Green beans and peas
• Squash, potatoes, carrots
• Sweet potato
  

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10 healthy foods on the planet. Yes, it's in your kitchen!

Image via Wikipedia
Most of us know which food are healthy and which food are not, but sometimes we tend to forget the real nutritious food. so here's a list of top ten most nutritious food:


1.Green vegetables- Vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, cauliflower and other green leafy vegetables are very significant in maintaining a healthy body. It is rich in vitamins and minerals. In my opinion if you love veggies or let me say you eat veggies daily, you don't need to take too much of vitamins. Not just being practical but you save money right? It is also good in prevention of different diseases such as heart problems, diabetes, stomach problems, colon cancer and other cancers.

2. Fatty fish - Oily fish such as salmon, mackarel and sardines has omega-3. Omega-3 takes care of our heart. It prevents stroke and lowers bad cholesterol in our body.

3. Tomatoes- tomatoes are rich in lycopene an anti-oxidant. It maintains healthy cells. You can also try Ketchup and tomato juice. Tomatoes are well known to prevent cancer.

4. Citrus fruits - Oranges, lemons, calamansi and other citrus fruits are all high in Vitamin C. That helps to prevents Colds, Asthma and arthritis.

5. Carrots - Carrots are good source of Vitamin A promotes better eyesight. A,d for those who are trying to lose weight, try half cup of carrots it only has 35 calories. Sol let's teach our children to eat carrots.

6. Bananas - This is the most nutritious fruit for me. It can help cure ulcer and other stomach problems. If you are suffering from diarrhea bananas can help. It can calm stomach cramps because it is high in potassium. If you sweat a lot and needs energy. Try to eat bananas.Many athletes consume bananas in the middle o a game or before a game. It provides energy and alertness.

7. Milk, Cheese and Yogurt- Dairy products are products that we can call "complete foods" Milk has proteins, carbohydrates, fats and calcium for women. but for those who are on a diet. try low-fat milk.

8. Garlic- garlic lowers cholesterol, but just be careful with your consumption too much garlic can give you upset stomach.

9. Apple- an apple a day keeps the doctor away. It has vitamin c and pectin that flushes out toxins in our body.


10. Water- it may not be food but it is still part of our daily diet. It can prevent UTI, stomach acids and promotes healthier skin.

These are just 10 of the most nutritious but there's a lot more. Just keep in mind that This list is just a reminder that you don't need to buy very expensive supplements to be health. We just need dicipline and proper diet. So check your daily meal and be sure to include these foods to your list. Happy eating!

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Natural antidepressant

Happiness of a person is something that you can't easily buy. but you can easily get it out of simple and ordinary things. And you don't need to force, use any therapy,medication and or exercises just to change the mood of somebody.

Based on research studies, There are certain foods that can switch those angry heads and cool it down. They showed the best mood-boosting ways from different foods are the following:

1. Popcorn for happiness hormone - Carbohydrates that can be found in popcorn can enhance the production of seratonin, Its a neurotransmitter that prevents that angry mood, depression, insomnia, food cravings and sensitivity to illness. Carbohydrates from popcorn is complex that boosts the mood of people to be happy and alert. again, Popcorn is okay when you don't eat too much of it.

2. Walnuts is twice more effective than antidepressants- Consumption of walnuts is good beacuse it has mood-lifting magic. It is a combination of omega-3 fatty acids and natural compounds called uridine. Both of these act as antidepressant-like effects that are proven effective.

3. Chocolates for stress and depression- Chocolates contains 300 natural health-boosting compounds, like stimulants that boosts happiness and alertness. Those concentration are usually found in dark chocolates, That's why it's better to choose chocolates whenever you feel depressed. Just be careful not to eat to much or it will hello to your belly. And you don't want to end up like this:

Related articles by Zemanta

• How Depression Harms Your Heart (time.com)
• Foods to Help Fight Depression (itakeoffthemask.com)

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Pain killers, natural alternative.

Looking for pain killers? Pain by word itself is one of the hardest fact in our lives. However, it doesn't mean that people will just bear everything in silence. Especially if the pain doesn't need any expensive/addictive medications at all.

Pain can actually affect the quality of our lives, A lot of people are already used to grab any pain killers whenever they're in pain, There are foods that can actually reduce the burden of pain. Adding natural foods in your daily diet to reduce pain is one good way. Here are the lists of natural pain killers that you ought to know.

1. Peanuts- Peanuts are a good source of trytophan , it lessen the pain sensitivity of your body in one hour of consumption. There are wide varieties of food that are high in trytophan such as sunflower seeds, dairy products, whole grains, dried beans, lentils, seafood and rice.

2. Cabbage- And all its cousins in the cruciferous vegetable family can give a lot of antioxidants, That naturally reduces pain by making muscles, joints and other bodily tissues healthy and strong.It maintains its good condition. For example, An additional cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts in your meals won't hurt.

3. Grapes- Is high source of resveratrol a well known substance that is popular in preventing heart diseases. It also prevents pain-causing COX-2 enzyme(an enzyme responsible for inflammation and pain). Which is just like the over-the-counter drugs.

4. Green tea - Based on experts, a daily intake of green tea is good for the health. It has antioxidants and other pain fighting compounds. It reduces the tingling and aches of our nerves.

5. Omega-3 acids- This can be found in fatty fish like salmon, mackerel or sardines. It reduces inflammation that causes pain. You now have a reason to eat fish.

6. Orange- Orange is like included in every healthy lists, here's another reason. Orange can provide beta-cryptoxanthin. A powerful natural pain reliever. This potent chemical can also be found in apricot, nectarines, tangerines, peaches, plum and watermelon.

7. Herbs - It plays an important role in reducing pain. The best herbs are: Basil, cayenne, cloves, licorice, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary thyme and turmeric.

These lists are not medicine they are supplements. So before taking your pain killers try to add these alternatives to your daily meal.

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Life extension: 4 simple techniques to add more birthdays!

There are so many ways to make our lives longer, or extend our lives. A lot of people are taking so many food supplements and vitamins believing it will extend their lives. There is nothing wrong with food supplements and stuff like that. There are just some things/ food that are often taken for granted, and they are the ones who are helpful to us.

At the moment billions of people are still hoping for longevity. Experts said that this is not impossible. Especially if it will be combined with proper diet and healthy lifestyle. This is an important key and it could be better with the addition of:

1. Eat fish - Countries like Italy, Greece, Israel, France and Spain are the leading countries that has longer life span.Their biggest secret lies in the consumption of complete meal rich with whole grains, olive oil, fresh vegetables and fish that are irresistibly delicious. eating fish can :

• helps form red blood cells
• maintains nerve and gastrointestinal tissues

and of course fish has essential fatty acids or EFA that are found in fish oils. A very popular Omega 3 can help us reduce heart attacks, heart failure, stroke and others. so no wonder some fish are close to our hearts.

2. Know the latest - Watch news, read the latest magazines, wear new clothes, surf the internet.
keep yourself updated. Some people says that the news nowadays can give us heart attacks instantly. but of course you have to know more than that. If you keep your self updated to almost anything. It can actually make your brain younger.

3. Laugh - of yes we all know that laughter is the best medicine,( do we always laugh?) but sometimes people forget to laugh, we tend to be serious most of the time. When there are so many problems. Most of the people take things so serious that they get depressed, pressured and unhappy. be happy. watch Comedy shows/movies. laugh with your children. Make fun of yourself every now and then. Remember feeling young can actually make us look young. Extend your lives, laugh!

4. Drink and drink more. Drinking more water, coffee, tea and wine ( in a well balanced way) Can give you benefits especially when you take the enough amounts, again.. enough amounts. Wine and tea prevents heart diseases and certain cancers. While coffee makes diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Kidney stones and liver diseases maintain it's normal condition. Prevents it from getting worst. always remember! Right amounts only! Again.. Prevention is always better than cure.

Stay happy!

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Dry hair no more. Secrets revealed

Short hair or long hair. A healthy and glowing skin would be complete with a healthy and shiny hair.In order to have a satisfying and well conditioned hair. one secret revealed for us to prevent dry and damaged hair. Through this process it will help the hair to be well hydrated.


This is with the help of olive oil. Yes, olive oil. Staying too long under the sun can leave hair very dry and brittle with a lot of split ends.This were olive oil can help replenish lost moisture. Olive oil has essential fatty acids. These fatty acids comes from every coat of olive. It leaves hair soft, manageable and glossy.


One simple way of achieving this goal is to have an olive-oil hair mask. Here's a simple recipe for a homemade olive-oil hair mask. Mix 1 egg yolk, one cup coconut milk. One crushed avocado( you can also use avocado puree for a much smoother mixture) and 2 tables spoon of olive oil. Mix egg yolk and the coconut milk wait until rich and foamy. followed by the avocado fruit. mix them together until creamy. Finally, add the olive oil. You are now ready to use your olive-oil hair mask.


First, apply the mixture to your hair from root to tip. Leave it up to 15 minutes.You can cover your head if you want, this will quickly absorb the mixture.After 15 minutes, rinse well with warm water.. Then you can rinse it again with tap water. You will immediately see the big difference you can do this twice a week to maintain the softness of your hair.

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Foods for the immune system

Our immune system is responsible in making our bodies healthy and strong. From the common cold to the worst cancer. That's why taking care of it is the key to a healthy body. Experts said that there are a lot of food that can actually boost the immune system. and here are some of it that made the list:

1. Pumpkin/squash seeds

Pumpkins are not only great for Halloween, but for the whole year round. It has Zinc.
Zinc actually prevents us from experiencing colds for a long period of time. Its stops the cold from getting worst. Pumpkin seeds are high in protein, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper. try to eat pumpkin seeds. It even taste good.However pumpkin seeds don't stop there - the tasty little seeds are also a rich source of protein and the essential fatty acid omega-3.


2. Orange.

This fruit is very well known for having Vitamin c. An antioxidant that helps the immune system to fight every illness waiting around. Vitamin C can also be found in bell peppers, strawberries, pomelo and broccoli. 400 milligrams of vitamin c 3 times a day is OK. It also has Vitamin a that:

• helps bone and tooth development
• promotes good night vision
• maintains healthy skin and membranes

3.Yogurt.

Unpasteurized yogurt is even better. lactobacillus acidophilus - a healthy bacterium that prevents any fungus related infections. 20 milligrams of acidophillus supplement everyday is advised. It also has Riboflavin which is necessary for the release of energy from foods and healthy membranes and skin.Yogurt can be given to children as part of a weaning diet, included in packed lunches, used in the cooking of sweet and savoury dishes or just as a quick nutritious snack.


4. Tea- all types of teas has flavonoids a powerful vitamin that tremendously slows down the aging process of our immune system.the flavonoids in tea can act to inhibit the development of precancerous lesions and cancers in many tissues, including bladder,breast, intestine, liver, lung, mouth, pancreas, and skin, in animal studies and human cell lines. you can also get flavonids from onions, oats,brocolli, tomatoes, apples and berries. tea appears to help support the liver's function in detoxifying the blood, including the elimination of cancer-causing compounds.

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