Whole Food And More: 1/1/11

Antioxidants in Food For Healthy Eyes

Eye health is important to me because Glaucoma runs in my immediate family. My Mom was blind after years of treatments for her Glaucoma. Eating the right foods can add a benefit to your eye health. I even had my vision improve after an intensive juice fast. I don't recommend you do this kind of fast without the direction of a doctor.

The following article was written by a professional about how diet and vision are linked.
Contact Tim Harwood with any questions and I thank Tim for taking the time to share this article with us.

Can changing my diet improve the health of my eyes?

For anyone who has ever had an eye disease or problems with their vision, then the health of their eyes is something which is likely to be extremely important to them. Our eyes are precious to us and without them our lives would not be the same. There is growing amounts of evidence to suggest that eating a diet rich in certain anti oxidants can be beneficial to the health of our eyes.

Full Disclaimer, There may be affiliate links on this page. In some cases, I will be compensated if you decide to purchase a product based on my recommendation. In some cases, I receive free product for review purposes. I only include those links for products and services that I use myself. I work hard with researching in addition to trying-testing all the products-services before publishing to my visitors.

Green Tea Extract For Health and Metabolic Aid

Green tea extract for metabolic aid and so much more!

This ingredient can be found in: Pop A Green and Pop A Purple

I grew up drinking sweet tea. Everyone in Texas drinks "sweet tea" - it's black tea with sugar. I still drink sweet tea but with raw sugar and only during the summer. My tea is "green tea" now. I drink it plain with no sweetener. I weaned myself off honey in my tea and now it tastes like 'cough syrup' with the honey... YUCK...

There are so many health benefits in green tea or green tea extract. I'm glad because I have no desire to stop my tea habit :)

Green tea is a type of tea made from the leaves of Camellia senesis. Unlike black tea, very little oxidation occurs during processing, so its biological properties are distinct. Although it is a traditional drink in China and other Asian cultures, it is only recently become popular in the West. Its use has been associated with lower risks of some chronic diseases. For example, a study in Japan revealed that people drinking more green tea have a lower risk of stroke and cerebral hemorrhage than those who drink less. In a rat model of hypertension and stroke, green tea consumed from an early age provided some protection against high blood pressure and delayed the onset of stroke.

Making Healthy Choices Even When Your Health is Failing

Maintaining proper nutrition can sometimes be a struggle, especially when other aspects of your health are of greater concern.Chronic and terminal illnesses – as well as their treatments – can take a toll on appetite and diet For example, symptoms of mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the lining of the lungs, may be confused with other, less serious ailments until the disease is in its late stages, requiring aggressive chemotherapy and radiation. Such treatments are so taxing on the body that nutrition becomes doubly important.

Prevention

Obviously, no diet can completely prevent cancer or other serious illnesses. However, there are foods that can increase the body’s defenses against disease. The American Cancer Society strongly recommends adding colorful fruits and vegetables to your diet. While doctors are hesitant to state unequivocally which substances in those fruits and vegetables are the most important, since it is often a combination that does the job, it is thought that antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, and E as well as carotenoids and polyphenols help fight the risk of cancer. Fruits and veggies high in fiber and folic acid are also recommended, especially for those at risk of colorectal cancer. It is important to note that these nutrients are most effective when consumed from the fruit or vegetable itself, rather than as a dietary supplement.

During Treatment

Chemotherapy, a common treatment for cancers such as mesothelioma, is essentially the introduction of toxic chemicals into the body for the purposes of killing the malignant cells. Unfortunately, healthy cells will die as well, leading to gastrointestinal side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, or changes in taste. The goal of a chemotherapy diet is usually to avoid malnutrition, and may include high amounts of calories and protein prior to the treatment in order to maintain weight, since a liquid diet may be the only option once the treatment has begun. Anyone undergoing chemotherapy should consult with their doctor about specific nutritional requirements.

Like chemotherapy, radiation therapy targets malignant cells, but uses highly focused rays of energy instead of chemicals. Depending upon the location of the cancer, many of the eating-related side effects can be the same. The American Cancer Society recommends eating a snack or small meal at least an hour before treatment and eating small, frequent meals with plenty of fluids after the treatment. Eating may initially prove difficult, but it is important to maintain strength and energy while receiving treatment for cancer.

The Importance of Nutrition

While even the best diet may not prevent or cure serious diseases such as cancer, proper nutrition is vital to boosting energy, fighting secondary conditions such as infection, and maintaining a positive outlook. Though mesothelioma life expectancy is relatively short in comparison to other cancers, a healthy, balanced diet rich in fruit, vegetables, and protein may make the treatment process easier on the body and promote healing.

Appetite Control Patch - Suzanne Somers Recommends SP6 Complete

I'm always on the lookout for alternative products for health. Rarely have I found any product for weight loss that is not real food based. Until now...

I've been using the LifeWave drug-free patches for energy and anti-aging for five months. I've had surprising results, as have friends and relatives that have tried the pain patches.

After reading Suzanne Somers new book, Sexy Forever: How to Fight Fat after Forty I wanted to test the "SP6 Appetite Control Patch". I know Suzanne Somers is an alternative health fan, I still wondered if this weight loss patch she used really worked. I was pleasantly surprised and very happy when I didn't want bread, donuts or even salty chips. I know I shouldn't even think about those fake foods and I usually don't. I guess I got lazy about food during the holidays. I'm back to normal with eating. The cravings are gone and the belly fat is coming off.

The SP6 Complete System was developed as a multi-stage approach to weight loss. Since most people have multiple reasons as to why they are overweight, SP6 Complete uses multiple approaches to assist people in achieving their weight loss goals:

• A new non-transdermal patch that stimulates acupuncture points known to control appetite.

• An antioxidant Maqui Juice Cocktail that detoxifies your system and has you losing weight in as little as 2 days.

• A broad spectrum of time-released nutrients that gives you over 10 hours of daily antioxidant protection, natural fat burning without stimulants, digestive and immune support - all necessary elements when trying to lose unwanted body fat.

• A state of the art time-released meal replacement that provides 34 grams of protein delivered to your body over a period of 5 hours.

• Sensible guidelines for proper eating habits and exercise to help you lose unwanted pounds and keep them off.

Try the patch alone or the complete system. Visit my LifeWave site and the LifeWave SP6 site to learn more.

If prompted on the LifeWave site, referral ID 740245

Cayenne - Metabolic Aid For Health

This is the start of our mini posts about herbs and spices that are natural metabolic aids. Cayenne is spicy and tastes great in so many dishes making it easy to work into your daily diet so that's our first metabolic aid topic. Cayenne is also one of the 77 Ingredients in the Pop-A-Purple supplement I take.

Cayenne

This ingredient can be found in: Pop A Purple

Cayenne pepper is named for the city of Cayenne in French Guiana. It consists primarily of the capsaicinoid Capsaicin, which is derived from the seeds and pods of a pepper related to bell peppers and jalapenos.

Adding Cayenne to your diet may also enhance your metabolism (Lass, 2008, p2), helping you burn more calories and fat. Another reason it may promote weight loss is its capacity to stimulate thermogenesis, the generation of heat. Cayenne can speed up the rate at which energy is released, so that less of the fat you consume is stored (Shan, 2008, p3).

References

Lass J. Add some to lose some. Alive: Canadian Journal of Health & Nutrition [serial online]. April 2008;306:118-119. Available from: Alt HealthWatch, Ipswich, MA. Accessed May 15, 2009.
Shan Y. Tackling the obesity crisis in the UK. Primary Health Care [serial online]. October 2008;18(8):25-30. ComposeAvailable from: CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Ipswich, MA. Accessed May 15, 2009.
Willard T. Herb profile: Cayenne. Alive: Canadian Journal of Health & Nutrition [serial online]. June 2004;260:114-115. Available from: Alt HealthWatch, Ipswich, MA. Accessed May 15, 2009

Natural Sinus Congestion Treatments

Feeling ‘stuffy’ and congested?

When the membranes lining the nasal passages become inflamed, swelling can occur, causing the obstruction of easy airflow in the sinus walls. This obstruction is commonly described as nasal congestion and ‘pressure’ on the upper cheeks and on either side of the nose. A dull ache is also commonly felt in the forehead area, often worsened when bending over, creating more pressure on the nerves attached to the sinuses and skull, particularly the ethmoid sinuses located in the deeper recesses of the nose.

Maxillary sinuses are situated in the middle part of your face, below the eyes and to the side of your nose, and often cause pain to be felt across your face when they are congested or blocked. Congestion in the sphenoid sinuses will cause dull pain in the back of the head.

The natural way...

There are many things that you can do to help your sinuses remain clear and un-blocked. Drinking lots of water prevents congestion by helping drain the build-up of mucous and increasing moisture in the body. It is also a good idea to avoid caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea or cola, as they cause dehydration. To help keep airways moist and open, consider a humidifier in your home to moisten the air or install air conditioners to stabilize the temperature.

Allergen filters an also be fitted to heaters and air conditioners to remove allergens from the air. Inhalation of steam for a few minutes (to loosen mucous and moisten the throat), can also be beneficial. Avoid swimming in chlorine treated pools and steer clear of diving as it can irritate sinus passages. Cigarette smoke and other air pollutants that aggravate the sinus lining should be avoided, as well as alcohol intake, as this can cause the nasal membranes to swell.

Continue to read about products from Native Remedies that offer fast results for many.

Spice Oils For Aroma Sprays

For me, spices are the perfect complement to chilly autumn and winter months. The tantalizing aromas are reminiscent of holiday favorites like apple and pumpkin pie, mulled apple cider, eggnog, clove-studded oranges, and hot toddies. Plus, the scents are uplifting to the spirits, comforting, energizing, and good for overcoming mental fatigue and stress. Topically, they are warming and excellent for increasing circulation making them useful for sore muscles and arthritis.

Winter Spice Aroma Spray
Mist this intoxicating scent around your home for a nostalgic holiday aroma, or just because it smells so good!
3 oz Water
1 oz Witch Hazel Extract
20 drops organic Cinnamon essential oil
15 drops organic Cedarwood essential oil
10 drops organic Clove essential oil
5 drops organic Ginger essential oil
Note, buy these oils from Mountain Rose Herbs.
Add all ingredients to a 4 oz bottle and cap with a mister top. Shake before each use as the contents will naturally separate.

Source:http://mountainroseblog.com/winter-recipes-spice/

3 Foods to Kill and Flush Yeast

I've been baffled about the weight I've gained in my stomach because I eat healthy and get moderate exercise. I know part of it is my thyroid even though the tests come back normal. I know what I see and feel... Anyway, I recently read that at least 15 million American women have candidiasis, a yeast overgrowth that triggers fatigue and weight gain. Now this sounds like me! Good news, it takes only 10 days to get back on track to trim and healthy.

Yeast overgrowth has been linked to an average weight gain of 32.5 pounds, reported center medical director Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., author of Beat Sugar Addiction Now!: The Cutting-Edge Program That Cures Your Type of Sugar Addiction and Puts You on the Road to Feeling Great - and Losing Weight!.

Yeast colonize the digestive tract by the millions and they demand to be fed with carbs - which leads to carb cravings. With more carbs the yeast has fuel to multiply more.

The immune system tries to destroy yeast, often unsuccessfully. The result of this battle is the production of inflammatory compounds that suppress thyroid function. This reduces the body's ability to convert food - and fat - into energy.

When yeast ferments carbs, it produces toxic waste products. To minimize the damage the waste can cause, the body retains water to dilute it. The result is bloat that Dr. Teitelbaum says can add five to seven inches to your waistline!

OK there are three foods to start eating right away to kill yeast. There are many foods that will flush yeast but let's say you are short on time and want to do something small but effective now.

Coconut oil destroys up to 100% of yeast cells on contact. Credit goes to its lauric, caprylic and capric acids - fatty acids that work together to split open the protective outer wall of yeast cells. The proven dose: 3 Tbs. a day. To maximize weight loss, use coconut oil as a replacement for other dietary oils like hydrogenated oils when cooking.

Note about coconut oil:
Use only Organic virgin coconut oil. Source for healthy coconut oil, www.tropicaltraditions.com

Raw Garlic:
Researchers at Putra University in Malaysia have pinpointed two unique antifungal actions of raw garlic. The herb shuts down the formation of hyphae, the long branching strands created by yeast to help it grow and spread. Garlic forces yeast cells to age and die prematurely by reducing the activity of their anti aging gene by 50%. The proven dose is one raw clove a day.

Spices:

Studies show that the aromatic oils in spices contain dozens of biologically active ingredients that can stall yeast growth by turning off the genetic master switch needed to initiate reproduction. The most powerful include thyme, cloves, rosemary, coriander,sage, turmeric, oregano, ginger and curry blends. The proven dose: 1 1/2 Tbs. of fresh or 2 tsp. of dried herbs a day.
Source: First for Women; Sept 2010

So I'm starting my 10 day yeast flush with these 3 foods. I'll also be adding fresh juiced carrots, cucumbers, ginger root, green apples, tomatoes, parsley and other cleansing vegetable juices. I need to get rid of this "muffin top" and keep it off.

Breakfast Drink With Water Kefir

I've never been a fan of eating in the morning. I know it's important to get something in my stomach soon after waking up so a drink is a fit for me. I don't use any processed ready to use drinks, Yuck and Toxic ingredients! I make my own very tasty and easy blended drink. I use it anytime I don't have time for a meal, or just don't know what I want to eat.

I loved using Kombucha for my drink. Then I couldn't find it at any health food stores because it was found to have elevated alcohol levels. It's back now and I've been happy to have it back in my blended drinks. Now I've switched again because paying almost $4 a bottle is a bit too much for me. I drink at least a bottle a day. I know lots of people pay that much for coffee or pop, I don't drink either one and still can't justify $4 a bottle.

I use Kefir Water now. I make it at home for a fraction of the cost of the Kombucha tea. I buy my water grains from Cultures for Health.

OK here's my "recipe" for my morning or blended drink. Ingredients are based on my tastes. You can add fresh fruits or veggies. Note this is not a weight loss drink, it is a healthy drink:)

8 oz Kombucha, Water or Water Kefir
1 Tb organic virgin coconut oil (from Tropical Traditions.com)
2 Tb Big B (b complex supplement, stabilized rice bran from Whole Food Nation)
2 Tb Brown Flax Seeds (grind at home in a coffee grinder)
2 Tb Caprotein (From iherb.com)
1 tsp Carlson Cod Liver Oil - Lemon flavor :)
1 scoop InulinFos if using just water (from iherb.com)
Small piece of fruit
1/4 to 1 tsp Micro-algae if I need more protein or using for a detox drink

Blend liquid, coconut oil, flax seeds, cod liver oil, fruit,InulinFos and micro-algae. Add Big B and Caprotein last and blend for just a few seconds. The Big B is fragile so over blending will break down the nutrients. Protect the great B- complexvitamins by treating gently.

Below is a video from Dr. Heidi Dulay talking about a similar version of this blended drink. She helped to design my drink for me. Note the video is from Dr. Heidi's weight loss program so the ingredients will be different. Just watch for a idea of some things I've listed above.

Dr. Heidi's Dry mix for the weight loss body toddy:

Spices such as cinnamon are wonderful for taste so add to your blended drink. Experiment with fruits and spices. Try to keep sweeteners out of your healthy drink. Adding fruit or the kefir water should give enough flavor.

Enjoy and never give up on eating real food for health!

Health Benefits of Sea Vegetables - Chlorella, Dunaliella Salina, Hawaiian Spirulina

The sea provides us with a wide supply of food rich in different types of nutrients. Apart from the fishes and other animal sources, the sea also harbours numerous vegetables and algae that are considered rich sources of essential nutrients. Numerous research is being conducted on different plant resources available widely in the sea and their wide array of benefits has been discovered. Sea vegetable supplements are widely consumed owing to the multitude of health benefits available from them. Continue to read these wonderful sea vegetables...