Did you know that at least one-third of all cancers are caused by poor diet? Definite health benefits come from centering your diet around vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and legumes. This combined with regular exercise, a healthy weight, alcohol used only in moderation, and avoiding tobacco are the fundamentals for disease prevention.
Many experts believe as much as 50-60% of degenerative disease is due primarily to dietary factors! Here are some tips that will maximize your protection.
Eat 8 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. If you have trouble getting this much in, cover your bases with a whole food concentrate to make up for the nutritional shortfall.
Eat dark green leafy and cabbage family vegetables daily. Try to include a wide variety - broccoli, spinach, kale, chard, mustard greens, collards, bok choy, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, turnips, and others.(more…)
Do you eat lots of brightly colored fruits and vegetables? The colors correspond to different plant chemicals or phytonutrients. Many fruits and vegetables contain flavonoids, a very large and diverse family of antioxidant phytochemicals.
Blueberries are the richest sources of potent antioxidants in our American diet, but the following foods are also high in flavonoid life-preservers:
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death due to cancer worldwide. (Lung is first, primarily due to smoking). The American Cancer Society (ACS) recently released a report declaring that at least half of all cancer-related deaths could be prevented through lifestyle changes and earlier detection.
Dairy and Legumes
Consuming 2 to 3 servings of low-fat dairy each day is linked to lower breast cancer risk, according to ACS research that studied a group of postmenopausal women. Similar reduction was not observed among those who took calcium supplements.
Eating a couple of servings per week of beans and lentils appears to significantly lower breast cancer risk, according to research conducted at the Harvard School of Public Health. This is believed to be due to their high content of antioxidant flavonols. Legumes are also rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber.(more…)
The health benefits of olive oil are well substantiated by research and are due to a number of factors, including the type of fat (monosaturated) and antioxidant content. Additionally, there are a number of different types and grades of olive oil and only certain ones are protective. In Mediterranean countries where people use this oil as their primary fat and eat little meat, there are much lower rates of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Cardio-Protective
Studies reveal that when particles of LDL cholesterol contain monounsaturated fat from olive oil, they have greater resistance to becoming oxidized by free radicals and being converted into sticky lipid peroxides. Since only lipid peroxides are able to adhere to artery walls, protecting cholesterol molecules from oxidation is critical to reducing risk for cardiovascular disease.(more…)
It’s now known that brain regeneration continues throughout adulthood. Building brain reserves through healthy lifestyle is currently our best defense. The following strategies can dramatically reduce your risk of developing AD:
1. Regular Physical Activity
No other lifestyle choice has as much impact on aging and Alzheimer’s as exercise. In a 2009 review of literature from the International Journal of Clinical Practice, scientists documented that over time, physical activity effectively reduces the probability of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
To maximize your benefit: a) Exercise for 30 minutes to an hour on most days. Five workouts a week can reduce your risk by as much as 35%. b) Build muscle. Lifting weights not only increases muscle, it helps prevent brain drain. Combining aerobics and strength work is better than either activity alone. Adding 2-3 strength sessions to a weekly exercise routine cuts risk in half for those over 65.(more…)
According to USC’s Dr. Vincent Fortanasce, although stress can greatly increase your risk for AD, simple daily tools can reduce levels of the harmful stress hormone, cortisol which accelerates cognitive decline.
Conquer stress with these techniques: a) Breathe! Stress alters breathing rates and impacts brain oxygen levels. Turn off the stress response with slow, deep, abdominal breathing. From momentary inhale, hold, and exhale sequences to guided group exercises, controlled breathing is powerful and simple. b) Daily relaxation activities - Walking, tai chi, yoga, bicycling or other forms of relaxing exercise can aid greatly in keeping stress hormones under control. c) Stay connected - We are social beings and the most connected fare better on tests of memory and cognition. Developing a strong support system through family, friends, groups, clubs, and activities improves mental state and slows decline. d) Nourish inner peace - There exists a strong mind-body connection and studies associate spiritual activities with better cognitive aging. Regular meditation, prayer, reflection, and religious practice aid in reducing stress.(more…)
Legumes are very rich sources of both antioxidants and fiber and are recommended to be included in our diets daily. Hummus is becoming popular with many as it’s tasty, versatile, and comes in many varieties.
In our family, we use hummus in wraps, on salads, as a topping for rice and veggies, an addition to sandwiches, and as a dip for raw vegetables and fruit. If you think fruit with hummus sounds a little extreme, try it with apple slices, a pear, or a banana. You may be surprised at how tasty the fruity sweetness combines with the richness of tahini and chick peas!(more…)
When you go to the grocery store, do you buy the cheap store-brand eggs or do you opt for those that say, “Free Range” or “Omega-3″? The latter two cost a dollar or so more, but are well worth it. These eggs are sources of not only the omega-3 essential fatty acids our modern animal products are so low in, but they have significantly more vitamin E and carotenoids (vitamin A precursors) while much less saturated fat and cholesterol.
What’s even a huge jump better are eggs from a local farmer who lets them run outdoors where they can eat their natural diet of green vegetation and bugs. I never liked eggs much until I tasted the ones raised locally - a huge difference. The almost-orange yolks stand so tall and the whites are very firm.
Sometimes you can find them at farmer’s markets. You can also ask around at venues where whole-foods folks frequent - health food stores, co-ops, environmental groups, or even Craig’s List.(more…)
1 in 3 American adults have elevated triglycerides, known to significantly raise risk for heart disease. High triglycerides are primarily created by excess calories and contribute greatly to atherosclerosis, the buildup of fat and cholesterol in the arteries. Even children can have high triglycerides and this increases their risk of heart attack and stroke later in life.
Elevated triglycerides are seen frequently in diabetics because the liver converts excess blood sugar to fat. But anytime you take in carbohydrates in amounts that exceed the body’s requirements for energy, some of this is usually converted to triglycerides.(more…)
Coconut oil is receiving renewed interest today because it possesses healing properties far beyond that of any other dietary oil. It is extensively used in traditional medicine among Asian and Pacific populations. Only recently has modern medical science been unlocking the secrets to its antimicrobial properties.
Fat with Antimicrobial Power
Lauric acid is a medium chain fatty acid (MCFA), which makes up 50 percent of the fat in coconut oil and is considered responsible for many of its health benefits. The only other abundant source found in nature is in human breast milk. In the body, lauric acid is transformed into monolaurin.
Monolaurin is able to damage the membrane covering of lipid-coated viruses including HIV, herpes, cytomegalovirus, and influenza as well as various pathogenic bacteria including listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and the protozoa giardia lamblia. Here’s a review of a current study from Science Daily wherein monolaurin is shown to have potential for food safety as it forms an effective barrier for pathogenic microorganisms.(more…)
The health benefits of olive oil are well substantiated by research and are due to a number of factors, including the type of fat (monosaturated) and antioxidant content. Additionally, there are a number of different types and grades of olive oil and only certain ones are protective. In Mediterranean countries where people use this oil as their primary fat and eat little meat, there are much lower rates of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
It’s now known that brain regeneration continues throughout adulthood. Building brain reserves through healthy lifestyle is currently our best defense. The following strategies can dramatically reduce your risk of developing AD:
5. Stress Management
Legumes are very rich sources of both antioxidants and fiber and are recommended to be included in our diets daily. Hummus is becoming popular with many as it’s tasty, versatile, and comes in many varieties.
When you go to the grocery store, do you buy the cheap store-brand eggs or do you opt for those that say, “Free Range” or “Omega-3″? The latter two cost a dollar or so more, but are well worth it. These eggs are sources of not only the omega-3 essential fatty acids our modern animal products are so low in, but they have significantly more vitamin E and carotenoids (vitamin A precursors) while much less saturated fat and cholesterol.
1 in 3 American adults have elevated triglycerides, known to significantly raise risk for heart disease. High triglycerides are primarily created by excess calories and contribute greatly to atherosclerosis, the buildup of fat and cholesterol in the arteries. Even children can have high triglycerides and this increases their risk of heart attack and stroke later in life.
Coconut oil is receiving renewed interest today because it possesses healing properties far beyond that of any other dietary oil. It is extensively used in traditional medicine among Asian and Pacific populations. Only recently has modern medical science been unlocking the secrets to its antimicrobial properties.
