09

06/10

Dangers of Processed Foods

11:44 am by admin. Filed under: extreme food

Ever wonder what’s really in that hamburger or what makes those Oreos so scrumptious? Chances are that there is a long list of processed ingredients that you can’t even pronounce. Everywhere in the world, processed foods are being sold and consumed by almost everyone. Little do they know about their hidden dangers. Recent studies suggest that processed foods may be more harmful than anyone ever expected. As these studies show, processed foods are linked to many common diseases as well as health issues. We need to change our eating habits and get the processed food industry to improve its standards.

By definition, processed foods are foods that are altered from their natural state to enhance their qualities. Processed foods were created to preserve, texturize, soften, sweeten, and do much more to natural foods. Most processing factories modify their products in those ways by canning, freezing, and a few other techniques. This makes processed foods fairly convenient for the consumer, so convenient, in fact, that, according to bodyecology.com, 90% of money spent on food by Americans is on processed foods, but this convenience doesn’t come without consequences.

In processed foods, most nutritional value is lost and replaced by other chemicals and ingredients that have little or no nutritional value, which can be damaging to your health. For example, according to consumeraffairs.com, high fructose corn syrup is a common sweetener added to processed foods and is extremely unhealthy. It increases your triglyceride levels—the level of fat in your blood—and LDL, the bad type of cholesterol. An average U.S. citizen will consume 68 pounds of high fructose corn syrup every year. 68 pounds. A seven-year study conducted on 200,000 people by the University of Hawaii found that those who eat large amounts of processed meats such as hot dogs and spam have a 67% higher risk of getting cancer than those who ate little or no processed meats.

Over 6000 chemicals are used in processed foods, some of which have unknown or untested results and require no government approval, but go in the category of the Food and Drug Administration’s “Generally Recognized as Safe” list. For example, reported side effects from monosodium glutamate, a common additive, are numbness, nausea, headache, and drowsiness, and yet, it is “generally recognized as safe.” Processed foods also contain trans fats that wreck the good and bad cholesterol balance, which in turn increases a person’s risk for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Because no one really knows what products have what effects, every time you sit down for a meal, you are taking a potential risk.

These are a few of the many reasons why we need to lessen our consumption of processed foods. Although there are a few healthy processed foods such as pasteurized milk or canned vegetables, there are too many chances to take with all those unhealthy processed foods. According to the Washington Post, large companies such as Hershey’s and General Mills are cutting back on the amount of sugar, trans fat, and high fructose corn syrup in their products, and many other companies are raising the bar for processed food health standards. But we can’t just sit around and wait, we need to start making healthier choices now. So the next time you take a bite out of a hamburger or eat a few Oreos, think about what you’re really eating and doing to your body. Think about it.

20

03/10

How Foods Rich in Fiber Keep You Alive

3:17 am by admin. Filed under: extreme food

It was first thought that foods rich in fiber had no significant in human health. But the important of dietary fiber was discovered not by doctors but by veterinarians. It was discovered that plants or foods rich in fiber had cell membrane structures that were not digestible. It is the fibers in plant walls that help plants keep the structure and strength.
Dietary fiber consists of carbohydrates where their polysaccharides were arranged in different fashions. The 4 basic fibers are cellulose, pectin, hemicellulose, and lignin. Cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin are considered insoluble fiber. Pectin, gum, and mucilage are considered soluble fiber.
Dietary Soluble Fiber
Soluble Fiber becomes gummy and viscous when it dissolves in water. It has the ability to slow down your digestion in the small intestine and it prevents simple sugars from entering the bloodstream right away, by keeping them imbedded in their gummy substance.
Because it absorbs water, soluble fiber softens and gives weight to fecal matter making it easier to pass through your colon and for having a bowel movement.
Soluble fiber consists of pectin, gum, and mucilage. Pectin is found in carrots, apples, beets, cabbage, citrus fruits, and bananas. Gums and mucilage are found in oat bran, sesame seeds, oats, oatmeal, legumes, guar gum, and gum Arabic
Pectin is used to make jam, forming into jell, when water is added to it. Apples and citrus fruits are high in pectin.
Besides helping prevent constipation and hemorrhoids, soluble fiber provides the following benefits.
reduces risk of heart disease

reduces risk of gallstones formation

helps to remove toxic heavy metals and toxins from your colon

helps to prevent appendicitis

regulates movement of sugar into the bloodstream during digestion

helps to prevent fissures

lowers cholesterol

slows absorption of fats in the intestines

and most importantly, help prevent the overgrowth of bad bacteria in your colon.
Dietary Insoluble Fiber
Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water or during digestion and consists of cellulose, hemi cellulose, and lignin. Cellulose is extremely strong, giving plants their firm and solid structure. This type of fiber is extremely beneficial to your health. Since your body’s enzymes do not breakdown this fiber, like it does food, it remains in tack as it travels through your intestines and colon.
Hemicellulose gives plants their flexibility and their plastic properties, whereas, lignans give plants their wood like strength.
Dietary insoluble fiber helps fecal matter travel faster through the small intestine, colon, and rectum. It provides bulk and weight to your fecal matter. It makes your stools larger, softer, and stimulates peristaltic movement as it moves through your colon.
Insoluble fiber, like soluble fiber, slows down digestion. It also slows down absorption of protein, starch and fat and has the ability to inhibit the action of digestive enzymes. It also prevents the re-absorption of estrogen, cholesterol, and toxins.
Insoluble fibers are found in vegetables, wheat, and wheat bran. This type of fiber is considered an anti-carcinogen and a digestive aid. It is credited with preventing colon cancer and many other colon diseases.
Sources of Insoluble Fiber

Bananas

Broccoli

Brown rice

Brussels sprouts

Cauliflower

Cabbage

Corn

Lentils

Potatoes

Spinach wheat germ

Whole wheat bread

Whole wheat crackers
Other sources of foods rich in soluble and insoluble fiber are:
Oranges, grapefruit, nectarines, peaches, tangerines, apples, berries, apricots, bananas, figs, prunes
Zucchini, turnips, okra, cabbage, peas, sweet potatoes

Carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, eggplant, okra, Zucchini, greens
Barley, chickpeas, split peas, pinto beans, kidney beans, navy beans, potatoes
Foods rich in fiber contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. Some foods contain more of one than the other. Dietary fiber is a necessity for life. Without eating fiber food, disease sets in. Many people who develop illnesses don’t eat the required amount of fiber foods. Start now to increase your consumption of fiber foods.

09

03/10

Did You Know There Are Foods To Eat To Prevent Yeast Infection?

3:17 am by admin. Filed under: extreme food

Knowing the type of foods to eat to prevent yeast infection is vital. This is because the foods you that eat play a very important part in treating and more importantly preventing the growth of fungus in your body.
Indeed, there are certain foods to eat to prevent yeast infection. It’s well-known that Candida fungus can grow all over your body, and most flare-ups occur due to certain imbalance in your immune system. Therefore, your diet is very important to look at when thinking about how to prevent yeast infections.
When it comes to treating yeast infection, the important thing to do is to plan a diet for yourself. You should have a diet consist of the foods that can prevent occurrence of the disease. In this article, we will discuss what are some of those.
The best approach would be to adopt a healthy diet containing certain foods that prevents getting a yeast infection, rather than just treat it. If you take good care planning and adjusting your diet, it won’t take long for you to include the foods that prevent the infection.
A comprehensive List Of The Foods you should Eat To avoid Yeast Infection
The food you eat is extremely relevant when we want to alleviate certain illnesses, and it works as well with yeast infections. It’s not a difficult diet to follow, rather you should change certain habits to prevent the infection.
Follow a high-protein diet. Protein, the building blocks of our body drastically improves our immune system: fish, meat, eggs, soy.
Go green: veggies help lower your sugar level in blood, which is closely related to the fungus spread. Besides, they also add the much needed vitamins and minerals.
Eat fruits. Fruits will replace your craving for sugary foods. Try not to consume refined sugar.
There are plenty of healthy supplements such as garlic, grapefruit seed oil, lemon juice and vinegar. They all have a powerful antibacterial action that kills the yeast infections. They all help preventing further flare-ups as well.
Is just a diet effective enough?
If properly followed, a diet is extremely efficient if, and only if, you keep on it. The most important thing about following a diet of foods to eat to prevent yeast infection is that it takes time to furnish the body with the necessary protection. If you lack the discipline to follow the diet, it would be impossible to protect your body against yeast infection and everything you did earlier will be in vain.

17

02/10

List Of Foods For Diabetics To Eat – Effective List Of Foods A Diabetic Can Eat

3:17 am by admin. Filed under: extreme food

Diabetic is one of the commonest metabolic disorder in the grown and growing countries. As it is a kind of disease which affects the glucose maintenance system in our blood, diet plays a major in it’s management.

As a diabetic, it is ultimately important for you to have a list of foods for diabetic to eat. There are some things that can work against your diabetes and make you extremely ill and there are some things that you should be including in your diet that you may not have been aware of. Because we know just how difficult it can be to determine what foods you should or should not eat, we have devised this article, complete with a list of foods for diabetic to eat to help you out.

Before we get into what you should eat, let’s have a look at some of the things you should not eat. You want to make sure you avoid or restrict your intake of carbohydrates, either simple or refined. This might include items such as corn syrup, honey, sweets, sugar, white bread, white rice, or items that contain fructose, glucose, or sucrose.

Diabetics should also avoid foods that are extremely high in fat or sodium. The less you have of either of these items, the better off you will be. It is also suggested that you limit your intake of alcohol. Drinking heavily could lead to a greater heart disease risk, as well as liver damage.

With that being said, here is a list of foods for diabetic to eat:

? Make sure you include starches – While white breads can be bad for your diabetes, you still want to make sure that you include plenty of starches in your diet. This should be vegetables, pasta, cereal, grains, and breads.

? Vegetables – Vegetables are important to any diet, diabetic or otherwise. These provide a great source of fiber, minerals, and vitamins. Particularly good vegetables for your diet include cabbage, spinach, broccoli, green beans, carrots, tomatoes, and peppers.

? Fruits also provide you with fiber, minerals, and vitamins. They are also a source for carbohydrates, but should be taken in moderation. Depending on your calorie count, you should include two to four servings of fruits such as apples, bananas, mango, fruit juice, oranges, raisins, and grapefruit each day.

? Milk is also a much needed source of critical elements that your body needs. Fat free sources of milk is good, such as yogurt or low fat milk.

? Meats, though necessary, should only be eaten in moderation. This includes meat substitutes as well. This category includes all red meats and poultry, as well as cheese, cottage cheese, tofu, peanut butter, eggs, and fish.

Knowing what you should and should not eat while dealing with your diabetes is the best way to get it under control, lose weight, and maintain a healthier lifestyle at the same time. We hope this list of foods for diabetic to eat has helped you on your journey to monitoring your diabetes.

01

12/09

Allergies Symptoms and Natural Foods That Fight Allergies

3:17 am by admin. Filed under: extreme food

Up to 50 million Americans, including 2 million children, have some type of allergy. For most people, allergies are just an inconvenience. According to the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease, they are a major cause of disability in the U.S. In fact, it has been estimated that allergies account for the loss of over two million school days per year.

What Are Allergies?

An allergy is an overreaction of the immune system toward a substance that is typically harmless to most people. But in someone with an allergy, the body’s immune system treats the substance, called an allergen, as an invader and reacts inappropriately resulting in harm to the person.

Who Gets Allergies?

Children inherit allergic tendencies from their parents. A few children have allergies in spite of no family member having these, but if one parent has allergies, there is a one in four chance that a child will also have allergies. The risk increases if both parents have allergies.

Do I Have an Allergy to Something?

Some allergies are fairly easy to identify because the pattern of symptoms following certain exposures can be hard to miss. But other allergies are less obvious because they can masquerade as other conditions.

How Are Allergies Treated?

There is no cure for allergies, but symptomatic relief is possible. The most effective is by reducing or eliminating exposure to allergens. If reducing exposure is not feasible or is ineffective, medications may be prescribed. In some cases, an allergist may recommend immunotherapy (allergy shots) to help desensitize you. There are also medications you might be able to give yourself, including antihistamines and inhaled or nasal spray steroids. One medical suggestion is: ZYRTEC®

Just 1 dose of ZYRTEC® (cetirizine HCl) a day can keep allergy symptoms under control, year-round. Symptoms from both indoor allergies, like pet dander and dust. And outdoor allergies, like trees and ragweed. Plus, ZYRTEC is approved to treat indoor allergies in infants 6 months and up.

Some common allergies include those to:

Grasses

Mold Spores

Marsh Elder

Ash

Pigweed

Oak

Fall Elm

Mesquito

Elm

Sage

Red Berry Juniper

Pecan

Mountain Cedar

Ragweed

Willow

Privet

Cats

Dogs

Bees

Peanuts

Dust Mites

Food

Metals/nickle:

40 percent increase in nickel allergies is blamed on the new body piercing rage. Also some ingest nickel in foods and from chewing pens and paper clips.

Cobalt and chromium can also produce allergic reactions, but to a lesser degree than nickel. once a nickel allergy develops, it lasts for a lifetime.

Animals:

All warm-blooded, furry animals, such as the average household pet, can cause allergic reactions. This is because of proteins in their saliva, dander, and urine. When the animal licks itself, the saliva gets on the fur. As the saliva dries, protein particles become airborne and work their way into fabrics in the home. Cats are the “worst offenders” because their salivary protein is extremely tiny and they tend to lick themselves more than other animals.

Pollen:

Pollen is another important cause of allergies. Pollen allergies are seasonal. Trees, weeds, and grasses release these tiny particles into the air to fertilize other plants. Most people know pollen allergy as hay fever or rose fever.

Cockroach:

Cockroach body parts and waste products are also a major household allergen, especially in inner cities. Asthma rates of inner city children are high, probably due to air pollution and also cockroach exposure in overcrowded buildings.

Mold: One of the most commen allergen.

What is Mold?

Molds are fungi that thrive both indoors and out in warm, moist environments. As with pollen, mold spores are released into the air to reproduce. Mold is produced by several varieties of fungus. These fungi are single-celled organisms that have been around since the beginning of time.

Where can molds be found?

Although molds can be seasonal, many thrive year-round, especially those indoors. Outdoor molds may be found in poor drainage areas, such as in piles of rotting leaves or compost piles. Indoor mold thrives in

dark, moist and poorly ventilated places, such as bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms or damp basements (especially after flooding).

How do I know if I have a mold build up?

A mold test kit can be a easy soultion but does cost money, or you can simpley check crawl spaces for standing water, look for condensation forming around windows, and dampness in or on basement walls. If you are experiencing health problems, check bathrooms, bedrooms and family rooms as well. Mold requires three things to grow and multiply. It requires dampness, warmth, and a food source. Find areas that have these three things and you will surely find mold and mildew. Also a musty odor suggests mold growth.

How does mold affect my health?

Only in recent years have medical authorities realized what a health risk the kind of mold that grows in wet basements can be. According to the New York City Department of Health, in people who are allergic to it, mold can cause:

respiratory and eye irritation

flu-like symptoms

fatigue

trouble breathing

coughing

sinus congestions

nausea

chronic headache

loss of memory

other symptoms

Also when mold starts to reproduce inside a home, it can eat away at the structure, causing thousands of dollars in damage

How can I prevent mold build up and how can I keep allergy symptoms down?

Mold requires three things to grow and multiply. It requires dampness, warmth, and a food source. Simpley make sure you dont allow all three things to take place in your house. Mold is everywhere, and you wont completly rid yourself of ever having any contact with mold, but you can surley battle it.

Mold and mildew release mold spores in the air that can float throughout the house. There are several mold cleaning, prevention, and mold removal methods to deal with this problem. 2 suggestions are: Bio-Kleen and Sure Cote Mildew Resistant Coating.

Bio-Kleen can be used in any application in which you want to inhibit colonies of mold, mildew, alga, bacteria and other odor causing organisms. Easy to apply by spraying, wiping or soaking. Allow to air dry.

Sure Cote is a clear non-yellowing , non-toxic, odorless, interior/exterior, mildew resistant coating. It is designed to protect any surface exposed to moisture, high humidity or weather. Will not discolor, stain, stiffen or harm any surface which it recommended for use and gives year round protection.

It is important to try and prevent mold and mildew growth, but if it’s too late, try mold remediation and mold removal.

Allergic reactions can manifest themselves in many different physical ways, most of them extremely unpleasant. In the case of environmental allergens such as hay fever or pet dander, it is possible to limit allergic reaction severity by focusing on a diet that boosts the body?s ability to fight off reaction effects. Many of the materials that are found in medicinal allergy relief are extracted from naturally occurring ingredients in certain foods and drinks, and including these in your diet will help to alleviate your allergic symptoms. It is important to remember that these foods are for fighting environmentally triggered allergies only, and the only way to avoid food allergy symptoms is to avoid the food that cause it.

Green tea is quickly making a name for itself as a general purpose, natural cure-all. Recent studies have shown that green tea may help to combat environmental allergies as one of its many treatment applications. In an article published in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Japanese scientists claim to have isolated a compound found in green tea that blocks one of the cell receptors that is key in triggering the allergic response. Because green tea is less processed than any other kind of tea, its natural composition remains unaltered and thus the compounds within it are more concentrated and better able to produce results than those found in different varieties of tea.

The acids found in Omega-3 fatty acids also are beneficial in fighting allergies, as the acid acts as a natural anti-inflammatory

by countering the formation of inflammatory chemicals. There are several foods which are very high in Omega-3 fatty acids, including several kinds of seafood and fish; salmon, haddock, herring, trout, mackerel, and sardines are all full of these acids. Other sources of Omega-3 fatty acids are soybeans, flaxseed, walnuts, and canola, and the fatty acids are also available in a more concentrated version through the oils derived from these foods. These oils can easily be included in your daily meals by adding them to the ingredients for your cooking.

Foods that have a high level of Vitamin E are also excellent in combating allergic reactions. Some of these foods include greens, which are also very strong-tasting. Spinach greens, mustard greens, chard and mustard greens are all very high in Vitamin E. The highest Vitamin E food is far and away dried sunflower seeds, which contain almost 91% of the recommended daily intake of the vitamin. Almonds are also high in Vitamin E, as are olives, papaya, and fresh blueberries. Any of these foods are an easy addition to a regular diet.

One last food to consider when thinking about intakes that will limit your allergic reactions are juices. Natural fruit juices are high in antioxidants, which help to fight the inflammatory effects that allergies produce. Make sure when you buy juice, though, that it is indeed natural. Many juices on the market do not contain a lot of natural juice, and it is the natural juice that is essential when it comes to containing antioxidants.

Article Source: http://www.findmysearch.com/allergies-resources/

Joel Santoso 2007. For answers to All your frequently asked questions about allergy information resorces, please go to: http://www.findmysearch.com/allergies-resources/

Joel Santoso is an Internet Published Author and knows his stuff concerning many information and material that people are search on the Internet

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