Thursday, March 22, 2012

Preventing Diabetes With Apples

Apples Prevent Diabetes by Eating Every Day.
Recent research from the United States found that the consumption of some types of fruits such as blueberries, apples and pears berkaitkan with a lower risk of diabetes.

According to researchers, this fruit contains flavonoids, naturally occurring compounds present in fruits, vegetables and grains, which is based on the results of some research related to health benefits such as lower risk of heart disease or cancer.

"People who eat blueberries or apples in the sheer number is higher, they tend to have lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes," said An Pan, a researcher from the Harvard School of Public Health.

According to Pan, the findings suggest an association, but does not directly prove that the fruits could prevent diabetes.

Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed results consistent with some previous research which had already connect a diet high in fruits (rich in flavonoids) associated with a decreased risk of hypertension.

According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 26 million Americans have diabetes. This is caused by the body's inability to produce or use insulin, a hormone that converts blood glucose into energy.
Type 2 diabetes can usually be controlled with exercise and dietary changes and without insulin.

In the study, researchers from the U.S. National Institutes of Health track the diet of some 200,000 men and women for 24 years. The participants, are requested to fill out questionnaires about how often they eat certain foods and beverages with standard portion sizes. In early research, all participants are known no one had diabetes, but during the study period, a total of 12 600 participants were diagnosed with diabetes.

Research results found that those who love the blueberry has a 23 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who do not eat blueberries. While participants who ate five or more apples per week also had 23 percent lower risk of developing diabetes than participants who did not eat apples.

The researchers revealed that the flavonoids in fruits may have beneficial effects in reducing the risk of diabetes. "We found consistent results from three research results. Where the three studies indicate that consumption of apples and blueberries beneficial for preventing type 2 diabetes," said Pan.

According to Pan, the findings took into account other risk factors, such as weight, smoking and family history of diabetes. "This finding is very good because it encourages us to eat fruits directly rather than fruit juice (processed)," he said, citing recent evidence that the juice of sugar-sweetened fruit preparations and other additives may increase the risk of diabetes.

Source : reuters

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

20 Benefits of Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is also called aloevera. You must be familiar with this one plant. Green plants are known to function nourish the hair and smooth skin is the type of vegetation that we often encounter on the home page.

But do you know if this plant has other benefits in addition to cosmetics. Here are some of the benefits of aloe vera plant:

  1. Cool the burned skin to sunlight, especially for those who often works outdoors. 
  2. Skin problems caused by weather, such as dry skin, redness, peeling, and mild irritation or rash. 
  3. Diminish the reddish color of the bruises on the body. 
  4. Cope with the discomfort caused by a razor. 
  5. Cope with minor burns. 
  6. Relieve the blisters. 
  7. Can be used as an anti-aging cream or to address wrinkles. 
  8. Treat the rash due to exposure to the sap of plants. 
  9. Relieve itching from insect bites. 
  10. Use every day to diminish scars and strecth marks, streaks of white or red due to pregnancy. 
  11. Care for minor injuries caused by a knife cut or scratched. 
  12. Tarnish spots blackish spots on the skin. 
  13. Can be useful as a substitute for hair conditioners and jelly. 
  14. Can be used to reduce acne. 
  15. Used to speed healing of canker sores. 
  16. Can be used as a natural body lotion. 
  17. To relieve muscle cramps or tightening. 
  18. Used to reduce the complaints on the issue of gum. 
  19. Reduce the dandruff on the head. 
  20. Overcome the water fleas.
Source : Kompas.com

Monday, March 19, 2012

Speaking at AHS12

I'll be giving a 40 minute presentation at the Ancestral Health Symposium this summer titled "Digestive Health, Inflammation and the Metabolic Syndrome".  Here's the abstract:
The �metabolic syndrome� is a cluster of health problems including abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, low-grade inflammation, high blood pressure and blood lipid abnormalities that currently affects one third of American adults.  It is the quintessential modern metabolic disorder and a major risk factor for diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.  This talk will explore emerging links between diet, gut flora, digestive health and the development of the metabolic syndrome.  The audience will learn about factors that may help maintain digestive and metabolic health for themselves and the next generation.
Excessive fat mass is an important contributor to the metabolic syndrome, but at the same level of body fatness, some people are metabolically normal while others are extremely impaired.  Even among obese people, most of whom have the metabolic syndrome, about 20 percent are metabolically normal, with normal fasting insulin and insulin sensitivity, normal blood pressure, normal circulating inflammatory markers, and normal blood lipids.

What determines this?  Emerging research suggests that one factor is digestive health, including the bacterial ecosystem inside each person's digestive tract, and the integrity of the gut barrier.  I'll review some of this research in my talk, and leave the audience with actionable information for maintaining gastrointestinal and metabolic health.  Most of this information will not have been covered on this blog.

The Ancestral Health Symposium will be from August 9-12 at Harvard Law School in Boston, presented in conjunction with the Harvard Food Law society.  Tickets are currently available-- get them before they sell out!  Last year, they went fast.

See you there!

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Qsymia (formerly Qnexa), the Latest Obesity Drug

There are very few obesity drugs currently approved for use in the US-- not because effective drugs don't exist, but because the FDA has judged that the side effects of existing drugs are unacceptable.

Although ultimately I believe the most satisfying resolution to the obesity epidemic will not come from drugs, drugs offer us a window into the biological processes that underlie obesity and fat loss. Along those lines, here's a quote from a review paper on obesity drugs that I think is particularly enlightening (1):
Read more �

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Savor the flavor Overcome Nausea Ginger

Do you ever use ginger to treat nausea and vomiting? Properties of plants of this one was no doubt in dealing with nausea, but it helps if we know a bit of research that confirms ginger as an anti-nausea medications.

Ginger is a rhizome plant that is very popular as a spice and medicinal materials. Rhizome-shaped fingers are swollen in the middle sections. In Asia including Indonesia, ginger is used to treat stomach aches, nausea, and diarrhea.

A study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2009 last year found that ginger may reduce nausea effects on breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The research was funded by the National Cancer Institute, which involved 644 patients, most women with breast cancer, who were undergoing chemotherapy at 23 oncology practices in the United States.

In the study, all patients received standard anti-vomiting every day when undergoing chemotherapy. But some of them also took capsules containing extracts of ginger, three days before chemotherapy.

The results showed those who took ginger experienced approximately 45 percent reduction in the risk of vomiting than those who did not take ginger, says Julie L. Ryan of the University of Rochester, the study's lead researcher.

To know more benefits of ginger, National Institutes of Health has made a summary of the truth of the efficacy of ginger in addressing a variety of diseases:

* Motion sickness: Some studies report that ginger does not have much effect in overcoming motion sickness. Another study even noted that ginger may reduce vomiting only, not nausea. Further research is needed to determine the effects that might result from the consumption of ginger and other hangover medicine.

* Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy: Preliminary studies suggest that ginger may be safe and effective for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy when used as recommended dose for short periods of time.

Nausea from chemotherapy: Report of preliminary studies suggest that ginger may reduce the severity and duration of nausea in cancer patients after chemotherapy. Other studies also showed no adverse effects from the consumption of ginger. However, further research will be needed to confirm these results.

* Nausea and vomiting pascatindakan surgery: Some research reports indicate the consumption of ginger before surgery can actually trigger an increase in nausea or vomiting after surgery patients. However, other research shows just the different results that need further study.

* Migraine:
There is not enough scientific evidence to explain the effects of ginger in dealing with migraine.

* Weight loss: For some people, ginger has been shown to be a tool to lose weight. However, further studies are needed to make a safe recommendation.

Active compound in ginger

As described in the book Efficacious Herbal Indonesia, ginger contains a variety of active compounds such as Gingerol, zingerone, 1-dehydrogingerodine, 6-gingesulfonic acid, shogaol, carbohydrates, palmetic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, caprylic acid, caproc acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, pentadecanoic acid, stearic acid, linilenic acid, lecithin, gingerglycolipids (A, B, C). Ginger also contains amino acids, protein, resin, diterpene, minerals, vitamin A and niacin. There is a volatile oil content in it: zingiberene, B-bisabolene, singiberol, zingiborenol, ar-curcumene and some aldehydes.

Side effects

Few side effects that may arise when someone is eating ginger in small doses. The most common side effects reported were bloating, heartburn, and nausea. This effect is most often associated with the use of ginger powder.

Until now, there are still few studies that provide information about the safety of the effects of long-term use of ginger in a safe and guidelines of ginger supplements.

In theory, ginger may increase the risk of bleeding when the same time you are taking blood-thinning medications such as aspirin, anticoagulants such as warfarin (coumadin), anti-platelet drugs such as clopidogrel (Plavix), and anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or naproxen ( Naprosyn, Aleve).

Important is also known that ginger can also interfere with the work of drugs that alter cardiac contraction, including beta-blockers and digoxin.

Before you start using ginger to treat any disease, it is better if you consult with your doctor, especially if you are undergoing long-term treatment.


Source : http://www.myhealthnewsdaily.com/

Identifying the Disease through the Eyes

Eye was more than just a window of the soul. Senses of vision can also be a window to see the availability of health disorders that we have experienced.

"The eyes are the first places in the body which can be used physicians to see blood vessels and arteries without the camera or the operation," said Shantan Reddy, eye specialist doctors from New York University Langone Medical Center.

That's why, sometimes ophthalmologist was the first to find that there is a serious disease in patients with diabetes or high blood pressure. In fact, 65 percent could identify ophthalmologist high cholesterol levels in patients before other doctors.

Simak health disorder that can be seen from the eyes. You will be surprised.

1. Arteries in the eyes of a silvery color
More than 20 percent of people who suffer from high blood pressure or hypertension are unaware of its condition. "We can see the condition of hypertension through the eyes because the condition causes the arteries to the retina become quite keperekan so often referred to as silver cable," said Reddy.


2. Spots on the lining of the eye 
Sunlight not only damage skin, but also the eye. In the worst case, exposure to sunlight can trigger cancer in the eyeball called also with eye melanoma. "Cancer could look like a small point in the pigment layer of the eye," she said J.Bakri, eye doctors from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesotta.


3. Blood vessels was evident 
High blood sugar levels can clog blood vessels in the retina that causes it to break more easily. Optometrists are often found abnormal new blood vessels in the eye instead of a ruptured blood vessel. Furthermore, diabetes can also damage nerves in the eye, causing blindness.

4. inflammatory 
Autoimmune disorder that causes the body to attack healthy cells that will trigger inflammation, including in the eye. Symptoms of inflammation are often found among other ocular surface inflammation, itching, and dry eye. It could be a sign of lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.

5. Swelling of blood vessels in the eye 
Allergens in the air such as dust, animal dander, or pollen can affect the eyes. Naturally, the eye will produce histamine and other chemicals to fight the allergen. This process can cause swelling of blood vessels in the eye so that the whites of the eyes look red and itchy.


Source : Kompas.com

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

10 Quick And Healthy Breakfasts To Go

Although breakfast is considered to be the most important meal of the day, many people skip it because they feel pressed for time before they go to work or school. Out of those who do eat breakfast, many choose convenience over nutritional value and choose to eat a doughnut, pastry or a fast-food breakfast sandwich.

1. Peanut Butter Pita

Peanut butter is high in protein, which is an ideal nutrient to consume in the morning. Studies show that a protein-packed breakfast will make you feel full for a longer period of time and, therefore, will reduce your cravings for snacks throughout the day. It will also reduce the brain signals related to food motivation and reward-driven eating.
To make this meal, spread some peanut butter on whole wheat pita and top with some banana slices and wheat germ, which is a good source of iron and zinc. You can stuff everything inside the pita pocket to make it easier to transport and you can also experiment with different types of nut butters and fruits.

2. Peanut Butter Waffle

Instead of drenching your waffle in butter and syrup, spread some peanut butter on it. It would be best to make your own waffle, but if you have to use the frozen kind, choose a waffle that contains whole grains, which will stabilize your blood sugar and will make you feel fuller, longer. To add a little pizzazz, sprinkle some chopped nuts or raisins on top.

3. Egg Sandwich

Those egg-and-muffin sandwiches that you get at fast-food restaurants are full of fat, particularly saturated fat. Make your own egg sandwich instead, with a whole wheat English muffin or whole wheat bread. Use the entire egg, including the yolk, which contains the muscle-building vitamin B12. You can even add a few slices of turkey-bacon for a protein boost, or substitute your egg with tofu for a vegetarian breakfast.

4. Cereal And Yogurt

Cereal and milk is a great breakfast, but it�s a little tough to eat while commuting to work. Instead of using milk, mix bran flakes or granola clusters into a container of yogurt. Yogurt is high in calcium, phosphorus, vitamin B12 and protein and, it also contains live bacteria cultures that can rev up your immune system.

5. Vegetarian Breakfast Burrito

If you want to add a little kick to your morning, try this breakfast burrito. In a whole wheat tortilla, roll up some slices of a hard-boiled egg, green peppers and avocado. For a spicy kick, add a spoonful of salsa, which is full of vitamin C. What makes this breakfast fun is that you can mix and match different fillings.

6. Veggie Egg Scramble

If the breakfast burrito doesn�t satisfy your egg craving, make this instead. While a traditional omelet may require extra time and care, it�s a lot faster to scramble some eggs and throw in the same ingredients you would use in your omelet. Use vegetables like green peppers, olives and mushrooms. Add in tomatoes, which are heart healthy and whatever other vegetable you like.

7. Vegetable Pancakes

This breakfast options ensures that you get a daily serving of vegetables. Combine a half-cup of flour with an egg and a quarter-cup of milk. Add in carrots, zucchini, cabbage and some scallions for a little zest. Carrots are a good source or carotenoids, which the body turns into vitamin A, while zucchini is a good source of vitamin C and cabbage can lower your cholesterol levels.
Although you may not have time to make a batch of pancakes in the morning, you can make them ahead of time and freeze them. You can also add in any other vegetables you choose.

8. Brie-Raspberry Panini

Studies show that eating cheese for breakfast may help to lower your cholesterol levels. So melt some brie or some mozzarella on whole wheat bread and add some raspberry preserves or, better yet, fresh raspberries. Raspberries are high in vitamin C, magnesium and fiber and contain antioxidants that can prevent the development of macular degeneration and even cancer.

9. Blueberry Scones

Scones are delicious and a little indulgent, so in order to put a healthy spin on them, fill them up with fresh blueberries, which are rich in antioxidants. Use whole wheat flour, oats and flaxseed to get a dose of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Make a few variations with cranberries, which prevent bacteria from attaching to the urinary tract and stomach lining, and blackberries, which are a good source of vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, potassium and magnesium. Whip up a batch of these for the week, so you have a breakfast treat you can grab and eat on the go.

10. Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

Strawberries are a good source of vitamin C and antioxidants, and bananas are a good source of potassium and fiber. Blend a handful of strawberries and a frozen banana with one cup of cow�s or soy milk and a spoonful of protein powder. This smoothie is great by itself or when paired with any of these quick and healthy breakfast ideas.
Make sure you do a little prep work the night before or sometime earlier in the week for some of these breakfast ideas to help save you time. The great thing about these quick and healthy breakfasts is that most of them don�t require you to sit down and eat them with utensils.

Source : http://www.symptomfind.com/nutrition-supplements/quick-and-healthy-breakfasts/