Superfoods – Quinoa and Amaranth

Quinoa and amaranth are great additions to your whole foods diet. These grains are traditional foods of Mexico, Bolivia and Peru. Both were sacred grains to the Native people. Amaranth was the sacred food of the Aztecs, and quinoa was the sacred food of the Incas. When Latin America was conquered by the Spaniards, these grains were outlawed! Fortunately they have been rediscovered and are now grown in Latin America and the U.S.

Amaranth is a gluten free grain that is not a true cereal grain. It’s actually a seed from a leafy annual plant related to spinach. The greens of the amaranth plant can be eaten, and the seeds are used like a grain. the grain like seed is great for folks who are allergic to grains. Amaranth is very nutritious and the United Nations Food and Agriculture organization has noted that wherever amaranth is eaten, there is no malnutrition. Amaranth can survive in poor soil and in drought conditions.

Amaranth has a high protein content, about 18 %, and contains the amino acid lysine, which is usually low in whole grains. It’s also high in calcium; 1/2 cup serving of amaranth has as much calcium as an 8 ounce glass of milk! Amaranth is a good source of fiber, vitamin E, and minerals. It contains more calcium, magnesium and silicon than milk.

But, truth be told, this grain is an acquired taste. The texture is gooey, like porridge, and it can be a bit bitter. You can cook it with onions, which adds sweetness, or you can add a few tablespoons of amaranth to another grain and cook them together. The amaranth will blend in fairly well. I like the combinations of amaranth with millet, rice, quinoa or sweet corn. Combining amaranth with another grain creates a high protein profile, as high as meat.

According to author Marjorie Hurt Jones, in her book “The Allergy Self Help book,” Amaranth flour is nice for baking. She recommends combining 25% amaranth flour with brown rice flour or oat flour for wheat free baking.

The other superfood grain, Quinoa, pronounced keen-wa, is nutritionally similar to amaranth, but it has a light fluffy texture and, well, it tastes better! Quinoa is gluten free and easy to digest. It is popular with whole foods cooks.

Quinoa is not a true grain but is treated like a grain in our meals. It has the highest protein content of any grain-like food, and is a good source of calcium, iron, phosphorus, B vitamins and Vitamin E. And it cooks quickly, in about 20 minutes. To cook quinoa, add 1 cup grain and 2 cups pure water to a pot, bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and steam for 20 minutes. One cup dry grain will create 3 cups of cooked grain! You can also sometimes find quinoa pasta at the natural foods section of the grocery store.

Quinoa can be a substitute for rice, couscous, bulghur or other fluffy grains. It makes a nice grain salad. For a tabbouleh salad, cook the quinoa, then put in a salad bowl. Add in diced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, black olives, a handful of mint, sliced red bell pepper, and good quality extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice. I like to add garlic as well. Toss the grain and vegies and add sea salt if desired.

Burn extra fat?

Are you one of those individuals, who are in search of some effective weight loss product? Have you tried all kinds of weight loss program and still didn’t manage to get the desired result? Don’t worry. Here’s great news for you. A new product called Herbalife Total Control is launched. It is an effective weight loss solution and can bring in great results for all. This product is very simple and simply reduces the fat in no time.

It works wonder because it is made in such a way that it performs directly with body’s cellular composition to check the cravings for food, enhances metabolic activities. You can use Herbalife Total Control without sacrificing the food you love most. By taking this herbal supplement you can maintain the perfect weight. Moreover, you will also experience an increase in your energy levels.

This weight loss supplement contains the unique mix of components, which helps in weight loss. The ingredients like green tea and yerba mate increases metabolic activities. The other ingredients like damiana, quercetin and DL-phenylalanine support the natural fat burning process. The ginger extract in Herbalife Total Control regulates the working of digestive system. LilyHealth.com

Above all, the ingredients in the this product mend the immune system, check blood pressure and also flushes out the harmful toxins from your body. As a result, you will always feel refreshed and renewed. Herbalife Total Control is absolutely a great way to get back your health back on track. So, visit its official website and order a pack as soon as possible

Information on Healthy Eating for Vegetarians

Thinking of going meatless? You are not alone. People often decide to eat a healthier and nutritious diet by eating a semi-vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan or lacto-ovo diet. Here is some information on healthy eating for those wanting to eat a meatless or modified diet.

Information on Healthy Eating -Protein

Most people think that it is nearly impossible to get enough protein while on a meatless diet. The truth is most people eat too much protein and if you are eating a balanced diet you should be able to get plenty of protein without eating meat. Look to other sources such as whole grains, beans and legumes and soy. Nuts and protein supplements can also play a role in providing adequate protein to vegetarians.

Information on Healthy Eating – Dairy

Many cultures that do not eat meat and are considered vegetarian do include dairy products (milk, cheese, butter etc.) in their diets and regard dairy products as vegetarian. However, from an ethical, medical and modern environmental viewpoint, as well as from a vegan perspective, milk and milk products cannot be accepted as vegetarian, because they are obtained from animals. Each person needs to answer for themselves, and if you decline to eat dairy products as part of your vegetarian diet, there are plenty of substitutes available to you. Rice milk, soy and other non- dairy products will fill the bill.

Information on Healthy Eating – Eggs

This is a controversial subject regarding consumption of eggs for obvious reasons. The egg is the un-hatched chicken after all. True vegetarians will not include eggs in their diet, and many have forsworn recipes that contain egg products. Lately the conversation has included the discussion of infertile vs. fertile eggs. If a hen is mature and no cockerel exists in the flock, she will lay infertile eggs. As part of the vegan/vegetarian purpose to safeguard all animal life, this is good news. Infertile eggs will not hatch and contain no baby chick. Therefore they can be considered cruelty- free and therefore consumable by vegetarians.

Burn extra fat?

How to Choose the Right Diet to Eliminate Stress

In a previous article, Take Control of Your Life – Choose a Stress Free Diet, I discussed the importance of your choice of foods and its impact on managing the stress in your life.

Here, I will focus on specific elements in specific foods that produce the desired impact. While some amount of stress is expected and, indeed, desirable, excessive and un-managed stress can lead to many types of physical problems such as high blood pressure, migraine, stomach disorders, anxiety, depression, and panic. Even certain research indicates that the possibility exists that certain disorders of the immune system can be triggered by stress.

Although there no single best way to manage stress, what foods you eat and its relationship to stress is often overlooked in favor of meditating and exercising. While I am not minimizing the beneficial effects of exercising and controlling how and what dominates your thinking, I believe that what you eat is equally if not more important.

In the midst of this emphasis on the so-called obesity epidemic, it’s important to realize that nutritional deficiencies are making you more vulnerable to stress. Specifically, the diets that are deficient in several nutrients, including zinc, vitamin D, and magnesium contribute to the elevation of stress in your life.

Let’s consider foods that have these three nutrients, beginning with zinc. In addition to countering the effects of stress, zinc is the component of several enzymes and the hormone, insulin. It maintains immune function and is necessary for sexual maturation and reproduction. Whole grains such as brown rice, whole wheat flour, oats, whole grain cereals, corn, and beans are common sources of zinc.

Vitamin D, while also important in encountering the effects of stress, is also important for bone density, maintaining a good appetite, and for some forms of cancer, Alzheimer’s, and other maladies. Vitamin D is found in such common foods as fortified milk, eggs, cheese, and yogurt.

Magnesium, in addition to countering the effects of stress, regulates enzyme activity which is necessary for nerve function. Foods that are rich in magnesium include green leafy vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and even chocolates.

Burn extra fat?

Attention Athletes – Become As Fit As A Caveman By Complying With The Paleo Diet

When we compare our regular lives to that of professional athletes, it is obvious that they follow a much different lifestyle than we do. Because they participate in such extreme sports, they push their body limits on a regular basis and in doing so they require a regimen that allows their body to mend injuries and recover at a speedy rate, so that they can continue to participate in their respected sport. The paleo diet for athletes is a great remedy for these requirements and it is no wonder it is recommended by health experts and athlete trainers.

The paleo diet, which founded its name from Palaeolithic is developed from the food plan of the hunter gatherers centuries ago. It mainly contain foods such as lean meats and seafood hunted from animals, fruits, vegetables, in addition to nuts and seeds gathered by our ancestors. Dairy products and crop food products are on no account a part of the diet because they were produced by man following the formulation of agriculture, not by nature. Athletes who follow the paleo diet enjoy a healthy body oozing with an abundance of energy. By making a few minor corrections towards the diet, paleo athlete enthusiasts favor lowered recovery times leading to a massive enhancement in performance.

How can the paleo diet be favorable for athletes? Well, if you remember from history lessons you will know that hunters and gatherers were mobile people. They moved from domain to domain eating the foods that were available to them up to the time when all sources in that particular vicinity were depleted. Their lifestyle necessitated a lot of energy to perform day-by-day tasks crucial to their survival. Be it hunting, fishing, traveling, or trying to evade predators, they required energy to succeed and also the food they ate provided to them. This is the equivalent case for athleres. Important nourishment with a healthy dose of carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats are staples of the paleo diet, in addition to supplying the necessity of glycogen return for athletes after exercise, these glycamic based carbohydrates are to be eaten quickly after a workout routines.

A paleo athlete’s routine will be to eat before, during and after training. Food for example fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, and nuts and seeds. Food to stop eating would be bread, pasta and also other non paleo foods. Following this plan will end in bigger muscle increase and an abundance of energy that can help with performance. Not only that, their body can achieve much higher limits. For instance runners observe that they run far more time and more rapidly without experiencing fatigue, as opposed to a grain-based diet which would leave them feeling wolfed and starving.

A down side is that the diet is considerably better for endurance athletes not strength athletes, as a typical athlete diet needs not less than more than 60% of calories, and the rest from protein and healthy fats. Because the paleo diet is naturally has you consuming less carbs, some athletes won’t find it ideal for their daily regimen. A big change that could be fabricated could be to cheat a little and then insert starchy vegetables like potatoes and beans, in addition to some grains so as to receive the crucial energy and nutrients needed.

Burn extra fat?

Powerful Superfoods From Under the Sea

Sea vegetables are not common staples in the Standard American Diet, but they have been enjoyed for thousands of years in the Asian diet. Whether sea vegetables are brown, green, purple or red, they all contain a number of beneficial nutrients such as vitamins A, C, E, B complex, including B12, as well as calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and trace minerals. Some sea veggies even provide protein, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.

Sea vegetables are high in natural sodium, but when balanced with potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and many other critical trace minerals present in these nutrient-rich foods, they provide an optimal nutrient profile for promoting vibrant health. Many sea vegetables are also an excellent source of iodine and vitamin K.

Sea vegetables are not just prized in Asian cuisine, but also by medical researchers due to the discovery of their high fucoidan content. Fucoidans are unique, starch-like (polysaccharide) molecules that promote healthy responses to inflammation.

Improve Iron Absorption
Sea vegetables also contain both iron and vitamin C, which is an important combination that allows for improved absorption of iron in the body since vitamin C improves the bioavailability of iron from plants. In fact, Mediterranean cultures have a healthy habit of using freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil over dark green leafy vegetables, which enhances flavor as well as iron absorption.

Different Types
Some of the most common sea vegetables include Nori, Hijiki, Kombu, Wakame, and Arame, which are all distinctly beneficial for maintaining vitality. Here’s a closer look at the nutrients each one provides:

Nori: You’ve probably eaten nori before as it is most commonly used to make sushi rolls. Nori is high in iodine and vitamin C. It also contains protein and B12 – a much needed vitamin for those who have issues with nutrient absorption or who consume little to no animal products.

Hijiki: Black and stringy with a strong flavor, Hijiki is especially high in calcium.

Kombu: A type of kelp rich in fucoidans, which help reduce inflammation, promote healthy blood flow and offer cardiovascular benefits. Just a quarter cup of kelp provides over 250 percent of your daily value of iodine and over 30 percent of your daily requirement for vitamin K. It is also rich in folate and magnesium.

Wakame: Often used in Japanese miso soup, Wakame provides excellent amounts of calcium, magnesium, fiber, and potassium.

Arame: Sweeter and milder in taste than many others, it is a good source of potassium, which promotes healthy heart and muscle function.

Promote Healthy Detoxification
The health benefits of sea vegetables are especially unique and powerful, as they also contain compounds called alginates. Sodium alginate, found in kelp, has the ability to bind to toxins, heavy metals and dangerous radioactive particles. Certain forms of sodium alginates have the ability to bind to toxins in the digestive tract and prevent them from being reabsorbed by the body. When combined with modified citrus pectin, modified sodium alginates offer natural detoxification that is both gentle and highly effective in removing harmful heavy metals, environmental toxins and radioactive particles from the body. The combination of pectin and alginates is a powerful strategy for natural detoxification, as these two ingredients function together to bind to toxins and allow your body to safely excrete them without depleting levels of essential vitamins and minerals.

Burn extra fat?

Should You Eat Non-Fat Or Low-Fat Dairy?

For the last 60 years, conventional medicine has been recommending non-fat or low-fat dairy products as it is believed that saturated fat led to heart disease.

However, this is old and misguided information. New studies show that there is NO significant evidence that saturated fat in the diet is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. (See below for the latest research.)

Moreover, if you have been eating non-fat or low-fat dairy products, you are missing out on the many health benefits that come with full-fat dairy.

New Light Shed On Saturated Fat

In early 2010, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition released the result of 21 studies that analyzed nearly 348,000 healthy participants during a period of 5-23 years. The investigation found no difference in the risk of heart disease between individuals with the lowest and highest intakes of saturated fat.

What’s interesting is that in the last few decades, while doctors and nutritionists are recommending non-fat and low-fat foods, people have swapped their fat calories for additional sweeteners, especially high-fructose corn syrup, and refined carbohydrates. The reason is food manufacturers often add more sugar to non-fat and low-fat foods to compensate for the loss of taste from the fat. Most people also end up eating more when they eat non-fat and low-fat foods.

In a study released in April 2010 (by Emory University and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention), it showed that sweeteners appear to lower levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol and raise triglycerides (fat in blood), both of these effects increase the risk of heart disease.

What’s more, sugars and refined carbohydrates, through their direct effects on insulin and blood sugar, are probably the main dietary cause of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Science Shows Full-fat Dairy Has Many Health Benefits

The difference between full-fat, low-fat, and non-fat dairy is obviously the fat. So why is this fat good for us? Let’s look at what’s in the fat.

About 50-60 percent of the fat found in dairy foods is saturated fat. The rest includes oleic acid and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).

For thousands of years, human beings have been eating saturated fat from animals. Saturated fat has many health advantages:
It slows down absorption, evens out your blood sugar fluctuation, and helps you stay full longer.It acts as carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.It is needed for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral absorption, and for a host of other biological processes.It is the preferred fuel for your heart during energy expenditure.Caprylic acid in saturated fat is an useful antiviral agent.Lauric acid in saturated fat is an effective anti-carie, anti-plaque, and anti-fungal agent.Palmitic and stearic acids in saturated fat lower cholesterol levels.Butyric acid in saturated fat helps prevent cancer.

Oleic acid, or omega-9 fatty acid, is what makes olive oil so healthy:
It improves the functioning of the heart and the circulatory system.It reduces the clogging and hardening of arteries.It reduces inflammation in the body.It helps to improve insulin sensitivity.It is rich in antioxidants and helps to inhibit cancerous growth.It helps to boost your immune system.It optimizes the functions of the brain and neurological transmission.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is found in ruminants (animals with four-part stomach and cud-chewing behavior) such as cattle, bison, goats, and sheep. The meat and milk from grass-fed ruminants are much richer in CLA than the meat and milk from corn- and grain-fed animals. CLA has amazing benefits for your body:
It helps to destroy cancer cells and reduce tumors.It increases muscle growth.It promotes weight loss.

Hence, if you only eat low-fat or non-fat dairy products, you have missed out on the many health advantages that full-fat dairy gives you.

Many people believe that eating fat will make you fat. For the majority of the population, this is absolutely not the case. Most people actually need moderate to high amounts of healthy fats in their diet, though there is a minority of people whose body requires a low-fat diet. If you are interested in knowing your body type and what type of diet is right for you, please contact me for an online Metabolic Typing test.

In most cases, the real culprit to fat gain is carbohydrates (in particular, sugar and refined carbs), because if we eat more than the body needs, the excess carbohydrates is mostly stored as visceral fat beneath the wall of the abdominal muscles. Visceral fat was recently discovered to be a significant producer of hormones that are involved in diseases such as obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.

Raw Milk Vs. Pasteurized And Homogenized Milk

There are huge differences between pasteurized, homogenized, and raw milk. Let’s look at what each entails.

Pasteurization is a process of heating the milk to a high temperature (161Ë?F) for a short period of time (15-20 seconds) and then cooling it immediately. Pasteurized milk typically has a refrigerated shelf life of 2-3 weeks.

Ultra pasteurization is a process of heating the milk to 275Ë?F for at least a second. This ultra heat treatment further extends the shelf life of the milk, sometimes to 2-3 months. Aseptic-packaged milk can even be stored unrefrigerated for 6-9 months.

Inspection of dairy herds for disease is often not required for pasteurized milk, therefore, pasteurization is necessary to kill harmful bacteria that may result from sick cows. However, this process significantly impairs the biological value of the milk. Pasteurization:
destroys enzymes,diminishes many vitamins and destroys vitamins B6, B12 and C,denatures fragile milk proteins, andkills beneficial bacteria (including lactobacillus and acidophilus) that are essential for your gut and immune system.

Homogenization is a process that breaks down the butterfat globules by forcing the milk through a series of screens at high pressure so that they become the same size particles as the rest of the milk. The resulting fat particles become so small they stay in suspension rather than rise to the top of the milk.

Some studies showed that homogenization makes the fat more susceptible to rancidity and oxidation and that homogenized fats may be one of the contributing factors to heart disease.

Raw milk, on the other hand, is milk that has not gone through pasteurization or homogenization and is in its most natural form. If the milk is from organically raised, grass-fed cows and is handled hygenically, there is little problem with disease and does not need pasteurization.

Raw milk contains many health-promoting ingredients that pasteurized and homogenized milk lacks:
Valuable enzymes that help you digest the milk. People who have lactose intolerance usually find that they can drink raw milk without any problems.Phosphatase, an enzyme that aids in the absorption of calcium in your bones.Lipase, an enzyme that helps to absorb fats.Natural butterfat to help your body absorb and utilize the vitamins and minerals in the milk. Butterfat is your best source of preformed vitamin A and contains strong anti-carcinogenic properties. Unfortunately, the nature of the butterfat is changed once it has been homogenized.Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) to help fight cancer and reduce body fat. Grass-fed animals produce milk with substantially higher CLA content.Higher omega-3 to omega-6 ratio which helps reduce inflammation in the body. Grass-fed animals produce milk with much higher omega-3 to omega-6 ratios than conventional corn- and grain-fed cows.

Watch Out For These Dairy Products

Most consumers are not aware that certain dairy products may contain many additives to make them look and taste better.
Non-fat dried milk, which contains oxidized cholesterol that promotes inflammation, is usually added to 1% and 2% milk to enrich the taste of the milk. Additionally, non-fat dried milk has a high nitrite content and should be avoided.Avoid sweet condensed milk which is highly processed with tons of sugar added to it.Low-fat yogurts and sour creams contain mucopolysaccharide slime to give them body.Regular butter from corn- and grain-fed cows contains colorings to make it look like the vitamin-rich butter from grass-fed cows.Large-scale processed cheese often contains bioengineered enzymes, additives, and coloring.

Bottom Line
There is no evidence that saturated fat in the diet contributes to an increased risk of heart disease. If you have been eating non-fat or low-fat dairy for this reason, you are missing out on the many health benefits of full-fat dairy.For the minority of the population whose body requires a low-fat diet, they should only eat a small amount of full-fat dairy (but not non-fat or low-fat). When drinking milk that has not been homogenized, they can skim off some butterfat from the top.Raw is far superior than pasteurized and homogenized.Your best choice is raw dairy from organically-raised, grass-fed cows. This is dairy in its most natural form and is how human beings have been eating it for centuries and centuries. It is true that raw dairy (milk, cheese, butter) is more expensive but if you can afford it, it is definitely worth the price.Go to www.realmilk.com to find a local raw dairy supplier in the U.S. Go to www.OrganicPastures.com to look for a retail store in California.Another option is raw dairy from goats and sheep. Neither contains the harmful hormones and antibiotics used in conventionally raised cattle.Your next best choice is dairy made from organic, pasteurized but non-homogenized milk.Limit consumption of dairy products that come from conventional corn- and grain-fed cows as they are full of pesticides, antibiotics and hormones.Many adults and children cannot tolerate the pasteurized and homogenized milk products. Dairy, after all, is not a must-have food category and can be omitted altogether. However, if you still want to enjoy all the benefits of dairy, give the raw version a try and see if it works for you.

Burn extra fat?

Creating The Right Healthy Eating Plan For You

If we want to live long and happy lives, we need to be in good health. Maintaining your good health is something that can often seem like more of a chore than a lifestyle, especially if you are the type to eat a lot of junk food and not get a whole lot of exercise. When you do not live a healthy lifestyle, it is going to catch up with you eventually, and sometimes the consequences can be extremely severe. This is why it is so important that you take care of yourself, and a good way to start is by creating the right healthy eating plan for you. At first, you may find it difficult to adjust to the changes, and it may be a good idea to introduce new foods to your diet gradually, until after a few weeks you are following a healthy diet that is well-balanced and provides you with the nutrition you need to be healthy and reduce your risk of developing certain health problems and diseases.

What If I Really Don’t Like the Taste of Healthy Food?

There are a lot of people who are incredibly fussy eaters, and many, especially children, who refuse to eat certain foods that are necessary for maintaining good health. But no one is so fussy that they cannot find at least some healthy foods that they like. If you think you do not like eating healthy foods because you think things that taste great are not good for you, you may be surprised that some of the foods that are healthy for you can taste great too.

There are many ways that you can make healthy versions of your favorite dishes. For example, if fried chicken is your vice, instead of having greasy, fattening deep-fried chicken, try doing something different instead, something that tastes just as great. Use fresh chicken, and instead of coating with a batter, use crushed whole grain crackers or cereal with your favorite seasonings added instead after brushing the chicken (breast is best for your health) with egg white. Instead of frying, bake it in the oven. It is just as crunchy as the fried version, and just as tasty, but it is a lot healthier, and you don’t have to feel guilty after eating it, even if you are dieting to lose weight.

You may have to get a little bit creative in the kitchen to come up with a healthy meal plan that you will actually like and stick with. You can find all kinds of recipes online, in cookbooks, and in many of your favorite magazines that are delicious and loaded with healthy ingredients. You can also find many recipes that are healthy versions of a lot of your favorite junk food treats. You can even make cakes and cookies that are low fat and healthy, if you use the right ingredients.

What Do I Need to Include in a Healthy Diet Plan?

There are certain foods that you really should include in your diet if you really want to follow a healthy diet plan. You need to have fruits and vegetables, and even if you are not crazy about vegetables, you can find recipes that will actually make you love more vegetables than you ever thought you would. Take a baked potato for instance. They are delicious and healthy, and most people love them. You can make a baked potato even healthier by adding low fat cheese and some broccoli. This will give you loads of protein, and for many people, actually makes a filling meal all on its own, which is great for people who are trying to watch their weight and the amount of calories they are consuming.

You should also be getting plenty of lean red meat, fish, and poultry. These are foods that are really loaded with protein, not to mention a whole host of other nutrients. You can get your daily recommended amount of iron from a serving of meat, as well as a good portion of the protein you need for the day. Another way to get protein is to start eating lots of low or non-fat dairy products, as well as a variety of plant-based foods, such as rice, whole grains, and soy. Soy is the only plant-based protein food that is a complete protein, meaning that it contains all of the essential and non-essential amino acids that make up protein. This is a great choice for vegetarians who do not get their protein from animal-based sources.

Burn extra fat?

8 Reasons Why You Should Eat Saturated Fat

Is saturated fat really the dietary evil it is made out to be in the mainstream media? If we look at the human body from a biochemical perspective saturated fat is a necessary and beneficial component. Here are seven reasons why you should eat saturated fat (SF):

1. To ensure your cell membranes to work properly

Every cell membrane in your body is ideally made up of about 50% SF. Our cell membranes need a good amount of saturated fatty acids to have the necessary robustness and to function properly (by the way, having robust cell membranes in your skin also helps to keep your skin smooth and prevent wrinkles). Our cell membranes are the brain and communication hub of our cells. A saturated fatty acid called palmitoleic acid which is found in butter and animal fats is key for communication between your cells.

2. To have a well-functioning brain

The phospholipids which make up your brain cell membranes generally contain one saturated fatty acid and one unsaturated fatty acid. You nourish your brain when you eat SF, and when you don’t eat enough SF the chemistry of your brain may be compromised.

3. To have strong bones

In order for calcium to be effectively incorporated into your body’s skeletal system you need to consume SF.

4. To protect your liver

Saturated fats help protect your liver from toxins and alcohol.

5. To feed and protect your heart

Saturated fats are your body’s preferred food and provide energy for your heart especially in times of stress. This is why there is a concentration of SF in the tissues around the heart. Saturated fats help to reduce levels of a substance called C-Reactive Protein (CRP) which is an indicator of inflammation. There is is growing evidence that inflammation is the major cause of heart disease.

6. To produce and balance your hormones

Hormones are the body’s messengers and are critical for the optimal functioning of our brain, digestion and nervous and reproductive systems. Our steroid hormones regulate our blood sugar levels, our blood pressure and the balance of minerals in our bodies. Our hormones are largely produced from cholesterol. Men in particular need SF and cholesterol in their diet to produce testosterone. There is growing evidence that having low levels of cholesterol in your body may increase your risk of experiencing anxiety and depression.

7. To help your lungs work effectively

The fatty acids in your lung fluid are normally 100% saturated. When you consume a lot of partially hydrogenated fats and vegetable oils it results in trans-fatty acids and polyunsaturated acids being put into the phospholipids of the lungs where the body normally needs saturated fatty acids. This inhibits your lungs from working properly. Recent research indicates that children who consume ample amounts of butterfat have much lower rates of asthma.

8. To boost your immune function

Many components of the saturated fats found in butter, coconut oil and animal fats have anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial effects on our bodies. Butyric acid, which is practically unique to butter also has anti-tumour effects. The cholesterol found in unprocessed fats has anti-oxidant properties and palmitoleic acid appears to act as an anti-inflammatory. SF helps to prevent omega-3 fatty acids from being oxidised in your body.

Burn extra fat?

Diabetes: Risks, Truths and Myths

Diabetes is a disease that causes a lot of confusion for people. There are many myths that should be dispelled regarding the disease and a number of risk factors that should be kept in mind. The more you know about diabetes and its many risk factors, the more you can protect yourself.

The Risk Factors for Diabetes

Like other diseases, diabetes has risk factors that include those that can be changed and those that cannot be changed. It doesn’t always take a major change to lower your risk for diabetes; sometimes it is only the small changes that need to be done. The risk factors for diabetes include:

- Being above your ideal weight by 20% or more. The obvious suggestion is to lose weight, which can be a small step but give you major results.

- Having blood pressure that is at or above 140/90 (deemed as hypertension). Your blood pressure can also be impacted by your weight, but there are other factors that can cause higher blood pressure.

- HDL cholesterol (the good kind) that is 35 or less and or triglycerides of 250 or more. Again, cholesterol can be impacted by weight, but that is only one of the ways to change the cholesterol profile. To increase the good cholesterol, you need to increase the amount of exercise that you get each day, another of the reasons that doctors insist that diabetics get more exercise.

- Family history of diabetes, especially a parent or sibling.

- Own history of gestational diabetes or having had a baby that was more than nine pounds at birth regardless of gestational diabetes.

Certain ethnic groups such as African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans and Asian Americans have a higher risk of diabetes.

Of these, only the last one is impossible to prevent. After all, you cannot change your genetic makeup. Gestational diabetes may not be so much of a condition caused by pregnancy but one that was already in place and simply unmasked by the pregnancy. Women who have had gestational diabetes, sometimes referred to as type III diabetes, may be at a much higher risk of developing diabetes even years after the pregnancy has ended. All women should be screened for the condition during their pregnancy- it occurs in some 1-3% of all women with certain groups having a higher risk than others. (Source: Ammer, 2005)

The Warning Signs of Diabetes

Burn extra fat?

Top 5 Ultimate Omega Fish Oil Benefits From The Sea!

Have you ever found yourself complaining about fatigue? Do you think that your memory is not as sharp as it has been? Would you really like to get rid of the mental affliction known as depression?

Look no further!

In this article, we will explore the ultimate Omega fish oil benefits which will help you overcome many of these common health problems.

It is the best source of Omega 3, which is a group of fatty acids. The Omega 3 family includes DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) EPA (eicosapentaenoic Acid) and ALA (Alpha Linolenic Acid).

Our body does not create these fats and we need to obtain them through fish or fish oil supplements. If we fail to do so, we will be missing out on the numerous benefits it has to offer and can face many health issues.

Some of these issues are detailed below.

If you have a deficiency in Omega 3, this can be linked to various health problems, which include:

· Complaints regarding weakness and fatigue. You may feel tired after a short period of working.

· Loss of memory. You tend to forget things and lose focus more easily.

· Poor eye sight.

· Frequent indigestion problems.

· Infertility.

· Depression and dramatic mood changes.

· Heart disease and problems with blood circulation.

· Skin problems.

Ultimate Omega fish oil benefits are many and they have marvelous effects on our body. So, if your body gets sufficient supply of Omega 3, the aforementioned health problems can be relieved.

· Omega 3 contains DHA which helps in repairing the brain cells. The problem of memory loss can be addressed because Omega 3 works wonders when it comes to the proper functioning of the brain. By its use Omega 3 fish oil can enhance your intelligence.

· It helps with cardiovascular problems. Omega 3 is known to thin the blood and prevents the blood platelets from clotting in the arteries. This ensures a proper blood circulation and improves the functioning of the heart.

· It fights degenerative diseases. These are diseases in which the functions of affected tissues or organs will deteriorate with the passage of time. Omega 3 can inhibit this process.

· Ultimate Omega fish oil benefits the Immune system. In further explanation of this we need to mention Omega 6 which is another group of fatty acids usually included in our diet in the form of nuts, cookies etc. however, our body needs to maintain a balance between Omega 6 and Omega 3. By consuming supplements, you can supply your body with Omega 3 and create this balance. This can protect you from Immune disorders.

· As we grow old, our vision will inevitably get worse. Ultimate Omega fish oil helps to preserve better vision and lowers the risk of age-related eye disease.

· Infertility problems can be reduced. Omega 3 deficiency causes infertility problems in both males and females. In females, it can cause the cervical mucus to thicken which can prevent pregnancy by impeding the movement of sperm. In males, it is beneficial for the reproductive function of the male sex glands.

· Many of us have skin problems. One reason for these is a deficiency of Omega 3. Every cell in the skin contains a membrane which contains Omega 3. In order to avoid all sorts of skin problems, Omega 3 is recommended.

How do I obtain these ultimate Omega fish oil benefits and are there any side effects?

It is imperative that you check the quality of the supplement before using it. These days, every company claims that it is manufacturing what is, the ultimate Omega fish oil. However, in order to find your ultimate fish oil, you should verify that it has undergone molecular distillation, a process which removes any impurities which the fish can carry as a result of swimming in contaminated waters. Furthermore, fish from the pristine lands of New Zealand are cleaner. By keeping in mind these measures, you can protect yourself against any side effects.

Burn extra fat?

Superfoods – Quinoa and Amaranth

Information on Healthy Eating for Vegetarians

How to Choose the Right Diet to Eliminate Stress

Attention Athletes – Become As Fit As A Caveman By Complying With The Paleo Diet

Powerful Superfoods From Under the Sea

Should You Eat Non-Fat Or Low-Fat Dairy?

Creating The Right Healthy Eating Plan For You

8 Reasons Why You Should Eat Saturated Fat

Diabetes: Risks, Truths and Myths

Top 5 Ultimate Omega Fish Oil Benefits From The Sea!

Protein High Diet: Glycemic Index Chart Free Mini-Course

Great Articles