Saturday, September 27, 2014

Five Essential Strength Training Exercises For Runners

Tone the legs, strengthen the core, engage the whole body and get faster with these five moves.
We all know the distance runner’s body: lanky and lean. But lean doesn’t mean weak, in fact, the most effective running machines are powerhouses packed with solid muscle, because the stronger the runner the faster, more efficient and more injury resistant the runner becomes. And this doesn’t just hold true for the legs. “I really believe in training your whole body,” says Jenny Schatzle, a runner and personal trainer in Santa Barbara, Calif., “because running is a full-body activity.”
Performing exercises that smartly strengthen your core and upper body are just as important as strengthening your principal running muscles such as the glutes and hamstrings. With a lean but strong physique, a runner can hold off muscle fatigue and maintain optimally efficient form longer. “Your body is a connective chain,” Schatzle says.

Bulgarian Split Squats

Working muscles: Quads, glutes, core and calves.
Progression: Standing in a lunge position, rest the toes of the back foot on a one- to two-foot bench or box. Lower the torso  straight down by bending the front knee, ensuring it isn’t lunging forward beyond the toes. When the forward thigh is parallel to the ground hold for one to two seconds and then slowly come back up to a neutral position. Repeat 10 to 15 times on each leg.
Extra credit: Add a small hop at the top of the movement or hold a ten-pound weight in each hand.

Planks

Working muscles: Core, shoulders and back.
Progression: Alternate lifting each leg six inches off the ground for eight counts. This also engages the glutes. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.
“The planks is the perfect exercise for strengthening the entire core,” says Beth Shepard, owner and wellness coach at www.wellcoaches.com, adding that the core is often neglected by runners, but is essential for improving stride, form and speed. In a push-up position, with hands planted under the shoulders, align the body straight from the top of the head through the heels. Tighten up the abs while lifting through the chest to create as much space as possible in between the chest and the ground.

Lateral Step-Up

Working muscles: Quads, hamstrings, glutes and core.
Progression: Holding a 10-pound weight, stand next to a two to three foot high bench or box. Step the inside foot up onto the bench. Engaging the core and the glute muscles in the stepping leg, step all the way up, while bringing the outside knee up to a 90-degree angle. Hold there for two seconds then lower down with control.
Repeat 10 to 15 times on each side.
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Push-ups

Working muscles: Chest, core, biceps, triceps and back.
Progression: In a plank position, with the hands planted two to three feet apart under the chest line, bend elbows and descend down for two counts until the chest nearly touches the ground. Rise back to plank position for two counts. Repeat 10 to 12 times.
“Push-ups are great for the upper body,” Schatzle says. “You can do them anywhere.”
Extra credit: Slow down the push-up. “By descending at a slower rate your muscles fire up more,” Schatzle says.

Lateral Lunges

Working muscles: Hip flexors, quads, calves, core, hamstrings and glutes.
Progression: Step three to four feet out to the side with one foot while sending the hips back, keeping the abs tight and chest up. At the bottom of the lunge ensure the knee stays back over the ankle without lunging forward and the standing leg remains straight. When coming back to standing, engage the glute to power off the ground. Repeat 10 times on each leg.
Extra credit: Hold a 10-pound weight in each hand.

Friday, September 26, 2014

5 Moves To Trim Those Hips and Thighs

The lower body is a big trouble spot for most women. Hips and thighs are where chocolate ice cream and cheesecake come home to rest. That's because thousands of years ago, we needed fat storage to survive droughts and long winters. Women with more lower-body fat tended to survive harsh conditions and famines, and consequently passed on their genes to their children, and so on and so forth for generations. Of course, now that we have food at every corner, we no longer need this reserve. But our bodies have not caught up with the times.

Fortunately, by cutting back on super-size portions and snacks, you can shed the excess fat, and with the simple exercises described below, you can firm your lower-body muscles for toned, sleek legs. Do two sets of 10 to 12 reps on each leg, two or three times a week (leave a day of rest between workouts).

1. Single-Leg Squat Standing with your feet together and arms by your sides, shift your weight onto your right foot. Rest the toe of your left foot next to your right foot for balance.

Keeping your back straight, bend at your hips and knees, and slowly sit back onto your right leg, raising your arms straight in front of you as you lower (hold onto the back of a chair for balance, if you need to). Stop when your thighs are almost parallel to the floor, and hold for a second. Then press into your right foot through the heel and stand back up.

2. Bent-Knee Crossover Get down on all fours, keeping your back flat and head down in line with your back.

With your left knee bent at a 90-degree angle, lift your left leg up and back so the sole of your left foot is facing the ceiling. Then cross it over the calf of your right leg. Keep your buttocks tight at all times. Return to the starting position. Do one set, then repeat with the other leg. (You can add 1-pound ankle weights to make this exercise more difficult.)

3. Standing Abduction Hold onto a wall with your left hand for balance, and stand straight up with your knees slightly bent.

Keeping your right leg extended (knee soft) and right foot flexed, lift the right leg out to the side. Lift as far as you can without moving your upper body. Pause for a second, then return to the starting position. Complete a set, then repeat with the opposite leg.

4. Double Leg Lift Lie on your left side with your legs stacked on top of each other. Prop yourself up on your left elbow. Rest the fingertips of your right hand in front of you for balance.

Raise your right leg about 12 inches, then slowly raise your left leg to meet it. Hold for 2 seconds, then lower each leg separately. Repeat.

5. Lunge Standing with your feet together, hold dumbbells down at your sides with palms facing in toward your thighs. Take one big step forward with your right leg. Plant your right foot, then slowly lower your left knee toward the floor. Your right knee should be at a 90-degree angle, and your back straight. Press into your right foot, and push yourself back to the starting position. Repeat with your left leg.

Some other Tips:

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Confused About Calcium Supplements?

Are you getting enough calcium in your diet? Maybe not, especially if you're a woman or a teenage girl. Although Americans have improved at this in recent years, we're still not getting enough calcium to maintain our bone health.
How much is that? It depends on your age. According to the Institute of Medicine, the recommended daily amount of calcium to get is:
  • 1-3 years: 700 milligrams daily
  • 4-8 years: 1,000 milligrams daily
  • 9-18 years: 1,300 milligrams daily
  • 19-50 years: 1,000 milligrams daily
  • 51-70 years: 1,200 milligrams daily for women; 1,000 milligrams daily for men
  • 71 and older: 1,200 milligrams daily
The Institute of Medicine says that most in the U.S. get enough calcium, except for girls 9 to 18 years old. Although women’s recommended calcium needs to increase with menopause, postmenopausal woman taking supplements may also be at greater risk of getting too much calcium.
"We know that peak bone mass occurs around age 30, so it's very important in childhood and adolescence to have a healthy intake of calcium early on," says Marcy B. Bolster, MD. She is a professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology and immunology at the Medical University of South Carolina and director of the MUSC Center for Osteoporosis and Bone Health.
"After age 30, we start to gradually lose bone, and that loss accelerates for women at the time of menopause. So it's very important to stave off bone loss with adequate calcium intake."
Your health care provider may recommend calcium supplements. But with so many choices of calcium supplements, where should you start? Here's what you need to know.

What kind of calcium supplement should you take?

"I tell my patients to take the kind that they tolerate best and is least expensive," Bolster says. She says she recommends calcium carbonate because "it's inexpensive, won't cause discomfort, and is a good source of calcium."
Some people's bodies may have problems making enough stomach acid, or may be taking medications that suppress acid production. For them, says J. Edward Puzas, MD, a calcium citrate supplement might be better because it "dissolves a little better than calcium carbonate for these people." Puzas is a professor of orthopedics and director of orthopedic research at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York.
What about other types of supplements, like calcium plus magnesium, coral calcium, and so on? Not necessary, the experts tell WebMD. But they note that supplements that combine calcium with vitamin D -- which is essential for the body to appropriately absorb calcium -- provide an added benefit.

What calcium supplement dose is best?

The body can absorb only about 500 milligrams of a calcium supplement at any one time, says Puzas, so you can't just down a 1000-mg supplement first thing in the morning and call it a day.
Instead, split your dose into two or three servings a day. "The best way to take it is with a meal; calcium is absorbed better that way," Puzas says. If your daily diet includes calcium-containing foods and drinks, you may not need multiple doses.

10 tips on how to eat more calcium

Calcium is important for healthy teeth and bones. It also plays a crucial role in the health and functioning of nerves and muscle tissue. Most Australians don’t get enough of this vital nutrient in their diet.

Here are some tips on how to eat more calcium.
  1. Include dairy products in your diet every day. Choose from milk, yoghurt, cheese or milk-based custard.
  2. Learn to love leafy green vegetables. Include a serve of broccoli, cabbage, bok choy or spinach on your lunch and dinner plate every day.
  3. Eat more fish. If you can’t get fresh fish, eat tinned fish such as sardines or salmon with the bones left in.
  4. Replace the meat in some meals with tofu or tempeh. Your family will enjoy the change and cutting back on saturated fat is good for your health.
  5. Snack on calcium-rich nuts like Brazil nuts or almonds. Keep a container of nuts and seeds with you and have a small handful as a daily snack.
  6. Reduce your intake of caffeine, soft drinks and alcohol. They all inhibit calcium absorption and should be used in moderation.
  7. Sprinkle sesame seeds over vegetables or salads. Sesame seeds are easy to include in all meals and are high in calcium.
  8. Try calcium-fortified foods for breakfast. Some cereals, fruit juices and breads now come with calcium added to the ingredients.
  9. Educate your children on the importance of including dairy products in their diet. If they prefer soy milk, make sure it is fortified with calcium and encourage them to eat cheese and yoghurt.
  10. Choose lactose-free yoghurts and cheese if you have an intolerance to lactose. These products still have calcium included.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Lose At Least 10 Pounds (4.5KG) With This Female Weight Loss System

How many women spend countless hours at the gym running themselves down in an attempt to achieve that oh so coveted hourglass figure? And eat plain salads meal after meal as they watch their friends and family enjoy delicious and interesting food. All of this only to be disappointed as they once again look in the mirror to see that NOTHING has changed.

That’s because:

"Most  weight loss programs are generally designed for men, not women, who have completely different anatomies."


Exercises that are designed for men just won’t cut it for their female counterparts. Most weight loss programs also fail to mention leptin, one of the key components to successful weight loss for women.

Leptin is a hormone that regulates metabolism, appetite, and weight. Women tend to have leptin resistance, which means their bodies don’t react to leptin the same way. They don’t receive the same hunger and satiety signals. Women with leptin resistance don’t get the signal to their brain that they’ve had enough to eat, which makes it very easy to consume way too many calories. Ironically, weight loss efforts for women often backfire, actually causing leptin resistance.

This all sounds tiring and confusing and frankly…hopeless. Ready to give up on weight loss? Don’t be!

The Venus Factor is a diet and fitness system designed specifically for females that has completely revolutionized weight loss for women because it teaches you what you need to know about leptin so you can use it to your advantage.

"I have been using this method for 16 Days now and I’m already seeing crazy results! You guys rock! (Ashley Duke, Arizona)."

Learn how to override your metabolism in order to perfect the diet portion of your weight loss journey.

You will also learn which common foods touted as “healthy” make losing weight almost impossible for women.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Weight loss might make you healthier but it probably won’t make you happier, according to a new study


Getting skinny will solve all our problems, right? We will be unconditionally loved by all, be able to run marathons in under three hours and, of course, be able to wear bikinis and heels to any occasion, including black tie events. As one does. At least that’s what all the diet ads say. But a new study says that not only does losing weight not make people happier, it can actually increase their risk of depression two fold.

Well this is uncomfortable. Confession: Even though I no longer diet or exercise with weight loss as a goal and I eat intuitively and exercise gently and I love and accept my body way more than I ever have in my entire life — even with all that, I still believe with all my heart that if I weighed 15 pounds less I’d be happier. I hate that thought still lives in my brain. I don’t act on it but it’s still definitely there.

But the worst part is that both intuitively and from past experience I know this this isn’t true. Losing weight has never made happier. Did I feel prettier, more confident, successful, relieved, or even more popular? Yes. Happier? Not really. It doesn’t seem like that would compute. I mean, doesn’t feeling prettier, more confident and popular automatically make you feel happier? It didn’t for me and I think it boiled down to two reasons. First, I was never skinny enough. No matter how much weight I lost it wasn’t ever going to be enough. I started out just wanting to be my “happy weight” but then I decided I couldn’t be happy there unless I had a “buffer” and then… a death spiral of insanity ensued. Part of that was all the eating disorder voices in my head but part of that was also the very loud segment of our society that equates thinness with perfection and sees the new 000 size as a goal instead of a number that you will find nowhere in math. Second, I was terrified that if I regained the weight I’d lost (and I always did eventually) then I would no longer be pretty, successful or loved. All things that aren’t true but nevertheless thwarted any happy-skinny frolicking.

And I’m not alone in my experience. Researchers at University College of London followed 2,000 individuals who were overweight or obese but otherwise healthy for four years. All participants had been instructed to lose weight to improve their health and at the end of the four years 14% had lost 5% or more of their body weight while 15% gained more than 5% of their body weight and the remaining 71% remained at their original weight. (The fact that 71% remained at their original weight even though they were trying to actively lose weight is a topic for another day.)

The researchers then measured the participants’ depression, overall well-being, blood pressure and triglycerides to get a picture of both their psychological and physiological health. The results were surprising to say the least. As one would expect, losing weight lowered subjects’ blood pressure and triglycerides. Yet even though most people report thinking that losing weight will increase their happiness, the people who lost weight were twice as likely to be depressed as those who gained weight or remained stable. They also reported lower well-being. This held true even after they accounted for demographics (like race and income), health conditions (like a cancer diagnosis which would make anyone depressed) and psychological variables (like a recent traumatic life event).

So why would someone be sad if they were healthier? I got to interview Sarah Jackson, PhD, the lead author of the study, for an article for Shape and she says that while they can’t determine cause, they can look at correlation and it appears that something about the act of losing weight makes people unhappy. She speculates that the people became depressed because of how notoriously hard it is to maintain a weight loss. We might feel happier when we’re losing weight but the thought of living with that level of deprivation forever is, well, depressing.

But the researchers had several other theories as well:

– Perhaps the subjects were exhausting their self control resisting tasty food and so other areas of their lives were suffering – i.e. their social lives and becoming more isolated can definitely be depressing.

– There’s also the idea of unfulfilled expectations – perhaps the people became depressed after realizing that losing weight hadn’t had the effect on their lives that they’d hoped it would. They weren’t happier because… they weren’t happier.

– And all the biological factors. Maybe their bodies wanted to replace the lost fat and therefore made them feel hungrier which made controlling their weight increasingly difficult. Or perhaps the drop in carbohydrates dropped their serotonin levels. Also, when you diet you alter your microbiome in your gut and as I was very surprised to learn before, over 80% of our serotonin is produced in the gut, meaning that those gut bugs can have a powerful effect on our mood.

For me, the interesting part was that not only did the subjects not feel happier but they felt more depressed than they had at baseline. So while their physiological health markers improved, depression and stress are known to have a very negative effect on health. And I don’t think this dissonance will be resolved until we can remove the cultural assumption that thin=good, pretty, righteous and fat = bad, ugly, sinful.

Of course there are plenty of people who do say they are much happier after losing weight. But from my experience, the ones who seem to be the happiest with their weight loss are those who feel like it enabled them to better do things that they love, like playing with their kids or riding their bike along the beach or travelling. The people who diet as a punishment and try to ratchet themselves into too-small pants every week don’t seem to be as happy because we will all eventually “fail” and eat the cupcake and there are always going to be smaller pants.

And then there’s the fact that giving weight loss the power to make us happy means that we’re giving weight gain the power to make us sad. I’ve had to learn the hard way that the things that make me happiest in life have absolutely nothing to do with my weight: My family, my work, helping other people, petting my cat, talking to my sisters, hiking – and as long as I’m healthy enough to do those things well then the actual number on the scale is irrelevant.

Jackson stops short of saying we should stop telling people to lose weight as the subjects did show marked improvements in their health but rather she hopes that doctors will take this information and use it to offer more resources like support groups and counseling along with their healthy diet and exercise advice. Which I think is a great idea – anything that helps people increase their physical and mental health is a good plan and I don’t think they have to be an either/or proposition.

I’m curious about your experience though – Heaven knows I have enough dieting baggage to make me unhappy no matter what my weight does (sigh) so I’m wondering if this rings true for anyone else? Or did it make you very happy? Why do you think losing weight contributed to these people’s depression?

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

How Onion Helps in Hair Growth

Many people face the problem of hair loss. Though losing 50-100 hairs per day is considered as normal, losing hair cause concern and mental stress in people. Moreover, acute hair loss can affect the appearance of a person and affects their confidence levels. There are many natural remedies which are capable of inducing proper hair growth and the most important and effective among them is Onion juice.

Natural And Safe Method
It is completely safe to use onion for preventing hair loss and promoting hair growth as onion helps in hair growth without any side effects or causing allergies. There is no need to use harsh chemicals on your hair when you have an easily available, cheap and safe method for promoting hair growth. You can use onion as a natural remedy if you have receding hair line or bald patches. You may not be able to get the same result when you opt for hair loss treatment from costly hair spas.
 
Can Onion Help In Hair Growth?
Most of the people are skeptical about the use of onion for hair growth. Most of you will be thinking can onion help in hair growth? The scientific studies on natural remedies for hair loss has proven that applying onion juice and consuming onions is helpful in controlling hair loss and other problems related to hair such as dandruff, fungal infections and yeast infections. It has been found that onion juice is also effective in preventing premature graying of hair.

How Does Onion Help In Hair Growth?
Most of the people are unaware of how onions are effective in promoting hair growth. Onions have rich sulfur content in them. Onion juices when applied on the scalp alone or in combination with other hair loss remedies can improve the blood circulation to the scalp. Sulfur also improves the production of collagen tissues which is necessary for the growth of hair. Hair grows from the hair follicles in the scalp and increased blood supply to the scalp brings better nutrients and nourishment to the follicles and promotes hair growth. The sulfur content in the juice also has anti-bacterial properties and prevents the growth of fungi and bacteria on the scalp which reduces the chances of losing hair due to these infections. Onion juice increases the strength of the hair and prevents thinning and breakage. You can achieve improved volume to your hair by regularly applying the onion juice on the scalp.

Onion to Grow Hair Faster
To achieve hair growth with the help of onion juice you need to extract the juice of the onions and apply it on the scalp thoroughly. Though, the juice has a pungent smell, the remedy is highly effective in achieving the results you need. You need to keep the juice on the scalp for at least 30 minutes. You can keep it for longer if you will be able to bear the smell of the juice. Rinse off the juice using water and mild shampoo. You will have to repeat this remedy at least thrice a week for at least two months to see the results. This is a natural remedy and it will take some time to give the expected result.


How Onion Helps in Hair Growth
 
How To Make Onion Juice For Hair Growth?
It is very easy and simple to make the onion juice for hair growth. You can use a food processor or blender, grater or a juicer to extract the juice. Peel the required number of onions according to the length of your hair and cut them into pieces. You can put them in blender or juicer and run it to get the required amount of juice. To extract the juice using grater, cut the onion into halves and grate each half, squeeze out the juices from grated onion using your hand.
Simple Methods Of Using Onion for Hair Growth
 
1. Onion Juice-Honey Mixture
You can use this remedy in two different ways. You can mix ¼ cup of onion juice with one honey tablespoon of honey and you can consume it orally every day or you can apply the mix on the scalp and massage it for 15 minutes daily to see the difference.
 
2. Concoction Of Onion Juice And Rum
If you find the smell of onions unbearable you can use this method to prevent the loss of hair and to improve the growth of hair. Finely chop one medium sized onion and soak this in a glass of rum overnight. Next day, strain the mixture to remove the onion pieces. Use the concoction to massage the scalp or use it as a hair rinse after washing the hair.
 
3. Add Onion In Your Recipes
You can include onions in regular recipes and in salads to get the benefits of using onion. This will not act as fast as applying the juice to the hair.
 
4. Onion Juice Hair Rinse
This is another method of using onions for hair growth without getting tears and irritation to eyes. Add 4-5 chopped onion to one liter of water and boil it for about 10 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool and strain the mixture. Use the onion boiled water to rinse your hair after shampooing. If you are not bothered with the smell you need not wash the hair with water that day. You can clean your hair using water and mild shampoo next day.

Hair is part of the personality of a person. If you are worried about your excessive hair loss, you can try the above remedy. Select a method convenient to you and stick to it for at least two months. Your hair will first achieve a good sheen and slowly you will see your hair becoming stronger and thicker. To boost your hair growth, you can also massage your hair and scalp with a mixture of olive oil, coconut oil and almond oil once in a week. You can achieve better results, if you leave the oil overnight on your hair. Always eat a healthy diet to prevent hair loss and to promote the re-growth of the hair.

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Scanadu Scout

There are plenty of gadgets that monitor your fitness. Whether they track your heart rate, blood pressure or the number of steps you’ve taken, they all give you a pretty basic view of your activity. But what about your general health?

Designed by a collective of engineers, doctors and designers, the Scanadu Scout wants to be your personal electronic GP. By pressing it to your temple, the Scout will give you an accurate reading of pulse transit time, heart rate, electrical heart activity, temperature and blood oxygenation. This info in itself isn’t particularly useful, unless you’ve been nose-deep in some medical text books for the last year, so the Scout then analyses the data and tells you if you ought to head to the nearest hospital, or not.

There’ll be an add-on too, which will check your saliva for nasty bugs like streptococcus A, influenza B and adenovirus. They’re even working on an add-on to spot pregnancy complications.


All of the above is technically possible, and the collective data gathered from everyone using a Scanadu could reveal interesting trends in the state of the public’s health. But as with any mode of self-diagnosis, you should apply common sense. Either way, doctors might have to get used to hearing patients say: “I need an appointment. Scanadu says it’s serious”.

10 Benefits of Carrots: The Crunchy Powerfood


Forget about vitamin A pills. With this orange crunchy powerfood, you get vitamin A and a host of other powerful health benefits including beautiful skin, cancer prevention, and anti-aging. Read how to get maximum benefits from this amazing vegetable.

Benefits of Carrots

1.  Improved Vision
Western culture’s  understanding of carrots being “good for the eyes” is one of the few we got right. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the liver. Vitamin A is transformed in the retina, to rhodopsin, a purple pigment necessary for night vision.
Beta-carotene has also been shown to protect against macular degeneration and senile cataracts. A study found that people who eat the most beta-carotene had 40 percent lower risk of macular degeneration than those who consumed little.

2.  Cancer Prevention
Studies have shown carrots reduce the risk of lung cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer. Researchers have just discovered falcarinol and falcarindiol which they feel cause the anticancer properties.
Falcarinol is a natural pesticide produced by the carrot that protects its roots from fungal diseases. Carrots are one of the only common sources of this compound. A study showed 1/3 lower cancer risk by carrot-eating mice.

3.  Anti-Aging
The high level of beta-carotene acts as an antioxidant to cell damage done to the body through regular metabolism.  It help slows down the aging of cells.

4.  Healthy Glowing Skin (from the inside)
Vitamin A and antioxidants protects the skin from sun damage. Deficiencies of vitamin A cause dryness to the skin, hair and nails. Vitamin A prevents premature wrinkling, acne, dry skin, pigmentation, blemishes, and uneven skin tone.

5.  A Powerful Antiseptic
Carrots are known by herbalists to prevent infection. They can be used on cuts – shredded raw or boiled and mashed.

6.  Beautiful Skin (from the outside)
Carrots are used as an inexpensive and very convenient facial mask.  Just mix grated carrot with a bit of honey. See the full recipe here: carrot face mask.

7.  Prevent Heart Disease
Studies show that diets high in carotenoids are associated with a lower risk of heart disease.  Carrots have not only beta-carotene but also alpha-carotene and lutein.
The regular consumption of carrots also reduces cholesterol levels because the soluble fibers in carrots bind with bile acids.

8.  Cleanse the Body
Vitamin A assists the liver in flushing out the toxins from the body. It reduces the bile and fat in the liver. The fibers present in carrots help clean out the colon and hasten waste movement.

9.  Healthy Teeth and Gums
It’s all in the crunch! Carrots clean your teeth and mouth. They scrape off plaque and food particles just like toothbrushes or toothpaste.  Carrots stimulate gums and  trigger a lot of saliva, which being alkaline, balances out the acid-forming, cavity-forming bacteria.  The minerals in carrots prevent tooth damage.

10.  Prevent Stroke:
From all the above benefits it is no surprise that in a Harvard University study, people who ate more than six carrots a week are less likely to suffer a stroke than those who ate only one carrot a month or less.


Fun Facts on Carrots
  • Rabbits love to eat carrots but they shouldn’t eat too much.
    Remember that a rabbit eating a single carrot is like us eating over 20!  They like the sweetness and carrots are good for their teeth and don’t have white sugar but even too too many natural sugars will cause digestive problems and diabetes. They probably would do better with the carrot tops.  We would benefit from the tops also but probably won’t eat them!
  • Carrots are the second most popular type of vegetable after potatoes.
  • The biggest carrot recorded is more than 19 pounds and the longest is over 19 feet!
    You can see them here:  biggest carrot – but they aren’t particularly pretty!
  • There are over 100 species of carrots.
    Some are big. Some are small and they come in a variety of colors including: orange, purple, white, yellow, and red.
  • English women in the 1600’s often wore carrot leaves in their hats in place of flowers or feathers.
  • The name “carrot” comes from the Greek word “karoton.”
    The beta-carotene that is found in carrots was actually named for the carrot itself!
  • The average American eats about 12 pounds of carrots a year.
    That’s only one cup per week.  We could easily triple that with great benefits if we were also eating a variety of other vegetables.
How To Eat Carrots
The nutrition in carrots are tightly encased in protein sacs that have to be broken by heat (cooking) or mechanical action (grinding, juicing, proper chewing).
Cooking the carrots in fat or oils, or pureeing or juicing them increases the availability of carotenoids by 600 percent.

Fats help the absorption of carotenoids into the blood by 1000 percent as carotenoids are fat soluble.


Recipes with Carrots:
Carrots with Arame: Seaweed recipe for health.
Carrots with Orange: A surprising but delightful combination….and it’s fast!
Chili Con Vege: Diana’s version of chili filled with carrots.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF BROWN RICE


Health Benefits of Brown Rice – Brown Rice for Cancer Brown rice has plant lignins which help build healthy gut flora credited with protecting against breast and other hormone dependent cancers.

Health Benefits of Brown Rice – Brown Rice for Diabetes Researchers have estimated that replacing 50 grams of white rice with the same amount of brown rice would lower risk of type 2 diabetes by 16%. Brown rice is superior to white rice when it comes to fiber content, minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals, as the polishing of brown rice removes almost all vitamins and minerals, and also strips away the majority of its fiber, which will help prevent diabetes by generating less of an increase in blood sugar levels after a meal.

Health Benefits of Brown Rice – Brown Rice for Heart Health In a study of postmenopausal women, those eating the most whole grains, including brown rice, were found to have significantly higher blood levels of enterolactone. Research shows that an ingredient in a layer around the grains of brown rice could work against the endocrine protein angiotensin II, a recognized factor in the development of hypertension and atherosclerosis.

Health Benefits of Brown Rice – Brown Rice for Alzheimer’s Researchers discovered in animal experiments that brown rice consumption reduced learning and memory deficits caused by beta-amyloid protein, one of the main contributors to Alzheimer’s dementia.

Health Benefits of Brown Rice – Brown Rice for LDL Cholesterol The oil in brown rice reduces LDL cholesterol levels. When the bran layer is removed to make white rice, the oil in the bran is also removed. Researchers examined the effects of adding rice bran oil to the diet and found that the addition of rice bran oil lowered LDL cholesterol by seven percent. Rice bran oil has gamma-oryzanol, a compound which also lowers LDL cholesterol.

Nutrients in Brown Rice Whole grain brown rice contains all three layers of the kernel-the bran, germ, and endosperm-which provides superior nutrition value over white rice. Brown rice has vital nutrients such as niacin, thiamine, potassium, phosphorus, riboflavin, iron, and 5 times the fiber of white rice. Brown rice also provides a good supply of protein as well as gamma-oryzanol, a component of rice bran oil which has been made use of for treating menopausal and digestive problems, as well as reducing LDL cholesterol. Brown rice has superior protein compared to wheat as far as essential amino acid quantity is concerned.

History of Brown Rice Rice is the most consumed grain in the world and is grown on every continent except for Antarctica. It has been part of the staple diet in Eastern countries for thousands of years. Recordings of rice consumption date back some 5,000 years ago in China. Rice arrived in Egypt in the fourth century b.c. and around that time India was exporting it to Greece and throughout Europe and eventually to the United States. Rice production has been part of U.S. agriculture since the late seventeenth century. China, India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh make up two-thirds of the world’s rice production. The United States ranks eleventh in production but is a major exporter. In the U.S., the top rice producers include Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.

The Health Benefits Of Brown Rice


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