Food – Juice Health Benefits & Recipes

21 Jan

Green Tea – Top 5 Health Benefits And Tea Quality Guide For Dummies

Green tea has become quite popular these days. In some countries there is a long tradition of drinking it but in others the tea drinking trend has only surfaced in the recent years. With gaining popularity green tea has made its way into supermarkets and health food stores around the world not only simply as tea but also as an ingredient in other foods and products. Everyone is looking for a way to look younger and to counteract some of their less healthy habits and green tea promises just that. How can it do that? Here you will find top 5 benefits of using it, how to tell the top notch green tea from a low quality one and a few preparation ideas. But first – a little history.

Where Does Green Tea Come From?

Green tea was originally grown and cultivated in ancient China. Neighboring Asian countries picked up this habit and today also use different varieties of green tea on a regular basis. The tea plant itself is known as Camellia Sinensis. The trick to making green tea is the amount of oxidization. Leaves can be dried differently to produce many different types of tea but when the least oxidization is used we get green tea. You could say that green tea is the most natural tea of them all (check this article if you want to learn more about this).

The effects of it have been noticed and studies a long time ago. For instance – Zen priest Eisai wrote The Kissa Yojoki which can be translated as as Book of tea in 1191. This book discusses the positive impact that green tea has the bodies’ organs. Asians used it for easing the after effects of liquor, better brain function, and to prevent urinary problems.

Ancient Asians relied on green tea for easing the after effects of liquor, better brain function, and to prevent urinary problems.

Why Is It A Super Food?

Green tea is considered a super food because it is packed with antioxidants and polyphenols. These give it life extending capabilities. A study done in May 2006 by the Yale University studied people that drink a liter and half of green tea each day. Now we all know that smoking is bad for your health. A funny thing that this study discovered is that people in Asian countries who smoke and consume several cups of green tea a day at the same time have minimal rates of cancer and heart disease. People that smoke back here in the west have much higher rates of these diseases.

So, what are the top 5 benefits of green tea:

Green tea drinkers can benefit from a decreased risk of heart disease,
better artery function,
blockage of bad cholesterol,
and improved good cholesterol levels.
Switching from sodas or highly sweetened drinks to green tea is good way to lose weight. The tea has the ability to increase metabolism and block the absorption of sugar which makes the process even easier.

Green tea drinkers can benefit from a decreased risk from problems caused by heart disease, better artery function, blockage of bad cholesterol, and improved good cholesterol levels.

Other Uses

It’s not only good when you drink it, there are other uses for green tea – you can also use it externally. For instance you can use tea bags to remove puffiness around the eyes and to exfoliate dead skin off the face. Several salons and spas have entire product lines that are made with green tea as the primary ingredient.

A Few Tips For Green Tea Drinkers

Many companies have concentrated formulas of green tea sold in capsule or liquid form for those that are looking to burn fat as part of a weight loss regimen. But I cant really see the point in that. You can just drink tea everyday and you will be fine. Here are a few tips for all the enthusiastic new green tea drinkers:

If you are trying to lose weight and can not drop the sweet taste completely (I drink unsweetened tea all the time and its all good) try using stevia instead of regular sugar. Stevia is an example of a sweetener that is natural and does not have negative side effects that are associated with chemical based sweeteners. Or use honey. And try to use less and less of it, you will get used to the less sweet taste.
Make a gallon of green tea and drink it all the time. If you want to improve the taste of the tea, place cut lemons or other fruit into the tea while it cools down. This way you can add flavor to it.
Since green tea bags are tiny you can have them with you all the time and use them to make a quick hot beverage. There are many places to get a cup of hot water for free. Drop the tea bag in it and you are set.
On the other hand, almost every place you go now serves green tea. Just remember to order it.

Making green is not exactly rocket science, but still here is a nice video that explains how to prepare it. Things to remember:

don’t use boiling hot water, water should be around 180F/80C
use the best tea possible (video mentions 1st, 2nd and 3rd cut, a bit more on that and tea quality later)
wait 3-5minutes.

The Tea Quality – What Makes The Best Green Tea Out There?

First cut tea, second cut tea, third cut tea

Tea grows in places that allow the tea leaves to be picked many times during the season. But the ones that are picked during the first harvest are always the best. And are therefore called 1st cut. One picked next are called 2nd cut and so on. The first cut tea leaves are the tenderest and have the highest levels of theanine, caffeine, antioxidants and aromatics oils.

Number of leaves harvested

How many leaves are plucked from the top? Less leaves make tea more expensive but the leaves at the end are the tenderest. You can pluck just the bud, bud and one leaf, bud + 2 leaves, bud + 3 leaves etc…with each additional leaf the concentration levels of theanine and antioxidants decreases.

Tea leaves state

The less destroyed and crumbled the leaves are the better.

How fresh are the leaves

Fresh, this years tea is of course better than one that is a few years old.

As you see the can be quite a difference between green teas. On one hand you can have freshly picked first cut top leaves and on the other hand you can have 3rd cut leaves, crumbled and mixed with black tea that are 2 years old, sitting on the shelves of supermarkets worldwide. They will all do you good but there is quite a difference between the first and the second option. This explains different prices when it comes to green tea.

Sooo…now what? Start drinking green tea! Try replacing coffee with green tea for starters. By drinking it daily we are constantly providing our bodies with antioxidants so try to make it a habit!

20 Jan

Hemp Seeds, Discover the Hidden Benefits of this Nutritional Powerhouse

Hemp seeds are a plant-based protein source that provides many essential nutrients in a small, nutty-tasting package. Though many people are still confused about plant proteins, food-grade hemp has become more mainstream in recent years. Both individuals and food manufacturers are beginning to recognize the benefits of this nutritional powerhouse.

Hemp Facts

Hemp is a fast-growing, highly renewable plant that is grown around the world for a variety of uses. Though often associated with drugs, most hemp is very low in THC, making it suitable for use as a food. Many countries including Spain, France, the UK and China grow hemp legally for this purpose as well as for fiber production. One of the earliest cultivated plants, hemp was even grown by the Aztec and Mayan civilizations.

Hemp contains all 21 known amino acids, including the 9 that the human body needs to build proteins, making it a “complete” protein source.

Over the last several years, hemp has grown in popularity as a food ingredient. This is likely due to its nutritional profile. Vegetarians, vegans and raw foodists have shown particular interest in hemp seeds and other hemp-based foods as sources of important nutrients that are otherwise obtained from animal sources.

A Nutritional Superfood

Hemp contains all 21 known amino acids, including the 9 that the human body needs to build proteins, making it a “complete” protein source. Hemp is also an excellent source of essential fatty acids (EFAs)—the omega-3 and omega-6 fats that your body needs to function properly. Steriadonic acid (SDA) and gamma linolenic acid (GMA) help the body make use of these, promoting an anti-inflammatory environment and helping to control metabolism, hormonal symptoms and LDL cholesterol levels.

Hemp contains a 3:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, which is considered the optimal ratio for human health. In addition, the forms of SDA and GMA found in hemp are delivered as direct metabolites, meaning that the body doesn’t have to convert the fats from one type to another before using them.

Antioxidant vitamin E appears naturally in hemp along with minerals such as iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, zinc and phosphorus. Hemp is low in saturated fat when compared with the typical American diet and contains no cholesterol. These properties help you maintain a good balance between unsaturated and saturated fats in your diet while delivering nutrients that your body needs.

Though often associated with drugs, most hemp is very low in THC, making it suitable for use as a food.

Health Benefits of Hemp Seeds

Packed with protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, hemp seeds can do a lot to benefit your health. They’re also a good source of phytonutrients and antioxidants. Antioxidants fight free radicals in the body that can cause cell damage. Phytonutrients are known for being protective against disease. Together the nutritional elements of hemp seeds work to improve your skin, strengthen your immune system, help nerve function, support brain and heart health and even boost energy levels. Best of all, hemp has no known allergens. A study made in Spain also confirmed that hemp oil can help curing cancer, if you want to read more about that click here.

How to Eat Hemp

There are many delicious ways to enjoy hemp seeds, the simplest being to incorporate them into foods that you already eat. Hemp seeds are light in flavor, so you can sprinkle them on your morning oatmeal or your after-dinner salad without much of a change in taste. You can also bake hemp seeds into your favorite breads and muffins to add nutritional value.

The recommended intake of hemp seeds is 2-4 tablespoons daily. However, the health benefits aren’t limited to just the seeds. Many hemp foods including non-dairy hemp milk, hemp seed butter, hemp oil and hemp protein powders are available at health food stores and online. Hemp is even beginning to appear in cereals, trail mixes and sprouted breads.

Here Ani will show you how to make a Hemp Protein Shake that’s great for post workout using hemp protein powder and hemp seeds:

With hemp seeds, it’s easy to add superfoods to your daily diet. Whether you sprinkle them on cereal, blend them into a smoothie or mix them into your favorite muffin batter, these super little seeds will bring you a boost of the nutrients you need from a 100 percent plant-based source.

15 Jan

Oats as a Superfood? Powerful, Nutrient-rich, And You Can Eat Them Everyday

Oats are an often overlooked food, frequently considered bland, uninteresting or even lacking nutrition. However, this could not be further from the truth: Oats are a powerful, nutrient-rich food that should be eaten every day.

What are Oats?

Historically, oats were not as widely used as wheat or barley. The oldest known location of oats being regularly used was in the Switzerland during the Bronze Age. Oats first came to North America in 1602 and are believed to have originated in Asia Minor. After being planted around the coast of Massachusetts upon arrival, oats slowly were spread across North America. By the 1870s, oats were prevalent in the middle and upper Mississippi valley, where they are primarily produced in America today. Russia, Finland, Poland, and Canada, in addition to the United States, are the leading producers of oats today.

Russia, Finland, Poland, and Canada, are in addition to the United States the leading producers of oats today.

Historical Uses
Oats have traditionally been used as food or pasture grounds for livestock since they were first cultivated. Oats have also been a food source for humans, particularly in Scotland. Oats have also been used as a treatment for diabetes before insulin was developed. Today, many cereals and bread products are made using oat flour or other oat products. Even dairy products, like ice cream, often contain a type of oat product used as a stabilizer.

Why is it a Superfood?

Oats are considered a superfood because they are high in a number of nutrients and minerals, while being low in calories. Oats are rich in zinc, calcium, magnesium, iron, Vitamin C and B vitamins. In addition to nourishing skin, nails and hair, oats also deliver nutrients to the nervous system and provide energy. Oats are also a good source of fiber. Because they have a low glycaemic index, oats are slowly digested, which can improve both mood and concentration, and even help prevent or manage diabetes. Oats are an ideal food for dieters, as their slow digestion keeps you feeling full and satisfied for longer. They are also a good source of protein, containing amounts comparable to meat and milk.

Eating one bowl of oats a day has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels by up to 20%.

Health Benefits

Eating one bowl of oats a day has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels by up to 20%. Additionally, oats can help prevent heart disease, reduce blood pressure, keep blood sugar levels maintained and boost the immune system.

Oats that are less processed, like whole oat groats or steel-cut oats, take the longest amount of time for the body to break down, which helps to keep the blood sugar regulated. Oats can also help prevent heart disease, due to an antioxidant that can only be found in oats called avenanthramides. Oats can also lower your risk for certain cancers, like colorectal cancer, due to the large amounts of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants found in them. Oats also contain phytoestrogen, which can decrease the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and prostate cancer.

How to Eat Oats

One of the great things about oats is that they are versatile. Oats can easily be eaten alone as granola, porridge or muesli. Perhaps the easiest way to get the recommended daily amount of oats, one cooked cup, is to have a bowl of oatmeal with fruit and cinnamon for breakfast. For a change of pace from the traditional bowl of oatmeal, oat flour can be used in place of traditional flour in many recipes, like cookies, cakes, bread and even pancakes.

Another easy way to get oats into your diet is smoothies. This banana oat smoothie, from Martha Stewart’s website, is a great way to get oats into your diet. This easy smoothie recipe combines oats, yogurt, banana, milk, honey, and cinnamon for a healthy, nutrient-packed meal or snack. Another cool smoothie recipe is in this video. You will need 1/4 cup oats, 1 tbsp. ground flaxseed, 1 cup almond milk, 2 frozen bananas, 1 tbsp. maple syrup, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1 handful pre-soaked almonds. Here is how to do it:

However you eat them, oats are packed with important nutrients and are low in calories. They provide a number of health benefits, making them an ideal food for every day.

30 Sep

The Benefits of Anti Ageing Foods

Though we all grow older, not everyone wants to deal with the side effects of aging: wrinkles, blotches, or sagging skin. What many people do not know is that if you eat the right foods, you will not have to deal with such issues. The antioxidants in anti ageing foods will help you look and feel your very best. This means you will not have to resort to plastic surgery or try dangerous methods of staying youthful. Super foods are full of natural nutrients that keep people’s energy levels high, overall health and nutrition on the up and up, and wrinkles at bay. The following are just some of the many anti ageing foods you can include in your diet to keep your skin looking its very best.

You don’t have to eat bland food to stay youthful. For example, avocado is one of the best anti ageing foods you can consume. The vitamin E in this food is something that sparks cell growth or rejuvenation and nourishes the skin. A solid dose of avocado in your life will make your skin smooth and soft. It is also helps to keep bad cholesterols out of the body and is a solid way to gain rich potassium, which in turn will prevent fluid retention.

Many studies have reported that including a clove of garlic into one’s diet can help the individual fight heart disease and will keep the skin looking radiant. Similarly, ginger root is a great item to include in one’s diet because it helps keep the circulatory system up and running.

Fruits are notorious for containing rich antioxidants that will keep the body’s metabolism pumping and your skin hydrated. Berries like black berries and grapes are particularly great to include in your diet. Watermelon is a solid addition because it has rich nutrients like vitamins A, B, E, and C plus zinc and much, much more.

If you want to look as young as you feel, then you should try to include nuts in your diet. These are a great snack or a great addition to one’s morning yogurt or afternoon salad. Everything from walnuts and pecans to peanuts and pistachios is rich in such items as iron, potassium, and magnesium, plus more. The nut family helps improve one’s digestive system, too, which in turn helps the body’s immune system and metabolism.

And of course, water is one of the easiest additions to one’s diet and one of the best ways to prevent wrinkles, improve one’s digestive system, and to stay healthy. Try to consume at least eight glasses of water a day and one will be able to flush the body of toxins, hydrate the skin, and give the body the water it needs to function. Similarly, all-natural juices such as tomato or apple juice are a great way to increase water intake plus receive the vitamins one may need.

Anti Ageing Foods Diet

Making diet changes is not as difficult as you might think. All you need to do is think about how to slip such super foods into each of your meals or to include them as snacks. Once you try including anti ageing foods in your diet, you will start to look and feel your very best. This is a long term investment that will give your skin a youthful glow. The only risk to such foods is to eat too much of one food. Try to broaden your diet so that it is balanced and rich. Too much of one thing is never good. Instead, be smart about your nutrition choices to give your skin and body everything it needs. The natural antioxidants not only help prevent wrinkles, they also help increase your overall health and life expectancy!

30 Sep

Super Green Foods

These days, it is difficult to go anywhere without being reminded of the necessity of eating healthy. As we continue to be bombarded by fast food where more emphasis is placed on making it as cheap as possible than trying to make it in any way healthy, and the trend in home cooking is toward prepared meals using preservatives and artificial flavors, it is becoming more important for individuals to take steps on their own to ensure that they get healthy foods into their diet. Fortunately, doctors have identified a number of super green foods that are extremely healthy and provide numerous nutritional benefits. Unlike other green foods such as vegetables, these items are grasses and grains that can be served as ingredients in a meal. Increasingly, men and women are finding the benefits of taking dietary supplements including these organic products to obtain the benefits to their health without having to work them into an everyday diet.

Wheatgrass

One example of these perfect food products is wheatgrass. When broken down nutritionally, wheatgrass consists of over twenty percent protein. This makes it an excellent supplement for people who need more protein in their diet, which includes a significant portion of the population. It has been used as an organic supplement for people suffering from low energy problems. Some people with gluten allergies who have restrictions on the wheat products they can eat think that they are not allowed to take wheatgrass supplements. This is not true, however. Wheatgrass does not contain the gluten that wheat grains have, making it perfectly safe for gluten allergists.

Alfalfa

Alfalfa is another one of the super foods, a nutritional heavy hitter that is seeing increased popularity as a dietary supplement. It has been discovered as a natural cholesterol reducer and has been shown to reduce atherosclerotic plaque when added to the diets of monkeys, making it potentially helpful for people suffering from clogging arteries. One doctor listed the organs that are assisted by the inclusion of alfalfa in a diet as including the kidney, the liver, the prostate, the digestive organs and the reproductive organs.

Green tea

Another green superfood that is showing up in guidelines for improved dietary health is green tea. Green tea has been shown to have cancer-fighting effects. This is because green tea is full of a number of items that can not only attack cancer cells at the molecular level, but can offer protection to the DNA of healthy cells in the body, preventing them from getting cancerous. Green tea is also believed to have benefits in cardiovascular health as well, and is also listed as helping with a laundry list of concerns, including dental health, skin care, and osteoporosis.

These and other super green nutritional aids are gaining momentum in the dietary supplement industry as a natural alternative to chemical additives that may do more harm than good in the long run. Nutritional experts everywhere agree that adding natural ingredients into your food and dietary supplements is vital to improving your long-term resistance to disease and overall heath. By adding these and other super green foods to your dietary intake, you can ensure that you too reap the benefits of an increasingly green diet.

30 Sep

Benefits of Whole Food Vitamins

Whole food vitamins are one of the best supplement choices that an individual can make for their health because these vitamins are made from actual food and not from synthetically formulated chemicals manufactured in a lab. Recent studies have shown that supplements made from real food are more easily absorbed by the body and contributes greatly to the individuals overall nutrition. The continued depletion of our natural food supply has made natural vitamins not only an important addition to our lifestyles, but also a necessary addition to our modern lifestyles.

The Importance Of Whole Food Vitamins

Whole food vitamins are important because they contribute not only natural vitamins, but they also contribute a number of other substances that are important to our health. These substances are found naturally in food and can’t be obtained through a daily multivitamin or any other supplement for that matter. One of these these important substances are a little thing called probiotics. While vitamins are very important to the proper health of an individual, probiotics are also necessary because they provide the “friendly bacteria” that our body needs in order to properly digest and assimilate the nutrients from food.

Another benefit of whole food vitamins is that they provide a full spectrum of nutrients to the consumer. Recent scientific research has clearly shown that the human body is not designed to absorb isolated vitamins and minerals. The human body is designed to absorb nutrients in full spectrum. Let me give you an example:

If a person eats an orange they are not only getting vitamin C, but they are also getting a full spectrum of other nutrients that allow the vitamin C to be properly absorbed. A person taking vitamin C by itself does not get the supporting nutrients that allow them to properly absorb this nutrient. The whole food vitamin does give the consumer the supporting spectrum of vitamins that are needed to properly absorb it.

Why Take Whole Food Vitamins, Why Not Just Eat Normal Food?

Tomatoes are a source of lycopene

Now I know that many of you may be asking why you shouldn’t just eat the right food and not bother with the whole food supplements (by the way – check out the definition of whole foods – what foods are considered as whole foods). While it is certainly preferable to get your nutritional needs met in this way, it is often not very practical. Once again, let me give you an example:

To get your daily dose of lycopene you would have to consume ten tomatoes each and every day. Even if you could do that, it wouldn’t be very practical would it? But what if those tomatoes were dried ground up and placed in pill form? It would certainly be easier and that is the premise behind whole food vitamins. They allow you to meet your nutritional needs without excessive calories or having to eat an enormous amount of food.

The Price – How Expensive Are They?

When people hear the words “whole food vitamins” or “organic vitamins” one of their initial concerns is that the product will be prohibitively expensive. Whole food vitamins are generally slightly more expensive than synthetic vitamins due to the manufacturing process takes longer to extract the essential nutrients from the food. But it is not prohibitively expensive and the consumer can rest assured that they are receiving a product that has higher purity standards and nutritional value than regular, over the counter vitamins.

In our hectic, fast paced society it is becoming quite clear that more and more people are turning to whole food vitamins to ensure that their nutritional needs are met and their health is protected against the various diseases that are caused by vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

30 Sep

Superfoods For Super Health – Which Foods Are Superfoods?

Many people wonder which foods are the most nutritious and which foods to consume on a regular basis to improve health. The answer is simple: Superfoods.

As the saying goes, you really are what you eat.

Superfoods

A superfood is any food that is living, rich in vitamins, minerals, high in fiber, low in calories and produces an alkaline pH in the body, as disease cannot survive when the body is in an alkaline state.

So which foods are superfoods?

Here is a simple guideline to follow:

Living, whole foods are the most nutritional and most easily digested foods because of the enzymes they possess. Basically all fresh fruits and vegetables when eaten raw are living foods, with living enzymes and have high nutritional value, especially if they are grown in organic soil. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain lots of fiber, are low in calories, have many vitamins and minerals, are high in anti-oxidants, and almost all produce an alkaline pH in the body, thus helping to combat disease.

A good guideline to follow with fruits and vegetables is to try to consume as many different colors as possible.

For example:

Red fruits and vegetable superfoods are pink grapefruit, tomatoes, red bell peppers, and watermelon. The red varieties contain lycopene, a substance that has been praised for its many cancer fighting properties, especially prostate cancer in men.

The purple variety contains concord grapes, blueberries, red cabbage, and prunes. All of these contain high amounts of antioxidants and help reduce heart disease.

In the green shade, spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, bok choy and kale are good choices, as they contain lutein, folate and sulforaphane which has been shown to reduce heart disease and macular degeneration by aiding the body in detoxification.

In orange shades, carrots, mango, pumpkin, and oranges work well. The orange superfoods contain beta-carotene which fortifies the lungs, esophagus, stomach, eyesight, and helps boost the immune system.

Whites contain cauliflower, mushrooms, bananas, onions and garlic. These foods contain high amounts of allicin and anthoxanthins which aid in keeping blood pressure low and help balance the “good” bacteria in the digestive tract. Proper digestion is a key to good health as many maladies in the body originate in the intestines.

The benefits of eating living, whole, superfoods are immense. So get over to the produce section and make as many meals as colorful as you can.

30 Sep

What Are Whole Foods?

Consumers trying to select healthier food items often confront some ambiguous terms as they pursue a better lifestyle and diet: whole, vegetarian, raw, and organic. While all these terms represent healthier choices, there are crucial differences between them and different reasons for pursuing each food type.

The Buzz about Whole Foods – What Are They?

In general, whole foods usually refers to food that:

1) includes most edible parts of the food,

2) is minimally processed, and

3) contains no artificial chemicals or preservatives.

These foods are as close to their “whole” or natural state as possible.

Consuming more whole foods can have a wide range of benefits, including providing more vitamins and minerals, slowing down the aging processes, improving insulin levels, and increasing a person’s sense of well being.

A good example of a whole food is whole wheat. Whole wheat includes the bran, endosperm and germ. This is in contrast to a product like Wonder® Bread, which only contains the endosperm from the wheat, and adds such frightening ingredients as high fructose corn syrup, diglycerides, and diammonium phosphate. Unfortunately, the FDA has not officially defined what constitutes a “whole food”. To reduce confusion, it may be helpful to compare the term to other related health terms.

Whole Foods vs. Vegetarian Foods

Vegetarian foods are simply foods produced without any animal parts, except for certain dairy products. Frequently, consumers follow a vegetarian diet for ethical and spiritual reasons, as well as health reasons. Like a vegetarian diet, a whole foods diet usually has an emphasis on whole grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables. However, a whole foods diet may also include minimally processed meats. Furthermore, a vegetarian diet may contain certain processed foods, like refined sugars.

Whole Foods vs. Raw Foods

If a whole foods diet contains minimally processed foods, a raw foods diet takes it to the next level and eliminates cooking all foods. The basic idea behind eating raw foods is that cooking simply destroys too many nutrients, especially vitamins and enzymes. More vitamins and enzymes make it easier for the body to properly digest foods. All raw foods are whole foods, but all whole foods are not necessarily raw. Furthermore, many times a raw food diet is also vegetarian, but not necessarily.

Whole Foods vs. Organic Foods

“Organic foods” is the only term that is legally regulated. Organic foods must be certified organic and grown without conventional pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, radiation, sewage sludge, or bioengineering. Beyond that classification, there are no further health considerations. A farmer can produce organic refined sugar, which can then be processed into high-priced organic candy. Organic foods are not necessarily whole foods, and whole foods are not necessarily organic.

30 Sep

Anti-Aging Through Nutrition and Fitness

As we get older, our energy begins to decrease and our vulnerability to illness increases. Our skin loses its elasticity, our heads lose hair, and our bodies gain fat, while we become more prone to arthritis, diabetes, memory loss, and cardiac problems. Aging is inevitable, but healthy food choices and exercise habits can help us extend our lives, and make us feel and look much younger.

This page is an entrance to the world of healthy foods that can and will help you stay younger, live healthier and longer life. It is the main anti ageing recipe that you should follow. Even though this website is dedicated to foods it is a whole lifestyle that brings the best results. So at the end there are also some pointer for what else can you do to slow down the ageing process.

After you read this page browse through other articles on this website that will give you more detailed insight into minerals, super green foods, superfoods, whole food vitamins, resveratrol, and other benefits of anti-ageing foods.

But first lets start with foods that you should include in your diet – vegetables and fruits…

VEGETABLES

If you are looking for the fountain of youth, look no further than your vegetable garden. Spinach, corn, kale, broccoli, beets, onions, eggplant and red bell peppers score highest on the antioxidant scale. Antioxidants protect our bodies against oxidation, or cellular damage caused by free radicals. Antioxidants have shown to be effective in the prevention of retinal diseases such as macular degeneration. Genistein, a substance found soybeans, fava beans and alfalfa sprouts, has been shown to inhibit the production of certain enzymes that activate the cancer genes. Cooking vegetables destroys much of their vitamins, antioxidant power, and nutritional value. Most vegetables are more nutritious raw than cooked. (Tomatoes being the exception, cooking them makes it easier for our bodies to absorb their nutrients.) Shop organic whenever possible, and eat vegetables within a week of purchase.

FRUITS

Getting the right enzymes and nutrients is vital for repairing the skin and stimulating cell turnover. As we grow older our bodies become depleted of their natural enzymes. Our cells gradually stop dividing and lose the ability to renew themselves, affecting every organ in our bodies, most noticeably, the skin. Fruits are loaded with vitamins, enzymes and antioxidants, which can help save our cells from aging prematurely.

Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, grapes and plums pack the most antioxidant punch for fruits. In addition, apples, pomegranates, strawberries, raspberries and grapes contain ellagic acid, a natural insect repellent, that has demonstrated the ability to hinder the development of tumors within the body. This is accomplished by its ability to reduce the enzymes in the body that are utilized by mutated cancer cells. Studies of the apple also indicated that the fruit stimulates the production of collagen, a necessary component in the skin for maintaining the smoothness and elasticity that is characteristic of a youthful appearance.

SUPPLEMENTS

For many of us, it can be difficult to maintain a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in our daily diets. Supplements, like vitamins C, D, A and E, or a good multivitamin can help fill in the nutrition gaps.

Vitamin C

One of the most commonly used supplements is vitamin C, found in oranges, kiwi, broccoli, tomatoes, papaya, and yellow and orange peppers. Vitamin C is an antioxidant essential for wound repair and tissue maintenance. Deficiency of Vitamin C leads to scurvy, depression, the formation of brown spots on the skin, and softened gums that can cause the teeth to fall out. Smokers who have diets low in vitamin C are at a higher risk of lung-borne illnesses than those who have higher levels of vitamin C in the blood. The recommended daily allowance for Vitamin C in adults is 75 – 90mg.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is found in food sources such as fatty fish, eggs, and milk, and is also absorbed from exposure to sunlight thru the skin. New research on vitamin D appears to show an ability to prevent a myriad of cancers and other illnesses in people receiving significantly higher dosages than the common recommended daily allowance of 400IU. This new information has lead many researchers to believe that the majority of the population is deficient in Vitamin D, and they are not aware of it. Deficiency of Vitamin D can result in weak or misshapen bones, rickets, osteoporosis and osteomalacia. The best natural source of Vitamin D is the sun, but since the sun’s harmful UV rays can cause skin cancer and premature aging, supplementation is on the rise.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is essential to the function of the reproductive systems, brain development, immune function, skin health, antioxidant activity, bone metabolism, and vision. Broccoli, carrots, kale, pumpkin, collard greens, and sweet potatoes are the richest food sources for vitamin A. High doses of vitamin A (isotretinoin) have been successful in treating severe nodular acne that is resistant to other treatments, because of it’s ability to reduce the secretion of sebum and the size of the sebaceous glands. Deficiency of Vitamin A causes blindness, impaired immunity, hypokeratosis (white lumps at hair follicles), and keratosis pilaris, while excess vitamin A has been shown to cause birth defects, headaches, hair loss, severe dryness of the skin, jaundice, blurry vision, and mood changes. The recommended daily allowance of vitamin A for adults is 4000IU.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that is believed to significantly decrease oxidative stress and blood pressure, contribute to cardiovascular and prostate health, and boost immune response. Spinach, almonds, sunflower seeds and seed oils, collard greens, beets, tomatoes, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and avocados are rich in Vitamin E. Vitamin E is commonly added to creams and lotions, as well as taken orally, to treat dry and aging skin. The recommended daily allowance of Vitamin E for adults is 400IU.

EXERCISE

Fitness is of utmost importance as we age. This doesn’t necessarily mean working out at the gym every day, but taking walks, cycling, dancing, and gardening are fun activities that help us stay healthy and mobile. A persistent sedentary lifestyle can lead to obesity, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, depression, high blood pressure, kidney stones, diabetes, and colon cancer. Maintaining muscular strength will improve posture, increase balance, and prevent the development of osteo- or rheumatoid arthritis and many other diseases linked to a lack of physical exercise.

FOODS AND SUBSTANCES TO AVOID

Fast foods and sodas are filled with empty calories that pack on weight, while providing little nutritional value to our diets. New research has also shown that a high-sugar diet deactivates our body’s natural antioxidant enzymes, leaving you more vulnerable to sun damage, and causing dull skin and wrinkles. Instead of drinking sugary sodas, try a nice antioxidant-packed green tea, sweetened with honey. Honey is a great natural sweetener that is high in vitamin C, niacin, riboflavin, and potassium and packed with amino acids.

Smoking has well known health risks, but did you know it causes accelerated aging second only to sun exposure? Smoking inhibits absorption of vitamin C and breaks down the supply of collagen to the skin’s structure. Smoking is also linked to early onset of menopause in women. Alcohol dehydrates the skin and inhibits the body’s ability to absorb calcium. Excessive consumption of alcohol can lead to liver problems, bone loss, weight gain and osteoporosis.

Junk food, alcohol, and other vices, like most things, should be enjoyed in moderation. Remember, it is far more difficult to reverse the signs of aging than it is to prevent it. Developing healthy food and exercise habits at a young age will help us look and feel younger, healthier, and happier well into our senior years.