Take a look at this unusual diet program using junk foods for diet. Read on:
A professor of human nutrition is trying a controversial new method of losing weight — the junk food diet — but some experts think it could take years off your life.
Mark Haub, who teaches at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan., told FoxNews.com he has lost 27 pounds in two months eating approximately 1,800 calories a day – and those calories came from foods like snack cakes, candy bars and even potato chips – basically anything he could get from a vending machine.
Haub said before the diet, he was eating up to 3,000 calories a day and weighed 201 pounds.
“I did it as a class exercise – to allow the students to discuss the extreme outcomes of weight loss, and the public has been discussing those same issues: Are the outcomes more important than how we get there? That’s up for debate,” he said. “Some people, like health care professionals, are saying my weight loss is unhealthy.”
We talked to Tanya Zuckerbrot, a New York City-based dietitian and author of “The F-Factor Diet,” to get her take on this non-traditional diet.
“This diet is based on refined, processed foods that lack essential vitamins and nutrients, as well as antioxidants and fiber,” she said. “Antioxidants fight cancer, and fiber lowers cholesterol and controls sugar levels, reducing the risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Good health is not just about getting skinny; it also is about increasing chances for longevity. This junk food diet may help you shed a few pounds, but ultimately can reduce your chances for longevity.”
Haub said the weight loss wasn’t his initial concern – he wanted to focus on issues like cardiovascular markers, but he is pleased with the results.
Haub drinks coffee or milk with his food – he’s only had soda twice during the experiment - and also takes a multi-vitamin every day. He said he does not exercise much – “maybe 10 minutes a day, because I didn’t want it to be a factor.”
Zuckerbrot said it doesn’t matter if you’re eating Twinkies or Brussels sprouts – it’s all about your caloric intake.
“The laws of thermodynamics dictate that if you consume fewer calories than your body burns, you will create a caloric deficit resulting in weight loss,” she added.
Haub said he does not recommend the diet to other people, and he will stop ‘dieting’ the day before Thanksgiving.
more from here: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/11/09/professor-loses-pounds-junk-food-diet/
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Parents must be role models to fight child obesity
Parents, please take note of this article. As we know, we as parents can make or break our child's bad habits specially on diet. Read on this article by Nanci Hellmich:
Obesity is proving to be a heavy burden for the nation's kids and teens.
Experts have known for years that hauling around extra pounds takes a huge toll on children's health. It puts them at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and other health problems.
A study in 2005 found that children today may lead shorter lives by two to five years than their parents because of obesity.
About a third of children and adolescents in the United States weigh too much. With so many overweight children, some experts worry that the majority of this generation will be overweight or obese as adults.
Now, a study in today's Journal of the American Medical Association finds that heavy teens often gain a lot more weight in their 20s. Half of obese adolescent girls and a third of obese teen boys become morbidly obese (80 to 100 pounds overweight) by their early 30s, the research shows.
"This new study should be a call to action to parents to look in their pantry and clean out all the junk food," says Keith Ayoob, a registered dietitian who works with overweight children and their families at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.
Families need to eat better, he says. "If kids aren't eating fruits and vegetables daily, they aren't eating a healthy diet. Period."
He says he never sees children who have better eating habits than their parents.
Parents may think they can get away with making unhealthy choices, but the kids are watching, says Bethany Thayer of the American Dietetic Association. "If parents are being good role models, that can have a huge impact on what a child does."
Getting healthier should be a family affair, says Elizabeth Ward, a registered dietitian in Reading, Mass. Parents shouldn't single out overweight children and tell them they are too heavy and need to change their ways, but the entire family should work at eating better and being more physically active, she says.
Ward, the mother of three girls and author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Feeding Your Baby and Toddler, recommends that parents:
•Eat meals as a family as often as possible. Families that eat together tend to have healthier diets than those who don't, Ward says. And meals made at home tend to be higher in fiber, fruits, vegetables and lower-fat dairy products than restaurant meals, she says.
•Encourage children to find healthful recipes. Have them search magazines, cookbooks and online for recipes, she says. You want them to get involved so the changes stick, she says. "You won't get far with an overweight child or teenager if you don't engage them in the process."
•Don't keep soda in the house. Drinking soda decreases the consumption of low-fat and non-fat milk, which contain important nutrients children don't get enough of, including calcium, vitamin D and potassium, Ward says.
•Don't keep a smorgasbord of snacks at home. Just keep one or two so nobody feels deprived, she says. "I buy 100-calorie fudge bars. No child needs more than about 100 calories for a treat. Treats are extras, not foods to grow on."
"If you have a variety of chips, three kinds of ice cream and three types of cookies at home, it's going to be harder to resist your child's request for those foods. There are going to be way too many opportunities to overeat."
•Become more physically active as a family. Go walking, biking, hiking or skating, Ward says. Some overweight kids are self-conscious about being physically active on their own, but they may be more comfortable with their parents. "It shows the child you care about his fitness, but you also care about your fitness and you value physical activity."
more from here: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/11/09/professor-loses-pounds-junk-food-diet/
Obesity is proving to be a heavy burden for the nation's kids and teens.
Experts have known for years that hauling around extra pounds takes a huge toll on children's health. It puts them at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and other health problems.
A study in 2005 found that children today may lead shorter lives by two to five years than their parents because of obesity.
About a third of children and adolescents in the United States weigh too much. With so many overweight children, some experts worry that the majority of this generation will be overweight or obese as adults.
Now, a study in today's Journal of the American Medical Association finds that heavy teens often gain a lot more weight in their 20s. Half of obese adolescent girls and a third of obese teen boys become morbidly obese (80 to 100 pounds overweight) by their early 30s, the research shows.
"This new study should be a call to action to parents to look in their pantry and clean out all the junk food," says Keith Ayoob, a registered dietitian who works with overweight children and their families at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.
Families need to eat better, he says. "If kids aren't eating fruits and vegetables daily, they aren't eating a healthy diet. Period."
He says he never sees children who have better eating habits than their parents.
Parents may think they can get away with making unhealthy choices, but the kids are watching, says Bethany Thayer of the American Dietetic Association. "If parents are being good role models, that can have a huge impact on what a child does."
Getting healthier should be a family affair, says Elizabeth Ward, a registered dietitian in Reading, Mass. Parents shouldn't single out overweight children and tell them they are too heavy and need to change their ways, but the entire family should work at eating better and being more physically active, she says.
Ward, the mother of three girls and author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Feeding Your Baby and Toddler, recommends that parents:
•Eat meals as a family as often as possible. Families that eat together tend to have healthier diets than those who don't, Ward says. And meals made at home tend to be higher in fiber, fruits, vegetables and lower-fat dairy products than restaurant meals, she says.
•Encourage children to find healthful recipes. Have them search magazines, cookbooks and online for recipes, she says. You want them to get involved so the changes stick, she says. "You won't get far with an overweight child or teenager if you don't engage them in the process."
•Don't keep soda in the house. Drinking soda decreases the consumption of low-fat and non-fat milk, which contain important nutrients children don't get enough of, including calcium, vitamin D and potassium, Ward says.
•Don't keep a smorgasbord of snacks at home. Just keep one or two so nobody feels deprived, she says. "I buy 100-calorie fudge bars. No child needs more than about 100 calories for a treat. Treats are extras, not foods to grow on."
"If you have a variety of chips, three kinds of ice cream and three types of cookies at home, it's going to be harder to resist your child's request for those foods. There are going to be way too many opportunities to overeat."
•Become more physically active as a family. Go walking, biking, hiking or skating, Ward says. Some overweight kids are self-conscious about being physically active on their own, but they may be more comfortable with their parents. "It shows the child you care about his fitness, but you also care about your fitness and you value physical activity."
more from here: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/11/09/professor-loses-pounds-junk-food-diet/
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Can plant sterols help drop our cholesterol numbers?
Another article about plant sterols to help us control our cholesterol. Read on:
There is a new product in our grocery aisles that can help us fight against our elevated cholesterol values. We need all the help we can get since it's estimated that almost 50 per cent of Canadian adults have elevated LDL-cholesterol and heart disease is our number one killer.
LDL cholesterol is the damaging form of cholesterol that can quickly and silently lead to blockages and stiffening of our arteries.
When you look further, it is estimated that 90 per cent of Canadian adults have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease whether it is elevated cholesterol, blood pressure, abdominal waist circumference, smoking, alcohol to stressful lifestyle and physical inactivity. All you need is some bad luck and one risk factor to land in the cardiac care unit.
Plant sterols work by be impeding the absorption of cholesterol through our bowel. If the cholesterol cannot be absorbed, then it simply gets flushed through the bowel. Our body naturally uses cholesterol to produce hormones, bile acids and cell membranes, so if there is less absorbed then there is physically less to spill over into our arteries.
Plant sterols are naturally found in fruits, vegetables, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds but we can't seem to get enough naturally to make a significant impact. The typical diet only offers our body approximately 0.2 mg while researchers encourage 10 times that level. There is a significant body of evidence that suggest two to three grams of plant sterols may drop our LDL-cholesterol by six to 15 per cent within three weeks.
Although we would much prefer to get these plant sterols naturally through our diet, we simply can't reach the two-gram mark. To reach that level, you would have to be devouring over 400 tomatoes a day or almost 70 slices of whole grain bread. Food fortification is the only realistic avenue.
The good news is that it appears to have no impact on our HDL-cholesterol (the good one) and doesn't conflict with cholesterol-lowering medication. Sadly it doesn't appear to have any impact on lowering triglyceride levels which are another risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Plant sterols also appear to work better in individuals with significantly elevated LDL-cholesterol values than those with only a moderate elevation.
Timing is also relevant. Since it acts as a blocker in the bowel, it is more effective to spread the two to three grams of plant sterols throughout the day rather than consume them all at once.
While you won't find the quantity of plant sterols listed on the nutrition facts panel, Health Canada has allowed products that have been fortified to carry a statement "one serving provides 'x' per cent of the daily amount of plant sterols, shown to help reduce cholesterol in adults."
Plant sterols fortification has been used in various countries throughout the world but Health Canada was slower to introduce them into the marketplace until there were significant clinical trials to prove that it is a safe product for the entire family and it not going to be problematic for children.
Currently regular and light margarines are available on the marketplace, but in order to meet the two grams of plant sterols, one would need two to four tablespoons of margarine daily. Five teaspoons (25 ml) of Becel pro.activ margarine offers two grams of sterols, while you can expect to see many new products following suit.
Every little bit helps in the fight to keep our arteries and veins clear and flexible.
more from here: http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/balance/article/1293856
There is a new product in our grocery aisles that can help us fight against our elevated cholesterol values. We need all the help we can get since it's estimated that almost 50 per cent of Canadian adults have elevated LDL-cholesterol and heart disease is our number one killer.
LDL cholesterol is the damaging form of cholesterol that can quickly and silently lead to blockages and stiffening of our arteries.
When you look further, it is estimated that 90 per cent of Canadian adults have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease whether it is elevated cholesterol, blood pressure, abdominal waist circumference, smoking, alcohol to stressful lifestyle and physical inactivity. All you need is some bad luck and one risk factor to land in the cardiac care unit.
Plant sterols work by be impeding the absorption of cholesterol through our bowel. If the cholesterol cannot be absorbed, then it simply gets flushed through the bowel. Our body naturally uses cholesterol to produce hormones, bile acids and cell membranes, so if there is less absorbed then there is physically less to spill over into our arteries.
Plant sterols are naturally found in fruits, vegetables, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds but we can't seem to get enough naturally to make a significant impact. The typical diet only offers our body approximately 0.2 mg while researchers encourage 10 times that level. There is a significant body of evidence that suggest two to three grams of plant sterols may drop our LDL-cholesterol by six to 15 per cent within three weeks.
Although we would much prefer to get these plant sterols naturally through our diet, we simply can't reach the two-gram mark. To reach that level, you would have to be devouring over 400 tomatoes a day or almost 70 slices of whole grain bread. Food fortification is the only realistic avenue.
The good news is that it appears to have no impact on our HDL-cholesterol (the good one) and doesn't conflict with cholesterol-lowering medication. Sadly it doesn't appear to have any impact on lowering triglyceride levels which are another risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Plant sterols also appear to work better in individuals with significantly elevated LDL-cholesterol values than those with only a moderate elevation.
Timing is also relevant. Since it acts as a blocker in the bowel, it is more effective to spread the two to three grams of plant sterols throughout the day rather than consume them all at once.
While you won't find the quantity of plant sterols listed on the nutrition facts panel, Health Canada has allowed products that have been fortified to carry a statement "one serving provides 'x' per cent of the daily amount of plant sterols, shown to help reduce cholesterol in adults."
Plant sterols fortification has been used in various countries throughout the world but Health Canada was slower to introduce them into the marketplace until there were significant clinical trials to prove that it is a safe product for the entire family and it not going to be problematic for children.
Currently regular and light margarines are available on the marketplace, but in order to meet the two grams of plant sterols, one would need two to four tablespoons of margarine daily. Five teaspoons (25 ml) of Becel pro.activ margarine offers two grams of sterols, while you can expect to see many new products following suit.
Every little bit helps in the fight to keep our arteries and veins clear and flexible.
more from here: http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/balance/article/1293856
Monday, November 15, 2010
Farmers left with egg on faces after fatty food fight
Read on this news article about egg's cholesterol versus KFC's double down sandwich:
WATCHING the egg versus KFC Double Down Sandwich debate unfold last week was like watching a football game in which the guy with the ball has forgot ten which way to run, and gets tackled by his own team.
In the end, Canada's egg farmers wound up off side.
And three doctors who wanted us to pay more attention to dietary cholesterol wound up vindicating those of us inclined to consume fast-food abomina tions such as the Double Down -- strips of bacon sandwiched between two breaded chicken breasts loaded with cheese and special sauce. Yum.
We can now argue with authority, after all, that such a sandwich is lower in cholesterol than an egg yolk. Never mind that it has 540 calories, 30 grams of fat and 1,740 of sodium (more than the total recommended daily intake) in a few greasy bites.
It started with three University of Western On tario cardiologists out to reverse a growing public perception that dietary cholesterol is benign, a per ception they say is fuelled by a "sustained propaganda campaign from the egg producers' lobby."
While eating eggs isn't so bad if you are not at risk of heart disease, the problem is, there are woe fully few of us in that category these days. "The consequences of high cholesterol intake in those at increased risk of cardiovascular disease who are sedentary and not losing weight -- especially when already consuming relatively high levels of satur ated fat -- give reason for concern," the study said.
In short, the majority of the population would find limiting consumption of cholesterol-rich foods beneficial.
The original study, published in the November Canadian Journal of Cardiol ogy, doesn't even mention the Double Down. It com pared egg yolks to a Har dee's Monster Thickburger, although it reached the same conclusion. It was the university's communica tors that pulled in the KFC Double Down, probably because it had more headline-grabbing cachet.
One egg yolk contains about 195 mg choles terol, five grams of fat and 70 calories. Daily rec ommended cholesterol intake is around 200 mg.
The Hardee Monster contains 210 mg of choles terol while the Double Down contains 150 mg.
Out came the headlines: "Eggs far from sunny up, doctors warn," or "Eggs versus the Double Down: Guess who wins?"
Then the spit hit the pan. Egg producers rose to defend the egg's nutritional reputation -- and their livelihoods -- by tackling the medical pro fessionals.
"With obesity increasing in North America at an alarming rate, medical professionals should be encouraging the consumption of nutrient dense, low-calorie foods, such as eggs, rather than suggesting that high-fat, fast food is better for health," Bonnie Cohen, a registered dietitian with Egg Farmers of Canada, sputtered in a release.
"Comments made by these same researchers that a popular high-fat, high-calorie sandwich is more nutritious than eggs are quite simply ir responsible."
For the record, the journal article didn't say the Double Down was more nutritious. What the researchers said was, egg yolks contain more cholesterol.
And they didn't promote the fast-food concoc tions as healthy.
There is debate in the research community around the relevance of dietary cholesterol. But even if these doctors are dead wrong, egg produ cers still wouldn't have won this fight.
It comes down to the relative scale of cred ibility. Egg farmers have a vested interest in convincing people to eat eggs.
If heart doctors were only looking after their own interests, they'd be telling people to eat all the eggs and Double Downs they could stom ach -- because it might bring more customers through their door.
Had egg producers paused to think this one through a little, they might have realized that they could sit this one out on the sidelines. A scan of the online comments that rolled in after the original story published shows the general public and independent dietitians were quick to pounce on the idiocy of such comparisons.
Egg producers might also have realized that they could have positioned themselves on the same side as the highly credible doctors. They could have seized the opportunity to promote their own Healthy Choices Cholesterol Kit, which is available online and stresses many of the same points the doctors made.
One of Nature's own "fast-foods," eggs -- when consumed in moderation -- are a nifty, low-cal, low-fat nutritional package that complements a healthy lifestyle.
You simply can't make that argument about a Double Down.
That the doctors are questioning egg market ing campaigns should be cause for sober second thought, not sabre rattling.
Instead, Canada's egg farmers went charging into a box-end canyon from which there was no escape.
When this is written up in the food war chron icles, the chapter could aptly be called: Custard's Last Stand.
more from here: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/Farmers-left-with-egg-on-faces-after-fatty-food-fight--106819313.html
WATCHING the egg versus KFC Double Down Sandwich debate unfold last week was like watching a football game in which the guy with the ball has forgot ten which way to run, and gets tackled by his own team.
In the end, Canada's egg farmers wound up off side.
And three doctors who wanted us to pay more attention to dietary cholesterol wound up vindicating those of us inclined to consume fast-food abomina tions such as the Double Down -- strips of bacon sandwiched between two breaded chicken breasts loaded with cheese and special sauce. Yum.
We can now argue with authority, after all, that such a sandwich is lower in cholesterol than an egg yolk. Never mind that it has 540 calories, 30 grams of fat and 1,740 of sodium (more than the total recommended daily intake) in a few greasy bites.
It started with three University of Western On tario cardiologists out to reverse a growing public perception that dietary cholesterol is benign, a per ception they say is fuelled by a "sustained propaganda campaign from the egg producers' lobby."
While eating eggs isn't so bad if you are not at risk of heart disease, the problem is, there are woe fully few of us in that category these days. "The consequences of high cholesterol intake in those at increased risk of cardiovascular disease who are sedentary and not losing weight -- especially when already consuming relatively high levels of satur ated fat -- give reason for concern," the study said.
In short, the majority of the population would find limiting consumption of cholesterol-rich foods beneficial.
The original study, published in the November Canadian Journal of Cardiol ogy, doesn't even mention the Double Down. It com pared egg yolks to a Har dee's Monster Thickburger, although it reached the same conclusion. It was the university's communica tors that pulled in the KFC Double Down, probably because it had more headline-grabbing cachet.
One egg yolk contains about 195 mg choles terol, five grams of fat and 70 calories. Daily rec ommended cholesterol intake is around 200 mg.
The Hardee Monster contains 210 mg of choles terol while the Double Down contains 150 mg.
Out came the headlines: "Eggs far from sunny up, doctors warn," or "Eggs versus the Double Down: Guess who wins?"
Then the spit hit the pan. Egg producers rose to defend the egg's nutritional reputation -- and their livelihoods -- by tackling the medical pro fessionals.
"With obesity increasing in North America at an alarming rate, medical professionals should be encouraging the consumption of nutrient dense, low-calorie foods, such as eggs, rather than suggesting that high-fat, fast food is better for health," Bonnie Cohen, a registered dietitian with Egg Farmers of Canada, sputtered in a release.
"Comments made by these same researchers that a popular high-fat, high-calorie sandwich is more nutritious than eggs are quite simply ir responsible."
For the record, the journal article didn't say the Double Down was more nutritious. What the researchers said was, egg yolks contain more cholesterol.
And they didn't promote the fast-food concoc tions as healthy.
There is debate in the research community around the relevance of dietary cholesterol. But even if these doctors are dead wrong, egg produ cers still wouldn't have won this fight.
It comes down to the relative scale of cred ibility. Egg farmers have a vested interest in convincing people to eat eggs.
If heart doctors were only looking after their own interests, they'd be telling people to eat all the eggs and Double Downs they could stom ach -- because it might bring more customers through their door.
Had egg producers paused to think this one through a little, they might have realized that they could sit this one out on the sidelines. A scan of the online comments that rolled in after the original story published shows the general public and independent dietitians were quick to pounce on the idiocy of such comparisons.
Egg producers might also have realized that they could have positioned themselves on the same side as the highly credible doctors. They could have seized the opportunity to promote their own Healthy Choices Cholesterol Kit, which is available online and stresses many of the same points the doctors made.
One of Nature's own "fast-foods," eggs -- when consumed in moderation -- are a nifty, low-cal, low-fat nutritional package that complements a healthy lifestyle.
You simply can't make that argument about a Double Down.
That the doctors are questioning egg market ing campaigns should be cause for sober second thought, not sabre rattling.
Instead, Canada's egg farmers went charging into a box-end canyon from which there was no escape.
When this is written up in the food war chron icles, the chapter could aptly be called: Custard's Last Stand.
more from here: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/Farmers-left-with-egg-on-faces-after-fatty-food-fight--106819313.html
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Surprising Supplements
Another great news article on what food supplements we can take that can lower our cholesterol. Read on:
NAPSI)-From better skin to better brain function, there could be more benefits to a daily vitamin than you might expect.
That’s the news from experts who say that fish oil, for instance, may fight free radicals linked to premature aging and possibly cut LDL, or “bad” cholesterol.
The Good Fat
Omega-3 fatty acids are brain-boosting, cholesterol-clearing monounsaturated good fats. They can help joints, skin, vision, brain and heart. Anti-inflammatory, they’re found naturally in walnuts, salmon, tuna, olive oil, avocados and in fish oil supplements.
Fighting Cold and Flu
Vitamin C may help reduce the length of a cold or flu. The vitamin is also necessary to form cartilage and collagen in bones, along with muscle and blood vessels.
Get Energized
B vitamins—and especially B12—have been called “energy vitamins.” They also support the immune and nervous systems and other important body functions.
The Sunshine Vitamin
Vitamin D helps bones, the brain and the immune system and might play a role in reducing the risk of diabetes, hypertension and cancer.
More from here: http://www.napsnet.com/articles/65122.html
NAPSI)-From better skin to better brain function, there could be more benefits to a daily vitamin than you might expect.
That’s the news from experts who say that fish oil, for instance, may fight free radicals linked to premature aging and possibly cut LDL, or “bad” cholesterol.
The Good Fat
Omega-3 fatty acids are brain-boosting, cholesterol-clearing monounsaturated good fats. They can help joints, skin, vision, brain and heart. Anti-inflammatory, they’re found naturally in walnuts, salmon, tuna, olive oil, avocados and in fish oil supplements.
Fighting Cold and Flu
Vitamin C may help reduce the length of a cold or flu. The vitamin is also necessary to form cartilage and collagen in bones, along with muscle and blood vessels.
Get Energized
B vitamins—and especially B12—have been called “energy vitamins.” They also support the immune and nervous systems and other important body functions.
The Sunshine Vitamin
Vitamin D helps bones, the brain and the immune system and might play a role in reducing the risk of diabetes, hypertension and cancer.
More from here: http://www.napsnet.com/articles/65122.html
Friday, November 5, 2010
Nature’s perfect snack food
An interesting news article about apples and how it can make our daily snacking diets much healthier. With all the fiber and phenols in this fruit, it's a sure way to lower our cholesterol. So instead of munching your favorite chips when you're at work, try apples. Read on for more details:
Apples come in more than a thousand varieties, each one full of nutrients
Nature’s perfect snack food. Amy Thom gets ready to taste a fresh Ontario apple. Produce bins are brimming with local varieties perfect for eating, baking and preserving. Jennifer Harker photo
MIDLAND – An apple a day might not actually keep the doctor away, but it can play a role in promoting good health.
Packed with Vitamin C, potassium, antioxidant flavonoids, phenols to fight high cholesterol, and a healthy dose of fibre, apples are a convenient on-the-go snack food that comes in its own natural, neat and tidy package.
A medium-sized apple has about 80 calories and, with its natural sugars, can curb candy cravings without the high calories and tooth decay of regular sweets.
What’s more, scientific findings reveal this family favourite can fight neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s with its phytonutrients.
Researchers at the University of Nottingham, meanwhile, recently showed that people who eat five or more apples per week have lower rates of respiratory problems, including asthma.
Consumers have a rainbow of choices when it comes to apples, and produce bins are brimming with a selection of Ontario varieties. Heather Smith from Gianetto’s Fruit Market in Midland said there are more than 1,000 types of apple grown around the world, but the most popular Ontario-grown apples are McIntosh, red and golden delicious, empire, idared, mutsu/crispin, cortland, northern spy, russet, honey crisp and gala.
“Many varieties are crosses between different apples,” Smith explained. “For example, crispin is a cross between golden delicious and the Japanese indo apple.”
Most Ontario apples are available beginning in October and lasting in dry storage until the spring. Taste varies between tart apples such as idared and sweet varieties such as honeycrisp; textures range from soft varieties like red delicious to firm apples like the northern spy.
“Different varieties are used for different purposes,” Smith said. “People will say, ‘What do I use for this?’ or ‘I want a sweet apple. I want a tart apple.’ McIntosh are good for eating and apple sauce, spy for pies and baking, and cortland for salad and fruit plates.
“Most customers are looking for a quick and healthy snack, but we also have many people that buy for baking pies, cobblers, apple sauce and many other types of desserts.”
Smith said they aim to stock local apples at their King Street store whenever possible.
“When available, we carry local McIntosh apples from Elmvale, but most of our varieties are from the Collingwood-Meaford area. At present, we have eight Ontario varieties and continue to carry them as long as they are available.”
More from here: http://www.simcoe.com/community/food/article/898073--nature-s-perfect-snack-food
Apples come in more than a thousand varieties, each one full of nutrients
Nature’s perfect snack food. Amy Thom gets ready to taste a fresh Ontario apple. Produce bins are brimming with local varieties perfect for eating, baking and preserving. Jennifer Harker photo
MIDLAND – An apple a day might not actually keep the doctor away, but it can play a role in promoting good health.
Packed with Vitamin C, potassium, antioxidant flavonoids, phenols to fight high cholesterol, and a healthy dose of fibre, apples are a convenient on-the-go snack food that comes in its own natural, neat and tidy package.
A medium-sized apple has about 80 calories and, with its natural sugars, can curb candy cravings without the high calories and tooth decay of regular sweets.
What’s more, scientific findings reveal this family favourite can fight neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s with its phytonutrients.
Researchers at the University of Nottingham, meanwhile, recently showed that people who eat five or more apples per week have lower rates of respiratory problems, including asthma.
Consumers have a rainbow of choices when it comes to apples, and produce bins are brimming with a selection of Ontario varieties. Heather Smith from Gianetto’s Fruit Market in Midland said there are more than 1,000 types of apple grown around the world, but the most popular Ontario-grown apples are McIntosh, red and golden delicious, empire, idared, mutsu/crispin, cortland, northern spy, russet, honey crisp and gala.
“Many varieties are crosses between different apples,” Smith explained. “For example, crispin is a cross between golden delicious and the Japanese indo apple.”
Most Ontario apples are available beginning in October and lasting in dry storage until the spring. Taste varies between tart apples such as idared and sweet varieties such as honeycrisp; textures range from soft varieties like red delicious to firm apples like the northern spy.
“Different varieties are used for different purposes,” Smith said. “People will say, ‘What do I use for this?’ or ‘I want a sweet apple. I want a tart apple.’ McIntosh are good for eating and apple sauce, spy for pies and baking, and cortland for salad and fruit plates.
“Most customers are looking for a quick and healthy snack, but we also have many people that buy for baking pies, cobblers, apple sauce and many other types of desserts.”
Smith said they aim to stock local apples at their King Street store whenever possible.
“When available, we carry local McIntosh apples from Elmvale, but most of our varieties are from the Collingwood-Meaford area. At present, we have eight Ontario varieties and continue to carry them as long as they are available.”
More from here: http://www.simcoe.com/community/food/article/898073--nature-s-perfect-snack-food
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Waterleaf, star apple, antidote to stroke
Take a look at this interesting study that may prevent stroke. Hope this gives us more options on our healthy diet plans. Read on:
IT’S well known that physical activity is good for heart’s health, as it reduces the risk of stroke. In addition, researchers have hinted that regular consumption of waterleaf may be an adjunct to other measures individuals could adopt to fight stroke.
Vegetables such as waterleaf serve as indispensable constituents of human diet which supplies the body with minerals, vitamins, certain hormone precursors as well as protein and energy. Several vegetable species abound in Nigeria and most West African countries, where they are eaten partly as condiments or spices in human diets.
In a new study that looked at the chemical substances in Talinum triangulare (water leaf), researchers found waterleaf was a rich source of chemical substances (flavonoids, alkanoids and tannins) helpful in the management of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and obesity.
The study entitled “Phytochemical Composition of Talinum triangulare (Waterleaf) ” was carried out by P.M. Aja, A.N.C. Okaka, P.N. Onu, U. Ibiam and A.J. Urako from Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
They said in the 2010 Pakistan Journal of Nutrition that “its high levels of flavonoids showed that the vegetable is good for the management of cardiovascular diseases and oxidative stress, since flavonoids are biologic antioxidants.”
Antioxidants are compounds that protect cells against the damaging effects of reactive oxygen species, such as singlet oxygen, super oxide, peroxyl radicals, hydroxyl radicals and peroxynitrile. An imbalance between antioxidants and reactive oxygen species results in oxidative stress, leading to damages in the cells of the body.
Oxidative stresses have been linked to cancer, ageing, atherosclerosis (hardening of blood vessels), inflammation, ischemic injury and neuro-degenerative diseases (Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s).
Epidemiological studies have shown that flavonoids and carotenoids intake is inversely related to cases of deaths arising from coronary heart diseases and to the incidence of heart attacks.
A preliminary screening of some plant extracts for molluscidal activity by Professor E. A Sofowora and Professor A. O Adewunmi also mentioned water leaf as medically useful in the management of cardiovascular diseases like stroke and obesity.
Meanwhile, experts have reiterated the importance of lowering blood cholesterol level in the prevention or reduction of cardiovascular diseases, the major ones being coronary heart diseases, stroke and hypertension.
Blighia sapida is a medicinal plant which experts have suggested, could help to significantly reduce the levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol. This is of clinical importance to individuals at risk of cardiovascular disease.
Blighia sapida is commonly known as Ackee in Nigeria, it is called Gwanja Kusa in Hausa, Isin in Yoruba and Okpu in Igbo. Extracts of Blighia sapida are commonly employed in folk medicine to treat a wide range of disease conditions, especially in developing countries. In folk medicine practice, its pulp and leafy parts are used as eye drop in ophthalmic and conjunctivitis.
In Brazil, repeated small doses of an aqueous extract of its seed have been administered to expel parasites. Pharmacological screenings have shown that it is also useful in the prevention of diarrhoea.
According to a study that set out to investigate the validity or otherwise of the use of the plant extract in atherosclerotic conditions in folk medicine, the researchers found that both its water and methanolic extracts caused a significant reduction in the level of total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol levels, while significantly higher values were observed for the HDL-cholesterol in all the treated groups when compared with the control.
The authors of the study attributed the reduction in the level of the bad cholesterol in the blood to the effect of saponin, a chemical substance, which reduced the uptake of cholesterol from the intestine into the blood stream.
According to them, “the observed increase in HDL-cholesterol concentration upon the administration of the extract indicates that the extract doses have HDL-cholesterol boosting effect; this effect is concentration-dependent for aqueous extract.
“This study shows that the plant extract could be useful in the improvement and management of complications associated with patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases.”
The researchers involved in this 2010 study entitled “Changes in Lipid Profile of Aqueous and Ethanolic Extract of Blighia sapida in Rats” and published by Asian Journal of Medical Sciences were O.A. Owolabi, D.B. James, A.B. Ibrahim, O.F. Folorunsho, I. Bwalla and F. Akanta from Ahmadu Bello University, Samaru, Zaria.
In addition, another plant, which experts are suggesting to be helpful in keeping stroke and other cardiovascular problems at bay is Phyllanthus amarus. The medicinal plant, whose whole plant is usually soaked in hot water or cooked in locally brewed alcohol and drank as tea, has attained the status of a miracle plant because of its ability to cure several ailments as claimed by its proponents. For example, it is used for the treatment of malaria, jaundice and diabetes.
In clinical research over the years, experts said in the journal, “Phototherapy Research,” that the plant has demonstrated its usefulness as a liver protector, pain reliever, in the control of high blood pressure and as a good contraceptive.
Another candidate for preventing stroke is Chrysophyllum Albidum, which is often called the white star apple. In South-western Nigeria, the fruit is called “agbalumo” and popularly referred to as “udara” in South-eastern Nigeria.
C. albidum is a popular tropical fruit tree whose roots, barks and leaves have been employed in folk medicine for the treatment of several diseases. The bark is used for the treatment of yellow fever and malaria, while the leaf is used for the treatment of skin eruption, stomachache and diarrhea.
A study that provided information on the effects of the ethanolic leaf extract on biochemical and haematological parameters in albino Wistar rats and carried out by A. H. Adebayo, A. O. Abolaji, T. K. Opata and I. K. Adegbenro from College of Science and Technology, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, authenticates that the leaf extract of C. albidum can help to thin the blood (antiplatelet effect) as well as regulate the sugar level in blood sugar.
Platelet activity may play a major role in the development as well as in the stability of atherosclerotic plaques and as a consequence, antiplatelet agents have been used clinically in patients at risk for myocardial ischemia, unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction.
No doubt, findings and appropriation of plants that are clinical and nutritional relevant to prevention of stroke are worth the trial.
More from here: http://www.tribune.com.ng/index.php/natural-health/13071-waterleaf-star-apple-antidote-to-stroke
IT’S well known that physical activity is good for heart’s health, as it reduces the risk of stroke. In addition, researchers have hinted that regular consumption of waterleaf may be an adjunct to other measures individuals could adopt to fight stroke.
Vegetables such as waterleaf serve as indispensable constituents of human diet which supplies the body with minerals, vitamins, certain hormone precursors as well as protein and energy. Several vegetable species abound in Nigeria and most West African countries, where they are eaten partly as condiments or spices in human diets.
In a new study that looked at the chemical substances in Talinum triangulare (water leaf), researchers found waterleaf was a rich source of chemical substances (flavonoids, alkanoids and tannins) helpful in the management of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and obesity.
The study entitled “Phytochemical Composition of Talinum triangulare (Waterleaf) ” was carried out by P.M. Aja, A.N.C. Okaka, P.N. Onu, U. Ibiam and A.J. Urako from Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
They said in the 2010 Pakistan Journal of Nutrition that “its high levels of flavonoids showed that the vegetable is good for the management of cardiovascular diseases and oxidative stress, since flavonoids are biologic antioxidants.”
Antioxidants are compounds that protect cells against the damaging effects of reactive oxygen species, such as singlet oxygen, super oxide, peroxyl radicals, hydroxyl radicals and peroxynitrile. An imbalance between antioxidants and reactive oxygen species results in oxidative stress, leading to damages in the cells of the body.
Oxidative stresses have been linked to cancer, ageing, atherosclerosis (hardening of blood vessels), inflammation, ischemic injury and neuro-degenerative diseases (Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s).
Epidemiological studies have shown that flavonoids and carotenoids intake is inversely related to cases of deaths arising from coronary heart diseases and to the incidence of heart attacks.
A preliminary screening of some plant extracts for molluscidal activity by Professor E. A Sofowora and Professor A. O Adewunmi also mentioned water leaf as medically useful in the management of cardiovascular diseases like stroke and obesity.
Meanwhile, experts have reiterated the importance of lowering blood cholesterol level in the prevention or reduction of cardiovascular diseases, the major ones being coronary heart diseases, stroke and hypertension.
Blighia sapida is a medicinal plant which experts have suggested, could help to significantly reduce the levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol. This is of clinical importance to individuals at risk of cardiovascular disease.
Blighia sapida is commonly known as Ackee in Nigeria, it is called Gwanja Kusa in Hausa, Isin in Yoruba and Okpu in Igbo. Extracts of Blighia sapida are commonly employed in folk medicine to treat a wide range of disease conditions, especially in developing countries. In folk medicine practice, its pulp and leafy parts are used as eye drop in ophthalmic and conjunctivitis.
In Brazil, repeated small doses of an aqueous extract of its seed have been administered to expel parasites. Pharmacological screenings have shown that it is also useful in the prevention of diarrhoea.
According to a study that set out to investigate the validity or otherwise of the use of the plant extract in atherosclerotic conditions in folk medicine, the researchers found that both its water and methanolic extracts caused a significant reduction in the level of total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol levels, while significantly higher values were observed for the HDL-cholesterol in all the treated groups when compared with the control.
The authors of the study attributed the reduction in the level of the bad cholesterol in the blood to the effect of saponin, a chemical substance, which reduced the uptake of cholesterol from the intestine into the blood stream.
According to them, “the observed increase in HDL-cholesterol concentration upon the administration of the extract indicates that the extract doses have HDL-cholesterol boosting effect; this effect is concentration-dependent for aqueous extract.
“This study shows that the plant extract could be useful in the improvement and management of complications associated with patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases.”
The researchers involved in this 2010 study entitled “Changes in Lipid Profile of Aqueous and Ethanolic Extract of Blighia sapida in Rats” and published by Asian Journal of Medical Sciences were O.A. Owolabi, D.B. James, A.B. Ibrahim, O.F. Folorunsho, I. Bwalla and F. Akanta from Ahmadu Bello University, Samaru, Zaria.
In addition, another plant, which experts are suggesting to be helpful in keeping stroke and other cardiovascular problems at bay is Phyllanthus amarus. The medicinal plant, whose whole plant is usually soaked in hot water or cooked in locally brewed alcohol and drank as tea, has attained the status of a miracle plant because of its ability to cure several ailments as claimed by its proponents. For example, it is used for the treatment of malaria, jaundice and diabetes.
In clinical research over the years, experts said in the journal, “Phototherapy Research,” that the plant has demonstrated its usefulness as a liver protector, pain reliever, in the control of high blood pressure and as a good contraceptive.
Another candidate for preventing stroke is Chrysophyllum Albidum, which is often called the white star apple. In South-western Nigeria, the fruit is called “agbalumo” and popularly referred to as “udara” in South-eastern Nigeria.
C. albidum is a popular tropical fruit tree whose roots, barks and leaves have been employed in folk medicine for the treatment of several diseases. The bark is used for the treatment of yellow fever and malaria, while the leaf is used for the treatment of skin eruption, stomachache and diarrhea.
A study that provided information on the effects of the ethanolic leaf extract on biochemical and haematological parameters in albino Wistar rats and carried out by A. H. Adebayo, A. O. Abolaji, T. K. Opata and I. K. Adegbenro from College of Science and Technology, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, authenticates that the leaf extract of C. albidum can help to thin the blood (antiplatelet effect) as well as regulate the sugar level in blood sugar.
Platelet activity may play a major role in the development as well as in the stability of atherosclerotic plaques and as a consequence, antiplatelet agents have been used clinically in patients at risk for myocardial ischemia, unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction.
No doubt, findings and appropriation of plants that are clinical and nutritional relevant to prevention of stroke are worth the trial.
More from here: http://www.tribune.com.ng/index.php/natural-health/13071-waterleaf-star-apple-antidote-to-stroke
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