What Are Super Foods?

May 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A phrase that’s bandied around very freely today is that of the “super food.”  But what is actually meant by the term, and are the claims made by many, actually backed up by scientific evidence?

In many cases, claims made by those advocating the latest super food have little or no proven scientific facts.  However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that super foods and their health benefits should be ignored.  It simply takes a little common sense to understand the truth behind the hype, and include these highly beneficial foods in your diet. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Superfoods Tagged With: , , ,

Foods That Help With Fertility

December 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Increasing your fertility is one of the best ways to help you become pregnant and make your body keep the baby. Often, women have trouble with fertility due to obesity, reproductive system trouble, and a poor diet. Eating healthy meals that incorporate many fruits, vegetables, dairy products and proteins can help increase your fertility. You should look for foods that are high in beta carotene, folic acid, iron, antioxidants and Vitamin C. These nutrients are very important in conceiving and retaining a baby, and are also some of the main supplements found in prenatal vitamins. All these nutrients can be obtained by eating a variety of healthy foods.

Eat protein-rich foods like lean meats and products rich in vegetable proteins. Tofu and other soy products can help you attain a healthy pre-pregnancy weight, but should be consumed in moderation. Lean meats, like fish and poultry, are good sources of amino acids. These amino acids can help your body produce fertility hormones like follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Normal production and secretion of these hormones is required for reproduction, and ensuring your body is producing these normally is imperative for optimal fertility. Beans, peas and peanuts are also good sources of plant proteins and iron. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: , ,

Foods That Help With Anxiety

December 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

People with anxiety and who experience panic attacks often find them distracting and difficult to cure. Most of the time people seek counseling, which can be very effective but may take time to truly solve the problem. Changing your eating habits and selecting foods that can be calming to your body can often help fight anxiety and offer a way to cope with the disorder.

Seek out foods high in tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid used by the body to synthesize protein. It also assists the nervous system in producing serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep patterns, mood and appetite. Tryptophan is known as a mood enhancer and also emits a calming effect on the body, making it easier to relax and sleep, thus combating the anxiety. Foods high in tryptophan include turkey, shrimp, many types of fish, dark green, leafy vegetables, and many beans and other legumes. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: , ,

Foods That Help With Depression

December 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Over 18-million Americans over the age of 18 suffer from depression, says a report from the National Institute of Health. While depression can be linked to many other illnesses and disorders, many doctors say it is caused by an imbalance of a neurotransmitter, serotonin, in the brain. Depression is often treated with medication to help regulate the amount of serotonin released in the brain, or to assist in the body’s uptake of serotonin. Many people have trouble with side effects resulting from the medications that may cause them to want to stop taking the medication, leaving them to deal with the depression on their own. Some medical experts believe that vitamin and mineral deficiencies in the diet can cause a person to develop depression or exhibit symptoms similar to those seen in people with depression. Diets high in sugar, refined carbohydrates and large amounts of caffeine can lead a person to be more susceptible to problems like depression or mood swings. Knowing which foods offer the nutrients needed to help regulate your brain chemistry can help you avoid such issues. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: , , ,

Foods That Help Stress

November 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Are you stressed out? Maybe work, home or relationships cause you to become more stressed than normal. A certain amount of stress is good but too much will mean your health is being affected.

Stress can affect everyone differently, but did you know what you eat may affect your stress levels? There are various factors that can be attributed to stress levels such as poor nutrition, not enough rest, lack of exercise etc. If you constantly eat bad, fast, junk etc. chances are your body will respond worse to raised stress symptoms. Certain foods can help raise serotonin levels in the brain, certain foods can calm the brain. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Foods That Fight Bad Breath

November 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Bad breath isn’t a particularly nice thing to suffer from. Have you ever talked closely to someone with bad breath, it’s not only unpleasant but probably a sign of being unhealthy or suffering from malnutrition or bad health habits of some sort. The technical term is halitosis, but did you know that eating certain foods may help prevent stinky breath? Well if not then read on to find out what foods you can add to your diet and natural remedies that will help with bad breath. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Foods That Help With Dark Cirlces

November 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Dark Circles Under The Eyes?

This doesn’t look good, you end up looking like a zombie, sick, ill or both! The correct diet will bring relief from dark circles.

How To Get Rid Of Dark Circles Under My Eyes?

You don’t want me telling you to use cream, you probably already know that.  What is your typical daily intake of food and nutrients look like? The body is a complex series of systems all interacting as one in order to provide you with optimum health. Dark circles can be caused by a lack of sleep as well as poor nutritional habits. First off start with drinking at least two liters of water per day. This will help your liver cleanse your body of toxins. After a period of time you may notice your eyes sparkle more as a side benefit!

Once you have fixed your body’s detoxification organ, move onto what you are ingesting. Foods that are highly processed need to go. You should be focusing on fresh and colorful foods such as broccoli which is high in vitamin C. Vitamin C helps with increasing the amount of collagen in your skin. Thinning of the eye area may be caused by aging, but aging after all is a disease itself. Vitamin C also helps with blood flow around the body. Vitamins, K, A and E should all be including in your diet, these are found in fish, dairy, and vegetables such as kale, spinach, broccoli all work. It is also quite possible you are suffering from an iron deficiency. In medical terms this is called amnenia, which results in thinning of the skin. You can find iron rich foods such a liver, spinach and red meat. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: ,

How Do Plant Sterols Lower Cholesterol?

August 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

How Do Plant Sterols Lower Cholesterol?

There are three types of measureable cholesterol – LDL (low density lipoprotein), HDL (high density lipoprotein), and VLDL (very low density lipoprotein). LDL is most commonly known as the “bad cholesterol” and is what causes heart disease. This includes build up of plaque in the arteries which causes heart attacks and strokes. Cholesterol is produced in the liver and is carried in the blood stream to all organs in the body. It is very important to keep this type of cholesterol level low, ideally less than 129 mg/dL. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: , , , ,

Foods That Can Help Improve Eyesight And Vision

August 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Eyesight Health

Many people attribute decreased vision with age and genetics, while rarely giving any thought to how important of a role diet can play. Environmental factors such as ultraviolet light, chemical fumes, temperatures, physical injury, and strenuous ocular activity such as reading or staring too long at a computer screen can also attribute to poor vision.
Including a variety of different foods in your diet is a great way to help prevent eye vision. While there is no miracle food that will restore your eye sight, there are some foods provide to help prevent further loss and/or slightly improve it, such as:

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Wheatgrass As A Super Food

August 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Wheatgrass as a Super Food

Wheatgrass, the grass that grows from wheat berries, has quickly and recently become one of the most popular super foods and nutritional wonders. It is grown from wheat berries, and is typically juiced just after it has been cut. This allows the drinker to enjoy its high nutritional content; in fact, it’s nearly equivalent to two pounds of fresh green vegetables.
Wheatgrass contains most of the vitamins and minerals that are required for optimum health – containing both carbohydrates and proteins along with over 30 enzymes required for good digestive health. It is a great source of chlorophyll, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. It helps to deodorize the body by preventing bad odours and bad breath and even helps in eliminating food cravings which cause so many people to overeat. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Superfoods Tagged With: , , , , ,
« Older Posts