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So, What’s So Special About Green Tea?

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Apr
14
2011
Green Tea Benefits

Green tea for thousands of years has been one of China's best-kept secrets to good health. This simple, unassuming drink contains lots of immune system boosting antioxidants. According to Web MD, green tea contains eight to ten times the antioxidants as your average fruit or vegetable. That's an amazing bonus from something made in a few moments and that you can drink in just a few seconds. Of course, savoring your tea is perfectly fine too. Green tea contains several types of antioxidants. Some of the most important found in green tea are falconoid, mostly made up of catechins, thearubigins, and epicatechins. These antioxidants are shown to protect cells from free radicals, which can cause cancer and certain types of heart disease. Simply drinking two or three cups a day helps protect your heart. Some experts even recommend drinking up to ten cups a day of this stuff. Luckily, one can't overdose on it. Iced green tea makes a refreshing drink after a hard workout. … [Read more...]

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Lose Weight With Cayenne Pepper

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Jan
11
2011
Cayenne Pepper Benefits

Dieting is rarely an exciting experience. More often, it is a grueling exercise in monotonous self-discipline, a daily battle against the forces of pleasure. Adding to the misery is the blandness of the food you are expected to consume. Whilst your higher brain may recognize that the quivering pile of green and white on your plate is good for you, your taste buds protest to the edge of mutiny. Is it too much to ask for a little spice? As it turns out, spice is exactly what you should be asking for. That's because cayenne peppers, the party starters of all sorts of exotic cuisines, are quickly becoming the dieter's must-have ingredient. Although widely used in South and Central America as far back as 9000 years ago, Christopher Columbus was the first to bring the cayenne pepper to the rest of the world's attention. Legend has it he paused his Caribbean expedition to inspect a cayenne shrub, before summoning his explorer's pluck to pop the unknown pepper into his mouth. Although the … [Read more...]

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Tips For Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions

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Jan
02
2011
New Year's Resolutions

How many times has March rolled around and, once again, you're mad at yourself. You weigh exactly what you did on December 31st, or worse, you've GAINED weight. You are no more organized than you were the year before.  Instead of the granola bar you resolved to eat as your afternoon snack, you’re back to munching on M & M’s and Fritos. Worst of all, the goals you set for yourself as the ball dropped were the same ones you've been making for years. Why does it seem that you always fall short of your own expectations? 1. You Didn’t Really Mean It New Year’s is a jubilant time. It comes on the tail end of Christmas and Thanksgiving which emphasize gratitude, love, peace and the important things in life. By the time the party ends, people are so full of hope-or so depressed- that they make big promises about how they are going to change their lives and/or make the world a better place. Once things get back to normal, you realize that maybe this isn't the year to quit … [Read more...]

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Giving Thanks For Cranberry’s Healthy Benefits

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Nov
21
2010
Health Benefits Of Cranberries LR

Many people load up on cranberries around the holiday season. Who doesn’t enjoy homemade cranberry sauce or a fresh cranberry salad? But many people forget that the health benefits of eating cranberries are available throughout the year. This amazing red berry is a rich source of phytochemicals that make it a natural disease fighter; and the nutritional value of cranberries make it a good choice for the dinner table any day of the year. Here are some of the many health benefits of eating cranberries. Health Benefits of Cranberries: Cancer Prevention It’s the proanthocyanidins in cranberries that pack a punch against cancer. Studies show that these natural compounds stop the growth of human lung, colon, and esophageal cancers in the laboratory without harming normal cells. Of course it’s easier to stop a cancer in the laboratory than it is in the human body and it may take relatively high doses to get these effects; but it’s possible that lower levels could prevent certain … [Read more...]

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Are Low Vitamin D Levels Associated With Alzheimer’s Disease?

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Nov
18
2010
Vitamin D and Alzheimer's Disease

Vitamin D may be the wonder vitamin of the decade and one that few Americans get enough of. Studies show that low vitamin D levels can contribute to a variety of chronic disease including diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, and even mental illness such as depression. Despite this, most people are deficient in this important vitamin when blood levels are tested. Now, it’s hypothesized that low vitamin D levels may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia in the aging population. Is there an association between Alzheimer’s disease and low vitamin D levels? Do Low Vitamin D Levels Cause Alzheimer’s Disease? In an article published on foodnavigator.com, Dr. William Grant from the Sunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center expressed his belief that Alzheimer’s disease and low vitamin D levels are strongly linked. He emphasized that vitamin D appears to help prevent many of the … [Read more...]

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Vitamin D: The Vitamin That Could Save Your Life

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Nov
07
2010
Vitamin D

It seems that vitamin and nutritional supplements have come under scrutiny lately as some studies have shown that certain vitamins when taken in supplemental form not only don’t work but may increase the risk of disease. Fortunately, there’s an inexpensive vitamin supplement that seems to have a significant impact on your risk of mortality and on the incidence of contracting disease. This important vitamin is vitamin D and most of us don’t get enough of it. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that vitamin D supplements appear to be associated with reduced mortality from all causes and that low vitamin D levels may be correlated with higher risk of such chronic diseases as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The reduction in mortality risk was seen with the intake of daily doses of vitamin D supplements which ranged from 300 to 2,000 international units. How do we get vitamin D naturally and why do so few of us get enough of it? One of the most … [Read more...]

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Add Fiber to Your Daily Routine

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Sep
29
2010
High Fiber Foods

Once associated with rather embarrassing products like Metamucil, fiber has been making headlines in recent years. We’ve all seen advertisements for high-fiber breakfast cereals and fiber-rich snack bars, but most of us don’t completely understand the importance of adding fiber to our diets. What’s Fiber? Dietary fiber is a virtually indigestible substance that’s found in plants. There are two main types of fiber and they have different effects on the body. Although scientifically different, insoluble fiber and soluble fiber both contribute to a healthy diet and lifestyle. Insoluble fiber will not dissolve in liquid. It is often found in vegetables. Insoluble fiber keeps the digestive tract free of anything that could cause a blockage, which is why it is promoted as a natural laxative. Soluble fiber will dissolve in liquid. It is often found in fruits. Soluble fiber absorbs readily into the body and helps maintain healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Foods … [Read more...]

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Do’s, Don’ts, and Vitamins For Your Liver!

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Sep
26
2010
Pills for you

In my search for finding an alternative to the transplant and removal of Larry (Yes, I had grown quite attached to my lil liver, and more importantly, yes, I had named him) I had "googled" I had "binged". I have searched high and low, yet I have not seen anything that can CURE end-stage-liver-disease.... What I have found is TONS of information on how to stop or slow its progression, and though they are life altering changes (such as strict diet and some exercise) your life is worth it, right? RIGHT!! Unfortunately, once your liver becomes as bad as Larry had become, and symptoms such as jaundice, encephalopathy, and ascites are present, there do not seem to be any other options (especially when Hep C is present... poor Larry) There is no magic cure for liver problems but first thing is first. Find out what is causing the damage. It could be something genetic (like Wilson's disease, PBC, or Hemochromatosis) or it could be something environmental, toxins. It could be drugs, alcohol, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Liver Disease Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Eating for your Liver… and your Life!

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Sep
11
2010
ist2_6148437-i-love-healthy-eating

I have been asked many times about my diet prior to my liver transplant. Having advanced liver disease does limit your food, however, even if you are not in liver failure -- even if you do not have liver disease at all, a liver friendly diet can improve your health. There are a few "tweaks" though, if you are suffering from the symptoms of ESLD (End Stage Liver Disease), such as Ascites/Edema or HE (Hepatic Encephalopathy).  I have been researching this for quite some time now, and have put most of this into play with my diet, and the diets of my family. For more in depth information, visit my... well my former livers blog @ LarrysAntics.blogspot.com :). First thing is first, always talk to your doc or nutritionist about any changes, I do not pretend to be a professional. Automatically if you are suffering from Ascites/Edema, your nutritionist will say NO canned, frozen, or packaged food, I find this a little misleading. I do get some canned fruits and vegetables, but I do NOT get … [Read more...]

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Are Fast Food Salads Healthy?

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Sep
02
2010
Fast Food Salads Healthy

You’re pressed for time, so you pull into the drive-thru window of your fast-food restaurant and order the “healthiest” thing on the menu – a fast-food salad. After the “not so friendly” fast-food worker hands you a tray of lettuce and other fixings, you head back to the office to refuel before the challenging afternoon ahead - congratulating yourself on resisting the crispy French fries and chicken fingers that tempted you the minute you drove up. Did you make the right choice? Are fast-food salads healthy? Are Fast-Food Salads Healthy? Unfortunately, salads aren’t always a healthy choice. Fast-food and sit-down restaurants alike take a perfectly healthy bed of greens and destroy their health benefits with too much fat, carbohydrates, and sodium. What starts out with almost no calories quickly rivals the calories of a Whopper with Cheese at Burger King. When you’re trying to make healthy choices, who needs it? The Sodium Problem Most people don’t think of … [Read more...]

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