4.08.2009

What You Eat Can Improve Your Appearance

The best way to have healthy hair, eyes, and skin is to take good overall care of yourself.

That means eating well.

For Silky Skin and Hair
Antioxidants like lycopene and vitamin C, as well as soy protein and omega-3 fatty acids, help keep skin glowing. Vitamin C, found in citrus fruits, facilitates collagen production, a critical component for vibrant skin. Another antioxidant, lycopene, found in foods like canned tomatoes and red grapefruit juice, also promotes skin health. Tofu is a good option since its omega-3 fatty acids help regenerate new skin cells and reduce inflammation, while its soy protein has been shown to boost collagen.


Shiny, healthy hair starts with the vitality of cells in the hair follicle, where hair is manufactured. Eat foods high in calcium and quality protein like eggs, dairy, or fish. Eggs also provide biotin, a structural component of both bone and hair. Vitamins B6, B12, and folate nourish follicle cells, too.


Eat For Your Eyes
People who ate two servings of fish weekly benefited from an almost 50 percent decrease in the risk of age-related macular degeneration.

Eggs, leafy greens, broccoli, winter squash, and Brussels sprouts all contain the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin (both associated with eye health), as well as vitamins C and E, zinc, and beta-carotene.


Build Better Bones
Calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus work together to build strong bones. Even though green leafy and cruciferous vegetables (like spinach and broccoli) contain calcium, the body absorbs it best from dairy products. Dairy products offer a package deal: they are abundant in phosphorous, and vitamin D added to milk and dairy products aids in calcium absorption. Some nondairy foods high in calcium include canned salmon, sardines, and calcium-fortified firm tofu. Greens are still good bone foods, however. Broccoli, kale, and bok choy may provide little calcium, but they offer plenty of vitamin K.


Heart Helpers
Whole grains, fatty fish, and fresh fruits and vegetables are the keys to keeping your heart in prime condition. A recent review of seven studies showed that two and a half servings of whole grains per day reduced heart attack and stroke risk by 21 percent.


Brain Boosters
Omega-3 fatty acids and whole grains are good for your heart -- and they're good for your brain and mental health, too. Additionally, vitamins B12, C, E, and folate may play a direct role in keeping your mind sharp. Research shows that B12 (found in lean protein like turkey) and folate (found in many grains fortified with the vitamin) help improve memory and lower the risk of Alzheimer's. They may also help people over age 60 with learning, attention, and response speed, according to study results from Tufts University.




4.03.2009

10 Best Foods for Your Heart

Oatmeal Start your day with a steaming bowl of oats, which are full of omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium. This fiber-rich superfood can lower levels of LDL (or bad) cholesterol and help keep arteries clear. Opt for coarse or steel-cut oats over instant varieties -- the coarse and steel-cut contain more fiber -- and top your bowl off with a banana for another four grams of fiber.


Salmon Super-rich in omega-3 fatty acids, salmon can effectively reduce blood pressure and keep clotting at bay. Aim for two servings per week, which may reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack by up to one-third. Not a fan of salmon? Other oily fish like mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines will give your heart the same boost.


Avocado Add a bit of avocado to a sandwich or spinach salad to increase the amount of heart-healthy fats in your diet. Packed with monounsaturated fat, avocados can help lower LDL levels while raising the amount of HDL cholesterol in your body.


Olive Oil Full of monounsaturated fats, olive oil lowers bad LDL cholesterol and reduces your risk of developing heart disease.


Nuts Almonds, walnuts, and macadamia nuts are all full of omega-3 fatty acids and mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Almonds are rich in omega-3s, plus nuts increase fiber in the diet.


Berries Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries -- whatever berry you like best -- are full of anti-inflammatories, which reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.

Legumes Fill up on fiber with lentils, chickpeas, and black and kidney beans. They're packed with omega-3 fatty acids, calcium and soluble fiber. Spinach Spinach can help keep your ticker in top shape thanks to its stores of lutein, folate, potassium, and fiber.

Flaxseed Full of fiber and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, a little sprinkling of flaxseed can go a long way for your heart. Top a bowl of oatmeal or whole-grain cereal with a smidgen of ground flaxseed for the ultimate heart-healthy breakfast.


Soy Soy may lower cholesterol, and since it is low in saturated fat, it's still a great source of lean protein in a heart-healthy diet. Look for natural sources of soy, like edamame, tempeh, or organic silken tofu. And soy milk is a great addition to a bowl of oatmeal or whole-grain cereal. But watch the amount of salt in your soy: Some processed varieties like soy dogs can contain added sodium, which boosts blood pressure.

Insomnia

Insominia is proving to be more serious than we once thought. Two new studies suggest that insomnia may have harmful affects on both the body and mind, including a rise in blood pressure and an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior. People with long-term insomnia (a year or longer) and a short sleep time (less than five hours a night) were five times as likely to have high blood pressure as people without insomnia who slept six or more hours per night.




Researchers have found that people with sleep problems -- such as difficulty falling asleep or maintaining sleep, or early-morning awakening -- nearly every night were about twice as likely to report suicidal thoughts, suicide planning, or an actual suicide attempt as those with no sleep problems.




One in three adults experience insomnia at some point, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In addition to difficulty falling or staying asleep, the symptoms can include not feeling well-rested the next day, tension headaches, and worrying about sleep. A lack of sufficient sleep is associated with a slower reaction time and poor job performance, and, in the long term, an increased risk of diabetes, obesity, and poor immune system function.




Women are twice as likely to experience insomnia then men, which may be due to hormonal shifts during menstruation. Other risk factors for insomnia include age (being older than 60) and mental-health disorders like anxiety, depression, and stress.




Prescription sleeping pills such as Ambien and Lunesta can be prescribed for sleepless nights, but do not treat the underlying cause of insomnia.




If you suffer from insomnia here are some ways you can better prepare your body for sleep.


4.01.2009

Benefits of Cutting Back on Meat

If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the U.S. would save:
● 100 billion gallons of water, enough to supply all the homes in New England for almost 4 months;
● 1.5 billion pounds of crops otherwise fed to livestock, enough to feed the state of New Mexico for more than a year;
● 70 million gallons of gas--enough to fuel all the cars of Canada and Mexico combined with plenty to spare;
● 3 million acres of land, an area more than twice the size of Delaware;
● 33 tons of antibiotics.



If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the U.S. would prevent:
● Greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 1.2 million tons of CO2, as much as produced by all of France;
● 3 million tons of soil erosion and $70 million in resulting economic damages;
● 4.5 million tons of animal excrement;
● Almost 7 tons of ammonia emissions, a major air pollutant.






Other Points:


Globally, we feed 756 million tons of grain to farmed animals. If we fed that grain to the 1.4 billion people who are living in abject poverty, each of them would be provided more than half a ton of grain, or about 3 pounds of grain/day--that's twice the grain they would need to survive.




Researchers at the University of Chicago concluded that switching from standard American diet to a vegan diet is more effective in the fight against global warming than switching from a standard American car to a hybrid.