The power of Zinc

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• Zinc is important to your body in many ways, including immunity, cell growth and division, sleep, mood, your senses of taste and smell, eye and skin health, insulin regulation, and male sexual function
• Many are deficient in zinc due to mineral-depleted soils, drug effects, plant-based diets, and other diets high in grain
• Zinc deficiency is associated with increased colds and flu, chronic fatigue, depression, acne, low birth weight babies, learning problems and poor school performance in children, among others
• Foods highest in zinc are oysters, meat, poultry, nuts and seeds, and unsweetened chocolate (cacao)
• A zinc supplement is a simple, inexpensive way to augment your dietary intake of this important mineral, but make sure you choose a chelated form to ensure absorbability

Mind your waist

Recent research suggests that even if your weight is in the normal range, if you have a high waist-to-hip ratio, you have a higher risk of death than those considered obese based on BMI

The risk of cardiovascular death was 2.75 times higher, and the risk of death from all causes was 2.08 times higher in people of normal weight with central obesity, compared with those with a normal BMI and normal waist-to-hip ratio

Research indicates your waist size may also be a more effective measure for assessing obesity-related hypertension risk.

To determine your waist to hip ratio, measure the circumference of your hips at the widest part, across your buttocks. Then measure your waist at the smallest circumference of your natural waist, just above your belly button. Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement to get the ratio.

Another even simpler method to figure out if you have a weight problem is to measure only your waist circumference (the distance around the smallest area below the rib cage and above your belly button). Waist circumference is the easiest anthropometric measure of total body fat. A general guide for healthy waist circumference is as follows:

Live well and prosper

The older you get, the harder it is to become fit, especially after "the Big 4-0." Once you enter middle age, it is far easier to maintain good fitness than to get in shape for the first time. And this is even truer if you're a woman. As women enter middle age, their sex hormones begin to change.

If you're a woman over age 40, your body produces less "healthy estrogen" and more estrone, the type of estrogen produced by your fat tissue. Estrone contributes to insulin resistance, cravings for sweets, and loss of muscle mass.

Is blaming your extra flab on your hormones a cop-out? Well, there is actually some truth to it… but it's not insurmountable.

As you age, your resting metabolic rate tends to decline by about five percent for every decade of life past age 40, according to Madelyn Fernstrom, PhD, director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Weight Management Center and associate director of the UPMC Nutrition Center.8 Pamela Peeke, MD, a specialist in nutrition and stress at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, lists three primary factors that control your metabolism:

~Genetics
~Thyroid function (thyroid problems are ten times more common in women than in 
men)
~Muscle mass
~Recent research suggests women on average will lose muscle mass twice as fast 
as men the same age, which can hamper their ability to lose or maintain their 
weight. 
~And exercising can become more challenging for aging men and women due to 
AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a muscle-building process that declines with 
age.

But even with these built-in biological saboteurs, it doesn't mean you're destined to gain weight later in life. Good nutrition and optimal exercise help counter these biological tendencies. Exercising – even briefly – can change your DNA in a way that readies your body for increased muscle strength and fat burning. In fact, exercise can boost your metabolism by addressing all three factors listed above. Additionally, it boosts your natural human growth hormone production, which is important for maintaining muscle mass as you age. Exercise reduces inflammation, which is a driving force behind most chronic conditions; exercise also improves your strength and protects your brain as you age

In a particular study, the effects of fitness were statistically greater in terms of delaying illness than in prolonging life. While those in the fittest group did tend to live longer than the least fit, perhaps more important was the fact that they were even more likely to live well during more of their older years.

5 Worst Oils for Cooking

5 Worst Oils for Cooking

The only way to stop the thyroid suppressive effects of most cooking oils is to avoid them altogether. Unfortunately, this is difficult because these toxic oils are so inexpensive. Because of this, people continue to use them in their kitchens and they are used extensively in restaurants and commercial food products where inexpensive oils lead to greater profits.

Below are five of the worst oils you can use which are highest in polyunsaturated fat and pose the greatest risk to your thyroid.

Vegetable oil, which is not included in the list above is nothing more than a generic name for the combination of one or more of these oils, but predominantly consists of soybean oil, which is likely the worst of them all.

1. Soybean Oil – Saturated fat: 15% Monounsaturated fat: 23% Polyunsaturated fat: 58%
2. Corn Oil – Saturated fat: 13% Monounsaturated fat: 28% Polyunsaturated fat: 55%
3. Cottonseed Oil – Saturated fat: 26% Monounsaturated fat: 18% Polyunsaturated fat: 52%
4. Sunflower Oil – Saturated fat: 10% Monounsaturated fat: 45% Polyunsaturated fat: 40%
5. Peanut Oil – Saturated fat: 17% Monounsaturated fat: 46% Polyunsaturated fat: 32%

HPV vaccine

• "A systematic review of pre- and post-licensure trials of the HPV vaccine shows that its effectiveness is not only overstated (through the use of selective reporting or “cherry picking” data) but also completely unproven"
• "As of mid-August 2012, VAERS has received 119 reports of death following HPV vaccination. Reported adverse events also include: 894 reports of disability and 517 life-threatening adverse events"
• "Adverse events reports of cervical abnormalities and cervical cancer are occurring four to five years after HPV vaccination, and have rapidly increased between 2011 and 2012"
• "A large-scale HPV study reported HPV vaccine reduced HPV-16 infections by a mere 0.6% in vaccinated versus unvaccinated women"
• "High-risk HPV infections were diagnosed in vaccinated women up to more than 6% more frequently than in unvaccinated women, and the increased rate of infections by carcinogenic HPV types in vaccinated women has been found to be 4-10 times higher than the reduction of HPV 16/18 infections"

                  -Dr Mercola

Proper motivation

Find your motivation and go for it!!!

Lemon secret

Many professionals in restaurants and eateries are using or consuming the entire lemon and nothing is wasted.

How can you use the whole lemon without waste?

Simple..place the lemon in the freezer section of your refrigerator. Once the lemon is frozen, get your grater, and shred the whole lemon (no need to peel it) and sprinkle it on top of your foods.

Sprinkle it on your whiskey, wine, vegetable salad, ice cream, soup, noodles, spaghetti sauce, rice, sushi, fish dishes.

 

All of the foods will unexpectedly have a wonderful taste, something that you may have never tasted before. Most likely, you only think of lemon juice and vitamin C. Not anymore. Now that you've learned this lemon secret, you can use lemon even in instant cup noodles.

What's the major advantage of using the whole lemon other than preventing waste and adding new taste to your dishes?

 

Well, lemon peels contain as much as 10 times more vitamins than the lemon juice itself. And yes, that's what you've been wasting.

From now on, follow the simple procedure of freezing the whole lemon, then grating it on top of your dishes and you will consume all of those nutrients and get even healthier.

 

Lemon peels are health rejuvenators by eradicating toxic elements in the body. So place your lemon in your freezer, and then grate it on your meals every day. It is a key to make your foods tastier and you get to live healthier and longer!

 

That's the lemon secret!

Morning workout

Recent research shows that 45 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise in the morning may reduce food cravings, both immediately afterward and throughout the day

Exercising first thing in the morning, especially if done on an empty stomach, has been shown to have a number of health benefits, including preventing weight gain and insulin resistance

Your choice of breakfast food may play a significant role in decreasing or heightening sensations of hunger afterward. Carbohydrate-rich breakfast foods can significantly increase hunger – especially if you are lean, with healthy insulin sensitivity

Previous research has revealed that exercise may also help control your body weight by altering hormones released by your gut after a meal

When exercising in a fasted state, it’s critical to eat a recovery meal within 30 minutes post-workout. This meal should NOT be skipped in the name of fasting. Fast-assimilating protein, such as whey, is ideal for brain and muscle recovery

Go Red For Women ™ presents: 'Just a Little Heart Attack'

A few good tips

Goodbye Fruit  Flies

To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take  a small glass, fill it ½” with Apple Cider  Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well.  You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever! 


Get Rid of Ants 

Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants.  They eat it, take it “home”, can't digest it so it kills them.  It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets  or small children being harmed!

Smarter kids

• Recent research indicates having a healthy heart and lungs may be one of the most important factors for middle school students to make good grades in math and reading. To improve academic performance, the authors urge schools to re-examine policies that limit students’ involvement in physical education classes
• Previous studies have shown that children who exercised regularly nearly doubled their reading scores. Thirty minutes on a treadmill allowed students to solve problems up to 10 percent more effectively
• Aerobic and resistance training have been found to be equally important for maintaining brain and cognitive health. Aerobic fitness can improve your ability to coordinate multiple tasks, and your ability to stay on task for extended periods, while resistance training appears to improve your ability to focus amid distractions. Overall, exercise tends to improve the ability of different parts of your brain to work together
• Intermittent bouts of exercise, i.e. high-intensity interval training, is an ideal form of exercise for children, as well as adults.
• So workout your brain along your body. How can you lose: you will feel better, look better and think better!!!

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Good fats, bad fats

Studies have actually shown that the saturated fats found in coconut oil reduce bad cholesterol levels and stomach fat alike.

In a 12-week study 40 fair ladies between the ages of 20 and 40 were randomly split into two groups. Each group was given approximately two tablespoons of either soybean oil or coconut oil and instructed to follow a reduced calorie eating plan and to walk 50 minutes a day.

At the end of the study the "coconut oil group" increased their good cholesterol, reduced their bad cholesterol and significantly reduced their waist circumference (stomach fat).

The soybean oil group basically had the exact OPPOSITE results on their cholesterol levels and they didn't lose any stomach fat.

Verily, the truth has now been bestowed upon thine ears!  

I pray you, don't be fooled by clever advertising. Organic sources of fat like coconut oil and butter (from grass fed cows) are full of nutrition and are MUCH better for you than processed vegetable oils that cause inflammation in your body.

Managing hypertension

• Elevated blood pressure (hypertension), which is epidemic in Western society, can result in heart disease and stroke without warning; however, you can control it with basic diet and lifestyle modifications
• The real cause of hypertension is chronically elevated insulin levels, and excessive dietary sugar (especially fructose) is largely to blame High dietary fructose is a metabolic poison that raises your blood pressure by raising your uric acid levels, depleting your magnesium, increasing water retention, and stressing your liver

What's your excuse?

What's your excuse to not get in shape? Too busy? Kids won't let me be? Not enough hours in the day? Too tired?
If it is important enough, you WILL make time. You have to plan workouts just like you would plan a doctor's appointment or a birthday party. 
PUT IT ON YOUR SCHEDULE AND GET IT DONE!!!

Are you happy?

Coffee... not the bad guy it is portrayed to be

• Many studies have recently been published suggesting coffee is not the health-damaging beverage it’s been portrayed to be; research now suggests coffee can lower your risk for type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, stroke, and cancers of the liver, kidney and prostate
• Coffee lowers your blood glucose level and may even increase the metabolic activity and/or numbers of Bifidobacteria in your gastrointestinal tract, which are beneficial
• Fresh coffee from organic, whole beans that are pesticide-free can help keep your brain and muscle tissue young. Adding commercial milk or creamer, and worse yet sugar, will tend to diminish the value you receive from coffee
• You should consume coffee in moderation prior to exercising, without sugar, cream or flavorings in order to maximize health benefits; dark roast coffee beans are richer in beneficial compounds and lower in caffeine than lighter roasts
• If you are caffeine sensitive or have an adverse reaction to coffee, you might not have the same reaction to a different brand of coffee, a different type of bean, or a different brewing method

The power and benefits of garlic

                                                                              Garlic! 

 
Mother earth's flavor enhancer stimulates adrenaline and uncoupling proteins (UCP). Adrenaline triggers fat breakdown and UCP, located in metabolically active "brown fat" increase calorie burning. Garlic also controls cortisol levels which can supports muscle retention while dieting. For best results use fresh raw garlic in your salads or on your other meals, but if you can't handle raw garlic then use fresh bulbs in you cooking or give supplements a try. The sulfides in garlic increase uncoupling protein content in brown adipose tissue, and noradenaline and adrenaline secretion in rats.

Fountain of youth

If you want to continue looking and feeling young and to age gracefully, the best way is to really start a healthy regimen at an early age. Eat smart, eat healthy and avoid ways that could possibly cause you to age faster than usual. Healthy lifestyle choices you could make would include not smoking, getting enough rest and sleep, cutting down on the consumption of alcoholic beverages, exercising regularly and eating foods that are rich in antioxidants. You may have heard of antioxidants, of course. These are substances that help neutralize free radicals which can actually speed up aging. The more you are aware of the right foods to eat, the lesser you would have to worry about premature aging.

The following are excellent food choices. These are called superfoods because not only do they help promote good health, they also help you look young too:

·         Crunchy Veggies

A person’s dental and oral hygiene says a lot about the condition of his overall health. Surprisingly, some dentists could even diagnose a number of diseases simply by just looking at your teeth. A pretty smile usually goes a long way, and it can seriously impact social and romantic relationships. Keep in mind that healthy relationships with people can also help keep you happy, and laughter helps keep you young.

For healthy gums and teeth, go for vegetables that are firm – those that give you the crunch as soon as you bite in them. Excellent examples are broccoli and celery. These help you scrub your teeth clean and keep your gums healthy too.

·         Yogurt

The unsweetened kind of yogurt is actually good for you. It contains lactic acid which helps kill the bacteria that is associated with periodontal diseases. Once again, a healthy mouth and a healthy set of teeth allows you to smile to strangers, talk to people easily without the fear of having breath and form meaningful relationships with people who matter. When choosing which yogurt to buy, remember to read the label. Skip those that contain high amounts of sugar because instead of warding off bacteria, it can actually promote bacterial growth inside your mouth because of it being too sweet.

·         Green Tea

Green tea is refreshing, we all know that. But did you know that it also provides you with a variety of health benefits? Green tea has been known to improve one’s physical stamina, promote weight loss, and it can also protect you from developing dementia, heart disease and cancer. What’s more is that all these claims are backed up by years of clinical research studies from various laboratories.

Green tea is power-packed with polyphenols called catechins. These are chemicals which has antioxidant properties. It is especially good for the skin because it exerts a protective effect against sun damage. Drinking about 2 cups of green tea per day can help you maximize its health benefits.

·         Pomegranate

The New York Times, medical periodicals and industry journals have dubbed pomegranate as the most powerful anti-aging food there is. Pomegranates are packed with antioxidant-containing compounds known as phytochemicals. These help maintain the integrity of our cells and protect them from the negative effects of free radicals. Free radicals are by-products of the oxidative processes inside our body, and these are blamed as the culprits for various diseases such as diabetes, heart ailments and cancer.

Pomegranates contain tannins, an active polyphenol that is said to be 3 times stronger than those found in green tea and red wine. If you wish to avail of the health benefits of pomegranates, you may simply utilize its juice.

·         Avocado

The avocado has been known as an anti-aging superfruit. Aside from its healthy oleic acid, avocadoes are also chock full of potent carotenoid antioxidants called vitamin E, zeaxanthin and lutein. These antioxidants help lessen oxidative stress and promote an environment that is healthy for cells. Avocadoes also contain folate and potassium necessary for the proper functioning of the heart. These elements help remove waste from the body which, when left to accumulate in the tissues and the blood stream, can be a source of different illnesses.

When looking to buy an avocado and you want it already ripe, try to feel its consistency. Do not merely rely on the color. Good, ripe avocadoes have a slight give to them when touched.

·         Grapefruit

Grapefruits help keep you young in three ways:

First, it slows down cell aging. The healthier your cells are, the healthier you will be. The spermidine in grapefruit helps our cells grown and mature, and it has also been found to slow down aging by inducing the regenerative processes in our cells.

Second, grapefruits contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that fights cell aging that is triggered by the effects of free radicals. Aside from its anti-aging effects, lycopene also helps lower ones risk of developing lung, colon and prostate cancer.

Third, grapefruit is packed with soluble fiber which helps remove cholesterol during the digestive process. When cholesterol is prevented from entering the bloodstream, high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases are prevented from forming as well.

·         Berries

Berries are excellent sources of antioxidants which help prevent free radicals from exerting its negative effects on our skin. This must be the reason why berries are considered as the best anti-wrinkle fruits. Also, these fruits contain fiber which is necessary in the elimination of toxic wastes in such a way that it promotes proper digestion.

Now that you know the right foods to eat to help keep you look young, there is no excuse for you not to eat them.

What you don't know CAN hurt you

Children and obesity

No such things as a coincidence

It's been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish... All before making a human. He made and provided what we'd need before we were born. These are best & more powerful when eaten raw. We're such slow learners...
God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body! God's Pharmacy! Amazing! 

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye.. And YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes. 

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food. 

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food. 

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function. 

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys. 

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body. 

Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them). 

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of sperm as well to overcome male sterility. 

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics. 

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries 

Oranges , Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts. 

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

Grass Fed Beef

GRASS FED BEEF

Most people think that beef is just beef. It isn’t always so.  A cows diet can have a profound influence on the nutrient content of its products, be it milk or meat.

·         Grassfed products tend to be much lower in total fat than grainfed products. For example, a sirloin steak from a grassfed steer has about one half to one third the amount of fat as a similar cut from a grainfed steer. If you eat a typical amount of beef (66.5 pounds a year), switching to grassfed beef will save you 17,733 calories a year—without requiring any willpower or change in eating habits.  If everything else in your diet remains constant, you'll lose about five to six pounds a year.

·         Although grassfed meat is low in "bad" fat (including saturated fat), it gives you from two to six times more of a type of "good" fat called "omega-3 fatty acids."  The health benefit of Omega are numerous and worthy of an entire blog itself. Stay tuned.

·         The meat and milk from grassfed ruminants are the richest known source of another type of good fat called "conjugated linoleic acid" or CLA.  When ruminants are raised on fresh pasture alone, their milk and meat contain as much as five times more CLA than products from animals fed conventional diets.  

            Health benefits of CLA:

·         Promoting fat loss

·         Fighting cancer

·         Increasing your metabolic rate

·         Promoting normal thyroid function

·         Delaying onset of diabetes, and improving management of adult-onset diabetes

·         Helping maintain normal cholesterol levels

·         Helping maintain healthful triglyceride levels

·         Enhancing your immune system

·         The meat from the pastured grassfed cattle is four times higher in vitamin E than the meat from the feedlot cattle and, interestingly, almost twice as high as the meat from the feedlot cattle given vitamin E supplements.

             In humans, vitamin E is linked with a lower risk of heart disease and cancer.  This potent antioxidant may also have anti-aging properties.  Most Americans are deficient in vitamin E.

Enjoy your beef but choose wisely.

Be smart , stay healthy