Fruit Pomelit Helps to Prevent Heart Attacks

People who eat the Israeli-developed fruit known in Hebrew as

pomelit

(a cross between a grapefruit and a pomelo) or drink its juice regularly will be able

lower their blood cholesterol

and

increase their blood antioxidant activity

, thus improving their chances of

preventing blocked heart arteries

and

heart attacks

, says a researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

In order to test the benefits of drinking the juice of the pomelit (known commercially as

Israeli Jaffa Sweetie

), 72 patients at Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot who were suffering from hypercholesterolemia (elevated cholesterol levels) and had undergone bypass surgery were given daily supplements of Sweetie juice for 30 days. The patients, who ranged in age from 43 to 71, were divided into three groups of 24 each. One group received a daily supplement of 100 milliliters of the juice; a second received 200 milliliters; and a third the control group received none.

The results showed definite lowering of LDL (”bad”) blood cholesterol and an increase in blood antioxidant activity in patients from the two groups who drank the juice as opposed to those who did not. The patients who consumed the highest daily supplement of juice showed a significant increase in blood albumin and decrease in blood fibrinogen levels, which enhance anticoagulant activity. These positive changes could prevent heart diseases.

The clinical investigation took place at Kaplan Hospital and was carried out by a team headed by Prof. Abraham Caspi, head of the Cardiovascular Institute there, in cooperation with other research groups at various universities in Japan, South Korea, Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland that did similar tests. Positive results were obtained by all of the various research groups.

The researchers concluded their findings with a recommendation that hypercholesterolic patients add fresh Sweetie juice to their daily diets as a likely beneficial preventative to future heart disease. The juice also can serve as a preventative for those who have had no symptoms of arterial occlusion or heart problems but would like to benefit from the prophylactic benefits of this fruit.

[Via Health Jockey]

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Diets for medical conditions

Below are some of the main medical conditions in which diet is an important factor.

• Allergies

  — The commonest allergic diseases include Eczema, hay fever, asthma, urticaria (hives or nettlerash). The most commons allergens (substances which cause an allergic reaction) are the house dust mite, pollen, animal fur, moulds, milk, fish, eggs and wheat. Food preservatives (benzoate) and food colour (tartrazine) can also cause allergic reactions.

• Crohn's disease and colitis

  — There is evidence that diet can be an important factor in the onset and treatment of colitis and Crohn's disease (which are diseases of the bowel). However the general advice is to eat a wide range of healthy foods. About 10 per cent of people with colitis find milk makes there condition worse.

• Coeliac condition

  — People who have coeliac condition (pronounced see-lee-ak) cannot eat wheat and the products which are made from it. Coeliacs react to the protein in wheat and are unable to absorb food in their stomach.

• Cystic Fibrosis (CF)

  — In cystic fibrosis a diet high in calories and protein is important. This is because children and young people with CF do not produce enough pancreatic enzymes to digest properly and nutrients are lost from the body. Pancreatic enzyme supplements are often given by the doctor. The amount of extra food needed varies but it should be enough to maintain good nutrition.

• Diabetes

  — People who suffer from diabetes have a high level of glucose in their body. Insulin, a natural hormone in the body, helps the glucose to enter the cells where it is used as a fuel by the body. There are two types of diabetes and in both the body is not able to make enough insulin or to use it properly. The main changes in diet that diabetics need to make are to eat regular meals and to eat equal amounts of starchy food every day; to eat more high fibre foods; cut down on fried and fatty foods like butter, margarine, fatty meats etc, try to get the weight that is right for you and stay there and be careful not to use too much salt.

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

  — This is a common digestive disorder which can cause problems such as cramping, discomfort, a feeling of fullness or being bloated and a change in bowel habit (which can range from constipation to diarrhoea). IBS commonly starts in people aged 15 to 40 and can be triggered by too much or too little dietary fibre, too much fat or a very rich or spicy diet. Alcohol, coffee, tea and smoking can all trigger the symptoms of IBS.

• Migraine

  — This is a severe headache which comes at intervals and has no other symptoms between attacks. A migraine attack can last several hours or much longer according to the person concerned. People with migraine can sometimes recognise 'triggers' which can start an attack. These include emotional and physical stress, bright lights, loud noise menstruation, contraceptive pill and pregnancy. Insufficient food, irregular meals and prolonged lack of food can also have an affect. Some people find certain foods also trigger migraine.

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How to Increase Appetite Naturally: 5 Best Ways

Although overeating is a major problem in this country, undereating is a problem for many individuals who want to gain strength and muscle mass. Often it’s not their intent to eat light, but they simply do not have an appetite. And without enough calories, they will not be able to train as hard as they can and then recover adequately. Here we describe how to increase appetite.

Of course, if you go on the Internet and consult Mr. Google, you can find many funky solutions – such as getting a prescription for the drug Periactin and smoking cannabis, or better yet, getting a prescription for cannabis. While it’s true that smoking cannabis does cause the “munchies", it does so at the cost of cutting down motivation and lowering testosterone for extended periods of time. And yes, the drug Periactin does increase appetite, but it can make you drowsy, therefore reducing your training drive – oh, and there are a few other possible side effects, including fever, seizures and hallucinations.

Are there safer and more effective alternatives to improving your appetite, ones that don’t involve controlled substances? There certainly are. Here I present five for your consideration, along with several links to sites that have additional information on resolving this serious issue.

1. Verify your zinc status.

Zinc deficiency is one of the most common and most serious mineral deficiencies. Whenever I test my clients for the first time, I’ve found that roughly 98 percent are zinc deficient. It’s so common that it’s probably safe for any trainer to assume that all their clients are zinc deficient until they can prove otherwise. And this is not good.
Besides compromising your testosterone levels and increasing aromatization of your testosterone to estrogen, low levels of zinc are associated with poor appetite levels. One reason for this is that you need zinc to make HCl, the primary substance that regulates digestion of proteins. Another reason is that zinc affects how your food tastes, therefore affecting your appetite. A BioSignature practitioner can work with you in using the Zinc Tester to give you an idea of your zinc status.

To verify your zinc status most accurately, ask your physician to measure your red blood cell (RBC) zinc, NOT serum zinc levels. Strength and power athletes train most efficiently at RBC zinc levels of 1,400 to 1,500 ug/dL. By getting the proper amount of zinc, not only will you boost your appetite, your testosterone, immune system and tendon strength will soar. If you score low, take 2 Über Zinc twice a day for 12 weeks, and then remeasure your RBC zinc to adjust your zinc intake properly.

2. Use injectable forms of folic acid and B12.

Those two forms of B vitamins are critical in stimulating the appetite, and the most effective way to achieve optimal levels is through injection. Your physician can prescribe the injectable forms for you; 1 cc of each, twice a week, usually does the trick. Undiagnosed low stomach acid is linked to various neurological disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s because those ailments are linked to folic acid and B12 status (i.e. no stomach acid, no folic acid and B12 absorption). Which brings us to tip number three.

3. Restore your HCl levels.

Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is a stomach acid that helps to break down food into useable nutrients and kills pathogenic bacteria that enter the body through food. The increased acid levels in the stomach will improve the absorption of protein, calcium, vitamin B, magnesium, zinc, iron, and other basic nutrients. Having low levels of HCl decreases your appetite for protein.

4. Start the day with lime juice diluted in water.

This is an inexpensive trick that works well. Foods can be classified as being alkalizing or acidifying, as determined by what’s known as a pH scale. The pH scale is measured from 0 to 14, with 0 to 7 considered acidic and 7.1 to 14 considered alkaline. Adding lime juice to water creates a slightly acidic solution that will stimulate your HCl production. The paradoxical part is that the solution helps to alkalize you, which is anabolic in itself, as an alkaline state negates the catabolic effects of cortisol.

5. Salt your food properly.

Functional medicine tests show, over and over, that high-protein consumers are in fact sodium deficient. But it has to be the right kind of sodium. Salt your meat and fish dishes liberally.

In addition, the following can also contribute to a loss of appetite:

Medications

• Some antibiotics affect the taste buds. They can also slow the movement of food through the intestines. This prolongs the feeling of fullness after a meal.
• Chemotherapy drugs may affect the taste of certain foods or cause nausea or a loss of appetite.
• Pain relievers and anti-arthritis medications can irritate the stomach. This can cause nausea and a distaste for food.
• Some heart medications and diuretics can also dampen the desire to eat.
• Never stop taking any medication without first talking to your doctor.

Poor nutrition

• Overall nutrient deficiencies can take a toll on an otherwise healthy appetite.
• Older people in particular may suffer from a low intake of zinc. A zinc deficiency can deaden taste buds.

Illness

• You may feel less like eating if you have certain lung problems, congestive heart failure or cancer. Being in a lot of pain from arthritis can affect your appetite, too.
• Depression and loneliness can rob some people of their desire to eat.

If you apply these tips, your lack of appetite will cease to hamper your gains. In the comments section below you can describe what has worked for you in the past to increase your appetite.

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Not All Antioxidants Are Created Equal

They've been said to stall aging, ward off disease and wage internal war against the harmful free radicals that pummel our bodies every day. But just how well do antioxidants—those all-powerful compounds often found in richly colored fruits and vegetables, such as blueberries, blackberries and red cabbage—actually perform inside the human body?

Nutritionists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency, recently tackled this question. Their findings appear in the current issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

Led by Ronald Prior, an ARS chemist who works at the Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center in Little Rock, the researchers investigated how the consumption of different fruits affected volunteers' antioxidant status.

They did this by measuring the plasma (blood) antioxidant capacity (AOC) of volunteers who'd just ingested blueberries, cherries, dried plums, dried-plum juice, grapes, kiwis or strawberries.

The series of ARS studies confirmed what many antioxidant experts have long suspected: that the free-radical-busting compounds found in foods are quite complex, with some apparently being easier to absorb and utilize than others.

For instance, the researchers found that despite their high antioxidant content, plums did not raise plasma AOC levels in volunteers. According to Prior, one of the major phytochemicals in plums is chlorogenic acid, a compound not readily absorbed by humans.

As for the wild blueberry, a larger-than-average serving of this much-heralded antioxidant source was needed to boost plasma AOC levels. A noticeable climb in AOC wasn't detected until volunteers consumed at least a half-cup serving of the berries.

The volunteers' consumption of grapes and kiwifruit both led to noticeable spikes in plasma AOC. But it's not clear yet which compounds were responsible for the increased levels.

Alternatively, when volunteers were asked to consume a shake containing protein, carbohydrates and fat, with no antioxidants, their blood antioxidant levels dropped.

While additional research is needed to determine if elevated plasma AOC levels translate to a lower risk for chronic degenerative disease, the current ARS study is an important first step in efforts to establish recommendations for antioxidants in the diet.


[Source]


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How to Improve Digestion: 5 Simple Tips

Do you inhale your food? Are you so busy that even chewing seems like a luxury? Here are some tips on improving digestion:

Tip #1: Cover the Basics

Chew, Chew, Chew

• Take smaller bites.
• Put your fork down in between meals.
• Try using chopsticks - it forces you to slow down.
• Thoroughly chew each bite of food.
• Carbohydrate digestion begins in the mouth - chewing grains thoroughly allows amylase, the digestive enzyme present in saliva, to digest the grains.

Basic 2: Get Enough Water

Insufficient water intake is a primary cause of constipation. Constipation then causes an imbalance in bacteria, promotes inflammation of the intestinal lining, and can even lead to the absorption of larger molecules, a condition known as intestinal permeability.

Basic 3: Increase Your Dietary Fiber

Good sources of dietary fiber include:

• Dried fruit, such as dates, figs, and prunes
• Beans and legumes — if you don't have time to cook dried beans, buy canned, but make sure you rinse them thoroughly before cooking. Lentils and split peas are less gas-forming than other legumes.
• Bring an apple with you to work as a snack
• Ground flaxseeds are a gentle laxative. They can be useful for chronic constipation, damage to the intestine wall from laxative use, irritable bowel, and to soothe inflammation. Sprinkle ground flaxseeds on rice, grains, salads, or any other meal of your choice.

Tip #2: Practice Mindful Eating

A pilot study at Indiana State University found that mindfulness, including specific instructions to slowly savor the flavor of food and be aware of how much food is enough, helped to reduce eating binges from an average of four binges per week to one and a half.

• Eat in the moment. Savor every bite, enjoying the flavors, textures, and smells of your meal.
• Buy fresh flowers to put on the dining table.
• Use smaller cutlery so that you eat less with each bite.
• Create a beautiful atmosphere - dim the lights, play music and light candles.

Tip #3: Address Food Sensitivities and Allergies

Food sensitivities are behind many digestive disorders. For example, between 33% and 66% of IBS patients report having one or more food intolerances, resulting in bloating, gas, and pain. The most common culprits are milk and dairy (40-44%) and grains (40-60%).

A trained practitioner can supervise an elimination diet. Many foods are removed from the diet for a brief period of time, then re-introduced sequentially to isolate the body's reaction to the offending foods.

Tip #4: Increase Good Gut Bacteria

Not all bacteria is bad. There are over 400 different kinds of bacteria and yeasts in the digestive system. Of these, the bacteria Lactobacillus acidophillus and Bifidobacterium bifidum are considered good "probiotic" bacteria because they can help to maintain intestinal health.

Although good bacteria can be found in some yogurt, there is a wide variation in the quantity and quality. Look for good quality organic yogurt that add the active cultures after pasteurization, because this heat process destroys both good and bad bacteria.

Supplements containing acidophilus and bifidobacteria can be found in health food stores. They are especially helpful for the following conditions:

• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Diarrhea
• Gas, bloating, flatulence
• Recurring vaginal yeast infections
• Bad breath

Tip #5: Supplement to Restore Digestive Health

• # Enteric-Coated Peppermint Oil - Peppermint oil can reduce abdominal pain, bloating, and gas.
• Digestive Enzymes - Enzyme supplements are believed to support the body's own digestive enzymes to aid digestion and help with other disorders stemming from poor digestion.

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Eating Disorders

There are three recognised eating disorders:

• Anorexia Nervosa,
• Bulimia Nervosa and
• binge eating disorder.

There is also

• EDNOS (Eating Disorders Not otherwise Specified).

In some cases eating disorders can be combined — so someone can have Bulimia and Anorexia at the same time. Anorexia Nervosa causes severe weight loss and bulimia nervosa combines overeating with vomiting. People suffering from anorexia nervosa become obsessed with losing weight combined with a distorted self image; they are so concerned about it that they eat almost nothing and in severe cases the body can starve. Often sufferers reject help.

According to the Eating Disorders Association, eating disorders are really a way of not having to face up to painful problems in life and difficulties you can't solve. Eating (or not eating) is used as a way of showing deeper feelings of unhappiness.

Traditionally eating disorders have been seen as a condition suffered by young women, but they can affect people of all ages and increasingly young men are experiencing these difficulties too — approximately 10 per cent of anorexics are male. It has also been argued by some that the influence of the media on people's self image causes concern. Some surveys suggest that young people (young men and young women) feel encouraged to lose weight in order to be more like their celebrity idols.

Anorexia nervosa makes the sufferer believe that they are fat so in response they cut down on the food they eat. The symptoms of anorexia may include:

• severe loss of weight
• mistaken beliefs about actual body size, shape and weight
• taking too much exercise
• getting rid of the food they eat (by vomiting or using laxatives)
• cutting themselves off from friends, family or carers
• feeling moody and bad-tempered
• having difficulty sleeping
• periods may stop
• feeling cold and having poor blood circulation
• growth of downy hair all over the body and
• low self-esteem.

The characteristics of bulimia nervosa mean that sufferers eat lots of food and then make themselves sick. There are times when they starve themselves or use laxatives. The symptoms may be:

• bingeing on large quantities of food
• getting rid of the food they eat by vomiting or using laxatives
• feeling out of control, helpless and lonely
• irregular periods
• sore throat and loss of enamel on teeth
• poor skin condition due to dehydration
• tiredness
• moodiness and self-hatred.

Dealing with eating disorders can be difficult because it can take a long time for people to admit that they have a problem. The sooner this happens the greater chance there is of recovery. It is important to get professional help. They may appreciate talking to someone they trust.

Side effects are suffered by people with both conditions. Damage may be caused to the heart and kidneys. If laxatives are used regularly there may also be significant bowel muscle damage. Gastric acid from the stomach is corrosive and will damage tooth enamel if vomiting is persistent.

Compulsive dieting

It is estimated that 50% of women in the UK are either dieting at the moment or thinking about it. Dieting has become an obsession in the UK over the past few years as we strive for the perfect body. Researchers also suggest that 96% of diets don't work. Many people get trapped into the 'yo-yo' dieting effect where crash diets initially cause the desired weight loss only for the pounds to return just as quickly.

Healthy eating is far safer and will help to maintain a stable weight, that is comfortable for a person's size and shape. It will also keep the necessary balance of minerals and fluids that the body needs.

Binge Eating

Like bulimia, binge eating has only recently been recognised as a distinct condition. The essential difference is that these people binge uncontrollably but do not purge themselves. It is believed that many more people suffer from binge eating disorder than either anorexia or bulimia nervosa. It is estimated that approximately ten per cent of people with binge-eating disorder are obese.

Signs of binge eating include:

• Eating much more rapidly than usual
• Eating until feeling uncomfortably full
• Eating large amounts of food when not physically hungry
• Eating alone because of their embarrassment at the quantities of food consumed
• Feeling ashamed, depressed or guilty after bingeing
• Being unable to purge themselves of the food eaten.
  

Other Eating Disorders

Conditions as complex as eating disorders inevitably mean that there are variations in the typical signs described in these web pages, and not all symptoms will apply to all people. For instance, a woman with anorexia may have irregular or normal periods; bulimic episodes may be very infrequent. These cases will be classified as 'partial syndrome' eating disorders.

Some variations are much more distinct, such as 'chew and spit' behaviour, when a person chews food and spits it out — rather than swallowing — large amounts of food. Another example is regurgitation when food is swallowed and is then brought back up into the mouth for re-chewing. Some people eat non-foods, such as paper tissues, to fill themselves up without the calorific intake.


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Soy and Fish Oil Supplements May Help Prevent Heart Attacks

Taking daily supplements of fish or soy oil may protect against heart attacks and improve cardiac function in the short-term. Study results published in CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians, are the first to show that soy oil increases heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of cardiac autonomic function.

“Our findings contradict the current belief in the medical community that increasing the intake of omega-3 fatty acids produces only long-term cardiac benefits,” said the study’s lead author, Fernando Holguin, MD, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA. “In fact, our study group showed improvements in heart function in as little as two weeks.”

Researchers from Atlanta, GA, Boston, MA, and Cuernavaca, Mexico, took the HRV of 58 elderly patients every other day for two months to establish an HRV baseline for each participant. For 11 weeks, half of the study participants took a daily two gram supplement of fish oil, which contains marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids, and the other half took a daily two gram supplement of soy oil, which contains plant-derived omega-3 fatty acids. The omega-3 fatty acids improve heart function by providing greater variability between beats, therefore reducing the risk of arrhythmia and/or sudden death. Heart rate variability is measured by high-frequency (HF) and low-frequency (LF) domain components and standard deviation of normal RR intervals (SDNN). Those who received fish oil experienced a significant increase in total HF and LF domain components and SDNN. Patients who received soy oil experienced a marginally significant increase in HF and LF domain components and a significant increase in SDNN.

"Reduced HRV predicts mortality and arrhythmic complications in patients who have had a heart attack, as well as those who are considered healthy," said Dr. Holguin. "Taking a daily supplement of fish or soy oil may help reduce the risk of suffering an adverse cardiovascular event, such as arrhythmia or sudden death, specially in persons with known cardiovascular disease or at increased risk for it, such as those with lipid disorders, advanced age, hypertension, a history of smoking, and family history of heart disease."

Researchers also discovered that while patients in both groups experienced a significant increase in HRV, those who took the fish oil supplements achieved a greater increase in a shorter time period. Patients who received fish oil experienced increased HRV within the first 2.7 weeks, whereas it took 8.1 weeks for a significant increase in HRV to be seen in the group taking soy oil. None of the study participants experienced significant negative side effects, but 41 percent of participants in the fish oil group reported belching, compared to 16 percent in the soy oil group.

"Studies like this demonstrate that there are additional approaches we can take to protect ourselves from heart attacks," said Paul A. Kvale, MD, FCCP, President of the American College of Chest Physicians. "It's exciting to see the potential for omega-3 fatty acids in improving heart function when it complements a healthy lifestyle of exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting eight hours of sleep."


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Fruit Pomelit Helps to Prevent Heart Attacks


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