Carrots Nutritional Facts

Carrot is a root vegetable, either red, pink or orange in color. The crisp and edible taproot is a domesticated variant of daucus carota, the wild variety that is native to Europe and Asia. The plant is biennial and grows leaf rosettes during summer. The edible taproot is fleshy and stores sugars. The stem flowers to a height of about 1 meter and bears white flowers. The fruit is a schizocarp that can be eaten in a variety of ways.

The best part of this vegetable is that it can be well digested without cooking. Carrots can be diced, sliced and grated to be eaten raw. The vegetable can also be boiled, fried or stewed to add flavor and nutrition to soup recipes and stews. Grated, the vegetables adds the goodness of vitamin A to cake recipes and puddings, without children even knowing about its presence.

Carrots blend well with other salad vegetables like spring onions, cabbage and celery to add volume to traditional and diet bowls. It is part of nearly every broth and mash in baby and pet food. Carrot juice is a popular health drink. It can also be blended with the juice of other fruits and vegetables to add flavor, volume or nutritional content, depending on the vitamin deficiency being battled.

Carrots are rich sources of fiber, minerals and antioxidants. These potent components help to prevent the onset of poor vision. Essentially, they help restore vitamin A into the diet. This fibrous root also addresses ethnomedical issues such as digestive problems and tonsillitis. Their regular intake is known to counter-attack intestinal parasites and ease constipation. A number of new-age diets have carrots as vital components of the diet plan.

Nutritional facts with regards to carrots is that the vegetable is rich in vitamin A from beta carotene. The fiber content aids digestion and excretion, helping with associated ailments like hemorrhoids or piles. Juice of carrot is potent with the goodness of beta carotene, a whole 100%. It increases the fluid intake and water retention within the system during the hot summer months.

The pulp and juice are anti-carcinogenic and prevent cancer. The popular garden vegetable is also sought for its aromatic leaves. The purple-skinned variety called Beta Sweet or Maroon Carrot is being researched upon for its anti-cancer properties. This new-age experimental remedy is being promoted via a number of products like biscuits and spreads.

Beta carotene content makes the vegetable an anti-oxidant. This property credits the vegetable with the prevention of cell degeneration and slowing down of the natural aging. Being anti-oxidant makes carrot great for the skin, either ingested via juice or food or applied within herbal and natural creams.

Carrot juice works like tonic to improve overall health of the immune system, while triggering appetite. Research reveals that a daily dose of this natural wonder improves immunity by up to 70%. It is rich in minerals and blends well with spinach and/or beet root to increase the mineral content, as per the deficiency being corrected. Today, selective breeding of this wonder vegetable has reduced bitterness and increased its sweetness.

Dedicated research reveals that carrots are also rich in vitamin E and hence, the vegetable is a vital part of nutritional supplements. With the natural content of vitamin E, it works wonders on the skin and rejuvenates dead skin. All these core nutrition components within carrots have made them popular in the kitchen garden and important additives to snacks and meals for children.

The bright orange color that comes from beta carotene metabolizes into vitamin A on ingestion. The reaction takes place in the presence of bile salts in the intestines. However, an overdose of the vegetable can lead to hypercarotenemia. This condition is characterized by an orange tinge to the skin and liver damage.

Read More

Carrots Rich in Vitamins

The carrot belongs to the Umbelliferae family and is a raw vegetable root. Several health benefits of carrots have resulted in them serving as a remedy for many health problems. Carrots are filling and do not contain fats, which is why they are recommended by dietitians for people under a weight loss program. Carrots contain vitamins, minerals and fiber. Long back in the ancient times, carrots were used for medicinal purposes to cure stomach ailments, for healing wounds, liver ailments, and also for ulcers.

Vitamin A in Carrots

Why are carrots orange in color? The substance that gives the carrot its bright orange color is beta-carotene. It is found in fruits and vegetables that are red, yellow, or orange in color and also in some of the green leafy vegetables. Beta carotene is converted into vitamin A in the liver. Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin and it nourishes, develops and maintains the skin, improves eyesight, enhances hair growth, plays an important role in growth and boosts the immune system function. It is very essential for healthy eyes, and a better night vision. Carrots are one of the richest sources of vitamin A. The deficiency of this vitamin can cause night blindness.

Other Vitamins Present in Carrots

Other vitamins that carrots contain are Vitamin K that helps prevent cancer, Alzheimer's, and improve the bone health. Carrots contain vitamin C in traces which supports the functioning of the immune system and also improves skin clarity. Vitamin E (alpha-Tocophero), which protects the cell membrane from oxidation and Vitamin B, vitamin B1 (Thiamin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride) are also found in carrots.Vitamin B helps increase metabolism, helps to maintain a healthy skin and tones the muscles. It also plays a part in enhancing the immune system. Carrots contain beta corotene which is an antioxidant that fights free radicals. Antioxidants fight free radicals that damage the skin and cause cancer. They provide protection against some other ailments like heart diseases and muscular degeneration. Some studies have shown that men who had high levels of beta carotene and vitamin C had lower risks of heart attacks.

The following table shows us the vitamins carrots have in 100 grams of carrot. Including 100 grams of carrot in the daily diet at least twice or thrice a week would be beneficial to get all the rich nutrients that carrots contain. Let's look at the vitamin content in 100 grams of carrots.

Vitamins (for 1 large carrot, 100 grams)	Value
Vitamin A	93%
Vitamin C	12%
Vitamin D	~
Vitamin E	~
Vitamin K	9.4 mcg
Thiamin	3%
Riboflavin	3%
Niacin	8%
Vitamin B6	8%
Folate	5%

Now you know that carrots nutritional value is very high and I hope that you are convinced with the information on vitamins in carrot. So, don't forget to include carrots in your daily diet.

Read More

Getting Healthy Juices For Kids To Drink

Encourage your kids to drink plenty of water. Use a water bottle or glass which appeals to them. You can also use a water bottle where they can measure and see the amount of water they’ve had for the day.

Getting your kids to drink healthy green juices and vegetable juices could be an upheaval of a task. Mix them with juices like apple or carrot and it wont be too difficult to get them to drink it. Gradually move from pure carrot or apple juice to apple-carrot-parsley juice. Try using sweet organic apples and carrots and serve the juice in an attractive tumbler.

Make juicing a family activity. Involve the kids in helping with preparing the ingredients, and deciding on which juices to make and searching for recipes. This family time will not only inculcate good and healthy eating habits but the kids will learn about the nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables.

Kids love to have what they have prepared and you will find that they readily have all the good stuff on their own. Other ways to encourage your kids to consume more fruits are to make ice lollies from fresh fruit juice.

Make fruit smoothies and shakes by liquidizing fruit such as strawberries, mango or bananas with fruit juice and/or milk.

Read More

Carrot Juice Health Benefits

It is a misconception that carrot juice is bitter and awful to taste. In fact it tastes good and has many health benefits. Well, do you know what benefits stir in carrot juice? When carrot is juiced and a glass of it is consumed every day, it improves our health in various ways. So, what are the health benefits of carrot juice anyway? Read on to find out.

Carrot Juice Health Benefits

Eating carrots as well as drinking one glass of carrot juice is extremely beneficial, as carrot juice contains many vitamins and minerals. Carrot juice is like a tonic to our body. Studies have shown that people who included one glass of carrot juice everyday in their diet showed a lot of improvement in their health. Carrot juice is good for the liver, eyesight, teeth, bones, nails, hair, prenatal health, and there are carrot juice benefits for skin too. Carrots contain beta carotene, which helps prevent cancer and is converted into vitamin A in the liver.

Vitamin A, being an essential nutrient, relieves eye weakness, eye strain, and improves the immune system. Vitamin A stored in the liver has great cleansing effects in the body. It also reduces the fat and the bile accumulated in there, thus cleansing it thoroughly and making sure that it works properly. Drinking carrot juice regularly makes sure that your liver remains healthy. It also provides relief from constipation.

Being an excellent source of vitamin B, C and calcium pectate, carrot juice has also been found to have properties of lowering cholesterol. Carrot juice is rich in antioxidants and scavenges the free radicals giving us a better, healthy and nourished skin. Antioxidants also help in slowing the process of aging and control diseases. Carrot is also rich in dietary fiber and it promotes colon health.

Other benefits of carrot juice also include reducing the risk of cardiovascular illnesses. Carrot juice also benefits diabetic patients as it has a plant hormone called tocokinin, that is similar to insulin. Acne is caused by toxicity in our body. Having the best detoxifying and cleansing properties, carrot juice is effective for acne too. Carrots do contain a medium amount of sugar. Carrot juice can help increase the menstrual flow in women and improve their fertility. Being a rich source of alkaline elements, it also purifies and revitalizes the blood. It also helps to nourish the system and maintains the acid-alkaline balance in our body. The juice of carrot eases alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Wounds and injuries are also healed faster on consumption of carrot juice. Carrot juice helps fight anemia. Some dietitians recommend drinking carrot juice for weight loss.

Blending and Mixing

For those who make a face when carrot juice is served, here are some blends that you can have your carrot juice with. When carrot juice is blended with other raw vegetable or fruit juices, it boosts our immune system even better. Blending carrot juice with cabbage juice, produces an alkaline effect and protects from the acid forming food effects. Also, mixing carrot and spinach juice, provides nutrients to the hair roots which stops hair loss and helps in restoring natural hair color.

I'm sure that after reading these benefits of carrot juice, you might feel tempted to have a glass of it. Carrot juice is a really healthy way to keep up you and your health. I guess that is why Bugs bunny is so healthy!

Read More

Health Benefits of Carrot

The carrot is a root vegetable which has an Indo-European origin. The tap-root of this vegetable is the edible part and it is considered to be nutritious and good for health. It is a rich source of many different nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, iron, etc. The chemical known as beta-carotene makes carrot an important food source in fighting several health problems. The nutrients present in raw carrots are destroyed once they are cooked. Thus, raw carrots health benefits are much higher than cooked ones.

Health Benefits of Carrots

The various health benefits and nutritional facts of carrots are mentioned in the following paragraphs. Prevention of cancers and heart attacks are among the important health benefits of carrots. There are many other benefits of carrot intake discussed in detail in the following article.

Prevention of Cancer

The chemical called beta-carotene is useful in the prevention of many types of cancers including lung cancer. As per studies conducted, the intake of carrot reduces colon cancer risk by 24%. Women who consume carrots are less prone to the development of breast cancer as well.

Protection from Heart Diseases

The importance of carrot intake in preventing heart problems has been emphasized by doctors and research teams. As per the research conducted at Wolfson Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Edinburgh, cholesterol levels reduce by 11% in a matter of three weeks if 7 oz. of carrots are included in the daily diet. Studies conducted at the Mario Negri Institute of Pharmacological Research, Italy indicate that the risk of heart attacks is reduced by 1/3 in those who consume carrots regularly.

Prevention of Diabetes

Carrots help in reducing blood sugar levels by inversely affecting insulin resistance. The carotenoids present in carrot juice are useful for the regulation of sugar levels.

Prevention of Strokes

The chances of a person suffering from strokes are reduced by 68% if carrots are included in the daliy diet. As per studies conducted, those with high levels of beta carotenoids in the body have a greater chance of surviving strokes.

Reduces Macular Degeneration

The beta-carotene present in carrots reduce the risk of macular degeneration by 40%. The disease affects the macula and is mostly found in elder/aging people.

Purple Carrot Health Benefits

Purple carrots have all the phytochemicals present in the orange one, plus antioxidants and anthocyanins. Apart from being antioxidant in nature, the phytochemicals present in these carrots are anti-inflammatory as well as anti-bacterial.

Other Carrots Health Benefits

The appearance/look of hair, skin and nails improves a lot with the intake of carrots. It also helps lower high blood pressure as well as the level of cholesterol. The quality of breast milk is enhanced/improved by the regular intake of carrots. Infections are kept at bay if carrots are consumed on a regular basis. Carrots are also considered to be good for endocrine and adrenal glands. Improvement in eyesight, increase in menstrual flow, regulation of blood sugars and promotion of colon health are some of the other carrots health benefits. The intake of carrots also helps in overcoming problems such as night blindness, sexual dysfunction, lower sexual drive, long term cough, etc. Moreover, it also helps in strengthening the kidney.

The information in the article presented above provides us with the knowledge about the different health benefits of carrots. Raw carrots health benefits are much higher than cooked carrots. One should, however, make it a point to include carrots, either raw or cooked, in their diet on a regular basis.

Read More

Healthy Ways to Reduce Sodium in Canned Soup

Sodium is one of those essential minerals required by our body. It's a naturally occurring element present in almost all types of food items that we eat. The health benefits of sodium are pronounced only when you consume it from natural and organic resources. Prepackaged and canned food items have a high concentration of sodium, which might be above the level of recommended dietary intake. Sodium is present in forms of monosodium glutamate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium saccharin and sodium benzoate; all these ingredients increase the shelf life of canned products and also enhance the flavor of the item. When you start consuming these food items on a regular basis, then sodium levels get automatically elevated.

One of the most commonly consumed canned food is soup. Although touted to be healthy, canned soups can give rise to several health disorders in the long run, owing to the high sodium content. They also contain artificial preservatives and flavoring agents which are not really healthy for the body. In this regard, it's important for you to know the health hazards caused by the presence of excess sodium in the body.

Harmful Effects of Sodium-rich Canned Soups

• First of all, people having high blood pressure should avoid such food items because addition of sodium will only aggravate their heart issues.
• If you are depending on canned soups for controlling calorie intake, then you need to change your diet. You will feel bloated and dehydrated after a certain point of time.
• In a healthy adult, although water retention is not immediately evident, those with weak kidneys will suffer from mineral and fluid build-up in the body.

From the aforementioned points, you can easily figure out the dangers associated with having sodium-rich canned soups. However, a salt-free diet is not recommended until prescribed by doctors. It's because salt is necessary for maintaining the fluid balance of our body, proper functioning of muscles and nerves, and regulating the blood volume. So how to reduce sodium in canned soup? We will explain this in the next segment.

Reducing Sodium in Canned Soups

Here are some quick tips you can try at home without tampering with the taste of the soup by adding natural ingredients to it. Those who are staunchly following a low-calorie diet can also refer to these tips.

• Dilute the Soup
  
  This is probably the best way to reduce the salt concentration. If you are preparing a bowl of soup, then add 2 cups of extra water to it. This way the quantity of soup increases and the sodium per serving also becomes less. The calorie content is minimized and you can meet your weight loss goals.

• Add Salt-Free Flavoring Herbs
  
  Edible herbs have the potential to balance the sodium present in soups. Add fresh rosemary, oregano, parsley, parsnip, coriander, basil, saffron, shallots, or lemongrass while cooking the soup. The herbs will absorb sodium and when you add water, the concentration of the salt gets further reduced.

• Spice it Up
  
  A concoction of various spices not only adds taste but also improves the nutritional value of canned food products. However, you have to add some water for blending the spices perfectly. Cinnamon, anise, cardamom, cumin, fennel, nutmeg, clove, etc. are some excellent ingredients for spicing up soups.

• Combine with Vegetables
  
  Add vegetables to redistribute sodium and make the soup sumptuous. Chop cabbage, carrot, beet, onion, garlic, celery, and ginger. Steam the vegetables or stir-fry these in olive oil. Combine them with the soup while cooking it. It's simply an excellent way to minimize sodium in canned soups.

• Make it Tangy
  
  Food items tasting excessively salty can be counterbalanced with lemon juice. So what you can do is, first add a little water to the soup (to increase its quantity) and while it boils, add lemon juice to it. Finely chop tomatoes and add this to the boiling soup. Then sprinkle pepper.

• Blend with Broth
  
  Broth being a nutritional supplement, can be added to canned soups. Since your motive is to reduce the sodium content of the soup, you have to restrict yourself from adding table salt even if the soup tastes bland. Mix vegetable or meat broth with the soup and cook for sometime.

• Absorb with a Potato
  
  Many are unaware of the sodium-absorbing potential of potato. All you need to do is, dip a peeled potato into the soup bowl while it is boiling. Then cover the bowl with a lid. Wait till the potato becomes soft. It will absorb almost all the sodium from the soup. Remove the potato and then have the soup.

When we are aware of the ill-effects of consuming canned food products, then why not make a conscious effort to eat fresh varieties? Another way to be on the safe side, is to pick up salt-free soups so that you do not require any kind of improvisation while making it. Or else, these tips are always there for you. Stay fit.

Read More

Lifestyle Choices Underpin Childhood Obesity

Until recently the battle of the bulge has been fought primarily by adults. Today, however, the largest growing segments among the obese are our children and adolescents. With this new epidemic comes grave health consequences for future generations. While scientists are busy looking at genetic factors, hormonal imbalances, and drugs to correct these problems, the greatest culprits are largely being ignored: namely poor nutrition and lack of physical activity.

Over the past two decades, rates of overweight and obesity have nearly tripled among Canadian children, according to a 2004 “Canadian Institutes of Health Information’s report. In fact, Statistics Canada now says we have one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in the world.

Regular exercise and physical activity is critical for weight loss and overall health, yet with each passing year our children are becoming less active. Canada’s Physical Activity Guide advises 90 minutes a day of physical activity for children, it was found that only 13 per cent were meeting that target. Schools share some of that blame, as their programs have been dramatically slashed due to cutbacks. The Canadian Teacher’s Federation says that only one-third of all schools have formal physical education programs. And those that do offer them simply do not include enough vigorous activity for a long enough period of time to combat inactivity.

Also, the availability and popularity of television, video games, and computers has drawn children out of organized sports or after school fun and play into the house. According to a 2000 report by the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), the average Canadian child spends about three to five hours a day ogling the one eyed monster or “twittering” away on a computer screen. Combine that with six hours a day sitting in a classroom, and you have some serious inactivity.

Another obvious link in the chain is junk food! Most schools do not offer healthy lunches and other meal programs, according to the CMAJ study. And even when lunches are packed for children by parents, these kids seem to have an unlimited supply of soft drinks, candy, chips, and fast foods available to them.

The results are often disastrous. Poor eating habits may prevent children from reaching their full potential. Research now suggests that poor nutrition affects children’s intellectual performance. With decreased energy and cognitive ability, they are not likely to improve grades and their classroom behaviour, as well as psychological well being may suffer.

Combine inactivity and poor nutrition, and it’s no wonder our children are becoming supersized. Health authorities now warn that unless we do something fast, this generation could become the first to have shorter life spans than their parents. This is due to the risk of developing diseases previously only seen in adults, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, asthma and so on.

The obvious solutions

There are a number of things which can be done. Children love “grab and go” snacks, so stock your kitchen with veggies and dip; berries; yogurt; low fat cheese and apples; healthy trail mix; baked nachos and salsa; homemade popsicles and air popped popcorn.

You also have to eliminate sweet drinks. The average can of pop and or sugary juice (punches or cocktails) contains approximately 9-11 teaspoons of sugar. If one of the first ingredients listed on the label is sugar, glucose or high fructose corn syrup, the product is not likely to contribute to good health. Stick to water to properly hydrate your child without packing on excess calories, or 100 per cent fruit juices (in moderation and watered down).

Try to keep your child moving as well. It is prudent to have your children participate in 1 hour of physical activity daily. Whether it is joining a community center, team sports, bike riding as a family or swimming lessons – it all start with participation.

The federal government has touted its children’s fitness tax credit as one way to encourage parents to help their kids get active. Parents can claim a maximum of $500 a year for eligible fitness expenses, which must “include a significant amount of physical activity that contributes to cardio-respiratory endurance, plus one or more of: muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility or balance.”

Make them eat a healthy breakfast also. A recent study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology concluded that skipping meals and eating less frequently was linked with being four times more likely to be obese than those who ate breakfast daily.

A child’s diet should be filled with fresh fruits, vegetable, eggs, chicken, fish, whole grain bread, cereal and pasta, nuts, seeds and low fat dairy products. Processed and refined floury items, fast food, and sugar-laden products should be kept to a bare minimum, and saved for an occasional treat.

So you can see, there may be serious health and social consequences that come with being overweight or obese. By implementing the steps above, we can slowly turn the epidemic of obesity into one of healthy kids for life.

Read More

Rekindling The Romance Of Your Waistline

How’s your waistline? Do you have a strained relationship with yours, or worse, has it left you? The signs can be subtle – one belt notch at a time.

So who did you cheat with? Was it those rich and gooey maple-fudge brownies, the elegant chocolate carmelicious shortbread bars, or that curvaceous tramp of a late night pizza? Which delicate pleasure gave a flirtatious twirl to that last bastion of defense, your willpower?

Relationships can be so transient and shallow, because we take them for granted don’t we? But now your waistline has gone AWOL, and has been replaced by a hostile entity which makes even loose clothing take on the look of mummifying garments. Don’t get used to it though. Not only is it unfriendly, it can lead to a big risk of stroke. That’s the conclusion of a 2006 Interheart study of almost 30,000 people from different countries showing that well-toned hips and a trim waist — not just the overall pounds you carry — may be your best protections against heart disease.

Researchers reported that a good waist-to-hip ratio (a measurement tool that looks at the proportion of fat stored on your waist, hips and buttocks – as if a second opinion is needed), is actually a better predictor of heart attack risk than the body-mass index, the current standard. Weight concentrated around the middle is often referred to as an “apple” shape; whereas, weight concentrated around your hips is referred to as a “pear” shape. The apple people are said to be at higher risk for heart disease and diabetes than their pear counterparts.

While we don’t need a degree in rocket science to figure out what food chain perpetrators were involved in the kidnapping of your waist, let me throw another twist into the plot – inactivity. A little bit of hard work and dedication will actually work wonders where faulty diets and spot-reduction machines fail miserably. I mean, how many actually know that 15 reps on the popular thigh master can’t undo the damage of a bag of chips and an early snorefest on the couch?

So contrary to everything that is anathema in some people’s lives, I am indeed suggesting a paragon of exercise and food discipline. Yes – gasp – there is willpower involved. Being a quitter no longer means getting satisfaction at turning away the dessert cart on the third trip around. It actually involves some sort of – dare I say it – denial. But if you want to rekindle the passion with your former waistline, you have to show it you can be trusted. Go on, let out some of that frustration on the elliptical trainer or treadmill, as you rehash your abandonment issues.

The good news is that you don’t have to spend eternity rekindling the flame. Yes, recklessness drove your waist into hiding, but some faithful diligence to a balanced lifestyle of good nutrition and basic exercise three to four days weekly can do wonders for your relationship. The overt matchmaker in this case is the ever present exercise. Sure, it can seem overly willing in getting involved in your business, but in the end it can unite you with your waist once again. And that – big sob – is just a beautiful thing.

Read More

Do You Want Some Estrogen On Soft Drink?

It turns out a cold drink isn’t the only thing in your pop can. A Health Canada study of canned pop has found the vast majority of the drinks contain the chemical bisphenol A, a substance that imitates the female hormone estrogen and is now banned in baby bottles.

The highest levels of the chemical, known as BPA, were found in caffeine-loaded energy drinks, but the residue was also detected in ginger ale, diet cola, root beer and citrus-flavoured soda. Pop cans are lined on the inside with BPA in order to prevent the drink from coming into contact with the metal in the can.

“The emphasis has always been on canned foods, and the results are especially startling, given that the average person, worldwide, consumes more than 22 gallons of soft drinks every year. Yikes!” (thedailygreen.com)

Out of 72 drinks tested, 69 were found to contain BPA at levels below what Health Canada says is the safe upper limit. However, studies in peer-reviewed science journals have indicated that even at very low doses, BPA can increase breast and ovarian cancer cell growth and the growth of some prostate cancer cells in animals. Health Canada spokesman Stéphane Shank said there is no risk to Canadians. “The average adult weighing approximately 60 kilograms would have to consume over 900 cans per day” to reach the department’s safety threshold, he said. (www.cbc.ca)

The drinks tested came from a variety of sources, representing at least 84 per cent of the market share of soft drinks sold in the country. Despite this, the federal department did not reveal why this study was only published January in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry and on Health Canada’s website. The reasoning? It wasn’t their intent to hide it. However, had they wanted to get this report out, which would certainly have been the case if it was more positive, more sources would have been included.

Like estrogen — BPA is active in very small amounts. The average soft drink contains levels of around half a part per billion, resulting in 500 times more estrogen in people than normal. Some experiments have found harmful effects in animals at BPA concentrations as low as 1,000 times below Health Canada’s marker. Given this information, we need to consider the cumulative effect of hormone-disrupting chemicals.

Read More

Lack Of Education Leads To Compulsive Behavior

As a Nutritional Practitioner, I see a lot of clients who complain about being addicted to food. This addiction, according to them, is likened to what an alcoholic or mild drug user suffers from: compulsive eating behavior, binging, unnatural responses or actions, lying, etc. Most of this is said to be triggered by emotions, negative life events, boredom, or depression.

I agree that there are similarities with food addiction to other addictions; such as obsession with a substance to alter mood or outlook, overt or harmful behaviors, or lack of self-control. But rather than blame the substance, we have to look at what triggers the response to the condition.

Many people are on destructive (restrictive) dietary paths which result in nutrient deficiencies. Indulging in fractionated carbohydrates, junk foods, canned and boxed foods which contain either starches, sugars or simple carbohydrates, only sets up a further strong psychological drive for more of these foods. Why? Because they boost our immediate outlook through higher glucose conversion and temporary energy. But like other destructive substances, the end result is very short lived.

Refined Foods Don’t Lead To Good Health

As a society, we live for instant gratification. Rather than eating foods which give us long term energy, we desire a quick pick-me-up, even though we know the cycle has to be repeated over and over during the day, leaving us exhausted. Part of the problem is what manufacturers tell shoppers. Words such as diet, whole, goodness and so on are meaningless in light of what the food endures during processing.

In Canada, whole wheat is not “whole.” As much as 70% of the nutrients may legally be destroyed through removal of much of the kernel, which reduces shelf life. Whole wheat is not a whole grain – period. It is a product which, through loss of many of the nutrients (wheat germ and wheat germ oil), as well as bran and middlings, is now a fast absorbing energy food which spikes blood sugar. But still, our government says the end product remains good for us. In effect, manufacturers legally (yet immorally) lie to us, desiring profit more than our good health.

Educate Yourself

Much of this can be remedied by education. With the availability of the internet and more authors writing about whole food nutrition, we should be able to find proper information on the subject. However, the excuse I frequently hear is that, “I don’t have enough time.” My answer is always the same: “Do you have the time to get sick?” Because once a person is on their sickbed, they cannot earn money, nor can they enjoy the fruits of their labor. Balanced nutrition is not an option, but a necessity to “keep the ability to be busy.”

Another angle is our relationship to food. Do we understand that restricting nutrients sets us up for psychological cravings? Most diets are about weight loss, rather than good health. Authors care more for immediate results, because this brings in income. Yet most of the poor souls reading these books don’t equate their subsequent weight gain (once off the diet) with the diet itself. Diets are a sham, which is why your 20 pound weight loss ultimately results in a net 40 pound gain. This is a protective mechanism of the body to an unnatural restriction of needed substances – a sure plan for long term failure. It’s an addictive cycle: We desire the short term weight loss rather than thinking about the end result. This is somewhat like the steroid user, or the person taking diet pills. Yes, there may be immediate dramatic results, but in the end, we suffer even more.

Don’t Worry – Make Decisions!

Dietary rules also get us thinking too much about what should be an enjoyable experience. All this weighing and calculating is a drain on a pure pleasure – the enjoyment of wholesome food. We should be able to look at a food and immediately understand if it is good or bad. Has it been refined? Then there is a great chance it is not healthy. I don’t care at all about what we are told to the contrary. I have thousands of clients who have had success with this approach. It does not lead to worry about food, because it merely entails making in immediate decision. We do this daily with our jobs. If you do “fall off the wagon,” get up and try again.

Those who eat to manage compulsive behaviors or emotions need to realize that whole foods also satisfy. Sweet, salty or fatty foods may increase serotonin or stimulate dopamine receptors in the brain, giving a temporary feel good situation. But they always result in a subsequent crash. On the other hand, whole foods do the same, though not as strong in the short run. Wouldn’t you like to feel good in the long term, without getting depressed, run down, sad, or suffer anxiety? Fractionated foods WILL increase these feelings and set the person up for a vicious cycle of weight gain, ill health and and increased emotional disorders.

We Are To Blame

As a society, we are too dependent on psychological help. Everything is the fault of someone else, something or some situation. We don’t look at ourselves, our actions and our outlook on situations. Though some will define this approach as simplistic, it is because they have been taught to feel this way; are in the business of treating people affected by these situations, or profit from them.

You are not addicted to foods, and neither are you powerless over them and have to practice abstinence. We have been given a brain to use, but we don’t do so in many instances. The biggest predictor of weight gain (or ill health), is a level of self restraint. Don’t succumb to eating amnesia (unknowingly putting hand to mouth from a bag, box or plate). This is nothing more than mindless eating. Sit, relax and enjoy, but don’t stop thinking about what you are doing. You wouldn’t do it crossing the street (for fear of getting injured). Why do it through long term self poisoning?

Choose well, don’t diet, and don’t indulge in foods which injure the body. I have hundreds of articles on this blog which go into more detail about what I have written here. Read them and educate yourself about balanced nutrition.

Read More

Five Unhealthy Dieting Consequences

Unhealthy dieting can result in numerous undesirable consequences. Going on an extremely low-calorie diet that is devoid of necessary nutrients can not only sabotage your dieting efforts in the long run, but it often results in unintended health consequences as well. Here are five consequences of unhealthy dieting.

1. Binge Eating

Unhealthy dieting can result in feelings of deprivation. If you cut your calories excessively, eliminate all of your favorite foods and eat very little food that delivers much needed nutrition, the consequence is often a need to make up for everything you missed out on.

Binge eating is sometimes the outcome of having gone too long without necessary nutrition and calories. If you consistently skip meals when on a diet, it is possible to feel deprived and eat many more calories late at night, especially if you’re unable to fall asleep from intense hunger.

2. Muscle Loss

Unhealthy dieting practices that don’t incorporate enough protein can lead to unwanted muscle loss. Your body needs protein to build and repair tissues, and carry out a large number of processes. When you don’t consume enough protein in your diet, your body will consume its own muscle mass.

3. Fatigue and Nausea

Some unhealthy dieting practices involve extreme calorie reduction. Juice fasts where you go for weeks without consuming solid foods often result in undesirable side effects. Fatigue, nausea, dizziness and headaches are common consequences of these unhealthy diets.

4. Eventual Weight Gain

The challenge with unhealthy diets is that they usually cannot be sustained in the long term. You may be able to survive on a short term basis on an extremely low-calorie diet, but eventually you will have to resume eating regular meals. When you go on an extreme diet, you don’t have the opportunity to gradually develop habits that will sustain you in the long haul.

It is much healthier and you will see greater results in the long term if you adjust your diet gradually. Instead of cutting thousands of calories on a daily basis, find ways to cut a few hundred calories each day. Combine that with daily exercise. When your body has energy, you can be more active and exercise will develop your muscles, which helps to burn off even more calories.

5. Challenge to Mental Health

Unhealthy dieting is challenging for your mental health. Many people feel grumpy and irritable when they are hungry. Not getting enough calories, not having enough energy to carry out daily tasks, feeling dizzy and nauseous can all combine to push some extreme dieters into feelings of deep sadness or even depression.

The best way to avoid the consequences of unhealthy dieting is to establish healthy eating patterns. Do this gradually. Identify aspects of your diet that you want to change and work on one component at a time. Reduce calories gradually. Exercise more. Address your emotional needs. Over time, you will see the pounds fall off and stay off in the long term.

Read More

Crab Legs Health Benefits

Overview

King crabs, also known as stone crabs, are a family of crustaceans found mainly in cold seas. They are very large in size, in short supply, and have a tasty flesh that makes them a delicacy. King crab legs are an especially popular delicacy that offers many nutritional benefits, including a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids, protein and many vitamins and minerals.

Background

The most commonly caught and sold species is the red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus). According to the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, the best meat of the king crab is in the legs. Unlike other crabs, king crabs have only six legs (versus eight). The body of the crab offers little meat and usually goes to canners. King crabs were plentiful until the early 1980s. Then came a shortage caused by water temperature changes and other environmental conditions. Since then, the price has more than doubled and they are less available.

Nutrition Basics

An Alaskan king crab leg (134g) cooked and served plain, provides 130 calories, 2.1g of fat, .2g of saturated fat, and zero trans fat, carbohydrate, sugar and dietary fiber. One leg of the aforementioned serving size provides about 26g of protein, making it an excellent source of protein, though it is much leaner than the same amount of beef. Although king crab is a source of cholesterol, containing about 71mg per serving, it need not be avoided for this reason as saturated and trans fats (which are not in crab legs) have a far more negative impact on blood cholesterol levels.

Rich in Omega-3 Fat

Most of the fat in a king crab leg is heart-healthy unsaturated fat (.2 gram of monounsaturated fat and 0.7g of polyunsaturated fat). King crab is rich in a class of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids known for their health benefits and found in all seafood: omega-3 fatty acids. One serving provides 614mg of omega-3 fatty acids, making it an excellent food source for this nutrient. According to the American Heart Association, omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory and help prevent low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol from adhering to artery walls.

Good Food Source of Vitamins

Like other types of seafood, king crab legs are nutrient-dense, making them a healthy food choice. They are a good food source of vitamin C, offering 10.2g per serving, or 13.5 percent of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), 68.3mcg of folate, or 17 percent of the RDA and a whopping 15.4 mcg of vitamin B12, or more than 200 percent of the RDA. Vitamin C aids in wound healing and strengthens the immune system, and folate and vitamin B12 are important for red blood cell formation, among other functions.

Excellent Food Source of Minerals

King crab legs are an excellent food source of magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, zinc and copper. One leg offers 84mg of magnesium, or 20 percent of the RDA; 375mg of phosphorus, or more than 50 percent of the RDA; 53.5mcg of selenium and 10.2mg of zinc, nearly 100 percent of the RDA for each; and 1.6mg of copper, or about 75 percent of the RDA. These minerals perform a variety of functions in the body, including red blood cell and protein formation, bone health, and immune system function. Unfortunately, king crab legs are high in sodium because they are a salt-water species. One leg contain more than 1,400mg of sodium, so those watching their sodium intake should eat king crab legs with caution.

Read More

Health Benefits of Crab Meat

Crab meat is the edible portion of crabs, and is considered a delicacy in some parts of the world. Although it is often consumed as a main course, it can also add flavor to soups, salads and dips. Crab meat is valued for its succulent and sweet taste.

Common Sources of Crab Meat

There are many known varieties of crabs; however, not all crabs are safe to eat. Those that are fit to be eaten include Blue crabs, Dungeness crabs and King crabs. Blue crabs are marketed soon after their molting period, that is, when the shell is still soft. Dungeness crabs are large crabs with pink and juicy meat. King crabs are extremely large, weighing about 5 kg, but only the legs and claws are usually eaten.

Benefits of Eating Crab Meat

The price of crab meat is relatively high in countries where crabs are not abundant. Therefore, not everyone can afford to buy crab meat and enjoy its delectable taste. Crab meat, however, is very nutritious. Like red meat, crab meat contains nutrients that are essential to the body. Unlike red meat, however, crab meat is low in fat and calories.

• Omega-3 Fatty Acid Source: Crab meat contains omega-3 fatty acids, which help lower blood pressure and thus reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids are known to lower triglycerides, increase the supply of HDL or good cholesterol, prevent blood clotting and strengthen resistance to infections.
• Rich in Proteins, but Free from Carbohydrates: One serving of crab contains 20g protein. This makes crab meat a good alternative to tuna fish. If you are trying to get enough protein, but worry about gaining weight in return, eating crabs is a good choice. Crab meat is carbohydrate free, which is why it is a good diet food if you are trying to lose weight, build muscles, or have diabetes.
• Natural Source of Some Vitamins and Minerals: Crab meat contains high amounts of vitamin B12, which is crucial for normal and healthy brain and nervous system function. Vitamins A (for good eyesight) and C (for proper growth and development), and other B vitamins such as thiamine (B1, for conversion of carbohydrates into energy), riboflavin (B2, for the manufacture of red blood cells) and niacin (B3, for proper digestion) can also be found in crab meat. The minerals found in crab meat include potassium (for healthy cells), sodium (for blood pressure regulation), phosphorus (for strong teeth and bones) and calcium (for overall health maintenance).
• Low Mercury Content: You may avoid eating crab meat because of the fact that seafood contains high levels of mercury. Crab meat, however, is actually low in mercury, making it safe to eat.
• Low Caloric and Fat Content: Crab meat is a highly recommended food for losing weight. A 4 oz. serving of crab meat contains only 98 calories and less than 2g of fat. This also makes crab meat an excellent food for a healthy heart.

Read More

Facts About Puffer Fish

The puffer fish is one of the most venomous fish on the planet. Puffer fish is a medium-sized species of fish, with a long, tapered body and a bulbous head. Also known as blowfish, globefish, swellfish, fugu and toadfish, it is scale-less and has a skin texture varying from rough to spiky.

It appears similar to a large tadpole, with bulging eyes and an elongated snout. It is indeed one of the most interesting and unusual species of fish, with many unique characteristics. The puffer fish is known so, since it can puff up to double its size by swallowing air or water, when threatened. When predators unknowingly prey on these, they die of choking or get poisoned from the toxins present in the puffer fish.

Puffer fish can move using their pectoral fins and they use their tails only when they are required to move fast. About 29 species of puffer fish live in freshwater and the rest survive in inshore and estuarine waters. Read through the following lines to find more interesting facts and amazing information on puffer fish.

Facts About Puffer Fish

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Tetraodontiformes
Family: Tetraodontidae
Group Name: School
Length: 2.5-61 cm
Weight: 9-13.5 kg
Lifespan: 4-8 years
Diet: Carnivore.
Habitat: Warmer, coastal waters.
Age of Sexual Maturity: 5 years
Gestation Period: 4 days
Number of Offspring: 3-7 eggs

Interesting and Amazing Information On Puffer Fish

• There are more than 120 different species of puffer fish throughout the world.
• Most puffer fish are found in tropical and subtropical ocean waters in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, but some are also known to live in brackish and fresh water.
• About 39 species of puffer fish that inhabit marine waters swim into fresh and brackish waters to breed and feed.
• The puffer fish feeds on invertebrates, algae, clams, shrimps, crabs, mussels and shellfish.
• The dwarf puffer fish, also known as pea puffer fish and pygmy puffer fish, is the smallest species of puffer fish in the world.
• Though puffer fish are poor swimmers, they can ingest large amounts of water or air in a few seconds, to turn themselves into a virtually inedible ball several times their size, when threatened.
• Some puffer fish species have spines on their skin, to make them less palatable.
• Most of the puffer fish contain tetrodotoxin, a substance that makes them taste foul and often lethal to fish. This tetrodotoxin is 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide.
• One puffer fish contains enough tetrodotoxin to kill 30 adult humans. The tetrodotoxin has no known antidote till date.
• The Japanese prepare a delicacy called fugu, from puffer fish meat. The dish is prepared by well-trained and licensed chefs only, as one wrong cut can cause certain death for a customer.
• All puffe rfish have 4 teeth that are fused together into a beak-like form. These teeth are used to crush the shells of mollusks, red worms and crustaceans.
• Puffer fish has a unique breeding method, wherein the male guides its female counterpart towards the shore and she releases the eggs. In the eggs, the young ones are protected by the hard shell, which breaks off when they develop limbs. After the tail and fins develop, they swim down into the reef community below.
• A puffer fish stomach is extremely elastic.
• A young puffer fish is called a fry.
• Puffer fish have excellent eyesight.
• Sharks are immune to puffer fish venom.
• Puffe rfish venom is deadlier than cyanaide.
• Puffer fish make adorable pets and can adapt to aquarium lifestyle easily. They require special dietary needs and clean and spacious environment to maintain a healthy body.
• Puffer fish are threatened by habitat loss, water pollution and overfishing.
• Puffer fish do not have scales on its body.

Read More

Huawei BM623m Mobily 4G CPE

Huawei BM623m is a 4G WiMAX broadband wireless CPE modem manufactured by Huawei Technologies for Etihad Etisalat the leading mobile provider in the Kingdon of Saudi Arabia also known as Mobily. The BM623m is identical to Huawei BM622i and BM622m except this CPE device is built-in with wireless Access Point (AP), it has Wi-Fi so that user can share the internet connection wirelessly. To manipulate the web graphical user interface (gui) just type http://192.168.1.1 with your favorite browser and the username and password is user.

To take the advanced manipulation features setting you have to login as admin account its identical to Huawei BM622i and BM622m, if you can not login with username and password as "admin" used Huawei WiMAX password generator check my previous post on how-to.

Read More

Mobily’s 4G network 400Tera registers new record

RIYADH – Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) registered a new world record when its giant LTE network broke through 400 Terabytes a day in term of the volume of data transmission, the company said Friday.

Khalid Omar Al Kaf

The new record comes to exceed the data volume that was registered over the company’s 3G network which was commercially launched in 2006. Mobily said the new record was registered in a short period of time thanks to the huge coverage of its LTE network and the state-of-art infrastructure.

Mobily’s 400 Terabytes achievement will be internationally recognized when Huawei, the global leading company in providing next generation telecommunications networks, will honor Mobily during the 2013 Mobile World Congress that will be held in Barcelona on Feb. 25.

“Achieving this volume of data came in parallel with delivering the highest standards of quality in customers’ products and services. Mobily is committed to maintain its leadership in data and to develop its infrastructure,” said Mobily’s CEO Khalid Omar Al Kaf. He added “We believe that growth sustainability comes with the right vision and our GED strategy drives Mobily to continue in the right track”.

Al Kaf highlighted the importance of adopting with the telecom sector transformation by creating new methodologies and techniques.

He said Mobily is working by its extreme capacity to be a leading and innovative company in its products, solutions and customers experience. Mobily was the first telecom company in the Middle East and North Africa to launch the TD-LTE commercially before the company announced another World’s achievement as it signed 4G data roaming agreements. Mobily’s LTE network covers now more than 4500 sites through its data subsidiary Bayanat Al Oula.On Jan. 2013, the company awarded SAR 963 Million to Ericson and Huawei to expand and upgrade Mobily 3G and LTE network across the Kingdom. — SG

Read More

Huawei BM622i Change MAC via Upgrade Telnet

Here's another trick to change the MAC Address of your Huawei BM622i 4G WiMAX CPE wireless broadband modem using BM622i V100R001PHLC08B029PST03.exe dis-upgrading the firmware 2011 via telnet command line interface (cli).

First you have to download here the Globe WiMAX 4G wireless broadband CPE modem upgrade utility filename for Huawei BM622i V100R001PHLC08B029PST03.EXE and run it, as you can see the screenshot above.

Just leave it open as it on the screenshot above, open up telnet client if you have Putty utility much better input 192.168.254.1 at port 23 and click open.. But if you don't have on your Windows 7 you must enable it on Control Panel  then Program and Features where telnet is located. Windows XP telnet client is enable by default just Click Start => Run then type telnet 192.168.254.1 command hit enter it will prompt you a window lead to command line interface.

You may now login using the simple steps below:

LOGIN: Firefly

PASSWORD: $P4mb1h1r4N4m4nT0!!

Then press enter

ATP>xiugai macdizhi XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX
ATP>diag restore default

Wait, now the Huawei BM622i WiMAX 4G Wireless broadband CPE modem will reboot. Open any your favorite browser on address bar type http://192.168.254.1 with the username and password user, use Huawei WiMAX password generator to generate the admin password to be able to login as admin privilege account.

Congratulation, you may now able to change your Huawei BM622i WiMAX 4G CPE wireless broadband modem.

Read More

BM622i Change MAC via Telnet 2011 Firmware

This tutorial is how to change MAC Address on Huawei BM622i WiMAX CPE 4G wireless broadband modem firmware 2011 aka V100R001PHLC08B025. To do this is you must have a telnet client, if you are using Windows 7 you must enable it first on your Control Panel => Programs and features. On Windows XP telnet client is enable by default or you can use Putty if you do not have one it is also a telnet client.

If your prefer to used Windows telnet client  you can click Start => Run, then type cmd a command to open Windows command line interface (CLI) then just press enter will prompt you a window. Type telnet 192.168.254.1 be sure your in the same subnet IP address range. On the other hand, you can also use Putty utility a graphical interface (GUI) telnet client just input 192.168.254.1 on port 23 and it will open a window telnet.

Here's the few steps on how to do the stuff via telnet command line interface:

—————————————
——–Welcome to ATP Cli——
—————————————
Login: wimax
Password:wimax820
ATP>diag set macaddr XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX

set Lan mac address success
Lan mac address updated XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX
set Lan Mac address Sucess
Wan mac address updated XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX

ATP>diag reboot

Wait, Huawei BM622i will reboot.

Then after the Huawei BM622i WiMAX CPE 4G broadband modem reboots, open any browser type http://192.168.254.1 login with the Username and Password "user", used password generator to generate an admin password for the MAC you used and log in as admin on Huawei BM22i.

On the left side menu clicked or go to WiMAX => Security
You must change the NAI with your MAC Address "XXXXXXXXXXXX@globelines.com.ph"

Changing the Username and Password is a must with the admin password you have generated from your generator and then click apply to save the changes. If it works for me then absolutely it will also works for you.

Congratulation and enjoy!

Read More

Preventing Kidney Stones Made Easy

Kidney stones (renal lithiasis) can be one of the most excruciatingly painful conditions you can experience. In the United States, about 10-15 percent of adults will be diagnosed with a kidney stone in their lifetime.

Roughly 1 million Americans develop kidney stones each year. Once you have had one kidney stone attack, your chance of recurrence is about 70 to 80 percent. urethra

Family genetics can increase your risk. And the younger you are when you have your first attack, the greater your risk of recurrence.

Records of kidney stones can be found since the beginning of civilization. Lithotomy, a surgical procedure for removing stones, is one of the earliest known surgical procedures. In fact, a caution about the dangers of surgically removing stones is even found in the text of the Hippocratic Oath.

If you are a man, your risk for kidney stones is four times greater than if you are a woman. And if you live in the southeastern part of the U.S., also referred to as the “Kidney Stone Belt,” your risk is even greater due to higher rates of dehydration.

In the Middle East, kidney stone rates are nearly double what they are in the U.S., due to the warmer climate.

Kidney stones can range in size from a grain of sand to larger than a golf ball. If a stone fails to pass, permanent damage to your urinary tract can result.

This is not something to ignore -- not that you could easily ignore such a painful episode.

The number of cases of adult kidney stones appears to be on the rise, most likely as a result of modern diets. And now, kidney stones are being seen in children in unprecedented numbers[1] ... just one more sad result of our modern dietary habits.

Fortunately, 90 to 95 percent of kidney stones pass within a number of days or weeks, without any intervention at all. And, even better news -- the best remedy is also the best prevention, and also happens to be the least expensive: simply drink more water.

Recognizing a Kidney Stone Attack

Your kidneys are responsible for removing excess fluid from your body and filtering out unneeded electrolytes and wastes from your blood, resulting in the production of urine.

Kidney stones form when the minerals and acid salts in your urine crystallize, stick together, and solidify into a mass. This happens when your urine contains more crystal-forming substances, such as calcium and uric acid, than the available fluid can dilute. This can happen when urine is highly acid or highly alkaline.

The conditions allowing kidney stones to form are created by problems in the way your body absorbs and eliminates calcium and other substances. Sometimes the underlying cause is a metabolic disorder or kidney disease.

Certain drugs can also promote kidney stones, such as Lasix (furosemide), Topomax (topiramate), and Xenical, among others. Many times, it is a combination of factors that create an environment favorable to stone formation.

You won’t know you have a stone until it moves into the ureter—the tube connecting your kidney and your bladder. Common symptoms include[2]:

• Pain in your side and back, below your ribs
• Episodes of pain lasting 20 to 60 minutes, of varying intensity
• Pain “waves” radiating from your side and back, to your lower abdomen and groin
• Bloody, cloudy or foul-smelling urine
• Pain with urination
• Nausea and vomiting
• “Urgency” (persistent urge to urinate)
• Fever and chills (indicates an infection is also present)

The pain is a result of distention of the tissues above the stone, since it is blocking the passage of urine, rather than from the pressure of the stone itself.

Four Types of Kidney Stones

Most kidney stones contain crystals of multiple types. However, usually one type predominates, and determining the type helps you identify the underlying cause3:

1. Calcium stones. The most common type (four out of five cases)is usually in the form of calcium oxalate. Oxalate is found in some fruits and vegetables, but your liver produces most of your oxalate. If you are found to have oxalate stones, your doctor may recommend avoiding foods rich in oxalates, such as dark green vegetables, nuts and chocolate.
2. Struvite stones: Found more often in women, these are almost always the result of urinary tract infections.
3. Uric acid stones. These are a byproduct of protein metabolism.They’re commonly seen with gout,and may result from certain genetic factors and disorders of your blood-producing tissues.
4. Cystine stones. Represent a very small percentage of kidney stones.These are the result of a hereditary disorder that causes your kidneys to excrete massive amounts of certain amino acids (cystinuria).

Many Risk Factors are Under YOUR Control

The number one risk factor for kidney stones is not drinking enough water. If you aren’t drinking enough, your urine will simply have higher concentrations of substances that can form stones.

How do you know if you are drinking enough water?

You want your urine to be a light yellow. Every person’s water requirement is different, depending on your particular system and activity level, but simply keeping your urine light yellow will go a long way toward preventing kidney stones. Remember to increase your water intake whenever you increase your activity, and when you’re in a warmer climate.

If you happen to be taking any multivitamins or B supplements that contain vitamin B2 (riboflavin), the color of your urine will be a very bright nearly fluorescent yellow and this will not allow you to use the color of your urine as a guide to how well you are hydrated.

Waiting until you feel thirsty is often too late. Thirst usually signifies dehydration.

Healthy Lifestyle is KEY to Avoiding Kidney Stones

Another risk factor is being sedentary. You’re more prone to kidney stones if you’re bedridden or very sedentary for a long period of time, partly because limited activity can cause your bones to release more calcium.

High blood pressure doubles your risk for kidney stones.

Digestive problems also increase your risk, since changes in the digestive process affect your absorption of calcium and other minerals.

A diet high in sugar can set you up for stones, since sugar upsets the mineral relationships in your body by interfering with calcium and magnesium absorption. Not only does sugar and high fructose corn syrup lead to obesity and diabetes, but also the current over-the-top consumption of these unhealthy sugars by children is a large factor in why children as young as age 5 or 6 are now turning up with kidney stones.

A 1999 South African study[3] found that drinking soda exacerbates conditions in the urine that lead to formation of calcium oxalate kidney stone problems.

Diets high in processed salt are also bad news. Salt increases the amount of calcium and oxalate in your urine. And processed foods are extremely high in salt.

Dr. Bruce L. Slaughenhoupt, co-director of pediatric urology at the University of Wisconsin, reports a huge increase in the salt load of children’s diets -- from salty chips, French fries, sandwich meats, canned soups, and sports drinks like Gatorade, which are now sold in child-friendly juice boxes. He believes the overconsumption of processed foods by children today is the cause of increased kidney stones in children2.

Not surprisingly, there also appears to be a connection between childhood obesity and kidney stones.[4]. Children are notorious for not drinking enough water, adding to the problem.

Consumption of soy can predispose you to developing kidney stones due to high levels of oxalate present in many varieties of soybeans. One more nail in the coffin for non-fermented soy!

And finally, caffeine has been linked to kidney stones. In one study, caffeine was given to people with a history of kidney stones, after which their urine was examined. The subjects showed elevated urine calcium, putting them at higher risk for kidney stones.

What About Your Calcium Intake?

In the past, kidney stone sufferers have been warned to avoid foods rich in calcium. However, there is now evidence that avoiding calcium may do more harm than good. The Harvard School of Public Health conducted a study of more than 45,000 men. The men who had diets rich in calcium had a one-third lower risk of kidney stones than those with lower calcium diets[5].

Why would this be? It seems counterintuitive. After all, calcium is the largest component in the stones.

The answer is that high dietary calcium actually blocks a chemical action that causes the formation of the stones. It binds with oxalates (from foods) in your intestine, which then prevents both from being absorbed into your blood and later transferred to your kidneys.

So, urinary oxalates may be more important to formation of calcium-oxalate kidney stone crystals than is urinary calcium.

It is important to note that it is the calcium from foods that is beneficial -- not calcium supplements, which have actually been found to increase your risk of kidney stones by 20 percent[6].

Busting the Myth That High Protein Diets Lead to Kidney Stones

In the 1990s when the Atkins diet reached huge popularity, critics claimed that high protein intake leads to kidney stones. This turned out to be a complete myth, but the misinformation is still being circulated.

Although protein restricted diets are helpful for people who already have kidney disease, eating meat does not cause kidney problems[7]. Furthermore, the fat-soluble vitamins and saturated fat found in animal foods are pivotal for the proper functioning of your kidneys.

“Don’t Do Something -- Just Sit There!”

As with most things, the best approach is the safest and simplest--letting the stone pass on its own. This might take days, or weeks in some cases, but the key is to drink enough water -- NOT soda -- to decrease the concentration of solids in your urine to the point that the stone will be dissolved.

Avoid drinking tea since it is high in oxalates.

There are several medical procedures and surgical techniques that can be used to treat kidney stones, but the risks are high enough that physicians typically shy away from them, unless there's no other choice. This is actually a good thing, considering the multitude of problems American patients face due to medical errors.

Pain medications will usually be offered, if your pain level is intolerable.

Some medicinal herbs have been identified to be helpful for acute episodes, including:

• nettle leaf[8]
• bearberry
• cleavers
• corn silk
• crampbark
• gravel root
• kava kava
• khella
• hydrangea
• stone root[9]

You should always consult the advice of an expert herbalist, since herbs can be every bit as potent as pharmaceuticals and may cause harm if used improperly.

Of course, even better than letting a kidney stone pass naturally would be if you never had to deal with this very painful problem in the first place.

Lifestyle Modifications for Healthy Kidneys

In summary, a few lifestyle modifications will go a long way toward preventing a painful kidney stone attack:

• As discussed previously, stay well hydrated
• Eat a diet based on your body’s unique nutritional type
• Avoid taking prescription drugs that harm more than they heal
• Avoid sugar, soy, caffeine, excess salt, and processed foods
• Get plenty of exercise to keep your body’s fluids moving
• Make sure you’re getting adequate magnesium and vitamin B6 in your diet, which have both been suggested to help prevent kidney stone formation

Lifestyle changes always take some effort and might seem inconvenient at first. But compared to the painful process of passing a kidney stone, a few lifestyle changes are a cinch!

This article is written By Dr. Mercola via mercola.com

Reference

[1] Tarkan L. A rise in kidney stones is seen in U.S. children. The New York Times (online), October 27, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/28/health/28kidn.html

[2] Kidney Stones, MayoClinic.com http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/kidney-stones/DS00282

[3] Rodgers A. Effect of cola consumption on urinary biochemical and physicochemical risk factors associated with calcium oxalate urolithiasis. Urol Res. 1999;27(1):77-81 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10092157

[4] “Kidney stones in children on the rise, expert says,” ScienceDaily (May 5, 2009) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090504211038.htm

[5] Curhan GC, Willett WC, Rimm EB, Stampfer MJ. A prospective study of dietary calcium and other nutrients and the risk of symptomatic kidney stones. N Engl J Med. 1993 Mar 25;328(12):833-8 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8441427?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus

[6] Baxter R. The Kidney Stone Web Site. http://www.rogerbaxter.com/KidneyStone/Pages/KidneyStone_4.shtml

[7] Dwyer JT, et al. Diet, indicators of kidney disease, and later mortality among older persons in the NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-Up Study. Am J Public Health. 1994 Aug;84(8):1299-303

[8] “18 home remedies for kidney stones,” Howstuffworks.com http://health.howstuffworks.com/home-remedies-for-kidney-stones.htm

[9] “Kidney Stones: Alternative Treatment,” Urologychannel http://www.urologychannel.com/kidneystones/index.shtml

Read More

Health Benefits of Orange

The orange is one of the most common and popular fruit. It is well-liked because of its easy availability all year round, dense nutrition, and it tastes good.

Oranges are round citrus fruits ranging in diameter from about 2 to 3 inches, with finely texturized skins that are orange in color.

Its pulp is also orange in color and very succulent, surrounded by its skin which can vary in thickness depending on its variety.

There are oranges that are sweet, bitter and sour, so you'll need to know the variety you're buying. The sweet variety are usually more fragrant. They include Valencia, Navel and Jaffa oranges which are ideal for making juices.

In the orange family, there are also the Mandarin oranges (with loose skin), Clementine (loose skin and seedless), the tangerine (orange-red Mandarin), the Minneola (cross between tangerine and grapefruit), the blood orange that has dark burgundy colored flesh, kumquat, and a few other lesser known ones.

The Mandarin oranges are especially popular with the Chinese as the word "orange" in Chinese sounds like "gold" or "good luck". Come the Lunar New Year, the Chinese buy oranges by the boxes to be given away to express good wishes for the new year.

Nutritional Benefits

Oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C and flavonoids. One orange (130 grams) supplies nearly 100 percent of the recommended daily dietary intake of vitamin C.

When you eat a whole orange, it provides good dietary fiber. Leave in the albedo (the white matter under the peel) as much as possible as the albedo contains the highest amount of valuable bioflavonoids and other anti-cancer agents.

In addition, oranges are a good source of vitamin A, the B vitamins, amino acids, beta-carotene, pectin, potassium, folic acid, calcium, iodine, phosphorus, sodium, zinc, manganese, chlorine and iron.

Health Benefits

An orange packs over 170 different phytonutrients and more than 60 flavonoids, many of which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour and blood clot inhibiting properties, as well as strong anti-oxidant effects.

The combination of the high amount of anti-oxidant (vitamin C) and flavonoids in oranges makes it one of the best fruits in helping to promote optimal health.

Arteriosclerosis: Regularly consuming vitamin C retards the development of hardening of the arteries.

Cancer prevention: A compound in oranges called liminoid, has been found to help fight cancers of the mouth, skin, lung, breast, stomach and colon. The high vitamin C content also acts as a good anti-oxidant that protects cells from damages by free radicals.

Cholesterol: The alkaloid synephrine found under the orange peel can reduce the liver's production of cholesterol. Whereas the anti-oxidant fights oxidative stress that is the main culprit in oxidizing the LDLs in our blood.

Constipation: Even though the orange "tastes acidic", it actually has an alkaline effect in the digestive system and helps stimulate the digestive juices, relieving constipation.

Damaged sperm, repair: An orange a day is sufficient for a man to keep his sperm healthy. Vitamin C, an anti-oxidant, protects sperm from genetic damage that may cause a birth defect.

Heart disease: A high intake of flavonoids and vitamin C has been known to halve the risk of heart diseases.

High blood pressure: Studies have shown that a flavonoid called hesperidin in oranges can lower high blood pressure.

Immune system: The strong content of vitamin C stimulates white cells to fight infection, naturally building a good immune system.

Kidney stones, prevent: Drinking orange juice daily can significantly drop the risk of formation of calcium oxalate stones in the kidney.

Skin: The anti-oxidant in orange help protect the skin from free radical damage known to cause signs of aging.

Stomach ulcer: Consuming vitamin C rich foods helps to lower the incidence of peptic ulcers and in turn, reduce the risk of stomach cancer.

Viral infections, protection against: The abundance of polyphenols have been shown to provide protection against viral infections.

Consumption Tips

Choose oranges that are firm and heavy for their size. This indicates that they are full of juice. Lighter fruit has more skin and drier pulp indicating less juice.

Oranges make good snack - just peel and enjoy, especially the loose skin varieties.

To extract most juice from oranges, always juice them when they are at room temperature. Rolling them under the palm of your hand on a flat surface will also help extract more juice.

Vitamin C gets destroyed fast when exposed to the air, so eat up an orange quickly once cut up. Do not leave the juice exposed for too long to preserve optimal nutrients.

Oranges can be stored at room temperature for up to two weeks or stored loosely in the refrigerator. Do not store wrapped to prevent moisture and mold.

Caution

No doubt oranges have many health benefits, always remember to eat in moderation. Excessive consumption of any citrus juices can leach calcium from the body system, causing decay of the bones and teeth.

Although we often don't eat orange peel in significant quantity, it is good to know that citrus peels contain some oils that may interfere with the effects of vitamin A.

Read More