Healthiest Foods on Earth

Note: To vindicate myself, having written earlier a post on my current affinity with unhealthy comfort food, let me share this article I got from an email. It was lifted from Live Health Club. Some of the food are everyday fare. Glad to know that my favorite versatile food for all seasons, egg, is there : ) It's good to know it doesn't take much to eat healthy.

1. Berries
All berries are low in sugar and high in fiber. Blueberries have been shown to increase memory in lab studies, and raspberries and strawberries are loaded with ellagic acid, a powerful antioxidant that seems to have some anti-cancer properties, according to the American Cancer Society.

2. Beans
Beans are extremely high in fiber, which helps to control weight, prevent or manage diabetes and blood sugar, and may help prevent colon cancer and protect against heart disease. The National Institute of Medicine recommends 25-38 grams of fiber a day. The average American gets only 4-11 grams. One cup of beans provides 11-17 grams.

3. Nuts
Some of the largest and most important long-term studies of diet and health have shown that eating nuts several times a week is consistent with a risk of heart attack and heart disease that is 30%-50% lower than the general population. Just one ounce of nuts-almonds, macadamia, Brazil , walnuts, pecans-eaten three to five times a week seems to be the magic number.

4. Wild Salmon
Fish is the ultimate anti-aging food. Cold-water fatty fish like wild salmon, sardines, mackerel and herring contain omega-3 fats that protect the brain and the heart, improve mood, and lower blood pressure and triglycerides.

5. Raw Milk
Raw, organic milk nearly always comes from grass-fed cows and contains high levels of cancer-fighting CLA (conjugated linolenic acid) as well as a rich assortment of vitamins, minerals and beneficial bacteria (like Lactobacillus acidophilus)

6. Grass-Fed Meat
Meat from grass-fed cows has a much different fat profile than ordinary supermarket meat: high in omega-3s, lower in potentially harmful omega-6s and loaded with CLA, a kind of fat known for its anti-cancer activity. A superb source of protein and vitamin B12, it's also missing the antibiotics, steroids and hormones found in the meat that comes from feedlot farms.

7. Eggs
Considered by many to be nature's most perfect food, the egg is high in protein and relatively low in calories. The yolk contains choline, one of the most important nutrients for the brain, as well as lutein and xeazanthin, two critical nutrients for eye health. Brassica Vegetables Cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and kale all contain plant compounds called indoles that help reduce the risk of cancer. In addition to a stunning range of vitamins and minerals, they also contain sulforaphane, an important plant chemical that helps the body detoxify health-damaging chemicals.

8. Apples
Not only do they keep the doctor away, they also appear to do the same for lung cancer, diabetes and asthma. An apple contains five grams of fiber and a rich blend of nutrients including the bone-building vitamin K and the anti-inflammatory nutrient quercetin. And there's no better way to control your appetite than an apple eaten about half an hour before a big meal.

9. Onions and Garlic
In an impressive number of published studies, the consumption of onions and garlic has demonstrated protective effects against stomach, prostate and esophageal cancer. Along with broccoli, tea and apples, onions and garlic are among a select group of foods found to reduce mortality from heart disease by 20%.

10. Pomegranate Juice
Called "a natural Viagra" by researchers at Tel Aviv University , pomegranate juice is loaded with antioxidants. Studies show it can reduce blood pressure and plaque in the arteries. New research indicates it also slows the progression of tumors.. Four to eight ounces a day is highly recommended.

11. Green Tea
Though all teas are great for you, green tea has a unique profile of plant chemicals that have anti-cancer activity. It's now fairly established that green tea may help prevent the following types of cancers in humans: bladder, colon, esophagus, pancreas, rectum and stomach. If that's not enough, it also appears to help with weight control.

There you have it. The choice is yours.

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Preventing H1N1 (Swine Flu)

Note: I got this from my email. The remedies are effortless and look harmless enough. An ounce of prevention is always better than a pound of cure.

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global
epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps can be practiced even in our regular routine.

1. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water or Listerine. *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive, and powerful preventative method.

2. Blow the nose hard once a day and swab both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.

3. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

4. Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

STAY HEALTHY

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Warning on Gardasil Vaccine for Cervical Cancer

Update: A rejoiner to this post may be viewed at Barrio Siete courtesy of the dfish, an alumnus of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. I sought his opinion on this issue in the interest of fairness and transparency.

I don't have the vaccine yet. It's quite expensive and one needs three shots. And I have two girls who should get it too if I will get it. This information made me reconsider my intention to get one. More importantly, I don't have the funds yet. Am I lucky or what? However, the choice still belongs to you. I'd rather err on the side of caution.

The Health Science Institute HSI) has issued a public warning advising girls and women to avoid being vaccinated with the Cervical Cancer vaccine called Gardasil. According to Jenny Thompson at HSI, 11,916 adverse events after injection have already been reported to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)and counting. Those adverse events include:

Pain and swelling. Life-threatening muscle weakness.

Blood clots in the heart and lungs.

The deaths of 32 innocent girls and young women.

The health threats listed above have all been linked with Gardasil, the so-called "cervical cancer vaccine" says Thompson.

Merck, the pharmaceutical giant that manufactures Gardasil is aggressively marketing the vaccine as a way for parents and young women to protect themselves from Cervical Cancer and thus saves lives.

HSI's Jenny Thompson has released a 7 minute video in which she exposes the deception put forth in the marketing of this vaccine and reveals some truly shocking information no one else is talking about.

If you have daughters, granddaughters or friends who might be considering this vaccine, you must watch this video. Please forward it to anyone you think would benefit from the vital information it contains.

If you think you know the whole story on Gardasil, you'll be shocked by what you're about to see. It's just a few minutes long and those few minutes might just save a young girl's life.

Note: I may be biased but any expose' on giant corporations deserves our attention. I take a strong stance against deceptive marketing ploy by capitalist companies. I once was a medical representative for a large drug company. Multinationals will pay for anything so that doctors will prescribe their drugs. The pharmaceutical business is one big conspiracy among multinational, government officials that coddles these companies, and unscrupulous members of the medical profession.

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Eating Fruits the Right Way

I was curious about this information that I got from my friend, Dayap, through email. I thought I should give it a try weeks after receiving it. A few days before I tried this technique, a friend would send me an email telling me she is doing it eating only two bananas for breakfast. The results are encouraging as she told me her tummy has shrunk a bit and she is more active and feels light.

I have been eating fruits before meals for about three week now. The fruit kinda
lines your stomach before your actual meal. I ate less as a result but still feel satisfied. Like my friend, I feel lighter too. With lightness comes energy and I feel like I can do much more. My tummy feels softer and I might be hallucinating but I think it is smaller too. I don't feel bloated like I use too after every meal. I am monitoring my weight and I think I lost a pound or two. The results are not as dramatic as other weight loss programs but I am definitely feeling much lighter now. The clincher is it also address my constipation problem.

There's one problem though........ We run out of fruits by the end of the work week.

We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths. It's not as easy as you think. It's important to know how and when to eat.

What is the correct way of eating fruits?

IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUITS AFTER YOUR MEALS! FRUITS SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.

If you eat fruit like that, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.

FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD. Let's say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so.
In the meantime the whole meal rots and ferments and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil.

So please eat your fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals! You have heard people complaining - every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats up, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet etc - actually all this will not arise if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. The fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat!

Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles under the eyes all these will not happen if you take fruits on an empty stomach.

There is no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruits become alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the Secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight.

When you need to drink fruit juice - drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans. Don't even drink juice that has been heated up. Don't eat cooked fruits because you don't get the nutrients at all. You only get to taste. Cooking destroys all the vitamins.

But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse your body. Just eat fruits and drink fruit juice throughout the 3 days and you will be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look!

KIWI: Tiny but mighty.. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.
APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.
STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.
ORANGE: Sweetest medicine. Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.
WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & Potassium.
GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.
Caution: This experience is purely based on this blogger's experience. Please consult your doctor for any physical or health regimen you will undertake.

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Health and Wellness

Good health begins with good information.- B.B. Martin

A new section I will add to this blog is one that tackles health and feeling well generally. I get tons of information from varied sources on the benefits of some products, services, methods, techniques, and even a way of living that promote health and overall well-being. Like anyone, I like to feel good about myself. I am not necessarily in search of the eternal fountain of youth but I would want to get the most out of life by having good health. Everyone can relate to this goal.

Very simply, "wellness" means a state that combines health and happiness. It usually includes physical, mental and spiritual health.

The opposite of wellness is illness. So the definition of wellness would include the condition of no or little illness and there are different degrees of this.

Besides, health would be a better topic than say religion or politics, as I notice that people tend to discuss health issues more vibrantly without losing their cool. Everyone has at one time or another tried healthier living. Many times we fail. There might have been small victories. Some may be more successful than others. Some would start and stop a program and start another one and this cycle goes on and on. One program may be successful initially but over time results would become less dramatic. Some may claim not to need any lifestyle change that would restrict free choice of food, activities, and life patterns until it is too late......

Whatever your experience is, it is most certain that we all desire a life free from disease, pains, and other medical problems at a certain point in time. These days, kids are even much more discriminating in what they eat and consume; in their habits; and in their lifestyle in general. I see this in my own kids and my students. Gone are the days when smoking and drinking were considered chic. My kids shrieked as soon as they learned I was a one-time smoker. MD mocked me saying, "ewwwwwwwwww!". Just for the record, I was not a heavy smoker. The 'bad' habit was formed out of peer pressure. It was dropped even before I could enjoy it as I developed a lung problem.

I have been reformed since my days of wild abandon and invincibility. Just for purposes of profiling this blogger, I am 5'5" tall and more or less fall within my normal weight range. I don't diet conciously to be model 'thin'. I eat just about anything but would lose appetite on certain food at particular times. I used to easily lose the weight gained in a short time. This would explain why I stay at a certain weight for a long time until recent years when I slowly packed the pounds. I don't weigh myself regularly which would probably explain why I didn't notice that undesirable portions are already added to my once lean frame. At my heaviest, I was nearing 130 lbs and I don't feel good at this weight. I am not obese or anything like that. It's just that I am used to being under my normal weight most of my life. I feel and look better when I feel lighter. It is for this reason that I want to lose some of these unwanted pounds. My target is to go back to within the 115 - 120 lbs range. I am currently between 125 - 128 lbs.

In recent years, I would have pains in different parts of the body notably my back that are perhaps brought about by poor eating habits and unhealthy lifestyle. I subscribe to an annual physical examination and have thus far been conferred a 'normal and healthy' individual certificate for all tests conducted including those added for persons reaching a certain age (yeah, I reached it.... no need to rub it in!) Aside from this, I don't have any serious ailments thus far.

I have slowed down in my activities because of various preoccupation and a general feeling of lethargy making me want to spend any little idle time that I have just lying down. I gave up playing badminton with friends because of lack of opponents and time (even my friends do not have much time anymore). Walking whenever possible is my only physical activity. I do this on an almost daily basis because I walk home after disembarking from my shuttle service in the evening. In addition, running up and down my three-storey home can be considered another exercise.

I still maintain a fair amount of social life tete-a-teteing with friends while having coffee or sipping wine. I am mostly on the internet at work and still does this at home at times. My family would occassionally eat out to celebrate or just to do something different. I have become a homebody eversince I had kids. I love shopping and travelling and would do this more if I have the means.

I take life as it is....... tread through both potholes and expressway of life. I ask for His Guidance whenever I feel that I couldn't take on some more......

So where am I on the "health and wellness scale"?

Where are you on this scale? We definitely change position from day-to-day, but take a good look and see where you feel you are overall on the "health and wellness scale."

Are you sick, tired or almost dead most of the time? Jumping up and down with vitality, aliveness and energy often? Or somewhere in between?

This is the one of the first things you can do to improve your health and energy – find out where you are now. Even if you don't think you’re a “spring chicken” or you have a chronic illness, you can always improve your condition, even a little.

So take time and look at where you are right now on the scale of wellness. Don't worry about where you'd like to be for the time being. We start on the road to improvement by taking the next realistic step from where we are today.

Most people only look at where they want to be and tend to give up easily when they don't get there tomorrow. When you identify where you are now, then you'll be in a position to take the next realistic step towards improvement.

One of the things that we should keep in mind is that I need to focus on the little improvements and pat ourselves on the back for achieving those "little" goals - and then go on to the next step.

Well, I guess, I am not that bad in this scale but I could use some help to make the most out of life.........

This site mainly focuses on the physical aspect of improving health, but the mental and spiritual factors are key to total wellness and a feeling of well-being as well. In my desire to improve my health and energy level, my attitude has been a vital aspect in achieving my goals.

This space is open to all who wants to share their own experiences in healthy living. By sharing information, a better life can be achieved.

Related Posts:
Improving Health and Energy
Health and Wellness

N.B. Posts in this section are not scientifically and empirically tested solutions to health problems but are means personally tried or being contemplated on being tried by this blogger. Caution should be exercised when trying any of the methods discussed.

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