DID YOU KNOW THIS ABOUT SWEET POTATOES?

 

ADD COCONUT OIL TO YOUR DIET

 

In spite of what you may have heard over the years about coconut oil and cholesterol, you need coconut oil in your diet!  Several years ago the scientific and medical worlds went crazy with all kinds of cholesterol warnings and unfortunately coconut was lumped into the "bad for you" category.  Once the research really got into the heart of the matter and discovered there were two types of cholesterol, LDL and HDL, they kind of left it there without going public to correct some of the products they had falsely smeared.  Ladies and gentlemen, coconut contains the HDL or good for you cholesterol!  If you do not have coconut oil as a part of your diet, add it.  Coconut oil is a natural antibiotic that can help defend your body against viruses.  Coconut oil is also very effective in the brain in helping to prevent and/or help the symptoms of Alzheimer's, dementia, Parkinson's disease, ALS, etc.

Two important things to remember:

1. Alzheimer's and other similar diseases start in the brain up to 20 years before symptoms are shown.  Add coconut oil to your diet now.
2. Use only PURE Coconut oil!  If you do not use pure coconut oil, you will be getting "hydrogenated" products in your coconut oil.  Hydrogenated simply means "trans fat" which is  not good for you.  Pure coconut oil may be more expensive but it is worth it!

This is the coconut oil I use.  Buy any brand that suits you as long as it is "Pure."

MAKE A HEALTHIER SANDWICH

If you are one of those people who smother their sandwiches with mayonnaise, you need to change your sandwich making ways!  Try replacing mayonnaise on your sandwiches with a whole-grain mustard.  For every tablespoon of mayonnaise you replace with a tablespoon of a whole-grain mustard, you will save 80 calories and 9 1/2 grams of fat.  That amount of fat is equal to two slices of bacon!  And another plus to make that switch?  Mustard seed is a relative of cabbage and kale and contains similar immune-boosting properties.  Buy the grainy varieties of mustard since the bright yellow prepared mustard is more processed.  The more any food is processed, the less of its healthy properties it maintains.

Always add lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc to your sandwich for added fiber and a vegetable serving.

Use whole-grain, multi-grain, or low-carb bread rather than refined white bread.

This is just a few examples of simple ways you can change your eating habits to better your health and also help control your weight.

BANANAS FOR ASTHMA?

How about another reason to eat bananas?  Most of us know bananas are a rich source of potassium and can help us keep our blood pressure down.  The average medium-size banana contains only 100 calories and has 3 grams of fiber.  But here is something about bananas that may surprise you.  A British study found that eating bananas daily may protect children from asthma symptoms!  If you are not allergic to bananas make sure you keep bananas available for your children and eat them yourself, too!

APPLES & PEARS FOR STROKE PREVENTION

We all know apples are good for us for many different reasons.  There's the quercetin that can protect brain cells from tissue-damaging free radicals, one average apple contains 16% of your daily fiber requirement, etc.  But a study published a few years ago by Wageningen University in the Netherlands, shows that white-fleshed fruits (apples and pears are the best examples given) may help reduce your risk of having a stroke by around 50%!  Now that is good news.  What a tasty way to cut your risk of stoke.  Just another reason to make sure you are eating these tasty fruits.

Personal note: One of my late mother's favorite snacks was an apple with peanut butter. Yet she had a stroke at age 76. Strokes ran in her family. But I still say eating an apple or pear a day is a good idea.

RED AND BLACK GRAPES FOR YOUR SKIN

Are you worried about your aging skin?  Then you may want to add more red and black grapes to your diet!  What a tasty way to protect your skin!  These grapes strengthen the capillaries in the skin and that protects against thread or spider veins. They also keep the skin from sagging and help it to remain supple.  Better be sure to swing by produce and pick up some red and/or black grapes the next time you are grocery shopping!

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EASY WAY TO CUT BACK ON SALT

I think we are all aware Americans eat way too much salt. If you are one of those in this category, try this trick.  (First of all, never add salt to the food on your plate especially without tasting it first!)  None of us want to eat dull bland food but you can cut back on salt without giving up flavor.  Did you know you can use less salt by adding a spritz of citrus juice to most foods without giving up flavor? In fact this often enhances flavors.  Why not give it a try and see if you can't do your heart a favor by eliminating some of the excess salt in your diet.  Notice, I am not recommending you have to give up salt, just cut back unless your doctor has told you to eliminate salt!

Note: There are actually people who are deficient in sodium (salt), my husband was one of them. This does not apply to those persons.

A HEALTHY GRANULATED SUGAR SWAP

If you are concerned with your health and would like to improve your diet, here is a good, simple way to start.  Start replacing most of the granulated sugar in your diet with honey.  As has been discussed earlier on this blog, granulated sugar is basically stripped of all its nutritional value during processing so you are really not getting much nutrition when you consume it.  Start using honey to sweeten your beverages, oatmeal, etc.  Remember honey has antioxidants so you are trading a nutrient-poor sweetener for an antioxidant-laced one.  Honey still has calories though; 22 per teaspoon.  However, a University of Wyoming study found that making this switch from granulated sugar to honey could affect hunger hormones in a slimming way.  Compared with sugar, honey delayed the rise of ghrelin, a hormone that drives us to eat and it boosted levels of the feel-full compound PYY!

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Please note: Some people are allergic to some honey.

VITAMIN-C AND CARNITINE

First of all, what is carnitine? Here is the definition according to wikipedia:

Carnitine is a type of amino acid that benefits energy levels by transporting fatty acids into the mitochondria where they can be burned up and used as fuel.

There are many reasons for fatigue that are not related to a lack of sleep. One of the main reasons may be your diet. We must eat enough of the right foods for our bodies to get enough of the nutrients it needs to stay energized. Recent university studies have shown there is a link between fatigue and low vitamin C. It has been discovered that persons who are low in vitamin C may have up to a 50% drop in carnitine levels in their muscles.

Low levels of carnitine, a molecule that helps the body burn fat, may also be a culprit in unwanted weight gain. Would you believe, professionals say as many as one in three women aren't getting enough vitamin C.

If you feel fatigued but you are getting enough sleep and don't have other physical problems that contribute to fatigue or in spite of everything, you can't seem to lose weight or are putting on excess weight, get your vitamin C and carnitine levels checked. Even better, be sure you are eating enough vitamin C rich foods to keep your body going.

By the way, check out other vitamin C posts on this blog. You will be surprised what foods are highest in vitamin C. It is not oranges or orange juice!

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MORE ON WALKING

Anyone old enough to remember the old song, "These boots are made for walking and that's just what they'll do"?  Well now, I don't recommend boots, but I do recommend a good pair of walking shoes and get with it!  Dr. James Rippe stated, "You can lose about 18 pounds a year - without dieting - if you walk 45 minutes, four times a week."  There are many other benefits to walking besides weight loss.  Ask your doctor about the benefits of walking and he/she will probably give you more than you ask for!  I'm not even recommending the 45 minutes 4 times a week that Dr. Rippe mentioned.  As in yesterday's post, make some small changes requiring more walking yourself.  And 20 minutes a day or 3 or 4 days a week is a good start.

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LIVE A LONG HEALTHY LIFE

Do you wish to live a long healthy life?  Most people do, so here is a quote from Registered Dietitian Linda Van Horn, Ph.D., a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and a member of the American Heart Association's nutrition committee: "If you want to live a long, healthy life, regularly eat a variety of foods rich in nutrients, live an active lifestyle, and make the occasional treat something you really enjoy."  Sounds like good advice to me!

MIND GAMES TO HELP YOU EAT LESS

There really are ways to trick your mind and cut back on calories.  Some have been mentioned on this blog before but are worth mentioning again.  A couple are new to this blog.  I'm sure you can come up with even more.  Cut back on the number of calories you eat by trying these tips:

• Use smaller size plates.  Get rid of your large dinner plates or hide them away for only special use.  Eat your meals on smaller plates.  Your brain sees a full plate and tricks you into thinking you are eating more than you are.
• Use light shades or white solid color plates.  When you really see how much food you are loading onto your plate, you tend to pile less on there!
• Use larger forks. A study by the University of Utah found that people who used large forks at big meals ate less than those with smaller forks.  It is thought that seeing your food disappearing more quickly tricks your brain into thinking you are full sooner.
• Cut sweet treats, even candies, in half.  Studies show that when given candies, those who cut their candies in half, ate on average 60 less calories than those who didn't cut their candies in half. When eating out and giving in to the temptation to try those rich desserts, always cut in half or share with your dining mates.
• Keep extra food out of sight.  Leaving extra food on the counter rather than in serving bowls on the table cut the number of calories women ate by an average of 10% according to a Cornell University professor.

It is possible to cut calories and still enjoy all your favorite foods!

MORE ON CELERY

Yesterday's post was about celery and its relationship to cancer prevention.  Today, here are a few more facts about this inexpensive, healthy food.  One of the best things about celery is that it is only 16 calories per cup or approximately 6 calories per stalk!  That makes it what is considered a negative calorie food meaning the body uses up the calories you take in to process it when you eat celery.

Another benefit of celery is that it is high in bone-building vitamin-K and trust me, as one who suffers from osteoporosis, you need to build healthy bones!  Celery is also a fiber food.

 

Enjoy celery sticks as a snack or with a sandwich.  It is easy to add celery do your diet by adding sliced or diced celery to soups, casseroles, stir-frys, etc.

CELERY AS A CANCER PREVENTATIVE?

If you have ever been on a diet you have surely eaten your share of celery sticks.  But did you realize you were also giving your body a cancer fighting tool?  That's right.  Celery works as an anti-inflammatory and it has coumarins which help to fight off cancer. 

Coumarin are radar-like phytochemicals that help white blood cells seek out potentially harmful cells, such as cancer cells, and the free radicals that cause normal cells to mutate into a cancerous state.

So celery's coumarins help to free the free radicals from damaging cells, thereby decreasing the mutations that can cause cells to become cancerous.  Also, acetylinic compounds in celery can stop the growth of tumor cells!

The bottom line here is this; if you aren't currently including celery in your diet, you should probably consider adding it.  Such an easy way to help protect your body from a devastating disease!!

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READY-MADE BBQ

If you like to buy your barbecue and/or barbecue sauce ready-made, watch out for the sodium content.  Barbecue can be an easy way for too much sodium to sneak into your diet.  When buying ready-made barbecue or sauce, try to purchase brands that have less than 300mg of sodium per serving.

CAYENNE, CHILI FLAKES AND CANCER

What, you say?  Cayenne pepper and chili flakes in relationship to cancer?  The answer is yes!  These foods or spices however you want to consider them, are something we should all be eating.  Not only are they "active" calories which have been discussed on this blog, they have protective properties!  Some of the active benefits of eating these items are that they can stimulate appetite in those who are suffering a loss of appetite due to illness and/or drugs.  They are also digestive aids, anti-inflammatories, and antibacterial.  The capsacain that protects chili peppers from disease may also extend that protection to humans!  Studies show that capsacain decreases PSA levels, the antigen whose level normally rises as prostate cancer develops.  It may also protect against stomach cancer and may even affect the spread of brain and spinal cord tumors known as gliomas.

My advice to anyone who doesn't currently use these ingredients in your food would be to start doing so immediately.  You don't have to drown your food with them, just use them regularly.

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES TO PREVENT COGNITIVE DECLINE

Once again, your mother's directive to eat your vegetables is proven to be good advice!  Studies have shown that eating vegetables improves blood flow and feeds the brain.  Studies of persons age 65 and up found those who eat at least 3 servings of fruits and vegetables a day showed a 40% less decline on cognitive tests than their counterparts who ate less fruits and vegetables.

INTERESTING FACTS ON CITRUS JUICE

Here are a couple of facts I have discovered in my research that I found interesting.  I imagine this is news to you, too.  Most of us who want orange juice, etc, go to the store and buy a bottle, carton, or even a can.  That is very convenient but not the best way to get the benefits of drinking citrus juice.  To get the full health benefits of citrus juices it is best to buy the fruits and squeeze them yourself.  Studies have shown that due to light and oxygen during processing and storage, citrus juices may lose up to 50% of their important flavonoids!

Another tidbit is that typically there is about 17% more vitamin C in organic citrus than in conventional.  I don't often recommend buying organic, but this might be a good place to do so.