#13 HEALTHIEST FRUITS - MANGOES

 As we continue posts on the health journal's list of the fifteen healthiest fruits, we go tropical. Number thirteen is mangoes. Following is the quote from the health journal's article.

"These tropical fruits contain a variety of nutrients, but they're especially rich in vitamins A and C, which have cellular-protective properties and are essential for the proper functioning of the immune system. Eating mangoes may further help support digestion and bowel movements: A 2018 study found that daily consumption of 300 grams of mango significantly improved subjects; stool consistency and frequency and reduced intestinal inflammation in those with chronic constipation even better than a fiber supplement."

file photo

#5 HEALTHIEST FRUITS - APPLES

 Does anyone else remember hearing, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."? That seemed to have been an important saying during my young years. Therefore, I was surprised to see apples at number five on this list. Following is the direct quote from the health guide I picked up in my oncologist office.

"These delectable fruits are high in soluble fiber, which promotes healthy blood lipid levels by decreasing the absorption of cholesterol in the digestive tract and increasing excretion. A 2020 review found that consuming apples is an effective way to lower your blood pressure, reduce total and LDL cholesterol levels, and lessen inflammatory markers, all of which helps guard against cardiovascular disease. Eating one small-to-medium-sized apple a day (about 100 to 150 grams) can support heart health, the review's research said."

file photo

#4 HEALTHIEST FRUITS - RASPBERRIES

Continuing on with the healthiest fruits list, we have reached number four - raspberries. Raspberries are one of my favorites, so I am glad to see them high on the list.  Below is the quote from the Health Guide list I picked up in my oncologist's office.

"Raspberries are one of the best sources of fiber out there, containing 8 grams of the nutrient per cup, or a hefty portion of the recommended daily amount.  Adding them to your diet promotes healthy bowel movements, helps prevent constipation, and fuels the growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract. Their fiber also helps you feel full after eating, making it easier to maintain a healthy body weight. Raspberries have an abundance of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, manganese, and vitamin K, along with disease-fighting antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds."

file photo

A FEW FRUITS AND THEIR HEALTH BENEFITS

We all know we should eat fruit every day. But certain foods can help with certain health problems. Here are just a few of the fruits and their healthy benefits.

• PAPAYA: Contains enzymes that promote digestion.
• PINEAPPLE: Contains enzymes that promote digestion and also acts aa an anti-inflammatory.
• CHERRIES: The juice helps with pain in fingers and toes caused by gout. According to Dr. Earl Mindell, it works by lowering the body's uric acid content.
• BANANAS: Combat the effects of diarrhea, calms discomfort caused by stomach acid and when eaten before bedtime, helps induce sleep.
• Cranberries: Science has confirmed what women have known for years, yes, cranberry juice helps prevent urinary tract infections. Tannins in the juice prevent bacteria from attaching to the cells that line the urinary tract.

This is a partial list. You can look up your favorite fruits to find out what special benefits they contain.

file photo for reference

BENEFITS OF THE SPICE CUMIN

The spice cumin has many benefits and should be used in cooking when possible. Here are some of the documented benefits of cumin:

• Appetite stimulant for those who are sick and need to increase their appetite - especially important for those suffering loss of appetite due to cancer treatments.
• Digestive aid.
• Anti-microbial
• Cumin seeds may slow down the growth of stomach and cervical tumors.
• Studies have shown that toasted cumin seeds are good for an upset stomach and also to relieve cramping.

file photo

WHAT IS IBD?

 IBD is an abbreviation for Irritable Bowel Disease. IBD is an umbrella term for conditions that affect the   GI (gastrointestinal) tract. Unfortunately, many of these conditions, especially left untreated may increase the risk of colon cancer. The two main conditions under the IBD umbrella are Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. Following is a list of symptoms that the two above conditions commonly share. If you are having any of these symptoms on a regular basis, I suggest you see your doctor. There are treatments available that can be very helpful.

• Persistent diarrhea
• Rectal bleeding/bloody stools
• Loss of appetite/weight loss that is unintentional
• Urgent need to move bowels or the feeling of incomplete bowel movements
• Abdominal pain and cramping
• Loss of energy
• Low-grade fever

file photo

AVOCADOS SUPPLY HEALTHY GUT BACTERIA

According to scientists at UCLA, adding a small avocado to your diet daily could help you drop 5 pounds over the summer? They credit the phytosterols, plant compounds that fuel the growth of healthy intestinal bacteria. Not only do they aid digestion, but these good bacteria also send satiating signals to the brain helping you to eat less.

file photo

CUCUMBERS TO AID DIGESTION

 According to Chinese researchers, cucumbers are helpful for digestion. Cucumbers are high in pectin, a plant fiber that keeps the digestive system moving. The researchers found that increasing pectin intake increased the concentration of healthy strains of gut bugs like bifidobacterium and lactobacillus. Both are known to ease constipation and aid in fat burning.  You may want to be sure you add cucumber to your salad, etc.

file photo

HOW TO HELP YOURSELF EASE DIGESTIVE DISTRESS BY ELIMINATING FODMAPS

An Australian dietitian was probably the first to associate FODMAPs with digestive distress. As she did some searching for ways to relieve gastrointestinal symptoms of celiac disease she experimented with a diet eliminating or strictly limiting FODMAP,s, she found that the health and quality of life of these patients was markedly improved. This was enough for her to join with a professor at Melbourne's Monash University to conduct more studies. They discovered that a low-FODMAP diet reduced digestive symptoms in 75% of the studies subjects. It may sound simple but FODMAPs are found in many common foods ie apples, onions, wheat, milk, soy, even honey, just to name a few. Following a low-FODMAP diet can be tricky and it is not meant to be a permanent diet. Within a couple of months suffers should be able to find their trigger foods which could pay long term benefits. Since I try not to use this group for recipes, I have five recipe groups which are listed on the side bar, I will be posting some low-FODMAP recipes at times on those sites. You are welcome to check them out going forward for some recipes there. I will also write more about FODMAPs here tomorrow. Check out my two previous posts which have some food charts. Wheat is probably the number one FODMAP food causing

digestive distress and it is found in many foods. If you want to try eliminating it from your diet, and it is a good place to start, you must read the nutritional label on almost everything you buy.

file photo

WHAT ARE FODMAPS?

FODMAP is an acronym for fermentable, oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. If you suffer from digestives issues you may have heard the term as some try a FODMAP diet. FODMAPs are carbs that absorb water in the small intestine and pass through the large intestine where they quickly ferment as naturally occurring gut bacteria eat them. The process releases gas that along with excess water can cause abdominal discomfort or pain. We will go into this further in future post.

fil

file chart photo

 

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT PEPPER

I was surprised when I ran across this information about pepper. I like pepper and have always used it liberally and I guess that is a good thing. Perhaps it is why I am a 35+-year breast cancer survivor and have also survived colon cancer, who knows? Here are a couple of the surprising things I discovered about black pepper:

• Black pepper is a digestion aid. Black pepper stimulates the taste buds to signal the stomach to produce hydrocholoric acid. Hydrocholoric acid aids in digestion.
• Black pepper is antibacterial. No explanation needed there, we all know what antibacterial means.
• The outer layer of peppercorns contains piperine. Piperine is an alkoloid that increases the body's ability to assimilate cancer-fighting nutrients including beta-carotene, curcumin, and selenium. The National Cancer Institute says piperine also may have anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties.

QUESTIONS FROM A NURSE

 In 2021 a lady who had been a nurse for 13 years wrote an article on facebook. She questioned why doctors don't do certain things for their patients. Following are a couple of the questions she asked that I believe are worthwhile to the public. 

• Why don't doctors tell patients to take magnesium instead of stool softeners (Which dehydrate the bowel)?
• Why don't doctors tell you to change your diet when you have heart burn and indigestion, instead of giving you Prilosec (this causes more heartburn, colon cancer & osteoporosis and leaves food fermenting in your body)?

I am not a nurse or doctor, just a patient. I admit I have never had to deal with either of the problems mentioned above so I am not giving my opinion on any of them. I am just sharing some thoughts some of you may find interesting.

file photo

ANOTHER REASON TO EAT WALNUTS-1

Did you know that much of your body's immunity is in the gut or digestive system? As we face fear over disease it is important to have good immunity so you must take care of your gut.

A study from Pennsylviania State University in 2019 found that eating 2 to 3 ounces of walnuts per day as part of a healthy diet was associated with positive changes in the gut. The research found the fatty acids, fiber, and bioactive compounds of walnuts act as food for the microbiome and produce beneficial bacteria.

Just another reason to add a few walnuts to your daily diet.

file photo

WHY YOU SHOULD EAT FLAXSEED

If you aren't currently eating flaxseed, you probably should be!  There are other posts on this blog regarding flaxseed and its health benefits.  As I added some to my oatmeal this morning, I thought it might be a good idea to put out another reminder to be sure you are adding it to yours.  It is so simple to add some ground flaxseed to oatmeal, baked goods, smoothies, etc and it doesn't even affect the taste. Reminder, also among the many health benefits of flaxseeds are their omega 3 fatty acids that are heart-healthy, lignans that serve as antioxidants, and don't forget they are high fiber which is very helpful to maintaining a healthy digestive tract.

Here is a good tip for you: You can make your baked goods healthier by substituting half the fat (butter, margarine, oil, etc) called for with ground flaxseed!

file photo

DID YOU KNOW THIS ABOUT SWEET POTATOES?

 

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.

CINNAMON IS A GOOD-FOR-YOUR-STOMACH FOOD

If you follow my blogs, you know that as a diabetic I constantly talk about cinnamon being a blood-sugar stabilizer.  But I haven't often mentioned that cinnamon is also good for your stomach and digestive system.  Cinnamon has been used for generations to treat problems such as morning sickness and diarrhea.  But most fail to realize that cinnamon is also effective in breaking up gas bubbles.  I have a problem with gas since I have had parts of my digestive system removed.  When I started really increasing the cinnamon in my diet to help stabilize my blood sugar, I found another good side effect- less gas.  As I researched cinnamon, I discovered it does break up gas bubbles!

While most often thought of as a spice to be used in sweets, think cinnamon rolls, apple pie, etc, cinnamon can also be used on savory foods such as chicken, etc.  If cinnamon isn't currently a part of your diet on a regular basis, consider adding it more often.

EATING AND SLEEPING

What and when foods or beverages go into your mouth have a lot to do with how well you will sleep.  And a good night's sleep is essential to good health.  Here are a few tips regarding this subject:

• According to Dr. Nancy Collop, director of the Emory Sleep Center and a former President of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, you should not drink alcohol close to bedtime.  She says that while alcohol may make you sleepy at first, it causes you to feel more awake as it wears off.
• Dr. Collop also suggests eating dinner earlier rather than later.  She says your body needs at least two hours after a light meal and at least three hours after a heavy meal to digest food.  Eating too close to bedtime makes it hard for your body to wind down since it is still working on digesting your meal.
• While you won't want to have a meal close to bedtime, it is a good idea to have a light protein snack an hour or so before bedtime, if you have trouble sleeping.  The brain needs protein to produce melatonin and serotonin, both chemicals important for sleep.  Suggestions include 1 tablespoon of hummus on 1/2 a mini whole-grain pita or a small amount of peanut butter on 1/2 slice whole-grain bread.

By the way, Dr. Collop says it is normal to take up to 20 minutes to fall asleep.  She says if you fall asleep the minute your head hits the pillow, it is a sign you are sleep deprived.

clipart

AVOCADO IS A STOMACH-FRIENDLY FOOD

 Did you know the avocado is a stomach-friendly food?  Most of us are aware that the avocado is rich in heart-healthy oils making it a good addition to our diets.  But few people realize the same avocado that is good for your heart is also good for your stomach.  This versatile food is exceptionally high in potassium, fiber, and the same heart-friendly oils are also stomach-friendly.  The avocado when eaten on a regular basis is good for your digestive system, keeping waste moving along.  A good way to get more avocado in your diet is to add thin slices to a sandwich or a salad.  Use instead of fattening mayonnaise on sandwiches to increase a sandwiches' good-for-you status (using whole-grain bread will help with that, too!).

Note: Uninformed people may tell you that you shouldn't eat avocado because it is high in fat.  The truth is that is heart-healthy fat!  And like everything else, you eat in moderation!

file photo

HOW THE BODY HANDLES CALORIES

Did you realize the body stores calories differently?  Therefore, when it comes to weight loss, calories are nowhere near alike.  For instance, some foods take more work to eat and therefore burn more calories while you are digesting them.  Just the act of chewing foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc can up your calorie burn by 30%.  And that's before the stomach and intestines even do their work.  A Japanese study found that women who ate foods that required the most work had significantly slimmer waistlines than those who ate the softest, easiest to eat foods.  The fiber and protein in such foods take so much effort to digest that the body doesn't absorb some of their calories.  Include lots of foods that take effort to digest and let your body burn more calories just digesting your food!  Now how easy is that?

file photo