Would you like to trim a little off your waist? If you enjoy tea, you should like this post. A Norwegian study a few years ago, found that drinking three cups of metabolism-boosting black tea daily shrinks your waist by 1-inch in three months. As we are going into Fall and Winter, in the United States, drinking hot tea sounds pretty good to me.
Since we are basically a week from Halloween, here's another reminder of some benefits of chocolate. Are you one who loves to sneak a little chocolate from the youngster treat bags? There are other posts on this blog about the benefits of chocolate, should you want to know more. Here are a few new mentions:
Women are often lead to believe that breast and ovarian cancers are their major health concerns. Not so. Women need to be concerned about their overall health the same as men. According to the statistics in 2021 the number one cause of death for females overall (all ages, racial and ethnical females) was heart disease. That was followed by cancer, covid-19 (note 2021 was during the covid crisis), stroke, and Alzheimer's disease. Women pay special attention to your entire body where health is concerned.
Honey is praised for its amazing ability to heal the body in many ways. While in ancient times honey was known as "the nectar of the gods", it is often called a 21st century healing miracle. Honey is probably the closest thing we have to a cure-all in the 21st century. There are several articles on this blog about honey and its healing powers. If you aren't familiar with the many benefits of honey, I suggest you pull them up and read them. Even so, there are still many others not covered in those articles. If you are only using honey as a sweetener for tea or on toast, or maybe not at all, note that honey may be a medicine or a first aid product for some of your needs.
Trivia tidbit - did you know, it takes 2 million flowers for honeybees to make one pound of honey?
Note: Honey is not recommended for children under the age of 2.
This is a repost from January 2012. It is still good information.
Many don't really understand what a serving is! A plate full of french fries is not a serving! A serving of french fries is basically 10 fries. Of course, french fries come in many different sizes. Use your common sense when determining how many your serving should be. If you are eating the very thin matchstick fries, obviously 10 is not a full serving. However, if you are eating those big ole steak fries, 10 may be more than a serving. The ten french fries that make up a serving are obviously average-sized fries. Why is this important? If you are on a diet for any reason, especially if you are diabetic or have a similar health situation, it is important that you don't fool yourself! To say, "I only ate a serving of french fries. I don't know why my blood sugar shot up," is fooling yourself if you ate a regular or large size serving at your favorite restaurant. Be responsible and eat only 1 serving, that is one real serving!
If you suffer from high blood pressure or hypertension, sipping three cups of Hibiscus Tea every day may help to lower your systolic blood pressure number by up to 7 points in 6 weeks according to one study I saw. And that is on par with some medications.
In my opinion, one of the best things you can do for your baby/toddler is to teach them to eat healthy foods. Are you aware that up to 85% of the brain's development takes place by the age of three? Include fruits, vegetables, and grains in your young child's diet and he/she will continue to eat them for the rest of his/her life. That is one of the best, longest-lasting gifts you can give your child.
Disclaimer: I am 5' 6" tall and have never weighted over 150 pounds in my life, except for pregnancies. I have survived breast cancer, colon cancer and am currently doing well with leukemia. I know that you don't have to be overweight to have cancer.
To say that everyone who gets cancer is overweight would be a vast exaggeration. However, according to research by the American Cancer Society, obesity does raise the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, colon, esophageal, kidney, pancreatic, uterine, and other cancers. Just one more big reason to watch what you eat and to keep your weight under control. Make changes to your diet gradually and lose that excess weight. Not only will you feel better, you may be reducing your chances of getting a nasty cancer. Cut back on fast food, eat more fruits and vegetables, etc. Make a lifestyle change in your diet! The life you save could be your own!
I was surprised to know research suggests that half the prescription medications taken in the United States are used improperly. Before you leave your doctor's office or the pharmacy with a new medication, be sure you know how to take/use this medication properly. The above-mentioned research found that many people make the following errors with medications. If you forget to take a pill, do you know what you should do? Should you take the medication when you think of it, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Don't stop a medication without talking to your doctor. Do you ever crush pills if they are hard for you to swallow? Again, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Some medications have a time-release coating or other mechanism to release an active ingredient more slowly. If you crush such medications, you are basically getting the entire dose at one time.
As you can see, not taking medications properly can affect the results of the meds. When your doctor puts you on a new medication, they usually mention any side effects it may cause. You should also ask the proper way to take it.
From Bible parables to today's table, importance has been placed on mustard seeds. These tiny little seeds are found inside the seed pods of the mustard plant. The mustard plant is a cruciferous cousin to broccoli and cabbage. The brown seeds are pungent with a sharp, spicy-hot flavor and are used in brown mustards and Dijon mustards. The milder, yellowish-white seeds are used to make the traditional American mustard. These seeds are widely available and make great seasonings for meats, etc. They are also great for pickling. When gently toasted for a few minutes in a dry pan (shake pan constantly during toasting), they get a nutty essence and crunch that makes them a great garnish for fish, salads, rice, etc.
Maybe you aren't dieting but just 'watching your weight'. Here are a couple of simple things to keep in mind to help keep your weight stable.
Heart disease was long thought to be more prevalent in men than women, but we know that is not true. Heart disease is currently the #1 killer of both sexes nationwide. And would you believe something so simple as sprinkling slivered almonds on your morning cereal can benefit your heart? As with all good things, don't go overboard. However, a sprinkling of this healthy nut can lower the risk of heart disease by reducing levels of harmful LDL cholesterol. Also, the antioxidants and vitamin E that are found in the skins of almonds might prevent plaque from forming on the artery walls. And make sure that cereal you sprinkle them on is whole grain which will help keep your blood pressure in check (a big risk for heart disease!). Have that with low-fat milk!
This is, of course, general information. Certain foods work better with certain types of cancer. Your doctor and nutritionist will be able to help you know what will work best for you. Just remember to consider your foods as part of your medicines to help you get better.
Yesterday's post promised to discuss endocrine disrupters today. To review, Dr David Brownstein has said he has no doubt one of the underlying reasons we are seeing so may thyroid problems today is due to our toxic overload of various chemicals, including chemical disrupters. Bisphenol A, commonly known as BPA, is one of the disrupters he talks about. This is a chemical used to produce polycarbonate plastics, a type of plastic that is light, strong, and clear, and epoxy resins, which are used as adhesives. This type of plastic is used for a variety of products we consumers use, such as: Baby Bottles, Compact Discs, Dental Sealants, Food Containers, Water Bottles. BPA is also found in such common products as floorings, enamels and varnishes, artificial teeth, nail polish, cash-register receipts, parts of automobiles, and many other products. BPA is world-wide and it is said over 6 billion pounds are produced annually. When buying some plastic products you will see the notation 'BPA Free'. When possible, I suggest choosing such products. The DCD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has stated that most all Americans excrete BPA in their urine.
Endocrine system is not a term we are familiar with, in most cases. It is a collection of glands that regulate our body's important functions. These functions include growth, metabolism and sexual development, pretty important functions. The glands produce chemicals called hormones, which are directly released into the bloodstream. From there they travel to the organs they are targeted to work with. Each hormone's shape is specific to the target cell it affects, binding to hormone receptors on the cells.
The three classes of hormones, defined by their chemical structures are:
I think the answer most of us have to the title question is either not much or nothing. I know my answer was not much. Then I saw an article by Dr. David Brownstein M.D., read it and became fascinated by the endocrine system and the affects our daily living has on it. According to Dr. Brownstein, I was surprised to learn in our everyday living we are exposed to chemicals that have been linked to breast cancer, prostate cancer, widespread thyroid disorders, and problems with fertility.
The above-mentioned chemicals are called endocrine disrupters. These endocrine disrupters have a similar chemical structure to the body's own hormones. Research has shown that they can interfere with the body's signaling pathways by binding to hormone receptors. In addition, endocrine disrupters can poison various key enzymes in the body that are needed to modify and detoxify hormones such as estrogen and testosterone.
In posts this week, we will further discuss what the endocrine system does, what substances can disrupt it vital functions, and how those endocrine disruptors can interfere with our overall health.
Note: All the information in this article and the coming endocrine articles are from Dr. David Brownstein, M.D.'s articles.
It is important to remember that no one single food, foods of one type, or the exclusion of a single food or food type should be considered unless specified by your doctor. It is important to eat a well-rounded diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, meats, fish, etc. Do not go on a diet that removes all of a food type or requires eating only a certain food type without having a thorough discussion with your doctor. This goes for whether you are considering this for health purposes or dieting for weight control. Our bodies are complicated and they need different things from different foods and food groups to function properly over time!
Many people use agave nectar as a substitute for sugar. This post explains when and how to make the substitution.
