Saturday, August 28, 2010

Are organic cage-free eggs safer?

Experts say buying organic does not mean your eggs will be free of salmonella


Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Delicious Fruits Can Prevent Cancer

Cancer prevention starts with a healthy diet. The following fruits, while common in our daily life, are healthy and can help in prevention of the disease.

1. Grapes: Grapes contain resveratrol which prevents normal cell from becoming cancerous and inhibits the spreading of malignant cells. Chinese medicine believes that grapes are good for many body functions. Sour grapes are suitable for cancer patients after surgery or undergoing radiotherapy.
2. Strawberry: Ellagic acid in strawberry can protect the body against carcinogens harm and certain effects in anti-cancer. Strawberry is effective in easing out nasopharyngeal, lung, and laryngeal cancer patients with radiation reaction.
3. Banana: It is found that banana extract can control intrinsic carcinogens such as aflatoxin B1. Animal studies found that magnesium deficiency could significantly weaken the body's ability to fight cancer cells. Banana contains magnesium and potassium to help prevention of cancer. Banana benefits colorectal cancer patients in alleviating symptoms resulted from radiotherapy.
4. Fig: Fig contains ingredients that can fight tumors, control cancer cells and inhibit protein synthesis. Six cancer hospitals, through the observation of more than 1,300 patients, found that figs can be used as the daily diet for cancer patients including ascites carcinoma, sarcoma, liver, lung, and other tumors with good therapeutic results.
5. Kiwi: Each 100 grams of the kiwifruit contains 150 mg. of vitamin C, topping all kinds of fruits. Through the protection barriers of the interstitial cells, kiwi can eliminate carcinogenic substances. It is believe this effect can help to lengthen the survival period of cancer patients. The mildly sour kiwifruit is especially suitable for certain cancer patients after radiotherapy (i.e., breast cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer, bladder cancer, etc.)



Tuesday, August 24, 2010

How to Buy the Healthiest Eggs

Here are some tips for choosing the healthiest eggs:
• "Organic"
A USDA-certified organic label means the eggs came from hens that were not enclosed in battery cages, and that must be offered access to the outdoors. However, this doesn't guarantee that the animals ever go outside. Organic eggs come from hens that were fed certified-organic feed, free of antibiotics, pesticides, and other animal products. Forced molting and debeaking are permitted in certified-organic production.

• "Natural"

This means that the finished product hasn't undergone certain unnatural processes; in this case, that product is the egg. However, just because eggs are labeled natural doesn't mean a hen wasn't pumped up with antibiotics or other unnatural substances. And it certainly doesn't mean the chickens were raised in clean, humane conditions. For all intents and purposes, natural means nothing.

• "Pastured"
Pastured chickens should be housed on grassland in portable shelters that are periodically moved to give the chickens fresh pasture, but there's no third-party inspection required to ensure that's what's really happening. Your best bet is to buy eggs from pastured hens at a local farm that raises the hens organically, ensuring they're not exposed to pesticides, animal by-products, or antibiotics.

• "Omega-3-Enriched"
This means hens were fed feed with an increased amount of omega-3-rich flaxseeds. However, pasture-raised hens are already higher in beneficial omega-3s, and they get to be outside. Technically, caged hens could also be fed flax feed, so don't equate this label with better living standards.

• "Certified Humane"
This means birds are not kept in cages, but they can be kept indoors. They at least have the space to perform natural behaviors. The program of Human Farm Animal Care sets limits on the number of birds that can be contained in the same area, and outside inspectors perform audits. The program does not, however, require that the animals eat organic feed.


Thursday, August 19, 2010

Eric Mead reveals 'medical magic'

Magician Eric Mead explains why the "placebo effect" and magic are more alike than you may think


Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Best Foods for Healthy Skin - SALMON

SALMON
Salmon is an ideal food for many reasons, but as far as your skin’s concerned, there’s only one that matters: It’s among the world’s greatest sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Those are the essential fats that, along with bolstering the cognitive powers of your brain, concentrate in the walls of your epidermal cells to help lock in moisture. Plus, in one study, researchers supplemented two groups of mice with either omega-3 or omega-6 fats. After two weeks, the skin of the omega-3-fed group exhibited a 20 percent faster recovery rate from exposure to ultraviolet light. That gives salmon two crucial skin boons: keeping your skin from looking dry and helping it battle the dangers of excessive sunlight.

Other omega-3 foods: sardines, walnuts,

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Kombucha tea: Healthy or trendy?

Is Kombucha tea good for you or just another celebrity fad? Dr. Melina Jampolis examines the question.


Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Could hot cocoa be the next "wonder drug" For high blood pressure?

According to recent estimates, nearly 1-in-3 American adults has high blood pressure. But for the Kuna Indians living on a group of islands off the Caribbean coast of Panama , hypertension doesn't even exist. In fact, after age 60, the average blood pressure for Kuna Indian islanders is a perfect 110/70.


Is it because they eat less salt? No. Kuna Indians eat as much, if not more salt, than people in the U.S. Is it due to their genes? No. Kuna Indians who move away from the islands are just as likely to suffer from high blood pressure as anyone else!

So what makes these folks practically "immune" to hypertension -- and lets them enjoy much lower death rates from heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and cancer?

Harvard researchers were stunned to discover it's because they drink about 5 cups of cocoa each day. That's right, cocoa!

Studies show the flavonols in cocoa stimulate your body's production of nitric oxide -- boosting blood flow to your heart, brain, and other organs. In fact, one study found cocoa thins your blood just as well as low-dose aspirin!

But that's not all. A Harvard Medical School professor claims cocoa can also treat blocked arteries, congestive heart failure, stroke, dementia, even impotence!