Healthy Foods

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#6699CC" TEXT="#080000" background="42fb85a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >OkEatMe</FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="OkEatMe"><B>home</B></A><B>      </B>back to  <A HREF="alzheimer.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Alzheimer Dementia Recipes"><B>Alzheimer Dementia Recipes</B></A></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="free_recipes.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Free Recipes">Free Recipes</A>   |   <A HREF="recycling_directory.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Recycling Directory">Recycling Directory</A>   |   <A HREF="help_tips_fun.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Help Tips Fun">Help Tips Fun</A>   |   <A HREF="contact_us.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us">Contact Us</A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=250 BGCOLOR="#BBBBBB" TEXT="#080000" background="431fa043.gif"> <div> <A HREF="curried_vegetables.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Curried Vegetables">Curried Vegetables</A></div> <div> <A HREF="curry_apple_salad.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Curry Apple Salad">Curry Apple Salad</A></div> <div> <A HREF="top_curry_dressing.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Top Curry Dressing">Top Curry Dressing</A></div> <div> <A HREF="curry_hamburger.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Curry Hamburger">Curry Hamburger</A></div> <div> <A HREF="delicious_alzheimers_foods.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Delicious Alzheimers Foods">Delicious Alzheimer's Foods</A></div> <div> <B>Healthy Foods</B></div> <div> <A HREF="dementia.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dementia">Dementia</A></div> <div> <A HREF="turmeric.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Turmeric">Turmeric</A></div> <div> <A HREF="brain.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Brain">Brain</A></div> <div> <A HREF="brain_power.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Brain Power">Brain Power</A></div> <div> <A HREF="memory.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Memory">Memory</A></div> <div> <A HREF="omega_3_fats.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Omega 3 Fats">Omega 3 Fats</A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> Culled from Netscape.com June 14, 2005</div> <div> <B>Eat These Foods.</B></div> <div> <B>Prevent the Flu?</B></div> <div> From garlic to ginseng and sweet potatoes to shiitake mushrooms and broccoli to Brussels sprouts, there are numerous foods packed with just the right vitamins to boost the immune system, which can offer significant flu protection.</div> <div> Vitamins fight infection, but food is the best source of any nutrient--far better than a supplement. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Plan your grocery list with these infection-fighting vitamins and foods:</B></div> <div> <B>Drink Cranberry Juice</B></div> <div> <B>You May Never Get Sick?</B></div> <div> Thirsty?</div> <div> Grab a glass of cranberry juice.</div> <bR> <div> A team of researchers from St. Francis College in Brooklyn and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in have found that cranberry juice not only helps disrupt bacterial infections of the urinary tract, but also may work to fight gastrointestinal viruses, characterized by cramps and diarrhea.</div> <bR> <div> Hundreds of thousands of children die from gastroenteritis each year throughout the world.</div> <bR> <div> Can't brush your teeth at work? Just drink cranberry juice instead.</div> <bR> <div> Researchers from the University of Rochester have concluded that cranberry juice may help prevent certain oral health problems, including diseases of the gums and teeth.</div> <bR> <div> Cranberry juice does this by preventing Streptococcus mutans bacteria from sticking to teeth.</div> <bR> <div> In order for dental plaque to build up on the teeth--the first step toward cavities and gum disease--bacteria has to stick to the teeth. If the bacteria can't adhere, plaque can't develop.</div> <bR> <div> Based on two daily glasses of a beverage that contained 25 percent cranberry juice.</div> <bR> <div> That much juice inhibited the bacteria from binding to an artificial tooth in the lab by 67 to 85 percent. Next up? Look for dental floss and toothpaste made with cranberries.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Cranberries may be the new health food.</B></div> <div> <B>Their benefits are so extensive that you might want to make them a regular part of your diet:</B></div> <div> They prevent urinary tract infections. </div> <div> They prevent most stomach ulcers.</div> <bR> <div> Their high level of antioxidants protect the heart from cardiovascular disease.</div> <bR> <div> A study from Winona State University showed that low-calorie cranberry juice decreases total blood cholesterol.</div> <bR> <div> A study from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth showed that cranberries may reduce the severity of a stroke in its early stages, the point at which the most damage occurs.</div> <bR> <div> The antioxidants in cranberries may also help prevent certain types of cancers.</div> <bR> <div> While data is preliminary, researchers are interested in cranberries' role in inhibiting the growth of oral, prostate, colon, breast, cervical, lung and leukemia cancer cells.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Water</B></div> <div> Drink, drink, drink. Drink 48 to 60 ounces of water every day and drink green tea or black tea most days of the week.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Vitamin C</B></div> <div> Cranberry, Oranges, grapefruit, kiwi, berries, carrots, sweet potatoes, sweet pepper, tomatoes, spinach, kale, broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts are packed with a powerful antioxidant that protects the cells of your body.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Vitamin A</B></div> <div> <B>(as beta-carotene):</B> Dark green leafy vegetables and winter squashes contain beta-carotene that can protect against cell damage and may enhance immune system function.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Vitamin E</B></div> <div> Avocados, nuts, seeds, and wheat germ, as well as tuna, herring, mackerel, and other fatty fishes help make white blood cells that fight infection.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Selenium</B></div> <div> This is an antioxidant that protects your body's cells and is found in baked potatoes with the skin, tuna fish, pork loin, eggs, turkey breast, wheat germ, and cashews.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Vitamin B-6</B></div> <div> Bananas, salmon, chicken, sweet potatoes, watermelon, and spinach are rich in this vitamin that not only fights infection, but also helps produce hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Organic yogurt</B></div> <div> Eat this most days of the week. The yogurt's beneficial bacteria helps maintain the integrity of the intestinal tract, which enables the immune system to fight off infection.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Mushrooms</B></div> <div> Twice a week add a handful of mushrooms to your stew, stir-fry, and soup. Best types for protection against bacteria and viruses are shiitake, oyster, enoki, or maitake mushrooms. Remember, always cook mushrooms.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Garlic</B></div> <div> Eat it raw. Two cloves a day is best. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Exercise</B></div> <div> Research at Appalachian State University shows that walking 30-to-45 minutes at least five days a week (every week!) can cut the number of sick days from cold symptoms by 50 percent compared to a sedentary control group. </div> <bR> <div> <I>The above suggestions were culled from several sources including the Associated Press, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ABC News, Detroit Free Press, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and Asheville Citizen-Times</I></div> <bR> <div> <B>-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Live Longer If You Eat These 14 Foods?</B></div> <div> beans, blueberries, broccoli, oats, oranges, pumpkin, soy, spinach, green or black tea, tomatoes, turkey, walnuts, wild salmon, and yogurt.</div> <bR> <div> But these may not be ordinary foods at all.</div> <bR> <div> They may be so special, they've earned the title "superfoods."</div> <bR> <div> That's the word from Steven G. Pratt, author of "SuperFoods Rx: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life."</div> <bR> <div> His premise is that these vitamin-packed goodies have superpowers when it comes to keeping us healthy, improving our well-being, and helping us to live longer provided we do our part by eating them regularly, reports The Rocky Mountain News.</div> <bR> <div> Here are the 14 "superfoods" and the superpowers they bestow that are outlined in "SuperFoods Rx":</div> <bR> <div> <B>Beans</B></div> <div> They <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" >lower cholesterol</FONT>, fight <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" >heart disease</FONT>, stabilize blood sugar, reduce obesity, lessen cancer risk, and relieve hypertension. </div> <div> --Eat four 1/2-cup servings a week.</div> <bR> <div> Don't like beans?</div> <div> Substitute green beans, sugar snap peas, green peas, or chick peas instead.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Blueberries</B></div> <div> They lower the risk of <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" >heart disease</FONT> and cancer and help maintain youthful, healthy skin.</div> <div> --Eat 1 to 2 cups a day. When they aren't in season, eat cranberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, currants, and purple grapes.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Broccoli</B></div> <div> It boosts your immune system, reduces the incidence of cataracts, builds bones, and fights birth defects and <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" >heart disease</FONT>. </div> <div> --Eat 1/2 to 1 cup a day. Can't stand broccoli? Eat brussels sprouts, red and green cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, and kale.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Oats</B></div> <div> Oats <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" >lower cholesterol</FONT>, reduce the risk of <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" >heart disease</FONT> and <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" >diabetes</FONT>, and are high in fiber and protein.</div> <div> --Eat five to seven servings a week. Don't want it that often? Try wheat germ, brown rice, barley, wheat, buckwheat, rye, millet, and quinoa.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Oranges</B></div> <div> They support heart health while preventing cancer, stroke, <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" >diabetes</FONT>, and other chronic ailments.</div> <div> --Eat one a day.</div> <bR> <div> Want more variety?</div> <div> Try lemons, grapefruit, kumquats, tangerines, or limes.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Pumpkin</B></div> <div> It's not just for pie.</div> <div> Pumpkin lowers the risk of various cancers, while it promotes youthful, healthy skin.</div> <div> --Eat 1/2 cup a day.</div> <bR> <div> Want an alternative?</div> <div> Try carrots, carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and orange bell peppers.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Soy</B></div> <div> It prevents <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" >heart disease</FONT>, cancer, and <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" >osteoporosis</FONT>, as well as relieves menopausal and menstrual symptoms.</div> <div> --Eat at least 15 grams daily. Don't like soy? Try tofu, soymilk, soy nuts, edamame, or miso.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Spinach</B></div> <div> Popeye was on to something! Spinach lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases, a variety of cancers, age-related macular degeneration, and cataracts.</div> <div> --Eat 1 cup of steamed spinach or 2 cups of raw spinach a day.</div> <bR> <div> Don't like it?</div> <div> Then eat kale, collards, Swiss chard, bok choy, romaine lettuce, mustard, or turnip greens.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Tea (Black or green)</B></div> <div> Besides soothing the soul, tea boosts the immune system, helps prevent cancer and <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" >osteoporosis</FONT>, lowers stroke risk, and promotes cardiovascular health.</div> <div> --Drink at least one cup a day.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Tomatoes</B></div> <div> They lower cancer risk, increase your skin's sun-protection factor, and play a role in preventing cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.</div> <div> --Eat one tomato a day.</div> <bR> <div> Don't like them?</div> <div> Try watermelon, persimmons, or pink grapefruit instead.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Turkey (skinless breast)</B></div> <div> It's not just for Thanksgiving. Turkey is not only the perfect healthy low-fat protein, but also builds a strong immune system.</div> <div> --Eat three or four 3-ounce servings a week.</div> <bR> <div> Want something else?</div> <div> Skinless chicken breast is a great alternative.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Walnuts</B></div> <div> How nutty is this? Walnuts reduce the risk of <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" >heart disease</FONT>, <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" >diabetes</FONT>, and cancer.</div> <div> --Eat 1 ounce five times a week.</div> <bR> <div> Other options include almonds, pistachios, sesame seeds, peanuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and cashews.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Wild salmon</B></div> <div> It lowers risk of <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" >heart disease</FONT> and cancer.</div> <div> --Eat it two to four times a week.</div> <bR> <div> Don't like salmon?</div> <div> Go for Alaskan halibut, canned albacore tuna, sardines, herring, trout, sea bass, or clams.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Yogurt</B></div> <div> In addition to being a great source of protein and calcium, yogurt promotes strong bones and a healthy heart.</div> <div> --Eat 2 cups a day.</div> <bR> <div> Want something else? Try kefir.</div> <bR> <div> <B>-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Shocking News About Soft Drinks</B></div> <div> If you're chugging diet soft drinks in an attempt to keep your weight in check, put the soda can down now. People who drink diet sodas have a very high chance of becoming overweight or obese.</div> <bR> <div> <B>We love soft drinks in this country. </B>A whopping 95 percent of Americans drink soda. Soft drinks account for about 27 percent of the beverages consumed in the United States. The average 12- to 19-year-old drinks about 28 ounces of soft drinks every day.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Drink too much soda and you could face a higher risk of a certain kind of cancer that is usually fatal.</B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> A Scary Warning About Soda Pop</div> <bR> <div> Soda drinkers, beware!</div> <bR> <div> Consume too many fizzy drinks and it could raise your risk of esophageal cancer, which is usually fatal.</div> <bR> <div> A research team from Tata Memorial Hospital in India found a strong relationship between the rise in per capita consumption of carbonated soft drinks in the past 50 years and a documented increase in rates of esophageal cancer in the United States.</div> <bR> <div> Since 1946, consumption of carbonated beverages in the United States has risen a staggering 450 percent from 10.8 gallons per person each year to 49.2 gallons for each person by 2000.</div> <bR> <div> It may not be a coincidence that over the past 25 years, the rate of esophageal cancer has increased by more than 570 percent in white American men--and killed almost all who were afflicted with it.</div> <bR> <div> The Indian researchers think this isn't a coincidence, citing a biological basis for the increase in esophageal cancer cases. Soft drinks cause the stomach to distend, which in turn causes the gastric reflux associated with esophageal cancer.</div> <bR> <div> The United States is not alone. Similar trends were found worldwide. Other countries with a per capita annual consumption of at least 20 gallons of soft drinks also had a rise in the rate of esophageal cancer. "The surprisingly strong correlation demonstrates the impact of diet patterns on health trends," study leader Dr. Mohandas Mallath said in a prepared statement.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Here's another reason to pay attention to how much soda you drink.</B></div> <div> It's what you drink--and not what you eat--that packs on the pounds.</div> <bR> <div> That's the surprising news from researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health in Chapel Hill who determined that, on average, we're consuming 83 more calories a day from caloric sweeteners than we did in 1977.</div> <bR> <div> And 80 percent of that--66 calories--comes from soft drinks and sugary fruit drinks, reports HealthDayNews. </div> <bR> <div> If you think 83 additional calories a day isn't that much, think again. If you were to consume an additional 10 calories a day, in one year you would have gained a pound.</div> <bR> <div> <B>The Worst Time to Drink a Soda</B></div> <div> Thirsty in the hours before bedtime?</div> <div> Drink milk, water, or juice.</div> <div> Don't reach for a soda pop.</div> <bR> <div> According to a new study from the University of Arizona in Tucson, soft drink consumption in the evening has been linked to troublesome acid reflux at night.</div> <bR> <div> This is no ordinary heartburn, which afflicts nearly half the U.S. population at least once a month. Acid reflux at night typically has more complications, including narrowing of the esophagus and even cancerous changes of the esophagus.</div> <bR> <div> "That's a big price to pay for a can of Coke," lead researcher Dr. Ronnie Fass, a professor of medicine at the University of Arizona, Tucson, told HealthDayNews.</div> <bR> <div> In addition, the team found a link between the use of benzodiazepine sleeping aids such as Ativan, Valium, or Xanax and nighttime heartburn, as well a higher body mass index, snoring, daytime sleepiness, asthma, insomnia, and high blood pressure.</div> <div> Heartburn, which typically strikes after meals, is a burning sensation behind the chest bone. When it rises up to the throat, it's acid reflux.</div> <bR> <div> The results: "For the first time, we found a close relationship between soft drink consumption and this type of severe heartburn," Fass explained to HealthDayNews.</div> <bR> <div> Those who consumed one or more servings of carbonated soft drinks per day had a 31 percent higher risk of developing heartburn at night compared to individuals who stayed away from these types of beverages.</div> <bR> <div> The worst time to drink a soda is with dinner or in the evening. </div> <bR> <div> Why do sodas give heartburn at night and not during the day?<B> </B>First, carbonated beverages are very acidic. Second, when we drink a soda, we also consume a lot of air in the form of carbon dioxide.</div> <bR> <div> That causes the stomach to distend. It's the stomach distention that seems to be associated with the reflux.</div> <bR> <div> When we're awake, just the simple act of swallowing can dilute the reflux acids. Also, if we're awake, we can take antacids to minimize the heartburn symptoms.</div> <bR> <div> "But when you go to sleep, sleep-time physiology applies," he told HealthDayNews.</div> <bR> <div> "You'll have acid reflux but not swallow--so the acid is staying there longer in the esophagus, causing more damage."</div> <bR> <div> <B>Drink Soda? Don't Do This For 1 Hour</B></div> <div> If you drink a soda to quench your thirst, do not rush to brush after you drain that can.</div> <bR> <div> Why? Carbonated drinks are highly acidic and have the potential to damage a tooth's enamel.</div> <bR> <div> Brushing right after you drink can exacerbate this. Instead, wait 30 to 60 minutes to brush, according to new research from dentists at Goettingen University in Germany.</div> <bR> <div> Waiting to brush after drinking a soda actually is three to five times more effective at protecting enamel from the erosive effects of carbonated drinks.</div> <bR> <div> Soda is so acidic that it can actually dissolve the upper layers of the tooth.</div> <bR> <div> Thomas Attin, director of the university's department for tooth protection, explained that waiting to brush allows the tooth enamel to mount its own defense against acidic erosion, typically through protective agents in the saliva that help repair and rebuild damaged tooth enamel.</div> <bR> <div> Brushing too soon not only destroys this opportunity, but also brushes off the affected layers of the teeth.</div> <bR> <div> The research, which was presented at the annual meeting of the German Association for Tooth Protection, was awarded a prize from chewing gum maker Wrigley.</div> <bR> <div> Should you just give up soda altogether and drink juice instead?</div> <bR> <div> Maybe not.<B> </B>The comparison test on the effects of orange juice, apple juice, Pepsi Cola, and Diet Pepsi.</div> <bR> <div> While fruit juices definitely provide more vitamins than soda, they are also acidic and that can cause demineralization and softening of the teeth.</div> <bR> <div> Orange juice and Pepsi were equally harmful to teeth, followed next by apple juice. Diet Pepsi was not only the least likely drink to soften the teeth, but also the least likely to cause cavities.</div> <bR> <div> <B>One soft drink is by far the safest for your teeth. Find out which one doesn't erode tooth enamel.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The Safest Soft Drink For Your Teeth</B></div> <div> Love an icy cold soft drink? Then choose a root beer. Of all types of soft drinks and canned teas, this one does the least damage to your <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" >teeth</FONT>.</div> <bR> <div> Researchers determined that non-cola soft drinks, including ginger ale, Mountain Dew, and Sprite, as well as canned iced tea are much harder on <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" >teeth</FONT> enamel than any other kind of canned drink, due in large part to acidic flavor additives, such as such as malic acid or tartaric acid, reports Medical News Today.</div> <bR> <div> Root beer has the least additives, making it the best soft drink for your <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" >teeth</FONT>. </div> <bR> <div> <B>The results:</B></div> <div> All of them weakened and permanently destroyed the tooth enamel</div> <bR> <div> Diet sodas had the same bad effect as the sugared versions since the main culprit is the acidic additives</div> <bR> <div> The most harmful were non-cola drinks, which caused two to five times the damage as darker cola drinks</div> <bR> <div> Root beer, which contains the least amount of flavor additives, was found to be the "safest soft drink to safeguard dental enamel."</div> <bR> <div> Canned iced tea caused 30 times the damage to tooth enamel as brewed tea or coffee</div> <bR> <div> Brewed black tea, root beer, coffee, and water had a minimal effect</div> <bR> <div> Adding to the problem is our own mouth acidity</div> <bR> <div> If that increases, the chemical reaction with the soft drink hurts our <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" >teeth</FONT> even more, according to lead study author J. Anthony von Fraunhofer. </div> <bR> <div> The end result: tooth decay. One thing you can do to protect your <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" >teeth</FONT> is to rinse your mouth with water after drinking a soda.</div> </td> </tr></table></body>