APPLES

The disease-fighting profile of apples provides a multitude of health benefits, including a potential decreased risk of cancer and heart disease. Several recent studies suggest apples provide health benefits such as lower blood cholesterol, improved bowel function, reduced risk of stroke, prostate cancer, type 2 diabetes and asthma.

A 2001 Mayo Clinic study indicated that quercetin, a flavonoid abundant in apples, helps prevent the growth of prostate cancer cells. A Cornell University indicated phytochemicals in the skin of an apple inhibited the reproduction of colon cancer cells by 43 percent. The National Cancer Institute has reported that foods containing Flavonoids like those found in apples may reduce the risk of lung cancer by as much as 50 percent.

Two recent British studies indicated that eating apples can improve lung health. A Finish study published in 1996 showed that people who eat a diet rich in Flavonoids have a lower incidence of heart disease. Other studies indicate that Flavonoids may help prevent strokes.

Apples are a delicious source of dietary fiber, and dietary fiber helps aid digestion and promotes weight loss.

So the nursery rhyme says, “An Apple A Day Keeps the Doctor Away” and has been proved to be more fact than fiction. So, eat lots of apples!

ELECTROLYTES

The human body is an “electrical machine.” All vital bodily functions happen as a result of electrical signals being sent between the various parts of your body and your brain. In order for your body to operate at peak performance, these electrical signals must be conducted in an efficient manner – this is where electrolytes come in. Electrolytes are substances that will conduct electricity when dissolved in water – the most common electrolyte in your body is salt.

Your body is 70% water, about two-thirds of the water resides inside your cells, (intracellular fluid) and about one-third resides outside of your cells, (extra cellular fluid). Your body works constantly to make sure that the intracellular fluid and extra cellular fluid have the same amount of electrolyte concentration-this is a very important component of homeostasis or your body’s inner balance.

The mechanisms that monitor and adjust the balance of electrolytes respond only to changes in extra cellular fluid such as blood. When someone is ill or injured and taken to the hospital, one of the first and most common procedures is to hang an I.V. which simple means injecting salt water directly into the blood stream. Doing so helps the body to operate better because electrical signals moving between the brain and the body can be better conducted.

In addition, when salt is added to the extra cellular fluid it causes water to move between the intracellular and extra cellular areas allowing the body to become properly hydrated. This is why athletes take salt pills or drink sports drinks during workouts.

You can make your own electrolyte drink by putting about 1/8 teaspoon of celtic sea salt in a 12 ounces of water. Drink one of these per day, along with making sure you get plenty of clear water. Take your weight and divide by two and drink that many ounces of clear water per day.

DIETING DON'T WORK

Dieting don't work because if it did there would be a lot of skinny people walking around instead of the 66% who are overweight! One is considered to be overweight if they weigh 10 pounds more than they should or have a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 27. One is considered to be obese if they weight 30 pounds more than they should or have a BMI of 30 or more.

Most diets will help you lose weight initially, but very, very few of them will help you keep it off without lifestyle changes. So what can you do? Glad you asked! Eat predominately a plant based diet - vegetables and fruits. Take your weight and divide by two and drink that many ounces of water per day. Don't eat within four hours of going to bed - if you do everything you eat goes to fat! Get your fat off the couch and start moving! Walk, joy, swim, bike etc. to get the heart pumping; do resistance training with weights. Start small and work your way upward.

By doing these type of things you can lose the weight you need to lose and keep it off without counting calories, fat grams or carbs. If you feed the body what it needs and give it the exercise that it should get, it will stay healthy, strong and useful for a lifetime.

ALMONDS

Almonds are a wonderful whole food and science has recently discovered the benefits of eating them in their whole form. Recent research reveals that the flavonoids in almond skin work synergistically with the vitamin E found in them. This synergistic combination creates more than 200% the antioxidant power of the almonds and almonds skins when separated.

“We have identified a unique combination of flavonoids in almonds,” said Jeffrey Blumbery, Ph.D. senior scientist and director of the Antioxidant Research Laboratory at Tufts University. “Further blood tests demonstrated that eating almonds with their skins significantly increases both flavonoids and vitamin E in the body. This could have significant health implications, especially as people age.”

Blumberg’s team tested the effects of almond skin’s flavonoids alone and then in combination with the vitamin E found in almonds. The tests were done on blood samples containing LDL cholesterol. While almond skins flavonoids alone enhanced LDL’s resistance to oxidation by 18%, when the almond’s vitamin E was added, LDL’s resistance to oxidation was extended by 52.5%! “The synergy between the flavonoids and vitamin E in almonds demonstrates how the nutrients in whole foods such as almonds can affect health,” says Dr. Blumberg.

Once again, the scientists and researchers have found that the nutrients in whole foods have more to offer when consumed in their original, whole form.

In addition to the above, almonds are a great source for calcium, even better than cow’s milk and other dairy products!

FRUITS & VEGETABLES

“Eat your fruits and vegetables” is one of the tried and true recommendations for a healthy diet, and for good reason. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can help you ward off heart disease and stroke, control blood pressure and cholesterol, prevent some types of cancer, avoid a painful intestinal ailment called diverticulitis, and guard against cataract and macular degeneration, two common causes of vision loss.

What does “plenty” mean? More than most Americans consume. The latest dietary guidelines call for five to thirteen servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

The largest and longest study to date, done as part of the Harvard-based Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, included almost 110,000 men and women whose health and dietary habits were followed for 14 years. This study found that the higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease.

Increasing fruit and vegetable intake by as little as one serving per day can have a real impact on health disease risk. According to these two studies, for every extra serving of fruits and vegetables that participants added to their diets per day, their risk of heart disease dropped by 4 percent!

Eat more vegetables and fruits! Stay healthy! And enjoy life to the full!

YAMS

Yams are a good source of both potassium and vitamin B6, two nutrients that your body needs every day. Vitamin B6 helps your body break down a substance called homocysteine, which can cause damage to blood vessel walls. High intakes of vitamin B6 have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Potassium is a mineral that helps to control blood pressure. In the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study, one group ate servings of fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy food in place of snacks and sweets. This approach offered more potassium, magnesium and calcium. After eight weeks, this group lowered their blood pressure by an average of 5.5 points (systolic) over 3.0 points (diastolic). Yams also contain a storage protein called Dioscorin. Preliminary research suggests that Dioscorin can help you body to achieve increased kidney blood flow thereby reducing blood pressure.

In addition, yams’ complex carbohydrates and fiber deliver the goods gradually, slowing the rate at which their sugars are released and absorbed into the bloodstream. Because they are rich in fiber, yams fill you up without causing you to gain weight. Yams are also a good source of manganese, a trace mineral that helps with carbohydrate metabolism and is a cofactor in a number of enzymes important in energy production and antioxidant defenses.

STRETCHING

Stretching is something you can easily do anytime, anywhere – in your home, your office, or even when you are traveling. Aim to stretch at least three times a week. If you can’t get a full work out in, you can still benefit from stretching at least that often.

Many experts believe that stretching may also reduce your risk of injury in sports. “The more prepared your muscles and joints are for an activity, the more protected you are against injury,” says Edward Laskowski, M.D., a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist and co-director of the Sports Medicine Center at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dr. Laskowski explains, “If your joints are not able to go through their full range of motion because of muscle tightness, sports and exercise activities may put an excessive load on the tissue and contribute to injury.”

The many benefits of stretching include:

· Increased flexibility and better range of motion of your joints.

· Improved circulation.

· Better posture.

· Stress relief.

How to stretch.

· Warm up first by walking while pumping your arms.

· Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds.

· Don’t bounce.

· Focus on a pain free-stretch.

“Stretch as often as you exercise,” Dr. Laskowski recommends. “Most experts recommend a cool-down period anyway after exercises. Going into your stretches after your workout is a good way to cool down.”

So get moving!