Miracle foods: a special report

“Curry could save your life.” “Beetroot can fight dementia.” “Asthma risk linked to burgers.” Every day there’s a new crop of seemingly life-changing headlines about how the food we eat affects our health.

Food stories are one of the most common topics that Behind the Headlines covers, accounting for about one in five of our appraisals. Often, news stories have claimed that foods can offer remarkable health benefits, such as fighting disease or slowing ageing.

Our special report: Miracle foods: myths and the media (PDF, 2Mb) looks at some of the foods that regularly appear in the news and examines whether the reports match the scientific evidence behind them.

http://www.nhs.uk/news/2011/02February/Pages/miracle-foods-special-report.aspx

Type 1 Diabetes: Scientists Step Closer To A Cure

An accidental drug discovery could be the answer to preventing and curing type 1 diabetes, as scientists embark on new trials to find out if a blood pressure drug will work for other illnesses

A drug normally used for blood pressure, heart complaints and migraines could hold the key to curing type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 is the genetic strain of the disease, as opposed to type 2, which is more common (90 per cent of diabetes patients in the UK have type 2).There are around five million diabetes sufferers in the UK, 10 per cent have Type 1 (REX)

Type 2 diabetes is caused by lifestyle factors such as being overweight, and in many cases can be managed or even reversed by lifestyle changes. But because type 1 is caused by the body's failure to make insulin, it needs to be treated medically.

Currently there is no cure or prevention for type 1 diabetes. Instead it's managed with careful monitoring and reactive treatment. But unexpectedly, research into the drug Verapamil, has given scientists hope that a more effective treatment could be in sight.

Insulin is a protein that we need to keep our blood sugar level stable. It works by enabling sugar in the blood stream to enter cells where the body can use it as energy.

When you eat, the food is broken down into sugars, which enter the blood stream, raising our blood sugar level.

When this happens, a signal is sent to the pancreas, telling the cells to make insulin. It does this and releases it into the blood stream, where the insulin unlocks pathways into the cells for the sugar to be absorbed and used. This in turn lowers our blood sugar level.

Diabetics need to regularly test their blood sugar levels and inject insulin if required.

Tests on mice and on human cells have shown that the drug could help reduce the amount of a protein called TXNIP in the body, which has been found to thwart pancreas cells when they try to make essential insulin.

The next step in the research is for the team at The University of Alabama in Birmingham, US, to begin conducting human trials. They've been given a grant of $2.1million over the next three years to investigate.

It's an exciting development because this type of treatment has never been tried before and could be the key to helping the body's own cells to make the insulin it needs, returning it to normal function.

The drug could also potentially be used to treat more extreme cases of Type 2 diabetes, where lifestyle changes have failed.

https://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/type-1-diabetes--scientists-step-closer-to-a-cure-135149095.html

How to Live a Natural and Healthy Lifestyle – 12 Tips on Healthy Living

Family having fun on tropical beach
A Natural and Healthy Lifestyle.

Program your mind to always be living a natural and healthy lifestyle and the body will soon crave it. Imagine that the body is your engine and give it the very best “fuel” and conditions to prevent diseases. The body is amazing in its ability to constantly work towards restoring a state of optimum health. Once you realize the benefits, and then put into practice the steps necessary to achieve them, a natural and healthy lifestyle will become second nature to you. A natural and healthy lifestyle is sustainable which is of great benefit to nature and to our children. That alone is a reason to shift to a more natural lifestyle.

12 tips on healthy living – how to live a natural and healthy lifestyle:

Eat organic and unrefined food.
Drink water or make your own juice.
Prepare food in a way that doesn’t “kill” the food.
Grow organic vegetables, herbs, fruits and berries.
Use natural resources as wild berries, herbs, mushrooms.
Eat to live, don’t live to eat.
Spend more time outside, and live in harmony with nature.
Use natural alternatives to medicines when possible.
Compost your wastes and recirculate as much as possible.
Reuse and/or buy second hand, give away things you don’t need.
Follow your intuition (listen to your soul), follow your heart, dare to be yourself.
Practice meditation and yoga.
Find your special natural and healthy lifestyle.

It is unattainable for all to do all the things on this list – it is apparent that if you live in an apartment on 32nd floor in New York it’ll be difficult to grow your own vegetables. A good alternative is to buy organic grown vegetables. For many it may also be a problem to find organically grown vegetables close by. Organic green super foods and vitamin/mineral supplements can be a good addition to your diet if you can’t find organic products. Walter C. Willett has an excellent book on the bestselling guide to healthy eating, debunking dietary myths and proposing the radical benefits of low-carbohydrate diet, Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy is filled with advice backed up by documented research.

Start out small – set goals!

My best advice is that you simply discuss with your spouse, partner and or kids what changes you would like and wish to do in your life, in order to have a more natural and healthy lifestyle. You don’t need to implement all of the 12 tips on healthy living. Start with one or two. When you are making this a family matter it is easier to accomplish as you can support one another when necessary. It is most probable that you have different wishes and needs.

Write down your goals and put them on a place where you easily can see them. Don’t try to change everything from one day to another. Take one step at a time. Soon it will become a new habit and then you can introduce the next step. If you do this you will find that it is not hard. And when you notice the effect it has on your well being you will be inspired to continue – the ball is spinning.

Example of a goal could be: (make a deadline).

I want to lose xx pounds.
I want to get rid of my belly fat.
I don’t want to expose my children for additives, artificial preservatives or pesticides.
I want more energy.
I want to cure my colon problems.
Your main goal should be to live a HAPPY NATURAL LIFE! Bring it to mind it’s never too late to begin – Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Start implementing a few of the tips on healthy living today.

http://irresistiblehealth.com/?p=63

Type 1 Diabetes: Scientists Step Closer To A Cure

An accidental drug discovery could be the answer to preventing and curing type 1 diabetes, as scientists embark on new trials to find out if a blood pressure drug will work for other illnesses

A drug normally used for blood pressure, heart complaints and migraines could hold the key to curing type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 is the genetic strain of the disease, as opposed to type 2, which is more common (90 per cent of diabetes patients in the UK have type 2).There are around five million diabetes sufferers in the UK, 10 per cent have Type 1 (REX)

Type 2 diabetes is caused by lifestyle factors such as being overweight, and in many cases can be managed or even reversed by lifestyle changes. But because type 1 is caused by the body's failure to make insulin, it needs to be treated medically.

Currently there is no cure or prevention for type 1 diabetes. Instead it's managed with careful monitoring and reactive treatment. But unexpectedly, research into the drug Verapamil, has given scientists hope that a more effective treatment could be in sight.

Insulin is a protein that we need to keep our blood sugar level stable. It works by enabling sugar in the blood stream to enter cells where the body can use it as energy.

When you eat, the food is broken down into sugars, which enter the blood stream, raising our blood sugar level.

When this happens, a signal is sent to the pancreas, telling the cells to make insulin. It does this and releases it into the blood stream, where the insulin unlocks pathways into the cells for the sugar to be absorbed and used. This in turn lowers our blood sugar level.

Diabetics need to regularly test their blood sugar levels and inject insulin if required.

Tests on mice and on human cells have shown that the drug could help reduce the amount of a protein called TXNIP in the body, which has been found to thwart pancreas cells when they try to make essential insulin.

The next step in the research is for the team at The University of Alabama in Birmingham, US, to begin conducting human trials. They've been given a grant of $2.1million over the next three years to investigate.

It's an exciting development because this type of treatment has never been tried before and could be the key to helping the body's own cells to make the insulin it needs, returning it to normal function.

The drug could also potentially be used to treat more extreme cases of Type 2 diabetes, where lifestyle changes have failed.

https://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/type-1-diabetes--scientists-step-closer-to-a-cure-135149095.html

10 things you didn't know about maintaining a healthy diet

Better digestion

1. The fibre contained in leafy green vegetables acts like a scrubbing brush in the gut, helping to reduce the absorption of microbial toxins into the body. Foods to eat: kale, spinach

2. Eating healthy, raw fats can help with the overall functioning of your GI tract, including helping maintain a healthy lining, for which vitamin A is also crucial. Foods to eat: avacado, sweet potato

WEIGHT LOSS

3. Eating more fruit and vegetables satisfies your hunger and means you'll be less likely to reach for high-fat, high-sugar and low-fibre foods. So try some new recipes that incorporate more fruit and veg.

4. Staying hydrated can help reduce over eating. We often misinterpret our thirst for hunger, so drinking enough water (which also counts clearer skin among its many benefits), can help us control our hunger. Drink: water

•  Love food and want to lose weight? Try to find compromises and recipes that allow you to enjoy the best of both. 

 

QUALITY OF LIFE

5. Researchers have found that poor diet can result in poor sleep. The message? Eat well, sleep well. Key nutrients, including vitamin B6 and magnesium, can also aide a restful slumber. Foods to eat: oily fish, whole grains

6. Sex-drive (or lack of it) can be affected by diet. Eating foods rich in vitamin C (aiding circulation), or amino acids (boosting nitric oxide levels) could help get you in the mood again. Foods to eat: figs, watermelon

PREVENTING ILLNESS

7. The phyto-chemicals in vegetables and other plant foods have antioxidant qualities—protecting against the effects of environmental pollution. Foods to eat: plant foods, pulses, nuts

8. Food plays a big role in building health and thus preventing illness. Green leafy vegetables that are high in folate and iron can assist in healthy cell development. Foods to eat: kale, lettuce

9. The properties found in certain fruit and vegetables have been heralded as being of particular importance to boosting the immune system, though balance is key. Foods to eat: garlic, probiotic yoghurt

10. Studies have shown diet could affect the risk of developing breast cancer. Foods to eat: vegetables, whole grains and legumes

Eating a diet high in unprocessed and natural foods is one of the best things you can do for your health, along with taking enough exercise and getting sufficient rest. 

http://www.readersdigest.co.uk/health/wellbeing/eat-well/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-maintaining-healthy-diet

Does Fitness = Health?

There seems to be a great deal of emphasis these days about attaining the perfect abs, sculpted upper arms, toned calves and getting rid of every ounce of fat.

Magazines, reality shows, advertisements, and celebrities all tout the perfect physique; at what price? Working out at a gym, jogging, doing Pilates, Yoga or any form of vigorous activity to maintain physical health is fine when done on an appropriate scale.

It is now an accepted fact that our mind and body are connected. We also know that moderate exercise does bring about positive mental benefits as physical activity increases oxygen flow to the brain and produces greater amounts of endorphins, otherwise known as 'feel-good chemicals'.

But what is moderate for each of us? I know people who go overboard with exercise and are obsessed with physical fitness to the exclusion of their mental wellbeing. They end up damaging both mind and body in the process.

Worst of all they judge others who don't follow their regime of running marathons and triathlons not knowing that they are the ones who need to re-balance their lives.

Today more than ever I come across so many fitness buffs. They work out in a frenzied almost obsessive-compulsive manner but prefer to sweep emotional issues they face under the rug.

An extreme example I can recall was a company director who took part in ironman events in the region. An ironman event consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a 26.2-mile marathon, raced in that order and without a break. He was an avid runner and cyclist whose life revolved around these events and constant training in between despite having young children.

Not even getting pneumonia during a couple of the events and being hospitalised could keep him away! He once got himself discharged earlier before full recovery because he wanted to take part in another race.

For all his physical prowess the sad thing was that as a member of the senior management team he totally lacked people skills. His cold demeanour made staff afraid of him and they did their best to avoid him.

On the other hand I recall the words of my Managing Director when I worked in banking. He was a slim, healthy man in his 50's then. When I asked what he did for exercise weekly he said a 20 to 30 minute run on the treadmill a few times a week kept his mind clear and his body healthy.

There is something off kilter with society today when fitness freaks think that they are healthy. I don't believe that fitness equals health. I know of too many people who have dropped dead on the golf course or who died young from no real reason except in my mind, due to overworking the body.

I look back at my parents and grandparents and at farmers who toil their land. They do a natural amount of exercise, commensurate with what the body can take. They kept to nature and what the body was built for. Today the overworking of our bodies in doing a marathon for instance requires a buildup of protein with special diets to get the body ready for the big day.

Some recorded symptoms of overworking the body include loss of focus, sluggishness, chronic joint and bones pains, lack of motivation and falling sick more often. This to me is highly unnatural and one I am hesitant to condone in my own life. What are they trying to prove?

As an NLP Trainer I see people like this running away from themselves. They are obviously running loops in their addictive strategies that don't allow them to exit. They are sports aficionados who never miss a game of cricket, golf, or tennis and who also only 'talk' sports off the field. They might think that an addiction in sport is a good thing but any addiction takes us out of balance and something else suffers eventually.

Changing mindsets is a near impossible task with these people as they hibernate in their comfort zone refusing to open up to new possibilities. When such individuals turn up in my workshops they invariably stay aloof from the rest of the group and again take cover behind a sports buff façade. It is like there is an emotional wall between mind and body with the connection switched off.

I strongly feel that the closer we keep to nature the closer we are to home. I see people like this embracing addictions and they don't even realise it. They are at DIS-EASE with themselves. The erroneous belief of fitness equals health is their downfall that eventually leads to physical ailments.



http://ezinearticles.com/?Does-Fitness-=-Health?&id=8807308