Give Stones A Chance!

Tags

anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidising compound, Apricots, Beta carotene, bio-active compounds, blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, cataracts, cell regeneration, Collagen, free radicals, gastrointestinal distress, insulin sensitivity, LDL, Magnesium, micronutrient deficiencies, minerals, peaches, phytochemicals, Plums, potassium, prunes, Saba Gul Hasan, Selenium, skin cancer, Texas A&M University, Vitamin A, Vitamin C

Research conducted at Texas A&M University earlier this year has revealed that stone fruits (including apricots, peaches, plums and prunes that have a stone-like seed at their centre) are packed with phytochemicals, vitamins and essential minerals which prevent micronutrient deficiencies and can give health a boost.

These fruit contain bio-active compounds with anti-inflammatory properties; these prevent the oxidation of LDL (bad cholesterol), which often leads to cardiovascular disease. The fruit provide a substantial amount of the required daily intake of potassium and magnesium, which can help you keep chronic ailments – such as blood pressure and hypertension – at bay. 

Eating In Colour

Tags

allergies, anthocyanin, antioxidant, arthritic pain, balance, beets, Beta carotene, blood clots, blue, blueberries, bone, brain function, broccoli, cabbage, cancer, cardiac muscles, cataracts, Circulation, citrus fruit, coloured food revolution, cryptoxanthin carotenes, digestion, Dr Beenish Israr, Eating in Color: Delicious, eggplant, Fibre, figs, flavonoid, flu, Folate, Frances Largeman-Roth, grapefruit, green vegetables, gut health, hand-eye coordination, Healthy Recipes for You and Your Family, Hesperidin, immunity, indoles, kale, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), LDL, lemons, lutein, lycopene, macular degeneration, mangoes, muscle regeneration, nutritionists, orange, oranges, papaya, phytonutrients, pink, Plums, pomegranates, potassium, purple, Red, red cell, respiratory tract infections, short-term memory, South Korea, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, Vitamin C, weight loss, yellow

In her bestselling book Eating in Color: Delicious, Healthy Recipes for You and Your Family, health expert Frances Largeman-Roth highlights the benefits of eating vegetables and fruit of varying colours.

She further states that if parents refer to fruit and vegetables according to their colours, they will succeed in encouraging their children to eat them. For example,     Largeman-Roth offered her daughter Willa “reds, oranges and greens” instead of beets, sweet potatoes and broccoli, which she claims resulted in Willa trying new, healthy foods.

The book has spawned a ‘coloured food revolution’ of sorts, and has led to nutritionists recommending fruit and vegetables of different colours to patients due to their health benefits, which include improved overall health and even weight loss.

Here is a guide to eating in colour:

Fit For A Caveman

Tags

2013, absorption, acidity, additives, allergies, arterial health, artificial colouring, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, blood pressure, brain, carbohydrates, cardiac, caveman diet, celiac disease, cell regeneration, cognitive functioning, dairy, diabetes, digestion, Dr Beenish Israr, eggs, fats, fish oils, fruit, gluten-intolerance, Googled, gut flora, gut health, heartburn, high-protein diet, inflammation, intestinal tract, lactose, LDL, leaky gut syndrome, lean meat, muscle mass, obesity, Omega-3 fatty acids, Paleo Diet, potassium, preservatives, processed oil, raw, refined sugars, research, roots, salmon, sodium, sugar, vegetables, weight loss, weight-watchers, whole grain

Referred to as the ‘caveman diet’, the Paleo Diet was the most Googled diet of 2013, and recent research has revealed that it can be very beneficial.

The diet allows the consumption of lean meat, fruit, vegetables, fish oils, roots and eggs; whole grain and dairy based products, processed oil and refined sugars are avoided. This makes the diet beneficial for weight-watchers as well as those with cardiac problems.

The Paleo Diet offers the following health benefits:

Improves gut health. The absence of processed sugars and fats prevents inflammation of the intestinal tract that causes the ‘leaky gut syndrome’. As the diet endorses only ‘raw’ ingredients, it eliminates preservatives, additives and artificial colouring. This results in improved digestion and absorption by increasing the number of gut flora, preventing acidity and heartburn.      

Heart Healthy Foods

Tags

antioxidant, arrhythmias, arterial inflammation, arteries, avenanthramide, bad cholesterol, bloodstream, candle-lit, chocolates, coronary diseases, couples, desserts, diet, dinners, Dr Beenish Israr, elasticity, exercise, fatty acids, Fibre, Flaxseeds, Folate, good cholesterol, HDL, heart attacks, heart muscles, heart-healthy, LDL, lean protein, liver, Magnesium, nutrients, Oatmeal, Omega-3, Omega-6, oysters, peptides, polyunsaturated, potassium, salmon, saturated fats, scrumptious, soy, strokes, super foods, triglycerides, Valentine's Day, vascular, Vitamin E

Valentine’s Day will see couples out on romantic,    candle-lit dinners, exchanging boxes of chocolates and indulging in scrumptious desserts. But remember, while the heart symbolises Valentine’s Day, there is no excuse for ignoring your own heart. And the best way to care for it is by ensuring that you exercise regularly and watch what you eat!

Here are five heart-healthy super foods that you should incorporate into your diet: