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Nutritional Health

March 27th, 2009 by tripowerteam

Nutritional Health

The term Nutritional Health, implies that our health status is in someway reliant on our nutritional intake. There is a very well known saying “you are what you eat”. In other words if you eat healthy nourishing food you will heave a healthy well nourished body, but if you eat junk food then your health will in someway be compromised.

This statement is broadly true, although in reality nutritional health is a far more complex issue. I am sure you will also have heard the saying “one man’s meat is another man’s poison” implying that one person may eat a particular diet and feel fit and well, whereas another person can eat the same food and react negatively to that food, resulting in some unpleasant symptoms.. Our biochemical individuality means that nutritional health is very different for different people.

Apparently our bodies were designed to live until 120 years of age. Most people live just over half of that age or less and die from the effects of our civilised world rather than from natural causes of aging. In the 21st century we may feel qualified to applaud some of the advances of modern medicine regarding treatment of infections, but we have also to accept that the causes of the majority of present day illnesses and diseases are due to lifestyle factors. This may include lack of exercise, poor nutritional health or the effects of an accumulation of factors such as alcohol abuse, heavy smoking or recreational drug use.

Of course there are also other factors that are out of our hands such as the deterioration of the nutritional state of our food, drink and air that we breathe. Processed and fast foods have become more and more popular, locally grown seasonal fruit and vegetables have been superseded by food that is shipped thousands of mils and is available to us all year round. Fresh free range meat is a thing of the past. Chemical fertilizers have become the norm and poor farming habits are affecting the mineral status of the soil and consequently the nutritional value of our crops.

Finding a way to ensure good nutritional health has become more and more difficult, and many people are resorting to supplementing their diets with good quality nutritional products. Multivitamins and antioxidants are a top priority for many people as they try to protect their bodies from the onslaught of poor quality water supplies, often contaminated with chemical additives such as fluoride; polluted air and light.

Dr Paulus Lining two times Nobel Prize winner said

“You can trace every sickness, every disease, and every ailment to a mineral deficiency”

Nutritional health is totally reliant on the best quality foods. So apart from supplementing your diet with multivitamins and antioxidants, the first thing to do is to find ways of ensuring that you feed your body with good quality, fresh, organic food where ever possible. Find out if there are any foods that are detrimental to your health and avoid them until your body learns to tolerate them. If your body is reacting by displaying the symptoms of a disease state, then you are not eating the right foods for your body type and you need to take the appropriate steps to find out what foods you can eat that will keep you healthy.

Janet L. Matthews
Skype ID: lindajanetmatthews

Categories : Nutritional Health

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Nopalea

March 27th, 2009 by tripowerteam

Nopalea

Nopalea more commonly known as Nopal is a genus of the cactus family. It produces purple flowers in the winter and is pollinated by hummingbirds. The plant thrives in subtropical and tropical regions and can be found in the south-western desert regions of the United States and Mexico. This amazing Nopalea Cactus (sometimes referred to as the prickly pear) is also known and grown for its beautiful bloom, bright red fruit and paddle-like leaves.

Sonoran Bloom Nopalea

Nopalea is also plentiful in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. The Sonoran Desert is the most fruitful desert in the world and is visited by millions of people yearly. It is one of the least polluted areas on this planet and Nopalea plants that originate from the Sonoran Desert are organic. The Nopal cactus or prickly pear cactus is found in many arid and semi-arid environments around the world. The people from some countries of North Africa call cactus pear “the bridge of life”, because it is the only feeding and watering resource for animals during drought seasons.

Sonoran Desert dwellers have enjoyed the nutritional benefits of the Nopal cactus for centuries. When the spines are removed from the cactus pads they can be used as a vegetable in a salad or as a tasty treat on the barbeque. The fruit of the Nopal cactus is a naturally sweet, succulent fruit that is enjoyed by both desert dwelling people and animals.

The Nopal fruit contains 18 amino acids, all of the B vitamins as well as minerals and bioactive phytonutrients. It is undoubtedly a super food that has been found to have a whole range of health benefits.

The scientific community has been interested in the potential health promoting benefits of the Nopal cactus for decades. Scientific studies have increased interest in cactus-pear cultivation and the number of possible uses and application of cactus-pear fruits. Anecdotal testimonials from people who have enjoyed Nopalea, a health promoting nutritional juice, is mounting.

Click Here For More Information

Ref:

Banos, G., et al. (2008). Medicinal agents in the metabolic syndrome.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/6mh181q470l20751/

Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali Agrarie e Biotecnologie Agro-Alimentari
Viale Italia 39, 07100 Sassari, Italy

http://www.jpacd.org/V6/Piga_PF2fnl.pdf

Cactus stems (Opuntia spp.): A review on their chemistry, technology, and uses Florian C. Stintzing *, Reinhold Carle Hohenheim University, Institute of Food Technology, Plant Foodstuff Technology, Stuttgart, Germany. Fax: +49-711-459-4110

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/chamc/2008/00000006/00000004/art00002

http://www.efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=1

Google search Nopalea

Categories : Nopalea

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Probiotics

March 27th, 2009 by tripowerteam

Probiotics

We hear on a daily basis through media advertising, that probiotics are necessary to build a strong immune system, but what does this mean and how can we ensure that we don’t get caught up in media hype?

Most people are totally unaware that there are 100 trillion bacteria, weighing a total of 3 pounds (approx 1.5 kg) lining their intestinal tracts. This complex system of beneficial bacteria is a crucial part of the immune system. The primary function of the beneficial bacteria is to protect the body from invasion, but this can only happen successfully if we ensure that our diets are such that the beneficial bacteria are nurtured and encouraged with probiotics and not bombarded with unhealthy foods such as sugar, processed foods and toxic chemicals.

In a healthy individual, the good bacteria in the gut, represents about 80% of the total bacteria present, the other 20% being of the pathogenic variety. However when the ratio is 80:20 the good bacteria keep the pathogenic bacteria in check and the good bacteria are able to continue their job of producing a strong immune army. If we eat a diet of sugar and processed foods, what happens is that these foods “feed” the pathogenic bacteria and they become more prolific and can ultimately impair your immune system.

To maintain the good bacteria it is vital to adopt a diet that not only feed the good bacteria with probiotics but also avoids the foods that feeds the pathogenic bacteria. A two pronged attack. To provide the body with probiotic enhancing foods our diet should contain foods that have been fermented eg. kefir, sauerkraut etc If you are not eating these foods then you should consider supplementing your diet with a good quality probiotic supplement. A good probiotic supplement will contain bacterial cultures such as lactobacillus, acidophilus and bifidus. If the probiotic supplement is a good one these cultures will be highly concentrated forms of the particular bacteria. Unfortunately many of the gimmicky probiotic foods that promise to feed your gut with good bacteria, have been found to contain very little if any living bacteria, and many of them are sugar laden which rather defeats the object of the exercise.

Probiotics should ideally be taken with food as part of your daily routine. They are also an excellent companion if you are traveling abroad. Many people experience infectious traveler’s diarrhea while visiting foreign countries and a bottle of probiotics can help to clear up the infection in record time.

Probiotics tend to be viewed as something to take when on a course of antibiotics. This of course is vital, but they should really be given a little more credence for the wonderful job they do supporting the immune system, which after all is the most important contributor to our overall health.

Janet L. Matthews
Skype ID: lindajanetmatthews

Categories : Probiotics

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Vitamins

March 27th, 2009 by tripowerteam

Vitamins

The human body is reliant on a certain level of nutrients for optimal health. Vitamins, minerals and other trace elements in the right proportions can help to keep disease at bay and ensure that the body is functioning optimally.

Ideally we should be able to get all the vitamins and minerals our bodies need from the food we eat, unfortunately this is not always possible. In this modern day and age not only do we consume processed foods that are devoid of any natural nutrients, but even our fresh food is grown or reared on soil that is mineral deficient.

So why is it so important to ensure we have our optimal intake of vitamins and minerals? Each of these nutrients has a specific role to play in the body.

• Vitamin A is needed for eye health and skin health. It is an antioxidant vitamin that is used for protein synthesis and is also important for the healthy function of lung tissue.
• Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) is needed for the production of HCl (hydrochloric Acid) blood formation, and carbohydrate metabolism. It is also needed fore normal muscle tone of the intestines, stomach and heart.
• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) is needed for red blood cell formation, antibody production, cell respiration and growth and it facilitates O2 (oxygen) use in the body
• Vitamin B3 (Niacin) is needed for the correct function of the nervous system, the metabolism of carbohydrates and the production of HCl. It is also needed for the synthesis of sex hormones.
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is involved in almost all body systems and organ functions, including activating many enzymes. It aids B12 absorption, immune function and antibody production and also helps to regulate oestrogen and inhibits homocysteine
• Vitamin B12 aids in cell formation and cellular longevity. It prevents anaemia, aids digestion and absorption of food. It is essential for a healthy nervous system and also maintains fertility and promotes normal growth and development
• Vitamin C is an antioxidant. Its primary role is the formation of collagen. It is also important for growth and repair of body tissue cells, gums, blood vessels, bones and teeth. It aids in the absorption of iron and helps reduce LDL’s ( bad cholesterol) It is also a natural anti inflammatory and anti histamine.
• Vitamin D also known as the sunshine vitamin protects bones and preserves muscle tone. It is essential for calcium and phosphorus metabolism and regulates cell growth, immunity and energy metabolism
• Vitamin E is fat a soluble antioxidant with particular affinity to the cardiovascular system. It is involved in helping maintain normal cholesterol levels, the integrity of the cell wall, the health of capillary walls, the integrity of red blood cells as well as controlling the clotting of blood. It is also responsible for healthy skin and a healthy reproductive system.

So as you can see vitamins are essential for our health and well being and it is vital that we get an optimal amount of each of these vitamins on a daily basis

Janet L. Matthews
Skype ID: lindajanetmatthews

Categories : Vitamins

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Lose Weight

March 27th, 2009 by tripowerteam

Lose Weight

It is not unusual for people who are overweight to make the excuse that they can’t lose weight so there is no point trying. Losing weight is not for the feint hearted. It demands life style changes and discipline and can take many months to achieve your goal.

However if you are serious about wanting to lose weight it is worth making sure that you are properly organized before you begin. Being well organized will get you off to a good start as will my list of tips and hints to make your weight loss journey a little less stressful

1. Get rid of any foods that may tempt you to return to your old ways and instead fill your cupboards with healthy foods that will help you to lose weight

2. Buy fresh foods on the day you want to eat them. This will help to ensure that they have the maximum nutritional value.

3. Make sure you have some healthy snacks at hand in the fridge, like carrot sticks and hummus.

4. You will need to have plenty of high quality protein in your weight loss diet. Protein is necessary to convert fat into lean muscle and subsequently to speed up your metabolism.

5. Most of us suffer from a sweet tooth on occasions so it is sensible to keep a store of fruit such as bananas, apples and oranges that will offer a healthier alternative. Pure sugar causes insulin levels to rise too quickly leading to a condition known as hyper-insulinism. Fruit contains fiber which has to be broken down and results in a slower absorption of sugar and a more gradual rise in insulin levels.

6. You should aim to stick to your diet at least for 95% of the time and don’t be too hard on yourself if you have a bad day or feel the need for a treat. It is always better to have a treat and get back to your diet rather than feel deprived and ending up binging

7. Start thinking like a slim person and imagining yourself as slim. If you think like a slim person you will act like a slim person and consequently you will begin to eat like as a slim person. The power of though can help you to lose weight more effectively and maintain that weight loss in the future.

8. Don’t be tempted to give up. There will always be times when sticking to your diet will prove to be more than you can cope with, but the most important thing is to get back on the diet as soon as things get back to normal.

9. Trying to lose weight on your own can be a lonely business. Either join a class or maybe form a weight loss group of your own amongst your friends, colleagues or family members. The benefits of group therapy and a good support system can make all the difference to your ultimate successful weight loss

10. Determination and a resolve to do it to the best of your ability will certainly help you to lose weight. Many people have lost vast amounts of weight and have kept it off successfully it just takes a bit of will power and an understanding that this is an eating plan for life and not just for the duration of your weight loss regime

Janet L. Matthews
Skype ID: lindajanetmatthews

Categories : Lose Weight

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Super Fruits

March 11th, 2009 by tripowerteam

Super Fruits

The term “super fruits” is basically commercial terminology for a range of the more rare fruits deemed to have a particularly high nutritional value, especially their antioxidant value. Their perceived health benefits would seem to be the main reason for their popularity.

Some of the more popular superfruits include: acai, blueberry, cranberry, gogi, red grape, guarana, mango, mangosteen, noni and pomegranate. Fruits such as strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are not included here even though they have many of the qualities of superfruits, mainly due to the fact that they are commonly known and have not attracted that novelty value of the other fruits.

One of the main features of the super fruits is the presence of antioxidant phytochemicals. These phytochemicals are thought to have potent antioxidant qualities that are thought to be particularly helpful in many serious diseases such as leukemia, cancer and neurological diseases, as well as conditions such as mental fatigue and inflammation.

The antioxidants that are provided by these superfruits play an important part as free radical scavengers. Free radical damage can occur at cellular level due to pollution, toxins and the stresses of daily life. Free radicals become unstable and attack healthy molecules, this is where the antioxidants provided by the superfruits really come into their own. The more powerful the antioxidant the more protection they offer.

Very often these superfruit antioxidants are taken as a nutritional supplement. It is not unusual to find that they are a combination of superfruits to enable them to offer the best antioxidant activity. These supplements are also often a more concentrated form of the superfruits, to ensure that the highest possible dose is made available.

The capacity of the superfruit supplement is measured in ORACs – Oxygen Radical Absorbence Capacity. This enables the consumer to have an understanding of the potency of the product they are purchasing to ensure that it is offering good value for money. As an example, mangosteen juice has an ORAC value of 15 – 17 thousand whereas cranberry juice has a value of 8 – 10 thousand.

Although it is generally agreed that all fruits are good for our health superfruits do seem to contain more complex substances that help to maintain good health and keep certain diseases and illnesses at bay

Janet L. Matthews
Skype ID: lindajanetmatthews

Categories : Super Fruits and Vegetables

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Vitamin B12

March 11th, 2009 by tripowerteam

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is a member of the vitamin B complex group, all of which are vital for mental health. Deficiency in any of the 8 B vitamins will very quickly affect the way you feel and think. These B vitamins are water soluble and rapidly pass out of the body and so we need to replenish them on a daily basis. The B vitamin group tend to work synergistically so it is advisable to take them in a complex. If you feel you need an extra amount of any of the B vitamin group then make sure you take it in conjunction with a B Complex formula.

Vitamin B 12 is one such vitamin that is often supplemented alongside a B complex supplement. Vitamin B12’s primary functions include the formation of red blood cells and the maintenance of a healthy nervous system. It is also necessary for the synthesis of DNA during cell division.

Vitamin B12 is found primarily in meat, eggs and diary products. It has been suggested that B12 is also found in fermented soy and seaweed products, however, although this may be the case, it is unclear as to how available this plant source is to the human body. Those on a vegetarian diet may well find that their diets are deficient in this essential vitamin and may need to consider supplementation,

Vegans need to make sure that the foods in their diet are fortified with vitamin B12. For example foods such as marmite, or other yeast extracts, breakfast cereals and textured vegetable protein are fortified with vitamin B12

If you are experiencing lack of energy, exhaustion, irritability, forgetfulness or brain fog, you could be suffering from Vitamin B12 deficiency. This deficiency may be caused by a lack of B12 in your diet, however it could be caused by stress, which increases our demand for B12. In addition our ability to absorb B vitamins in general declines after the age of 40, so supplementation may be advisable once you have reached this age.

Occasionally B12 deficiency can be caused by digestive problems such as irritable bowel syndrome, colitis or gastric reflux, all of which inhibit the body’s ability to absorb vitamin B12 from the foods they eat.

Janet L. Matthews
Skype ID: lindajanetmatthews

Categories : Vitamins

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Stevia

March 11th, 2009 by tripowerteam

Stevia

Stevia is an extremely sweet, non calorific herb that has been used as a sweetener and flavour enhancer for centuries. Unfortunately its use within the USA has been virtually impossible in recent years due to the fact that it has been handled as if it were an illegal drug. However more recently it has been decided that it can now be sold legally in the USA provided it is called a dietary supplement.

With obesity reaching epidemic proportions, alternatives to sugar have been very high profile. Artificial sweeteners have been deemed detrimental to health and have even been cited as a causal factor of weight gain. Many people who have a weight problem also have a sweet tooth and find giving up sweet foods very difficult. Stevia, unlike the artificial sweeteners on the market does not mimic sugar in the same way and so has a very beneficial part to play in the diets of many obese individuals. Stevia has actually been used in South America for centuries to treat Type 2 Diabetes.

Stevia is in fact commonly known as sweetleaf or sugarleaf. Its extracts are 300 times the sweetness of sugar and amazingly has a zero calorific value. It will come as no surprise therefore to know that cooking with stevia can take a little getting used to. The most important thing to remember is not to use too much as this can result in excessive sweetness and an after taste. One suggestion is to start using stevia with other natural sweeteners such as honey and maple syrup.

Recipes for beverages sweetened with stevia will often be measured as a liquid concentrate. Stevia is sold as a white powder or as dried or powdered leaves. In order to make the stevia liquid concentrate you must purchase the white stevia powder.

Stevia is sold in 4 different varieties:-

• fresh leaves – the most natural unrefined state
• dried, crushed leaves – this variety released more sweetness and flavour
• stevia extracts – this is the white powdered extract that is approximately 200-300 times sweeter than sugar(by weight)
• liquid concentrates – this can be made from the white powder and preserved with grapefruit seed extract or may be a syrupy black liquid made by boiling the leaves in water

ref – Wikededia
— Stevia.net

Janet L. Matthews
Skype ID: lindajanetmatthews

Since Stevia is much sweeter than sugar we recommend to get it in liquid form, where you are able to add a drop up to a few drops depending on your taste.

Categories : Stevia

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Vegetables

March 11th, 2009 by tripowerteam

Vegetables

Encouraging people to eat more fruit and vegetables is seen a top priority by the organizations around the world who are promoting a healthier diet. Many serious illnesses are caused by nutritional deficiency due to a diet made up of poor quality food.

Research indicates that nine or ten servings of fruits and vegetables a day is optimal, whereas dietary guidelines tend to recommend a minimum of five servings a day. However it would appear that most populations are consistently not reaching even half this goal. Attempts to increase the intake of fruit and vegetables is proving to be a major public health challenge.

It is a well documented fact that people who eat a diet rich in plant foods have a reduced incidence of heart disease and cancer, but despite this fact the message doesn’t seem to be getting through to certain sectors of the community.

So why are vegetables so beneficial to our health?

Apart from the obvious fiber content in fruit and vegetables, which ultimately aids the digestive process, they contain many vitamins and minerals .

Vitamins

Vitamin C and the B complex vitamins are found in all fruit and vegetables whereas vitamin A is found in read yellow and orange fruit and vegetables such as carrots and tomatoes.

Minerals

The minerals copper, iron, zinc, iodine, manganese, molybdenum, selenium and potassium are found in certain fruit and vegetables

Phytonutrients

More recently research has been focusing on a different set of nutrients called phytonutrients. These bioactive substances are found in all plants – not just fruit and vegetables but also in flowers, herbs spices, seeds, nuts, oils, cereals, pulses, chocolate as well as beverages such as tea and coffee. Many but not all of these nutrients are highly coloured. There are 20 top phytonutrients each with their own special name and properties

Professor Heber, the director of the University of California Los Angeles Center for Human Nutrition, divides foods into 7 colour groups: red, red/purple, orange, orange/yellow, yellow/green, green, white/green.

• The red group eg tomatoes, provide lycopene; believed to have anti cancer properties
• the red/purple group eg grapes, provide anthocyanins; believed to have antioxidant and protective effects on the brain and heart functioning
• the orange group eg carrots, provide alpha and beta-carotenes; believed to help against lung cancer and support the immune system
• the orange/yellow group eg tangerines provide cryptoxanthins; believed to help with the maintenance of healthy vision, reproduction and body tissues
• the yellow/green group eg avocado provide lutein and zeaxanthin; believed to reduce the risk of macular degeneration
• the green group eg broccoli provide isothiocyanates and indoles; believed they may have anti cancer properties
• the white/green group eg celery provide allicin; believed to act as an antibiotic in the body and have anti cholesterol benefits

A diet rich in fruit and vegetables can provide the body with all these phytonutrients provided they are consumed on a daily basis.

Ref “The Optimum Nutrition Magazine” Winter 2007

Janet L. Matthews
Skype ID: lindajanetmatthews

Categories : Super Fruits and Vegetables

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Natural Health

March 2nd, 2009 by tripowerteam

Natural Health

With so much information in the media about junk food and drink that is detrimental to our health, many people are starting to realise that natural health is the only way forward if we are to be fit and healthy into our 3rd age. With so many baby boomers currently becoming OAPs there has been an upsurge of interest in how to reach and maintain optimal health through natural means.

Natural health implies that we want to become healthy using the tools that nature provided us with. Natural food as opposed to processed food, natural medicine instead of drugs, natural skin care instead of chemically laden products, and natural cleaning agents instead of chemical cocktails.

There is no wonder we are breeding nations of sick individual when you start to look seriously at the way we treat our bodies. The natural health approach has the ability to change all of that and enables us to live life according to the laws of nature.

If we would only stop and think for ourselves we would realize that nature provides it all. Everything we need is there for us in abundance. Of course the big issue for most people is that nature doesn’t provide in such a convenient time effective manner as many of the products that are available to us. Gone are the days when women made their own face creams and cosmetics from natural ingredients. Only a small percentage of us grow our own vegetables, even fewer enjoy cooking a meal from scratch. Despite the many side effects related to prescription drugs most people would prefer to have a quick fix from the doctor than take time to convalesce or even concoct an herbal brew using herbs from the garden.

So is natural health a thing of the past? For many people, sadly, I think that may be true. However there is quite definitely an active body of people both young and old that want to integrate some of the “old fashioned” ways into their modern lives. More and more people are taking on allotments and choosing to have organic vegetables delivered to their doors. Organic chemical free skin care products are becoming more popular as concerns for the numbers of chemicals in many commercial brands are being highlighted. There are websites online that sell the raw ingredients for those who would like to make their own face creams. More people are turning to more gentle cleaning products and even good old white spirit vinegar and basic lemon juice are being used for cleaning and stain removal.

One of the biggest increases in the area of natural health can be seen in the purchase of nutritional supplements as an alternative to drugs. More and more people are realizing that they can get the same benefit from supplements without the unpleasant side effects.

So it would appear that natural health has come back in a slightly different guise, but is never-the-less a valuable alternative to the processed, chemical laden industries that bombard us as consumers on a day to day to basis.

Janet L. Matthews
Skype ID: lindajanetmatthews

Categories : Healthy Choices

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Archive for healthy

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Nopalea

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Lose Weight

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Vitamin B12

Stevia

Vegetables

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