October 25th, 2009 -- Posted in Uncategorized |
As surprising it may sound, the “secret” to living a long, healthy life can be bought right at your supermarket. By eating right, you maximize the probability that you won’t develop age-related health conditions. Beyond choosing the best foods, – as we have already implicated this fact in our earlier post – eating less can reduce the toll time takes on your body. So how can you make sure you are eating the right foods? Follow these simple rules and you can’t go wrong!
RULE 1: Go For Color
RULE 2: Rely On Real Food, Not Supplements
RULE 3: Avoid Processed Foods
RULE 4: Don’t Be Afraid Of (Good) Fats
RULE 5: Red Wine – in moderation
RULE 6: Green Tea -go for it
RULE 7: Eat Less
RULE 1: Go For Color
We have already dedicated a whole post to elaborating the importance of antioxidants. Luckily, mother nature made it easy for us to spot foods high in antioxidants: They’re the ones bursting with color. Berries help maintain cognitive and motor functioning as we age. Pomegranates have been found to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. And broccoli and brussels sprouts contain compounds that help prevent breast cancer.
RULE 2: Rely On Real Food, Not Supplements
Although there is a big difference between the quality of available supplements, there is still a general rule about them: They have nothing on real, natural food. That’s because the nutrients in real food are working together in a complex way, while supplements are more likely to miss this aspect of delivering the needed nutrients to your body.
RULE 3: Avoid Processed Foods
Processed foods are full of preservatives, chemicals, and added colors — therefore they are not as nutritious. Just think of the example of whole-wheat bread versus white bread. Whole wheat is proven to fight heart disease, because of the fiber and other nutrient contents in it. While from white bread, many nutrients are taken out during processing, and few are put back.
Your body also typically digests whole food more slowly than processed food, which keeps blood sugar and insulin levels from fluctuating rapidly. And because whole foods pack fewer calories per gram, they ward off weight-related illnesses like heart disease and stroke.
RULE 4: Don’t Be Afraid Of (Good) Fats
Unsaturated fats from vegetable oils, nuts, avocados, and fish improve insulin sensitivity and reduce blood lipids. That translates into lower risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
Healthy fats help make the Mediterranean-style diet — consisting mostly of vegetables, nuts, beans, olive oil, and fish — so superior.
Treating yourself to salmon and other fish that deliver omega-3 fatty acids two to four times a week, along with a small handful of nuts a day, may reduce your risk of heart disease by 30 percent and lower your cholesterol as well.
RULE 5: Red Wine - in moderation
Drinking one glass of red wine a day, four to five times a week (preferably with a meal), has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attacks, diabetes, and other life-threatening illnesses. That’s because red wine is full of the antioxidants called flavonoids, which are particularly good free-radical fighters.
Consuming wine conservatively will help you reap all the heart-healthy benefits, but you should go easier on the bottle as you age: Alcohol consumption has been linked to increased risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women.
There has also been a recent anti-aging discovery about red wine – some even call it the anti-aging miracle – that you have probably heard of, since it was featured on the Oprah Show, endorsed by Dr Oz, they have talked about it on the Rachel Ray Show, it has been a featured topic on 60 Minutes, and so on… and that ingredient is Resveratrol. Resveratrol has many anti-aging benefits, that has shown proven results in rats that it’s been tested on.
RULE 6: Green Tea
Packed with powerful antioxidants — called catechins — green tea may be the single most life-prolonging substance you can put in your cup. A mug a day will decrease your chance of developing high blood pressure by 46 percent. (A good thing, since 35 million women are currently hypertensive.) Drink more and reduce your risk by 65 percent.
Enough studies have shown green tea’s ability to inhibit the growth of cancer cells that the National Cancer Institute is conducting trials on both a tea-based pill and a topical ointment to treat cancerous skin growths.
RULE 7: Eat Less
We have already released an article on How Eating Less Can Prolong Your Life.
Researchers found that women who stayed closest to their weight at 18 throughout their lives had a 66 percent lower risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and gallstones compared with women who put on 11 to 22 pounds by middle age. Another study found that women who gained 60 pounds after age 18 were up to three times more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer.
And the best news about the longevity diet — there are enough filling, delicious, life-saving foods out there that you can stay happy and satisfied.
September 14th, 2009 -- Posted in Uncategorized |
There is a lot of talk these days about free radicals and antioxidants. So what exactly are free radicals? What do they mean to you and your health? Free radicals are natural compounds that occur in the environment and are formed in the body. They are very unstable compounds because they tend to carry a lot of expendable energy. When a free radical reduces or releases its energy into the body, they effectively interfere with certain cells in the body, by reacting with the natural chemicals in the body.
When free radicals interact with the chemicals in the body, they will also interfere with normal cell functioning and can lead to a wide variety of problems in the body. In fact, free radicals have been associated with at least sixty different health conditions, ranging from wrinkles and premature aging to more serious conditions such as cancer.
So where do free radicals come from? Well the answer may surprise you. Free radicals occur naturally in the body during metabolism, however many other free radicals enter the body through other, external sources. Some of the common sources of free radicals are: industry pollution, excess sun exposure, cosmic rays, x-rays, heavy metals, ozone, car exhaust, cigarette smoke, alcohol and chemical compounds.
Free radicals have been linked to cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, premature aging and wrinkles and many other diseases.
Is there anything to be done against free radicals? There is a defense from free radical damage, and they are called antioxidants. Typically your body can handle the free radicals in the body, however if there are not enough antioxidants available, your body will have trouble fighting off the free radicals and suffer the damages.
It is very important to your overall health to lower your exposure to free radical sources while increasing your antioxidant sources in order to defend your body against the damage that can occur.
While medical opinions vary on the importance of antioxidants in extending life and bettering the quality of life, it is a healthy practice to ensure that your body receives enough antioxidants. It is important to eat your fruits and vegetables in order to receive enough antioxidants in the body. The best supplements and vitamins for antioxidants are manganese, zinc, copper, and selenium. Some other vitamins that are antioxidant rich are vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, Vitamin B2, and coenzyme Q10. Most of these vitamins can be found in a healthy diet that is rich in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.
August 17th, 2009 -- Posted in Anti-Aging Skin Care, Uncategorized |
If you want to learn about skin care terms then you’ll want to read this article. Have you ever wondered what all those terms mean while reading the label of a skin care product? Well, you don’t have to any more as we will try to make this as easy for you as possible. After you’re done with this article you will know all about a skin care terms without having to reach for a dictionary.
Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acids are some of the most commonly used among the various skin care terms Found in cleansers, exfoliants and lotions. These acids help break down and remove dead skin cells. At-home peels with AHAs, such as glycolic acid, can decrease brown spots and smooth fine lines over the time. Research shows that these acids may also spur collagen production. Be aware that they also increase the skin’s sensitivity to sun exposure, so make sure to use sunblock SPF 15 or higher.
Antioxidants are vital to anti-aging skin care. Antioxidants are substances that diffuse free radicals generated by exposure to the sun and other environmental hazards. What are free radicals? They are molecules with an odd number of electrons that try to “steal” electrons from healthy cells, causing premature aging and possibly some cancers. One of the most commonly known antioxidant is Vitamin C. It could be used internally and externally as well; in the form of topical Vitamin C drops.
Botanicals and Fruit Enzymes are probably also among those skin care terms that you often see on skin care products. Botanicals and Fruit Enzymes are two separate categories.
Botanicals are plant-based extracts that have healing properties. Chamomile, for example, can decrease puffiness around the eyes and it’s very useful in preventing and healing infections. As another example, feverfew can reduce redness.
Fruit Enzymes are used in cleansers, masks and more. These can slough away dead skin cells, decreasing dullness.
Peptides are the building blocks of proteins, which may be able to help stimulate collagen production and prevent breakdown when applied topically.
Larger molecules called hexapeptides and septapeptides may inhibit the contraction of the tiny facial muscles that cause fine lines, but further research is being done on this topic for the final conclusion.
Retinol is a Vitamin A derivative. Retinol has been shown to prevent and improve the appearance of wrinkles. It’s very sensitive to air and sunlight, so retinol products that are packaged incorrectly may lose their potency. Look for products that come in a foil tube with a small mouth.
Congratulations! You got the insights on the most commonly used skin care terms. If you found this article helpful, I hope you’ll check out our website too for more useful info.
July 2nd, 2009 -- Posted in Uncategorized |
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