| "Health and Nutrition Online" May 23, 2002 a subsidiary of MarketOpps |
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Thought for today:
"It is not difficulties that make or unmake
our success, but our attitude toward
them." ~ J. L Chestnut
------------------------------ Those consuming a Mediterranean diet (rich in fruits, vegetables, cereals, fish and beans) had a 50 to 70 percent lower rate of recurrent heart disease than those who ate a Western diet. The Mediterranean diet in the study closely
matched the American Heart Association recommended guidelines.
Do you love to gripe? If so, you might want to get a little more exercise to keep your heart healthy. Research suggests that people who are prone to angry outbursts may be more likely than even-tempered people to have heart disease risk factors, such as poor cholesterol control. However, exercise appears to level the playing field. In one study, people who exercised regularly had the best lipid profiles, regardless of temperament. ------------------------------
Hot pepper juice relieves the pain of arthritis
when rubbed over the
affected area. The active ingredient is
capsaicin, and this is what
burns your tongue. Topical application of
this seems to trick the
nerve endings to forget about the pain from
joints. It has been
moderately effective in several small trials.
A recent study of about 250 patients with
arthritis of the knee found
that swallowing ginger extract was superior to a
placebo. Knee pain
was reduced on standing and after walking, and
patients were able to
reduce pain medication after 6 weeks.
Adverse gastrointestinal
effects were 3 times more common in those getting
ginger, but the side effects were
mostly mild. This study appeared in the November 2001 issue
of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
A number of foods have been studied for reducing
pain. Not only spices but omega-3 fatty acids
found in fish seem to help rheumatoid arthritis, probably by slightly
decreasing inflammation. An editorial that accompanied the ginger
study strongly recommended that ginger not be recommended because of
only limited efficacy, lack of clear effectiveness in a previous trial,
and absence of meaningful data on safety. While ginger
has been eaten in small to tongue-biting amounts for centuries, we do
not know what the long term effects of daily consumption of these
extracts might be.
------------------------------ If you think that skipping breakfast puts you on the fast track to losing weight, you may be in for a long haul. A recent review of the eating habits of successful dieters revealed that most of the people who were successful at maintaining their weight loss made breakfast a regular part of their mornings. Eating breakfast can help keep your hunger in check so that you don't overeat later in the day.
------------------------------ Which is healthier, butter or margarine? From a fat and calorie standpoint, butter and margarine are the same with about 35 calories and four grams of fat per teaspoon. Both are primarily fat; only the source differs. Butter contains more saturated fats than most margarine. Because margarine is made from vegetable oil, it has no cholesterol. For a spread with less saturated fat, buy soft tub margarine, rather than stick. Whipped versions of butter or margarine have less fat per tablespoon, too. Reduced- and low-fat are sold, too, but they aren't suitable for some recipes. If you like the taste of butter or margarine, enjoy it in small portions and from a tub, rather than a stick. ------------------------------ The neurological disease multiple sclerosis (MS) affects between 350,000 and 500,000 Americans. It most often strikes women of Northern European decent between the ages of 20 and 40. Its symptoms, ranging from mild to debilitating, can involve just about any aspect of body function extreme fatigue, difficulties with speech, vision, balance or coordination, or muscle weakness. Sufferers can enjoy long periods free of symptoms interspersed with relapses serious enough to put them on a cane or in a wheelchair, or they can be chronically ill without much relief. The average lifespan of an MS sufferer is one fourth less than those who don't suffer from the disease. MS is an autoimmune disease. For reasons not well understood, the immune system targets healthy tissues for destruction; in the case of MS, the fatty myelin sheaths that surround nerve cells and speed the conduction of impulses through them are targeted. The myelin becomes inflamed and lesions are left behind, effectively "short-circuiting" the ability of the nerve to pass signals along. There doesn't appear to be much rhyme or reason to the location of this damage, and symptoms vary according to which nerves are short-circuited. The official opinion of the National Multiple Sclerosis Foundation is that MS has no known cause and no known cure. It's true that no single cause has been pinpointed, and no drug has been developed to cure it, but as is the case with many so-called "incurable" diseases, mainstream medicine ignores many natural healing methods that may help to reverse the disease when it strikes or even to prevent its onset. A genetic link is suspected, since your risk escalates if your brother or sister develops the disease, but it is thought in natural health circles that your dietary habits are the final "trigger" that launches genetic susceptibility into outright disease. If you know of MS in your family, you can start prevention now by taking some simple steps, and if you have been diagnosed with the disease it is especially important for you to follow these guidelines without fail. First, stick to a whole foods diet consisting of vegetables and lean meats; avoid grains and dairy products, both of which are potent food allergens that have been linked to the development of autoimmune diseases. Also, avoid hydrogenated oils and polyunsaturated oils (corn, soy, safflower, sunflower), which overload the body with pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids. Supplement your diet with omega-3 fats from flaxseeds and cold-water fish to help quell myelin-destroying inflammation. Take plenty of antioxidants, especially quercetin, grape seed extract, and proanthocyanidins-these nutrients also soothe out-of-control inflammation and prevent the free radicals formed during inflammation from damaging healthy tissues. MS patients should talk to their doctor about using megadoses of vitamin D (4000 IU a day) and B12 (60mg a day) to help control the progression of the disease. You will need a doctor's guidance and close monitoring because these are high doses of these vitamins and they may reach toxic levels.
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