Donkey God

Nutritional supplements are only effective as a health boost. What do I mean by that? Well, to make a short story long, it seems as though there is quite a huge population that believes nutritional supplements are the answer to all diseases and well being. Part of this population seems to think that by taking supplements, there is no need to get it through natural foods.

Funny enough though, if a person just looks at the phrase “nutritional supplement” in it self, they would effectively realize that this is far from the truth. Why? Well, think about it. The word supplement pretty much says it all. To supplement something, merely means to add to something or fill in the place of something, but NOT replace something.

Natural nutrients from foods can never be replaced, and will always be an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Nutritional supplements are only there as a boost to the natural nutrients you acquire from foods, and nothing more.

Remember to be extremely careful about what products you buy, and the daily recommended doses you take from those products. By not being careful, you are in effect achieving the exact opposite of what those supplements where intended for.

Nutritional supplement effectiveness depends on a combination of a healthy diet, the correct recommended dosage of any type of supplement that exists, and on going respect for your body’s needs to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

By Paul Ghossain
http://www.vitaminsect.com/

Heart disease remains the number one cause of death in the United States for both men and women. Traditionally, a low fat diet has been the prescription for heart health which causes many people to shrink away. Not anymore! The good news is there are many things you can add to your diet that can greatly improve your risk factors of heart disease. Here are 6 power foods you can start adding to your diet to keep you heart healthy!

Nuts- Although nuts aren’t exactly low in calories or fat, they contain high levels of unsaturated fats that are known to lower “bad” LDL cholesterol levels in the blood and reduce the risk of heart disease. Studies have shown eating about one ounce of nuts every day will reduce the risk of heart disease in the long run by 30% according to Frank Hu, MD, PhD, associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Soy- Soy has also been shown to lower cholesterol levels. Using soy on a weekly basis is a great step towards protecting your heart. If you are not a tofu fan, try soy milk or yogurt, garden burgers, edamme (soy beans), or soy sausage patties. There are all kinds of ways to include soy in your diet!

Hot Cocoa- Yes you read right! Cocoa contains high levels of flavonoids which are a class of phytochemicals known to help prevent heart disease. Researchers have found that hot cocoa has more disease-fighting antioxidants than tea or red wine and the heat may help propel them into the bloodstream. Hot cocoa is also much lower in saturated fats than other chocolate sources such as candy bars.

Beans and Lentils- including kidney beans, peas, black beans, etc. —are high in both soluble fiber and folic acid to help lower cholesterol and decrease homocysteine levels (high homocysteine levels are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease).

Broccoli- A powerful antioxidant found in broccoli and broccoli sprouts may help protect the heart from high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. A new study shows the compound, called glucoraphanin, helped improve heart health, fight inflammation, and boost natural defense systems against oxidative stress.

Grape juice- The flavonoids in grape juice, like that in wine, have been shown to prevent the oxidation of so-called bad cholesterol (LDLs, or low-density lipoproteins) that leads to formation of plaque in artery walls. Grape juice can also lower the risk of developing the blood clots that lead to heart attacks.

Start adding these foods today and begin your journey to better heart health.

© Meri Raffetto, 2004

About the Author

Owner of Real Living Nutrition Services, Meri Raffetto is a Registered Dietitian and a recognized professional in the area of nutrition and wellness. She has developed two online weight management programs, The Mini Diet Makeover and The Ultimate Diet Makeover, which focus on a healthy, non-diet approach to weight loss. For more information or to sign up for our free newsletter, visit http://www.reallivingnutrition.com.

A naturally occurring compound, L-Glutathione (Tathion,) has demonstrated that it is effective in fighting cancer, environmental poisons, and even cataracts. Sound like snake oil? Well, that is what I thought until I started doing research. It turns out that L-Glutathione is one of the most effective antioxidants that our body produces. It works to protect our bodies from the thousands of daily hazards that we are exposed to such as pollution, second hand smoke, alcohol, and food chemicals and poisons. In fact, it is so effective that some researchers believe that it can actually slow down the aging process.

L-Glutathione is an antioxidant that our body produces from three basic amino acids that are found in our food. Our body makes it and uses it, along with the other vitamins that we ingest, as a hard line defense against all of the hazards that cause us to grow sick and old. This is important because research into this specific anti-oxidant has shown that it can actually cure disease, regenerate damaged tissue, minimize the side effects of chemotherapy, and treat cataracts.

It works by acting as a guardian to the toxic compounds that attack our cells. These compounds, typically called free radicals, are extremely aggressive and attack the molecules that make up the cells in our body. These free radicals change the chemical structure of the molecules in our cells and make them ineffective. This in turn either kills the cell, makes it ineffective, or turns it cancerous. L-Glutathione and other antioxidants attack the free radicals and destroy them before they have a chance to attack the cells.

Because it protects our cells by attacking the external poisons, the levels of L-Glutathione in our blood have the potential to significantly impact our overall health. Studies have demonstrated that administration of L-Glutathione is extremely effective in treated diseases such as Hepatitis. It has also been shown to be a key player in the regeneration of the liver, and to combat cirrhosis. The compound is useful in treating jaundice and protects the brain and body tissues in the event of poisoning. In addition, the level of tissue damage from Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen Sulfide, heavy metals, pesticides, and environmental poisoning has been demonstrated to be significantly lower with adequate L-Glutathione in the blood stream. Finally, the side effects of chemotherapy and the growth of cataracts have been demonstrated to be significantly reduced with the addition of L-Glutathione.

So what does all of this mean? Essentially, it is time to supplement your diet with L-Glutathione or the proteins that help your body make more of this essential nutrient. Although L-Glutathione is readily made by your body, supplementation with it and its precursors may increase your overall level of protection. Glutathione and its precursors, Cysteine, Glycine and L-Glutamic Acid, are all readily available as food supplements in your local health food store. In addition to eating a healthy and balanced diet, supplementation with Glutathione and its constituents can only help to increase your overall level of health, and may even slow down the process of growing old.

About The Author

Barrett Niehus is a principal in IP Ware http://www.freetrainer.com and is a technical associate of Compound Solutions in Escondido, California.

This is a continuation of my article on the same caption.
I am going over the several popular items consumed by non-vegetarians, why they may be actually harmful to your health and why you may want to consider a vegetarian diet as your dietetic choice. Okay, at least try it for a month or so and see what it’s like my friend.

Here we go, more harmful foods co-incidentally NOT in a vegetarian diet.

The Vegetarian Diet: Avoided Products and Reasons Why (continuation)

Milk:
The milk of any animal is basically too rich humans. It is highly acidic and mucus forming. The fact that man needs to drink the milk of another creature after it has been weaned of his own mother is actually laughable and propaganda hyped by its endorsers basically for their gain.
Being a predigested food, it has been shown to cause various complications in the stomach and colon, such as cramps and convulsions. Its calcium is highly difficult to assimilate. This results in its introduction in free form into the blood stream and an eventual deposition in the tissues, cells and joints where it may cause intense pain and suffering. Milk is loaded with antibiotics, bacteria, pesticides, cholesterol and powerful growth hormones that are deeply troubling to the human body.

Contrary to the hype, drinking milk will not prevent osteoporosis. In 1995, the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study conducted on over 75, 000 women revealed that those supposedly acquiring calcium from milk experience more fractures compared to those drinking little or no milk.

Animal milk is for the animal’s offspring and not you. Think about it. That being said, it is advisable to eliminate milk and all dairy from the diet for optimal health.

Though I have read that raw goat’s milk could be sufficient for nursing mothers to feed their babies, I’d say simply the milk in your mammary glands should be the most ideal . If for whatever reasons you feel like you cannot give milk up at least see to it that it is diluted and that you add some maple syrup to this solution.

Some research indicates that sour milk is less harmful and may even possess laxative qualities. Still I think for the creaminess it might offer, basic Avocadoes or occasional Coconut milk as made by the Brazilians would be way better choices.

Soy milk by the way is not much better than milk as they are basically legumes which are unbalanced protein-rich foods.

-Honey: This over-promoted, overpriced product being sold to gullible health faddists should be eliminated from your diet. It is meant only for the bees that make it.
Being predigested it enters the bloodstream rapidly raising the blood sugar way above normal. To correct this, the pancreas must produce insulin or death may occur.
Replace honey with genuine maple syrup for a much more balanced and safer, sweetener.

-Eggs: Even worse than meats. Research has shown they are very constipating and its white is dangerous, acid forming and too high in protein qualities.

-Fish: I’ve heard many people proudly declare “I don’t do red meat just fish and poultry!” However, they are very mistaken in that; although for the reasons given above-meat is highly detrimental for consumption, Fish is even worse. It putrefies much quicker than meat. If you cut a piece of fish and meat side by side, you’ll notice that the former decays much quicker than the latter. Imagine what it’s like on the inside of the body. Moreover, taking into consideration the heavy metal contamination that fish contains-based on the pollution of their habitat, Fish is an especially bad choice, so do yourself a favor, avoid fish at all times if you can!

Though some non-vegetarians show bodily vigor, they usually do not possess the vegetarian’s endurance and strength. Take a look at Bill Pearl, five-time winner of the Mr. Universe pageant. Even our distant cousins, the Apes in the wild, are vegetarians as well. After reading these factors, if you are still on the fence on how safe and healthy being a vegetarian can be for your health-or if you need to be convinced of its benefits-do not worry, becoming a vegetarian (a well balanced one that is) is definitely the biggest step you’ll be taking towards improving your health.

Foras Aje is an independent researcher and author of Fitness: Inside and out, a book on improving physical and mental health naturally. For more information on natural health and a safe weight loss visit www.bodyhealthsoul.com