Minerals that May Help Your Hearing

February 18th, 2010

The benefits of eating a well balanced diet have been long established: it can increase your energy levels, boost your immune system, and help every system of your body work correctly. Recently, a growing body of evidence has begun to suggest that vitamins and minerals can even help you hear well and avoid damage to the sensory cells of your ears. This article will review some of the minerals that may improve or maintain hearing levels.

What to Eat

If you are concerned about experiencing diminished hearing with age, keeping certain minerals in your diet may help. Some of the minerals to focus on include:

Magnesium – A recent study at the University of Michigan showed that guinea pigs that were given a mixture of magnesium and vitamins A, C, and E were less susceptible to hearing loss induced by exposure to loud noises. Magnesium is an alkaline metal that plays a vital role in the life of biological cells. Foods that are rich in magnesium include nuts, spinach, whole grains, rice, bananas, and soybeans.

Zinc – Zinc is an elemental metal that is very important for the health of all living plants and animals. Zinc deficiency is a common medical problem that can cause a weakened immune system, and may contribute to impaired auditory nerves. Research shows that eating a healthy amount of zinc can protect hearing levels and may even treat tinnitus. Zinc can be found in beans, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, crab, chicken, and milk.

Iron – Similar to zinc and magnesium, iron is a metal that nearly all living organisms need to survive. Animal studies have shown that mammals with iron deficiencies may be more susceptible to hearing loss related to nerve damage. Nutritional sources of iron include red meat, soybeans, black-eyed peas, poultry, and other types of beans.

Copper – Copper plays several important roles in the body, assisting with the creation of important enzymes and helping anti-oxidants rid the body of free radicals. Copper deficiency can cause many health problems, including fatigue, malnutrition, and sores on the skin. Studies have shown that animals deficient in copper may also be more vulnerable to noise-induced hearing loss and other hearing problems. Copper can be found in green olives, liver, avocados, seeds, lobster, and nuts.

Getting enough of the vitamins and minerals your body needs is a key part of maintaining good health. However, consuming too much of any mineral can also lead to serious health problems. Talk to your doctor about the balanced diet your body – and ears – need.

For more information about hearing health, contact a hearing aid specialist from HearingPlanet.

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Willy Wonka Didn’t Know About Food Combining

February 18th, 2010

In Roald Dahl’s Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Willy Wonka’s “chewing-gum meal” makes Violet turn blue and swell up like a balloon. The gum is a 3-course meal with tomato soup, roast beef and baked potato with butter, and blueberry pie with cream. Sounds kind of like the Standard American Diet, right?

Last post, I talked about trying simple food combinations to decrease allergic reactions to certain foods. Elaborate food combinations are not only difficult to digest, but they also tend to cause people to eat more than they normally would. Interestingly, if you have 5 different flavors on your plate, your brain doesn’t feel satisfied until it has had a certain amount of each flavor.

Even if your stomach is full, your brain will want you to keep going to get its fill of the tastes. Eating too much in one sitting is hard on the digestive system, even if it you are following good food combining principles, and even if it is one of your favorite healthy vegan recipes.

I’ve talked before about how mixing proteins and starches at a meal is not a very good thing for your digestive system, but the way our diets are today, it is often unavoidable. If you are eating a meal that includes foods from the different groups (fats, proteins, starches and fruits), eating them in a specific order can help them to be digested.

Salty foods help to stimulate your stomach to produce hydrochloric acid, so a salty miso soup or something similar is a good food combining start to a meal. Since protein needs access to the acids and enzymes in your stomach, it is best eaten early on in the meal. Starches and fats can be eaten together, and they are best eaten after any protein dishes.

If you are planning on dessert, a salad is best eaten at the end of a meal, rather than the beginning as we are so used to. The reason for eating it last is that the enzymes of the fresh green vegetables help to digest the other foods eaten. If you are having a sweet dessert, the salad will also help to clear any remaining food from the stomach and limit the fermentation.

The best idea is to wait at least 30 minutes or more after your meal to start dessert, and simple desserts are usually easiest to digest.

Salty foods at the end of a meal have the same effect as they do at the beginning – they help stimulate the stomach’s production of acid, so this can help sort out issues the stomach may be having from a complex meal, or from overeating. This is within reason, of course. Don’t expect a pickle to make everything flow through after eating a 72 ounce steak, or Willy’s chewing-gum meal.

An interesting point to consider is that most meals take about 4 hours to empty from the stomach. High fat meals take up to 6 hours, since the fat slows the entire process. Try to leave enough time between meals for this process to clear the stomach and allow it to build up a sufficient level of acid and enzymes for the next meal.

It’s also important to remember that you should actually feel hungry before you eat a meal. It can be easy to forget that when you eat on the fairly strict schedule we seem to follow. I’ve found lately after listening to my body for some time that I need the most fuel at about 2pm. So, I go with that. I have a good lunch, and don’t need as much at dinner time.

Willy Wonka wanted to help people with his chewing gum. “No more buying of meat and groceries! There’ll be no knives and forks at mealtimes! No plates! No washing up! No garbage! No mess!” But if he knew about food combining, he might have gone for something simpler (like one of my healthy vegan recipes from last week, such as the Beet, Mushroom and Almond Salad).

For dessert, you could always take a rainbow, sprinkle it with dew, cover it in chocolate and a miracle or two. But there’s really only one person who can do that the best. Anyone know who?

I invite you to discover the “3 Important Tips For Making The Best Healthy Vegan Soups” in this free download. You might also want to check out my healthy vegan recipes on video, 5 nights a week. Prepare dinner along with me every weeknight as I discuss both holistic nutrition and healthy vegan cooking. Here is your free download: http://www.healthyveganrecipes.net/free/soup-techniques

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Foods to Eat to Combat Iodine Deficiency

February 18th, 2010

The thyroid gland is one of the most important regulators of metabolism whose functioning affects the entire body. It is in turn regulated by the two master glands of the endocrine system, namely, the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus, both of which are seated in the brain. The thyroid gland produces hormones, known as “thyroid hormones,” from the amino acid tyrosine and from iodine. Since the thyroid gland can affect just about every cell in the body in multifarious ways, proper thyroid function is absolutely essential to overall health.

Iodine deficiency is directly related to thyroid dysfunction which in turn can lead to numerous medical problems. Weight gain and hypersensitivity to cold are common in patients with thyroid disease. Cholesterol levels typically become elevated and increase the risk of serious cardiovascular diseases such as hardening of the arteries and high blood pressure. Water retention in the upper and lower extremities can also develop due to increased capillary permeability and slow lymphatic drainage. Loss of libido and menstrual disregulation are other very common findings. In the case of women, thyroid disease can cause prolonged and heavy menstrual bleeding with a shorter menstrual cycle. Infertility may also be a problem. If pregnancy occurs during thyroid dysfunction, miscarriages, premature deliveries, and stillbirths can occur. Rarely does a pregnancy end in normal labour and delivery if the thyroid gland is not working normally. Recent studies have also linked iodine deficiency to breast cancer in women. Dermatological issues can manifest in both sexes. For example, skin can become dry, rough, and scaly while hair and nails can become brittle and thin. From the psychological and behavioural standpoint, depression, lethargy, and fatigue are usually among the first symptoms of thyroid disease. As the disease progresses, the patient will most certainly have difficulty concentrating and become extremely forgetful. Other body-wide manifestations include shortness of breath, constipation, and impaired kidney function. Finally, the musculoskeletal system will be affected as well and the individual will begin experiencing muscle weakness and stiffness along with joint pain and tenderness.

All of these problems can be averted through proper intake of iodine. However, the dietary allowance for iodine recommended by physicians and medical authorities in Australia is usually quite small at 150 micrograms per day when in fact up to 600 micrograms per day is more in accord with what the body actually needs for a healthy thyroid gland. It is therefore of supreme importance that people be educated about adequate iodine intake as well as the food sources of this essential mineral. Although common table salt is frequently iodized, there are many other food sources of iodine that we should know about. Seaweed, for instance, has long been recognized as an almost perfect source of iodine. The iodine found in seaweed works synergistically with other phytochemicals in seaweed that support healthy metabolism, digestion, and elimination of toxic waste. This type of iodine polytherapy from seaweed also enhances blood flow and helps to maintain healthy glucose levels. Kelp is very similar to seaweed and is a potent source of trace minerals, iodine, and phytochemical constituents that help to maintain gastrointestinal and thyroid health and to support normal metabolic function. Coleus forskholii is an iodine bearing herb that works directly on the heart muscle and on blood vessels to optimize blood flow throughout the cardiovascular system. It also helps to maintain healthy fat metabolism and overall immune health. Ashwagandha, often referred to as “Indian Ginseng,” is a common herb used in Ayurvedic medicine which also works synergistically with the iodine found in the body. It is used to enhance mental and physical stamina and to advance the body’s natural resistance and adaptation to stressful influences.

Iodine defiency is on the rise in Australia so ensure you do all you can to fight it.

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How a sport supplement can help your regime?

February 18th, 2010

Many athletes and bodybuilders regularly take some form of sport supplement to get the best results out of their training regime. A variety of products to aid with sports performance, fat loss, muscle gain and rest and recovery time are available.

Although they’ve become fairly popular with even casual exercise enthusiasts, how they work is rarely clear from the product names. For many of us the names of chemical compounds and organic substances like Creatine or Amino Acids are fairly alien and can be a little confusing. Even the benefits of protein drinks are unlikely to be immediately obvious to you.

So, just how can sport supplements help you build muscle?

The majority of products simply supply your body with extra amounts of substances that are naturally created in the body. A prime example can be found in the the most popular ingredients of sports supplements: protein and creatine.

The two substances are often combined in ‘protein drinks’. Essentially, protein is what your body makes muscle out of and repairs cell damage with – and all exercise is ultimately temporary tissue damage. Powdered protein drinks contain high amounts of the substance and as a sport supplement, they help you build muscle by providing immediately available ‘building blocks’ just before or just after exercise – this means your body can repair itself immediately.

Creatine is often included in protein drinks but also comes in a much wider variety of products. Basically this is an organic acid that supplies energy to your muscle cells for short burst of energy. This can help you go further in your weight training, with studies suggesting that it can benefit strength, energy, muscle mass and reduce your recovery time. It is usually included in protein powders as ‘Creatine monohydrate’, a crystallised distillation.

One variation on the sport supplement approach is the ‘meal replacement product’ (MRP). MRP’s are consumed in the place of a whole-food meal and are designed to encourage weight loss whilst providing the body with all the ingredients it needs to build muscle. Generally, MRP’s are high in protein, low in fat, have a moderate amount of carbohydrates and contain a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.

Matthew Taylor is a freelance author who writes article on Protein drinks and other. For more information on sport supplement he recommends you to visit www.sci-mx.co.uk

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If You Want to Be Slim, Eat These 3 Highly Fatty Foods…

February 8th, 2010

If you think that all fats are bad, then you are in for a shock.

You see, contrary to popular belief, some highly fatty foods actually help you to burn fat!

Yes, when I made that statement, it sure shocked lots of people.

Alright, let’s take a look at the Top 3 Fatty foods that burn fat, even those stubborn ones.

1. Avocadoes. The first super fatty foods that burn fats is avocado. This is one of my favorite fat burning foods. This amazing “fatty food” makes everything taste creamier and tastier but is in fact power-packed with loads of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

You really do not want to skip this excellent food source. The fats inside avocadoes are healthy fats that controls your appetite and your fat burning hormones. The result is higher fat burning rate.

So how do you start benefiting from this super food? Simple. Just add slices of avocadoes or use the avocado dips like the Mexican guocamole to anything like your burgers, sandwiches, salads and eggs. Your body will thank you for it and start burning fat faster.

2. Egg yolk. Egg yolks has mistakenly been labeled as unhealthy food due to its high fat and cholesterol content. What most people don’t realize however is that the high cholesterol in egg yolks are actually of the GOOD cholesterol variety that your body needs to maintain the good/bad cholesterol levels.

Now for the high fat content, you can actually benefit from it if you choose eggs from free-ranging hens (not those from hens that are caged their entire life). You see, egg yolks from free-ranging hens are high in omega-3 fats that you actually want to eat.

Egg yolks are actually a very densed nutrient-packed food source that is full of vitamins, minerals and trace nutrients. If you try to list all of the nutrients inside egg yolks, it will filled up more than an entire page.

So the next time you want to give egg yolk a miss and choose egg whites instead, think again. You might be missing out on one of the best foods that burn fats!

3. Grass-fed beef. This is one great food source that we sorely lack nowadays. You see, most of the beef you find in the grocery stores come from cattles that are fed grains or even meats (yes that is crazy since cattles are supposed to be herbivores – that is how messed-up our food system has become).

These grain-fed cattles are not in the best of health and has lower nutrition values. For example, the fatty acids ratios of omega-6 to omega-3 are way too high. We want more of the better omega-3 fatty acids rather than the omega-6 fatty acids (which most of us get too much anyway).

The natural grass-fed beef has these properties. It has high omega-3 content and higher levels of minerals and vitamins. But what is even more important is that they contain higher levels of conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs). CLAs are actually fats but they are actually healthy fats that will help you to build muscles while also helping you to burn fats.

So these are the Top 3 fatty foods that actually help you to burn fats. So don’t shy away from them. Eat them because these are really awesome fatty foods that burn fats in your body.

Looking to find the best way to burn stomach fat, then visit Rizal Shaik’s site to download your FREE body fat burning reports.

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