Seafood - the Healthy Alternative
September 26, 2008
Most red and white meats are very fatty and are not a healthy way to eat. Seafood on the other hand offers you a great tasting alternative. When cooked correctly you couldn’t ask for a better tasting meal.
Seafood can be purchased either fresh or frozen. By freezing the seafood fresh it can be shipped all over the world so everyone can have the opportunity to enjoy fresh seafood that they may not otherwise be able to enjoy.
Seafood that has not been kept at or below 39 degrees may not be safe to eat, so if you’re not sure if it’s good or not, throw it away. It is not worth the risk of getting sick. When choosing to purchase fresh seafood be sure and check it out thoroughly to make sure it is fresh. One thing to look for is to make sure the eyes are not bulging, but clear instead. Don’t accept fish where the gills are pink, they should always be red. A very important fact to remember is that even though it is seafood, it should not have a fishy smell to it. If you notice any of these things wrong, do not purchase the seafood.
The best and safest way to cook frozen seafood is while it is still frozen. You can cook it by baking the seafood in an oven, or cooking it in a frying pan. The most popular way to cook seafood is wrapped in foil, and placed on a barbeque grill. This seems to give you the best flavor possible. You can thaw out the seafood before cooking it, but if you do this, make sure you cook it as quick as you can. If you do not cook all seafood that has been thawed, make sure you throw away any that is left. Seafood can never be refrozen.
Because eating seafood can actually treat some illness and prevent certain diseases, it can be considered a very healthily diet. Some fish contain the omega-3 oils which help stop certain disease, and help in the aid of curing some illness. Most all seafood is high in protein and low in fat, with the exception of a few, such as the eel.
Seafood has been linked in helping the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, and to aid in the prevention of breast cancer. Women in countries that eat more seafood than red meat have a lower tendency of contracting breast cancer. Using fish oil has also been linked to preventing some diseases.
There are a lot of healthy benefits from eating a seafood diet. Scallops and mussels add zinc and iron to your body. Seafood also contains iodine, which is good for your thyroids. Having a seafood diet is just a smart and healthy thing to do.
Coleen Panetti runs the famous seafood information website http://happyseafood.com
Preventing Heart Disease: What Not To Eat
September 24, 2008
About 12.6 million Americans currently have heart disease.
1.1 million Americans will experience a serious heart event this year.
One in four Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease. Every 34 seconds one American will die as a result of cardiovascular disease.
No other disease claims as many women’s lives as cardiovascular disease. One American woman dies each minute as a result of cardiovascular disease.
Around 700,000 Americans will have a stroke this years. That’s one stroke every 45 seconds.
HEART DISEASE IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST KILLER OF AMERICANS. IT KILLS AS MANY AMERICANS AS THE NEXT 5 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH.
One important step in reducing your risk of heart disease is to change your diet.
These are what you should consume less of:
1. Solid margarines, commercial white bread, high-fat baked items like doughnuts or cakes, any product saying “partially hydrogenated vegetable oils”, french fries, potato chips, corn chips and many crackers, and commercially fried foods.
These foods contain trans fatty acids. These badly affect cholesterol levels and hence your risk of heart disease. They increase the levels of bad cholesterol and decrease the levels of good cholesterol.
Trans fatty acids are dangerous for the heart and may be worse than saturated fats. They also harm the linings of the arteries and may even increase your risk of getting type 2 diabetes.
2. Meat and dairy products.
These foods contain saturated fatty acids. These are bad for the heart.
The amount of trans fat and saturated fat in your diet should be less than 10 percent of your total calorie intake. In fact, you should try to eliminate them out of your diet altogether.
3. Salt.
You should have no more than one teaspoon of salt each day.
Kevin Davies is webmaster of preventingheartfailure.com and author of “Preventing Heart Failure” eBook. In this eBook you’ll learn how to significantly reduce your risk of heart disease. To buy “Preventing Heart Failure” please visit http://www.preventingheartfailure.com
Preventing Heart Disease: What to Eat
September 21, 2008
About 12.6 million Americans currently have heart disease.
1.1 million Americans will experience a serious heart event this year.
One in four Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease. Every 34 seconds one American will die as a result of cardiovascular disease.
No other disease claims as many women’s lives as cardiovascular disease. One American woman dies each minute as a result of cardiovascular disease.
Around 700,000 Americans will have a stroke this years. That’s one stroke every 45 seconds.
HEART DISEASE IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST KILLER OF AMERICANS. IT KILLS AS MANY AMERICANS AS THE NEXT 5 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH.
One important step in reducing your risk of heart disease is to change your diet.
These are what you should consume more of:
1. Vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and fish.
These foods contain monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids. These are good for the heart.
Monounsaturated fatty acids help increase the level of good cholesterol.
There are three chemical subgroups of unsaturated fatty acids called essential fatty acids. These are omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish oils (docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaneoic acids), plants and seeds (alpha-linolenic acid) and have significant benefits. For example they improve your good cholesterol levels, reduce your overall heart disease risk and may reduce your chances of developing an irregular heart rhythm.
The American Heart Association and other experts recommend that you should get most of your unsaturated fats from omega-3 fatty acids
Omega 6 fatty acids are found in corn, safflower, soybean, and sunflower oil. However a high consumption of omega-6 fatty acids will result in weight gain and will give you a higher risk of getting certain cancers and some chronic diseases.
Omega-9 fatty acids are found in canola and olive oil. They may also contain chemicals that block the harmful affects of omega-6 fatty acids.
Eating fish twice a week will improve your good cholesterol, lower your chance of dying from heart disease, and improve your blood pressure. Choose oil fish like salmon, mackerel, or sardines as they are the most healthy and are high in omega-3. Avoid fish that are high in mercury like shark, king mackerel, tilefish or swordfish. Fish is the best source of protein and is better for your cardiac health than chicken or lean meat.
The amount of polyunsaturated fat that you eat should be up to 10 percent of your daily calorie intake. The amount of monounsaturated fat that you eat should be up to 15 percent of your daily calorie intake.
2. Oats, lentils, potatoes, apples, pinto beans, citrus, black beans and barley.
These foods contain soluble fiber that helps increase your levels of good cholesterol. Soluble fiber may also reduce blood pressure.
When you increase the amount of soluble fiber in your diet you should also increase the amount of water that you drink.
3. Wheat bran, whole grains, seeds, nuts, legumes, and fruit and vegetable peels
These foods contain insoluble fiber. Eating insoluble fiber may help with weight lost and lower your risk of heart disease.
4. Soy products (not soy sauce).
Soy products are rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, as well as providing all essential proteins.
5. Green tea.
Green tea is rich in chemicals that protect against bad cholesterol.
6. Coffee.
Coffee contains phenol, a chemical that helps stop oxidation of bad cholesterol.
7. Potassium-rich food like bananas, oranges, pears, prunes, cantaloupes, tomatoes, dried peas and beans, nuts, potatoes, and avocados.
A potassium-rich diet can help you achieve healthy blood pressure levels and reduce the risk of you having a stroke by 22 to 40%. However too much potassium can cause stomach pain, muscle weakness and in rare cases, dangerous heart events.
8. Water
Many heart risk factors are made worse by dehydration. In a 2002 study it was found that if you drank five or more glasses of water a day you had lower risk of a fatal heart event than if you drunk two or fewer glasses a day.
9. Alcohol.
One or two glasses of alcohol a day will help protect your heart. However heavy drinking will harm your heart.
The DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)
The DASH diet is a diet that is clinically proven to significantly reduce blood pressure. It emphasizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. It recommends:
- Avoiding saturated fat and choosing monounsaturated oils such as olive or canola.
- Choosing whole grains over white flour or pasta.
- Eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day.
- Eat nuts, seeds, or legumes daily.
- Eat modest amounts of protein, preferably from fish, poultry or soy products.
To get the DASH diet click here or point your web browser to :
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf
You can also find information on lowering your blood pressure here or by pointing your web browser to:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/hbp_low/hbp_low.pdf
Kevin Davies is webmaster of preventingheartfailure.com and author of “Preventing Heart Failure” eBook. In this eBook you’ll learn how to significantly reduce your risk of heart disease. To buy “Preventing Heart Failure” please visit http://www.preventingheartfailure.com
Nutritional Support in Critically Ill Patients
September 19, 2008
The nutritional support in critically ill patients can be explained in 2 ways
1.Enteral Nutrition
2.Parenteral nutrition
It is worth remembering that enteral nutritional is always the preferred route. The reason is clear.
1.Enteral nutrition helps mucosal integrity and thereby it minimizes the risk of bacterial colonization.
2.Reduces gastro-intestinal bleeds
3.Sepsis and its complications are reduced.
There has been an extensive study done on the role of aminoacids and fatty acids but the conclusions have been inconclusive.
Now lets talk about the 2.Parenteral nutrition
If the enteral nutrition is not applicable or worse has failed then parenteral nutrition is the way to go.
But remember that its costly affair and not many patients may be able to afford it especially if you are a doctor in the third world country.
Problems with parenteral nutrition {complications}
1.Catheter related sepsis
2.Intestinal mucosal atrophy
3} Standard solutions related problems.
Apart from Nutritional support lets consider the other support a critically ill patients need.
1.Ventilatory Support
Modes-Controlled mandatory ventilation
—Synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation
—Positive pressure ventilation and
—Positive controlled ventilation
2.Circulatory support
—Use of inotropes like adrenaline and nor-adrenaline and dobutamin
3.Renal Support
Dialysis in critically ill patients is very helpful to maintain renal perfusion, treat sepsis and provide renal replacement therapy.
Remember in the management of critically ill patients the identification and admission of such patients in High dependency units called the Intensive care units is the first step.
The rest should be the Ventilatory support, Circulatory support, Renal and nutritional support.
Abdul Matynne
Visit our site http://www.nutritioninfopage.com to learn about all forms of nutrition. http://www.homegymsforyou.com http://www.exercise-equipments101.com
Is Eating a Raw Food Diet Actually Healthy for You?
September 16, 2008
Whatever diet you choose to live by, the food you eat has to provide your body with the nourishment to properly balance your body’s chemistry. If you have health challenges, are overweight or obese, chances are you are not in balance at all. The typical North American diet is woefully out of balance. Even what are commonly considered as healthy diets, such as low fat, vegetarien and vegan diets can be improperly balanced.
The good news is you can forget counting … cholesterol, calories, fat grams, carbohydrates, etc, if you eat a properly balanced diet. But, just what does a properly balanced diet consist of?
At this time, it is important to remember a quick lesson in chemistry. Many people know about acids. We used to often hear about acid rain and almost everyone knows that acids are dangerous. The opposite of acids are bases, or alkaloids. These alkaline substances will neutralize acids. In fact, if you mix an acid and a base of equal strength, you will get a new liquid that is close to being neutral. The way of measuring how acidic or alkaline a substance is a scale called pH.
It turns out that the body has a set level of pH that it likes to function in. Just as we all have a normal body temperature, we also have a normal pH for our tissues. Different tissues have different pH levels. One of the most important ones is the pH of your blood. The pH of your blood is slightly alkaline. The body will go to great lengths to keep that pH level fixed. It will do this at the expense of other tissues or systems.
The goal of any healthy eating regimen is to provide the body with the necessary building blocks in the proper pH such that the pH balance can be maintained easily. When this happens, the body will detoxify itself naturally. In addition, weight loss is a side effect of being properly balanced. When one is out of balance, or overly acidic, weight gain, chronic illness, allergies, cancer, heart disease and even diabetes can result. This chronic overacidity of the blood corrodes the tissues of the body. It can also be said that the main cause of all sickness and disease is the disruption of the balance in the body.
With that in mind, how does one get in balance?
In order to get in balance, one needs to consume about 80 percent of your diet as alkaline foods. Green leafy vegetables are a great example of alkaline foods. So are sprouts, broccoli and many other green vegetables. A great way to get started on this new way of life is to pick up a copy of “The pH Miracle” from your local or online bookstore. Inside you will learn how to jumpstart your way into a lifestyle of balanced eating that promotes long term health. In addition you will discover all the foods you should avoid and the ones that you can eat as much as you like. This book is written by Dr. Robert O. Young and his wife Shelley provides recipes in the book too. All in all, an alkaline way of life is both healthy and safe when done properly.
A raw food diet that is rich in alkaline foods is the fastest way to health. We help spread the word of this amazing way of life at our Raw Food Diet web site. There you will find many items related to eating a raw food diet, getting enough antioxidants and even how to pick the best electric juicer.
Fighting Fatigue and the American Diner Breakfast
September 14, 2008
(Part 1 of a Special 5 Part Series on Body Awareness)
I went out for lunch yesterday and ordered a portobello mushroom wrap with some fresh vegetables, no dressing at the local sandwich and coffee shop.
As always, it was a struggle to find something at a deli, restaurant or take out place that fits my somewhat stringent and holistic dietary requirements.
The server brought out the meal and after I took my first bite, I wasn’t sure if I had gotten the right order.
What I was eating was something that tasted more like a mix between tofu and tempeh (a fermented soy product). It was fried and–of course–it tasted good. Everything fried tends to have a wonderful taste, doesn’t it?!
This required a more extensive analysis. I examined the contents of the wrap closely–pulling out a piece of the fried food-stuff and taking it apart with a knife. Once I was convinced that there were no meat products in it, I decided that I’d give it a shot… and yes, as I had imagined every bite was just as good an the first!
Then I went home.
I sat down at the computer to check my email and do some writing–with every intention to be very productive–and within five minutes my eyes had shut and I was cat napping right at my desk.
When I woke up a minute or so later, I was instantly reminded of the times in college–and even before that, in high school–when right after a meal, I’d go to class and struggle to keep my head up from the desk. The battle was helpless to fight. I remember distinctly one 2:00PM, large lecture class during my Junior year at Marist where I’d, no fail, fall asleep around 2:15PM and wake up around 2:50PM–missing a whole 35 minutes! Every time! I’d love to find the girls that sat behind me who used to kid me after class about it. They would be a great testimonial to this story!
I now am aware of the reason why my energy stores and most likely yours are being depleted after eating.
My class was right after lunch, and whether I ate at the cafeteria or a frozen pizza at home before class, I was not getting enough fresh foods to keep me at a peak level. Not even enough good food to keep me at a CONSCIOUS level!
Eat a frozen pizza and a few mozzarella sticks from the toaster and guage how you feel in 15-20 minutes. If you’re on the couch passed out with the TV on, I think I’ve proven my point.
On the other hand, eat a salad with just vegetables, nuts and beans or drink a fresh juice and just wait to get tired.
You’ll be waiting for a long time. Fruits, vegetables, nuts and all other natural uncooked foods have more nutrients and their food life is digested quickly for immediate use. Your body does not have to labor over digestion when you eat these fresh foods. Your digestive system knows what to do with these foods and knows how to distribute them right away.
When your system gets a glob of eggs, meats, cheeses, sauteed vegetables, toast, butter, 2 coffees, cream, sugar and fried potatoes–what is known to us as the “American Diner Breakfast” it goes into a panic and rushes all your blood to your stomach to take care of the crisis. You suffer by falling asleep or feeling like a truck hit you–hard.
So here’s the action your should consider taking…
In the next week, before your next installment of this 5 Part series on Body Awareness, I’d like you to take notice of how your body feels after you eat your food. Do you feel tired? Do you feel like exercising? Are you amazed that you’ve never noticed how poor you felt after a huge cooked meal?
Don’t go any further than just noticing how you feel. We’ll address what to do next in seven days.
This will begin to tune you into your own body. It’s amazing how much time we spend with ourselves and we never really take the time to figure out what we–our bodies–want. Imagine if your friend was always telling you that they get sick and tired every time they eat a fried meal with no fresh vegetables. I imagine, if you were a concerned friend that you’d tell them they should consider trying a new diet, right?!
Chances are your bodies are telling you the same thing. You’ve learned to ignore the best friend you could possibly have. Listen to it and recognize the signals it is giving you and you’ve made the first step to optimal health and fitness.
In Part 2, you’ll learn how to create radical change in your body image once you recognize what your body wants.
Until then, keep listening–you’ll hear something.
Kevin Gianni is the holistic fitness expert. He is a certified personal trainer and co-founder of Lifestyle Fitness, a home workout program that gives you the tools to radically change your views on health and fitness for the rest of your life.
Be sure to visit the Lifestyle Fitness website and sign up for our free email newsletter that has the fitness and health tips other “gurus” are charging big bucks for!
http://www.yourlifestylefitness.com
