Top 10 Anti-Aging Foods

The general guidelines for the anti-aging diet are: keep your calorie consumption and saturated fat intake down; eat plenty of wholegrain, fresh fruits and vegetables; and cut down on salt and sugar. In addition to these general guidelines, there are specific foods that have a roll in anti-aging and that you should regularly include in your diet.

 1. Avocado: This fruit, which is usually eaten as a vegetable, is a good source of healthy monounsaturated fat that may help to reduce level of a bad type of cholesterol in body. Avocado is a good source of vitamin E and can help to maintain healthy skin and prevent skin aging (vitamin E may also help alleviate menopausal hot flushes). It is rich in potassium which helps prevent fluid retention and high blood pressure.
 2. Ginger: This spicy root can boost the digestive and circulatory systems, which can be useful for older people. Ginger may also help to alleviate rheumatic aches and pains.
3. Cruciferous vegetables: The family of Cruciferous vegetables includes cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, turnip, brussels sprouts, radish and watercress. Cruciferous vegetables assist the body in its fight against toxins and cancer. You should try to consume at least 115g/40z(of any one or a combination) of these vegetables on a daily basis. If possible, eat them row or very lightly cooked so that the important enzymes remain intact.
4. Whole meal pasta and rice: Complex carbohydrates provide a consistent supply of energy throughout the day and should make up the bulk of your diet. Wholemeal pasta is an excellent complex carbohydrate. It is high in fibre and contains twice the amount of iron as normal pasta. Brown rice is another recommended complex carbohydrate, which is high in fibre and B vitamins.
5. Soya: Menopausal women might find that soya helps to maintain oestrogen levels. Soya may alleviate menopausal hot flush and protect against Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis and heart disease. Look out for fermented soya products, which are more easily digested, therefore more nutritional, and do not generally cause food intolerances. You may want to check that soya products have not been genetically modified. Soya should not be confused with soya sauce, which is full of salt and should be used sparingly, if at all.
6. Garlic: Eating a clove of garlic a day (row or cooked) helps to protect the body against cancer and heart disease. The cardioprotective effects of garlic are well recorded. One 1994 study in Iowa, USA, of 41,837 women between the age of 55 and 69 suggested that women who ate a clove of garlic at least once a week were 50 percent less likely to develop colon cancer. Another study at Tasgore Medical college in India suggested that garlic reduced cholesterol levels and assisted blood thinning more effectively than aspirin, thus helping to reduce the risk of heart disease.
7. Nuts: Most varieties of nuts are good sources of minerals, particularly walnuts and brazi nuts. Walnuts, although high in calories, are rich in potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper and selenium. Adding nuts to your diet (sprinkle them on salads and desserts) can enhance the functioning of your digestive and immune systems, improve your skin help control prevent cancer. Nuts may also help control cholesterol levels. Never eat rancid nuts, however, as they have been linked to a high incidence of free radicals.
8. Berries: All black and blue berries such as blackberries, blueberries, blackcurrants and black grapes contain phytochemicals known as flavonoids-powerful antioxidants which help to protect the body against damage caused by free radicals and aging.
9. Water: Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day in order to remain healthy. Water helps us to get rid of the toxins and unwanted waste materials from your body. Don't rely on thirst; this sensation diminishes with age. Drink often and choose from nutritious liquids, including 100% fruit and vegetable juices, skim or low fat milk, broths, sparkling water, and teas. You can also get fluids from foods, especially those that are liquid at room temperature. Try gelatin, frozen yogurt, soups, watermelon, pickles, oranges, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.
10. Watermelon: Both the flesh and seeds of the watermelon are nutritious so try blending them together in a food processor and drinking as a juice. The flesh contain vitamin A, B and C ; the seeds contain selenium, essential fats, zinc and vitamin E, all of which help against free radical damage and aging. www.TrueHealthandHealing.org

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4 Things You Didn't Know About Dried Fruit

By Carey Brown:

1. There's More Than One Way To Dry A Fruit

Most people tend to think of all tried fruit as the same. But there are several methods of drying fruit that all produce different textures, tastes, and nutritiousness. Sun drying is both the oldest and most widely used method. California is the largest producer of it in the world, providing over 90 percent of the roughly 2 pounds each American consumes every year. Specialized dryers or dehydrators are also used, and are generally ideal for making your own at home, but are not widely used commercially. Freeze drying is a lesser known process that dries the fruit in temperatures of -50°C to -80°C. This method leaves the fruit with the highest nutritional content, along with having a more intense taste and smell, and is also lighter and crispier than using traditional techniques.

2. Some Are Actually Candy

Have you ever been eating some dried fruit and it seemed a bit sweeter than dried fruit should? Well, it's possible that dried fruit was actually just an ingredient in a large pile of sugar. You see, some dried fruit, including some found in nut mixed is less like dried fruit, and more like sugary fruity candy. It's made by mixing the freshly cut fruit with a bunch of sugar, and then boiling it. There are also many types of dried fruit that are infused with syrup before drying to intensify the taste. Sometimes the wording on the packaging can be vague, so just take a second look at the nutrition facts and make sure you're not just basically eating sweet tarts. There's even a recipe to make your own at http://www.ehow.com/how_3910_make-candied-fruit.html.

3. Grapes Are The Earliest And Most Prevalent Type

Dried grapes, which you know as raisins, was one of first fruits to be eaten dried, and is still the most widely consumed variety. They're written about in Babylonian texts from almost 4,000 years ago, along with figs, dates, apples and pomegranates, and were a staple of early diets. Currently, over 1.7 million tons of grapes are produced for raisins every year just in the United States, over 95% of which are produced in California.

4. Most Of The Nutrient Content Is Retained

There seems to be a lot of talk lately about dried fruit not being nearly as nutritious as fresh. Yes, some of the nutrients get lost during the drying process, specifically, a reduction in thiamine and vitamins B, B1 & C. But most of the nutrients are preserved, enough to make it pointless to argue against eating it. This is especially true when the other option is snacking on potato chips or candy. You do tend to feel less full when eating it, but that's just because the water content has been reduced so much. So feel free to snack on!

Carey Brown
SnackHealthy
http://www.snackhealthy.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carey_Brown

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Diabetic Footwear - Its Importance

By Ann Dominic:

Diabetes is the condition when the pancreas within the body fail to product adequate insulin required which increase the normal level of glucose in the body. The people having diabetes show a tendency to have troubles with their feet. So doctors usually recommend the use of diabetic footwear for these patients since proper foot care is required once you diagnose the problems in the feet.

Diabetic footwear or diabetic shoes are particularly designed to stay away from possible problems like infections, blisters, ulcers etc which can create serious conditions. There are 2 conditions associated with the diabetic foot. The first one is Neuropathy which is a condition affecting legs of a diabetic patients which they lose sensation on the foot due to nerve damage. The next one is called peripheral vascular disease which means hardening of the arteries in the legs which can prevent the flow of blood from entering the feet. Poor circulation to the feet and toes can lead to diabetic foot pain. Diabetic footwear is intended to reduce this pain.

There are some specialties for the diabetic footwear when compared to the normal ones.

Diabetic footwear should be deeper than the normal one so that custom inner sole are included for comfort and protection. Good ventilation or keeping moisture wicking materials should be provided for the diabetic shoes to keep bacteria away from the foot. It would be designed in such a way that the weight of the shoes would be reduced to the maximum extent. Diabetic footwear supplies finest support for the arch, heel and ankle while controlling the distribution of weight such that aching pressure points are evaded as much as possible.

There should always be space for you toes. This space must be enough so that the fingers can fit inside the back of your shoes and you should also have sufficient twist room for your toes. Most diabetic foot wears are accessible in different widths to hold all types of feet. The width of the shoe should fit the ball of your foot contentedly. You should look for the footwear with leather upper material and comfortable, cushioned soles and insoles.

It's best not to wear slip-ons. Look for shoes with fasteners and loop, velcro or ties so they can be stiffened or loosened to adjust to your feet as they swell. One main tip you can follow is that to try on shoes in the afternoon, not the morning. Feet can swell, and you need to make sure the shoes fit nicely over swollen feet.

Make sure that you have bought diabetic socks as well which can take your comfort to the highest level.

Dynamic Techno Medicals is one of the largest Indian manufacturers of diabetic footwear and diabetic socks. Dynamic Techno Medicals started it operations in 1980 and is head quartered in Kerala, India.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ann_Dominic

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Top 5 Symptoms Of Stress

By Emily Progemy:
In today's world stress is an everlasting challenge, with the everyday rush of life it is hard to relax and take control of stress. It is not healthy to be stressful, it increases blood pressure and can lead to heart attacks if not controlled in the proper way. There are a lot of symptoms of stress that can take your life in the wrong direction. If you have a stressful lifestyle there are indicators of unhealthy stress that you should be aware of.

Seeing Only The Negative Side Of Life

When it comes to stress this also can lead to a person that only focuses on the negative and never see's the positive side of life. Negativity is the leading cause of anger and frustration and the inability to relax.

How many people do you think are going to like the way you see life if you are always talking about negative aspects. When you come home from a hard days work, do you start off by complaining about your day, and not embracing your spouse or loved one. This is the first sign of negative stress and steps toward becoming unhealthy.

Negative thoughts and actions can lead to personal unhealthy relationships, with loved ones, work companions, family, and friends. When you can't focus on the positive and only the negative this is a sure sign of negative stress.

Constantly Worrying

If you are always worrying about upcoming situations or events this can be a symptom of unhealthy stress. We all worry in life, but if there becomes a saturation of worry this is when we should evaluate ourselves, and what is causing the worry.

Normal worry is OK, for example, worrying about your kids when they are on their first sleep over. Unnatural worry is obsessive worry, for example always worrying about others and what they think of you or always feeling like nobody wants to involve themselves with you. This is unnatural worry and is very unhealthy it can be caused by an overload of stress.

Work and relationships are the #1 stressors' that cause worry in the world today. If you find yourself constantly worrying about these it is a symptom of stress.

Impaired Judgment

Decision making is a big part of life, and making the right choice when necessary is critical to being stress free. A major symptom of stress is not being sure if you judgment about a particular decision was the right one.

When you find yourself turning the wrong corner in life in abundance and making wrong decision that can effect your surroundings, this can be caused by unhealthy stress. Decision making should be natural, and yes we all make mistakes, but to be creating a lot of mistakes in a short period of time is not natural and needs to be addressed. Try to evaluate your decisions and learn from mistakes do not dwell on bad decisions this is what leads to negative stress.

Depression Or General Unhappiness

If you are sad, angry, or just plain unhappy in an obsessive way this can be a sign of high negative stress in you life. Depression is a force that many of us have to deal with and can be directly related to the major stressor's in you life.

Life is too short, as we all have heard a lot, and to be unhappy and depressed is not at all healthy. Stress magnifies this and causes your emotions to fluctuate, becoming unbalanced. A humans natural defense to depression is to release endorphins and when stress gets in the way these natural solutions are blocked.

It is hard to control your stress levels but is necessary. To fight against depression we need to learn how to handle stress first and then we can look into handling depression. If your stress levels are decreased your defense mechanisms will begin to function normally, and over time your body will naturally be happier.

Stress is a killer and to learn how to control it is what we need to focus on. Realizing the symptoms of stress can get you closer to living a happier more fulfilled life. So what I suggest is to take a closer look into what effects you on a day to day basis. If you can pin point the symptom start to organize a way to change it. Don't try and solve all of the problems at once, start with the easiest solution and work from there.

There are a lot of people out there that you can talk to about your particular symptoms of stress, and there is medication you can take for some of these symptoms (which I don't recommend.) There are natural remedies as well that can help with symptoms of stress and I would recommend these over any type of pill out there. Human interaction and natural healing is your best bet to curing your stress factor indicators in life.

If you are looking to live a stress free life and for a natural solution for the symptoms explained above please visit Gaia Herbs Adrenal Health for more information.

Thank You

Live Life To The Fullest

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Emily_Progemy

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Green Coffee? The Bean Extract That Will Be Your Cup Of Joe

By Julia Gullotti:

The roasted coffee bean, the majority of us enjoy the caffeinated effects of this wonderful little bean on a daily basis. One of the most common beverages in the world, coffee's stimulating effect on the central nervous system has been the biggest reason for its consumption; as well as, the reason behind the reduction of intake. The stimulating effect is known to cause negative side-effects on the cardiovascular system and central nervous system. Recently, studies reveal not only coffee's benefits but also it's negative effects and these conflicting results have called into question this daily ritual so many of us count on to start the day. So take away the caffeine, responsible for the stimulating effects, and one may not even look to coffee for any other health attributes. Until now...

Green Coffee Bean Extract is derived from unroasted coffee beans. Commonly used as a nutritional supplement in foods and beverages in Japan, the extract contains polyphenol content including high levels of Chlorogenic Acids. Chlorogenic Acids are major phenolic compounds that are known to possess antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities. The high antioxidant activity in Green Coffee Bean Extract makes it a powerful instrument against free radicals and oxidative damage. Antioxidants are also known to be a vital tool in combating the signs of aging. Antioxidant activity is not, however, the only health benefit associated with this new supplement.
Human and animal studies have shown Green Coffee Bean Extract to be effective in supporting blood pressure levels, while another study indicated that chlorogenic acid in Green Coffee Bean Extract contains ferulic acid and improved vasoreactivity by directly acting on blood vessels, indicating that it is not just beneficial for supporting blood pressure levels, but also supporting the health of the circulatory system.
One of the most exciting new benefits of Green Coffee Bean Extract being studied is it's potential ability to combat weight gain and fat accumulation. Two constituents were found to be responsible for these effects: caffeine (even at these low levels) was found to inhibit fat absorption and chlorogenic acid was shown to activate fat metabolism in the liver. These new findings are leading to the new developments in Green Coffee Bean Extract and adding to the healthful list of benefits.
So whether you decide to take Green Coffee Bean Extract for it's antioxidant properties, to support blood pressure levels, for maintaining the health of the circulatory system or to enhance your weight loss efforts, this supplement t is a wonderful addition to your nutrition and health regime; even if you drink your daily dose of coffee in the morning. As always, please be sure to consult your healthcare practitioner before starting any supplement, especially if you are on medication or being monitored for any health condition.

Julia Gullotti holds a Doctor of Naturopathy and is a writing staff contributor for All Vitamins Plus. Julia educates individuals to feel empowered in their health and supports their implementation of holistic lifestyle. For more information about Vitamins and Supplements visit www.allvitaminsplus.com today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julia_Gullotti

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5 Tips For Healthy Weight Loss

By Eric Rice Sr:

1. Get that body moving!
Being active is essential to your good health. Joining a gym, going for a walk, jog, or swimming are just a few ways to get and remain active. Parking your car the farthest distance from the supermarket or store will allow you to walk more while your shopping or running errands. Go up and down on your toes while waiting in checkout line (or any line for that matter). Try to take on projects, like planting a garden,raking leaves,or walking the dog. Take the stairs not the escalator, walking stairs is a great cardio workout.

2. Eat your veggies.
Eating vegetables is one of the smartest things you can do for optimal health. Leafy green veggies in particular are the healthiest food on the planet, they are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fibers, and phytochemicals. Not only do they have a very high nutrient content, but they also have a very low caloric value. Foods with this combination of high nutrients, and low calories is ideal for your good health. Try to eat as much of these type of super foods as possible, this will supply your body with all the nourishment it needs to fight off diseases while allowing you to lose weight.
3. Drink plenty of water.
Water curbs your appetite naturally, and helps the body burn fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase! Increasing your water consumption will lower the fat on your body!
Here's the reason why...
The kidneys cannot function properly without enough water. When they do not work to capacity, some of their load is dumped on the liver. One of the liver's primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. But if the liver has to do some of the kidney's work, it cannot work at maxim efficiency. Water helps you look your best. You've heard this since high school, and it's true. Water will do wonders for your looks! It flushes out toxins in your skin, leaving you with a clear, glowing complexion. It also makes your skin look younger. Skin that is becoming saggy, either due to aging or weight loss, plumps up very nicely when the skin cells are hydrated.
4. Eat lots fruits.
Start eating some fruits that you haven't eaten before. Fruits come in all shape, sizes, and flavors. Put berries, apples, or bananas into your hot or cold breakfast cereals. Try to have some fruit with each and every meal. Allow for sliced carrot, apples, grapes, or any fruit in your lunch bag. A fruit salad is a outstanding ideal for lunch. Fruit is great for snacks. Encourage your kids also to snack with fruits rather than with cakes and candy.
They are rich in vitamins and minerals which keep the body healthy. They are filled with antioxidants, which are thought to protect against chemicals that get into the body and cause damage to the cells. However, the exact way in which they prevent disease is not fully understood.
5. Get support from friends and family
As you know, your success is up to you, but including your family and friends in your pursuit for better health is a great way to hold yourself accountable, and gain support. Their love and encouragement can provide your emotional security. Try to keep those who want to see your success, in your circle, they will be there to spur you on went you are thinking of quitting. You may also become an example of good health and attract those who you love into the healthy lifestyle, that you will be enjoying. Going for walks, jog, or any activity together is a wonderful way for the family to get and remain fit.

If you are serious about losing weight then please take a look at this program it really helped me with my weight loss. http://www.flatabsnow.info/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Rice_Sr

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