Thursday, December 12, 2013

Foods That Heal Chronic Diseases


Foods That Heal Chronic Diseases

Wednesday, 11 Dec 2013 06:25 PM
By Lynn Allison
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Leading nutritional expert Dr. Fabrizio Mancini says that something amazing happens when you eat healing foods and give your body a break from junk foods, bad fats, refined flour, and sugar.

“I’ve seen hundreds of my patients cured of chronic disease, lose weight effortlessly, and feel their energy soar when they start eating certain fruits and vegetables that get digestion working properly,” Dr. Mancini tells Newsmax Health. He is president emeritus of Parker University in Dallas and author of The Power of Self-Healing.

“When you eat right, you stop feeling bloated and congested, and best of all, you maximize your self-healing potential.”

Dr. Mancini points out that there have been thousands of studies showing that a diet heavy in fruits and vegetables protects against heart disease, cancer, and other chronic conditions. Pills, he says, are not the answer.

“We should stop throwing so many pills and drugs at diseases and just prescribe fruits and vegetables,” he says.

Here are Dr. Mancini’s top five foods for self-healing, whether you are overweight or have another chronic condition such as diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, high blood pressure, stomach problems, or fatigue.

“All of these foods fight disease, promote a strong immune system, and provide the nutrients you need to feel great,” he said. “Simply put, when you eat well, you feel well.”

1.  Broccoli. This super veggie fights cancer and is loaded with vitamin C to boost the immune system. It also helps normalize blood pressure and is rich in fiber for a healthy digestive system.
 
2.    Cherries. They help kill cancer cells. Cherries are also high in melatonin, a hormone that helps normalize sleep cycles. Melatonin acts like an antioxidant that protects cell membranes from damage. Cherry juice is touted as fighting chronic pain, gout, and heart disease.
 
3.      Chicory leaves. Toss chicory leaves (also known as "curly endive") into your salads because they have more vitamin A than any other salad green. Just a quarter cup of raw chicory greens provides all you need. Vitamin A is a potent self-healer, vital for a healthy immune system and protecting your vision. Most of the vitamin A in chicory comes from beta-carotene, a strong cancer fighter.
 
4.      Coconut oil. For years we’ve been warned to avoid tropical oils because they’re high in artery-clogging saturated fats. But today coconut oil is considered a nutritional super food. It has immune-stimulating properties thanks to lauric acid, a fatty acid in the oil. Lauric acid fights viruses and bacteria in the body. A teaspoon a day of coconut oil is all you need.
 
5.      Cranberries. This Thanksgiving dinner staple doubles as a natural remedy for many ailments. One of the most common is urinary infections because cranberries keep harmful bacteria from sticking to the lining of the urinary tract. The active ingredient in cranberries is a group of phytochemicals called proanthocyanins.  Drinking eight ounces of cranberry juice that contain at least 27 percent juice can help prevent recurrent infections. But the self-healing power of these colorful berries doesn’t end there. They contain more phenols than red grapes, which are the plant chemicals that help prevent the formation of LDL cholesterol in the arteries.
 

© 2013 NewsmaxHealth. All rights reserved.

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Headline/DrFabrizio-Mancini-healing-foods-self-healing-chronic-disease/2013/12/11/id/541351#ixzz2nHE950V4

Monday, October 21, 2013

7 Foods Everybody Over 40 Should Eat

Certain foods that have extraordinary anti-aging properties.

Here is Dr. Platkin’s list of foods everybody over 40 should eat:

Read more
 

Sunday, October 13, 2013

10 Foods That Stop Diabetes

A healthy diet is a proven key in the fight against diabetes, and studies have shown that some foods are particularly effective at lowering blood sugar. They include: 
Cinnamon
Vinegar
Pomegranates
Almonds.
Garlic.
Apples.
Green tea.
Chocolate.
Whole-fat dairy products.
Pumpkin.
http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Headline/diabetes-American-Diabetes-Association-diabetes-fighting-foods-Joslin-Diabetes-Center/2013/10/11/id/530648   

Monday, October 7, 2013

Astaxanthin: New Super-Nutrient Fights Aging

Astaxanthin, a powerful, natural antioxidant that gives the reddish color to salmon, is a new nutritional superstar. According to experts, this amazing supplement, which is in the carotenoid family, is thousands of times more powerful at scavenging free radicals than vitamin C, and may be a major key to preventing the degenerative diseases of aging. 


“Astaxanthin is hundreds of times more effective than vitamin E in squelching singlet oxygen free radicals, and far exceeds the free-radical scavenging power of vitamin C, CoQ10, beta-carotene, and green tea,” said Dr. Mercola, director of the Optimal Wellness Center. 
“It’s 6,000 times stronger than vitamin C, 500 times stronger than vitamin E, and 3,000 times stronger than resveratrol and quercetin.” 


Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Headline/astaxanthin-super-nutrient-antioxidant-anti-aging/2013/10/06/id/529537#ixzz2h4hYvtYS
 

Friday, October 4, 2013

6 Natural Remedies That Beat Fall Allergies

The most common culprit for fall allergies is ragweed pollen, not hay. Seventeen varieties grow in America, and winds carry it to every corner of the country, even to places it doesn't grow. Ragweed season begins in August, and usually doesn't ease until the first frost, typically in October.

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Headline/fall-allergies-natural-remedies-hay-fever-mold/2013/10/03/id/529212#ixzz2glhyGSiA 

Monday, September 16, 2013

Diabetes Drug May Reverse Alzheimer's

Diabetes Drug May Reverse Alzheimer's

Monday, 16 Sep 2013 05:11 PM
By Nick Tate
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A commonly prescribed diabetes drug may have the potential to reverse some of the damage caused by Alzheimer's disease in the later stages of the condition. 
 
In a new study funded by the Alzheimer's Society and published in the journalNeuropharmacology, Lancaster University researchers found the drug liraglutide may reverse memory loss and the build-up of plaques on the brain linked to the disease. Mice with late-stage Alzheimer's given the drug performed significantly better on an object recognition test and their brains showed a 30 percent reduction in the build-up of toxic plaques.

ALERT:
 5 Signs You’ll Get Alzheimer’s Disease

Liraglutide — one of new class of drugs known as GLP-1 analogues — is used to stimulate insulin production in diabetes, but research shows it can also pass through the blood brain barrier and have a protective effect on brain cells.
 
The findings come as the Alzheimer's Society charity prepares to conduct clinical trials of the drug's effectiveness, as part of a program that aims to repurpose existing drugs as dementia treatments within the next five to 10 years.
 
"Developing new drugs from scratch can take 20 years and hundreds of millions of pounds," said Doug Brown, M.D., research and development director at the Alzheimer's Society. "We owe it to [dementia paitients] to do everything we can to accelerate the process. Our focus on repurposing existing drugs as dementia treatments is an incredibly exciting way of bringing new treatments closer.
 
"This exciting study suggests that one of these drugs can reverse the biological causes of Alzheimer's even in the late stages and demonstrates we're on the right track. We're now funding a major new trial to bring it closer to a position where it can be improving the lives of people with dementia."
 
Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, has few effective treatments and no cure. If successful in clinical trials liraglutide would be the first new dementia treatment in a decade.

© 2013 NewsmaxHealth. All rights reserved.


Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Health-News/diabetes-drug-reverses-alzheimer/2013/09/16/id/525999#ixzz2f724irBq 

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Salmon, Eggs Combat Diabetes

The amino acid arginine — found in salmon, eggs, nuts, and other foods — has been found to offer a promising defense against diabetes, according to new research out of the University of Copenhagen.
Medical investigators found arginine greatly improves the body's ability to metabolize blood sugar — a process that is impaired in Type 2 diabetes. The research findings, published in the scientific  journal Endocrinology, indicate arginine stimulates a hormone linked to the treatment of diabetes in the same way as available medicines.


Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Health-News/salmon-eggs-diabetes-arginine/2013/09/10/id/524885#ixzz2eY6F9VF1 


Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Eating broccoli could help prevent arthritis: study

A compound found in broccoli could be key to preventing or slowing the progress of the most common form of arthritis, according to new research led by the University of East Anglia in the U.K.

Results from the laboratory study show that sulforaphane slows down the destruction of cartilage in joints associated with osteoarthritis. The researchers found that mice fed a diet rich in the compound had significantly less cartilage damage and osteoarthritis than those that were not.

Sulforaphane is released when eating cruciferous vegetables such as brussels sprouts and cabbage, but particularly broccoli, the researchers said. Previous research has suggested that sulforaphane has anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties, but this is the first major study into its effects on joint health, they added.


Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/eating-broccoli-could-help-prevent-arthritis-study-1.1430037#ixzz2dHsP63OD

Monday, August 26, 2013

6 Top Fat-Burning Foods

Here are six top fat-burning foods:
1.                  Lean meat. Eating lean meat raises satiety levels so that you feel fuller longer and therefore snack less. Protein-rich meat requires a lot of energy to be broken down by the body so you burn more calories relative to how much you eat.
2.                  Green tea. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that study participants who drank four cups of green tea daily lost six pounds or more in eight weeks. The brew can be enjoyed hot or cold to get the same fat-burning results. Noted nutritionist, J.J. Virgin, author of the New York Times best-seller, The Virgin Diet, says that green tea contains EGCG, a proven fat-burning antioxidant.
3.                  Avocados. This food is rich in monounsaturated fat and high in fiber, says Virgin. Added to a salad, it steps up fat burning and keeps you fuller longer.
4.                  Raw almonds. A handful of almonds – which contain protein, good fats, and fiber – provides a triple punch to help burn fat and curb appetite.
5.                  Hot peppers. Adding cayenne pepper or other hot peppers to foods improves the body’s ability to burn fat, says Kamhi. Capsaicin, the chemical that makes peppers hot, boosts metabolism.
6.                  Coffee. Caffeine also helps kick start your metabolism into high gear. It jump starts the process called lipolysis, the breakdown of fat. One or two cups a day will do the trick.


Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Headline/fat-burning-foods-protein-weight/2013/08/26/id/522183#ixzz2d5ZDOi79 

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

The Truth About Fish Oil and Prostate Cancer

Fish oil pills are among the world's most popular nutritional supplements, with millions of people taking them to prevent heart disease. However, an alarming new study linking fish oil to prostate cancer has many men reconsidering whether they should take the capsules.
 
A top cardiologist has simple advice for those on the fence: Keep taking fish oil.

Monday, August 12, 2013

9 Ways Candy is Good for You

9 Ways Candy is Good for You

Sunday, 11 Aug 2013 03:54 PM
By Sylvia Booth Hubbard



Candy may actually be good for you. Although dark chocolate candy has the most proven health benefits, other favorites such as peppermint have real advantages as well.
 

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Headline/candy-chocolate-health-benefits-peppermint/2013/08/11/id/519812#ixzz2blqS0800 

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Big Breakfast Helps Weight Loss

The findings suggest eating a relatively high-calorie breakfast may help maintain stable insulin levels and also prevent overeating through the day and into the evening.

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Health-News/big-breakfast-weight-loss/2013/08/06/id/518943#ixzz2bCkgIPrh 

Diet Soda Can Be Deadly: Top Heart Doctor.

Diet soda seems to work in the brain to compel people to eat more.”
 
Research shows that as little as one diet soda a day can cause weight gain and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a collection of medical conditions that sharply hikes heart disease risk.


Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Headline/diet-soda-soda-dangers-heart-risks-high-intensity-artificial-sweeteners/2013/08/05/id/518850#ixzz2bCk7EmXJ 

Monday, July 22, 2013

5 Secrets to Raising Good Cholesterol

5 Secrets to Raising Good Cholesterol

Sunday, 21 Jul 2013 10:04 AM
By Sylvia Booth Hubbard
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You may be following your doctor's orders to lower your cholesterol levels, but raising one form of cholesterol called high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or "good" cholesterol, actually lowers your risk of heart disease.
 
Cholesterol gets its bad rep from low-density lipoproteins (LDL) particles. Excess amounts can enter the walls of blood vessels creating plaque that narrows and clogs blood vessels, causing coronary artery disease. But high levels of HDL cholesterol scavenge excess LDL, removing it from the blood and taking it to the liver where its broken down and then disposed of by the body.  High levels of HDL are associated with a lower risk of heart disease as we age, as well as half the risk of developing dementia.
 
Generally speaking, the lower the HDL levels, the higher the risk of heart disease. Studies  indicate that a drop of only five points in HDL cholesterol raises the risk of heart disease by 25 percent.
 
The high risk remains even when other indicators of heart disease are normal. "One study found that people with low HDL cholesterol had three times the risk of premature heart disease, even when their LDL cholesterol and triglycerides were normal," Dr. Chauncey Crandall, Chief of the Cardiac Transplant Program at the Palm Beach Cardiovascular Center told Newsmax Health.

"Why is this the case? Because HDL cholesterol acts as a scavenger — its job is to find bad LDL cholesterol and whisk it off to the liver, where it’s broken down and rendered harmless," said Dr. Crandall, author of Dr. Crandall's Heart Health Report.
 
 
Quitting smoking, losing weight, and exercising are three effective methods of raising HDL levels, but adding specific foods to your diet can do the trick as well. Below are seven foods that will help raise your good cholesterol levels:
 
• Alcohol. Moderate drinking — one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men — is associated with higher levels of HDL. Researchers in the Netherlands found that men who drank two pints of beer a day for three weeks increased their HDL levels by 12 percent. Of all types of alcohol, however, wine appears to offer the most health advantages. "You don’t necessarily need to drink alcohol to get this benefit;" said Dr. Crandall, "studies find a glass of organic grape juice works just as well." 

• Orange juice. A British study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutritionfound that drinking three cups of orange juice a day for three weeks increased good cholesterol levels by 21 percent.
• Berries. Finnish researchers gave middle-aged people with cardiovascular risk factors, including high LDL cholesterol levels and low HDL cholesterol levels, 5 ounces of berries a day, either whole, pureed, or in juice form, for eight weeks. Berries included strawberries, raspberries, lingonberries, and black currants. The study, which was published in the American Society for Clinical Nutrition, found that berries raised HDL levels by more than 5 percent. Researchers speculated that the beneficial effects came from high levels of antioxidants known as polyphenols. Another study found that drinking about 8 ounces of no-sugar-added cranberry juice cocktail raised HDL levels more than 8 percent.
• Eggs. For years, eggs were associated with heart disease, but recent research has shown that they may actually lower your risk. A study from the University of Connecticut found that eating three whole eggs a day raised levels of HDL more than 15 percent. Researchers believe that the lecithin found in egg yolks helps remove cholesterol from circulation and send it to the liver.
• Nuts. Studies have shown that almonds, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, peanuts, macadamias, and flaxseeds all lower HDL. Relatively small amounts — about an ounce a day — can increase levels up to 12 percent.
• Cocoa. A study at Japan's Ochanomizu University gave healthy adult men a cocoa drink every day containing 26 grams (approximately a quarter cup) of cocoa — the amount for a rich cup of hot chocolate. After 12 weeks, their HDL levels had increased 24 percent.
• Kale. Researchers at South Korea's Yonsei University asked men with high cholesterol to drink about 5 ounces of kale juice a day. At the end of 12 weeks, their HDL cholesterol levels had increased by 27 percent. 


Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Headline/good-cholesterol-HDL-high-density-lipoprotein-heart-disease/2013/07/21/id/516150#ixzz2ZmkAae2e 

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Mental decline at age 90 is less than a decade ago

A study of two large groups of the very elderly suggests that the mental  performance of people who reach their 90s may be improving.

 

The findings provide "impressive evidence that older today can be better than years past, especially in regards to brain health," says Sandra Bond Chapman, founder and chief director of the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas-Dallas. She was not involved in the study.

 

An accompanying editorial in The Lancet adds that the study offers "good news" that "age-related cognitive decline in very elderly people is malleable" and "might even suggest the possibility of lowering the incidence or delaying the onset of dementia."

 http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/07/10/age-mental-decline/2505371/