Health and Fitness Care - Weblog

A new and odd looking fruit, at least to those who live in North America, has exploded onto the health food scene recently. The pomegranate is, originally, a native plant to Persia (Iran) and China. Although it grows wild in its native environment rather freely, widespread cultivation of this highly prized fruit gem has been practiced in the Middle East and Orient for well over a thousand years. Now this ancient fruit is enjoying a newfound popularity, here, in the U.S.

The pomegranate, with its rich color, surprising structure, and strong sweet taste was brought to North American shores, for the first time, by the Spanish conquistadors. This unusual fruit, whose name means “apple with many seeds”, has not reached the level of popularity in this country that it enjoys in its native lands, or in Europe.

This small tree, shrub-like, plant can be grown successfully in the American dessert southwest, and further south into the hot and arid climate of the South American countries of Chile and Argentina. It is, currently, successfully cultivated in Arizona and southern California. Unfortunately, due to its limited commercial success in the U.S., the fruit and juice, both, are rather expensive. Beside the fact of its well-touted health benefit potential, the many fans of this strange looking fruit do appreciate the unique taste, color, and textural variety the pomegranate brings to the ordinary diet.

When it comes to the health advantages of eating pomegranates, what makes this fruit so special?
Nutritional research science, now, suggests that all parts of the pomegranate, seeds, juice, and peel offers its own unique polyphenol protection. Polyphenols are plant antioxidants (natural chemical nutrients) that help protect us from developing many different kinds of diseases.

As in the case of this particular fruit, which consists primarily of juicy seeds called “arils”, ellagic acid is the main polyphenol found in pomegranates, and it is this substance that helps control several types of cancer. There is also a high level of punicic acid, which is closely related to conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a healthy trans fat found in nature. Daily drinking 6 to 8 ounces of pomegranate juice seems to prevent or inhibit cancer growth in prostate, breast, and reduces inflammatory enzymes in colon cancer.

Its amazing antioxidant power has also been studied in its relative importance to cardiovascular health. Consuming the seeds, for at least 3 months, seems to halt the hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Type 2 diabetics, especially, have more problems with the development of this disease, than those without Type 2 diabetes. The juice from the seeds appears to halt atherosclerosis by lowering high blood cholesterol levels. Pomegranates are, also, a good source of vitamin B-6 and vitamin C. Vitamin C, of course, is well known for its healthy promotion of blood vessel strength, and vitamin B-6 deficiencies have been linked to higher homocysteine levels in heart attack and stroke victims.

Other, less notable, health advantages from eating this fruit are:
1.fights the build up of dental plaque
2.naturally calms diarrhea
3.eases, or eliminates, the many different symptoms of menopause
4.protects against the development of osteoporosis
5.natural skin conditioner and great sunburn protection
6.possible preventive use in HIV infection

More studies need to be undertaken in all of these different health arenas, but this fruit, currently, appears to have a lot of powerful health potential. Before jumping into eating a substantial amount of this plant food a couple of warnings need to be mentioned here, as these may affect certain individuals.

The juice derived from the seeds of this fruit is extremely high in natural sugars (30 grams per 8 ounce serving). If you are a diabetic, or hypoglycemic, you should not drink the juice on an empty stomach. However, eating the seeds will slow down the absorption of the fruit sugars with their naturally occurring plant fiber content.

There is also some evidence, in preliminary research studies, that suggests that pomegranate juice, like that of the juice from the grapefruit, may interact with certain prescription drugs. Please, play it safe. Consult with your pharmacist or doctor before adding a large amount of this fruit, or fruit juice, to your daily diet.

Beefing up your daily water intake, along with your improved daily dietary practices, will also carry in the nutrients to (via blood flow) to all body cells for metabolism. Water will also carry away the metabolic wastes, and other noxious toxins, out of cells, and on out of the body through elimination. Choosing a more natural food diet, definitely, calls for more of a natural fluid beverage choice, in saying you are really living a healthier diet lifestyle. 
Author Resource:- Brenda Skidmore has spent the last five years actively researching natural health care alternatives. It is her sincere desire to empower others by sharing this important information. To improve your health today visit mywater4life.com

The body needs to be provided with apposite quantity of food which will help in ensuring that the entire body system functions healthily and properly and in effect, requires that your body and hair are given six different nutrient types to keep you and your hair in good health. Thus, a diet consisting of carbohydrates, proteins, fat, vitamins, and minerals as well as trace elements will do you a lot of good, which benefit can be enhanced by also taking in a lot fiber as well as water.

Helps Combat Hair Loss Problems

In effect, a properly balanced diet which contains the required nutrients will help you stay and live healthier, and vitamin C hair care is also something that you will need to consider if you are concerned about the health of your hair. In fact vitamin C hair care helps through its anti-oxidizing benefits and is most effective for those suffering from hair loss problems.

Also, vitamin C hair care will keep your hair as well as skin in good health and for obtaining enough vitamin C to ensure such good health you can take a number of natural foods that contain plenty of vitamin C. Therefore, by eating a lot of citrus fruits, strawberries, kiwi, pineapples as well as green pepper and tomatoes and even red peppers you can be sure that vitamin C hair care will prove to be effective and beneficial for the health of your hair.

However, you will also need to take further steps that will help in buttressing vitamin C hair care such as ensuring shampooing your hair which is vital to proper hair care, though of course you must not use shampoos that contain harmful chemicals and instead opt for natural based shampoos such as Laut hair shampoo that is gentle on the hair and also the scalp, and thus will enhance the benefits of your vitamin C hair care.

You will also need to brush your hair which will improve the health of your scalp and hair through helping to spread oils from the scalp in an even manner throughout your hair, and it also makes for proper and better blood circulation on the scalp. On the other hand, you need to take care that you don’t use blow dryers incorrectly as that will undo all the benefits of your vitamin C hair care because the hot air from a blow dryer can actually damage the hair.

Finally, you need to ensure that you eat a diet that is balanced because it will provide your hair with the proper nutrients and thus eating plenty of fruits (citrus fruits, especially) as well as vegetables and protein as well as fiber will also improve the condition of your hair and by acting in conjunction with any vitamin C hair care steps that you are taking, will result in overall healthy and strong hair.

We feed our hunger, our appetite and most of us feed our cravings, at least once in awhile. But how often do we feed ourselves to nourish and protect? Okay, in other words, how many times during this week, did we consider how our food choices are connected to the function, appearance and health of our body?

There’s a saying that “Our Eyes are Our Windows to the World” (Okay, this is my version of the saying), and I think most of us would agree that our eyes are very important. Unfortunately, even those of us who were lucky enough to be born with 20/20 vision need to protect ourselves from the two most common age related eye diseases, Cataracts, and Macular Degeneration. Macular Degeneration in particular, is a disease that we can help to prevent by eating those wonderful, colorful phytochemicals known as the Carotenoids!

Why? Well, the retina in our eyes contains the highest concentration of pigments in our body, which absorb the sun’s rays (acting as antioxidants) and which overtime (I’m referring to the aging process unfortunately) start to lose the pigmentation. Studies have found that those of us with the lowest amount of the phyto’s Leutein and Zeaxanthin circulating in our blood, have the highest rate of age-related macular degeneration. But let’s not fret, we can replenish these pigments with food. Studies have also shown that people with macular degeneration have been found to have lower levels of zeaxanthin and lutein in the macula itself than people without—which supports the premise that these antioxidants provide some protection. Since this is January,eye care month, we can think about replenishing the pigments in our eyes with nature’s chemicals found in foods.

So, what can we eat to help keep our eyesight?

Eggs. Yes, whole eggs contain a high bioavailable form of Leutein (meaning very useable by our body). One study used designer eggs with the highest amount found in the yolks, but regular supermarket eggs still contain high amounts.

Spinach. Popeye was misinformed about spinach’s high iron content, (it may contain a high amount of iron, but it’s not a good source of bioavailable iron) but it does contains high bioavailable amounts of these colorful carotenoids.

Vitamin C, Vitamin E. These important vitamins act as antioxidants and they are also found in our eyes in high concentrations. So, citrus fruits as well as all fresh fruits and veggies all contain Vitamin C, including once again spinach! Vitamin E is found in Spinach (Popeye was on the right track here), Broccoli, Sweet Potatoes, Avocado, Chick Peas, and the highest bioavailable forms of E (with the most calories unfortunately) are found in Soybean oil, Corn oil, Canola oil and Cashews. So, with these last few foods, let’s think moderation as in 1 tablespoon?

Studies also suggest that taking supplements containing the above nutrients and carotenoids positively correlate with a lower incidence of these eye diseases as well (I like to eat my nutrients personally!). So, now that we will begin to feed our eyes, here is a reliable website to go to for more information www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/aug03/eye0803.htm and another The American Academy of Ophthalmology’s eye health topics: http://www.aao.org/public/eyehealthtopics.cfm