Monday, March 31, 2014

What Makes Resveratrol Super?




In this fast paced and constantly changing world, new discoveries and the desire to come up with new discoveries are what constantly shapes this very world we speak of. One major aspect in life wherein we can see a throng of developments is in the world of Health and Fitness. Throughout the years, there has been an apparent increase in people’s concern for health and wellness, this being the reason for the considerable increase in production of supplements, both natural and artificial in today’s market. Several compounds have been discovered, experimented and used by us mainly because we are enticed by the benefits they offer us, anti-aging, arguably being the most popular one.

For quite some time now there has been a growing interest amongst the health conscious lot with what has been dubbed as the Super Food, also known as anti-aging food. These type of food are known to be high in antioxidants as well as having high concentrations of essential nutrients proven to help prevent or reverse the effects of aging.

Reportedly, a certain compound known as Resveratrol is gaining a lot of attention due to its benefits that are said to be anti-aging and disease-combating. Research and experiments done on Resveratrol, a member of a group of plant compounds called polyphenols suggests that it might help protect one’s body against certain diseases. Reports have indicated that Resveratrol may protect against vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer just to name a few. Due to this hype caused by the supposed benefits Resveratrol has, it comes to no surprise that the availability of resveratrol based supplements and pills are significantly made abundant amongst consumers today. But the extent of this compound’s effectiveness remains to be proven for only a number of tests have been done on actual human subjects and its side effects is not completely known.

If you do want to give Resveratrol a try though it would be better to get it from a natural source such as food and drinks namely red grapes, blueberries, pistachios and a glass of red wine rather than opting for the artificial intake of supplements and pills. 

Experts say more research and studies need to be made on Resveratrol before they can recommend them for anti-aging or disease prevention. But knowing how fast the advances made in science are these days, there’s no harm in keeping watch on more updates about Resveratrol.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Spirulina – Protein-packed Superfood



In 1519, a Spanish Conquistador named Hernando Cortez discovered spirulina deep down in South America.  Cortez found out that the people of this region have been drying and eating it since ancient times. The mighty Aztecs for example, supplied the low-calorie super green to their warriors and athletes in order to boost their strength and endurance. Indigenous tribes have been reaping the innumerable benefits of spirulina for centuries.

An explorer by the name of Pierre Dangeard was the first to discover the health benefits of Spirulina. He observed that flamingos were able to survive by consuming these blue-green algae. Soon people started to commercialize it and today it is treasured for its impressive immune boosting, anti-aging, weight loss and cancer fighting properties and is well known for its ability in promoting an alkaline (pH) in the body and boosting a healthy digestion by crushing the growth of bad bacteria at the same time simultaneously stimulating the growth of ‘friendly’ bacteria instead.

Now, Let us take a closer look and see what makes this superfood a valuable part of our modern diet. Spirulina in the raw is a blue-green, unicellular, freshwater algae that is literally loaded with beneficial ingredients.  It contains highly digestible protein – an amazing 60 percent protein which can be absorbed up to four times faster than animal protein. Recent scientific studies have also indicated that it acts as a natural appetite suppressant and the high protein content makes it an attractive alternative to protein powders for high performance athletes. How’s that for a powerful boost of energy?

This superfood is overflowing with vitamins including B1, B2, B6 and B12 (contains four times as much vitamin B12 as raw liver!). It consists of up to 13 percent essential minerals including magnesium, potassium, calcium phosphorus and zinc.  It is rich in iron, copper and chromium – minerals that can help combat anemia, chronic fatigue and high blood sugar levels. Spirulina also contain a wide range of high concentration of omega 6 fatty acids which are important for healthy heart function. It has sulfolipids, which can help to protect against HIV infection. 

Try throwing some of these Spirulina into your daily diet.  It’s easier than you think. The tablet form can be taken with a glass of (spring) water and powder type can be mixed into your favorite smoothies and juices or added to a variety of liquid dishes of your choice.  

Now that’s the kind of health food we all need!

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Vegetables and Fruits Best For Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is an immune reaction in gluten consumption, a protein mostly found in wheat, rye and barley. If an individual had this kind of disease, consuming gluten will eventually trigger an immune response in the small intestine. Over time this kind of reaction in the intestine produces inflammation resulting to a damage small intestine lining and prevents some nutrients to be absorbed by the body.
Nowadays, due to the demand of looking for an alternative regimen to prevent an immune reaction in people with celiac disease, there are proven superfoods and organic foods to address it. There are known 5 gluten-free superfoods available now for celiac disease sufferers. However, many celiac disease patients are unaware of these healthy foods that could help them out. These basic foods work alongside with a gluten-free diet to nourish, replenish and facilitate body’s healing processes.
Although diet experts agree that foods containing gluten are not essential to a well-balanced diet, some celiac may require more than a gluten-free diet plan to heal the damage caused by the disease. Superfoods are considered to be a unique category of food substances that are absolutely packed with organic nutrients with various health benefits. Some of these foods do contain unique phytochemicals and properties that help in the healing mechanism of our body which is essential to individuals with celiac.
One of the known organic foods is moringa. The leaves of moringa tree are typically dried and ground up into a powder form that is extremely rich in proteins, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and likely a ton of undiscovered benefits. In fact, this is utilized to combat poverty globally due to its nutritional content which makes it very close to a perfect food providing our body the complete nutrients it needs.
Another kind of healthy foods that helps celiac patients is the coconut. Coconut is also a superfood. It provides our body essential medium chain fatty acids that protect and heal the body. This is only one of the amazing health benefits coconut can offer. Coconut is full of nutrients.

Are you familiar with flaxseed oil? This is already popular in the market today because of its high omega-3 fatty acid content. The oil of this kind shown to possess anti-inflammatory and mild estrogenic properties that may benefit individuals including celiac patients. The seed itself also a rich source of lignans proved to soothe the intestinal tracts.