The most expensive thing is information and that is why I want it
to provide it to you for free. In this way I feed my soul.
Health, Computer help, Thoughts, Sarcasm, Jok's and . . .
Thanks for taking the time to support an open source initiative.
I believe all information should be free and available to everyone. Subscribe to this blog to get more amazing news curated just for you right in your inbox on a daily basis.
7 Reasons to Eat this Small Seed with Super Powers
Chia seeds first gained popularity back in the late 1990‘s and early 2000‘s with the famous Chia Pet; TV ads for Chia Pet’s were found on almost any TV channel at almost every time of day. Though the Chia Pet may not be as famous on television as it once was, chia seeds have taken to a new spotlight as asuperfood.
Chia seeds have become a hot commodity in the nutrition world and can be found at various grocery stores, specialty stores, and are found in countless recipes that range from smoothies to meatballs. So why are chia seeds considered a superfood, and why should you consider adding them to your every day?
7 Reasons to Add Chia Seeds to Your Diet:Chia seeds are versatile, neutral and flavor, and pack a lot of nutritional punch. They are also relatively inexpensive and are becoming easier and easier to find for purchase.
1.) Loaded with fiber: Fiber is a key nutrient when it comes to satiety and gastrointestinal health. Research suggests that consuming adequate daily fiber may help prevent colon cancer, and it also helps to maintain regularity. Fiber also helps to slow gastric emptying that plays a role in blood sugar control and in satiety. Two tablespoons (28 g) of chia seeds contains a whopping 10 grams of fiber.
2.) Omega 3 fatty acids: Omega 3’s have been touted for their anti-inflammatory, heart healthy and brain healthy benefits to name a few. Omega 3 fatty acids are primarily found in animal-based products like fatty fish (including salmon); however, there are a few good plant-based sources of omega 3 fatty acids, and the super chia seed is one of them. One serving of chia seeds (28 g) contains about 4.9 grams of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) that your body can convert into omega 3 fatty acids (unlike animal-based sources that are already in the form of omega 3’s. (Note: Because your body has to convert ALA to omega 3, the conversion isn’t 100% and ranges from person to person).
3.)Satiety: Chia seeds act in two ways to benefit satiety; 1.) Their whopping fiber content, 2.) The structure of the chia seed changes when mixed in water (or another fluid). When water is added to chia seeds, the seed swells and expands to up to 10x it’s original size, occupying more space in your stomach and helping to keep you satisfied. The way chia seeds change structure can be demonstrated in both making overnight oats and chia seed pudding.
4.) Bone-health: Chia seeds pack a lot of nutritional punch when it comes to bone health as they are a source of calcium, manganese, and phosphorus- all involved in bone health. One tablespoon of chia seeds contains 110 mg of calcium.
5.)Protein: Just another benefit of consuming chia seedsn – one serving (28 g) contains about 5 grams of plant-based protein that can help to improve satiety and aid in cell rejuvenation and muscle repair amongst other important functions.
6.) Great for baking with: Similar to flax, chia seeds can be combined with water (which makes a gel) and can be used as an egg replacement in baking.
7.)Naturally gluten free: This one speaks for itself for all of you that are gluten free!
What’s the difference between chia and flaxseeds?One of the most common questions I get when discussing chia seeds is whether they are healthier or different than flaxseeds. The short answer is that they are both a healthy part of a balanced every day meal plan; however, while similar in some ways, they do differ in others.
- Flaxseeds should be ground to meal before consumption to reap most of the benefits, whereas chia seeds can be consumed in their natural form - Both are good sources of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) that can be converted to omega 3 fatty acid by the body - Both are a source of fiber, however 1 serving (2 tablespoons) of chia seeds has about 10-11 grams of fiber, whereas 1 serving (2 tablespoons) of flaxseeds has about 4 grams - Chia seeds and flaxseeds contain about the same amount of calories per serving- about 90 calories
How to use the chia seed?Chia seeds are very easy to use and very versatile. They can be used easily in smoothies, puddings, oatmeals, etc., and we have a ton of great recipes for you to check out. They don’t have much of a flavor either so they blend nicely with all different flavors. Check out our recipes below for specific ways to use them.
Хората приемат всичко толкова сериозно, че това наистина се превръща в голяма тежест за тях. Учете се как да се смеете повече. За мен смехът е толкова свещен, колкото и молитвата.
Всяко действие, дори и най-незначителното, ще доведе до незабавен резултат. Просто останете в тишина, бъдете бдителни и наблюдавайте. Зрелият човек е този, който е наблюдавал себе си, и е открил кое за него е правилно и кое – не, кое е добро и кое – лошо. Благодарение на това, че е открил своята истина сам, той израства в очите си, авторитетът му нараства. Дори целият свят да твърди нещо друго, за него нищо няма да се промени. Той има своя собствен опит, на който може да се опре и това е достатъчно.
Всички сме уникални. Никога не питайте никого кое е правилно и кое – не е. Животът е експеримент и докато тече този експеримент трябва да си изясните кое е добро и кое – лошо. Понякога ще се случи да постъпите неправилно. Но това ще ви даде опита, от който можете да извлечете полза. Има моменти, когато Бог идва и чука на вратата ви. Това е любовта – Бог, който чука на вратата ви. Чрез жената, чрез мъжа, чрез детето, чрез любовта, чрез цветето, чрез изгрева и залеза… Бог може да чука на вратата по много начини.
Желанието да сте необикновени всъщност е доста обикновено желание. Да се отпуснете и да бъдете обикновени – ето това е вече необикновено.
Животът е тайна. Не може да бъде предсказан. Но има много хора, които искат да живеят предсказуем живот, защото тогава не би имало страх. Всичко би било точно определено, не би имало съмнения в нищо.
Отначало си уединете. Започнете да получавате удоволствие от самия себе си. Изпитайте истинско щастие от това, че сте със себе си и няма да има никакво значение дали някой ще дойде при вас. Вие сте пълни и преизпълнени. Ако никой не почука на вратата ви – все едно. С вас всичко е наред, нищо не сте пропуснали. Вие не чакате някого. Вие сте си у дома. Ако някой дойде – чудесно, прекрасно. Ако не дойде – също много хубаво. Когато постигнете това, сте готови да градите отношения с останалите. Можете да го правите като стопанин на самия себе си, а не като роб, нито като император, нито като просяк…
Ако си богат – не мисли за това. Ако си беден – не приемай бедността на сериозно. Ако можеш да живееш на Земята, без да забравяш, че светът е само спектакъл, ще си свободен и страданията няма да те докоснат. Страданията са резултат от прекалено сериозното отношение към живота, блаженството е резултат от играта. Възприемай живота като игра, радвай му се.
Смелостта е движение в неизвестното, независимост от всички страхове. Смелостта още не е безстрашие. Безстрашието е, когато ставате все по-смели и по-смели. Това е висше преживяване. Безстрашието е абсолютната смелост. Но в самото начало разликата между страхливеца и смелчагата не е толкова голяма. Единственото различие е, че страхливият слуша своите страхове и ги следва, а смелият ги оставя настрана и продължава напред. Тръгва в неизвестното независимо от всички страхове.
Променяте се всеки момент. Вие сте река. Днес тя тече в една посока и в един климатичен пояс, утре – в други. Никога не съм виждал едно и също лице два пъти. То се променя. Постоянно се променя. Но трябва да имате проницателни очи, за да видите тази промяна. Иначе се спуска прах и всичко става вехто, струва ни се, че всичко вече се е случвало.
Слушайте с повече осъзнаване. Пробудете се. Когато чувствате, че ви е омръзнало, накажете се както трябва. Себе си, не другиго. Отворете широко очи. Събудете се. Слушайте и чувайте.
There are some amazing avocado benefits for your health. If you would like to lose weight, improve your skin and lower your risk of many life-threatening diseases, here’s why it’s worth eating more of this extremely healthy fruit.
1. Cardiovascular Health
Coronary heart disease is still the biggest killer in the UK and is essentially a disease of inflammation. Some experts believe society’s much increased use of processed vegetable oils, high in pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats are a significant factor in cardiovascular disease. They advise lowering our intake of polyunsaturated fats and increasing the amount of monounsaturated fatty acids in our diet. Avocado is a great source of monounsaturated oleic acid that research has shown to both reduce dangerous low-density lipoprotein cholesterol at the same time as increasing the more beneficial high-density lipoprotein cholesterol . Avocados also contain a rich variety of heart nutrients including vitamin E for preventing cholesterol oxidation; folate for reducing dangerous homocysteine levels in the blood; potassium for regulating blood pressure; phytosterols for reducing cholesterol absorption; and dietary fibre to control blood sugar levels. Equally delicious avocado oil is an even richer source of oleic acid, vitamin E and phytosterols and, along with healthy coconut oil, is the only heat stable cooking oil I would ever use.
2. Skin Benefits
The monounsaturated fats in avocado are also beneficial for improving your skin tone. They are vital for maintaining good moisture levels in the epidermal layer of your skin that make it look and feel soft and healthy. Omega-9 fats can additionally help reduce skin redness and irritation and are involved in repairing damaged skin cells. Avocado benefits also include protecting your skin from wrinkles and other visible signs of aging with its antioxidant carotenoids, vitamin E which helps guard against photo-aging from sun exposure and vitamin C which is involved in the creation of elastin and collagen for maintaining your skin’s elasticity and firmness. There’s much more on just how good avocado is for your skin here.
3. Avocados and Weight Loss
Arthritis AvocadosMany people would be surprised that a food high in fat and calories would be considered good for weight loss. However research has shown that monounsaturated fatty acids are more likely to be used as slow burning energy than stored as body fat. This slow burning energy and the feeling of satiety or satisfied fullness that you get from eating an avocado is one of the reasons they are known for reducing hunger and appetite. It’s also why including more foods in your diet that are high in healthy fats and less with processed carbohydrates makes such a big difference when you want to lose weight. Snacking on nuts like almonds and walnuts instead of high carbohydrate foods is also highly beneficial for weight loss. This may go against old nutritional advice but look where that has gotten us. People eat low-fat versions of just about everything these days, yet we are more overweight than at any time in history. If you would like to know what really causes your body to store fat and what actually works to lose weight then see the fat burning furnace page. Counting calories, limiting fat intake and starving yourself has failed most people and will continue to do so. Only by eating more fat burning foods and generally going against most of what we’ve been taught about dieting in magazines is there a real chance at significant weight loss.
4. Diabetes
As of 2012 there are currently nearly 3,000,000 people in the UK diagnosed with diabetes and there are believed to be a significant number of undiagnosed sufferers. If the rate of new cases continues, we will reach 5 million people by 2025 which will put a huge strain on the NHS and our ability to treat people with the disease. The most common symptoms of undiagnosed diabetes include a sudden and large increase in thirst and hunger and much more frequent urinating. A dry mouth, significant unexplained weight loss, vision problems and leg pain are also common symptoms. If you’re experiencing any of these issues then please see your doctor for a simple diabetes test. For those already living with diabetes, the oleic acid in avocado is especially recommended for its ability to lower ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol while raising the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol. Keeping cholesterol levels in check is vital for diabetics as they have a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Healthy AvocadoHaving more monounsaturated fats in a diabetic diet is also beneficial for reducing high triglyceride levels and may help improve insulin function and blood glucose levels. Other health benefits of avocado that can help with the condition include its vitamin C for strengthening blood vessels and capillaries and improving immune function for diabetics. While the vitamin E found in avocado lowers cholesterol oxidation that can lead to heart attacks and strokes. It may also provide some protection from nerve damage in patients with peripheral neuropathy. The high levels of potassium in avocados are another important nutritional factor for diabetics due to its role in maintaining a healthy heart and regulating blood sugar. All in all, avocados are a very healthy food for those living with diabetes and for people wishing to lower their risk of developing the disease.
5. Arthritis Osteoarthritis is a painful disease of joint inflammation and soreness that affects millions of people in the UK. Many common foods like wheat, corn, milk and sugar are known to worsen symptoms, but anti-inflammatory avocado is one of the few foods consistently reported to reduce arthritic pain. Avocados contain high levels of monounsaturated fats, phytosterols and antioxidants like vitamin E, vitamin C and a variety of carotenoids that may help with reducing the inflammation that leads to arthritis.
More Health Benefits of Avocado
Eating avocados more often can have many health benefits, including a healthier heart, better skin, helping you lose weight and treating or avoiding serious health problems such as diabetes and arthritis. In a more concentrated form, regular use of a good cold-pressed avocado oil like this, especially as a replacement to the damaging vegetable oils most people use in cooking, can be especially beneficial for you. UK readers can find the fair trade and organic avocado oil I use here. There are many more healthy nutrients in avocado, but I hope these five benefits are more than enough reason to look more closely at one of nature’s healthiest foods the next time you’re out shopping. Once you do get your avocados, the next page has ways to ripen them both quickly and in a staggered way, so you can always have a ripe avocado ready to eat.
Такава вода не може да купите никъде и за никакви пари. Тя лекува, съживява, подмладява. Има два метода за направата й, предлагаме ви ги.
Приготвяне на т.нар. протиева вода: съд с вода се слага в камерата за 4-5 часа. За това време по стените на съда и по повърхността се е образувал лед. Водата се излива в друг съд, а ледът се изхвърля. Този лед е от молекули на тежката вода, която замръзва при 3-4 градуса, а необходимата вода за организма замръзва при минус 1. Новият съд с водата се слага отново в камерата. Престоява там, докато 2/3 от водата замръзне. Незамръзналата вода се излива – това е лека вода, която съдържа много примеси и е вредна. Ледът, който остава в съда, е замръзнала протиева вода, разтопете го и пийте.
Налейте в петлитрова емайлирана тенджера вода от чешмата, оставете я да престои и я кипнете на огъня. След това бързо я охладете в студена вана. Това е първият стадий на структуризация на водата. Тя вече е една степен по-полезна от просто преварената. След това пуснете в тенджерата 5-7 камъчета черен силициев двуокис (от аптеката), покрийте я с марля и я оставете два дена. После внимателно я прелейте в друг съд, като изхвърлите долния слой от 2-3 сантиметра, защото силициевият двуокис поема патогенните микроорганизми и чуждите химически елементи.
Тази вода вече притежава лечебни свойства. Тя е структурирана и наситена със силиций – най-необходимия микроелемент, при липсата на който в организма не се усвояват почти всички останали. Получената вода поставете в камерата на хладилника. Щом на повърхността и по стените се образува ледена коричка, я прелейте в пластмасов съд и отново го поставете камерата. Изхвърлете леда, като по този начин изхвърляте тежката вода. Тя съдържа изотопи на водорода деутерий и тритий, замръзва при температура 3°С и вреди на организма.
Последното замразяване трябва да извършите в пластмасовия съд, защото емайлът на тенджерата може да се напука. Когато две трети от водата замръзне, пробийте дупка в леда и излейте незамръзналата – тази „саламура” съдържа всички нежелани примеси. Оставете леда да се стопи при стайна температура. Ще получите разтопена вода с най-високо качество, която се нарича протиева, защото е изчистена от тежките изотопи. И най-сетне, ако имате магнитен кръг или магнитна фуния, прелейте водата през тях, за да укрепите още повече структурата й. Получената вода притежава лечебни свойства – изчиства организма и при дълготрайна употреба лекува от редица заболявания. Срокът за съхранението на свойствата й е ограничен – около седем часа.
Коя е хранителната “химиотерапия“, която изтощава рака от глад
Науката постоянно търси нови начини за справяне с бича на хилядолетието – раковите заболявания. Медицинският портал Doctiming.bg разкрива свойствата на 7 храни и напитки, които спират храненето на раковите клетки и възпрепятстват развитието на туморите. Не става дума за гладуване, а за набор от всеобщи фаворити като червено вино, домати, боровинки, къри, черен шоколад и зелен чай. Учени твърдят, че тези храни могат да са по-ефективни дори от химиотерапията.На какво се дължи скритата им сила? Накратко – те спират кръвоснабдяването на туморните клетки или имат анти-ангиогенезни свойства. Ангиогенезата е нормален процес на създаване на кръвоносни съдове в тялото. В някои периоди на живота тя е по-засилена – например при новородените, докато при възрастните тази функция се „отключва“ по-рядко – при рани, когато тъканите и капилярите трябва да се възстановят. Ангиогенезата се регулира от активаторни и инхибиторни молекули. Обикновено инхибиторите преобладават, но ако възникне необходимост, активаторите на ангиогенезата се увеличават и стимулират растежа на съдови клетки за образуването на нови кръвоносни съдове.
Раковите клетки се снабдяват с хранителни вещества и се разпространяват из тялото (метастази) чрез кръвта. За целта те се нуждаят от допълнителни кръвоносни съдове. Тоест, за да расте, туморът има нуждае от ангиогенеза. Вече е установено, че раковите клетки отделят свои активатори на ангиогенезата – молекули, които „мамят“ организма и стимулират растежа на нови кръвоносни съдове, които да снабдяват тумора с хранителни вещества и кислород.
Съществуват модерни лекарства – инхибитори на ангиогенеза, които, за разлика от химиотерапията, не атакуват раковите клетки, а спират развитието на кръвоносни съдове към тумора.
Ето и същественият въпрос: как може сами да си помогнем като превенция срещу ракови заболявания? Можем да регулираме ангиогенезата чрез подбор от храни, като по този начин не даваме възможност на туморите в микроскопичната им фаза да растат и да се разпространяват.
Храни, които спират ангиогенезата:
Домати. Проучване в Харвард установява, че мъжете, които ядат варени домати/доматен сос повече от четири пъти на месец имат до 50% намаление на риска от рак на простатата. Това се дължи на факта, че домати са с високо съдържание на ликопен, който е анти-ангиогенен. Ликопенът е вещество, което се разтваря в мазнини и като такова изисква наличието им за правилното усвояване чрез храносмилателния тракт. За разлика от витамин С, съдържанието на ликопен в доматените продукти се увеличава, когато тези храни са обработени при висока температура или сготвени с олио.
Ястията с къри включват друго полезно вещество: Куркума – суперхраната, която топи мазнините и ни прави по-здрави.
Червено вино. Ресвератролът е чудодеен антиоксидант, който се съдържа в люспите на гроздето и е свързан с понижен риск от сърдечни заболявания и удължаване на живота. Данните сочат, че той потиска рака, убива бактерии, вируси и гъбички, увеличава продължителността на живота при животните, подобрява енергийното производство на клетките, ликвидира опасните свободни радикали, увеличава глюкозната толерантност на диабетиците, подобрява сърдечната функция, подобрява физическия и умствения статус и концентрацията, поправя повредено ДНК, предпазва от клетъчни повреди причинени от ядрена радиация. 225 милилитра червено вино доставя приблизително 640 mcg ресвератрол, добавките с ресвератрол (които често са в комбинация в екстракти от грозде или други антиоксиданти) обикновено се взимат в дози от 200-600 mcg на ден. Изследвания съобщават, че сортовете Бордо и Пино ноар съдържат най-много от този ценен полифенол, следват ги Каберне совиньон и Мерло.
В хранителната „химиотерапия“ включваме и две любими напитки – зелен чай и кафе.
Богатите, тъмни цветове на боровинките и малините идват от фитохимикали, които предпазват от много видове рак (подобно на червеното грозде) като намаляват оксидантния стрес и спират ангиогенезата. Те са важно оръжие в борбата срещу смъртоносния рак на яйчниците.
Ако сте се напрегнали от обясненията за развитието на рака, си хапнете нещо сладко от списъка на „естествената химиотерапия“ – черният шоколад е доказано здравословен както за сърцето и доброто настроение, така и срещу лошите клетки.
Many foods have been heavily promoted as being healthy when they are nothing more than pernicious junk foods. In the featured article, Clean Plates1 founder Jared Koch shared his list of nine staple foods that are far less “good for you” than you’ve been led to believe.
Here, I expand on the selections that are mentioned in the featured article.
1. Canned Tomatoes
Many leading brands of canned foods contain BPA — a toxic chemical linked to reproductive abnormalities, neurological effects, heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, heart disease and other serious health problems. According to Consumer Reports’ testing, just a couple of servings of canned food can exceed the safety limits for daily BPA exposure for children.
High acidity — a prominent characteristic of tomatoes – causes BPA to leach into your food. To avoid this hazardous chemical, avoid canned foods entirely and stick to fresh fruits and vegetables, or switch over to brands that use glass containers instead—especially for acidic foods like tomatoes.
2. Processed Meats
As Koch warns, processed deli meats like salami, ham, and roast beef are typically made with meats from animals raised in confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
This means they’re given growth hormones, antibiotics and other veterinary drugs, and raised in deplorable conditions that promote disease, these meats are also filled with sodium nitrite (a commonly used preservative and antimicrobial agent that also adds color and flavor) and other chemical flavorings and dyes.
Nitrites can be converted into nitrosamines in your body, which are potent cancer-causing chemicals. Research has linked nitrites to higher rates of colorectal, stomach and pancreatic cancer. But that’s not all. Most processed deli meats also contain other cancer-promoting chemicals that are created during cooking. These include:
Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs) which are hazardous compounds created in meats and other foods that have been cooked at high temperatures. According to research, processed meats are clearly associated with an increased risk of stomach, colon and breast cancers.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): Many processed meats are smoked as part of the curing process, which causes PAHs to form. PAHs can also form when grilling. When fat drips onto the heat source, causing excess smoke, and the smoke surrounds your food, it can transfer cancer-causing PAHs to the meat.
Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs): When food is cooked at high temperatures—including when it is pasteurized or sterilized—it increases the formation of AGEs in your food. AGEs build up in your body over time leading to oxidative stress, inflammation and an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease.
The truth is, processed meats are not a healthful choice for anyone and should beavoided entirely, according to a 2011 review of more than 7,000 clinical studies examining the connection between diet and cancer. The report was commissioned by The World Cancer Research Fund2 (WCRF) using money raised from the general public. Therefore the findings were not influenced by any vested interests, which makes it all the more reliable.
It’s the biggest review of the evidence ever undertaken, and it confirms previous findings: Processed meats increase your risk of cancer, especially bowel cancer, and NO amount of processed meat is “safe.” You’re far better off ditching the deli meats and opting instead for fresh organically-raised grass-fed meats, or wild caught salmon.
3. Margarine
The unfortunate result of the low-fat diet craze has been the shunning of healthful fats such as butter, and public health has declined as a result of this folly. There are a myriad of unhealthy components to margarine and other butter impostors, including:
Trans fats: These unnatural fats in margarine, shortenings and spreads are formed during the process of hydrogenation, which turns liquid vegetable oils into a solid fat. Trans fats contribute to heart disease, cancer, bone problems, hormonal imbalance and skin disease; infertility, difficulties in pregnancy and problems with lactation; and low birth weight, growth problems and learning disabilities in children. A US government panel of scientists determined that man-made trans fats are unsafe at any level.
Free radicals: Free radicals and other toxic breakdown products are the result of high temperature industrial processing of vegetable oils. They contribute to numerous health problems, including cancer and heart disease.
Emulsifiers and preservatives: Numerous additives of questionable safety are added to margarines and spreads. Most vegetable shortening is stabilized with preservatives like BHT.
Hexane and other solvents: Used in the extraction process, these industrial chemicals can have toxic effects.
Good-old-fashioned butter, when made from grass-fed cows, is rich in a substance called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Much of the reason why butter is vilified is because it contains saturated fat. If you’re still in the mindset that saturated fat is harmful for your health, then please read the Healthy Fats section of my Optimized Nutrition Plan to learn why saturated fat is actually good for you.
4. Vegetable Oils
Of all the destructive foods available to us, those made with heated vegetable oilsare some of the worst. Make no mistake about it–vegetable oils are not the health food that you were lead to believe they were. This is largely due to the fact that they are highly processed, and when consumed in massive amounts, as they are by most Americans, they seriously distort the important omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Ideally, this ratio is 1:1.
Anytime you cook a food, you run the risk of creating heat-induced damage. The oils you choose to cook with must be stable enough to resist chemical changes when heated to high temperatures, or you run the risk of damaging your health. One of the ways vegetable oils can inflict damage is by converting your good cholesterol into bad cholesterol—by oxidizing it. When you cook with polyunsaturated vegetable oils (such as canola, corn, and soy oils), oxidized cholesterol is introduced into your system.
As the oil is heated and mixed with oxygen, it goes rancid. Rancid oil is oxidized oil and should NOT be consumed—it leads directly to vascular disease. Trans-fats are introduced when these oils are hydrogenated, which increases your risk of chronic diseases like breast cancer and heart disease.
So what’s the best oil to cook with?
Of all the available oils, coconut oil is the oil of choice for cooking because it is nearly a completely saturated fat, which means it is much less susceptible to heat damage. And coconut oil is one of the most unique and beneficial fats for your body. For more in-depth information about the many benefits of coconut oil, please see this special report. Olive oil, while certainly a healthful oil, is easily damaged by heat and is best reserved for drizzling cold over salad.
5. Microwave Popcorn
Perfluoroalkyls, which include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), are chemicals used to keep grease from leaking through fast food wrappers, are being ingested by people through their food and showing up as contaminants in blood. Microwave popcorn bags are lined with PFOA, and when they are heated the compound leaches onto the popcorn.
These chemicals are part of an expanding group of chemicals commonly referred to as “gender-bending” chemicals, because they can disrupt your endocrine system and affect your sex hormones. The EPA has ruled PFCs as “likely carcinogens,” and has stated that PFOA “poses developmental and reproductive risks to humans.” Researchers have also linked various PFCs to a range of other health dangers, such as:
Infertility – A study published in the journal Human Reproduction3 found that both PFOA and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate), dramatically increased the odds of infertility. PFOA was linked to a 60 to 154 percent increase in the chance of infertility.
Thyroid disease – A 2010 study4 found that PFOA can damage your thyroid function. Individuals with the highest PFOA concentrations were more than twice as likely to report current thyroid disease, compared to those with the lowest PFOA concentrations. Your thyroid contains thyroglobulin protein, which binds to iodine to form hormones, which in turn influence essentially every organ, tissue and cell in your body. Thyroid hormones are also required for growth and development in children. Thyroid disease, if left untreated, can lead to heart disease, infertility, muscle weakness, and osteoporosis.
Cancer – PFOA has been associated with tumors in at least four different organs in animal tests (liver, pancreas, testicles and mammary glands in rats), and has been associated with increases in prostate cancer in PFOA plant workers.
Immune system problems – Several studies by scientists in Sweden indicate that PFCs have an adverse effect on your immune system. As described in a report on PFCs by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), PFOA was found to decrease all immune cell subpopulations studied, in the thymus and spleen, and caused immunosupression.
Increased LDL cholesterol levels – A 2010 study in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine5 found that children and teens with higher PFOA levels had higher levels of total cholesterol and LDL or “bad” cholesterol, while PFOS was associated with increased total cholesterol, including both LDL cholesterol and HDL or “good” cholesterol.
I strongly recommend avoiding any product you know containing these toxic compounds, particularly non-stick cookware, but also foods sold in grease-proof food packaging, such as fast food and microwave popcorn. Clearly, if you’re eating fast food or junk food, PFCs from the wrapper may be the least of your problems, but I think it’s still important to realize that not only are you not getting proper nutrition from the food itself, the wrappers may also add to your toxic burden.
6. Non-Organic Potatoes and Other Fresh Produce Known for High Pesticide Contamination
Your best bet is to buy only organic fruits and vegetables, as synthetic agricultural chemicals are not permissible under the USDA organic rules. That said, not all conventionally grown fruits and vegetables are subjected to the same amount of pesticide load. While Koch focuses on potatoes, as they tend to take up a lot of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals present in the soil, I would recommend reviewing the “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce”6 by the Environmental Working Group.
Of the 48 different fruit and vegetable categories tested by the EWG for the 2013 guide, the following 15 fruits and vegetables had the highest pesticide load, making them the most important to buy or grow organically:
Apples
Celery
Cherry tomatoes
Cucumbers
Grapes
Hot peppers
Nectarines (imported)
Peaches
Potatoes
Spinach
Strawberries
Sweet bell peppers
Kale
Collard greens
Summer squash
In contrast, the following foods were found to have the lowest residual pesticide load, making them the safest bet among conventionally grown vegetables. Note that a small amount of sweet corn and most Hawaiian papaya, although low in pesticides, are genetically engineered (GE). If you’re unsure of whether the sweet corn or papaya is GE, I’d recommend opting for organic varieties:
Asparagus
Avocado
Cabbage
Cantaloupe
Sweet corn (non-GMO)
Eggplant
Grapefruit
Kiwi
Mango
Mushrooms
Onions
Papayas (non-GMO. Most Hawaiian papaya is GMO)
Pineapple
Sweet peas (frozen)
Sweet potatoes
7. Table Salt
Salt is essential for life—you cannot live without it. However, regular ‘table salt’ and the salt found in processed foods are NOT identical to the salt your body really needs. In fact, table salt has practically nothing in common with natural salt. One is health damaging, and the other is healing.
Processed salt is 98 percent sodium chloride, and the remaining two percent comprises man-made chemicals, such as moisture absorbents, and a little added iodine. These are dangerous chemicals like ferrocyanide and aluminosilicate. Some European countries, where water fluoridation is not practiced, also add fluoride to table salt
Natural salt is about 84 percent sodium chloride. The remaining 16 percent of natural salt consists of other naturally occurring minerals, including trace minerals like silicon, phosphorous and vanadium
Given that salt is absolutely essential to good health, I recommend switching to a pure, unrefined salt. My favorite is an ancient, all-natural sea salt from the Himalayas. Himalayan salt is completely pure, having spent many thousands of years maturing under extreme tectonic pressure, far away from impurities, so it isn’t polluted with the heavy metals and industrial toxins of today. And it’s hand-mined, hand-washed, and minimally processed. Himalayan salt is only 85 percent sodium chloride, the remaining 15 percent contains 84 trace minerals from our prehistoric seas. Unrefined natural salt is important to many biological processes, including:
Being a major component of your blood plasma, lymphatic fluid, extracellular fluid, and even amniotic fluid
Carrying nutrients into and out of your cells
Maintain and regulate blood pressure
Increasing the glial cells in your brain, which are responsible for creative thinking and long-term planning
Helping your brain communicate with your muscles, so that you can move on demand via sodium-potassium ion exchange
While natural unprocessed salt has many health benefits, that does not mean you should use it with impunity. Another important factor is the potassium to sodium ratio of your diet. Imbalance in this ratio can not only lead to hypertension (high blood pressure) and other health problems, including heart disease, memory decline, erectile dysfunction and more. The easiest way to avoid this imbalance is by avoiding processed foods, which are notoriously low in potassium while high in sodium. Instead, eat a diet of whole, ideally organically-grown foods to ensure optimal nutrient content. This type of diet will naturally provide much larger amounts of potassium in relation to sodium.
8. Soy Protein Isolate and Other Unfermented Soy Products
Sadly, most of what you have been led to believe by the media about soy is simply untrue. One of the worst problems with soy comes from the fact that 90 to 95 percent of soybeans grown in the US are genetically engineered (GE), and these are used to create soy protein isolate. Genetically engineered soybeans are designed to be “Roundup ready,” which means they’re engineered to withstand otherwise lethal doses of herbicide.
The active ingredient in Roundup herbicide is called glyphosate, which is responsible for the disruption of the delicate hormonal balance of the female reproductive cycle. What’s more, glyphosate is toxic to the placenta, which is responsible for delivering vital nutrients from mother to child, and eliminating waste products. Once the placenta has been damaged or destroyed, the result can be miscarriage. In those children born to mothers who have been exposed to even a small amount of glyphosate, serious birth defects can result.
Glyphosate’s mechanism of harm was only recently identified, and demonstrates how this chemical disrupts cellular function and induce many of our modern diseases, including autism. Soy protein isolate can be found in protein bars, meal replacement shakes, bottled fruit drinks, soups and sauces, meat analogs, baked goods, breakfast cereals and some dietary supplements.
Even if you are not a vegetarian and do not use soymilk or tofu, it is important to be a serious label reader. There are so many different names for soy additives, you could be bringing home a genetically modified soy-based product without even realizing it. Soy expert Dr. Kaayla Daniel offers a free Special Report7, “Where the Soys Are,” on her Web site. It lists the many “aliases” that soy might be hiding under in ingredient lists — words like “bouillon,” “natural flavor” and “textured plant protein.”
Besides soy protein isolate, ALL unfermented soy products are best avoided if you value your health. Thousands of studies have linked unfermented soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune-system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility—even cancer and heart disease.
The only soy with health benefits is organic soy that has been properly fermented, and these are the only soy products I ever recommend consuming. After a long fermentation process, the phytate and “anti-nutrient” levels of soybeans are reduced, and their beneficial properties become available to your digestive system. To learn more, please see this previous article detailing the dangers of unfermented soy.
9. Artificial Sweeteners
Contrary to popular belief, studies have found that artificial sweeteners such as aspartame can stimulate your appetite, increase carbohydrate cravings, and stimulate fat storage and weight gain. In one of the most recent of such studies8, saccharin and aspartame were found to cause greater weight gain than sugar.
Aspartame is perhaps one of the most problematic. It is primarily made up of aspartic acid and phenylalanine. The phenylalanine has been synthetically modified to carry a methyl group, which provides the majority of the sweetness. That phenylalanine methyl bond, called a methyl ester, is very weak, which allows the methyl group on the phenylalanine to easily break off and form methanol.
You may have heard the claim that aspartame is harmless because methanol is also found in fruits and vegetables. However, in fruits and vegetables, the methanol is firmly bonded to pectin, allowing it to be safely passed through your digestive tract. Not so with the methanol created by aspartame; there it’s not bonded to anything that can help eliminate it from your body.
Methanol acts as a Trojan horse; it’s carried into susceptible tissues in your body, like your brain and bone marrow, where the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) enzyme converts it into formaldehyde, which wreaks havoc with sensitive proteins and DNA. All animals EXCEPT HUMANS have a protective mechanism that allows methanol to be broken down into harmless formic acid. This is why toxicology testing on animals is a flawed model. It doesn’t fully apply to people.
Guidelines for Healthy Food
Whatever food you’re looking to eat, whether organic or locally grown, from either your local supermarket or a farmer’s market, the following are signs of a high-quality, healthy food. Most often, the best place to find these foods is from a sustainable agricultural group in your area. You can also review my free nutrition plan to get started on a healthy eating program today:
It’s grown without pesticides and chemical fertilizers (organic foods fit this description, but so do some non-organic foods)
It’s not genetically engineered
It contains no added growth hormones, antibiotics, or other drugs
It does not contain artificial anything, nor any preservatives
It is fresh (if you have to choose between wilted organic produce or fresh conventional produce, the latter may still be the better option as freshness is important for optimal nutrient content)
It was not grown in a factory farm
It is grown with the laws of nature in mind (meaning animals are fed their native diets, not a mix of grains and animal byproducts, and have free-range access to the outdoors)
It is grown in a sustainable way (using minimal amounts of water, protecting the soil from burnout, and turning animal wastes into natural fertilizers instead of environmental pollutants)
1. Heart Care: Reduces bad cholesterol levels, by burning unnecessary fats which clog the arterial walls and thereby reduce the chances of heart attacks.
2. Weight Loss: Rich in iron, beta-carotene, and potassium. It can relieve constipation and improve circulation, thereby producing slimming effects on the body.
3. Type II Diabetes Cure: Reverses insulin resistance and activates the protein kinase, activating the absorption of sugar in body cells. Significantly improves glucose tolerance without increasing blood insulin levels.
4. Lowers blood glucose levels: Contains phyto-nutrient, polypeptide-P, a plant insulin, known to lower blood sugar levels. The hypoglycemic agent, Charantin, increases glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis in the cells of liver, muscle and adipose tissue.
5. Hypertension Reliever: Actively inhibits hypertension, high plasma cholesterol, or high plasma lipids, which affect patients with Type II diabetes, decreasing the risk of stroke or heart attack.
6. Anti-parasitic: Antihelminthic or anthelmintic compounds are used in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases and can kill parasitic intestinal worms. It also stimulates peristalsis of food, relieving indigestion and constipation problems.
7. Liver tonic: Helps to maintain healthy liver and bladder. It is also useful in removing kidney stones and relieving gout pain.
8. Blood Cell Booster: The compounds a-eleostearic acid and the 15, 16-dihydroxy-a-eleostearic acid, are a good remedy for leukemia and blood irregularities such as anemia. It helps in producing healthy red blood cells and balances the amount of white blood cells in your body.
9. Blood Cleanser: Its juice cleanses the liver and blood off toxins and is highly beneficial for treating blood disorders like blood boils and itching due to toxemia.
10. Folates Source: Has high amount of Folates that helps in treating defective neural tubes which usually occurs during early pregnancy.
11. Anti Ageing: Vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant, fights and eliminates free radicals, reducing wrinkles and slowing down the ageing process. It also protects the skin from damage by sun’s UV rays.
12. For Respiratory disorders: Fresh pods are an excellent remedy for curing respiratory problems like asthma, cold, cough, bronchitis and pharyngitis.
13. Nutrients/Vitamin SuperStore: Contains flavonoids such as ß-carotene, α-carotene, lutein, and zea-xanthin. Low in calories, rich in phytonutrients like dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants and a good source of niacin (vitamin B-3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5), pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) and minerals such as iron, zinc, potassium, manganese and magnesium.
14. Disease Buster: Not only effective in killing malaria bacteria, but it can also weaken some viruses such as Cholera, Chickenpox, Measles, Herpes and Jaundice.
15. Immunity Booster: This bitter juice can also help to strengthen your immune system and increase your body’s resistance against a variety of infections.
16. Psoriasis Cure: Regular consumption of this bitter juice has curative benefits in treatment of psoriasis, fungal infections like ring-worm and athletes feet, and skin infections like eczema.
17. Acne Cure: Helps prevent acne, thanks to its blood purifying properties. Keeps your skin glowing and free from blemishes and infections.
18. Eye Care: High beta-carotene and other properties, help alleviate eye problems and in improving eyesight.
19. For Hangover: Its anti-intoxication properties are beneficial in the treatment of hangover and eliminating liver problems, due to alcohol consumption.
20. Piles Cure: Three teaspoons of the juice, extracted from its leaves, added to a glassful of buttermilk and consumed on an empty stomach every morning, has shown promising curative results in the treatment of piles.
21. Hair Care: Super hair tonic which imparts shine, wards off dandruff, treats split ends, combats dryness and itchiness of scalp, reduces hair loss, treats rough and tangled hair, prevents premature graying and removes excess oiliness in hair.
22. Regulates blood flow and clotting: Aids in the healing process preventing further infections.
23. Energy Source: Regular consumption of this bitter juice has been proven to improve energy and stamina levels. Even sleeping patterns have been shown to be improved/stabilized
1. Baking Soda : Baking soda is one of the most effective remedy for yellow teeth. Mix some baking soda in a glass of warm water. Use it as a mouth wash, rinse your mouth with this thrice a day. This will lead to sparkling teeth. 2. Strawberries : Strawberries are rich in vitamin C, which helps to make your teeth whiter. Make a paste by grinding few strawberries, gently rub your teeth using this paste. Do this twice a day for 2 weeks, this will surely helps and vanishes the yellow tinge on your teeth.
3. Lemon : Lemon has a good bleaching property which can be used to get rid of the yellow teeth. Take the juice out of lemon and add one teaspoon of salt to it then gargle your mouth with this. Scrubbing your teeth with lemon peel is also one of the best ways to make your teeth whiter.
4. Holy Basil : Holy Basil have whitening properties, it also treats gum problems like pyorrhea. Take out few basil leaves and keep them in the sun for few hours, once the leaves become dry, grind them and make it as a powder. Use this as tooth powder or else you can make it as a paste by adding mustard oil in it.
5. Orange Peel : Rub your teeth with orange peel before going to bed and then in the morning rinse your teeth with water. The calcium and vitamin C present in the orange peel will combat with microorganisms. This makes your teeth whiter and stronger.
6. Hydrogen Peroxide : Hydrogen Peroxide has mild bleaching property, this helps to reduce the yellow staining from your teeth. Use this as a mouth wash, Gargle with hydrogen peroxide. While gargling make sure not to swallow the hydrogen peroxide.
7. Banana Peel : Rub your teeth with ripe banana peel for 5 minutes, as it is rich in potassium helps to make your teeth whiter. Do this twice a day.
8. Charcoal : Earlier times people used charcoal to clean the teeth. Charcoal has a crystal based chemical which helps to make your teeth whiter. Mix some charcoal in the toothpaste to get rid of the yellow stains.
High Density DDR SDRAM Memory - upgrade or low-grade?
In this context High Density memory means the non-ECC 1 GB 184 pin SDRAM PC3200 DDR-400 memory sticks that have become so common on Internet auction sites. The non-ECC bit must be emphasized here because High Density ECC PC3200 server memory is made by a number of perfectly respectable manufacturers and there are no problems with this when used as intended. Note that whenever you purchase a High Density Stick from me it is clearly labled!
How RAM is organised
There's a great deal of misunderstanding about just how SDRAM is organised and what the numbers mean so we'll clear this up before continuing:
PC3200 is DDR SDRAM specified to operate at 200 MHz using DDR-400 chips with a bandwidth of 3,200 GB/s. As DDR stands for Double Data Rate this means that the effective clock rate of PC3200 memory is 400 MHz.
1 GB PC3200 non-ECC sticks are usually made with 16 512 Mb chips, 8 down each side (512 Mb x 16)/8 bits = 1024 Mb. The individual chips making up a 1 GB memory stick are usually organised with 64M bits and a data width of 8 bits, commonly expressed as 64M x 8. Memory manufactured in this way is LOW DENSITY RAM and will usually be OK with any motherboard specifying PC3200 DDR-400 memory.
As the price of Low Density PC3200 DDR RAM has soared, however, an increasing number of people - usually sellers on auction sites - have been offering High Density PC3200 DDR-400 non-ECC RAM for sale at temptingly low prices.
What is High Density RAM?
Again in the context of the 1 GB non-ECC PC3200 SDRAM stick there is very little visually to differentiate Low Density from High Density RAM. High Density DDR RAM sticks will, like their Low Density counterparts, usually be double sided with eight 512 Mb chips per side. The difference is that each chip, instead of being organised in a 64M x 8 configuration is organised with 128M bits and a data width of 4 bits, or 128M x 4.
Most High Density PC3200 modules are assembled using Samsung chips. These chips come in both the familiar 22 x 10mm (approx) TSOP2 and smaller squarer 12 x 9mm (approx) FBGA package sizes. High density Samsung chips can be identified by the numbers on each chip. If the sixth and seventh characters are "04" (for example K4H510438D-UCCC) then the chips are x 4 and High Density. If the sixth and seventh characters are "08" then the chips are x 8 and Low Density.
Does the difference between High density and Low density RAM matter?
The answer as far as most people are concerned is yes. High Density non-ECC PC3200 is a non-standard configuration and to date no mainstream manufacturers make these modules. Some high density PC3200 sticks are sold on auction sites as Samsung memory, however these modules are not made by Samsung. They're unbranded and assembled using Samsung memory chips. Just because my car has a Mercedes engine doesn't make it a Mercedes! So the first issue is if using unbranded memory bothers you, steer clear.
More important however are compatibility issues. Because High Density non-ECC PC3200 modules are non-standard not all motherboards work with them. Some do, some might and some definitely don't. Boards expecting memory to come in 64M bit high and 8 bit wide chunks don't always take kindly to memory served 128M bits high and 4 bits wide. Some motherboards recognise high density 1 GB modules as only 512 Mb, in other cases motherboards refuse to POST. One of the problems of determining compatibility is that unlike the best branded modules, where you're paying for consistency and testing, unbranded modules can exhibit inconsistency from module to module, so that one 1 GB stick of High Density non-ECC RAM might work fine on a SIS 755 based motherboard while a supposedly identical stick will cause a POST failure.
What works and what doesn't...
The following list comprises most of the motherboards stated to work with non-ECC High Density PC3200 memory. Though bear in mind that whether your particular board works with High Density RAM, and if it does, whether it will work with all slots filled with High Density RAM will always be something of a punt:
INTEL 915; NVIDIA NFORCE3 250GB; NVIDIA NFORCE4 SLI; SIS 645; SIS 648; SIS 648FX; SIS 650; SIS 650GX; SIS 655; SIS 661FX; SIS 746FX; ULI CHIPSETS; VIA K8T800; VIA KM333; VIA KM400; VIA KT266; VIA KT333; VIA KT333A; VIA KT400; VIA KT400A; VIA KT600; VIA KT880; VIA P4X266A; VIA PM800; VIA PT800; VIA PT880.
The following additional boards might possibly work with some High Density modules - but equally they might not:
SIS 649; SIS 651; SIS 656; SIS 661; SIS 748; SIS 750; SIS 755; SIS 756; VIA APOLLO P4X400; VIA K8M800; VIA K8M890; VIA K8N800; VIA K8N890; VIA K8T890; VIA K8T900; VIA P4M800 PRO; VIA P4M890; VIA P4M900; VIA PN800; VIA PT800; VIA PT890.
As a rule of thumb it seems safest to assume that no Asus or Intel boards (with the exception of the 915) will work with High Density RAM.
