Image by Alitta Rose

In the past, I have found our daily newspaper to be sometimes quite inspirational. When it comes to writing content and today’s post is again no exception during the holiday period. There was an article within it, which was entitled Give Yourself a Body Boost and, as always being as it was so good I am going to put it into a post.

It starts off by saying that you are probably feeling a bit bloated may be sluggish, with the amount of food that you may have been eating over the Christmas period, coupled with going to bed late and moving very little watching too much television, and the list goes on.

So this list is designed to revitalise your energy in order to get you moving again, if needs be, and give you a much-needed  energy boost.

Brussels sprouts

The reason for eating Brussels sprouts is they are high in vitamin C, which is a boost for your immune system as well as your skin nerves and mucous membrane. Not only, that, they will help maintain energy levels as well as good fat as well as helping to protect you against asthma, migraine and possibly depression.

They tend to be rich in a particular thing called glucosinolates. These tend to help increase c enzymes within your body, which get rid of carcinogens, which help with cancer prevention.

Onions

Onions have natural inbuilt antibacterial properties, which in turn will help with lowering cholesterol levels as well as that they can help your body to dissolve blood clots, if you have some onion soup.  This can help with coughs and colds in the winter.

Avocados

Avocados are very good nutrition wise and have lots of benefits for your health. They are high in potassium, which is known to lower blood pressure. Furthermore, they are very high in antioxidants which mop up free radicals, which may be present from the environment and what you eat.

These can be toxic to your cells, so the more foods that you eat with high antioxidants, the better. Free radicals can be one of the things that can start cancer and heart disease.

Because of their high amount of phytochemicals avocados have anti-inflammatory properties. They help to prevent yeast infections avocados can help protect your skin from ageing prematurely and will help with keeping your hair in good condition. Furthermore, some new research says that avocados can help improve  your sperm health.

Oats

If you have a bowl of hot porridge this is a very good way to start your day. Oats are high in protein, as well as iron. The fibre in oats is known to help with lowering your cholesterol levels, porridge is also able to help with stress and tired nerves.

Soya

Soya has a lot of phytochemicals in which are great for mopping up free radicals, which will help in prevention of some sorts of cancers. Soya is supposedly able to help with both prostate and breast cancer and may help to prevent as well as treat heart disease.

Potatoes

If you have some potatoes left over from your holiday period, then you might want to consider using them if you’re feeling a bit anxious.

Apparently there good for soothing your nerves as well as helping with digestive problems, e.g. stomach ulcers, their nutritional value, which includes high B vitamins, potassium, iron, is present within their skins, so make sure that you cook them with the jackets on.

If you want something a bit more nutritious, then why not try their counterparts, sweet potatoes, these tend to be very rich in vitamin A, as well as carotenoids, which help support your immune system should you become infected, as well as keeping cancer at bay. Another benefit of these is if you’re going through a rest period. They can help to maintain healthy muscles.

Carrots

Carrots are full of great vitamin’s and carotenoids, which are beneficial to your eyesight. They also support circulation and healing of wounds. Carrots can help prevent cancer and heart disease if you have some pureed carrots. These can help with diarrhoea if your infant/child has it.

Bananas

If you’re anything like me, I like having bananas with my cereal. This is great if you want a quick energy boost. Bananas have lots of potassium in that will help to lower your blood pressure. Bananas are fibrous, which means that they will easily digestible and have the following health benefits. They keep you healthy skin, hair, nerves and bones, on the other.

Curly Kale

This green vegetable has three types of phytochemicals, which help in cancer prevention.  These are glucosinolates, bioflavonoids. These help to stimulate your immune system. Kale also helps with your health in the following organs your heart, muscles and nerves and also helps protect you against high blood pressure, as well as vascular disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes have a lot of antioxidant goodness in them and help support your immune system. At the same time, they help to maintain energy levels, so this will make them a good choice for people who may have prostrate cancer and heart disease. They also boost your resistance to infectious diseases and help with healing.

Brazil Nuts

Brazil nuts are something of a festive/holiday nut. They have high levels of vitamin E and selenium these two are essential ingredients for boosting your immune system. Both work together selenium on its own does the following. It activates an enzyme which prevents free radicals from forming, which can damage DNA, not only this; it  you against infection and will help suppress tumour growth.

Grapefruit

Grapefruit is a great detoxification fruit and works on your digestive system and liver. If your energy levels are low, then this is a good choice of fruit to eat. It also has the following properties. It aids in healing blood vessels help strengthen bones. The soluble fibre, which is in grapefruit can help to lower cholesterol levels, as well as other blood fats. It attaches itself to any excess cholesterol as well as bile acids and helps to remove them from the body.

Sage

This is an ingredient of stuffing, which has been left over. It has antiseptic properties, which help to improve the function of your mucous membrane. This tends to come into effect when you have colds and flu. It’s your body’s way of trying to get rid of the infection. It may also help to reduce perspiration.

Red Peppers  

Red peppers have a high level of vitamins C, as well as good antioxidant properties, which help to prevent certain degenerative diseases such as eye conditions like age-related macular degeneration.

Garlic  

The great thing about garlic is it has many antibacterial properties, which help to stimulate the production of white blood cells within your immune system and acts against a varied amount of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. It also has an oil, which is volatile, which is excreted through your lungs.

Which is really helpful for respiratory problems such as bronchitis and whooping cough. Garlic also works in your blood, which helps to reduce body fat, as well as cholesterol and over a certain period of time will help to lower your blood pressure.

Spinach  

Spinach is a welcome addition to any salad that you may make its leaves are high in something called folate, which is important for healthy foetal development, which makes it an essential food for women who are pregnant, both before and during their pregnancy.

Spinach is high in the following vitamins A, C and K, which help to protect the skin and stimulate your immune system. It contains carotenoids,  which are powerful antioxidants, which will help protect you against cancer of the following lungs, breast and cervix. They also help with the eyes and liver function.

Oranges/Satsumas

Due to the high amount of vitamin C in oranges. They help to prevent high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. They also can be beneficial to aid in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders.

Sources and references: This has been extracted from the book, Eat to Boost Your Immunity and was printed in the Daily Express newspaper onTuesday, 27 December 2011.

Image by miahalf0

Sometimes our daily newspaper can be useful for information regarding health and a couple of weeks ago they printed an article about the health benefits of certain spices being as it was very informative I decided to write it up into a post, mainly because a lot of people may not know the health benefits of some herbs.

1. Allspice, this herb has a pungent sweet taste about it with a bit of a peppery kick. Apparently, in Japan, researchers found that these berries contain something like 25 active components called phenols all of these help in the prevention of cancer, heart disease, and other chronic health problem.

In some recent studies, which were conducted in Costa Rica. They found that this particular spice helps to lower blood pressure. The reason behind the thinking is it helps to relax your central nervous system, which helps blood flow in your arteries.

2. Thyme, they are a 100 varieties of thyme and they share all one thing in common. They contain an oil called thymol. This is one of nature’s own antiseptics and helps to kill germs when you apply it in or around your mouth. It is the main ingredient within the branded mouthwash Listerine

3. Some researchers in Switzerland tested thyme on people with people who had coughs as well as bronchitis and other colds and found that this particular herb was good at clearing up costs, except in 90% of cases

4. Sage, this herb packs one hell of a punch and should be included in your spice rack. It can help to enhance your mood, concentration and memory. Some British psychologists did experiments with 24 people, which revolved around some memory tests. These were repeated several times a day on three separate days.

When the participants had a sage supplement, they could  recall more information better than if they had taken not taken it. They also said to be feeling calmer, and content six hours after taking it.

5. Aniseed, this is used by Mediterranean people quite frequently in after dinner digestifs it is supposed to be very good for helping with digestion studies have found it contains certain compounds that have a calming effect on your digestive system. It works on the muscles of your digestive tract.

A study, done in Saudi Arabia found, aniseed stopped ulcers by preventing the acid that can irritate your stomach lining.

6. Cinnamon, if you are diabetic. Cinnamon is great news for you, but that doesn’t mean to say that you shouldn’t take it. If you aren’t diabetic in an American study, 109 people who had type II diabetes were split into two consecutive groups.

One of them had cinnamon once-a-day and other group just had a placebo. After three months, the researchers checked their data. The participants in the cinnamon group had lower blood sugar. Swedish researchers found that if you sprinkle cinnamon on your food. This will reduce your blood sugar levels after eating and reduce  sugar spikes.

If you want a bit of a brain boost, then chew some cinnamon gum, a professor at Ohio university found that when students either smelled or tasted it, they got higher marks on mental agility tests.

7. Horseradish,  broccoli is well-known for its cancer fighting properties. However, if you overcook it. The benefits can be lost If you, then add some horseradish. The benefits come back. Some scientists in Illinois University found by spicing up some broccoli, it increased absorption in the upper part of your digestive system, which gives it a boost.

Horseradish has certain compounds in which produce cancer protecting substances, so there are benefits to be had when you add some to a meal.

Ginger, a medical journal in the US, called headache found that, during a study, which involved 60 people whom were migraine sufferers which were treated with ginger, and something called feverfew it was found after taking it two hours later a third of the participants said they were pain-free. It’s been found that Ginger is good for preventing nausea in instances of travel sickness and morning sickness.

8. Juniper Berry, if you’re ever wondering where gin gets its taste from look no further, because it’s from this particular spice, its compounds are good for helping your kidneys to produce fluid that help to kill bacteria, which makes it ideal for preventing bladder and urinary tract infections.

Juniper Berry is good for your kidneys. Researchers at the University in California found that it helps kidney transplant patients with kidney rejection problems.

9. Cumin, if you’re one of those people who enjoys eating curry like me, then if you’re eating the right type of curry, this should be one of the ingredients in it. Researchers in India took some animals, which had type II diabetes, either cumin or an anti-diabetes drug worked more or less the same when it came to reducing levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, which are heart damaging blood fats.

The animals were also found to have a high level of reduction in blood sugar. Another study in India involving cumin found when diabetic rats were given it. It delayed them getting cataracts, which can be down to high blood sugar levels. Another health benefit of cumin is it has high levels of vitamins C and A which makes it a very powerful antioxidant spice.

10. Coriander, this is another spice that can be found in curries, depending on how they are made. Researchers in Portugal at the University found certain substances within coriander, have bacteria killing properties. G to patients in small amounts, it could help to treat E. coli and MRSA.

11. Basil, are you one of those people whom get stressed out regularly? Then why not try some basil. Some researchers in India found that this particular herb helps to normalise the amount of cortisol you have in your body and lowered blood sugar, which tends to be higher when you are under stress. Basil can help with protecting your heart and helps to lower cholesterol.

12. Clove, if you bite some clove. This will give you a slight numbing in your mouth very similar to an anaesthetic in the Journal of dentistry. They say that it has a similar effect as the drug, called benzocaine when numbing your mouth if you put some near a problem tooth.

It will dilate blood vessels, which will bring the blood to the surface and help soothe the pain. This particular herb has anti-inflammatory properties, as well as antibacterial ones, which can help prevent gum disease, as well as cold sores.

13. Chilli, when you eat chillies, a compound is released called capsaicin, which will numb aches and pains that you may have it also releases a hormone that soothes inflammation

14. Fennel seed fennel is a vegetable, herb and spice, which tastes like liquorice. This herb is particularly useful for women who may have menstrual cramps. It is also beneficial to young children who may have colic.

This is extracted from a book called healing spices by Bharat, B Aggarwal.

Sources and references: www.dailyexpress.co.uk

Image by shandrew

This is a guest post by Sara of Dukan Diet Meals

If you’re thinking that November is probably a bad time to start a diet, then think again. With just over a month to go until the Christmas holidays officially begin, now is a great time to slim down:

not only your body will have time to get used to eating less so that you won’t feel like over-indulging during the festive season but, thanks to the great results you will achieve, you will also feel more motivated to kick-start the weight loss again in January with a renewed commitment to shed extra pounds. On top of that, because you will have a limited amount of time and a deadline, sticking to the plan will be much easier from a psychological point of view.

The Dukan Diet for a Slimmer Christmas

Made famous by Jennifer Lopez, Giselle and Kate Middleton, the French Dukan Diet is the easy-to-follow and effective diet which could help you slim down before Christmas.

So why is it so effective? Well, one of the main reasons is that it does not require calorie counting and therefore eliminates a lot of the stress linked to having to carefully weight and record what you’re eating. There is a list of 100 core foods and you can pick and choose from and eat as much as you like.

The plan is very much a high-protein diet, however, unlike the famous Atkins Diet, it only focuses on low-fat proteins and introduces oat bran into the daily routine therefore making it much healthier in the long term.

Attack the Body Fat and Cruise to a Healthier You

If you decide to give the Dukan Diet a try, you will begin with the Attack Phase. This phase, which lasts between 2 and 10 days depending on how much weight you wish to lose, allows low-fat protein only in unlimited quantities: anything from poultry, lean meats, low fat dairy, to eggs and any type of fish is there for you to enjoy. Following the Attack, you will then switch to the Cruise Phase where you will alternate protein-only days with protein and veg days until you reach your desired weight.

To top it all off, include oat bran into your daily routine and drink plenty of water. Isn’t this the easiest diet you’ve ever heard of?

Step up your Fitness Regime

When it comes to exercise, the only thing Dr Dukan prescribes is a 30 minute walk. It’s easy to see here how, by just turning up your fitness regime a notch, you will be able to achieve even greater results. Combine the Dukan plan with a detailed fitness routine and stick to it. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy if you’re not already used to exercising much during the week. Make a commitment to yourself and, for example, decide you will go swimming three times a week no matter what or you will go for a long walk everyday during your lunch break. Again, because you have a precise deadline, honouring this commitment should not come difficult.

Don’t Stop Having Fun

Although a month is not a long time, I cannot stress enough how important not avoiding social events for the sake of dieting can be. Because the Dukan Diet is so flexible, there is absolutely no reason why you should stop enjoying meals out with friends and family and ultimately have fun. By personal experience, I can tell you that the pounds will come off rapidly anyway and you won’t feel like being on a diet at all. With the run up to Christmas being a particular stressful period of the year, what better way to diet than eating as much as you like?

Guest post by Sara, foodie, serial dieter and editor of Dukan Diet Meals, a website offering advice and a collection of Dukan Diet recipes to anyone following the French diet plan.