This really is good news for all of us and especially for my family and myself as we have always loved milk along with other dairy products and have never skimped on them.

I have only ever eaten and used butter mainly because there are generally no additives apart from salt, where as in many margarine or butter substitutes I do not actually know some of the listed additives and also the fact that I have never managed to find one that I liked the taste of.

For quite a while now, milk and other dairy products have been labelled as bad for our health, but new studies by researchers show and claim the complete opposite. They say that dairy products actually help to protect our bodies against a wide variety of serious health conditions including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and strokes.

The study found that by having a regular consumption of dairy products, and this does not matter whether it is cheese, yoghurts or any type of milk, actually halves the chances of developing metabolic syndrome, which in the UK affects up to a quarter of the population.

Metabolic syndrome is also known as and called insulin resistance, which affects the body’s metabolism by increasing cholesterol, body fat, blood glucose levels and blood pressure.

People that suffer with this condition have almost double the risk of coronary artery disease and have four times more chance of diabetes than those with out metabolic syndrome. Also more alarming is that these people are fifty per cent more likely to die earlier; a twenty-five year study has shown.

During the past twenty-five years milk consumption has plummeted, thought to be about concerns of the effect of the high saturated fat content may have on the heart and general health.

Growing evidence suggests this is false, as reviews worldwide on dairy products and vascular disease, show there are benefits also includes rates of heart disease and strokes.

The evidence has shown that there is a very powerful effect that totally goes against today’s public perception that milk and dairy products are bad for your heart.

There has been over 300 publications from this study and they all point in the same direction, and the evidence shows that the effect is the same for both men and women.

On the study it was found that those who ate and drank dairy products regularly were far less likely to have the syndrome than those who drank and ate little or none.

By drinking a pint of milk a day they were also 62 per cent less likely to have the syndrome, and if they ate other dairy foods regularly 56 per cent less likely.

Researchers have also found that milk is more effective than anything else including water and expensive special formula sports drinks, for replacing fluid and salts that are lost through sweat.

So after any type of exertion such as sports, keep fit and manual labour, a glass of milk is the best for re-hydration. Tests show that milk keeps the body re-hydrated for at least four times longer than water or powerade – Coca-Cola’s sports drink.

Milk is naturally rich in potassium, sodium and other vital salts that the body loses in vast quantities through sweating.

The combination of the protein, sugar and fat found in milk is the reason that it is removed much slower from the body than other drinks.

Milk really is an excellent drink and is so versatile, I know many people do not actually like milk but you can always make it into custard, rice pudding or semolina etc: to get your daily intake.

Our youngest daughter was always against drinking a glass of milk, and still is today, but she actually consumes more milk than the rest of the family.

She absolutely adores cereals, eating up to four bowls a day and of course this is with milk, summer or winter. She also loves chocolate milk shake and fruit smoothies with a blob of ice cream, but the smoothies are often left for me to prepare, as she does not like clearing up the blender afterwards – teenagers!

It is a shame that schools do not give out the daily milk drink that as a youngster was a great part of the school day. I believe if this was still the case in primary schools, more children would be happy to drink milk and less likely to go for the fizzy drinks that are available.

I hope you find this interesting, and now not so worried about eating dairy products. Think of all the great sauces you can make to enhance your culinary skills and know they are actually good for you. My favourite has always been cheese sauce, but I am equally partial to white sauce with fish or over broad beans.

Cheese on toast is a staple part of our daughter’s diet, so much so that cheese is one of the first things that runs out in our kitchen, and now they laugh and say they can eat even more now! Pity they do not know where Sainsbury’s is.

Remember to eat good food for good health along with a glass of milk

Sandra & Ted
http://www.goodfoodgoodhealth.com

http://www.quantum-mind-power.com

It’s nice to know that something I am going to be doing to save money is also going to benefit my health.

Recently scientists discovered that cancer risk could be reduced even more by tomatoes being reheated, as in spaghetti bolognaise a favourite in our household.

This is great news for people like ourselves who love tomatoes.

Our daughters are off to university – an expensive time for all parents – so we decided we would try to reduce some of our costs and the weekly food bill was voted easiest to cut back.

Even so ‘good food good health’ is as always at the forefront of our minds, as it is crucial we eat a varied nutritional diet to keep our body working proficiently enabling good health of body and mind alike.

Generally buying goods in bulk is always cheapest, so we have decided to purchase the same foods as when the girls were home, and to cook and freeze the extra meals.

Tomatoes contain a powerful antioxidant called lycopene and this is the main reason they are linked with the prevention of cancer. This is found in tomatoes and tomato products equally, but processing into sauces and purees increases the benefits.

This study showed that by reheating tomato based sauce dramatically changed the shape of the lycopene increasing the ability of absorption by the body.

Lycopene that is found circulating in the blood stream generally has a ‘bent’ shape although in the average tomato lycopene usually is straight or linear shape, and this is thought to hinder its ability to pass into the blood through the intestinal walls.

Dr Steven Schwartz from Ohio State University in Columbus, the study leader said ‘we can take the red tomato molecular form of lycopene and by processing it and heating in combination with added oil, we can change the shape of the molecule so it is configured in this bent form’

He said it should be possible to produce healthy ‘bent’ lycopene in the kitchen easy enough.

Many people, especially in Mediterranean countries already cook their tomato sauce for prolonged periods over several days as they say the flavour is greatly enhanced – maybe this is another reason that the Mediterranean diet is known to be one of the healthiest.

In the study they found that the volunteers that had eaten the reheated sauces blood samples and lycopene blood levels were 55 per cent higher than those with the basic sauce. These samples were taken and analysed over a nine and a half hour period.

The added oil or fat from meat being used in the sauce starts to induce cis-isomers of lycopene when cooking times continue. So spaghetti Bolognese is a good example where this can work and benefit your health.

With winter approaching I love nothing more that a warming soup and dumplings. Generally I usually make far too much and end up having it again another day, well this is going to be looked at in a different light now and will be made in plenty for the purpose of reheating and adding more ingredients plus the oil to receive the added health benefits.

Tomatoes are a firm friend in our kitchen and especially as there is an abundance of them in the greenhouse just now, they get added to most meals.

You do not have to make your soup and dumplings or stews from fresh tomatoes as using tinned soup and purees are generally higher in lycopene content, and what more is that they have already been heated during manufacture so maybe there are benefits there already.

Always check when buying tinned tomato soups and other products that the salt content is kept to a minimum, that is my only bug bear, at least if you have the time to make it yourself the use of salt can be eliminated.

If you want to use fresh tomatoes a good time to buy them cheaply is at the end of the day at market stalls when everything is reduced down to clear.

So do not forget even if you are just making soup, you still need to add a dessertspoon of virgin oil to make this work.

So yet again, the not so humble tomato really is a super good health food. By eating a varied diet of good food for good health you are giving your body all the vitamins and nutrients needed for your good health and wellbeing, and this can only be improved with the adding of tomatoes regularly into your diet.

You only have to look to the Italians who have been eating healthily with many tomato based foods for centuries and the added benefits it has to their health and lifestyle.

Be happy with healthy eating.

Sandra & Ted

http://www.thetalkingbooksite.com

http://www.quantum-mind-power.com

Did you know that the humble chilli pepper, long been known as a good food is now being hailed a ‘super food’.

Most people either love or hate chillies with their distinctive burning sensation because even just the slightest taste can make the roof of your mouth feel like it is on fire.

First cultivated in South and Central America 5000 years ago, chillies are the small hot pungent variety of capsicum peppers.

The culprit for triggering the volcanic sensations of heat is the chemical capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide), but this is a small price to pay for the excellent health properties you can get from eating them regularly.

We always say that ‘good food good health’ should be everybody’s goal and that ‘we are what we eat’, so by adding them into your diet can only benefit you and your wellbeing.

Chillies have often been used to clear the head, and when eaten in a curry can make the nose run like a decongestant.

Fresh ones are best, and are high in both the important immune system boosters – vitamin A and C, some B vitamins and vitamin E, a fat soluble vitamin being an antioxidant.

The hottest chillies obviously contain the most capsaicin and have the highest therapeutic effects.  Everybody’s pallet is different, therefore what is ok for one person may be far too hot for another, so make sure you know your families tolerance levels as well as your own.

Capsaicin – part of the vanillyl family- is produced in glands at the stem end of the pepper.

The hottest parts of the chilli are the seeds and the white pith, so remove these if you do not want your dish to be too hot.

Studies have found that capsaicin that creates the incredible heat can also numb pain, reduce inflammation and kill harmful micro-organisms.

Research is being carried out on the painkilling properties of chillies at Kings College London, and studying how capsaicin can eliminate the effect of TNF alpha – an inflammatory substance found in the body – with hopes a treatment for arthritis will be developed from this.

They say the chilli works to kill pain by raising levels of painkilling endorphins.

Scientists also say that probably the reason many countries that have no means of refrigeration eat very hot and spicy food is because capsaicin can kill bacterial and fungi.

Recent studies in Taiwan found that the level of capsaicin in a typical Thai or Indian diet can increase speed of metabolism, helping to prevent fat cells from forming.

The heat of a chilli is measured on the Scoville heat scale – shu – indicating how much capsaicin is contained. 0 indicates no heat and the highest rating is about 970,000 plus, but expert’s rate 100,000 generally to be far too hot for most palates.

Growers are still trying to cultivate even stronger more potent chillies!, but at the moment the Dorset Naga is thought to be the world’s hottest, and to give your curry a scorching hot bite only one quarter of the small peppers is needed.

Jalapeno peppers – 2,500 – 8,000 shu, have a warm bite but no burn and are ideal in salads.

Cayenne peppers – 30,000 – 50,000 shu, a good winter warmer added to stews and casseroles.

Thai peppers – 50,000 – 100,000 shu, give a good kick.

Jamaican Hot peppers – 100,000 – 200,000 shu, have a real bite and a third of a pepper added to a curry will make it hot but not enough to make your ‘nose run’.

Red Savina – 350,000 – 577,000 shu, extremely strong and a third of a pepper will make a powerful curry.

Dorset Naga 876,000 – 970,000 shu, a quarter of this pepper will give a scorching volcanic bite and is the world’s hottest chilli.

Be careful when preparing chillies as they are known to be a skin irritant and if splashed in the eye can be extremely nasty.

So go on, next time you make a curry spice it up with a chilli pepper. It is best to gradually ‘increase the heat without blowing your mind’.

Remember good food is good health.

Sandra & Ted

http://www.thetalkingbooksite.com

http://www.quantum-mind-power.com

Many of us today with our fast paced lives grab an energy drink to pep us up or to help maintain awareness at the end of the working day, never thinking twice that it could be a health risk.

Nowadays we buy more energy drinks – especially the reduced or sugar free – readily believing it to be a healthier option to drinking a cup of coffee.

But after a study recently carried out found that just by drinking one 250ml can of Red Bull could raise the risk of stroke or heart attack, we should all look for a natural ‘pick-me-up’.

Our motto ‘good food good health’ is self explanatory and that by drinking and eating good food helps to enable your body to achieve and maintain good health.

There are many natural good foods that can give you that extra burst of energy of which bananas are a really good example.

Most types of fruit will give your body a ‘sugar rush’ that stimulates your brain and enables you to think and act quicker.

A fruit smoothie is a good way to get that natural extra energy boost and achieve one of your five-a-day too, and if you make it yourself with seasonal fruit can be very inexpensive when compared to purchasing energy drinks.

Cereal is another good food for energy, not just for first thing in the morning but any time, the best are whole-grain and are a good health food. Be careful when buying energy or cereal bars as some of these are high in fat, sugar and preservatives.

Many shops nowadays have taken it upon themselves to only sell some energy drinks to over eighteens, including Red Bull.

Worryingly, it is known that many young people are using these energy drinks to sober and liven themselves up after a night out drinking and partying, and are often consuming more than one can to do this wrongly thinking they are helping themselves.

After consuming one can – 250ml of the sugar free version of the energy drink, the ‘stickiness’ of the blood was found to increase raising the life threatening risk of clots.

The research was carried out on university students by Dr Scott Willoughby who said the study found their blood systems were no longer normal one hour after they had drank the red bull.

Their systems were ‘abnormal’ like you would expect to see in a person with cardiovascular disease, with an increase in stickiness and a decrease in the ability of the blood vessels to stop its stickiness that can add up to a bad situation.

If other risk factors for cardiovascular disease are added to this – high blood pressure and stress, potentially this could be fatal.

It is thought that two of the ingredients in the energy drink, the amino acid taurine and caffeine may be the cause of the problem, although individually both of these point toward benefits but it looks like the combination together has an odd effect and that this is causing the reaction.

Dr Willoughby said people with underlying circulatory or heart problems therefore should think twice about drinking the caffeine-loaded drink.

A can of the Red Bull has 80mg of caffeine equivalent to two instant cups of coffee or about the same as a cup of filter coffee. Cans do carry health warnings advising not to drink more than two a day.

The test results were concluded only from the sugar free version and it is unclear if these would be repeated with the regular energy drink, but there was alarm at the findings.

Even the students taking part were shocked as some has been known to drink several cans to stay awake at night to study.

Norway, Denmark and Uruguay have banned Red Bull because of health fears, but the company last year sold 3.5 billion bottles and cans in 143 countries.

In Britain, Red Bull is a popular energy drink mixed with vodka and other spirits in bars and clubs with last year sales reaching £271 million.

A Red Bull spokesman said ‘the study does not show effects which would go beyond drinking a normal cup of coffee’ but Dr Willoughby said ‘If you have a preposition to cardiovascular disease I’d think twice before drinking it’

Try and be prepared for that part of the day when you need a little ‘lift’, and have at hand a piece of fruit, handful of cereal or smoothie drink to get that ‘on the go’ good natural raw energy boost.

So remember ‘good food good health’ is the best way to keep your body working like clockwork, and a diet made up of a variety of good nutritional food will give you all the vitamins and minerals you should need to keep you feeling in tip top condition, being energised and alert without the use of energy drinks.

Happy healthy eating.

Sandra & Ted

http://www.goodfoodgoodhealth.com
http://www.thetalkingbooksite.com

http://www.quantum-mind-power.com

Have you ever heard of Solar Keratosis?

Many of us rarely think twice about our largest organ – our skin, unless we suffer skin problems such as eczema or become sunburnt.

By taking just a minute or so longer to actually check your body over when having your daily shower could in fact save your life.

Although there is more public awareness about the dangers of sunbathing, very few of us really realise just how much it can damage our health or how to be able to enjoy the sun safely without the worry of solar keratosis.

Well for me it feels like summer is over since we got back last week from our family holiday in Cuba, and yes it was great, lovely people with beautiful scenery and the sun shone relentlessly, what more could you wish for.

Amazingly also the food was so good, loads of lovely fresh fruit and vegetables, and rarely a chip to be seen, heaven.

So keeping my good food good health regime was easy, and our girls always seem more willing to try new exotic foods on location than when I prepare them myself – no surprise there then.

The seafood was in abundance and being a really good food for everyone, was delighted to see our girls tucking in most days.

But an appointment I had made with my G.P. before going on holiday really brought me back down to earth with a thud when he uttered the words Solar Keratosis also known as Actinic Keratosis.

Realistically I know I should have attended before leaving, especially as I intended on sunbathing most days albeit safely – 30 factor sun lotion + 50 sun block over all moles and areas that easily get tender, such as shoulders and face in the high thirty degrees, a very large floppy hat and good quality sunglasses.

Eight weeks ago I had noticed what I thought initially was a spot on my cheek. I never really had spots as a teenager so I watched this spot getting bigger, patiently waiting my time so that I could squeeze it!

After squeezing the spot it turned hastily red and nasty, so I regretted touching it and it took several days to heal over, this sent my little grey cells on overtime, although I knew it did not look anything like pictures of skin cancer that I had seen, I was a little concerned.

When it had healed over it was very raised and a funny shape that several people mentioned it, but as it was not black in colour – it was extremely white and had turned very dry and horny – I ignored it.

Although it never bothered me, subconsciously my fingers would not leave it alone. On holiday I kept it covered completely with sun block as with all of my moles, but again I accidentally knocked the top of it and it healed back larger than it was previously.

Never having smoked or taken drugs – only prescribed, eat good food and drink very little alcohol, consider myself having a healthy lifestyle, but my sunbathing habits – especially in my younger days – jeopardise this.

Sunbathing gives most of us the feel good factor, and a little sunshine daily is excellent for us as it allows the body to improve the manufacture of vitamin D in the skin.

Very few of us are aware of the damage that sun worshipping can have. SK or solar keratosis is becoming an increasingly common skin condition but rarely known. This condition left untreated can develop into skin cancer.

The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) recently said although despite years of warnings and increased publicity, half of Britons would not recognise the signs of a possible skin cancer and a quarter never checked their skin for the disease.

Australia is often thought of as the skin cancer capital but it is a fact that skin cancers make up a third of all UK cancers, and the UK death rate is one and half times higher than theirs, this fact alone should put it into perspective and really drive home the danger that can happen.

Solar keratosis is not skin cancer but an indicator of sun damage of which 1 in 10 can go on to develop into cancer. According to the American Academy of Dermatologists 40 per cent of all squamous cell carcinomas begin as SKs.

Caught early, squamous cell carcinomas are treatable but the consequences can be dire if left untreated spreading to other parts of the body.

Regular checks of the body are very important, not just for moles but any changes or unusual marks on your skin. Your GP or practice nurse should be consulted if you have any concerns and who welcome regular checks with themselves to prevent SKs being left untreated and turning into something potentially more serious.

Treatment for Solar Keratosis ranges from topical creams to freezing and scraping the lesion off.

SKs are most commonly found on the scalp, neck, face, ears, lips, back of hands and forearms, and in women also the lower half of legs, but can indeed be found anywhere on the body.

Sun damage accumulates over time; it is a lifetime of sun exposure that adds risk experts say, not just recent or isolated sunbathing.

Many people do not realise that even on cloudy days your skin is subjected to the UVA and UVB rays that cause skin damage, so make the use of sun protection a daily occurrence to reduce any risk.

Solar Keratosis is a reaction to over exposure to the sun, especially when we are young; it changes the shape, size, structure and organisation of our skin cells, and can range in size from a pin head to an inch across.

The texture of the lesions are dry and rough and so can more often be recognised by touch rather than sight initially. The area may also be tender or itchy and prickly, especially after being in the sun.

Once solar keratosis have been successfully treated; regular checks and examinations are advised to keep the condition under control.

Skin types can also determine the level of risk – fair skin has less protective pigment and therefore burns more easily, making red haired and blondes more at risk in the sun along with blue, green or grey eyed people.

People with darker or olive skin should not assume that they are not at risk too, as these skin types are can be susceptible with prolonged exposure

Moreover men need to realise solar keratosis is not just a female problem, many men still think they do not need to use sunscreen, either because they may work outside year round and are ‘used’ to the sun or find it not ‘cool’, and that it is a health issue that needs to be addressed and sunscreen should be made part of the normal daily routine.

There is a higher risk of solar keratosis with people who have a weakened immune system, either through ill health or from bad diets, so eating good food for good health is as always a must.

As you know, we always say you are what you eat and that ‘good food good health’ should be the basis for everybody for a healthy life and healthy outlook on life.

A varied diet of good healthy food to keep your liver well balanced and functioning is essential; including probiotics to help boost your immune system can be helpful.

Another good food and excellent for your skin is lycopene found abundantly in tomatoes, the darker the red the tomatoes the higher the lycopene content.

Recent studies carried out have shown evidence that a diet rich in lycopene actually has benefits of naturally helping to protect the skin from damage, tests also suggested that production of collagen had been boosted by a tomato-based diet; this being the protein that keeps our skin supple.

Also being a powerful anti-oxidant, lycopene is a great at mopping up the harmful molecules -free radicals – that are linked to cancer.

Tomatoes have regularly been linked with warding off cancer of the skin, breast, lung, bladder and pancreas, and even combating prostrate cancer.

Water – melons and grapefruit are another good source of lycopene, but tomatoes are far easier to include in your daily diet as tomatoe puree, ketchup and soup that are condensed are very high in lycopene.

Damage to your skin from the sun cannot be reversed, but sensible precautions can be taken to prevent it being damaged further, and reduce the chances of getting solar keratosis.

Avoiding the sun when at its strongest – between 10am and 4pm, wear clothes that cover your arms and legs and a wide brimmed hat, use a sunscreen of at least factor 15 or higher and reapply generously every two hours.

I was very lucky with my ‘spot’ this time, nothing to worry about. My GP removed it for me, but insists that I regularly check myself for other places like this, and that it would have been 100% better to have sought his advice before my holiday and not to have picked it!

I completely knew this myself and that his advice was correct but I chose to ignore my conscience, and this is what we all have to change. So many people lie in the sun day after day with little protection and may well be aware of the dangers but choose to ignore the consequences until it is too late, so make sure you and your family enjoy the sun safely.

I have taken this advice on board, I know it annoyed my family that there is no way I would have let them wait any time at all before seeing the doctor – this is 100 per cent true. They say that I am already a stickler for safe sunbathing and this will only fuel my lectures to them on the subject!

The girls have heckled me over it but I would rather drill it home to them about the dangers of sunbathing, as you are still perceived as being healthier looking the browner you get. I tell them it is far cheaper and safer to get their tan from a bottle, and with the new products available it looks like the real thing when applied to exfoliated skin properly.

So remember ‘good food for good health’ is the best way to keep your body working like clockwork, and a diet made up of a variety of good nutritional food will give you all the vitamins and minerals you should need to keep your skin in tip top condition.

So happy eating and safe enjoyment in the sun without the worry of Solar Keratosis.

Sandra and Ted

http://www.goodfoodgoodhealth.com
http://www.thetalkingbooksite.com

http://www.quantum-mind-power.com

Hi

Today for all of us the credit crunch is biting hard and we are all looking for ways to save money. Energy and food it seems top the list of things we want to cut back on to reduce ever increasing bills, so why not use good healthy frozen food to help achieve this without compromising on nutrition and vitamin values

Fresh food prices have rocketed in stores as producers costs are soaring along with haulage company’s fuel bills and are in turn passed on to us – the consumer.

I believe our motto ‘good food for good health’ should be a priority for everyone as a varied diet of nutritional food enables the body to keep and maintain good health and sense of well being, and even when trying to keep the weekly food shopping down, good frozen food can help to achieve this.

By eating good food helps keep the immune system in good shape to be able to fight the constant attack of viruses and illnesses we are all subjected to.

I have always said fresh food is best and contains the best nutritional values, but how fresh really is some of our ‘fresh food’, as foods are sourced from all over the world nowadays to keep availability all year round.

Frozen foods reputation has for a long time been held as inferior to fresh food, and classed along with canned food as second rate. This is today a largely undeserved labelling.

The technology and method of freezing has come along way since the seventies, when frozen food became popular and readily hit the shelves.

Today, many foods are frozen within minutes of harvesting. Fish is a good example of this as within minutes of being caught on many boats they are cleaned and frozen immediately on board, with all transportation carried out in the frozen state.

As long as you defrost as per instructions and eaten before ‘best by date’ the fish will be as good as if plucked straight from the net.

The same can be said for many frozen fruit and vegetables, being frozen with in one hour of harvesting.

When food is properly frozen, being cleaned and wrapped so that freezer burn is eliminated – freeze burn is when ice crystals come into contact with the food – the nutritional values are suspended and kept to a maximum.

Quick frozen food keeps its vitamins and nutrients virtually the same as the moment it was picked, when they are at the highest value.

By defrosting food properly and keeping cooking to a minimum by either steaming or stir frying, levels of vitamin C and other water soluble B vitamins can be higher than in fresh foods.

Some ‘fresh’ foods have been picked and stored months before they appear on the shelves labelled as fresh, but as to date there is no legal definition over use of the word ‘fresh’, so there is no way of telling how long it has been harvested.

Through lengthy storage of fruit and vegetables, time and heat sensitive vitamins along with water soluble ones can be lost and therefore could be less nutritional than similar frozen foods.

The monetary value in using frozen food is that there are no scraps of food left in the fridge deteriorating to an ‘alien mass’ unfit for human consumption.

Another great benefit is that the waste – the stringing of beans, cleaning of fish etc has all been done for us meaning we are only paying for the food we are actually eating saving precious time and money.

Frozen food also gives us the ability to try foods that we would not normally buy or prepare ourselves.©

Always buy your frozen food from a reputable retailer and take great care to keep it in the same frozen state on your journey home. Also check the rating of your own freezer as this does alter the time scale on length of storage.

Always check the manufacturer’s details on use by date like any other food product and do not leave food hiding away in the corner of the freezer, rotate so nothing you have bought is wasted.

So remember ‘you are what you eat’ and that good food for good health can be achieved also by using frozen food.

Frozen fruit and vegetables have good vitamin and nutritional values and so can help to make sure you get your five a day every day.

Happy healthy eating

Sandra & Ted

http://www.goodfoodgoodhealth.com

http://www.thetalkingbooksite.com

http://www.quantum-mind-power.com

]]> http://azland55.wordpress.com/2008/07/15/good-food-good-health-%e2%80%93-good-nutrition-from-healthy-frozen-food/feed/ 1 azland55 http://azland55.wordpress.com/2008/06/14/good-food-good-health-healthy-liver-function-from-good-childhood-nutrition/ http://azland55.wordpress.com/2008/06/14/good-food-good-health-healthy-liver-function-from-good-childhood-nutrition/#comments Sat, 14 Jun 2008 20:00:46 +0000 Sandra & Ted http://azland55.wordpress.com/?p=62 ]]> Hi

As a nation I believe we are now realising the responsibility we have with nutrition and our children. There are far more stories about obesity increasing on the whole across all ages, but worryingly in children it has steeply increased over the past decade.

With the waist lines of our children increasing, we are greatly adding the risk of future diseases and ill health to them in adulthood, so much so that health officials have said that if the trend carries on as it is, the next generation are more likely to die before their parents!

So, as parents we need to develop a sensible healthy diet plan of good food for our children, introducing new fresh foods regularly and making the meals and meal times fun.

Fast food really should be kept to the odd treat, and crisps, biscuits and carbonated drinks also to a bare minimum, as these are the foods that are causing the upturn in weightier children. A child’s liver function soon gets slowed with an excessive fat build up which can lead to liver damage.

If the liver is damaged through fatty degeneration – saturated fat – cholesterol regulation is hampered, it fails to produce enough ‘good’ HDL and allows levels of ‘bad’ LDL to increase leaving a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes later in life.

We always say ‘you are what you eat’ and that by eating a varied diet of good food for good health is what everybody should be aiming at, along with moderate exercise and drinking plenty of fluids.

By doing this we are giving our body the best help we can to achieve the full range of nutrients and vitamins needed to perform at its optimum.

Obviously other factors do have to be included that can greatly affect our health and well being including lack of sleep, living environment, geographical position, pollutants, genetic conditions etc,

A diet of good nutritional food is critical for us all at all ages, but studies have shown that during childhood, and especially the younger years, a diet of good food really can make all the difference.

A study carried out at Bristol University showed that women with longer legs tended to have healthier livers researchers said, and that it suggested liver damage was more susceptible by ladies with shorter legs.

The key they say seems to be childhood nutrition. Eating healthily is beneficial in the early stages of life, enabling the body to grow consistently and evenly and that with this good liver function and growth is encouraged.

Recently there have also been several studies showing the health of babies can be greatly increased by pregnant mothers eating a good varied nutritional diet, and by cutting out smoking and alcohol.

They found taller people generally have larger livers and being the body’s detoxifier, enables the body to remove a greater amount of harmful substances from the blood.

A build up of ‘toxins’ in the liver can make it become ‘sluggish’, and that can be detrimental for the body to maintain good health and well being.

A healthy liver is vital to good health and eating nutritional food helps new liver cells form and can even repair some damaged cells.

So therefore liver performance is greatly enhanced or affected by the diet we eat.

It really is easy to add helpful detoxifying foods to your diet just by eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables; if you are getting your five-a-day then you are well on the way. Include protein from lean meat, fish twice a week, grains and nuts – preferably not salted.

The way we cook our food is also important – over cooked and a lot of the goodness is lost, so lightly boiled, steamed, stir fried and grilled are the best ways to keep the vitamins and nutrients at a maximum in the food.

We believe that our daily required amount of vitamins and nutrients can be achieved through eating a healthy varied diet, but during or after illness when lack of appetite often occurs, taking a supplement can help, but as always you should seek medical advice first.

So make our motto ‘good food for good health’ yours, and by eating a good varied diet of healthy food can only help in attaining good health and well being for yourself and your children.

Sandra & Ted
http://www.goodfoodgoodhealth.com
http://www.thetalkingbooksite.com

http://www.quantum-mind-power.com

Hi

I just love tomatoes and with all the new research carried out on this humble fruit – or as many mistake it as a vegetable – they should be at the top of everybody’s favourite foods.

Tomatoes really are a ‘super food’ that more than live up to our motto of ‘good food for good health. And the benefits mount up the more regularly you eat them.

Lycopene is the ingredient rightfully accredited with the magical properties, which can also be found in watermelons and pink grapefruit.

Being a powerful anti-oxidant, lycopene is a great at mopping up the harmful molecules -free radicals – that are linked to cancer.

Tomatoes have regularly been linked with warding off cancer of the skin, breast, lung, liver, bladder and pancreas, and even combating prostrate cancer.

The amount of lycopene you get from raw tomatoes is about 3mg per 100g, although some varieties yield a higher figure such as the Santa plum cherry tomato, levels are also affected by ripeness so the deeper red they are generally the more lycopene.

Tomatoes have also been long known for their capacity in reducing cholesterol which is another good reason that makes them such a good food and great for good health, but the latest studies findings will definitely have me devouring even more.

Ladies, perhaps we will not have to worry about buying expensive creams to keep our skin looking youthful, but just increase our intake of tomatoes, yes that’s right, not only this but they also found that by eating tomatoes regularly can also help with protection against sunburn.

The research was carried out at Newcastle and Manchester Universities, where they said Tomatoes are a cheap way of improving health and that they recommended for optimum health eating two tomato based meals daily. What could be easier?

To assess the fruits ability at protecting the skin volunteers were either asked to eat olive oil mixed with five tablespoons of tomato paste daily for three months, or to take a dose of olive oil on it’s own over the same period.

The volunteers then under went tests with ultra violet lamps that showed the tomato eaters were protected against sunburn by a third better than they had been at the start of the study.

Also, other tests suggested that production of collagen had been boosted by the tomato-based diet; this being the protein that keeps our skin supple.

I certainly will look at tomatoes in a different light from now on, even though they have always been a firm favourite.

Just last weekend I was pricking out my baby tomato plants, of which I have way too many and usually give away, but yes you guessed it this year I am going to grow far more, well at my age the skins elasticity is not quite what it used to be and if by eating a few more tomatoes can help in that area – I’m sold!

Tomatoes I find are one of the easiest things to grow, they just love plenty of feed and water, and even in last year’s rotten summer – the lack of sun – I had a fantastic crop. I admit I only grow cherry tomatoes, as I am lazy and these rarely need staking and fruit profusely even though I often forget to pinch out shoots.

So for healthy younger looking and firmer skin, tomatoes really are a safe option – so long as you do not have an allergy to them – much better than slapping on all those creams with ingredients that

you need a PHD just to read.

I have always been a great fan of the ‘Mediterranean diet’ as it is known – plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meat and fish, olive oil, the odd glass of wine. Eating good food for good health like this not only makes you feel better, another great plus it that it is also associated with longevity of life.

Sandra & Ted

http://www.goodfoodgoodhealth.com

http://www.thetalkingbooksite.com

http://www.quantum-mind-power.com

A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article on probiotics the ‘good bacteria’ that can help boost your immune system. We received an immense amount of comments and questions, I replied to some personally but thought it easier to do it this way.

The comments ranged from how many feel better in them selves since adding probiotics to their diet and lifestyle, to people who have read articles in newspapers saying that they just do not work.

During 2006 and 2007 there were many studies on probiotics, where scientists warned that there were some products available that did not live up to promises on the labels. These warnings however did not apply to major brands such as Actimel, Vitality and Yakult.

There has also been other press recently, claiming that there is no proven benefit in consuming probiotics or prebiotics, but has always been followed up by others claiming there is.

I myself started taking probiotics after being advised to by health workers after having to take a couple of courses of antibiotics, one straight after the other.

Research has shown that they can indeed restore a healthy digestive system after being wiped out by the use of antibiotics, as to kill the bad bacteria – virus, the good bacteria is destroyed as well.  The researchers say that the mechanism behind this is poorly understood.

A study carried out last year found that diarrhoea symptoms caused through use of antibiotics or from C. diff were stopped by consuming two pots a day.

Ongoing research has suggested that probiotics help in a range of health conditions such as protecting children against allergies, which nowadays is a big concern as the number of children experiencing allergies has doubled in the past decade. Also they are thought to help prevent ulcerative colitis.

Studies are being carried out on the effect probiotics have on reducing the risk of colon cancer.

Health chiefs only yesterday said that they believe they may have found an antidote to the superbug Clostridium difficile, by using the beneficial – friendly bacteria that naturally lives in the digestive system and that helps to regulate it.

At the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals where the trials are being carried out, they are giving out free pots of probiotic drinking yoghurts to patients, hoping it will help to combat the increase in C.diff.

Medical director Mathew Fletcher said ‘There is some evidence to suggest that using these probiotics may reduce a patients’s risk of C.diff and we will be evaluating he difference it makes to the number of cases’.

There are many probiotic products on the supermarket shelves nowadays; in either drink form or yoghurt and I have been told you can even purchase probiotic capsules at health stores.

I do believe to get the full benefit from your probiotic, ‘live’ bacteria, that storage and shipping is critical, and that the correct refrigeration is essential.

Also eating a wide variety of foods – ‘good food for good health’ – with plenty of liquids is essential, to maintain a flourishing immune system. By consuming just one type of food, be it the latest ‘healthy ‘fad food’ is not going to let your body achieve its aim in protecting you from constant encounters with viruses.

Probiotics are not advised for children under the age of one, and those whose immune systems have been improvised through blood poisoning and chemotherapy. Recently there was also an article claiming that people with liver problems should also refrain from consuming probiotics.

You can always check with your local health advisor before using probiotics to make sure there are no problems taking them.

For most people giving your immune system a little help can go a long way. Probiotics help greatly after suffering from diarrhoea or sickness, and are easy to consume.

I hope this has addressed most of your questions, but if you have any other queries let me know.

So do not forget, eating a varied diet of good food for good health is always the best way to ensure your whole body receives the complete range of nutrients and vitamins required to keep us in good health.

As always with good health our well being is immensely improved, our immune system flourishes, increasing our defence system against viruses and pollutants, so by adding a probiotic for additional back up can only help.

Sandra and Ted

http://www.goodfoodgoodhealth.com
http://www.thetalkingbooksite.com

http://www.quantum-mind-power.com

I know it is not a subject we like to talk about, but do you know that being regular as clockwork – having a bowel movement – or going to the loo, daily ablutions whatever you like to call it is really important for liver cleansing.

It is not a something we are likely to talk about over coffee or when chatting on the phone to friends, but it really is an essential function and I cannot stress this too much.

If we do not have regular bowel movements to remove the waste from our body problems can occur. Not going daily has recently been linked with liver problems and bowel cancer.

The time we are most likely to think about our bowel movement is if we become constipated, and if this is a regular occurrence you should notify your doctor and really take a good look at your diet.

If we take care and eat a varied diet of good food for good health and drink plenty of fluids we should not have too many problems. Obviously taking some forms of medication can have a bearing on this.

What one person calls being ‘regular as clockwork’ is not necessarily the same for every one; some people go more that once a day, some say every other day is normal for them. But it does not matter whether you are male of female going at least once a day is vital for good health, makes your body work more effectively leaving us feeling good.

Did you know that our hormones are made in the liver, both testosterone and oestrogen, – and these have a lot to do with the ‘feel good factor’ as well as the important roles that they play every day.

These hormones are then broken down by the liver and excreted through the gut as stools. Your body keeps producing new fresh and bouncy hormones all the time.

Problems can arise if you are not going to the loo daily to get rid of these hormones as they become reabsorbed, going all around your system again and stimulating hormone sensitive areas of your body.

Oestrogen excess is what this is known to be in women and can stimulate development of period irregularities, fibroids and breast lumpiness.

For men, testosterone excess can mean their prostrate may become enlarged and inflamed.

Teenagers who have to many hormones floating around their bodies often have far more spots.

So to avoid having excess hormone problems is really easy, we just need to eat a really good diet of good food making sure we have enough fibre and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables to keep our digestive system and tract on track, ensuring a healthy bowel movement is performed daily.

Do not forget to drink the necessary amounts of fluid that our body needs daily as this really does have a bearing on bowel performance. With a lack of fluid the stools become too firm and this can lead to other problems, not just constipation.

Surveys have shown that 40% of the British population drink far less than the required 1.8 litres daily. This certainly does not have to be just water, but can be attained from all drinks including tea and coffee as well as juices. Alcohol should not be included in the daily amount.

In some eastern counties stools are still used for diagnostic tests to show the health of liver function. And in the west some complimentary health practices offer similar tests.

As you know our motto is ‘good food for good health’ and we believe that maintaining your well being through a varied nutritional diet should be everybody’s goal- you are what you eat after all.

How well you eat affects how well your liver performs and also how regular waste products are removed from your system, therefore it is essential to eat good food to support your liver, as good nutrition helps form new liver cells and can help rebuild some damaged cells enabling good health.

So eating good food for good health really is ‘the way to go’ please excuse the pun, it is our motto and should be yours to make sure your bowels work regularly.

Eat well with regular bowel movements for a good healthy liver.

Please give us your ideas on how you believe you improve your liver health.

Sandra & Ted
http://www.goodfoodgoodhealth.com
http://www.thetalkingbooksite.com
http://www.quantum-mind-power.com