TabsMagic

xperts are saying that the fruit and vegetables that people choose are not always the best choice. The researchers from the U.S. presented their discoveries at a health meeting. They said that people would be better off eating papaya instead of oranges and sweet potato instead of carrots.

They base their conclusions on the data revealing that most people get the majority of their nutrients from only a few fruits and vegetables and that there are better choices available. They said there was a rich source of disease preventing phytonutrients from watercress, kale and raspberries.

The researchers explained, saying that for beta carotene most people ate carrots, for beta-cryptoxanthin most people got it from oranges, for lutein/zeaxanthin it was spinach and for ellagic acid it was strawberries. They then described which vegetables offered a greater source of these nutrients.

Sweet potatoes provide double the amount of beta carotene than carrots, papaya provides 15 times more beta-cryptoxanthin compared to oranges and kale possesses three times more lutein/zeaxanthin compared to spinach. Also raspberries contain three times more ellagic acid compared to strawberries.

Keith Randolph, the leader of the study said, “This data highlights the importance of not only the quantity but also the significant impact the quality and variety of the fruits and vegetables you eat can have on your health.”

The British Nutrition Foundation however, cautioned about depending on just a few select food types to enhance health and said there was not really any “superfood”.

From the British Nutrition Foundation Dr Emma Williams said: “They are right that some foods are richer sources of phytonutrients. But at the end of the day, to be healthy you need to make sure you have a varied and balanced diet,” adding that “No one food can give you everything you need.”

The study was presented at the Experimental Biology conference in Anaheim, California.

Personally I think that messages like this can deter people form eating enough fruit and veg and it should be stressed that any fruit or veg is better than none!!

Beauty.

Something sought after by all, if not in the physical sense then in the emotional and mental. What a person sees beauty in is as subjective as their tastebuds, but we all seek it.

What is it that makes a person beautiful?

Most of us would like to think that we look past the physical, and look for the ”inner beauty” of those that we love and are close to.
However we are all prone to fall for the seductive lure of physical beauty at various stages in our daily life, but does this mean that we are any less able to see the person underneath, and do we really treat all the people in out lives equally, regardless of their external appearance.

Many clients of mine have commented on this which causes me interest. Especially those in the weight loss departmant. ”i get much more attention from the oppersite sex thanks to you Tabs” was one I recieved last week from a 35 year old female who had lost 2 stone on a weight loss program with me.

So, am i right to assume that due to the weight loss she is deemed as more attractive to the opposite sex, hence the attention.

Thats what she thinks. I question it.

Could it not be possible that it is a change in her confidence levels that is allowing her to perceive that others are attracted to her, wheas before her low self esteem had already written herself off with respect to any man finding her attractive.

Is it more a case of her self confidence allowing her inner beauty to show?

I do not know the answer, but i do know that the way a person feels about themselves effects the way that they think, act and talk to others. Skin deep? As a sufferer of acne for most of her adult life Bethany Alderson has been interested in this issue for many years, working in the beauty industry she has fouud that the problem of skin disorders greatly effects the self confidence of her clients. The diffence the way a person projects themselves after they have had a make up consultation which has allowed them to feel confident about the way that they look is apparent the second that they look in the mirror. Bethany has worked with top end celebrites from both the TV and film industry but has started a personal campaign to research the roots of skin problems and how they can be dealt with so that she can use her own experinces to benefit anybody that suffers skin issues.

These women are often stunningly beautiful, but the detrimental effect on their self confidence that acne has can lead to depression and associated such problems. As is the effect that I have found with weight gain and poor diets.

There is a lot to be said for looking deeper than the surface to find inner beauty, but if the surface is the factor distorting the inner person, then maybe that treatment for the surface is indeed more than vanity.

A study has revealed that bone fracture risk is reduced by taking Vitamin D and calcium supplements. The study involved almost 70,000 patients from all over Europe and America. The study especially revealed that the benefits were applicable to all people male or female, young or old and those who had or had not experienced a bone fracture in the past.

Although the study was first published in 2006, it has only just been made available online on the British Medical Journal’s website.

Professor of internal medicine at UC Davis and a joint-author of the journal article, John Robbins said: “What is important about this very large study is that it goes a long way toward resolving conflicting evidence about the role of vitamin D, either alone or in combination with calcium, in reducing fractures.”

He further added that “Our WHI research in Sacramento included more than 1,000 healthy,
postmenopausal women and concluded that taking calcium and vitamin D together helped them preserve bone health and prevent fractures. This latest analysis, because it incorporates so many more people, really confirms our earlier conclusions.”

Researchers working at Denmark’s Copenhagen University led the study that analyzed results obtained from seven big clinical trials that were conducted around the world. Each study was aimed at determining whether just vitamin D on its own was most effective at reducing fractures in people 70 years old or more or whether the addition of calcium made a difference. No benefits of vitamin D supplementation alone were found.

Summing up, Robins said that “This study supports a growing consensus that combined calcium and vitamin D is more effective than vitamin D alone in reducing a variety of fractures,” and that “Interestingly, this combination of supplements benefits both women and men of all ages, which is not something we fully expected to find. We now need to investigate the best dosage, duration and optimal way for people to take it.”

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has discovered that 92% of mothers are duped by artificial food labeling. Only 8% of mothers rejected all claims made by food companies on their packaging labels. This was the result of mothers being shown a variety of slogans that are found on popular foods that kids eat. They were asked if the label meant the food was healthy to eat or not. The BHF chief executive, Peter Hollins, said: ”Mums are having the wool pulled over their eyes by food manufacturers,” adding that ”Smoke and mirror tactics means that foods targeted at children and high in fat, salt and sugar are being disguised with partial health claims suggesting they’re a healthy choice.” Such slogans such as ”a source of calcium, iron and six vitamins’,” can be found on the side of milk bars and Coco Pops ceareal when in actual fact they contain more sugar and saturated fat than a chocolate cake. ”Regularly eating these types of foods could have serious implications for kids’ future health.”,” says Peter Hollins. Nestlé’s Honey Shreddies are described as ”wholegrain” and can ”keep your heart healthy and maintain a healthy body”, despite the fact that a serving of 45g contains 13.6g of sugar. A ring doughnut has 9.2g. The answer says the BHF is for the traffic light labeling system to be used by food manufacturers on the front of the products. ”Partial health claims and the mish mash of food labelling systems serve only to confuse shoppers about the nutritional value of what they’re putting in their shopping baskets,” said Hollins. He gave a clear message to food manufacturers by saying: ”It’s time for food companies to stop making excuses, support one system and ensure shoppers are given ‘at a glance’ information about the foods they’re giving their kids.”

Scientists are concerned that there is no safe level of trans fat consumption. Despite a large amount of negative press about trans fast, they are still being widely used by food manufacturers in the UK. Scientists say that that they are not even necessary as an ingredient in food and a safe level of trans fat consumption does not exist.
 
The majority of people are now aware that fats essentially fall into two categories. One is good fats that are unsaturated and the other is bad fasts that are saturated. The saturated fats are mostly found in fried foods, dairy products and meat and eating too much of them puts the person at risk of heart problems and stroke. Unsaturated fats such as polyunsaturates and monounsaturates are mostly obtained from plants and are beneficial to health.

Trans fast are industrially produced trans fatty acids and are much more damaging to the arteries and heart than saturated fats. They are created by turning liquid vegetable oils into solid fats via an industrial process called hydrogenation. For this reason trans fats are also known as hydrogenated fats. For more than 100 years food manufacturers have been using them in products such as cereals, pastries, cakes, chips, biscuits as they provide a longer shelf life.
 
In the UK, there is no legal requirement for retailers or food manufacturers to mention that their products contain trans fats. However, they are obliged to mention the presence of hydrogenated fats. (They are the same thing.) These will be listed as Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (PHVO) or hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (HVO). Also the word ‘shortenings’ indicates trans fat content.
 
Many countries have banned the use of trans fats but in the UK there is only a “Voluntary agreement adopted by the British Retail Consortium, representing 85% of retailers in the market, to phase out trans fats as an ingredient in their own-brand products. However, there are no sanctions for those producers who drag their heels, and the voluntary commitment does not cover imported foods.”

So at the moment it seems that the consumer will have instigate the boycott!

This is the recently published list of all the disorders that a banana a day can help overcome!! Pretty impressive really!

So Bananaman really had it right! There are so many benefits of fresh fruit and veg that often get swept under the mat especially at snack time when the biscuit tin seems to be calling….

So do you eat yours? And do you insist that your family get theirs? May be worth a trip to the local grocers..

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier. 

PMS: Forget the pills – eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood. 

Anemia : High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia. 

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.  

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England  ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert. 

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives. 

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system. 
Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief. 

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness 

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation. 

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system. 

Overweight and at work? Studies at the   Institute  of   Psychology  inAustria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips.. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.. 

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases.. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach. 

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a “cooling” fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In   Thailand  , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature. 

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan. 

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal. 

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance.. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack. 

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%! 

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

Artichokes or more precisely artichoke leaf extract has been found to be great at keeping cholesterol levels down. The artichoke leaf extract is made from the leaves found at the stem of the artichoke plant itself. The majority of people only eat the heart of these vegetables and leave the leaves aside, yet research reveals that they are the best part of it.
 
ALE has been utlised by herbalists as a means to enable the liver to cleanse itself by keeping the bile circulating efficiently. However as a powerful antioxidant, ALE can also be used as a way to detox the body by rejuvenating the diet.
 
Other health areas that ALE has been known to be very beneficial are with gastrointestinal disorders, digestive problems, abdominal pain, indigestion, gas, nausea, acid reflux disease and vomiting. Additionally, ALE keeps the gallbladder in top working order.
 
 
Dr. Rafe Bundy, one of the doctors involved in the study said that reducing cholesterol levels can, “Reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Our research investigated whether ALE could be beneficial to otherwise healthy people who had raised levels of cholesterol but were not yet at a stage where they needed standard medical intervention.”

Anyone got any good recipes?