How Heart-Healthy is Alcohol?
Dr. Joseph Mercola

Although past research suggests that drinking a glass or two of
wine a day may have some heart benefits, new findings suggest
that those studies were flawed.

Risks Outweigh the Benefits

There is some evidence that heavier drinking provides heart
protection — alcoholics have relatively ‘clean’ arteries — but
the other health risks of heavy drinking outweigh the benefits.

Early observations in the 1970s and 1980s seemed to indicate a
20 to 25 percent reduction in heart disease risk linked to light
drinking. However, the way those studies were carried out did
not allow researchers to say with certainty that the findings
could not be due to factors other than alcohol consumption.

Diet, Exercise, Quit Smoking

The British Heart Foundation responded to the new evidence by
saying that their advice remained the same: “… the best way to
reduce the risk of heart disease is to quit smoking if you
smoke, increase levels of physical activity and eat a healthy
balanced diet.”

BBC News December 2, 2005

Dr. Mercola’s Comment:Good advice from the British Heart
Foundation, so long as your balanced diet is nutritionally sound.

As I’ve said before about studies touting all the “benefits” of
drinking red wine, I personally do not advocate it. There are
many health experts that feel it is fine in moderation, but I am
still not convinced.

This is largely because I am convinced the alcohol itself is
actually a neurotoxin, which means it can poison your brain.
Additionally, it has the strong potential to seriously disrupt
your delicate hormone balance. Plus, drinking two or more
glasses (of wine or any alcoholic beverage for that matter) may
offset the benefit and increase your risk of certain cancers.

You also need to be aware that consuming large amounts of wine
will increase insulin levels and eventually have a negative
impact on your health that way as well.

If you absolutely insist on drinking red wine, check on the
growing conditions of the grapes used and how the wine is made.
And if you can, take a brisk walk to pick it up, as exercise is
your real ticket to preventing heart disease.

About the author:

This article is reprinted from Mercola.com, the world’s #1 most
visited and trusted natural/alternative health website. For a
limited time only, you can take the FREE “Metabolic Type Test”
to help you learn the right foods for your particular body type
so you can achieve optimal fitness & health. Just go to
http://www.mercola.com/forms/mt_test.htm right now to take this
quick test!

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Healthy eating with fruits and vegetables
Zaak OConan

Dietary experts recommend that every person should eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. The importance of fruits and vegetables to a healthy diet has been known for quite some time, but studies have shown that very few people eat the amount of fruits and vegetables recommended for a healthy diet.

That’s a shame, since eating a sufficient number of fruits and vegetables just may be the single most effective thing you can do to improve your overall health. The five a day approach to healthy eating may be the single most important strategy you can adopt for a healthier lifestyle.

The many health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables have been established for quite some time now. Study after study has shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of certain cancers, heart disease and other chronic diseases and conditions. Some studies have suggested that as many as 35% of cancer deaths can be attributed to diet, and that diets high in fats and low in fruits and vegetables contributes to unnecessary cancer deaths.

Fruits and vegetables have a lot of advantages besides just their nutritional importance. For one thing, they taste great and add a great deal of variety to everyday meals. Fruits and vegetables come in such a wide variety of colors, textures and flavors that they can be used in virtually every meal. Those seeking to maximize their consumption of fruits and vegetables should get into the habit of using fruits in salads, as toppings and as garnishes.

In addition to their great taste, fruits and vegetables are packed full of many essential vitamins and minerals, including many micronutrients that are not included in packaged vitamin supplements. For instance, foods like butternut squash, pumpkins, carrots, mangoes, peaches, pawpaws and green leafy vegetables are rich in beta carotene. Beta carotene is vital for healthy skin and eyes.

In addition, most varieties of fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C, another important vitamin and a strong antioxidant. Good sources of vitamin C include Brussels sprouts, citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli, nectarines and kiwi fruit. Many fruits and vegetables, including spinach, broccoli and avocadoes, are also good sources of vitamin E, another excellent antioxidant.

Men and women alike should always strive to eat a healthy diet, but women have an extra incentive to get all the nutrition they need. Proper nutrition is essential to a healthy pregnancy, and some of the baby’s biggest nutritional needs happen before the pregnancy is discovered. Folic acid is perhaps the best known essential nutrient for pregnant women. Folic acid has been proven effective at preventing a variety of birth defects, including Spina Bifida. Good dietary sources of folic acid include Brussels sprouts, broccoli, spinach and oranges. In addition, due to its importance to women of child bearing years, many common foods such as cereals and breads, are supplemented with folic acid.

In addition to their importance as source of vitamins and minerals, fruits and vegetables also provide essential dietary fiber. Adequate fiber in the diet is important in preventing heart disease and some kinds of cancer.

Another great feature of fruits and vegetables, especially to those watching their weight, is the high nutrition, low fat, low calorie nature of these foods. Fruits and vegetables contain very low levels of fats, and a diet low in fat can be quite effective for long term weight loss. In addition, fruits and vegetables contain no cholesterol, and they are lower in calories than many other types of foods.

With all these things going for them, it is no wonder so many dietary experts recommend eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Not only are fruits and vegetables delicious and nutritious, but they can be quite inexpensive as well. Buying fruits and vegetables that are locally grown, and that are in season, is usually the most cost effective way to get the freshest fruits and veggies at the lowest possible cost.

This buying strategy also helps to ensure a steady stream of new fruits and vegetables every month, as some go out of season while others are just coming in. Trying a variety of different fruits and vegetables, including some you may not be familiar with, is also a great way to create exciting new dishes and prevent yourself from becoming bored with the same old diet. Whether your goal is to lose weight or just increase your level of fitness, it is hard to go wrong with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
About the Author

Zaak O’Conan discovers and presents useful information on how to enhance and/or repair your life, body and relationships. You’ll find his other articles on eating better and other ways how to improve your life at http://your-health-center.com

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The pH miracle diet attempts to control many different conditions in the body, including obesity, through the omission of acidifying foods and behaviors. One of the most surprising inclusions on the list, at least to Westerners, is milk. Dairy products, although a mainstay of the Western diet, are not included in the diets of most of the populations around the world. So what does the rest of the world know that we dont? Dairy is not necessary for health; from a pH perspective, it is actually harmful to the body.

Many people believe that dairy and milk are essential for bone density and for overall health. However, dairy products have large amounts of protein and fat, which are both acid forming elements. Cows milk and products made from cows milk produce acid. Goat and sheep milk and cheeses, which have less fat and protein, produce less acid. The only dairy exception is clarified butter that is alkalizing due to the short chain fats within it.

In 2003, the Harvard School of Public Health released an alternative pyramid to the FDA recommendations based on imbalances that the members saw in the original pyramid. Although it did not mention acid and alkaline foods specifically, the pyramid shows a tendency toward alkaline foods. One of the most striking differences between the FDA pyramid and the Harvard pyramid is the inclusion of a dairy serving or calcium supplement 1 time daily. The FDA recommends 2 to 3 servings per day, in addition to dietary supplements.

Dr. Meir Stampfer, a professor in the departments of Epidemiology and Nutrition and the Chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, points out in an explanation of the Harvard pyramid that Americans should be eating less dairy products. The body needs calcium, but not at the levels present in the two to three servings recommended by the FDA. Calcium is necessary for normal bone development and maintenance; yet the average adult can get enough calcium from a supplement. The levels of calcium present in 2 to 3 servings of dairy per day can actually be harmful to health. Excess calcium intake may increase the risk for certain cancers and there have been no links between massive amounts of calcium and osteoporosis prevention.

In addition, dairy is far from being a pure food. The dairy industry has worked hard to proliferate the image of cows milk being essential and harmless. Consider, however, that fifty years ago the average cow produces 2,000 pounds of milk per year and today cows average 50,000 pounds per year. Drugs, antibiotics, hormones, specialized breeding and forced feeding all up milk production so dairy farmers can produce in mass quantities. All of these additives are part of the milk that people drink everyday.

A growing number of Americans, including those who follow the pH miracle diet, are eliminating dairy from their diet and having fantastic results. In recent studies, milk has been linked to intestinal colic, intestinal irritation, anemia and allergic reactions in infants and children. In children, the main problems were allergy, ear and tonsil infection, asthma, colic and childhood diabetes. The studies showed that adults suffered from heart disease, arthritis, allergy and sinusitis as a result of conventionally produced milk.

Just a quick search on the dangers of dairy can really open your eyes about this safe food. Reading the research and seeing the acidic effects of milk and other dairy products make it clear why it is excluded on the pH miracle diet.

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Healthy Eating How Small Diet Changes Can Improve Your Health

According to a number of dietitians and nutritionists, making small changes to your diet, as vigorous as your lifestyle, can do a great deal towards improving your weight and cholesterol levels, and also enhances you overall well – being. A healthy eating plan generally involves making those small but symbolic changes to what you eat, and how you eat. Here’s why how small diet changes can have positive effects on you health.

Switch To Healthy Fats

A few decades forward, whenever we were told to cut back on dietary fat, many of us sadly went extreme, and actually gave buildup on good store as well. A healthy diet includes the consumption of healthy fats and oils, which are derived from fish, legumes and nuts. Low – fat diets can also help to increase the body’s level of HLD, or good cholesterol. Good sources of healthy cholesterol include fatty fish, which is rich in Omega – 3 fatty acids, and is good for the heart.

Decrease Your Serving Size

If you’re the compassionate who loves super – sizing your food, since switching to up – sized drinks fries and burgers at the fast food joint only costs a few bucks, you may be loading your system with a lot of artery – clogging fats. Make sure that you check your food item’s health labels, because each extra calorie will have on to those pounds of unwanted monster that are stored in your body. A recent report by the American Journal of Public Health notes that obesity rates have soared up because serving portions and sizes have grown too. The best thing to do, is to decrease your usual serving portions of food by a quarter or a third. Instead of serving the usual hamburger – sized bun, give yourself sandwiches on dinner rolls, and make it a habit to order child – size portions each time.

Increase Your Intake Of Fruits and Veggies

In 199, the US National Cancer Institute, in tandem with the Produce For Better Health Foundation, began a five – spell program to encourage people to eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables each day, to reduce the risks of unfolding certain cancers. Today, more lucid and private health programs advocate increased vegetable and fruit consumption among the public. Five to nine servings of vegetables and fruits per day, according to the NCI, helps reduce a person’s risk of developing certain cancers, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and even macular degeneration. Serve yourself at number one one serving f fruits and veggies every breakfast, lunch and dinner. Also casual augmenting on dried o canned light fruits, and buy fruits in bulk, whenever they’re in season.

If you slowly educate yourself the basics of good diet, and you also start making healthy lifestyle and food choices, you’ll certainly be able to see positive changes in your body, in that well as in your general score. You’ll feel better about yourself, and you’ll have a better attitude towards family, friends and work. You’ll also have a lot of energy left at the end of the day to do the things you want.

24 Hour Fitness
http://www.www.24-hr-fitness.com

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