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You can improve your health and boost your healing power by adding fresh pineapple and pineapple juice to your diet. Pineapples are nutritionally packed fruit. They are high in the enzyme bromelain and vitamin C, both of which play a major role in the body’s healing process.

Bromelain is a natural anti-inflammatory and has analgesic properties and helps with healing. Bromelain is great for treating bruises, sprains and strains by reducing swelling, tenderness and pain. The anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties can also help with osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and reduce swelling after surgery. The bromelain in pineapples can help with good digestion.

Pineapples are rich in vitamin C, which is an antioxidant that protects the body from free radical damage and boosts the immune system. Vitamin C helps build and repair bodily tissue and promotes wound healing. The body uses vitamin C to help metabolize fats and cholesterol, helps with iron absorption, and synthesizes amino acids and collagen.

Vitamin C also increases the body’s ability to fight invading bacteria and other toxins that contribute to oral disease. Pineapples help reduce periodontal disease, which has been linked to heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

The best way to get the beneficial effects of pineapple is to eat the fresh fruit because most of the bromelain in canned pineapple is destroyed due to the heat used in the canning process.

Ask your doctor if pineapple is a good addition for your diet.

Tagged with: analgesic • anti-inflammatory • antioxidant • pineapple • vitamin C

Cancer is the number 2 killer in the United States just below heart disease. It has been estimated that 1/3 of cancers are linked to diet.

Researchers have found that women who eat lots of fruits and vegetables have a much lower rate of breast cancer. The minimum servings per day recommended are 5, aiming for 10 servings.

The nutrients found in fruits and vegetables play a key role in reducing the risk of breast cancer. These nutrients include vitamins C and E, and beta carotene. Beta carotene is best when it comes from foods instead of supplements. As far as vitamins C and E, supplements are both relatively safe and effective when taken in the correct dosages.

Fiber may also help reduce breast cancer risk. One can increase their fiber intake by eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Being over weight is a strong risk factor for developing breast cancer. Researchers believe that even a 10 to 20 pound increase in weight over a woman’s life span can increase the risk of breast cancer.

A healthy diet and a healthy weight is beneficial to good overall health as well as having the added benefit of helping to reduce the risk of breast cancer. Talk to your doctor about more ways to reduce the risk.

Tagged with: breast cancer • fiber • fruits and vegetables • healthy diet • healthy weight

Syncope simply means fainting.

Despite the fact that syncope is not uncommon, it is an area of concern to patients that experience it.

Syncope is caused by a sudden decrease in blood pressure. A patient will often be dizzy before syncope.

Syncope has different causes. Sometimes it is caused by a neurologic problem such as a seizure or migraine headache.

Other non-cardiac causes of syncope include breath-holding spells, hyperventilation, hysteria, and exposure to certain drugs or toxins.

There can be cardiac causes of syncope as well:

Heart rhythm abnormalities

Diminished heart function, cardiomyopathy; myocarditis and Kawasaki disease; and ischemic heart disease

A cardiologist is the one to determine whether one of these serious causes of syncope exists.

However the most common cause of syncope low blood pressure.

Most causes of syncope can be successfully treated. Syncope due to neurologic causes can be treated with medications. Cardiac causes of syncope have a wide range of treatments depending on the cause.

People with syncope are advised to avoid caffeine, increase salt intake, and stay well hydrated. Fluid intake should be increased to the point that one’s urine is colorless.

If a patient feels dizzy try these steps lying down, squatting, tense abdominal muscles, cross legs at the ankles, and place one foot on a stool or chair while the other foot remains on the ground.

If you are having syncope episodes, speak to your doctor.

Tagged with: cardiac causes • fainting • heart • neurologic causes • syncope episodes

Last week we started a series about foods which help fight the fat in your diet. This week, we are featuring five fruits which are exceptionally rich in antioxidants that they are dubbed as the new ’superfruits’.

It is a good thing that more and more people are incorporating fresh fruits in their diets – but the most common items include bananas, apples and oranges. Why not try out something that is both exotic, new to the tastebuds and will provide you with as much health benefits as the traditional fruits in your refrigerator?

The first item on our list is fresh figs. Figs are rich in dietary fibers, potassium and manganese. This chewy, lusciously sweet fruit has double the potassium content of one large banana.

Figs are rich in antioxidants which help boost the immune system. In addition, this fruit helps promote bone density, helps in weight loss and lowers high blood pressure.

Instead of bananas, add some fresh figs to a bowl of oatmeal for a power-packed, healthy breakfast. Fresh figs can also be stuffed with goat cheese, chevre or Brie and sprinkled with some nuts for a healthy and tasty hors d’oeuvre.

Tagged with: Antioxidants • figs • fresh figs • Health Articles • Health Food

When a person eats food, the process of how the body gets its nutrients is called digestion. This breaks food down into its respective nutrients.

Carbohydrates get broken down into single units of sugars, protein into amino acids and fats into fatty acids. This process of receiving nutrients actually starts when you chew the food. Then the food travels down into the stomach through the esophagus where it is liquefied by stomach acids. When the food reaches your small intestines, this is where the nutrient harvesting begins.

Most of the digestion and absorption of the food occurs here in your small intestine. Digestive enzymes called lipase, amylase and protease act on fats, carbohydrates and proteins to break them down into their nutrients for absorption.

Once the food has been broken down by the acids into their simple units, they are then absorbed into the blood stream for further chemical changes to make other compounds that the body needs.

Water and small fats cross the intestinal wall easily. Some nutrients such as water and fat soluble vitamins need a carrier to take them across the wall. Other nutrients such as proteins and glucose move across the wall and into the blood stream by themselves but use energy to do so. This is a simple explanation of how the body uses foods as nutrients.

Tagged with: amino acids • Carbohydrates • digestion • nutrients • units of sugars

When we are trying to get protein, is red meat bad for us like the doctors say?

Fatty meats or red meats are typically higher in fat and the fat is generally a higher saturated fat than say, poultry (white meat). It would be the saturated fat in the meat that is the culprit and the doctors are warning against. To say that red meat in general and altogether is bad for you would be taking the statement too far.

Even though red meats may contain higher levels of saturated fat, they still have high levels of the essential amino acids that your body needs to survive.

The protein in the red meat provides all eight essential amino acids while the protein found in wheat flour or cake flour may only provide one or two amino acids.

It comes down to an understanding of how the foods work in the body, if you eat red meat, just make sure that you cut all the fat off or purchase lean cuts of meat.

Eggs are another great source of protein if you don’t like meat. The egg white has an abundance of all the right amino acids, is easily digested and absorbed into the body.

Ask your doctor about the right sources of protein for you.

Tagged with: Eggs • essential amino acids • protein • red meats • source of protein

EKGs are used as a preventative measure for people who have a family history of heart disease.If a patient complains of chest pain or irregular heart beat the doctor will probably do an EKG.

An abnormal EKG is determined by comparing the results of the EKG ordered for you with a normal EKG. Normal EKG’s show a slight flat-dip in between beats. If these flat-dips are missing this is not normal.

Myocardial defects, heart valve disease, enlargement of the heart, inflammation of the heart, coronary artery disease, and past, pending or future heart attacks are only a few of the problems that EKG will find .

Some patients are surprised to find out that they have had an abnormal EKG. As well, even more surprising is when presented with abnormal EKG results, some physicians do not seem concerned. This doesn’t mean they are inadequate physicians; it is more likely they believe something else has caused the abnormal reading.

Most doctors will want to check further by doing another EKG. Sometimes something as simple as low blood sugar can alter EKG readings.

When you have an EKG done, ask your doctor to explain the results to you and ask questions if you don’t understand.

Tagged with: abnormal EKG • cardiovascular disease • ekg • Heart Disease • heart healthy • irregular heart beat

Resveratrol, a substitute for aspirin, is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory substance put together from a variety of plants, including vines to peanuts and pine trees.

Asian medicine has used Resveratrol for centuries in treating heart problems. It helps to lower cholesterol as well as preventing blood clots.

Resveratrol is cultivated from the stems, leaves, and skins of grapes. And even though a glass or two of red wine each day may lower the risk of heart disease, one recent study shows that alcohol-free red wine works just as well.

The alcohol free version of Resveratrol is available in purple grape juice, red or purple grapes, and peanuts. But, because of the fermenting process in wine, resveratrol levels are higher in red than in grape juice grape juice.

Besides aiding in heart health, studies have shown that resveratrol can help prevent colds, increase the levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, lower the risk of Alzheimer’s, reduce the size and number of fat cells in the body, reduce the risk of prostate cancer, and has anti-inflammatory properties.

Resveratrol may also work better than aspirin for cardiovascular protection. Resveratrol protects the heart by limiting the effects of cardiac fibrosis.

Ask your doctor about using Resveratrol as an aspirin substitute.

Tagged with: aspirin • cardiovascular disease • Heart Disease • heart health • Resveratrol

You have probably heard about the Omega 3 fatty acids, but do you know how good they are for your heart and all the other benefits?

Extensive research in to the substance indicates that Omega 3 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids. This means that they are needed for human health but cannot be manufactured by the body. Because of this, Omega 3 fatty acids must be gotten from food.

Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in fish and certain plant oils. It is important to have the correct balance of Omega 3 and Omega 6 in your diet because these two acids work together to promote health.

Omega 3 also plays an important role in brain function as well as normal growth and development. Omega 3 fatty acids also reduce inflammation and help prevent heart disease and arthritis.

Omega 3 fatty acid can also be used for the treatment, control, and improvement of depression.

Omega3 dramatically reduces the risk of death and blood clots. As well, the Omega 3 fatty acids offer protection against cardiovascular disease and help to protect the heart.

If you are considering taking dietary supplements that contain Omega 3, check with your doctor first.

Tagged with: cardivascular health • essential fatty acids • fish oil • heart health • omega 3 fatty acids