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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

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

The skin is the body’s largest organ. It can also be a problem area.

The skin and its care is one of the biggest concerns of people as they age. Vitamin C is used in skin care to help prevent premature aging and damage from the suns rays.
The antioxidant properties of Vitamin C allows it to bond with and remove damaging radicals in the skin from pollution, cigarette smoke and other sources. Vitamin C is also a necessary part of the body’s production of collagen which is the fiber that makes tissues retain elasticity. So the use of Vitamin C in a daily skin care helps make skin look full and firm.

Vitamins are absorbed through the skin in creams and lotions, particularly Vitamins A and D. Vitamin C can be absorbed by the skin but the best form is L-ascorbic acid. This product breaks down very easily especially in sunlight giving it a short shelf life. Only buy small amounts in dark colored or brown bottles and keep it in a dark storage place.

This anti-aging treatment works by being absorbed into the skin and promoting the production of collagen. It also works as an antioxidant by neutralizing free radicals in the body. Because of its absorption properties of this form of Vitamin C, it will not wash away but remain in the skin.

Tagged with: antioxidant • skin care • vitamin C • Vitamins A and D

Most of us don’t think about the foods that will keep our liver strong. But, if you have been using a diet that is good for your overall health, then, most likely you are helping your liver.

Oils for a healthy liver are flax seed oil or fish oil ands should be used every day. Stay away from margarine or any other artificial butter since they contain chemicals the liver cannot recognize as food. Sunflower, safflower, and other seed oils should be kept in the refrigerator to keep them from becoming rancid.

Fat accumulates in the liver. The liver is responsible for breaking down the fat and using it for energy. Accumulated fat in the liver can become rancid producing free radicals that damage liver cells.

People only need about 2-3 ounces of protein, but if you do physical labor you need more. If there this undigested protein it is decomposed by bad bacteria creating toxic matter. These toxins can be absorbed into the blood and cause the liver extra work in detoxifying them.

You can support liver activity by eating foods such as brussel sprouts, broccoli cabbage, seeds and nuts and Lecithin (ask your doctor first).
Reduce or eliminate the use of processed sugar since it interferes with enzyme activity throughout your body. Use fruits, whole grains, barley malt, rice syrup, dates, dried fruit, and honey instead.

Ask your doctor about liver health.

Tagged with: Lecithin • liver health • Oils for a healthy liver • protein • Sunflower

Quinoa (keen-wa) is called a super grain that’s not really a grain. Quinoa comes from a plant that is like spinach; actually it’s the seed of the plant. It is full of protein and potassium and filled with iron and riboflavin.

You will find quinoa at health food and specialty food stores. Recently grocery stores are starting to offer quinoa. Quinoa is a terrific replacement for white rice as a side dish or as part of the main course. It is flavorful and really good for you.
Recipe for using Quinoa:
Quinoa with Flank Steak and Vegetables

1 cup quinoa
1- 1lb flank steak
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
sliced onion
1 8oz package of mushrooms
(All vegetables can be substituted with other vegetables)

Preparation: Cook the quinoa as directed. Once it’s cooked, add salt (or salt substitute and pepper to taste) and mix with a little bit of olive oil to make it moist.
Cut flank steak into bite size pieces and sauté in olive oil over low to medium heat. Cut up green pepper, red pepper and onion and sauté in a separate pan using olive oil. Once the meat is cooked, add the vegetables and sauté together. Add quinoa to the meat and vegetable mixture and mix it all together and serve.

Tagged with: Health Food • quinoa • replacement for white rice • specialty food • spinach

Once your body has digested and absorbed the food you are eating, are you really getting all the benefit from the nutrients?

Before the nutrients that are contained in the foods you eat have actually entered the blood stream, the nutrients are not actually considered to have entered your body. So you can actually eat a whole lot of good food without correctly absorbing its nutrients.

You can ensure that you absorb the maximum amount of nutrients from your diet with a number of techniques. Two of the major factors in the way to actually get the nutrients you eat would be to limit caffeine and alcohol intake. Alcohol can reduce the secretion of digestive enzymes that help to break down food and caffeine can reduce your body’s absorption of iron.

Stress can also play a role in not allowing your body to absorb all the nutrients available in your diet. So if you want your body to absorb the maximum amount of nutrients, keep caffeine and alcohol intake to moderate levels. If you still want to have your morning coffee, make sure that it is consumed at least an hour away from breakfast.

Tagged with: absorbing nutrients • Alcohol • benefit from the nutrients • caffeine

There is a theory that people will have a specific craving for certain foods that will provide a nutrient that is lacking in the body. Is this really the case?

In today’s world (except perhaps in some third world cultures) it has not been documented that there is a metabolic reason for food cravings. It is a more likely scenario that when a person is used to consuming foods like sugary sweets and that is all one eats, the body’s metabolism adapts and the body will guide you to the foods that the body is used to consuming.

An example of the above feeling on the theory that cravings are a signal that the body is lacking nutrients would be someone who has gone on a vegetarian diet and completely eliminated meat from their diet temporarily. When the person starts to reintroduce meat into their diet, their stomach becomes upset.

The person’s stomach is not used to digesting that kind of food. They have adapted to digesting just non-meat items. There are food digestive adaptations to the kinds of food that you eat. There seems to be a general feeling that those are the kinds of foods that you get used to.

However, if you have questions about this in your case, ask your doctor.

Tagged with: food cravings • lacking nutrients • metabolism • nutrient lacking • specific craving

The answer to this question depends on the type of food.

One example is a drink product that claims to have Vitamin C in it. The manufacturer of this drink has to put an extra amount of that vitamin in the product because some of the vitamins will deteriorate over a period of time. This depends on the temperature of the storage of the product. The higher the temperature or the longer the storage time, the more of the vitamin will end up deteriorating.

Vitamin C happens to be one of the most sensitive vitamins. If the product is to contain 100% of vitamin C at the end of the shelf life, then the manufacturer may have to put in 200% to begin with because they know that 2 years later it will have lost half of its value.

Fats can also oxidize. If you have ever had a bag of cake flour on your shelf in your kitchen and two or three years later it is full of weevils and you smell it and it has an awful smell, it is usually because the fat that is present in the flour has oxidized.

The moral of the story, it is always best to use your food in a timely manner and check expiration dates to make sure to get the most nutritional value from it.

Tagged with: expiration dates • sensitive vitamins • vitamin C • vitamins will deteriorate