Saturday, September 22, 2012

The Benefits of Superfruits.

There has been a lot of talk about superfruits lately, but have you ever heard of super fruits? Super fruits have become increasingly popular over the past several years and they can be found in a variety of food products. There are many claims that they will ensure longevity, great health and prevent aging, but do they really deliver on these promises?
Super fruits deliver antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients that can help nourish your body and keep it functioning optimally.
We have all been told growing up that fruits are good for you and the bottom line is that fruits are good for you

 Super fruits are a class of fruits that contain higher amounts of important antioxidants and phytochemicals that may contribute to good health as part of a well balanced diet. When compared to apples and bananas and other common fruit they score higher on the ORAC rating system. Super fruits include acai berry, African mango and raspberry ketone. 

Acai berries are loaded with antioxidants, but they are also full of other good stuff, such as dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, amino acids and essential fats.
Acai berry is believed to help the body fight the effects of ageing better than most fruits.  It can also reduce inflammation, reduce blood clots and improve digestion.
There are hundreds of acai berry capsules available to purchase on the market, both, online and on the high street. Be very careful when buying acai as there are many products available.  Acai berry should always be the first ingredient on the label, however you will probably see it third, fourth or sometimes even fifth. This means there is very little acai berry inside the product and it is more likely padded out with fillers, bulkers and anti-caking agents. It is often claimed that extra ingredients are necessary to process the acai into a useable form, this is simply not true.
Acai berry capsules by Evolution Slimming are a 700mg capsule strength available in 60 capsule packs. 2 capsules are recommended daily, equalling 1400mg of pure acai berry fruit straight into your body. They are the highest quality Acai Berry without any hidden ingredients or costs.

African Mango
African Mango comes from the extracts from the Irvingia Gabonensis seed. African mango may be relatively new to the UK, but is starting to take over the weight loss industry in terms of its effectiveness.
Irvingia Gabonensis is a fruit tree found in West and Central Africa, also known as 'wild mango' or 'bush mango'.
The African Mango Diet Pill is said to provide assistance in weight loss, improve total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and blood glucose levels.
African Mango can develop significant weight loss with scientific results. African Mango’s potential to generate these remarkable weight loss results from the favorable changes to the bodies fat stimulating and fat producing hormones. The soluble fiber found in the African Mango also works as a laxative which can also works to suppress appetites.
African Mango has been demonstrated to delay stomach emptying, which brings to increased absorption of dietary sugars. In this way, African Mango reduces blood sugar levels after a meal. The African Mango Diet Pill also is made up of cholesterol improving components with improvements in total and LDL cholesterol. Research subjects revealed a drop in cholesterol levels.

Raspberry Ketone
Raspberry Ketone is a natural phenolic compound that is responsible for the heavenly aroma of red raspberries. According to certain studies, it is also a potent fat burner.
It was discovered that raspberry ketone increased both the expression and secretion of adiponectin. This is important because adiponectin is a protein hormone which modulates a number of metabolic processes, including glucose regulation and fatty acidcatabolism.
If weight loss is not enough, higher levels of adiponection have been shown to control the metabolic derangements that may result in type 2 diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome. As a result of all of this, Raspberry Ketone holds great promise as a fat-burning, health-improving herbal supplement.

Eating fruit is a way to increase vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals and fiber in the diet. Eating fruit can also satisfy a sweet tooth due to its natural sweetness. No one food including a super fruit is a magic bullet that has the ability to prevent or cure disease, especially if the diet is poor. Super fruits can add important nutrients, and antioxidants to any well balanced diet, and have a lower impact on blood sugar levels. The recommendation for fruit consumption is two to four servings for most people.  Besides super fruits, you can also obtain many health benefits by eating other fruits containing high levels of antioxidants such as blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, raspberries, cherries and black currants.
 Conclusion
 It would therefore appear that fruit is not only good for us but can lead to severe weight loss – who knew!!!

Dietary Fiber for Natural Health

Dietary Fiber for Natural Health

When people look at the nutritional content of foods, they tend to concentrate more on calories, protein, fats and vitamins. Most of the time, people forget to consider the dietary fiber content of foods. In recent studies, it was shown that in America alone, less than half of the population gets enough fiber in their diet.

Taking in enough fiber will greatly improve your natural health and well-being. Here are some facts that you have to know about dietary fiber

What is it?
Roughage or dietary fiber is the indigestible part of plants that travels through the digestive tract. In an overview, it helps the body absorb more water and improves elimination of wastes. It also helps in the absorption of nutrients and other chemicals.

There are 2 types of fiber. The soluble fiber is the one responsible for lowering blood cholesterol levels. Because of this, intake of enough soluble fiber will reduce your risk of developing heart diseases and stroke. Insoluble fiber increases bulk that your body needs to maintain the functions of your stomach and intestines. This type of fiber prevents you from experiencing constipation.

What are the benefits of getting enough fiber in your diet?

Bowel Movement and Integrity
Having enough fiber provides you with bulk. It helps you have well-formed and soft stool so wastes can pass easily. With this, you are sure not to have constipation. When you have diarrhea, adding fiber to your diet will help you absorb water and form bulky stools. It is also said that fiber can help relieve patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Having a high fiber diet also reduces your risk of developing hemorrhoids, diverticulosis and diverticulitis. Since fiber helps you pass stool easily. There is no need for straining during defecation. This is one of the ways fiber helps prevent these health conditions.

Regulates Blood Cholesterol Levels
Soluble fiber helps maintain an ideal cholesterol level by reducing the amount of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) in your body. LDL is also called as bad cholesterol. It has also been studied that fiber can also lower your blood pressure. Maintaining a good blood cholesterol level puts you at lesser risk of developing heart diseases.

Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
This is one of the reasons that most diabetic patients add fiber in their diet. Getting enough soluble fiber aids in the absorption of sugar in your body. It helps your body absorb sugar slowly so diabetics can avoid sudden peaks on their blood sugar level. Enough insoluble fiber in your body is also said to prevent development of type 2 diabetes.

Aids in Weight Loss
Eating foods with high-fiber content may require you to chew your food longer than you would any other type of food. Because of this, your body is given enough time to think that you are already full. This would lessen chances of over eating. A high- fiber meal will also lower down hunger cravings because fiber takes a longer time to be digested. You feel full longer when you eat food with high fiber content. Fibrous foods also have fewer amounts of calories in them. So no matter how much fiber you eat, you won't have to worry about the number of calories you are taking in.

Fiber is also said to fight off carcinogenic agents, thus lowering your risk of getting certain types of cancer. 
If you want to improve your health the natural way, adding more fiber to your meals is a healthy idea.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

A Yogurt A Day?


The Benefits of Yogurt

Yogurt is a popular snack treat for people who are trying to monitor their weight. Did you know that apart from making you lose weight, yogurt has other benefits to your body? There are so many types and varieties now, styles like "Greek" flavors like "Key-Lime Pie" and "red Velvet Cake", you can find exactly what fits your needs and taste-buds.

One way to improve your health naturally is by eating an adequate amount of yogurt every day. Yogurt has live microorganisms called probiotics. These good bacteria help your body works properly. 

Here are some benefits you can get from eating yogurt:

• Improves gastro-intestinal functions
Since yogurt is rich with probiotics, it helps improve food digestion and absorption. Good digestion and absorption will prevent you from experiencing hyperactive bowel movements and constipation. Yogurt also helps lactose intolerant individuals. It also lowers your risk of getting inflammatory bowel diseases like Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's disease.
• Boosts your immune system
Probiotics from yogurt makes your body stronger in resisting harmful bacteria, thus lessening your risk of getting infections. These good bacteria also enhance your body's natural healing process so you can easily recover from illnesses.
• Regulates your blood pressure
A study have shown that having 2-3 servings of low-fat dairy daily will greatly reduce your risks of getting high blood pressure. Some dairy products are high with dairy fat that is not healthy for your heart. Yogurt is a low-fat dairy product that does not have a bad effect on your heart.
• Maintains your weight
Because yogurt is low-fat, it frees you from worries of gaining weight. When dieting, it's important that you still get enough nutrients so you don't end up being malnourished. Yogurt contains an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals that you need. With enough yogurt intake, you get enough nutrients without the worries of moving the scales up.
• Prevents osteoporosis
Yogurt, just like some dairy products have added calcium and vitamin D. These nutrients are very important in making your bones stronger. Strong bones will prevent you from developing osteoporosis.

Here are some tips you can follow when deciding on adding yogurt in your diet.

1. Choose the type of yogurt that you want to take. There are various types of yogurt. One of the fastest-growing market segments now is "Greek" Yogurt. Some yogurts contain regular fat, some are fat-free and some are low-fat. You may also want to check the sugar contained in the yogurt. There are yogurts that have more sugar than others. Look at the label at the back of the package. Read and compare nutritional contents of different brands. This will help you choose the best brand in the market.
2. Make it a habit
You can eat yogurt anytime and anywhere. Make it a point to take some yogurt everyday. Bring some in the office so you can easily have yogurt on your lunch break. You can also put a small yogurt cup in your bag so you can take a healthy snack anywhere.
3. Substitute other ingredients with yogurt
Yogurt can easily be added to your recipes. Use yogurt instead of ice cream when making a smoothie. You can also try adding yogurt when baking cakes and other pastries. You can easily substitute milk to yogurt.
4. Make eating yogurt fun delightful
There are numerous recipes that you can follow so that you don't only get to eat the flavored yogurt available on the market. Adding fruits on your yogurt is a good idea and will make your snack even healthier. Mix in some wheat germ or healthy cereal and you are good to go