antioxidants

Benefits of Eating Avocados

September 25, 2015 by Ajima Jackson 2 Comments

benefits of avocado Avocado is a unique fruit that is loaded with healthy fats and important nutrients. Unfortunately, many have been led to think of this fruit as nothing but a side dish in the form of guacamole. The delicious avocado should actually be a regular part of a healthy diet for a number of reasons. Here are just a few of the benefits of eating avocados on a regular basis.

Helps to Reduce the Risk of Some Cancers

Since raw avocados are anti-inflammatory and contain a lot of important antioxidants that have cancer fighting capabilities. Consuming avocado could also mean less risk of certain cancers (prostate, skin and mouth, for example). The reason for this is that phytochemicals present in the fruit inhibit cancer cell growth which causes cancer cells to die.

Avocado has also proven useful for people going through chemotherapy. Chemotherapy often leaves patients severely lacking in certain vitamins and antioxidants- all of which avocado helps to replenish.

Aids in Nutrient Absorption of Other Foods

Avocado is an incredible source of healthy fats. People need fat for overall health, especially brain health, but it also serves another purpose. The fat helps your body process/use nutrients. Fat absorbs vitamins and minerals that normally wouldn’t be completely used by the body. It literally acts like a sponge so when your body breaks down the fat, it also gains numerous other nutrients.

Improves Heart Health

Another reason avocado’s impressive fat content is so good for the human body is that it protects your heart’s health. Most of the fat in the avocado is called oleic acid and studies have shown that it’s useful in reducing inflammation and protecting the heart from disease and stress. If you have a history of heart conditions in your family or already have a health condition, you definitely want look into to eating more of this fruit.

Helps to Lower Bad Cholesterol

Again, fat comes into play. Monounsaturated fat is a healthy fat that helps lower bad cholesterol, which is also known as LDL. The reason this happens is because avocados are high in a compound called beta-sitosterol. This compound doesn’t only lower LDL but simultaneously raises HDL, which is the health cholesterol. A study published in the Archives of Medical Research proved just how effective avocados are at lowering bad cholesterol.

Impressive Source of Fiber

The average woman is lacking roughly 5 to 10 grams of the recommend 35 grams of fiber she should consume on a daily basis. Instead of going to a fiber supplement, just have an avocado. One medium avocado has about 11 grams of both soluble and insoluble fiber, roughly 25% soluble and 75% insoluble. Fiber is very important for weight loss, digestive health and overall metabolic health.

Avocados Support Eye Health

As mentioned earlier, avocados are high in different antioxidants but two of them are particularly important for eye health, Lutein and Zeaxanthin. These two antioxidants have been proven to reduce the risk of cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration. Avocados are useful in eye protection in all ages but are especially useful for the elderly.

They Have an Insane Number of Vitamins and Minerals

This fruit is loaded with vitamins and minerals, more than 20 of them to be exact. These include:

Vitamin K
Vitamin C
Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6
Vitamin C
Vitamin A
Folate
Copper
Potassium
Zinc
Phosphorous
Iron

All of these vitamins and minerals are necessary for health and if you can get all of them in one food, why not?

Avocados are just as healthy as they are delicious. They are also super versatile in terms of how you can prepare them. If you’re unsure of how to incorporate avocados into meals check out these recipes for inspiration. It is best to consume avocado raw or unprocessed to get the most nutritional benefit from them. Recipes like fried avocados wedges are delicious but you are going to be negating a lot of the fruit’s health benefits.

Is Green Tea Good For Weight Loss?

August 28, 2014 by Ajima Jackson 1 Comment

green tea weight loss

In these days of fad diets and intense searches for the next weight loss miracle, you’ll hear “green tea” come up in health-centered conversations more and more often. Many people take on drinking green tea not knowing if or why it really helps with weight loss. Even though it’s occupying shelves in health and vitamin sections nationwide, I have to wonder “Does it really work?”. Let’s clear up a few misconceptions…

Super Drink

Rest assured, all the rumors are indeed true about this tea being good for you…but it is NOT a miracle weight loss drink. That being said… Green tea is one of the healthiest beverages you can drink. Overflowing with antioxidants, there are numerous benefits to consuming green tea including how it can help you have a healthy heart and that it has anti-cancer properties.

While the natural supply of vitamins and nutrients in Green Tea can help your body to burn calories and fat, the results don’t come about as quickly as some would expect. This doesn’t take away from its effectiveness as a nutritional supplement. If you read the ingredients of popular weight loss and diet pills, you’re likely to see some form of green tea listed. It works in terms of supporting health, but it isn’t “the answer” in itself to losing pounds. Anything worth having requires some effort, a healthy life included.

How It Works

Green tea works to reduce fat and stimulate your metabolism. The fats and sugars that enter the body are synthesized into a substance known as triglycerides. When digested in healthy amounts, triglycerides provide the body with energy. If they are consumed in excess, they’re stored as fat. The polyphenols in green tea activate enzymes that can help dissolve extra triglycerides. The problem: You have to drink a significant amount of tea or consume it in a concentrated form to even begin to have any real effect on the body. Also, depending on what else is going on with your body, green tea may not have an effect at all.

It seems that green tea is good for so many things and that includes addressing high triglycerides. The catechin flavonoids in green tea can reduce triglycerides by up to 20%. The catch is you need to be a BIG tea drinker to benefit as about 600 to 700 mg of green tea catechins are required to achieve the triglyceride lowering effect (the equivalent of 6 to12 cups per day since the catechin content of tea varies greatly). Alternately, nutritional supplements are available that provide green tea catechins in a more concentrated form. – DiabeticConnect.com

Additionally, green tea contains caffeine, another substance known to aid fat burning in some people. Some avoid the consumption of caffeine because of its strongly stimulating properties. However, many choose to indulge in a hot cup of green tea because it contains a significantly less amount of caffeine than coffee. You’ll still reap the energy increasing benefits without the hyper-sensitive side effects.

Increased Metabolism

Burning fat also means an increase in your body’s metabolism. Recent studies show consuming green tree extract stimulates a process known as thermogenesis. This is the natural increase in your body’s temperature during digestion. Thermogenesis determines how quickly your food will be burned off and recycled into energy. It’s possible to experience this fat burning, metabolism increasing benefit by drinking green tea as a beverage or, for added convenience, you can consume it as a dietary supplement. It’s important to note that the increase will not be significant enough to burn off a lot of pounds all at once and green tea alone is not a long term weight loss solution.

Add It To Your Routine

As previously stated, green tea has been proven to have numerous health benefits but to reap them to their maximum potential, it’s best to incorporate it into your daily health regimen. You’ll see most commercial weight loss supplements include green tea, and all of them suggest a regular exercise routine and healthy eating habits for the best results. Green tea works, just not on its own. Those who take a daily extract supplement burn 17% more fat while exercising than those who don’t (the dosage varies depending on age, weight, etc). Continuous consumption also strengthens the metabolism, creating a constant fat burning routine even after your workout is completed. Do your research on what dosage is best for you.

Whether you’re working toward weight loss or just trying to improve your health, green tea is a great addition to your grocery list. High in catechins (phytochemicals), green tea along with an active lifestyle has been proven to combat obesity and heart defects. A diet high in calories with mild activity won’t yield the best results regardless of any natural supplements. A moderately monitored diet with equally moderate level of exercise usually shows significant progress around 12 weeks. Those who are increasingly active and consume a weight-friendly diet can expect to see results much sooner.

The results may seem to straddle the fence a bit in terms of weight loss, but the overall health benefits outweigh its ineffectiveness when it comes to dropping pounds. Green tea isn’t the final answer for someone looking to lose 25lbs as quickly as possible but for long-term benefits for your waistline and internal organs, green tea is worth adding to your shopping list.

PS: Matcha Green Tea is one of the hottest trends around right now. Learn more about this powerful form of green tea.

Get More Vitamins From Healthy Food Sources

July 2, 2014 by Ajima Jackson Leave a Comment

get more vitamins from food Healthy eating is all about eating foods that are full of the nutrients that we need for thriving health. That is even more important when you are trying to lose weight and foods full of empty calories. There are a couple nutrient sources that almost everybody is familiar with. Whether it’s Vitamin C from an orange, potassium from a banana, or calcium from milk, these sources are pretty common knowledge. What’s important to remember is that there are dozens of other health sources out there that supply the healthy vitamins we need and simple ways to maximize the efficiency of these foods supplying our system.

Vitamin B12 and B6

Vitamins B6 and B12 share some significant similarities in both how your body obtains them and also how it processes them. These B vitamins as well as folates (folic acid) are very essential to nerve cell functions. With a proper supply of blood rich with these vitamins and oxygen running through your nerves you’ll have better learning, memorizing and focusing abilities. A proper amount of these B vitamins is 1.3 for B6 and 2.4 for B12 in terms of milligrams per day. These vitamins found in supplements, fortified cereals (up to 100% of daily value), meat, spinach, and seafood such as yellowfin tuna.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is one of the vitamins that our body needs the most of, up to 90mg per day in adult males and 75mg a day for adult women for the minimum with some individuals consuming up to 3,000mg. Many people pop Vitamin C pills at the first sign of almost any ailment from an oncoming cold. Vitamin C definitely boosts the immune system but also has antioxidant properties for cancer defense, cataract prevention, lowered heart disease risk, and even increasing sperm count in smokers (just an fyi). Fruits are an excellent source of Vitamin C because they can be eaten in their natural state and don’t lose any potency when cooked. Potatoes and supplements can be substituted for those not fond of fruits.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is most commonly associated with bone and teeth strength but the benefits are much more astounding. It’s suggested that you get 200-400 IU per day. For instance, Vitamin D helps to lower the risk of multiple sclerosis, heart disease, flu, and can help lower blood pressure. Vitamin D deficiency can be especially damning to your bones and makes osteoporosis that much more likely. The amount of Vitamin D needed by a person per day varies on an individual basis but the best way to acquire the resource is by spending time in the sun. If your schedule or climate doesn’t permit it, take D supplements or buy food fortified with the vitamin such as milk, yogurt, orange juice, salmon, tuna, eggs or fortified whole wheat cereal.

Calcium

Calcium is your body’s most common mineral and employs a wide range of functions. Calcium is required daily because it’s lost through the hair, skin, nails, sweat, and waste and experts recommend at least 1000 to 1200 milligrams per day to replenish the supply. Having adequate calcium resources helps to prevent osteoporosis, lose weight, stave off PMS, and possibly deter cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Plain yogurt, cheese, milk, black eyed peas, nuts, sesame seeds, tofu, and leafy greens like spinach are all good sources of calcium.

Vitamin E

It’s not that E is the creepy uncle of the vitamin world, it’s just that the mineral doesn’t get as much notoriety as it’s sister supplements. Some people see it more as something that affects the skin and nails more than something to be included in your diet, but it is a key nutrient. 15 mg per day is suggested for adults. Vitamin E promotes healthy skin, healthy cells, good circulation, and helps with healing from sunburn and reducing scars. Vitamin E also helps moisturize the skin for treatment and anti-aging methods. Vegetable oils are a great source of Vitamin E, as are nuts, avocado, seeds, green vegetables and fortified foods like cereals, fruit, and butter.

Iron

Iron deficiency is a large health scare so adequate levels should be maintained by eating rich foods like healthy meat (turkey and chicken livers included), egg yolks, beans, liver, tofu, prunes, pumpkin, artichokes, and leafy greens. Adults should shoot for about 18 mg per day, but if you have anemia or a deficiency you’ll need to have blood tests to confirm how much iron you need per day in the form of a supplement.

8 Natural Appetite Suppressors

June 17, 2014 by Ajima Jackson Leave a Comment

How do you deal with cravings? Cravings for foods that you know will cause weight gain and poor health are difficult to deal with and cause many to give up on their weight loss journey. There are all sorts of methods people use to suppress their appetite when trying to change to more healthy eating habits. Some people use natural appetite suppressors while others use over the counter diet pills or prescribed pharmaceutical products. Diet pills and pharmaceutical products are not ideal as they can have harmful side effects and are not realistic for the long term. You don’t want to be dependent on pills to keep your eating habits in check. Today. I want to share some natural appetite suppressors you can use instead. These are things that you actually can work into your daily eating habits for the long haul.

1. Rye Bread

Natural Appetite Suppressors Rye is a type of grass which is used as a grain. There are many types of products manufactured using rye, including bread. There are many benefits of eating rye bread, vs. wheat bread (most people are eating processed and bleached wheat). First and foremost, it helps balance the glucose and blood sugar levels in the body. This is because it is rich in natural whole fiber that makes you feel fuller for a longer time frame after you eat it. It also helps boost the metabolism to improve digestion. Rye bread is also an excellent appetite suppressor because of the high fiber content. Since it is natural, there are no harmful side effects.

2. Drinking Water

Water is also considered to be a great appetite suppressant. Water should be used by making sure that you are in fact hungry. In most cases, when the body is dehydrated, it shows the same signs as hunger. Many people are not familiar with how their body signals a need for more water. We want to be in tune with that so that we give our bodies what is needed. If you are eating when your body is crying out for water, you are more likely to gain weight because you will continue to mistake the feeling of dehydration for a need for more food. If you feel hungry, you should drink a glass of water (at least 8oz) and wait for 15-30 minutes. If the hunger feeling was a result of dehydration, it will be subsided. If not, you can have a snack.

3. Wasabi

This is a natural spice which is mostly used for preparing sushi. Spicy foods in general are great appetite suppressants because there is a limit to how much of them you will eat. Eventually, you turn the plate down due to the heat and you don’t overeat them. Wasabi is very spicy and that is the quality that makes it an effective food for eating when on a weight loss regiment. It is very versatile and can be added to a number of things like deviled eggs, nuts, marinades for meat, veggie dips, homemade salad dressings, etc. In addition, it acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.

4. Fava Beans

Fava beans are another type of food that is extremely high in fiber content. In addition, it also contains an ingredient known as isoflavone. First and foremost, the fiber content keeps you feeling full for longer. Also, isoflavone is beneficial in suppressing your appetite. Foods that are rich in fiber play an important role in regulating the cholesterol levels in the body. Fibers also help control the glucose levels in the blood. So, not only do Fava beans help suppress the appetite, they also help keep you healthy.

5. Almonds

You should eat almonds regularly. They are a great source of Vitamin E which keeps your brain sharp. They also contain antioxidants and magnesium. In addition, almonds are also rich in fibers. Moreover, they stay in the digestive system longer than most food items because the fiber is not fully digested. Due to this, they keep you feeling full for longer, which helps in suppressing your appetite. The fibers in almonds also keep your blood pressure under control and prevent other cardiac diseases.

6. Chia Seeds

Like most edible seeds, Chia seeds are rich in fiber. The difference with chia is that when they are in water they produce a gel that is water based and sticky which adds to the full feeling they create. They also are full of healthy omega-3 fats and healthy protein. The ounce of chia seeds can give you 4.4 grams of protein. Due to this, they should be consumed on a regular basis in things like salads, smoothies and puddings.

7. Mint

There are many different ways that mint can help you suppress your appetite. You can chew fresh mint leaves when you feel hungry. The strong aroma of mint will suppress your appetite (buy some essential oil and add it to a plain tea light candle). Moreover, you can also drink mint-infused water to suppress your appetite (recipe). There are many people who use mint chewing gums to suppress their appetite (watch out for artificial sweeteners).

8. Fiber Powder Supplements

If you find it difficult to consume natural fiber, you can always take over the counter fiber powder supplements. There are countless supplements available in the market. The best thing about these supplements is that you can dissolve them in your favorite drinks because many are tasteless. You can also put them in things like smoothies, pudding and yogurt. It will fulfill your fiber requirements and also suppress your appetite.

Are the Green Tea for Weight Loss Claims True?

November 7, 2013 by Ajima Jackson 2 Comments

If you were to believe all the advertisements, infomercials and half the websites on the Internet that are connected to a product with green tea, you might think that it is the magical answer to weight loss. It can be hard to separate fact from fiction when it comes to evaluating products and supplements aimed at helping people burn fat because the issue of obesity is highly charged and there is a lot of money made on diet products. The tried and true methods of reducing calories, eating healthy and increasing exercise can seem too hard to maintain, if your schedule is overburdened or your current weight and lifestyle habits make it hard to break through into healthy living. Green tea has been presented as a cure-all of obesity, but are the green tea for weight loss claims true? The answer is a resounding yes and a huge no. Understanding how green tea can assist in weight loss and how to use it to support a weight loss program will help you achieve your goals realistically.

How to spot when things aren’t what they seem

The first thing you have to accept is that the human body is not designed to lose a pound a day. The body is hard-wired to prevent starvation and will quickly seek to regain the weight loss when the chance comes, and not just regain it, but to build up an additional surplus of fat just in case it is placed into starvation mode again. This is why healthy weight loss is most often calculated at a pound every week to two weeks. This pace means that the weight loss has not placed stress on the metabolism that will create a backlash weight gain and that your habits have changed to support sustaining the healthy weight loss as well.

What green tea does

Green tea leaves are taken from the plant Camellia Sinensis which is indigenous to China and grows in many areas of Asia. The leaves are harvested and prepared with a minimum of oxidization, which preserves a high level of naturally occurring polyphenols in the leaf. The polyphenols can then be consumed by ingesting the tea or water the leaf has been steeped in. These polyphenols contain many properties that are just beginning to be understood and documented by the scientific community to support the practices the tea has been used for in traditional medicines. Polyphenols have been shown to provide support to the immune system, act as a diuretic, have high concentrations of antioxidants, and have the effect of raising the metabolic rate without also increasing heart rate. Traditionally, green tea is used to increase energy, fight off sickness and as a weight loss agent. The thought is that by ingesting regular amounts of green tea in powder, capsule or infused water the polyphenols act within the system in support of immune and metabolic functions. However, this is a theory but one with a lot of information out there to back it up.

How to use it to support a weight loss plan

No green tea product is going to help you lose weight just by taking it alone. It’s not a magic pill. Green tea is a diuretic, so you will experience some water weight loss but that is not permanent. Green tea has been proven in scientific studies to aide in weight loss by increasing the metabolism by up to 4%. Your metabolism is how fast your body can process fat to fuel, which is how weight is lost. Green tea has also been shown to increase energy levels, similar to caffeine, which can help you keep up with exercise routines. There is also evidence that green tea supports healthy blood sugar maintenance which is also beneficial to weight loss management.

Guaranteeing success

Green tea can play a very important role in weight loss. By using it in conjunction with calorie management and an exercise program, can help you to lose weight and keep it off. Just think of it as any other supplement you may choose to use. It’s a tool. One of the best ways to incorporate green tea in your diet is to use it as a substitute for sugary or high caloric drinks, such as lattes and other fancy coffees. In the end, adding green tea to your daily diet may assist you in reaching your weight loss goals in a healthy way that can be maintained, but it will not do the work for you.

antioxidants

Benefits of Eating Avocados

Is Green Tea Good For Weight Loss?