Healthy Foods And Cacao: Part One
By: Marilyn Reid
What makes a food a healthy food? What properties does it have to make it a nutritional super food? We age because our bodies break down and wear out. Why? From the moment we draw our first breath, we begin the, usually, slow process of dying. Every breath gets us a step closer. The unfair part is that the process of aging is initiated with breath. Oxygen, so vital for our living, brings us daily closer to death. Think of the aging process as rusting. That is why antioxidants are so essential. They help the body deal with the process of rusting and thereby help stave off aging and help the body function optimally.
Green tea is quite a powerhouse. In the last couple of years, dentists have been recommending green tea because it has been shown to kill the bacteria causing plaque. As we know, dental plaque is, indeed, related to cardiovascular plaque and those with oral issues often also have heart issues. Further, studies have shown that green tea is beneficial in treating mouth and throat infections, which might explain its connection to a decrease in esophageal cancers. Green tea has been linked in several studies with a reduction of cancer proclivities, probably because of its high levels of antioxidants.
Usually, when we think of cacao, we think of hot cocoa. Cacao, even cacao tea http://healthyfoodrawdiet.com/cacao/cacao-tea), however, has often been recommended as a substitute for other, more harmful drinks. While cacao does contain some caffeine, it tends to be less acidic than coffee or black tea and therefore tolerated more easily. Furthermore, cacao, especially unprocessed and unsugared, has loads of other health benefits. Containing such properties as Phenylethylamine, it is able to induce both a sense of calmness and alertness. Cacaos levels of flavonoids are unsurpassed by most foods and contain other minerals like magnesium and chromium provide the body with nutrients that will stave off sugar cravings.
Blueberries, like green tea, are loaded with antioxidant vitamins. Blueberries, cousins to cranberries and bilberries, have been shown to promote urinary tract health. Interestingly, the tartness associated with wild blueberries is one of the reasons blueberries are so potent. That tartness leads to helping the body in becoming more alkaline (and less acidic). Acidity, we know, makes our system work harder. Our body has to strip magnesium and calcium from our bones to reduce the bodys acidity and make it more alkaline. Over time, a high level of acid in the body will affect the kidneys that are under load from the acidity and are working overtime to neutralize it. Blueberries, on the other hand, help restore and maintain a good level of alkalinity.
It has been suggested by numerous studies that cancer itself may be the body’s reaction to being under the load of inflammation over time. Any time we force our bodies to work overtime and we do not give our bodies the raw materials it needs to deal with that level of stress, we invite a whole host of other issues. Superfoods, like cacao, green tea, and blueberries are generally high in antioxidants and help the body fight inflammation, while providing it with the nutrients it needs to function optimally.
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Flavonoids are a type of antioxidants, a superfood (http://www.healthyfoodrawdiet.com/cacao)
Worldwide Research for Alternative Treatments of Diabetes
Alternative Treatments of Diabetes Are Currently Being Researched in Many Countries Around the World.
Posted August 8, 2009
By Annie Duvall
Alternative treatments of diabetes are currently being researched in many countries around the world. There is research being done on natural substances that help alleviate many of the symptoms of Type-2 diabetes. Diabetes is a disease where the body is not able to metabolize glucose in the blood.
Type-1 diabetes is caused by the damage of Beta islet cells located in the pancreas. When working properly these cells usually secrete insulin but for people with Type-1 diabetes these cells are not working. Type-1 diabetics will need to be on insulin therapy for the rest of their lives. Type-2 diabetes is cause by the destruction of insulin receptors on cell surfaces which causes the cells to be resistant to insulin.
Type-2 diabetes can be managed with lifestyle changes and medication and in some cases with lifestyle changes alone. There are also many alternative or natural substances that can help alleviate symptoms and control blood glucose levels for Type-2 diabetes. Currently studies are being conducted on many herbs that have been used for centuries to treat diabetic symptoms.
There are several Amazon jungle root herbs with reported abilities to lower blood glucose levels, normalize the frequency of urination, and eradicate glucose in the urine of diabetic patients. In Brazil, the Pfaffia root has been used for decades to treat the symptoms of diabetes. Pata-de-vaca is also widely used in Brazil for the treatment of diabetes.
One doctor in China has studied the results of goji berry on the blood of thousands of patients. This doctor theorizes that the goji berry makes the patients blood more alkaline. He has reported that as the alkalinity changes, there is a turnaround of all illnesses. His claim is that this reversal includes diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, obesity, renal failure, high cholesterol, arthritis and other illnesses associated with physical or mental problems, including attention deficit disorder.
Another research program currently in China has diabetics drinking a tea made from the goji berry. Results show that up to 62 percent of subjects showed decrease in blood glucose levels and over half of the patients being able to control blood sugar levels with diet alone. Goji helps with the release of oxygen to the cells with an enzyme named 23BPG. This seems to help reduce the symptoms caused by the narrowing of blood vessels in the legs, eyes and other areas in the body of diabetics.
Another natural substance that is being studied is cocoa. A study conducted in Germany showed cocoa with high flavanol improves cardiovascular health. The study was specifically to test the effectiveness of the cocoa with long term use. Forty-one stable Type-2 diabetics were given cocoa with high dose flavanol in comparison with low flavanol dosage cocoa. During the study, the researchers did find that the flavanol found in cocoa did have a positive effect on FMD response in diabetics.
Researchers concluded that these results happened by increased production of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a chemical that sends signals to arteries to relax and widen in response to increased blood flow. This relaxation of the arteries takes stress off the heart and blood vessels.
Alternative treatments of diabetes are currently being researched in many countries around the world. There is research being done on natural substances that help alleviate many of the symptoms of Type-2 diabetes.
Having diabetes myself, I found it hard to make some good food until I found more than 500 yummy recipes in a free ebook at Adviceondiabetes Source: Annie Duvall
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