Friday, October 26, 2007

Broccoli May Help Fight Skin Cancer on Yahoo! Health

Broccoli Sunscreen !

Although "it is not a sunscreen, because it does not absorb the UV of the sun,"
as explained Dr Paul Talalay, a professor of pharmacology and molecular sciences
at John Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, yet the extract is applied on the skin to protect from the harmful effects of sun, AKA skin cancer

Read the full story.
Broccoli May Help Fight Skin Cancer on Yahoo! Health

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Sugar's Brother that Predisposes Us to Diabetes by Killing Chromium

High fructose corn syrup is the sweetener used in most sodas like, Coke Pepsi...etc. It is a sweet cheap substitute for sugar that drains that
kills Chromium in your body by clearing it away.

Chromium is a very important trace mineral that helps to regulate blood sugar levels in your body. If you have very little amount of chromium in your body, sugar levels in your blood start to rise.

The Washington Post published a recent story about the link between high fructose corn sweeteners and the growing numbers of diabetic sufferers.

People taking Chromium supplements watch a drop in their blood glucose level after a short while of taking it. Normally, your body cannot make this precious blood glucose regulating mineral, and it should be supplied by your diet.

If you take a chromium supplement, it should be safe and effective in
replenishing depleted chromium levels. Niacin-bound chromium or as it is called chromium polynicotinate has a good effect and safety profiles

To get your own diabetes recovery program working for you, kick the corn habit and fuel your body with chromium supplements that will help keep your blood sugar levels normal.

There's no recommended dietary allowance for chromium. But 50-200 micrograms daily is the "estimated safe and adequate daily dietary intake" for adults. Here are some food content of Chromium:

onions, raw --- 1 cup contains 24.8 mcg Chromium
broccoli ------ 1 cup contains 22.0 mcg Chromium
turkey leg ---- 3 oz. contains 10.4 mcg Chromium
tomatoes, raw - 1 cup contains 9.0 mcg Chromium
Romaine lettuce 1 cup contains 7.9 mcg Chromium
grape juice --- 1 cup contains 7.5 mcg Chromium
ham ----------- 3 oz. contains 3.6 mcgChromium
potatoes ------ 1 cup contains 2.7 mcg Chromium
green beans --- 1 cup contains 2.2 mcg Chromium
beef ---------- 3 oz. contains 2.0 mcg Chromium

Good sources of Chromium include
Egg yolks, Molasses, Brewer's yeast, Beef, Hard Cheese, Liver, Fruit Juices, Whole Wheat bread.

If you need Chromium supplement
go here

Living with Type II Diabetes?

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

How to Choose Products for your Oily skin

Do you have an oily skin? upset about that greasy feeling and the dirt that accumulates on your face? do you quit any flash photography?

The good news is that this oily skin tends to be less likely to show wrinkles and other aging signs compared to other skin types.This is because this oil acts physically as a natural moisturizer that keeps water in your skin making it more supple and flexible, so as to form less wrinkles.

Knowing this fact and leaving excess oil over your skin will lead to clogged pores, blackheads, and accumulation of dead skin cells with the net result is undesired result. You will have (sallow)-looking complexion, and very likely large visible pores.

Totally drying up your skin and degreasing it by too much washing can make things worse, since your oil glands will compensate for by producing more sebum (a natural skin lubricant and moisturizer).


Then what you have to do about this problem that needs that delicate balance?. Well. you should keep in mind that it will take some time for your skin to get into shape as far as being less greasy, but you have to pay some effort and discipline.

Here are some tips that help you take care of your oily skin:

1- Use very mild detergent or surfactant for cleansing. Avoid those containing fats that increase the oily condition you already have(e.g.Squalene,Shea butter). Cleanse at least 2 times a day and or after coming from outside but do not scrub hard, just a slight pressure from you finger.

2- Use a lotion for moisturizing (no creams or oils). Choose it to contain small amount of AHAs (alph hydroxy acids) to gently remove your skin dead cells, as well as compensate for the drying effect of the cleanser


3- Use a mild toner to remove excess oil on your face. Avoid the alcohol-based products to avoid the vicious cycle of drying- overproduction-drying of oil.

4- Choose oil-free products for your make up, avoid comedogenic products that will clog your pores. Some foundation products are designed to absorbing oil, and this controls the day shiny look

5- T use sunscreen, choose it in the gel form

6- If you suffer severe breakouts of acne, use moisturizer and cleanser that contain that contain a mild amount of Salicylic acid to clear your skin.

7- Think about your diet, a lot of Sweet,starchy and oily foods may aggravate your naturally oily skin. Eat more fruits, vegetables, and grains, drink a lot of water (8 glasses a day)

8- Do not forget your vitamins, especially vitamins A,E,C, and B complex


If you take a good care of your oily skin now, the benefits of less wrinkled,dry skin will follow you years later.


Look at your convenient products
HERE
HERE
HERE,
OR HERE

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Obese Children may have Heart Diseases Like Adults

Would you believe that a child may suffer health problems with his heart?!..suspicious? go read ScienceDaily

Want to cope with the problem?
Go read Health.Yahoo


Tuesday, October 16, 2007

How to eat during pregnancy if you have Gestational diabetes

If you have never complained extreme thirst, hunger, and fatigue and you only recognized them at any stage during pregnancy, then chances are you will be diagnosed to have gestational diabetes, which in most cases will go away after delivery, as it involves resistance by the body's tissues to the effects of insulin. 3-12 % of all pregnant women
may develop gestational diabetes between week 24 and 28 of their pregnancies.

If you are diagnosed to have gestational diabetes, you should maintain your blood sugar within the normal range for pregnancy. To achieve that you should eat all the day within the following scheme:

# Eat no less than 10 servings every day of whole fruits and vegetables
that are more nutritious and less calorie dense than dried fruits and juices. Increase your fiber intake and eat whole grains and dried beans.

# Avoid foods that are known to be high in cholesterol, so that your daily intake of cholesterol should not exceed 300 mg/day.

# Avoid Soda and fruit drinks which usually contain high content of sugar. Minimize alcoholic beverages to the least.

# When shopping read the labels carefully to make sure they fulfil the follow inf criteria:
* No more than 10 percent of your total daily calorie intake should come from saturated fat. Buy foods with less than 1 gram of saturated fat per serving.
* No more than 5% of the "daily value" per serving (less than 140 mg of
sodium per serving). Avoid too much salt.


Keep your blood sugar level as possible as you can to be consistent after and between meals. Learn what type, amount and time of the meals
you eat through the day that keeps blood sugar level within a consistent range. You may need to keep due diligence with your dietitian or doctor
to consult him about any change you need to do.

After all, those recommendations help you keep your body within a normal built, and overcome any health hazard accompanying pregnancy like overweight and or gestational diabetes.

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Is Capecitabine Tablet a Breakthrough in Cancer Treatment?

Professor Chris Twelves of the University of Leeds (UK), has led a study that followed 1,987 patients who had undergone colon cancer surgery. It found that patients treated with Capecitabine (Xeloda) spent 85 percent less time with their doctor or at the hospital, and experienced fewer side effects. The new results, showing patients’ five-year survival rates, confirm the effectiveness of the treatment.

Prof Twelves says “Standard chemotherapy can be incredibly disruptive to people’s lives. Patients visit hospital five days a week for the injections and then have three weeks off before returning to hospital for the next course – and the side effects can be unpleasant.”

He adds “We now have long-term evidence now that clearly supports Xeloda's superiority over the Mayo Clinic regimen. There is now no reason why we should ask colon cancer patients to endure the burdens associated with that older treatment.”

The oral chemotherapy drug Xeloda (capecitabine) offers fewer side-effects and less time in hospital – and the trial has shown that patients given the drug were at least as likely to be alive and free of their disease as those on standard chemotherapy (the Mayo Clinic regimen).

Xeloda is manufactured by Roche Holding AG. The study's initial results helped the Swiss-based company win European and US approval in 2005 for using Xeloda to treat colon cancer after surgery. The medicine also is cleared for breast tumours, and in March Roche won European approval for its use with chemotherapy in people with advanced stomach cancer.

About 945,000 new cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed each year globally, and the disease is responsible for about 492,000 deaths, according to Roche. The cancer is curable when caught early.

Saturday, October 06, 2007

Thalidomide the Good Devil that Treats Cancer

LONDON (Reuters) - Elderly patients with an aggressive form of blood cancer lived about 20 months longer when given the drug Thalidomide as part of their treatment, French researchers said on Friday.


Thalidomide was developed by German pharmaceutical company GrĂ¼nenthal. It was sold from 1957 to 1961 in almost 50 countries. It has the following properties:

# Thalidomide has sedative, hypnotic, and anti-emetic properties.

# Thalidomide is a potent teratogenic in humans, non-human primates, rabbits, and rats.

# With Thalidomide, the era of legislation of testing drugs for safety
during pregnancy before it can receive approval for sale had started
by the U.S. Congress in 1062. This act was in reaction to the tragedy of approximately 10,000 children that were born with severe malformities,
including phocomelia, because their mothers had taken Thalidomide during pregnancy. Other countries enacted similar legislations.

# Thalidomide relieves pain associated with Leprosy.

# Thalidomide is approved by the FDA for use in multiple myeloma.

# There are studies underway to determine Thalidomide's effects on several types of cancers like lung, blood, and brain cancers.

# Very recently (October/05), adding Thalidomide to the standard drugs
used in elderly patients with an aggressive form of blood cancer, was found to increase their survival time by nearly 52 months compared to 33 months for those on standard therapy. Progression-free(the time it takes before the disease worsens) also improved by about a0 months.


Thus, we can see that Thalidomide which changes badly the external forms of humans before birth, also better changes their internal forms
in their late years. Thalidomide is a good devil.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

What is the Major Upcoming Food Trend

There are some food trends that are moving upwards like Locally grown foods,Flexitarianism, Functional foods, Organic food, and Slow food.
The major leading trend among all of these will be Locally grown foods.

In the past 10 years, the number of U.S. local farmers' markets has more than doubled.. it is up from 1,755 to 3,706, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service.

Produce raised on "factory" farms which constitutes most of the produce grown in the United States- where statistics and info are abundant-, is picked about four to seven days before it arrives on supermarket shelves, and shipped for an average of 1,500 miles before it's sold, according to Local Harvest, a nonprofit agricultural research group.

All that downtime takes a toll. USDA researchers have found that if it's not handled properly, produce can lose up to half its nutrients in transit. Water-soluble nutrients such as vitamin C are particularly vulnerable.


When you buy locally grown foods you can:
# Find out how things are grown
# Request varieties of fruits and vegetables that wouldn't be available elsewhere
# Have food that tastes better than produce designed to be shipped

Locally grown foods best serve other emerging food trends that provide flavorful , nutrient-rich meals that are easy to prepare and can help you fulfill many of your dietary requirements.
These trends are:

# Flexitarianism : which is eating a primarily plant-based diet composed of grains, vegetables, and fruits, but you occasionally obtain protein from lean meat, fish, poultry, or dairy.

# Slow food: First launched by restaurateur Carlo Petrini, an Italian protester of fast foods, 20 years ago . The trend's principles are choosing locally grown and produced items, preparing them in traditional ways, and eating with friends and family... celebrate a relaxed approach to living that provides a welcome contrast to the fast-paced, eat-on-the-run lives many people lead.
"Slow food is all about cherishing the eating experience and getting back to what food used to be: a vehicle for drawing people together," explains Sara Firebaugh, assistant director of Slow Food USA.

# Organic food: These are foods produced following a government-regulated practice of growing and processing that minimizes exposure to pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals used in traditional farming. While these foods can be produced any where, yet aren't the local producers the most careful people about that?

# Functional foods: These are enriched with nutrients that may not be inherent to a given food. Familiar examples include orange juice fortified with calcium or milk fortified with vitamins A and D, eggs and pastas with omega-3 fatty acids, sterol-fortified chocolates and high-fiber, high-protein flours.
Again they can be produced any where, but the manufacturers certainly would consider the other upcoming trends and produce locally through
subsidiaries. After all these foods represent only a fraction of the consumed foods.


The food traditions through some 50-60 years ago are something like fashion which looks back sometimes to inspire new modes, yet food ones are determined by scientific findings rather than personal choices. The mode now is looking back and.. buying Local.


Real estate and stock market? Nope, I don't know, but if we imagine that the trend attracts some big players in a country like U.S. and they compete for buying local products, renting or buying vast lands in all or most of the states,and playing the way of Google and Microsoft...who knows?

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Artificial Sweeteners Raises Blood Sugar The Same Way

University of Liver pool- Press Room

Researchers at the university of Liverpool-UK- found that the sweet taste receptors are present also in the intestine and not only in the tongue.

Dietary sugars absorption is documented to be by a protein - sugar portal or gateway- the activity of which is regulated by the sugar content of foods. In an unknown way, the intestine senses how sweet is the food and consequently opens the sugar gates leading to increased absorption of dietary sugars.

Professor Soraya shirazi-Beechy from the faculty of veterinary Science-Liverpool university- said "Surprisingly we found that the sweet taste receptor was able to to detect artificial sweeteners in foods and drinks resulting in increased capacity of the intestine to absorb dietary sugars, which would explain why these sweeteners are unsuccessful at helping people lose weight.

She added “We are now researching mechanisms in which these receptors can be adjusted to benefit those with diet-related disorders. Diabetes for example, is where the body’s blood sugar level is higher than normal; if we could use the taste receptor like a dimmer switch we could set it so that the appropriate amount of sugar is absorbed in the body.

Jockeys can directly benefit from this discovery - although many of them know it traditionally- and give the race horses dietary supplements before and during the race, so that increased absorption of glucose can offer the high glucose levels horses need in long races.


Diabetics and obese people have to wait until the mechanisms in which these receptors can be adjusted to benefit them, when they can be used to control the amount of sugar that is absorbed.

Finally I am obsessed about a question that is not answered, if all the sweeteners we know will lead to the the same result, why don't we take advantage of the healthy properties of honey and use it as a sweetener?
If you like to read about using, you can go here,
honey for diabetics and overweight

or here,Living with Type II Diabetes?

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