Bee Pollen - A Medical Miracle?

It is precisely because of this pollen that many people who have allergies will be negatively affected by bee pollen. In fact, there are documented reports of bee pollen and royal jelly triggering asthma, hives, sore throats, facial itches and even anaphylactic shock in people with allergies to specific pollens. And these reactions can occur with as little as one teaspoon of bee pollen.

Bee pollen has all the essential components of life.  It is considered by many to be nature's most perfect complete food. It is extremely loaded with vitamins and contains nearly all known minerals, trace elements, enzymes and amino acids. Bee pollen is also considered to be a first-rate source of anti-oxidants.

 

Bee pollen is a complete food, and taking it helps to balance the incomplete foods that we are all used to eating in everyday life.

 

Additionally, bee pollen is one of the world's oldest health foods.  You can find references to it in the Bible, the Torah, the Koran as well as ancient Chinese and Egyptian texts. And one of our most popular presidents, Ronald Reagan, took bee pollen for years.

 

And many people swear to the healing properties of bee pollen. They claim that it'll give you increased energy, boost your body's immune responses by increasing your red and white blood cells, increase longevity by repairing damaged cells, and help to cure all kinds of diseases with it's built in antibacterial qualities.

 

People also say that it is good for the intestines, moderating and controlling the organisms dwelling there and helping to aid digestion and the assimilation of nutrition

 

But it helps to keep a little perspective and remain as least a little sceptical. Thus far, I am aware of no reputable scientific study that supports the view that bee pollen is effective against any human disease.

 

So what exactly is bee pollen?

 

Pollen is created by the male part of the flowering plant. As the bee flits from flower to flower, it carries pollen with it, which cross-pollinates and fertilizes the plant. Some of the pollen also makes it back to the bee hive where bee keepers can then collect it.

 

And it is precisely because of this pollen that many people who have allergies will be negatively affected by bee pollen. In fact, there are documented reports of bee pollen and royal jelly triggering asthma, hives, sore throats, facial itches and even anaphylactic shock in people with allergies to specific pollens. And these reactions can occur with as little as one teaspoon of bee pollen.

 

But another real hidden danger is that many people will believe so much in the efficacy of bee pollen or some other nutrient of the month that they completely ignore the signs of their own body. Nutritional supplements should never, ever take the place of consultation and treatment of your doctor or competent health care professional and nutritionist.

Beans Could Be The Answer To Your Diet Nightmares

So you’re a healthy eating convert, and you want to start making sure all your meals are perfectly balanced. If you’re on a limited budget, though, you might have a problem. There’s a reason why most people get too much carbohydrate and fat and too little protein: most kinds of protein are expensive. Meat and cheese, two of the best sources of protein, are also two of the priciest ingredients you can buy.

 

So, if you want to eat healthily on the cheap, what’s the answer? Well, it might surprise you. What you need is beans.

 

Beans are a cheap crop, readily available in large tins for not very much money at all, and yet they are an excellent source of protein, and taste good too. There’s no shortage of variety, either: you can get everything from baked beans to kidney beans to butter beans, all lined up there in the same section for you. If you’re not sure of what to do with them, find some vegetarian recipes, which tend to be very bean-heavy, and give them a try. 

 

It can even be nice to mix together a few different kinds of beans and have a bean salad with a sauce and a simple side dish, but an easy way to add protein to your meal. Pasta with a dairy-based pasta sauce containing beans is an example of an ideally balanced meal, as long as you don’t overdo it with the pasta, as is rice with bean curry.

 

Of course, I’m not recommending that you stick to beans for your protein all the time, as you’re bound to get sick of them eventually. If you can replace meat or cheese with beans even occasionally, though, you’ll save a lot of money without affecting the balance of your meal.

Be Healthier With Veggies

The new food guidelines issued by the United States government recommend that all Americans eat between five and nine servings of fruits and vegetables each and every day. When you first hear that number, it may seem like a lot, but it is actually much easier than you think to fit that many servings of fruits and vegetables into your daily diet. For one thing, the shelves of the grocery stores are fairly bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition, vegetables and fruits are some of the least expensive, most nutrient rich, foods in the supermarket. With all these fruits and vegetables to choose from, it is very easy to make these nutritious, delicious foods part of your daily meals and snacks.

 

When you take into account how much a serving really is, it is actually quite easy to get five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day. For instance, the recommended daily amount actually equates to a quite reasonable two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables every day. When you consider how many fruits and vegetables are available, and how low the prices usually are, it is easy to see how easy to reach this daily goal really is.

 

One great way to get the nutrients you need from fruits and vegetables every day is to take full advantage of the variety of these foods available. Eating the same thing every day quickly becomes boring, so why not pick a variety of fruits and vegetables, in every colour of the rainbow and in every conceivable shape, size and texture, to give yourself a varied diet every day.

 

When shopping for fruits and vegetables, it is important to choose a variety of different colours. This is for more than purely artistic reasons. Different colour fruits and vegetables have different types of nutrients, and choosing a variety of colours will help ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need each and every day.

 

Finding new recipes is another great way to ensure you get those five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Everyone likes to try out new recipes, and these new recipes may just provide the impetus you need to eat all those fruits and veggies.

 

New recipes can also provide you the important opportunity to try out some fruits and vegetables you have never tried before. For instance, everyone has eaten oranges, but have you tried kiwi fruit or mangoes? How about spinach or kale? Trying new things is a great way to find new favourites while getting the best nutrition available.

 

Many people mistakenly think that they do not need to eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day if they just take a vitamin supplement. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. That is because fruits and vegetables contain far more than the micronutrients identified by science and synthesized in vitamin pills. While these micronutrients, such as vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E are important to good health, so too are the hundreds of other elements that are contained in healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. These elements are not available in any pill, they must be ingested through a healthy, balanced diet that contains plenty of fruits and vegetables.

 

In addition, fruits and vegetables are much less costly than vitamin pills. Fruits and vegetables are very inexpensive, especially when purchased in season and grown locally. In the long run, getting the nutrition you need from the food you eat is much less expensive, and much better for you, than popping those vitamin pills every day.

 

So don’t forget to get your five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day. It may seem like a lot, but you can meet this quite reasonable goal simply by including fruits and vegetables as snacks, as garnishes, as side dishes and as meals.

Basics Of Nutrition

There are many things to learn about when it comes to nutrition. But the basic concept is ‘What goes in must come out.’ Your body is like a machine it takes what it needs from what you feed it and gets rid of the rest by urine and the bowels.

 

If you notice you have a problem about elimination, you should take it seriously, go see a doctor. Many people have this problem. Don’t be shy or anything, it can be very serous to your health. 

 

The first step, is finding out if there even is a problem. First you should see how many bowel movements you have daily (BM). If you have one per day it’s not a problem, however it is better to have 2 to 3 BM’s a day and more if you eat more often. But if you find you are having one per week or 2 per month, then you have a serious problem.

 

For some people they might say they don’t find the time. The reason could be they are out all day and would prefer to have their BM at home rather than a public bathroom. But let me tell you, you will keep your colon quite happy if you go several times for the day. If you are looking for a trick it would be to eat a lot of raw fruits and vegetables, steamed beets and using digestive enzymes with your meals. Do whatever you can; it will be beneficial to you. 

 

I have just lightly touched on the subject, but if you have a problem you should consult a doctor and seek help. Because this problem is not good for your health, take care of it today and look forward to tomorrow. May you live a healthy and prosper life.

Basic Meal & Menu Planning

As a basis for meals and menu planning, refer to the pyramid information mentioned earlier to make sure you have the basic food requirements met for all family members. Then cross check and plan by looking over basic food categories to target healthy foods to fit the lifestyles and health of everyone. For example, if someone has depression, add some foods mentioned above to his or her dietary plans that aid in the healing and prevention of depression. 

 

Meal planning also depends upon several factors like the number of people eating, meal times, special dietary concerns, budget, available foods, recipes on hand and likes and dislikes of everyone who will be eating. Begin by choosing foods and recipes that you like and know how to prepare well and that fit into everyone’s dietary plans. If one or more people have special needs, like diabetics, plan ahead for substitutions either in the food preparation or food substitution for that individual or for those individuals. 

 

There are a few things to note when making meal choices and menu planning. First, some foods may be advertised a certain way, but that doesn’t mean you can’t experiment. For instance, eggs and sausage can be served for dinner, not just breakfast. And waffles can be made from healthy wheat grains and eaten for lunch with fresh fruits instead of sugary syrup and heavy butter for breakfast.

 

Add variety, too. Have other family members jump in and prepare meals some nights and on weekends. Kids enjoy making macaroni and cheese, so host mac-n-cheese night on Wednesdays, for example. Then alternate different vegetable combinations, colors and textures to vary the menu on a weekly basis (no need to let boredom take over on Wednesdays with the same routine!) 

 

To help with family food budget concerns, clip coupons from newspapers, weekend inserts, and any place you can find them. Downloaded coupons from the Internet to save money, too, from places like CoolSavings.com and CouponCart.com. 

 

RefundingMakesCents offers an affordable subscription to a neat print magazine for coupon deals, trades and lots more, with a secret code to their website for Internet coupon-codes for lots of online companies like Amazon.com (cookware) and Barnes and Noble (cookbooks). 

 

Also note seasonal food selections for savings. Create menus and meals based upon what’s on special that week or month. Hint: stock up and store or freeze special-priced items and family favourites when possible and storage room and the budget allows. But don’t overdo it. With convenience stores and supermarkets for food shopping in practically every neighbourhood anymore, there is no need to hoard. An old saying, “Haste makes waste” might apply if you see a great buy, purchase multiple items, then let them become outdated and have to toss them out. 

 

One fun way to save is by trading coupons and working out food deals with friends, family, neighbours, your church group and anyone else who’d like to join in. Food cooperatives and farm markets available in your area may offer special pricing to groups or large purchases. So team up for better purchasing power and split everything up between group members. If you’re not into that much organization, go one-on-one with a neighbour, other friend or relative. Buy a huge bag of potatoes, onions, oats, and / or other foods, then share. 

 

Here is one special item to note with regards to dietary planning. It’s unfortunate, but fast foods, especially those that are high in fat content (fried, greasy foods), are often cheaper than good, healthy food choices. For example, lean beef costs more than high-fat beef; cereals high in nutritional value are often priced much higher than the low-cost, sugary brand names. And low income and homeless people are particularly victims of this situation, many times needing to turn to the less healthier food choices for survival. So whenever possible, your plans might want to include donating a portion to homeless shelters and churches who would probably be more than willing to take extras off your hands.

Ayurveda and The Raw Food Diet

The word, Ayurveda, is from the ancient Indian language, Sanskrit, and literally means "Knowledge of Life".

 

The Ayurvedic approach to life involves listening to and addressing the unique needs of your body, recognizing and balancing your mental and emotional states and deepening your connection with your spirit, your essential self.

 

The raw food diet is based around the principle that eating a diet high in raw food will normalise and alkalise your body. This, in turn, connects the mind with the body; thus, Ayurveda and the Raw Food diet are very similar.

 

This article will hopefully provide a brief guidance on how you could connect the two in a way that is optimal to your health.

 

In Ayurveda, the idea is that you eat according to your ‘dosha’: vata, pitta and kapha.

• Vata is composed of the elements of air and ether
• Pitta is composed of the elements of fire and water
• Kapha is composed of the elements of water and earth

 

Vata types are generally thin and find it hard to gain weight. Vatas need to get sufficient rest and not overdo things, as they can tire easily.

 

Pitta types are generally medium sized and well proportioned. They also tend to be intelligent, with a sharp wit. 

 

Kapha types tend to have sturdy, heavy frames. They are prone to gain weight easily. They often tend to have a positive outlook on life.

 

So, what does this mean, and how does it apply to you?

 

In Ayurveda, it is believed that each person is governed by one dominant dosha and you should eat according to that dosha. However, this article is concerned with Ayurveda and Raw Food, so I will only mention the foods that coincide with both these diets.

 

Vata

 

Balances: Sweet fruits, apricots, avocado, bananas, berries, grapes, melons, asparagus, beets, cucumber, garlic, radishes, zucchini.

 

Aggravates: Dried fruits, apples, cranberries, pears, watermelons, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, raw onions.

 

Pitta

 

Balances: Sweet fruits, avocado, coconut, figs, mango, prunes, sweet and bitter vegetables, cabbage, cucumber, okra, potatoes.

 

Aggravates: Sour fruits, berries, bananas, plums, oranges, lemon, pungent vegetables, garlic, onions.

 

Kapha

 

Balances: Apples, apricots, berries, cherries, cranberries, mangos, peaches, pungent and bitter vegetables, broccoli, celery, garlic, onion.

 

Aggravates: Sweet and sour fruits, bananas, coconut, melons, papaya, sweet and juicy vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes.

 

There are many suggestions in Ayurveda, which are very easily translated to a Raw Food Diet. 

 

Such suggestions are:

 

• Eat mainly seasonal fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains
• Eat according to your constitution, or dosha
• Fast for one day every two weeks
• Establish a regular eating routine
• Eliminate or limit caffeinated, carbonated and alcoholic beverages from your life
• Drink herbal tea, fruit and vegetable juices

Apples - Crunch Your Way to Healthy Nutrition

Apples are high in fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They're fat-free, cholesterol-free, and low in sodium. In short, eating apples is a smart part of a healthy lifestyle.

There's no easier way to add a dose of nutrition to your day than by crunching on a tasty apple. You probably first experienced its delightful flavour as a baby, when applesauce introduced you to real food. And now, whether it's a Granny Smith, a McIntosh, or a Red Delicious, you think of apples as old friends. Grown throughout the world, apples are high in fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They're fat-free, cholesterol-free, and low in sodium. In short, eating apples is a smart part of a healthy lifestyle.

 

6 Ways Apples Keep You Healthy

 

1. Regulates your day. 

 

You don't have to worry about staying regular anymore. Whether your problem is visiting the bathroom too often or not often enough, apples can help.

 

A British researcher, Dr. D.P Burkitt, believes one of the easiest ways to prevent all sorts of illnesses, is to avoid constipation. He calls the diseases caused by chronic constipation "pressure diseases." Appendicitis, diverticular diseases, haemorrhoids, hiatal hernias, and even varicose veins can all be caused by straining to pass small, hard stools.

 

Just one apple with its skin contains 4 to 5 grams of fibre - the most important nutrient in keeping your bowels working like a well-oiled machine. Keeping yourself regular without relying on harmful laxatives could be as easy as replacing that afternoon snack of potato chips or cookies with a crisp, delicious apple. And think of the calories you'll save. The average apple has about 80 calories while a serving of chips weighs in at 150 calories and you'll get about 200 from just a few cookies.

 

But that's not all apples can do. They're also good for diarrhoea, thanks to an ingredient called pectin. This carbohydrate has a congealing effect in your intestines that helps firm things up and return you to normal. Applesauce is actually the best apple product for diarrhoea, since it's made without the high-fibre skin. But watch out for extra sugar. Some brands of applesauce dump a truckload of sweeteners into an otherwise healthy food, and too much refined sugar could make your diarrhoea worse.

 

2. Keeps your body young. 

 

By now you know antioxidants can protect you from many of the diseases that seem to be a part of aging. In fact, so many people are taking supplements for antioxidant protection that it's become a multibillion-dollar industry. But the evidence is mounting that whole foods can do more for you than pills.

 

When scientists compared a 1,500-milligram vitamin C supplement to one small apple, the results were astounding - the antioxidant values were equal. That means a fresh apple has more than 15 times the antioxidant power of the recommended daily dose of vitamin C. And that's just for starters. The researchers also found an ordinary apple was able to stop the growth of colon and liver cancer cells in test tubes. Unpeeled apples were especially effective. The question you need to ask yourself: Why waste money on flavourless supplements when you can get better antioxidant firepower from a sweet, crunchy fruit?

 

3. Cuts your risk of heart disease. 

Sometimes it's hard to remember which food is good for which part of your body. The next time you pick up an apple, examine it carefully. It's shaped a bit like a heart - and that should help you remember apples are good for your heart.

 

It's the magnesium and potassium in apples that help regulate your blood pressure and keep your heart beating steadily, and it's the flavonoid quercetin, a naturally occurring antioxidant, that protects your artery walls from damage and keeps your blood flowing smoothly.

 

In fact adding flavonoid-rich foods like apples to your diet has been scientifically confirmed to lower your risk of heart disease. There's proof of this in a study of Japanese women who ate foods high in quercetin. They were less likely to get coronary heart disease than other women and they had lower levels of total and LDL, or bad, cholesterol.

 

4. Strikes at the heart of strokes. 

 

Apples are even a smart choice for helping avoid strokes. Scientists aren't sure which ingredient in this multi-talented fruit to credit, but the connection is clear - people who regularly eat apples are less likely to have strokes than people who don't.

 

5. Protects your joints. 

 

In areas of the world where fruits and vegetables make up a large part of the diet, very few people get arthritis. Compare this to modernized countries where fruits and vegetables have been replaced with fast, processed food and you'll find up to 70 percent of the population suffers from some form of arthritis. Just a coincidence? Not according to nutrition experts. They link this trend in part to boron, a trace mineral many plants, including apples, absorb from the soil.

 

If you eat like most people, you'll get about 1 to 2 milligrams (mg) of boron a day, mostly from non-citrus fruits, leafy vegetables, and nuts. Experts believe, however, you need anywhere from 3 to 10 mg a day to affect your risk of arthritis. To boost your boron intake to this level, you'd have to eat more than nine apples a day.

 

This is probably an unreasonable amount for most people, but don't despair. Pair an apple with other boron-rich foods like a few tablespoons of peanut butter and a large handful of raisins, and you'll not only have a delicious afternoon snack, but you'll make your joint-saving quota of boron at the same time.

 

6. Helps you breathe deeply. 

Your lungs are assaulted every day by cigarette smoke, air pollution, pollen, and other air-borne nasties.

 

On top of that perhaps you suffer from asthma, emphysema, or similar lung condition. If all you want to do is take a deep breath, then grab an apple.

A five-year study of more than 2,500 men from Wales found those who ate five or more apples per week were able to fill their lungs with more air than men who didn't eat apples. Experts believe you might be getting some special protection from the antioxidant quercetin. Unfortunately, eating apples can't reverse a lung condition you already have, but you just might add a new line of defence against further damage.

 

Pantry Pointers

 

Buy apples that are unbruised, firm, and have good colour. Take them out of their plastic bag and store them in your refrigerator - loose in the produce bin or in a paper bag is best. And since they will absorb odours, keep them away from strong-smelling foods like garlic and onions.

Antioxidants: Eat All Your Colours!

By now everyone knows the blueberry contains very high levels of antioxidants.  But, don't ignore all the other colourful foods out there loaded with antioxidants.

Antioxidants are all the rage today. And, justifiably so. Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals which cause cell damage, which ultimately can lead to diseases of the heart and cancer. It seems everywhere you go its blueberry this and blueberry that.  You have your choice of wild blueberry juice, blueberry-pomegranate juice, blueberry-cranberry juice and so on and so on.  

 

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love blueberries. But, in our rush to embrace the latest antioxidant food craze (blueberries, cranberries, pomegranates) we’re ignoring some very high-antioxidant foods that are probably sitting ignored in our cupboards.

 

“What?”  You ask, “What could possibly be higher in antioxidants than my beloved wild blueberry?” Well, how about the small red bean? That’s right, I said “bean”. The small red bean actually has more antioxidants per serving size than the wild blueberry. And the red kidney bean and pinto bean have more antioxidants per serving size than a serving of cultivated blueberries.  

 

What other foods are high in antioxidants? For starters, there are artichoke hearts, blackberries, prunes, pecans, spinach, kale, russet potatoes and plums. And, no, that’s not a mistake. Russet potatoes are on the list of foods high in antioxidants.  

 

The truth is, there are many common foods high in antioxidants and you should not just restrict yourself to one particular food source. Why? Well, have you ever heard the expression, ‘eat your colours?’ That refers to the fact that foods are in different colour ‘families’ containing different types of antioxidants which have different benefits. For example, the yellow-orange colour family of peaches and nectarines help our immune systems. The purple-red colour family of foods (pomegranates, plums, berries) helps reduce inflammation. It’s important to eat foods from all colour groups to reap the full benefits of antioxidants.

 

The good news is that you can eat healthy foods high in antioxidants (by eating them raw, cooking them, or juicing them yourself) without having to pay a high price for the ‘flavour of the month’ antioxidant juices being peddled in the supermarkets.  

 

So, give your blueberries some company at the dinner table. Invite some beans, spinach, potatoes and artichoke hearts and enjoy your antioxidants!

Antioxidant

An antioxidant is a chemical that reduces the rate of particular oxidation reactions in a specific context, where oxidation reactions are chemical reactions that involve the transfer of electrons from a substance to an oxidising agent.

 

Antioxidants are particularly important in the context of organic chemistry and biology: all living cells contain complex systems of antioxidant chemicals and/or enzymes to prevent chemical damage to the cells' components by oxidation. The importance and complexity of antioxidants in biology is reflected in a medical literature of more than 142,000 scholarly articles.

 

A diet containing antioxidants from plants are required for good health since plants are an important source of organic antioxidant chemicals. Antioxidants are widely used as ingredients in dietary supplements that are used for health purposes such as preventing cancer and heart disease. However, while many studies have suggested benefits for antioxidant supplements, several large clinical trials have failed to clearly demonstrate a benefit for the formulations tested, and excess supplementation may be harmful.

 

Antioxidants are chemicals that reduce oxidative damage to cells and biochemicals. Researchers have found high correlation between oxidative damage and the occurrence of disease. For example, LDL oxidation is associated with cardiovascular disease. The process leading to atherogenesis, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular disease is complex, involving multiple chemical pathways and networks, but the precursor is LDL oxidation by free radicals, resulting in inflammation and formation of plaques.

 

Research suggests that consumption of antioxidant-rich foods reduces damage to cells and biochemicals from free radicals. This may slow down, prevent, or even reverse certain diseases that result from cellular damage, and perhaps even slow down the natural aging process.

 

Since the discovery of vitamins, it has been recognized that antioxidants in the diet are essential for healthful lives. More recently, a large body of evidence has accumulated that suggests supplementation of the diet with various kinds of antioxidants can improve health and extend life.

 

Many nutraceutical and health food companies now sell forms of antioxidants as dietary supplement. These supplements may include specific antioxidant chemicals, like resveratrol (from grape seeds), combinations of antioxidants, like the "ACES" products that contain beta carotene (provitamin A), vitamin C, vitamin E and Selenium, or specialty herbs that are known to contain antioxidants such as green tea and jiaogulan.

 

Disclaimer

The information presented here should not be interpreted as medical advice. If you need more information about Antioxidants, please consult your physician or a qualified specialist.

 

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