Posts tagged "heart disease"

Latest “Health Benefits” News

Wellness and Health Benefits Fair, Dec. 01

Presidio’s Wellness and Health Benefits Fair

Image by Presidio of Monterey: DLIFLC & USAG

PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. – Presidio of Monterey community members discuss wellness issues with service providers and experts during the Presidio’s Wellness and Health Benefits Fair at Price Fitness Center on Dec. 1. About 25 exhibitors displayed their wares and offered assistance and selected guests spoke as part of the theme “Renewing our Commitment to Your Well-being: Heart – Mind – and – Soul.” Open benefits season runs through Dec. 13. This is the time of year to ensure employees have the right health, dental or vision insurance coverage for themselves and their family. It is also time to consider the out-of-pocket medical or dependent care expenses to save money on in 2011. For more information, visit www.opm.gov/insure/openseason.

Official Presidio of Monterey Web site

Official Presidio of Monterey Facebook

PHOTO by Steven Shepard, Presidio of Monterey Public Affairs.

Health Benefits for Seniors

Making sure Cumberland County seniors are getting their benefits

BRIDGETON – Cumberland County will launch an aggressive media and education campaign to ensure county seniors are receiving all of the Medicare and health benefits they’re eligible for, but might not know about, officials announced last week.
Read more on Bridgeton News

Md. health exchange costs
Hayley Peterson Examiner Staff Writer Follow Her @hcpeterson Maryland lawmakers are moving ahead of the trend in establishing a federally required marketplace for residents to buy health insurance, but lawmakers are still not sure how much it will cost. The General Assembly voted to set up a health benefits exchange — or insurance marketplace — by Jan. 1 and designated a nine …
Read more on Washington Examiner

Saturated fats of vegetable origin
Most vegetable oils are made up of poly-unsaturated fats, a type of fat that considerably reduces the risk of heart disease. But be careful, as certain vegetable oils used by the food industry can contain large quantities of saturated fats, which can counteract these health benefits.
Read more on Toronto Sun
-Latest “Health Benefits” News-

Fish Oil Benefits – Prevent Disease and Increase Overall Health

Fish Oil Benefits

Here we will look at the benefits of fish oil and the medical studies that show they can prevent disease, fish oil help us live longer, keep us younger and increase vitality.

A regular daily dose of fish oil gives us massive health benefits so lets look at them.

We all remember cod liver oil.

Growing up I can remember a single event which helped to create a dislike for fish most of my youthful years,fish oil. That was taking Cod Liver Oil. Mostly it was not deodorized, and created a rather negative impression.

However, I realize that the robust health I enjoyed as a child and teen-ager can most likely be traced back to the daily dose of CLO!

Fish oil sources

Naturally, one may eat the fish (salmon, sardines, mackeral, etc) and get some benefits of fish oil, but modern pharmacology has learned to purify and concentrate (as well as deodorize) such fish oil, and makes the same available in effective dosages of fish oil.

Study after study on the effects of fish oil has some startling conclusions:

• Fish oil is basically safe, and fish oil has very few, if any side effects of fish oil, other than the positive ones claimed.

• Fish oil, as purified has pollutants and toxics removed. In nature, even wild and deep water fish show signs of PCB and other highly toxic chemicals in their tissue. The pharmaceutical grade of fish oil has negligible amounts of any impurities.

• People who have higher does of saturated fats (Omega-6) to the unsaturated ones (Omega-3, as found in fish oil) are generally less healthy, die earlier and are ill while alive.

Why is in fish oil that is so good for us?

Fish oil contains large amounts of EPA and DHA which are the principal omega-3 fatty acids. EPA stands for eicosapentaenoic acid while DHA is docosahexaenoic acid fish oil.

Scientists and doctors know these to be essential fatty acids like fish oil. As they are essential, without them we can die.

On the other hand, modern day food processing fill our diets with Trans-Fatty acids, and saturated fatty acids (Omega-6 that is found in meat, fish oil,for example), which are most likely responsible for the pandemic of cancer and other life debilitating diseases.

Fish and fish oil have only unsaturated fatty acids. The differences and benefits Between Omega 3 & 6,fish oil.

Although there are minor differences in the Omega-3 and Omega-6 groups, they are quite different when metabolized in the body. Omega-6 acids appear to cause inflammation, tumor growth and blood clotting, while the omega-3 acids act entirely the opposite.

Although we do need both omega-3s and omega-6s the ratio of both has forever been relatively equal 1:1.

A global change in our dietary habits recently has changed this ratio to something closer to 20 parts of Omega-6 to one part Omega-3.

Many scientists and the medical community now believe that this imbalance of saturated to unsaturated fats are a major reason for the high incidence of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, premature aging, and many forms of cancer,fish oil.

It is not possible to cite all the studies made, but summarizing one can say that the addition of about 500 to 2,500mg per day of pharmaceutical grade fish oil can do some or all the following for everyone (from children to advanced geriatrics)

• Increase memory function, or help impaired ones (as in Alzheimer’s and dementia)

• Modify the behavior of over-active children

• Help clear the arteries of cholesterol and ameliorate or reverse atherosclerosis, angina, heart attack, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease, and generally prevent heart disease.

• Reduce inflammation and can be of great benefit to people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis or ulcerative colitis.

• Delay or reduce tumor development in breast cancer, and other forms of cancer as well.

• Benefit people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a chronic inflammatory disease.

• Bolster the immune system

• Generally increase life-span and quality of your life.

Fish oil benefits are numerous and everyone should consider taking a dietary supplement or increasing their oily fish intake.

Sacha Tarkovsky

http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/fish-oil-benefits-prevent-disease-and-increase-overall-health-57912.html

-Fish Oil Benefits – Prevent Disease and Increase Overall Health-

The health benefits of vegetarianism?

I really am interested in becoming vegetarian for many reasons (personal and for the environment/animals). I wanted to for New Year’s but didnt because I was sick and my doctor didnt want any very drastic changes at that time. Now that I am over that, I want to know some of the real health benefits of becoming vegetarian. Is it ok to eat fish once in a while (i want to cut that out too eventually). I need to take fish oil for my condition btw. Can you lose weight, cuz I really need to? (even if you dont want to eat a llot of carbs?) Is it good for your organs,systems, skin? mental heath? just curious. also How do you make the transition easily, and what about eating out or at family things with very non-vegetarians? Thanks! I really want to improve my overall health with a life change, not some dumb diet. Also, I’ve recently become aware of the cruelty food animals go through and it is sooo not cool!

Vegetarians do not eat fish.

“It is the position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence. Vegetarian diets offer a number of nutritional benefits, including lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein as well as higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals. Vegetarians have been reported to have lower body mass indices than nonvegetarians, as well as lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; vegetarians also show lower blood cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure; and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer.”They may also have a lower risk for some other diseases such as constipation, diverticular disease, gallstones and appendicitis. Women who eat little or no meat are four times less likely to develop breast cancer than women who eat meat reguraly.An English study that compared the diets of 6,115 vegetarians and 5,015 meat eaters for 12 years found that the meatless diet yielded a 40 percent lower risk of cancer and a 20 percent lower risk of dying from any cause. According to William Castelli, M.D., director of the famed Framingham Heart Study, vegetarians outlive meat eaters by 3 to 6 years.After reviewing 4,500 scientific studies and papers on the relationship between cancer and lifestyle, a team of 15 scientists sponsored by two leading cancer research institutions advised that those interested in reducing their risk of many types of cancer consume a diet that is mostly fruits, vegetables, cereals and legumes. They declared that up to 40 percent of cancers are preventable, with diet, physical activity and body weight appearing to have a measurable bearing on risk. In 1996 the American Cancer Society released similar guidelines, including the recommendation that red meat be excluded entirely from the diet.Heart disease does not have to be a death sentence or mean a life of cholesterol-lowering drugs and bypass surgery. By prescribing a vegetarian diet, regular exercise and spiritual nourishment for his heart patients, Dean Ornish, M.D., proved that the progression of this number-one killer can be halted and even reversed.In 1995, 683,000 people died prematurely as a result of atherosclerosis-related diseases. In other words, they died largely as a result of their meat-eating ways. This figure represents 29 percent of all deaths for that year.

Meat contains 14 times the amount of pesticides as plant foods, since pesticides get concentrated as they move up through the food chain, and since they’re more easily stored in fatty tissues.The EPA discovered that the breast milk of vegetarian women contained far lower levels of pesticides than that of average Americans. A study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine found that "The highest levels of contamination in the breast milk of the vegetarians was lower than the lowest level of contamination…(in) non-vegetarian women… The mean vegetarian levels were only 1-2% as high as the average levels in the U.S."In the fall of 1996, a study showed that prenatal exposure to PCBs, even relatively small amounts, can impair intellectual development in children. Aside from fish, PCBs can be found in other high-fat foods such as cheese, butter, beef and pork. Women who plan to become pregnant were also advised by the study to avoid foods containing PCBs because the chemicals can remain in their bodies for years.An early ’90s EPA report found that 95 percent of human exposure to dioxin, a known carcinogen, comes from consuming red meat, fish and dairy products. Later, chicken and eggs were added to the list. Dioxin builds cumulatively in fatty tissue. The only way to flush it out is through rigorous fasting or via lactation. When a batch of dioxin-contaminated soybean feed entered the food chain in 1997, the FDA set limits on concentration at one part per trillion. If all animal foods were held to this standard, it is likely that many would not be cleared for human consumption.

In the United States, farm animals receive 30 times the antibiotics that people do–not so much to treat infection, but to make the animals grow faster on less feed. Though perfectly legal, the practice is, in effect, promoting the selection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Some of these bacteria can cause human diseases that physicians are finding difficult to treat. The practice is adding to the general worldwide crisis of drug-resistant disease. Each year, 60,000 Americans die because their medications were ineffective in combating bacterial strains.Every year, on average, each American becomes sick and 9,000 people die from something they ate. That something was probably of animal origin.Except in rare instances, neither the USDA nor the FDA has any regulatory powers on farms where pathogens originate. With the exception of E. coli O157:H7, dangerous bacteria are legally considered "inherent" to raw meat. It’s up to consumers to neutralize pathogens with cooking. Two of the "legal" ones–campylobacter and salmonella–account for 80 percent of illnesses and 75 percent of deaths from meat and poultry. One hamburger can contain the meat of 100 different cows from four different countries. One infected animal can contaminate 16 tons of beef.The Centers for Disease Control estimates that campylobacter infects 70 to 90 percent of all chickens. Campylobacter infections give their human victims cramps, bloody diarrhea and fever and lead to death for up to 800 people in the United States each year. For 1,000 to 2,000 people per year, infection will lead to Guillain-Barré syndrome, a disease that requires intensive care for several weeks. A September 1997 sampling of supermarket chicken in Minnesota found 16 percent infected with an antibiotic-resistant strain of campylobacter.A USDA microbiologist declared in a Time magazine story on processed poultry that "the final product is no different than if you stuck it in the toilet and ate it." No wonder: A 1978 USDA rule allows poultry processors to wash contaminated birds rather than discard them or cut away affected parts. "Wash," as interpreted by the poultry industry, means "communal dunk" in what amounts to a virtual fecal soup that ensures salmonella cross-contamination.

Vegetarians have been shown to have more endurance than their meat eating counterparts.At Yale, Professor Irving Fisher designed a series of tests to compare the stamina and strength of meat-eaters against that of vegetarians. He selected men from three groups: meat-eating athletes, vegetarian athletes, and vegetarian sedentary subjects. Fisher reported the results of his study in the Yale Medical Journal. His findings do not seem to lend a great deal of credibility to the popular prejudices that hold meat to be a builder of strength.
"Of the three groups compared, the… flesh-eaters showed far less endurance than the abstainers (vegetarians), even when the latter were leading a sedentary life."
Overall, the average score of the vegetarians was over double the average score of the meat-eaters, even though half of the vegetarians were sedentary people, while all of the meat-eaters tested were athletes.
A comparable study was done by Dr. J. Ioteyko of the Academie de Medicine of Paris. Dr. Ioteyko compared the endurance of vegetarians and meat-eaters from all walks of life in a variety of tests. The vegetarians averaged two to three times more stamina than the meat-eaters. Even more remarkably, they took only one-fifth the time to recover from exhaustion compared to their meat-eating rivals.
Wherever and whenever tests of this nature have been done, the results have been similar. Doctors in Belgium systematically compared the number of times vegetarians and meat-eaters could squeeze a grip-meter. The vegetarians won handily with an average of 69, whilst the meat-eaters averaged only 38. As in all other studies which have measured muscle recovery time, here, too the vegetarians bounced back from fatigue far more rapidly than did the meat-eaters.
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What to eat
Eat a variety of "whole foods," with plenty of beans, nuts, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Avoid unhealthy foods like trans fats, which are usually listed as partially hydrogenated oils. Deep-fried foods often contain trans fats. Choose margarines that use nonhydrogenated oil, like Earth Balance or Smart Balance. Although a diet consisting of Coke and French fries is technically vegan, you can’t be healthy if you eat nothing but junk food. Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 is produced by bacteria, and some experts believe that vegetarians used to get plenty of this vitamin from bacteria in drinking water. Since drinking water is now treated with chemicals that kill the bacteria, it’s important to make sure that you get enough vitamin B12 from fortified foods (like most brands of soy or rice milks, some breakfast cereals, and many brands of nutritional yeast,also eggs and milk) on a daily basis or by taking a sublingual B12 tablet of 10 mcg per day.

Iron-beans, dark green leafy vegetables (like spinach),whole grain breads, Also eat something with vitamin c when you eat something with iron, it increases absorption

Calcium-dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, broccoli, soymilk)

Protein-MYTH: "Vegetarians get little protein."

Fact: Plant foods offer abundant protein. Vegetables are around 23% protein on average, beans 28%, grains 13%, and even fruit has 5.5%. For comparison, human breast milk is only 5% (designed for the time in our lives when our protein needs are as high as they’ll ever be). The US Recommended Daily Allowance is 8%, and the World Health Organization recommends 4.5%.
Isn’t really hard to get protein, just eat a variety of foods, good sources are beans, brown rice, nuts, whole grain breads,soy foods

Omega-3 fatty acids-flax seeds/oil,walnuts,canola oil

Zinc-pumpkin seeds (best source), beans and lentils, yeast, nuts, seeds and whole grain cereals

Selenium-Brazil nuts are a particularly good source of selenium, so try to eat a couple every day. Eating a small bag of mixed unsalted nuts can be a convenient way to get your daily selenium intake, but make sure it contains Brazils. Bread and eggs also provide some selenium.

Vitamin D- Vitamin D, often called the sunshine vitamin, is another common deficiency in those not drinking vitamin D fortified milk. Synthetic vitamin D is added to both cow’s milk and most brands of soy milk today.

Vitamins A (beta carotene),C, K, E and Folate-variety of fruits and veggies

Iodine-Iodine is a trace mineral that’s important for healthy thyroid function. Table salt is the most common and reliable source of iodine in Americans’ diets. (However, sodium in processed foods usually does not contain iodine.) If you don’t consume table salt, you can get iodine from a multivitamin or from kelp tablets.

Source(s):

http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/f…

http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/natural.ht…

http://goveg.com/healthconcerns.asp……

http://www.chooseveg.com/health_overview…

http://www.cspinet.org/eatinggreen/index…

Order a free vegetarian starter kit

http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/

Roundup: Vt. universal care bill advances; Duluth, Minn., seeking to change retiree health benefits; Texas steps back …

Wellness and Health Benefits Fair, Dec. 01


Image by Presidio of Monterey: DLIFLC & USAG
PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. – Presidio of Monterey community members discuss wellness issues with service providers and experts during the Presidio’s Wellness and Health Benefits Fair at Price Fitness Center on Dec. 1. About 25 exhibitors displayed their wares and offered assistance and selected guests spoke as part of the theme “Renewing our Commitment to Your Well-being: Heart – Mind – and – Soul.” Open benefits season runs through Dec. 13. This is the time of year to ensure employees have the right health, dental or vision insurance coverage for themselves and their family. It is also time to consider the out-of-pocket medical or dependent care expenses to save money on in 2011. For more information, visit www.opm.gov/insure/openseason.

Official Presidio of Monterey Web site

Official Presidio of Monterey Facebook

PHOTO by Steven Shepard, Presidio of Monterey Public Affairs.

Roundup: Vt. universal care bill advances; Duluth, Minn., seeking to change retiree health benefits; Texas steps back …
Dr. James Mongan, a physician with a specialty in politics who for decades helped shape the health care debate in Washington, D.C., and the Commonwealth, and who formerly served as president of Massachusetts General Hospital and Partners HealthCare, died in MGH yesterday.
Read more on News-Medical-Net

16 lesser-known nutrients with big powers
Many of us are well aware of macronutrients, such as carbohydrates, protein and fat, as well as micronutrients, such as the vitamins and minerals that are listed on FDA-regulated food labels. But too few of us are familiar with phytochemicals — plant-based micronutrients that offer many health benefits and may help ward off chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Read more on Y! Green via Yahoo! News

Nutraceutical combination shows bone health benefits: Study
The study, published in Nutrition Research , suggested that supplementation with the nutraceutical resulted in significantly lower serum osteocalcin concentrations (a biomarker for bone formation) and a higher blood levels of vitamin D.
Read more on Nutraingredients.com

What ?health Benefits? are Linked With Eating Peanut Butter and the Health Benefits You Will Gain?

by Ron Sombilon Gallery

What health benefits can you get from eating peanut butter? Well according to recent research from the Pennsylvania State University it found that men women and children gained significent health benefits and where able to meet their daily rda for vitamins and nutrients than those who decided to stay clear losing their daily health benefits.

But if I want to reap the health benefits of eating peanut butter how much should my daily allowance be to truly reap the health benefits? To really gain the health benefits of eating peanut butter you should have a single serving of peanut butter or two table spoons.

So what vitamins are included in peanut butter? Well any diets that involve you eating peanut butter or generally peanut include vitamins A and E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and fiber. Nuts also have health benefits as well as there contain monounsaturated fats which as been said to lower cholesterol to truly reap the true health benefits.

I would love to get the health benefits of eating peanut butter but is it not high in fat will I not put on weight? Research has found that those who ate nuts regularly their calorie intake was indeed higher, But their BMI an indicator of their body fat was indeed actually lower in nut eaters a true health benefit.

Are peanuts the only nut I should eat to gain health benefits? Why of course no if you are after health benefits from eating nuts you could eat almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts to gain even more health benefits eating nuts. Evidence suggests but does not 100% prove that eating 1.5 ounces of nuts per day as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol has a chance of lowing heart disease.

So to recap on the health benefits you will gain on eating peanut butter.
You will meet your recommend daily allowance of vitamins, Lowers your cholesterol, increase your calorie intake. If you are serious about lowering your saturated fat and cholesterol I suggest you add peanut butter into your diet today.

Insurance Coverage for Men

 Many agree that being in charge of one’s own health and wellness increases the chance for a long, healthy life. And for men, purchasing a good men’s Medical Insurance Policy and seeing a doctor regularly is the best way to take improve in these areas, no matter who you are.

Minimizing Risk

 Since the state of men’s health affects everyone around them and it is extremely important that men get—and stay—insured.

Often the primary breadwinner in their households, men’s families depend on them to provide the resources necessary for day-after-day survival.

Living Better and Longer with Affordable Medical Insurance

As they grow older, men face more risk of diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, prostate and testicular problems and the like. But by taking care of their bodies and staying in touch with their health care provider, these problems don’t have to overwhelm them.

Men can improve the joy and years of their lives by:

• Avoiding junk foods and regularly eating vegetable,fruits, whole grains and non fat foods
• Limiting cholesterol intake and reducing saturated fats
• Exercising more regularly: at least 20 mins, 3 times a  week
• Protecting themselves from the sun
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Drinking plenty of water: at least eight 8-ounce glasses per day
• Consuming less alcohol: two drinks per day max
• Avoiding smoking and secondhand smoke
• Getting regular checkups
• Knowing their family histories and talking to their doctors about the inherent risks associated with them
• Getting a baseline PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test when they reach 40, and monitoring it periodically with their doctor
• Limiting it to one sexual partner
• Protecting themselves with seatbelts when riding in cars and helmets when riding on motorcycles or bicycles
• Managing stress
• The amount men pay for health insurance is determined partially by their state of health and habits at the time they apply for health coverage. When followed these suggestions on living well,men should add a few years to their life, be more energetic and could even reduce their monthly insurance premiums. That is good news for anybody.!

  Taking Action

  If you’re looking for health insurance, or you need to get a loved one covered, consider a quote from KinsuranceCenter.com. We have health insurance agents in our network that can help you find the right policy.

  Living without medical insurance is not an option. Take action today, and enjoy life and health tomorrow!

  For instant quotes see: Health Insurance Plans

  Find answers to Rx Solutions: walmart.com/rxplan

The Amazing Health Benefits of Vitamin D – CBN News

An informative news story by Gailon Totheroh of CBN News on the amazing health benefits of Vitamin D. Would you believe this vital nutrient derived from the sun’s rays has been shown to stave off some of the most debilitating and deadly diseases; cancer, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, autoimmune diseases. Please watch to learn more and share this video with loved ones. Now go out and enjoy the sun!
Video Rating: 4 / 5

www.karenrothnutrition.com Quinoa can be substituted for almost any grain in almost any recipe. It looks and tastes great on its own but I’ll share with you some ways you can make this a beautiful side dish. Quinoa is commonly thought of as a grain and used as such; its really a seed of a plant in the same family of leafy greens like swiss chard. It has been around for thousands of years and dates back to 3000 BC Quinoa is perfect for summertime. Because quinoa is light and fluffy much like couscous and it makes a great cold dish. And best of all takes only 15 minutes to cook. Quinoa is an excellent source of iron which promotes energy production so its a great pick me up food, and a great source of fiber which can lower cholesterol and a good source for magnesium which relaxes blood vessels. So this is a heart healthy food. Its low on the glycemic index so safe for diabetics, its Gluten free, so the perfect grain for those with gluten intolerance and it contains more protein than any other grain; an average of 16%, compared with 7.5 percent for rice. Quinoa’s protein is of an unusually high quality. It contains all 9 essential amino acids, no other plant source can claim this. Its perfect for those cutting back on animal meat, but needing to maintain adequate protein. You can find quinoa cookies, cereals, and pasta. Basically use it where you would use any other grain. You may see a variety of colors of quinoa but the two most seen on shelves are the yellow and the red …

What are the health benefits to being vegetarian?

I eat organic/gluten free because I have an Autistic child and one with Celiac’s. I figure if they need a special diet I may as well lead by example. My son is vegetarian simply because he chose to be. Before switching the whole family to veg. to support him better, what are the health benefits?

There are many, many health benefits from being vegetarian!
It has been proven that vegetarians/vegans who have a balanced diet DO live much longer than the average American omnivore. For vegans, the cholesterol level goes WAY down (for vegetarians, too!).
It also lowers your risk for certain diseases such as cancer, since you’re not consuming as many growth-hormones from animal and animal fats.
And overall, it forces you to be more health-conscious about the foods you chose to eat. Before, when I ate meat, I ate any food without thinking about where it came from or what was in it. Now I’m much more concerned about my diet and I avoid processed foods more often. It really does change your lifestyle and pushes you in a healthier direction.

What are the health benefits of taking daily multi-vitamins?

Those ones for men or woman. I just started taking the woman daily multi-vitamin and I was curious as to the health benefits of taking them.

In general, a good daily multivitamin/mineral supplement improves your overall bodily functioning and boosts both your physical and mental health and well-being. Sometimes supplementation with specific nutrients may be more appropriate in order to address any individual specific needs. For example, CoQ10 is especially helpful for those at risk for heart disease, and Vitamins C and E, taken in combination to help ward off Alzheimer’s disease. A multivitamin supplement usually contains the recommended daily dose of a variety of vitamins and other nutrients. Sometimes, multivitamin supplements are formulated for specific age groups, or individual conditions such as pregnancy. Multivitamins also are at their most efficient when they are in liquid form, as the body has been proven to absorb them five times more efficiently than multivitamins in pill form.

Many people report a feeling of general well being when they are taking their daily multivitamins regularly. The individual vitamins and nutrients in a quality daily multivitamin dose delivers to you their specific benefits of each individual vitamin, plus you get the combined (synergistic) benefits of all of the ingredients working together. Vitamin E, for example, a fat-soluble antioxidant vitamin helps to neutralize potentially damaging free radicals in the body and it is particularly important for the protection of cell membranes as well as maintaining healthy skin, heart and circulation, nerves, muscles and red blood cells. Vitamin C on the other hand is water soluble, but like Vitamin E, it is an antioxidant. It helps white blood cells combat infection, is essential for wound healing, for the formation of collagen, for healthy skin, and for the formation of other important structural materials in bones, teeth and capillaries. It also helps with the absorption of iron from plant sources. Vitamins D, K, A, and other nutrients in a multivitamin supplement all have specific beneficial effects on our bodies ranging from minimizing the risks of heart problems to helping to ward off Alzeheimer’s disease.

It is important to take your daily multivitamin in a liquid form regularly to enjoy these benefits to their fullest extent. Vigorous training, for example, increases the production of free radicals in the body. When involved in an exercise program, we should, therefore, increase the intake of antioxidants such as beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E, and ensure you take adequate amounts of the proper vitamins and minerals required to maintain strong, healthy bones and joints such as calcium and iron. Also, older people over 55 years, convalescents, those who consume large amounts of alcohol, those with active, busy lives, people with colds, smokers, those exposed to excessive pollution, athletes and routine aspirin users need to take more daily and regular multivitamins.

What are the health benefits of cutting out junk food?

I want to cut out junk food for a while because I’d like to see how it affects my health, basically not eating any packaged foods or anything that involves processing. Will my body eventually stop craving junk food after a while? What are the benefits?

Thanks

You can still eat packaged food, like rice, pasta or bread, as long as they’re the brown kind and not part of a prepared dish. You can also make your own pasta or bread if you want (but then the flour and sugar would come in packages, which is okay.). Some packages are not so bad, like having a piece of chocolate, some nuts, popcorns, tea…

Your body will not stop craving junk food but you will have less and less cravings which will be less and less satisfying until they end up in your dreams where you could still enjoy them there, wake up with a guilty feeling that will subside as soon as you realize that it was just a dream and if it hadn’t been a dream, you would not have enjoyed the food anyway since your taste buds readjusted.

It’s about the same thing when you stop smoking.

It takes 3 weeks for your taste buds to readjust to a new taste, to rediscover the real taste of food when the food is not drenched in sugar, salt or fat.

You won’t enjoy many restaurants anymore, where the fries are too greasy and salty (they probably use cheap saturated tropical oils), the meat too peppery and the ice-tea too sugary. Where a handful of barely cooked broccoli and carrots are just second bananas, trying to make that disastrous meal look legitimate, when they should be the stars.

You will develop other cravings, healthier ones since your taste buds won’t be fooled anymore. You’ll buy a little electric fryer because when you’ll get a craving for French fries, it won’t be those unhealthy, greasy, salty, high calorie fast food kinds, frozen and cooked in cheap clogging arteries saturated tropical oils. Your craving for French fries will be for the ones you make, buying a couple of fresh potatoes, peeling and cutting them, using healthy canola oil and just a pinch of salt. You will want healthy, low calorie, tastier fries, the way they were always meant to be.

Restaurants use tons of salt and sauces to hide the fact that their food does not taste like much. Eat a piece of lettuce or tomato by itself from Subway…will just taste like water. All their meats taste the same, all their cheese taste the same, barely like cheese…so they add tons of sauce so the whole thing might taste like something…like the sauce they added.

When you’ll get a craving for a sandwich, you’ll get the real craving…for tomatoes that taste like tomatoes and lettuce that tastes like lettuce. Ham that tastes like ham and turkey that tastes like turkey. Cheese that tastes like cheese and tastes different from other cheeses. Then, a little mustard and ketchup will give you a low calorie, healthy, better tasting sandwich. You will willfully spend time shopping for the right ingredients, doing the sandwiches so you can experience the firework and symphony that a real sandwich should be.

A few times, you will still buy fast food (being short of time, hungry…). After a few times of thinking “how could I ever eat that crap and even enjoy it??!! You’ll stop buying it.

About the health benefits of cutting out junk food?

It’s like asking…”what would be the health benefits if that bully who beats me up every day would stop beating me up?”

First, you get the benefits of NOT eating junk food and to those, you add the benefits of eating healthier food, since you still have to eat something.

You avoid all the bad things that come from getting too much sugar (hyperactivity, high blood sugar fluctuations, hunger, diabetes, cavities, weight gain, weakened immune system, etc…) too much salt (hypertension, kidney disease, heart attacks, strokes, etc…) too much saturated fat (bad cholesterol, obesity, heart diseases, cancer, etc…) and you get all the good things that come from eating healthy…a good, well functioning digestive system, enough nutrients for your body (better skin, better hair, better mood, better sleep…), energy, weight loss if needed, boost immune system, better health, slower aging process, longevity, the list goes on and on…

You could eat junk for 20 or 30 years and feel fine until it hits you with a serious disease and even kills you. My best friend died of a heart attack. I begged her for years to stop adding tons of salt to her plate. She was shaking the salt shaker for 20 seconds over her plate. I know because I even timed her to prove my point but she could not stop because she could not taste the food without the salt. I would cook a healthy meal, like steamed salmon with broccoli, carrots and rice…she would add enough salt to her plate to make it unhealthy.