Some foods and temperatures help you have a trim body

Avocado
Avocados are the perfect fat burning food because they are high in fiber (11 to 17 grams for each Avocado) and that helps us feel full longer. Besides, they also contain mono-unsaturated fats which target and reduce belly fat.

 

Additionally, mono-saturated fats trigger the release of the hormones in our body that are responsible for burning fat. 

Brussel sprouts
Brussel Sprouts can accelerate the function of our pancreas which results in the release of hormones that have a cleaning effect on our cells.

Carrots
Carrots contain carotene which turn into Vitamin A and vitamin A that helps initiate the fat burning response in our body. It is also high in fiber.

Beets 
Beets are a powerful diuretic that have the ability to rid our body of hanging body fats while also purifying blood corpuscles that can control fat sediments.

 

Chili Peppers
Chili Peppers contain a capsaicin nutrient that causes a thermal burn. Capsaicin can melt away fat cells while also causing us to burn more calories.

 

Cabbage

The sulfur and iodine content of cabbage can assist in melting down fat in our stomach and waistline areas.

 

Meanwhile, research suggests that cold temperatures (for example, turning the temperature down to 66° overnight) result in a significant increase in brown fat in our body (brown fat is prevalent in lean people) and help boost metabolism. So, try to keep cool!

Vegetarian diets may reduce heart disease

Many people choose to follow vegetarian diets. There can be many health advantages in doing so. For instance, vegetarian diets tend to be low in saturated fats and rich in natural antioxidants and other anti-inflammatory phytonutrients, which can have a wide range of benefits throughout the body.

 

According to recent research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who regularly consume nuts and legumes may reduce their risk of heart disease.

It was found that subjects who regularly consumed nuts were 24% less likely to suffer a fatal heart attack and 22% less likely to suffer a nonfatal heart attack compared with subjects who did not regularly consume nuts. Regular nut consumers also had a 13% reduced risk of diabetes compared to non-regular consumers. However, there was no significant correlation observed between nut consumption and stroke risk. 

Regular exercise helps people with clogged arteries and elderly with disability

Regular physical exercise is good both for our mental and physical health, not even to mention the financial payoff of reduced medical expenses. 

Although getting regular exercise is important at all ages, the benefits can be especially pronounced as we grow older. What many people don't realize is that you don't have to be an exercise fanatic or "gym rat" to realize significant health benefits; even moderate-intensity physical activity such as home-based walking ca n yield significant rewards. For example, people with poor circulation in their legs may benefit from a home-based walking plan. 

According to a recent study on patients with peripheral artery disease, it was found that patients with home-based walking exercise increased their six-minute walk distance from baseline to 12-month follow-up from 355.4 meters to 381.9 meters. 

In another study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, it was found that getting regular exercise can help protect elderly adults against physical disability. The study involved 1,635 sedentary men and women aged 70 to 89 years who had physical limitations but were still able to walk 400 meters within 15 minutes without sitting and without the help of another person or a walker at the beginning of the study.

After an average of 2.6 years, subjects were evaluated for levels of major mobility disability and found that those elderly men and women who took part in a structured, moderate-intensity physical activity program had significantly less mobility disability than a control group who didn't exercise.

According to the study authors, “these results suggest the potential for structured physical activity as a feasible and effective intervention to reduce the burden of disability among vulnerable older persons.” And this can translate into a huge difference in quality of life.

Iodine deficiency common among pregnant women

According to the journal Pediatrics published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, many women of childbearing age are marginally iodine deficient and should be taking a supplement containing adequate iodide but only roughly 15% actually do so. 

Iodine is important because its deficiency, per se, can interfere with normal brain development in the offspring. Iodine is required to produce thyroid hormone, which has a crucial role in brain development. Thus adequate iodine is especially important in prenatal and neonatal nutrition. In addition, its deficiency increases vulnerability to the effects of certain environmental pollutants, such as nitrate, thiocyanate and perchlorate.

Iodine deficiency was widespread in the US presumably due to increased consumption of processed foods, which are prepared with non-iodized salt. It is now estimated that approximately one third of pregnant women in the US are iodine deficient.

According to the Academy, pregnant and breastfeeding women should use iodized salt and take a supplement that includes at least 150 micrograms of iodide. Combined intake from food and supplements should be 290 to 1,100 micrograms per day. 

The Academy also recommends that pregnant and lactating women avoid excessive exposure to excess nitrate, which is most commonly found in cigarette smoke and contaminated well water, and thiocyanate, which is in cigarette smoke. These chemicals can exacerbate the effects of iodine deficiency.

Red wine consumption decreases cardiovascular risk

Although red wine contains a number of naturally occurring antioxidants, research from Spain indicates that resveratrol found in red wine may help protect against cardiovascular disease in high-risk subjects. 

In a study conducted at the University of Barcelona in Spain, researchers evaluated the association between red wine consumption and cardiovascular disease in 1,000 subjects. It was found that higher levels of red wine consumption were associated with improvements in HDL, triglycerides and heart rate. In addition, improvements were observed in fasting blood glucose and triglyceride levels as well as heart rate.

In another study in Spain involving 75 stable coronary artery disease patients who were already receiving standard statin therapy, it was found that subjects receiving grape extract with resveratrol showed an increase in anti-inflammatory serum adiponectin levels and a decrease in inflammatory thrombogenic plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1.

Meanwhile, at the University of Pécs Medical School in Hungaria, researchers evaluated the effects of 10 mg per day of resveratrol for three months in 40 patients with stable coronary artery disease who had already suffered at least one myocardial infarction.

After three months, patients receiving resveratrol showed significant improvement in left ventricular diastolic function, endothelial function and serum LDL levels. In addition, the unfavorable changes in red blood cell deformability and platelet aggregation were not observed. The study authors concluded that their findings suggest “resveratrol intake via red wine consumption might help decrease cardiovascular risk factors.”

The origins of pleasure

Psychologist Paul Bloom said our pleasure or pain is affected by our beliefs about hidden essences. For example, how the food you are eating tastes to you will depend critically on what you think you are eating.

 "The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven."
 

Natural anti-inflammatory agents proved effective against Arthritis pain

In an observational study conducted in eight rheumatology centers in the U.S., it was found that a combination of devil's claw, turmeric and bromelain can provide effective relief for both acute and chronic osteoarthritis pain.

Then, what are devil's claw, turmeric and bromelain?

They are all herbs.

Devil’s  claw. or called Harpagophytum, is used for “hardening of the arteries" (atherosclerosis), arthritis, gout, muscle pain (myalgia), back pain, tendonitis, chest pain, gastrointestinal (GI) upset or heart burn, fever and migraine headache. It is also used for difficulties in childbirth, menstrual problems, allergic reactions, loss of appetite, and kidney and bladder disease. 

In particular, it appears to decrease pain from a kind of arthritis called osteoarthritis.  Some evidence suggests that it works about as well as diacerhein (a slow-acting drug for osteoarthritis) for improving osteoarthritis pain in the hip and knee after 16 weeks of treatment. This is because it contains harpagoside and iridoid glycosides. Taking it orally seems also to lessen low-back pain.

Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant and has long been used as a powerful anti-inflammatory in both the Chinese and Indian systems of medicine. Its yellow or orange pigment, called curcumin, is thought to be the primary pharmacological agent in turmeric. Clinical studies have substantiated that curcumin also exerts very powerful antioxidant effects. As an antioxidant, curcumin is able to neutralize free radicals, chemicals that can travel through the body and cause great amounts of damage to healthy cells and cell membranes. This is important in many diseases, such as cancers and arthritis. 

Free radicals are responsible for Arthritis’ painful joint inflammation and eventual damage to the joints. Turmeric's combination of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects explains why many people with joint disease find relief when they use the spice regularly. 

In a recent study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, curcumin was compared to phenylbutazone and produced comparable improvements in shortened duration of morning stiffness, lengthened walking time and reduced joint swelling.

Bromelain is a mixture of enzymes found naturally in the juice and stems of pineapples. Often, it is marketed as a natural anti-inflammatory for arthritis. It may help with mild pain associated with osteoarthritis.

A combination of these anti-inflammatory botanical extracts was found to provide relief for osteoarthritis sufferers. The study found that pain scores decreased from 69.1 to 42.1 for the acute pain patients and from 68.0 to 37.8 for the chronic pain patients.

The study authors concluded: “Considering its excellent tolerance profile, the tested complex of three plant extracts with anti-inflammatory properties may be a valuable and safe alternative in patients suffering from degenerative joint diseases.”