More Fruits equal lower risk of diabetes and less weight

In an article by Joene Hendry, a common conclusion is reached about the benefits of fruit.
Amid numerous ongoing debates over which dietary interventions are most beneficial, one standard suggestion continues to ring true: Eat more fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables “are unbelievably loaded with good-for-you nutrients,” observes American Dietetic Association (ADietA) spokesperson Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, LD, of the Northwestern Memorial Wellness Institute in Chicago.
“Eating more fruits and vegetables can only help prevent diseases, as well as manage diseases that people already have,” she says. “I have never seen a research article that implicates fruits and vegetables in any sort of negative light.”
Evidence shows that fruits and vegetables, consumed in proper amounts, are good for preventing stroke, heart disease, and hypertension, as well as promoting vascular function, weight loss, and other health aspects.

“I DON'T THINK PEOPLE HAVE CONNECTED TO THE FACT THAT IF THEY CONSUME FIVE TO SIX SERVINGS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES PER DAY THEIR RISK OF STROKE IS GOING TO BE REDUCED.”

Berries beyond the hype?

Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN American Institute for Cancer Research

Berries are often described as "super foods," but then, so are many other foods. Are berries really such a nutritional powerhouse, or are they just one more fruit option? And is one kind of berry really better than the rest? Research does show that berries are among the fruits highest in antioxidant content and that they are excellent sources of several phytochemicals that seem to help block cancer development. However, other fruits and vegetables provide different nutrients and phytochemicals with unique health benefits.

The best advice, then, is to eat berries often for their great taste and health boost, but stay focused on the main goal of eating a wide variety of produce every day. Strawberries are known as excellent sources of vitamin C, providing as much or more than a whole day’s recommended amount in just one cup. But all berries are good sources of vitamin C, with one cup of raspberries or blackberries giving you close to half of amounts currently recommended for a whole day for adults. One of the ways vitamin C protects our health is its function as an antioxidant.

Antioxidants attract and neutralize highly reactive molecules called free radicals that could otherwise damage body cells in ways that initiate cancer development, heart disease and age-related eye damage. Yet laboratory studies show that much of the antioxidant power of fruits and vegetables comes not from the classic antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin C, but from natural protective compounds called phytochemicals. Anthocyanins are a group of phytochemicals that give many berries their red color. In laboratory studies, anthocyanins inhibit growth of lung, colon and leukemia cancer cells without affecting growth of healthy cells.

Decreased cancer development is also seen in animals given anthocyanins. Ellagic acid is another important phytochemical in virtually all berries. More than a simple antioxidant, ellagic acid also blocks metabolic pathways that can lead to cancer. In animals, it has inhibited development of colon, esophageal, liver, lung and skin cancers stemming from a variety of carcinogens.

Sterostilbene is yet another powerful antioxidant phytochemical that seems to
affect metabolic processes to decrease development of both cancer and heart disease.

Blueberries are an excellent source of this relative of the health-promoting resveratrol that is found in grapes and red wine. Phytochemicals seem to be a vital part of the benefits we get from berries. One study showed that strawberries’ power to inhibit cancer cell growth was unrelated to their antioxidant content, suggesting that the direct influences of the phytochemicals on cancer development are very important.

An essential question remains: Do normal portions of berries give us enough phytochemicals to get protective benefits or do we need to eat larger portions than standard 1/2 cup servings? Some research does suggest that concentrations normally found in the blood after eating berries are enough to substantially decrease cancer cells’ growth and to stimulate their self-destruction.

Overall, research on phytochemicals shows that looking at the effects of single foods does not show the full picture. Studies show that a wide range of phytochemicals found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans act together in ways far greater than would be expected from looking at them individually. That’s why, as fabulously healthy as berries are, the bottom line has to be abundance and variety of many fruits and vegetables.

Doctors discuss alternative ways to manage cancer

John Hopkins Update - Good article AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY ('TRY', BEING THE KEY WORD) TO ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY.

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins :

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3 When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.. *CANCER CELLS FEED ON: a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells.. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses, but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color.

Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt. b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer cells are being starved. c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer. d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment.

About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C). e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines becomes putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the bodies own killer cells to destroy cancer cells.. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, un-forgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells. 1. No plastic containers in micro. 2. No water bottles in freezer. 3. No plastic wrap in microwave. Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well. Dioxin chemicals cause cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Cast le Hospital, was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Pa per isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons. Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead. This is an article that should be sent to anyone important in your life.

5 thoughts

Here are 5 inspirational thoughts to live by which can affect not only your health in a positive way but in your professional and personal life as well.

Be Thankful. It's easy to think about what is missing and ignore what you have. When you develop an attitude of gratitude, you begin to view things from that positive light and start working toward making something happen. Giving up is not an option you can entertain.

Be Thoughtful. When things go wrong, don't go with them. As you look at yourself, you have to harness your will, you have to be grounded, you have to pause and you have to go within. Begin to clear your head and give yourself permission to accept the reality that is happening. And then turn the page and start working toward where you will go from there.

Be Active. If you're going through hell, don't stop. Keep moving. Start with small steps and build from there. When you are not active and you're not engaging in life, you have a tendency to worry and regret and to engage in less-than-useful emotions. It's very important that you start moving and working and doing things that can give you some headway. The more active you are, the less chance you have of becoming depressed, angry and immobilized with fear.

Be Connected. Many times, people fail because they can't see the picture when they are in the frame. They think there is no way out. These are people who are disconnected and feel isolated and desperate. But interacting with others provides a number of benefits, including helping us find new paths and new ideas to explore.

Be Patient. Don't expect instant results. Plug away carefully and consistently, and keep the mindset that things are going to get better even though you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are living in a microwave society where we want instant results. But it's not that kind of party. Patience and a spirit of expectation and trust will help you work to reach your goals and dreams.

Study finds fruits help the fight against cancer and disease

"Eat your fruits and vegetables" is one of the tried and true recommendations for a healthy diet. And for good reason. Eating plenty of vegetables and fruits can help you ward off heart disease and stroke, control blood pressure, prevent some types of cancer, avoid a painful intestinal ailment called diverticulitis, and guard against cataract and macular degeneration, two common causes of vision loss.

Over the past 30 years or so, researchers have developed a solid base of science to back up what generations of mothers preached (but didn't always practice themselves). Early on, fruits and vegetables were acclaimed as cancer-fighting foods. In fact, the ubiquitous 5 A Day message (now quietly changing to Fruits and Veggies: More Matters) seen in produce aisles, magazine ads, and schools was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute. The latest research, though, suggests that the biggest payoff from eating fruits and vegetables is for the heart.

Vegetables, Fruits, and Cardiovascular Disease

There is compelling evidence that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. The largest and longest study to date, done as part of the Harvard-based Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, included almost 110,000 men and women whose health and dietary habits were followed for 14 years. The higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Compared with those in the lowest category of fruit and vegetable intake (less than 1.5 servings a day), those who averaged 8 or more servings a day were 30 percent less likely to have had a heart attack or stroke. Although all fruits and vegetables likely contribute to this benefit, green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, and mustard greens; cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, and kale; and citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit (and their juices) make important contributions.

When researchers combined findings from the Harvard studies with several other long-term studies in the U.S. and Europe, and looked at coronary heart disease and stroke separately, they found a similar protective effect: Individuals who ate more than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per had roughly a 20 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, compared with individuals who ate less than 3 servings per day.

Vegetables, Fruits, and Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a primary risk factor for heart disease and stroke. As such, it's a condition that is important to control. Diet can be a very effective tool for lowering blood pressure. One of the most convincing associations between diet and blood pressure was found in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study.

This trial examined the effect on blood pressure of a diet that was rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and that restricted the amount of saturated and total fat. The researchers found that people with high blood pressure who followed this diet reduced their systolic blood pressure (the upper number of a blood pressure reading) by about 11 mm Hg and their diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) by almost 6 mm Hg—as much as medications can achieve.

More recently, a randomized trial known as the Optimal Macronutrient Intake Trial for Heart Health (OmniHeart) showed that this fruit and vegetable-rich diet lowered blood pressure even more when some of the carbohydrate was replaced with healthy unsaturated fat or protein.

Vegetables, Fruits, and Cancer
Numerous early studies revealed what appeared to be a strong link between eating fruits and vegetables and protection against cancer. But because many of these were case-control studies, where people who already have a certain health outcome (cases) are compared to people who do not have that outcome (controls), it is possible that the results may have been skewed by problems inherent in these types of studies; people with illnesses, for example, often recall past behaviors differently from those without illness, which can lead to potential inaccuracy in the information that they provide to study investigators.

Cohort studies, which follow large groups of initially healthy individuals for years, generally provide more reliable information than case-control studies because they don't rely on information from the past. And data from cohort studies have not consistently shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables prevents cancer in general. For example, in the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, over a 14-year period, men and women with the highest intake of fruits and vegetables (8+ servings a day) were just as likely to have developed cancer as those who ate the fewest daily servings (under 1.5).

A more likely possibility is that some types of fruits and vegetables may protect against certain cancers. A massive report by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research suggests that non-starchy vegetables—such as lettuce and other leafy greens, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, as well as garlic, onions, and the like—and fruits "probably" protect against several types of cancers, including those of the mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, and stomach; fruit probably also protects against lung cancer.

Specific components of fruits and vegetables may also be protective against cancer. For example, a line of research stemming from a finding from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study suggests that tomatoes may help protect men against prostate cancer, especially aggressive forms of it. One of the pigments that give tomatoes their red hue—lycopene—could be involved in this protective effect.

Although several studies other than the Health Professionals study have also demonstrated a link between tomatoes or lycopene and prostate cancer, others have not or have found only a weak connection. Taken as a whole, however, these studies suggest that increased consumption of tomato-based products (especially cooked tomato products) and other lycopene-containing foods may reduce the occurrence of prostate cancer. Lycopene is one of several carotenoids (compounds that the body can turn into vitamin A) found in brightly colored fruits and vegetables, and research suggests that foods containing carotenoids may protect against lung, mouth, and throat cancer. But more research is needed before we know the exact relationship between fruits and vegetables, carotenoids, and cancer.

Vegetables, Fruits, and Gastrointestinal Health
One of the wonderful components of fruits and vegetables is their indigestible fiber. As fiber passes through the digestive system, it sops up water like a sponge and expands. This can calm the irritable bowel and, by triggering regular bowel movements, can relieve or prevent constipation. The bulking and softening action of insoluble fiber also decreases pressure inside the intestinal tract and so may help prevent diverticulosis (the development of tiny, easily irritated pouches inside the colon) and diverticulitis (the often painful inflammation of these pouches).

Vegetables, Fruits, and Vision
Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables also keeps your eyes in good shape. You may have learned that the vitamin A in carrots aids night vision. Other fruits and vegetables help prevent two common aging-related eye diseases—cataract and macular degeneration—which afflict millions of Americans over age 65. Cataract is the gradual clouding of the eye's lens, a disk of protein that focuses light on the light-sensitive retina. Macular degeneration is caused by cumulative damage to the macula, the center of the retina. It starts as a blurred spot in the center of what you see. As the degeneration spreads, vision shrinks.

Free radicals generated by sunlight, cigarette smoke, air pollution, infection, and metabolism cause much of this damage. Dark green leafy vegetables—such as spinach and kale—contain two pigments, lutein and zeaxanthin, that accumulate in the eye; these pigments are found in other brightly colored fruits and vegetables as well, including corn, squash, kiwi, and grapes. These two pigments appear to be able to snuff out free radicals before they can harm the eye's sensitive tissues.
In general, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables appears to reduce the chances of developing cataract or macular degeneration. Lutein and zeaxanthin, in particular, seem protective against cataract.

More news on the cancer-fiber front

More News on the Fiber-Cancer Front-- by Jeff Jurmain, MA

Scientists have long known that keeping a diet high in fiber goes a long way to protecting the body from chronic diseases. It is most powerful in protecting all areas of the digestive tract from problems. And those problems include cancer.

A brand new study in the journal "Gastroenterology" has found an added benefit to eating lots of fiber and foods made with whole grains. We had known that eating this way could help prevent colon cancer. But they also found that these dietary habits could prevent cancer from developing in the small intestine as well.

Of the entire digestive tract, the small intestine comprises about three-quarters. Cancers are less common in the small intestine, however, when compared to the large intestine or colon. (Colorectal cancers are among the most common and most fatal tumors.)

A team from the National Cancer Institute analyzed data to gauge fiber's cancer protection in the small bowel. Over the span of one year in the mid-1990s, they looked at data from nearly 300,000 men and 200,000 women. It was called the Diet and Health Study. Over the course of seven years, they discovered that 165 patients had developed cancer of the small intestine.

Researchers found that people with the highest intake of fiber from grains had a 49% reduced risk of such a cancer. (That is compared to people with the lowest intake.) And for whole grains? There was a 41% reduced risk of small bowel cancer for people eating the most to people eating the least amount.

Experts call for adults to consume between 20 g and 35 g of fiber per day through food. Unfortunately, the average adult gets only 12 g to 18 g -- in some cases, far below what is recommended. Dietary fiber comes in a variety of foods and it's not that hard to stock up on it. It will also contribute to you feeling full faster, so you are not tempted to overeat (important for people trying to shed pounds).

Here is the best of the lot for finding fiber in foods:
-- Fruit: raspberries, pears and apples (with skin)

Cha-de-Burge

Cha de Burge is an ingredient i came across in a new energy drink by MV. Since I have never heard of it, i did some research and came across this information

Cha de Bugre is yet another exotic weight loss ingredient that hails from South America. The powdered herb is served all over the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. While it hasn't quite reached that status here in the States, it is a sensation there. And what a list of sensational health benefits it apparently has: decreased appetite, kills viruses, reduces cellulite, reduces fever, increases urination, supports heart health, and acts as a stimulant.

The Cha de Bugre tree produces a red fruit similar to a coffee bean which can be roasted and made in to a coffee substitute.

Cha de Bugre is supposed to suppress appetite, but not completely, which is key. The idea is not to not eat at all, then binge later when famished. Cha de Bugre gives one a sense of being full after eating a few bites of food. This seems to promote smaller more frequent meals, which is common knowledge today as the best way to a healthy weight

Some very interesting facts everyone should know about wild fruit

I was listening to Dr Carson speak about the benefits of fruit and I wanted to share some interesting facts that I learned.

As I learn more about the importance of fruit in our diet, statistics show that less than 18% of the population consumes 2 or more fruits a day. Countless studies have concluded that we still need 7-9 servings of quality fruits and vegetables in our diets to maintain optimum health. How many are getting that? I wasn't. Not doing so is one of the main reasons our society is rampant with disease, cancer, and most of the health problems we face today.

First, fruit from the store, including organic fruit, carries a much higher risk of carrying food borne illnesses than chicken or beef. To mitigate that, manufacturers pasteurize or use extreme heat to kill dangerous bacteria. Unfortunately, this destroys much of the nutritional quality of the fruit. There is only one way to maintain the nutritional quality of fruit and that is to flash pasteurize it. Flash pasteurizing heats the juice up at a rapid rate for only a few seconds to kill bacteria, then reduces the temperature rapidly to help maintain the nutrients.

Fruits from the wild, ie, the Amazon Jungle, have 40% more nutrition than fruit from the USA. Why? Because the environmental conditions of the Amazon are so harsh that most of the fruit grown over there developed survival properties. The protection mechanism built into fruit protects it from the following: viruses, bacteria, mold, fungi, parasites, droughts, floods, radiation, high heat, toxins, pollutions, free radicals, over crowding, predators and mutations. The person consuming these raw fruits benefits greatly from these defense mechanisms. Acai fruit for example, is an amazing fruit that has kept Brazilians healthy and young for years, based on it's survival properties.

There are many products out there but keep one thing in mind. As Dr Carson says, and i am paraphrasing, there are a certain things you don't want to save money on- Heart transplants, parachutes, life preservers and wellness products. Get the facts and understand that what you do on a daily basis makes a difference in your health.

Which is the #1 killer of men and women?

Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States. If you are worried about heart disease, one of the most important things you can do is to start eating a heart-healthy diet. Changing your diet can help stop or even reverse heart disease.

At first, it may seem like there is a lot to learn. But you don't have to make these changes all at once. Start with small steps. Over time, making a number of small changes can add up to a big difference in your heart health.

To have a heart-healthy diet:

Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other high-fiber foods.
Choose foods that are low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol.
Limit salt (sodium).

Stay at a healthy weight by balancing the calories you eat with your physical activity.
Eat more foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish.