Natural Health Foods

Tofu is a popular to most vegetarians. It is packed with nutrition and can easily substitute for meats. It is made of soybeans and is low in cholesterol, fat and calories. Tofu is very popular among vegetarians because it is a great source of protein. Whether you're a vegetarian or not, it is a very healthy idea to include tofu in your diet because it provides your body with the nutrients you need.

Here are some benefits you can get from eating tofu.

Good for the heart

Tofu is low in calories, cholesterol and fats. We all know that too much cholesterol and fats will increase your risk of getting cardiovascular diseases. Tofu lowers the amount of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and maintains a good amount of High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) in your body. LDLs are known as the bad cholesterol. Excess amount of LDL will eventually result to serious heart illnesses. It also contains Omega 3. A nutrient that is important to keep your heart healthy.

Makes your Bones strong and healthy

Tofu is rich in calcium that is very much needed in keeping your bones strong. As you get older, you'll need more calcium in your body to prevent your bones from getting brittle and weak. Eating tofu also prevents you from developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Rich in protein and Vitamin B

This is most popular reason vegetarians eat tofu. Since they don't eat meat, they lack protein in their diet. Tofu is packed with protein and vitamin B. Tofu has a high amount of protein. Eating Tofu gives vegetarians the amount of protein they need without having to resort to eating meat.

Contains Isoflavones

Isoflavones help lower the amount of LDL in your body. They are known as cholesterol fighters. Isoflavones also work like estrogen. Combined with protein, tofu is very effective in fighting off certain diseases and types of cancer. Women on the pre- menopausal and menopausal stage can greatly benefit from tofu. The estrogen in tofu helps regulate hormone levels. During menopause, women experience hormonal imbalances due to the reduction of estrogen in their system. Without this hormone, women become prone to health conditions like osteoporosis and breast cancer. In men, isoflavones help reduce their risk of developing prostate cancer.

Powerful Antioxidant

Some people like to eat tofu because it is very rich in antioxidants that fight off radicals and other harmful microorganisms in the body. Having an adequate amount of antioxidant in your body is also known to prevent certain cancers.

Never before in the history of mankind has so much knowledge been discovered in all our media coverage. Regular medicine can no longer treat us like "Auto Parts". Our own responsibility knows that health and longevity is in our hands. For the control of our body chemistry with our "Acid & Alkaline" balance, Now Foods has Phyto Foods in tabs or powder.When mom said eat all your vegetables, we have all of that, called the SuperFoods, Wheatgrass, Spirulina, Chlorella, all in concentrated form, which includes all the veggies we are familiar with and a lot more. Dr. Christopher's has the Vital Green and Food Science Of Vermont, also has a good combinations of all the Greens.

All of my cancer clients are on green food in powder or tabs, because cancer cannot live in Oxygenated Cells. So imagine what your body does for protection against this epidemic of our century. It's so important for PH. Balance, which means a P.H. of 7 is neutral, Alkaline is usually 6.5. What does all of this mean? With acid blood the heart relaxes, when the blood is Alkaline, the heart contracts. Since we eat too much Acid food and build up Free Radicals, our immune system becomes weak in a decayed internal environment. Alive Multi, with or without iron by Natures Way, has all the Greens and Carotenoids for our protection. Alive also comes in an Effervescent Drink, in a Lemon Lime or Cinnamon Apple. Just like you know what, that fizzes up.

The Eye Disease Case Control Study from JAMA (Journal of American Med. Assoc.) of 11/04 says tons of Fruits & Vegetables (we just don't get enough) could help prevent Eye Diseases, because Lutein and Zeaxanthin come from our Green Foods. Naturade has Vegetable Protein Shake Soy free. Did you know how good all those Greens are? And by the way, what do the cows eat? Green Foods are exceptional for Bone Building and Anemia (which shows up in the more mature, as being tired all the time). We need to transport that Oxygen to all the cells.

Rainbow Light has Whole Food Supplement with all the Foods to build up those RBC's (Red Blood Cells) needed for your master program of cell production. You can check your P.H. balance with Advanced Nutritional Innovations Salivia Strips 180 STRIPS for testing. Your Amino Acids in Whey Protein by Now Foods is a complete range of AMINOS. A good Source of the Omega's, which is also a Whole Food is Now's Omega 3-6-9 in Liquid or Caps which is the balance of all the Important Oils, Borage, Flax, Fish. And another one is a Cox 2 Inhibitor by Now Foods, called D-Flame. All are Anti-Inflammatory Herbs. I am very impressed by this one. D-Flame helps with Lots of Health Issues and Immune Disorders, and certain Swellings. And for the Young ones, Yummi Bears has Whole Food Fruit & Veggie Blend called Juice For Life. One word of caution, if one is on a blood thinner made be careful of the Oils. This is always a work in progress, and a battle every day for a Healthier You.

Although it has been an accepted and obvious fact to all, many women are still unaware about the importance of the folic acid during pregnancy.

Folic acid is a member in the water soluble B vitamin group. It is very important for everyone in that it is needed for proper health and growth, but its importance increases for women, especially those who planning to have a baby.

There is great relation between the folic acid (FA) and the pregnancy; pregnant women should take their supplements before and during the pregnancy as the decrease in FA has been proven to be the cause of many disorders for both mother and the fetus.

Should I get folic acid before the pregnancy?

Yes, you should for many reasons.

First - FA is very important for you to help the synthesis of the red blood cells. The decrease of these cells can cause megaloablastic anemia. So you should get your requirements even without pregnancy.

Second - The placental transport of the folic acid occurs after the placental receptor saturation occurs, and when the infant requirements are high, so it is important that you should have good level in your blood.

Also this acid is responsible for the protein metabolism and the cell division, and in the process of the cells development. Especially as the neural cells and the infant development occurs rapidly even before you realise that you are pregnant. So you should provide the FA from the beginning of the pregnancy,

One of the most common abnormalities, which show the relation between the FA and the pregnancy and affect your baby due to the acid deficiency, is the neural tube defect(NTD) which causes spina bifida, nerve damage, lower limb paralysis, and learning disabilities. There is much research that shows the effect of the folic acid on the pregnancy. There is a relationship between the deficiency of FA and the occurrence of NTD. Although not all cases with neural tube defect were caused by the small amount of folic acid, the studies have shown that the mothers of babies with NTD had a smaller amount of FA and those with increased amounts showed a protective effect.

What is the folic acid pregnancy dosage?

To decrease the risk of the neural tube defect occurrence, the women who are planning to have a baby should increase their dose of FA in their supplements. The usual dose for non pregnant women be about 400 mg per day and once the pregnancy occurs the minimal dose should be higher than 600 mg per day. The high risk women, who have past history of the NTD, should have a large dose according to their doctor's advice.

Pregnant women should have foods that contain FA. Although it is difficult to get the all the requirements from food only, you can get FA supplements with the naturally FA rich foods. The richest FA foods are the green leafy vegetables, like spinach, broccoli, and nuts.

After a night of "trick or treating" the amount of sugar in children's bloodstreams is higher than normal. Any parent or elementary school teacher will tell you that sugar clearly effects children's behavior, and will give you anecdotal examples of situations that illustrate this. If you are a parent or teacher, it may surprise you to hear that the effect of sugar intake on children's behavior is a hotly debated topic in pediatrics

The belief that consumption of refined sugar can lead to behavior disturbance or hyperactivity in children is widespread. Wolraich and colleagues reviewed the literature to evaluate this purported association in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The authors conclude that no effect of sugar on behavior or cognitive performance in children has been proved based on studies to date. However, placebo-controlled trials have shown that parents believe sugar has a negative effect on their children's behavior, and this belief may be hard to counter. (Wolraich ML, et al. The effect of sugar on behavior or cognition in children: a meta-analysis. JAM 1995;274:1617-21.)

Having just witness the post Halloween frenzy of a group of five year olds that I know well, it seems hard to believe the study above. Here were a group of children who regularly play together, and though active, are rarely extreme. This Halloween evening they were running in circles around the house for a full hour, screeching and laughing and climbing all over each other and the furniture. Given that this is not the normal behavior for this group of children and given that they'd each eaten at least 4-6 pieces of candy prior to the behavior, it makes logical sense that there's a relationship.

Its great flavor and health benefits have made the pomegranate a great candidate for those who seek natural health foods.

When you cut open a pomegranate you will be amazed at the number of ruby-colored seeds inside. Trying to get to the seeds can be somewhat difficult as the permanent red juice squirts everywhere when you try to wrestle the seeds out. To prevent that from happening, break apart pomegranates underwater. First score the leathery rind, and then submerge the fruit in a bowl of water while you break apart the segments and separate the seeds free from the white membrane. The membrane floats so it's easy to skim off. Pour the rest through a colander and in minutes you'll have hundreds of seeds and no stains!

Pomegranate seeds are worth the trouble because they're an antiaging, skin-protecting, cancer-fighting powerhouse. The seeds are packed with anthocyanins, vitamin C, lycopene, and resveratrol. Research in humans has shown that the juice reduces several risk factors for heart disease and inhibits tumor growth.

If you prefer just the juice, take the whole pomegranate fruit and roll it over a hard surface just enough to release the juice from the seeds inside but not breaking the fruit's skin. Then make a small hole and with a straw drink the juice!

Pomegranates have a high level of antioxidants. Studies have shown that pomegranate contains more antioxidants than green tea, cranberries and even red wine!

By including pomegranate in your daily diet you can improve your blood flow which helps to prevent heart diseases such as heart attacks, stroke or clogged arteries. Studies have also concluded that it may help prevent prostate cancer and growth.

The ancient Greeks believed that eating this "apple of many seeds" might lead to immortality. Anything that keeps skin cells plump a little longer, maintains a healthier heart, and holds promise for preventing cancer has got to be good.

The pomegranate fruit contains many antioxidants for our bodies and eating it daily is beneficial for your health. However, while pomegranate is great, you should always mix plenty of different fruits in your diet. I also suggest these other antioxidant rich fruits - grapes, apples, blueberries, bilberries, lycium fruit (goji berries), elderberry, cranberry, noni, and prunes.

Along with decreasing inflammation, consuming a diet rich in low-fat fruits provides antioxidants that help decrease the risk of many diseases including: heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes and arthritis.