Why flour? Flour is a raw agricultural product that does not undergo any processing to prevent contamination until it is combined with other ingredients and cooked. Harmful organisms can contaminate the grain while it is in the field or at steps during flour production. The harmful bacteria are killed when food made with flour is … Read More
Avoiding a heart attack or stroke has a lot to do with prevention. It sounds simple, and in fact it is commonsense, but it also gives people confidence that they have the power to improve their health. You don’t have to be perfect – just try – all small improvements over time count to lower … Read More
The American Institute for Cancer Research offers practical tips to help prevent cancer. Keep your weight within a healthy range and try not to gain weight as an adult. Be physically active – walk more, sit less. Eat whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans as part of your daily diet. Limit fast food and highly … Read More
We know that excessive drinking is a risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF). AF is an abnormal heart rhythm characterized by the rapid and irregular beating of the atria (the two upper chambers of the heart). A new study published in the journal Heart Rhythm showed that even moderate drinking, approximately 2 drinks a day, … Read More
Athletes have long acknowledged that working out makes them feel good due to the release of endorphins that boost mood. Now there is evidence coming out of animal studies at Columbia University that exercise produces another hormone, irisin, that may improve memory and protect against Alzheimer’s disease. Irisin is present in the brain’s hippocampus, the … Read More
Never heard of them? Most people haven’t either. But there are websites warning against eating beans and whole grains, a major source, because lectins incite chemical warfare in the body causing digestive problems, weight gain, high cholesterol, arthritis, brain fog and adult acne. It is a wonder most humans haven’t already perished. First, there is … Read More
Be smart about sodium. You develop a greater sensitivity to sodium as you get older which may contribute to high blood pressure. Eating too much salt makes your body lose calcium. Treating hypertension may prevent dementia. Simply draining and rinsing canned beans will lower their sodium value by 40%. Processed foods and restaurant meals are … Read More
If you take medication regularly, check with your doctor or pharmacist about food and drug interactions. Green leafy vegetables, pine nuts and cashews are high in vitamin K and can interfere with anticoagulant drugs like Coumadin (warfarin). Don’t wash down meds with grapefruit juice, especially cholesterol lowering medications. Pomegranate juice can interfere with blood pressure … Read More
A recent study that observed patient/doctor interactions showed that patients get only 11 seconds to explain their reason for the visit before they are interrupted. Primary care doctors gave the patient more time than specialists and tended to interrupt less, but still only a third of patients were given the chance to provide the complete … Read More
Researchers in London surveyed people to better understand what people believed were the causes of cancer. Most people surveyed had a very poor understanding of what lifestyle factors were linked to cancer. Those surveyed believed that stress (43%), food additives (42%), genetically modified foods (34%), and exposure to electromagnetic frequencies (35%), microwave oven (19%), and … Read More