Why Sugar is Toxic to Your Health

Why is sugar toxic to the body? In 1957, Dr William Coda Martin attempted to answer the question: When is food a food and when is it a poison?

His definition of “poison” was: “Medically: Any substance applied to the body, ingested or developed within the body, which causes or may cause disease.” Dr. Martin determined that sugar is indeed a poison and thus, classified it as such.

Sugar’s toxic wrath is in part due to it’s composition as a purely refined carbohydrate. It is a chemical. Our bodies cannot utilize this poison because it has been stripped of all vitamins, minerals, and all other nutrients that help your body create optimum health. What occurs when sugar is ingested is a balancing act that takes place inside our bodies.

Because balance or homeostasis is so essential to our bodies, the minerals sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium are utilized to create this balance. For example, in order to neutralize the blood from sugar (sugar creates an acidic body), calcium is taken from the bones and teeth, thus, decay and osteoporosis may occur. If sugar is consumed every day, our bodies eventually will be depleted of these very important minerals and leave you with mineral deficiencies that depletes your health and weakens your defenses against disease. This process allows the dreaded free-radicals to cause major damage. Think of free-radicals as your body’s equivalent to nuclear destruction.

Excess sugar affects every single organ in the body – including the liver. The liver is where sugar is stored in the form of glucose. Eventually, if sugar is consumed every day, your liver will be unable to store the excess sugar and is returned to the blood in the form of fatty acids. Guess where those fatty acids are stored? They are stored in the most inactive areas: The belly, the buttocks, the breasts and the thighs. After these areas have been filled-up, the fatty acids then get distributed to organs such as the heart and kidneys.

Sugar hinders the body’s immune system and predisposes people to illness and disease. Our white blood cells are adversely affected. Here are just some health conditions associated with over-consumption of sugar: Obesity, cancer, aging, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, adult-onset diabetes, eczema, kidney stones, depression, candida (yeast over-growth), anxiety, dental cavities, atherosclerosis, poor brain function and countless other conditions.

Cancer is affected by sugar due to the cancer cell’s main source of fuel: Glucose. By controlling blood glucose, the cancer cells are starved for fuel and the immune system is bolstered.

We think of sugar as the granulated white stuff but it can be disguised in many forms such as: corn syrup, fructose, sucrose, lactose, molasses, honey, maltose, fruit juice and many other forms. It is essential that we become aware of the hidden sources of sugar found in processed foods.

In order to create optimum health, it is essential that we mindfully choose whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lower our stress levels, exercise and AVOID SUGAR.

To Your Good Health!

10 Tips for Quitting Smoking

I recently celebrated my one-year anniversary of quitting smoking. Well, of finally quitting … like most smokers, I had tried to quit many times and failed. But this quit stuck, and I’d like to share the top 10 things that made this quit successful when the others failed.

1. Commit Thyself Fully. In the quits that failed, I was only half into it. I told myself I wanted to quit, but I always felt in the back of my mind that I’d fail. I didn’t write anything down, I didn’t tell everybody (maybe my wife, but just her). This time, I wrote it down. I wrote down a plan. I blogged about it. I made a vow to my daughter. I told family and friends I was quitting. I went online and joined a quit forum. I had rewards. Many of these will be in the following tips, but the point is that I fully committed, and there was no turning back. I didn’t make it easy for myself to fail.

2. Make a Plan. You can’t just up and say, “I’m gonna quit today.” You have to prepare yourself. Plan it out. Have a system of rewards, a support system, a person to call if you’re in trouble. Write down what you’ll do when you get an urge. Print it out. Post it up on your wall, at home and at work. If you wait until you get the urge to figure out what you’re going to do, you’ve already lost. You have to be ready when those urges come.

3. Know Your Motivation. When the urge comes, your mind will rationalize. “What’s the harm?” And you’ll forget why you’re doing this. Know why you’re doing this BEFORE that urge comes. Is it for your kids? For your wife? For you health? So you can run? Because the girl you like doesn’t like smokers? Have a very good reason or reasons for quitting. List them out. Print them out. Put it on a wall. And remind yourself of those reasons every day, every urge.

4. Not One Puff, Ever (N.O.P.E.). The mind is a tricky thing. It will tell you that one cigarette won’t hurt. And it’s hard to argue with that logic, especially when you’re in the middle of an urge. And those urges are super hard to argue with. Don’t give in. Tell yourself, before the urges come, that you will not smoke a single puff, ever again. Because the truth is, that one puff WILL hurt. One puff leads to a second, and a third, and soon you’re not quitting, you’re smoking. Don’t fool yourself. A single puff will almost always lead to a recession. DO NOT TAKE A SINGLE PUFF!

5. Join a Forum. One of the things that helped the most in this quit was an online forum for quitters (quitsmoking.about.com) … you don’t feel so alone when you’re miserable. Misery loves company, after all. Go online, introduce yourself, get to know the others who are going through the exact same thing, post about your crappy experience, and read about others who are even worse than you. Best rule: Post Before You Smoke. If you set this rule and stick to it, you will make it through your urge. Others will talk you through it. And they’ll celebrate with you when you make it through your first day, day 2, 3, and 4, week 1 and beyond. It’s great fun.

6. Reward Yourself. Set up a plan for your rewards. Definitely reward yourself after the first day, and the second, and the third. You can do the fourth if you want, but definitely after Week 1 and Week2. And month 1, and month 2. And 6 months and a year. Make them good rewards, that you’ll look forward to: CDs, books, DVDs, T-shirts, shoes, a massage, a bike, a dinner out at your favorite restaurant, a hotel stay … whatever you can afford. Even better: take whatever you would have spent on smoking each day, and put it in a jar. This is your Rewards Jar. Go crazy! Celebrate your every success! You deserve it.

7. Delay. If you have an urge, wait. Do the following things: take 10 deep breaths. Drink water. Eat a snack (at first it was candy and gum, then I switched to healthier stuff like carrots and frozen grapes and pretzels). Call your support person. Post on your smoking cessation forum. Exercise. DO WHATEVER IT TAKES, BUT DELAY, DELAY, DELAY. You will make it through it, and the urge will go away. When it does, celebrate! Take it one urge at a time, and you can do it.

8. Replace Negative Habits with Positive Ones. What do you do when you’re stressed? If you currently react to stress with a cigarette, you’ll need to find something else to do. Deep breathing, self massage of my neck and shoulders, and exercise have worked wonders for me. Other habits, such as what you do first thing in the morning, or what you do in the car, or wherever you usually smoke, should be replaced with better, more positive ones. Running has been my best positive habit, altho I have a few others that replaced smoking.

9. Make it Through Hell Week, then Heck Week, and You’re Golden. The hardest part of quitting is the first two days. If you can get past that, you’ve passed the nicotine withdrawal stage, and the rest is mostly mental. But all of the first week is hell. Which is why it’s called Hell Week. After that, it begins to get easier. Second week is Heck Week, and is still difficult, but not nearly as hellish as the first. After that, it was smooth sailing for me. I just had to deal with an occasional strong urge, but the rest of the urges were light, and I felt confident I could make it through anything.

10. If You Fall, Get Up. And Learn From Your Mistakes. Yes, we all fail. That does not mean we are failures, or that we can never succeed. If you fall, it’s not the end of the world. Get up, brush yourself off, and try again. I failed numerous times before succeeding. But you know what? Each of those failures taught me something. Well, sometimes I repeated the same mistakes several times, but eventually I learned. Figure out what your obstacles to success are, and plan to overcome them in your next quit. And don’t wait a few months until your next quit. Give yourself a few days to plan and prepare, commit fully to it, and go for it!

BONUS TIP #11: THINK POSITIVE. This is the most important tip of all. I saved it for last. If you have a positive, can-do attitude, as corny as it may sound, you will succeed. Trust me. It works. Tell yourself that you can do it, and you will. Tell yourself that you can’t do it, and you definitely won’t. When things get rough, think positive! You CAN make it through the urge. You CAN make it through Hell Week. And you can. I did. So have millions of others. We are no better than you. (In my case, worse.)

Triphala Vs Chyawanprash – Which Is The Right One For You?

Triphala and Chyawanprash are two great Ayurvedic medicines. They both rejuvenate body and hence useful for anti aging purpose. But one has only three ingredients and the other has 37+. One requires just five minutes to prepare (powder the three and mix), while the other requires one full day. So how to decide which suits whom? Let’s find out.
Nourishment Vs Cleansing (detoxifying)  -  If you are particularly looking for cleansing and detoxifying, Triphala is more suited. I am not saying that Chyawanprash is not cleansing (please take your gun off my head ) Of course it does cleansing as well. But because it contains ghee, sugar, raisins etc, it is more nourishing than cleansing. So, if you are looking for nourishment and rejuvenation, go ahead with Chyawanprash.
Dosha imbalance -  Both are Tridosha balancing, no doubt. But Triphala balances Kapha and Pitta Dosha, more and Chyawanaprash balances Kapha and Vata Dosha, more.
Where Triphala holds a slight edge over Chyavanprash -
Diabetes - If you are diabetic, taking Triphala makes more sense than taking Chyawanprash. Chyawanprash contains sugar. If the diabetes is well under control, then taking Chyavanaprasham does not do any harm, but still, taking Triphala is safer and makes more sense.
Eye care - It does not mean that Chyawanprash will not help in eye care. But if you are targeting specifically your eyes, then Triphala makes more sense than Chyawanprash.
Wound care – Again, Chyawanprash is helpful, but Triphala is more helpful in non healing wounds. It is useful internally, in the form of powder / capsule / Kashaya. Triphala Kashaya is also used externally for washing wounds, to do sitz bath in piles, fistula, etc.
Chronic skin diseases – associated with itching, scaling, secretions etc, Triphala is more suited. 
Obesity - Because Triphala does not increase digestion strength to that extent as Chyawanprash, and because Triphala doubles as mild laxative and has cleansing property, it is more suited in obesity.
Where Chyawanprash is more suited than Triphala -
Respiratory disease, asthma, cold cough -  The first benefit of Chyawanprash enlisted in the ancient formula is – useful in Kasa (cough, cold) and Shwasa (asthma, wheezing etc).
Digestion boost – Chyavanprash contains spices like long pepper, cinnamon etc which are very useful for boosting the digestion strength.
Lean and weak – If you are underweight with loss of appetite, then look no further than Chyawanprash.
Too young and too old – Chyawanprash can be given in very minute dose to kids above 3 years of age. It helps immensely in keeping the cold, cough, anorexia away. Similarly, it is more suited in very elderly people who are weak due to severe degeneration.
Aphrodisiac – Apart from being a good anti aging medicine, Chyawanprash is also very good to improve sexual health. 
Improvement in skin complexion – It nourishes the skin, so improves skin texture and complexion.
Memory and Intelligence - One of the important benefits of Chyawanprash as quoted in the traditional formula is – improvement in memory and concentration.
Having enlisted the above criteria, it is also noteworthy that, both are not mutually exclusive. They can be taken together, if your doctor decides so. But if you are to chose only one among the two, I hope that the above points might come in handy. Cheers!

A 12-Step Program to Eating Healthier Than Ever Before.

As I mentioned recently, I was a junk-food addict in my not-too-distant past, and ballooning alarmingly around the waistline. I was addicted to burgers and sodas and fries and pizzas and sweets and all the fast food you can think of and most especially chocolate.
Today, while I can’t say I only eat wheat germ and fresh veggies picked right from my home garden, I generally eat healthier than I have ever done in my life.
How did I get from Point A (junk food junkie) to Point B (much healthier diet)? I’ll let you in on my secret (and it’s not a secret if you’re one of the many people who discovered this already): I didn’t go from Point A to Point B. It’s more like Point A to Point Z, with lots of points in between.
Actually, that’s the secret to any meaningful improvement, in my experience, but we’ll just talk about eating healthy for now.
Today I’m a vegetarian (mostly vegan) and I try to eat lots of fruits and veggies and whole grains and nuts and beans. I’ll admit that I still have burgers, though they’re veggie burgers instead of fatty meat burgers, and I usually have them with whole grain bread or buns and lots of fresh veggies on them. And I don’t use fatty mayo anymore, but Veganaise, which helps.
I also eat pizza, but it’s not covered in sausages or pepperoni, but veggies. I still eat burritos, but I try to fill them with low-fat beans, veggies, salsa, instead of fatty stuff. I really really enjoy soy yogurt and fresh berries, whole-grain cereal with soy milk, oatmeal with berries and nuts. Mmmmm.
My point is that I don’t deprive myself, but have learned to love foods that are at least a little bit healthier, and in some cases much healthier. I also don’t miss meat at all, but the secret to that is the baby steps we’ll talk about in this post.

The Problem With Most Diet Plans

New fad diets in books and magazines and the Internet are a dime a dozen. Some of them are actually pretty decent, but almost all of them have one single flaw that will make it very difficult for anyone to stick to them.
The flaw? They try to get you to change your entire diet at once.
That just doesn’t work for most people. I’ve tried lots of diets, and for the first week, I’m extremely enthusiastic and determined. But such a drastic change in diet is hard to sustain, and soon you give in to temptation and then it falls apart. We’ve all been there.

The Power of Small Changes

The title of this post is misleading, and I’ll admit that. Most people associate a “12-step program” with alcoholics anonymous or similar program, but this post isn’t about those programs at all.
That it is about is making changes to your diet one small step at a time. Baby steps. The miracle of this is that we adjust to these small changes after a couple weeks, until they seem normal and we don’t feel like we’re depriving ourselves of anything.
Take meat for example. Let’s say you wanted to become a vegetarian, and you cut out all meat from your diet completely. You’d feel very deprived, and you might have a very hard time. Most people wouldn’t last very long — maybe a week or two at most — before caving in and eating meat and feeling guilty.
But let’s say instead that you just started with beef. Well, at dinner tonight, you probably wouldn’t notice much because you could have chicken or fish or turkey or pork — all the stuff you might normally eat. After a few weeks, going without beef would seem normal, and you probably wouldn’t miss it much.
Repeat that process for pork, and soon you’ve cut red meat from your diet (assuming you don’t eat much venison or buffalo or otter or whatnot). Then do chicken — this might be a difficult stage for many — and just eat seafood for awhile. After a few weeks of that, though, you’d get used to it. Next step is dropping seafood, and soon you’re a vegetarian who doesn’t miss meat one bit.
I’m not saying you need to become a vegetarian. I’m saying that small steps, taken a few weeks at a time, makes the process much easier. I’ve done it with meat, with fried foods, with sweets, with eating more fruits and whole grains, and many other food changes, and it’s worked every time.

 You get used to it, if you do it a bit at a time.

The 12-Step Program

Actually, what follows is just an example. You can use as many steps as you want, making whatever changes you want. This is just a sample of what can be done, to give you some ideas.

The rules:

1. Apply these changes, one at a time, until you get used to them. This will probably be 3-4 weeks per step. But in a year’s time, you’ll be eating as healthy as possible.
2. Focus as much energy as possible on each change for at least a couple weeks. Don’t deviate if you can. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.
3. If it seems too difficult, make a smaller step instead. For example, instead of cutting out sweets, just cut out cakes and donuts. Smaller steps make things much easier.
4. Always replace bad food with healthy food that you enjoy. What I’ve given are just examples — everyone has different tastes.

OK, so here’s an example of how this step-by-step process could work:

1. Eat fruits for snacks. If you snack on junk food during the day, have some fruits by your side at all times. When you’re feeling hungry for a snack, eat a fruit. One of those bags of small apples is a handy thing — you can’t go wrong with apples.
2. Drink water instead of soda. The only thing I drink (besides an occasional beer) is water. I’m not saying you need to do that, but try to cut out sugary drinks a bit at a time, replacing them with water.
3. Eat whole grain bread. If you eat white bread or bagels or whatever, replace them with whole-grain versions. Be sure to look at the ingredients — it shouldn’t say enriched wheat flour, but whole grain. Also try to avoid breads with high-fructose corn syrup (actually, avoid that ingredient in anything).
4. Add fresh veggies to dinner. If you don’t already, have some steamed greens with dinner. Cut out a less healthy side dish if you usually eat something else.
5. Cut out red meat. You can still eat poultry and seafood for now. You can later cut those out too if you want.
6. Make pizza instead of ordering. Homemade pizza is the best, and if you haven’t made it yet, you should. The simple way is to get a ready-made whole-wheat crust, although making your own tastes even better. Start with the simple version, though, as you don’t want to make things too difficult. For the simple version, just add some gourmet spaghetti sauce (not Ragu), cut up some veggies (I like tomatoes and mushrooms and spinach and olives, but you can use anything, even potatoes). Brush the veggies with some olive oil. You can add grated cheese or soy cheese if you want, though it’s not necessary. Bake till it looks cooked. Mmmm.
7. Nuts instead of chips. If you normally snack on chips, try unsalted peanuts or raw almonds.
8. Soymilk instead of whole milk. Whole milk is fatty (not to mention the suffering done by the cows in modern dairy factories). Soymilk is much healthier. You get used to it after awhile, like all the changes on this list, but if soymilk is a problem at least drink 1% milk.
9. Whole grain cereal. If you eat sugary cereal, try a whole-grain cereal instead.
10. Berries instead of candy. This is a recent change of mine, and it’s actually been much easier than I thought. I used to snack on chocolate candy all the time, but now I try to eat berries to satisfy my sweet cravings and it works!
11. Scrambled tofu instead of fried eggs. Scrambled tofu is a secret vegan wonder. Try this recipe.
12. Try some great veggie dinners. There are so many good ones out there if you haven’t tried them. Try my soup or chili.

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint. - Mark Twain

If you implement 12 changes, you’ll probably be eating healthier than you ever have before. A great thing is that once you’ve done this, you’ll probably keep going, to 20 steps and beyond.

23 Reasons Bitter Gourd Is Sweet Medicine For Your Health.

Bitter gourd or Momordica charantia (also known as bitter melon) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, of the genus Momordica, home to squash, watermelon, cantaloupes, cucumber, etc. As is the trait within members in the Cucurbitaceae family, bitter gourds are vines with thin stems and tendrils that require trellis to support the climbing vine.

They come in many varieties ranging from dark greens to whites and common varieties are balsam pear, cundeamor, la-kwa, etc. The pods are characterized by smooth lengthwise ridges and uneven warty surface. Depending upon the cultivar type, immature pods are light to dark green and have oblong or oval shapes with a pointed tip at the blossom end. Internally, the flesh is white with rough edged seeds, and gradually turns yellow or orange as they mature, with the seeds turning red.

Bitter gourd contains a unique phyto-constituent that has been confirmed to have a hypoglycemic effect (lowering blood sugar) called Charantin. There is also another insulin-like compound known as Polypeptide P which has been tested as an insulin replacement in some diabetic patients.

Bitter gourd originated on the Indian subcontinent, and was introduced into China in the 14th century. It thrives in hot and humid climates, so are commonly found in Asian countries and South America.

23 HEALTH SECRETS OF BITTER GOURD:

1. Heart Care: Reduces bad cholesterol levels, by burning unnecessary fats which clog the arterial walls and thereby reduce the chances of heart attacks.
2. Weight Loss: Rich in iron, beta-carotene, and potassium. It can relieve constipation and improve circulation, thereby producing slimming effects on the body.
3. Type II Diabetes Cure: Reverses insulin resistance and activates the protein kinase, activating the absorption of sugar in body cells. Significantly improves glucose tolerance without increasing blood insulin levels.
4. Lowers blood glucose levels: Contains phyto-nutrient, polypeptide-P, a plant insulin, known to lower blood sugar levels. The hypoglycemic agent, Charantin, increases glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis in the cells of liver, muscle and adipose tissue.
5. Hypertension Reliever: Actively inhibits hypertension, high plasma cholesterol, or high plasma lipids, which affect patients with Type II diabetes, decreasing the risk of stroke or heart attack.
6. Anti-parasitic: Antihelminthic or anthelmintic compounds are used in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases and can kill parasitic intestinal worms. It also stimulates peristalsis of food, relieving indigestion and constipation problems.
7. Liver tonic: Helps to maintain healthy liver and bladder. It is also useful in removing kidney stones and relieving gout pain.
8. Blood Cell Booster: The compounds a-eleostearic acid and the 15, 16-dihydroxy-a-eleostearic acid, are a good remedy for leukemia and blood irregularities such as anemia. It helps in producing healthy red blood cells and balances the amount of white blood cells in your body.
9. Blood Cleanser:  Its juice cleanses the liver and blood off toxins and is highly beneficial for treating blood disorders like blood boils and itching due to toxemia.
10. Folates Source: Has high amount of Folates that helps in treating defective neural tubes which usually occurs during early pregnancy.
11. Anti Ageing:  Vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant, fights and eliminates free radicals, reducing wrinkles and slowing down the ageing process. It also protects the skin from damage by sun’s UV rays.
12. For Respiratory disorders:  Fresh pods are an excellent remedy for curing respiratory problems like asthma, cold, cough, bronchitis and pharyngitis.
13. Nutrients/Vitamin SuperStore: Contains flavonoids such as ß-carotene, α-carotene, lutein, and zea-xanthin. Low in calories, rich in phytonutrients like dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants and a good source of niacin (vitamin B-3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5), pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) and minerals such as iron, zinc, potassium, manganese and magnesium.
14. Disease Buster: Not only effective in killing malaria bacteria, but it can also weaken some viruses such as Cholera, Chickenpox, Measles, Herpes and Jaundice.
15. Immunity Booster: This bitter juice can also help to strengthen your immune system and increase your body’s resistance against a variety of infections.
16. Psoriasis Cure:  Regular consumption of this bitter juice has curative benefits in treatment of psoriasis, fungal infections like ring-worm and athletes feet, and skin infections like eczema.
17. Acne Cure: Helps prevent acne, thanks to its blood purifying properties. Keeps your skin glowing and free from blemishes and infections.
18. Eye Care:  High beta-carotene and other properties, help alleviate eye problems and in improving eyesight.
19. For Hangover:  Its anti-intoxication properties are beneficial in the treatment of hangover and eliminating liver problems, due to alcohol consumption.
20. Piles Cure:  Three teaspoons of the juice, extracted from its leaves, added to a glassful of buttermilk and consumed on an empty stomach every morning, has shown promising curative results in the treatment of piles.
21. Hair Care: Super hair tonic which imparts shine, wards off dandruff, treats split ends, combats dryness and itchiness of scalp, reduces hair loss, treats rough and tangled hair, prevents premature graying and removes excess oiliness in hair.
22. Regulates blood flow and clotting: Aids in the healing process preventing further infections.
23. Energy Source:  Regular consumption of this bitter juice has been proven to improve energy and stamina levels. Evensleeping patterns have been shown to be improved/stabilized.

Side Effects and Precautions:

• Diarrhea: Excessive consumption (more than two melons a day) may cause mild abdominal pain or diarrhea. Avoid taking on an empty stomach.
• Hypoglycemia: Diabetics taking hypoglycemic drugs will need to alter the dosage of their drugs if they consume bitter gourd on a regular basis.
• Pregnancy: Pregnant women should avoid taking too much bitter gourd or its juice as it may stimulate the uterus that may lead to preterm labor.
• Alkaloids and Toxicity: Bitter gourd may contain alkaloid substances like quinine and morodicine, resins and saponic glycosides, which may be intolerable by some people causing symptoms like excessive salivation, facial redness, dimness of vision, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and muscular weakness.

It’s High Time You Rewarded The Most Hardworking Cleaners That Keep You Alive: Your Kidneys.

The kidneys are a pair of super vital, fist sized organs; each located either side of the spine, in the back of the abdomen, and just below the rib cage. Our kidneys determine the quality of health in a major way by being active filters mopping toxins from our blood, maintaining the right water balance, and stabilizing critical mineral saturation in our blood.

How do they do it?

Wastes in the blood come from the normal breakdown of active tissues, such as muscles, and from food. After the body has taken what it needs from food, wastes are sent to the blood. If the kidneys did not remove them, these wastes would stay in the blood and re-circulate in the entire body, increasing the toxicity and damaging vital organs.

Am I at risk?

Kidney disease accounts for 26 million chronic kidney disease (CKD) adult cases, in the United States alone. People suffering from diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and those who are older than 60 years old are more prone to this dilapidating disease. A family history of kidney disease can also put you at risk. Suffering from other ailments like Obesity, autoimmune diseases, and urinary tract infections also enhance your risk of developing kidney disease.

Healthy ways to say “Thank You”:

Apart from maintaining your weight, regularly monitoring your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose level, and exercising regularly, taking the effort to change to healthy dietary habits would improve your chances to stave off renal problems. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and low in salt or oxalate-rich food, can help prevent abnormal mineral build up. Additionally, drinking lots of water throughout the day, especially if you exercise frequently, is important for kidney health.

TOP 15 SUPER FOODS TO BOOST KIDNEY HEALTH:

1. Cranberries: Makes urine more acidic, and prevents urinary tract infections, by depending against bacteria sticking to the inside of the bladder. Effective against cancer and heart disease.
2. Cherries: Abundant in antioxidants and phytochemicals, providing heart protection through its anti-inflammation properties.
3. Red Bell Peppers: These are low in Potassium, while packing a generous portion of vitamins A, C, B6, folic acid and fiber. They also contain the antioxidant lycopene, which protects against certain types of cancer.
4. Garlic: Good for reducing inflammation and lowering cholesterol. It has antioxidant and anti clotting properties.
5. Olive Oil: Contains oleic acid, an anti inflammatory fatty acid which protects against oxidation, and polyphenols and antioxidant compounds that prevent inflammation and oxidation.
6. Red grapes: Lots of heart-friendly flavanoids that prevent oxidation, reduce the chance of blood clots, and protects you from cancer and inflammation induced complications.
7. Blueberries: A potent anti-inflammatory super food with lots of Vitamin C and fiber. Contain manganese which contributes to healthy bones.
8. Raspberries:  Ellagic acid, a phytonutrient, helps neutralize free radicals preventing cell damage. In addition to the Flavonoids (anthocyanins) these berries are an excellent source of manganese, vitamin C, fiber and folate, a B vitamin, and inhibit cancer cell growth and tumor formation.
9. Onions: Low in potassium and chromium, it contains quercitin, a powerful antioxidant that prevents heart disease and many other forms of cancer. It also has anti-inflammatory properties.
10. Cabbage: These cruciferous vegetables are filled with phytochemicals, believed to combat cancer growth and support cardiovascular health.
11. Cauliflower: Contains Vitamin C, folate, fiber, and compounds that help liver neutralize toxic substances, reducing the load on the kidneys.
12. Apples: The combination of fiber and anti-inflammatory elements helps reduce cholesterol, prevent constipation, and protect against heart disease.
13. Strawberries: Rich in two types of antioxidants plus they contain lots of vitamin C, manganese and fiber. They have anti inflammatory and anti cancer properties and also keeps your heart healthy.
14. Egg Whites: They provide the highest quality of protein along with all the essential amino acids. Egg whites have less phosphorus than other protein sources such as egg yolks or meats.
15. Fish: Good source of protein and inflammatory omega 3 fats which prevent diseases, such as cancer and heart disease. They also help lower the bad cholesterol and raise the good cholesterol.

Top 5 Cancer Causing Foods

 5 foods to stay away from to help avoid carcinogens, such a helpful list, and really nothing surprising about it. Hot dogs, soda, fried potatoes, donuts, and charred meat, note it doesn’t say all meat, the charring is the bad part. Memorize it, avoid these foods, be healthy, provide good fuel for your body.

• Acetaldehyde (from consuming alcoholic beverages)
• Aflatoxins: A toxin that is produced by a mold in nuts, corn and legumes
• Alcoholic beverages
• 4-Aminobiphenyl, a carcinogen that is used to manufacture azo dyes.
• Areca nut, the seed of a plant that is grown in tropical climates. Here is the pic:
• 
• Aristolochic acid (and plants containing it which are used in some Chinese medicine medications)
• Arsenic and inorganic arsenic compounds
• Azathioprine (A prescription drug)
• Busulfan (A prescription drug)
• Chlorambucil Chlornaphazine
• Chlornaphazine Chlornaphazine
• Chromium (VI) compounds
• Clonorchis sinensis (infection with)
• Estrogen postmenopausal therapy
• Estrogen-progestogen oral contraceptives (combined)
• Ethanol in alcoholic beverages
• Etoposide (A prescription drug)
• Helicobacter pylori (infection with)
• Hepatitis B virus (chronic infection with)
• Hepatitis C virus (chronic infection with)
• Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) (infection with)
• Human papilloma virus (HPV)
• Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV)/human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) (infection with)
• Melphalan (A prescription drug)
• MOPP and other combined chemotherapy including alkylating agents
• Opisthorchis viverrini (liver fluke; infection with)
• Salted fish (Chinese-style)
• Tobacco smoking
• Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, including UVA, UVB, and UVC rays
• Ultraviolet-emitting tanning devices
•  

The 5 Yoga Poses You Should Do Every Morning

Yoga is a way to  boost your metabolism naturally. performing yoga minimum of   4 days in a week.It will helps you in reducing stress and keep you fit and healthy.(active,increases your metabolism)..

The 5 Yoga Poses You Should Do Every Morning:

Cobra pose: Lie down flat on the floor face your chest down.Lift your upper body like a cobra by keeping your hands on the floor.Hold on for 20-25 seconds.Cobra pose is one of the most powerful exercise to stretch your upper body.

                                   

Crescent lunge pose: Crescent lunge pose increases the heart rate and increases metabolism of body.It gives a great stretch to hips and also stronger the legs.

Bridge pose: In this pose chest is moved up to the chin.In this pose thyroid glands will get massage the hormones that create our metabolism.In this pose you can burn more calories.

Easy spinal twist: It is an admirable(splendid,wonderful)pose to aid in encouraging digestive system.It helps in weight loss efforts.

Bow pose: Even this is a back bend exercise but helps to both front and back muscles because in bow pose even front muscle stretches while back becomes stronger.It helps in controlling anxiety,minor back pain ,tiredness.

Best Exercises To Get 6 Pack Abs

Everyone wants their belly flat mostly teenagers are much interested in six pack abs.I suggest you best exercises to get six pack abs in a short period.

Best Exercises To Get 6 Pack Abs:

Abdominal Crunches: Lie on the floor.Place your hands on both sides of your head Keeping your feet firmly planted on the floor , lift your shoulder and upper back up and away from the floor with your face pointing towards the ceiling.Exhale as you come up as for as you can,hold for a second,then inhale as you return to the starting position.

Rolling Plank: Take position on your knees and elbows.Lift up your knees by supporting your legs on toes.This is a plank pose stay for 30-45 seconds.After that try to move front and backward  (rolling plank).

Twist Crunches: Lie flat on the floor,keep  hands behind your head.Legs towards the ground and lift the upper torso of right leg and move your right shoulder towards to left torso on the ground.

Lying Leg Raise: Lie on the floor.Exhale as you lift your feet off the floor and extending the bottom of your feet toward the ceiling while focusing on pulling your hips from the floor.Inhale as you return to the starting position.

Vertical Leg Crunches: Lie on your back with ankles crossed and  extend your legs upwards try to touch your toes with hands shown below in the picture.

Standing Side Bend: Standing side bend is one of the most powerful exercise to stretch your body and also reduce the waist and belly fat.Stand vertically on the floor and bend side by side at least try to hold on for 15 seconds each side.

Yoga Ball: Take a yoga ball make yourself lean down on the chair with the support of hands and place your both the legs on the ball and stretch or crunch yourself for burning fat in your tummy.crunches are different types for increasing abs muscles or reducing fat in ab section.

10 Easy Ways To Lower Cholesterol

By eating healthy food and regular exercises  lower your level of cholesterol in blood.If there is high cholesterol in our blood it may causes  heart diseases such as coronary heart disease,arteries,strokes.Fats are two types saturated and unsaturated fat.Saturated fat increases cholesterol levels in blood.Eat unsaturated fat instead of saturated fat which can helps to reduce cholesterol levels.

10 Easy Ways To Lower Cholesterol:

Add Fish To Your Diet: Eating fatty fish can keep our heart healthy and avoid heart diseases because of omega -3 fatty acids.It can reduce your blood pressure and also control the risk of blood clots by lowering LDL cholesterol.People who are already attacked by heart strokes,heart diseases fish oil or omega -3 fatty acids may prevent the sudden death.High levels of omega-3 fatty acids are present in salmon,tuna,mackerel,sardines,halibut etc....It is preferable to take fish twice in a week.You should bake or grill the fish to avoid unhealthy fats.

Dietary Fiber: Dietary fiber(complex carbohydrates & fiber) found in so many foods such as beans,fruits,vegetables,oatmeal,brown rice,wheat bread etc...These contain rich source of dietary fiber which helps to reduce cholesterol  levels by (LDL) about 5% in our body.

Physical Activity: Do 150 minutes of physical  activity every week.To follow this you should contribute 30 every day.Where ever you should be must follow some exercises that are very helpful to maintain your health and low down the low density lipoprotein.(LDL).

Avoid Palm & Coconut Oil: Both oils are rich source saturated fat,better to avoid because it will increase bad cholesterol that is not good for heart health.Instead of these oils,choose  peanut oil, sunflower,olive,corn,soybean.

Green Tea: Tea has rich in antioxidants which helps to reduce the LDL cholesterol it causes plaque on artery walls.It also relax the blood vessels and prevent blood clot.Tea also helps in lowering the blood pressure.You can serve it as iced/hot.

Go For Nuts: Walnuts,almonds and other nuts can reduce the cholesterol in blood stream.Walnuts are rich in polyunsaturated which helps to keep the blood vessels clean and healthy.Eating about handful of any nuts such as peanuts,hazelnuts,almonds,pistachios etc..may reduce your risk from heart attacks.Make sure nuts are not coated with salt.All nuts are high in cholesterol so be ware of increasing weight and replace nuts(almond,pistachios,walnuts) instead of saturated fat like cheese,meat in salads.

Avoid Trans Fat: According to nutrition board trans fatty foods will increase the LDL and lower down the HDL(high density lipoprotein which is good for heart health.).Health research centers are strictly warned that avoid Hydrogenated oil foods that products contain high amount of trans fat.

Reduce Salt Intake: Hypertension(high blood pressure) is a major cause of cardiovascular diseases such as strokes,heart attacks,blood clots etc...watch out high salt levels in processed foods.Eating more than 2500 mg of salt makes you fat and retain water.

Read Labels Carefully: When you go for super market to buy prepared food,you must see the ingredients.Avoid first ingredients with meat fat,palm or coconut oil,cream,solids,whole milk,hydrogenated fat etc.

Watch Snacks: Choose home made low fat snacks such as popcorn,carrot,dried fruits and fresh vegetable salad, fruits etc..)Instead of high fat snacks potato chips,french fries,candy bar bakery items etc..  

Top 10 Best Antioxidant Rich foods

Top 10 Best Antioxidant Rich foods:

Berries: Berries are loaded with full of fiber which makes you eat less and works as antioxidant which protects your body from inflammation and organ damage.All fruits and vegetables have antioxidants but berries have more best resources.vitamin C is one of the best antioxidant found in berries.It improves brain power and fight against cancer.

Broccoli: Kids turn up their faces at this green vegetables,but adults add more to their plates.Broccoli contains pytho chemicals and truck load of antioxidants.which helps to reduce the risk of  age related dryness and may help in lower your cholesterol and risk of cancer.Broccoli also rich in vitamin C, E,k,B and the minerals calcium iron and potassium.It keep your eyes healthy and prevents macular degeneration(leading cause of blindness in people). and build up the strong bones.

Black beans: Black beans are rich in dietary fiber and antioxidant properties.which can controls the LDL cholesterol in blood stream and also helps in excrete it from the body to low down your cholesterol.

Tomatoes: Their deep red color gives the  most important nutrient lycopene.Tomatoe have cancer fighting properties and natural antiseptic removes blackheads & white heads.It also packed with Vitamin C it is an powerful antioxidant protects you from heart diseases.

Pinto Beans: Generally beans are free from saturated fat or cholesterol.It is also a good source of protein,fiber,iron, folic acid.It helps to prevent so many side effects and additionally helps to control diabetes,high blood pressure and cut the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Sweet potatoes: Both red potato and sweet potato are rich source of antioxidants.It works as first line fortress against bacteria and viruses.For a healthy and strong  skin you need vitamin A which plays a crucial role in connective tissue which is a key component of skin.

Oats and barley: These grains contain a type of fiber called beta-glucan with antimicrobial and antioxidant.By eating these grains boosts immune system,quick wound healing and may help as antibiotics.In animals eating these grains they are less affected by anthrax,influenza,herpes etc.....

Onions: Onions provide high levels of quercetin,an antioxidant of the flavonoid and important anti-inflammatory.Inflammation is a factor causing many age related conditions and loss of skin elasticity.

Artichokes: Artichokes are rich source of antioxidant properties.It contains vitamin C, folate and fiber.Artichokes are low in calories and sodium.

Prunes: Prunes are well known for antioxidant properties.Which helps in slow age related macular degeneration  and physical problems.Prunes are also a good source of fiber.

Top 10 Health Benefits Of Turmeric

Turmeric is a powerful medicine used by Indian and Chinese system of medicine as an anti-inflammatory agent to treat various conditions such as jaundice,toothaches,bloody urine menstrual difficulties,chest pain etc...Turmeric has wide range of antioxidant ,antiviral,antibacterial,anti fungal,anticarcinogenic,antimutangenic and anti inflammatory properties. It is also a truck load of healthy nutrients such as dietary fiber,vitamin C,E,K, sodium,potassium,calcium, copper,iron,magnesium and zinc.

Top 10 Health Benefits Of Turmeric:

Cancer Prevention: According to researches some active components present in the turmeric helps to protect against radiation induced tumors.It can also prevent prostate cancer by destroying  cancer cells and stop the growth of existing prostate cancer.

Speeds Up The Healing Process Of Boils: Application of turmeric powder on boils speeds up the healing process.In the case of fresh boils a few dry roots of turmeric are roasted,the ashes dissolved in a cupful of water, and then applied over affected portion.This solution enables the boils to ripen and burst.

Bronchitis: Bronchitis refers to the inflammation of the mucus membrane lining the bronchial tubes within the lungs.Half a teaspoon of turmeric powder should be administrated with a half glass of milk 2 or 3 times daily.It acts best when taken on a empty stomach.

Cold & Throat Irritations: Turmeric is an effective remedy for cold and throat irritations.Half a teaspoon of fresh turmeric powder mixed in 30 ml of warm milk and taken once or twice daily.In case of  a running cold,smoke from the burning turmeric should be inhaled.It will increase the discharge from the nose and provide quick relief.

Boost Immune System: The substance contain in turmeric helps to  stimulate the body's immune system.It has antibacterial,anti-fungal anti-inflammatory,anti-viral all those are helpful to promote the immune system's health.

Diarrhoea: Turmeric is found beneficial in the treatment of diarrhoea.It is an useful intestinal antiseptic and also a gastric stimulant and tonic.

Liver Detoxifier: A teaspoon of turmeric powder should be mixed in a cup of warm milk and taken three times  a day.It will prevent complications arising from influenza and also activate the liver which becomes sluggish  during the attack.

Prevent Alzheimer's: It helps in the removal of plaque build up in the brain and improve the flow of oxygen.

Treat Obesity: Consume one tablespoon of turmeric after a meal helps to treat obesity or weight loss .It has properties that helps to increase the flow of bile.

Heal Wounds & Skin Disorders: Sprinkle some turmeric powder on cut or burn to speed up the healing process.It can also helps to repair damaged skin and treatment of psoriasis and other skin disorders.