Cucumbers

Like tomatoes cucumber is actually a fruit however people think of it as a vegetable and use it in different ways for preparing food, using in cosmetology or eating raw. The taste of cucumbers is mild, watery; almost melon-like thus makes it a very refreshing product to eat in a hot summer day. Although cucumbers have very few calories (approx. 15 in 100g) they certainly don’t lack important nutrients.

Weight Loss

We all probably have heard about the foods which ‘burn’ calories. This theory is based on calculations that as cucumber are lower in calories than your body burns to digest it. The truth is though that this is just a theory. There is no scientific evidence which would observe that someone ever lost weight because of eating cucumber in correlation with burning calories. The energy which is used during digestion is also not much more significant than having a short walk therefore it would be hard to make experiments to investigate these claims further. It doesn’t mean though that cucumber would have no effect at all to the weight loss. It definitely is a low-calorie food which will fill you up with water.  Eaten with the skin cucumber will provide good amounts of dietary fibre which lowers the GI. Cucumbers like apples are however one of the most pesticide-sprayed plants therefore it is very important to was and clean cucumbers properly or buy organic produce. The most delicious cucumber anyway is a local, fresh and crunchy cucumber eaten soon after picking.

Tonic for the well-being

Although not in great amounts cucumbers don’t lack any major micro-nutrient. Starting from vitamins A and C, B complex up to Potassium and Magnesium, you can find them all in cucumber (Read more on these in articles about seeds and vegetables). The amounts in cucumber of these will help your body to bring the acidity down as cucumber is quite alkaline. Because of the electrolytes and water cucumbers are diuretic and stimulate urination.

There has also been found a correlation between eating cucumbers and other white flesh fruits (for example apples) and reduced risk of stroke.

Due to their folic acid and other vitamin presence, cucumbers are very beneficial for pregnant women. More recent studies have also found that they might lower the risk for the infants to get diabetes type I if the mother consumed cucumbers. These properties might be held by the vitamins C and E. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant which has been claimed to help prevent cancer.

Fruity vegetables like cucumbers and tomatoes also reduce likeliness of suffering from childhood asthma and different respiratory-linked allergies. Minerals and vitamins in these products help to reduce inflammation of airways and protect against oxidative damage.

Prevents Stress induced illnesses

So called ‘’stress molecules’’ are also reduced in the body when regularly eating cucumber containing foods. The immunity becomes stronger firstofall because of higher levels of vitamin C present in the body.  This makes you more resistant to any infections. Uric thanks to cucumbers is removed from the circulation thus preventing goat and associated cardiovascular illnesses.

Benefits of eating cucumber:

• Reduce stress damage
• Strengthens immunity
• Prevent childhood allergies and asthma
• Reduce risk of Diabetes Type I
• Contributes to weight loss
• Help to maintain the body’s pH normal
• Provide variety of essential micro-nutrients
• Source of anti-oxidants
• Reduce risk of stroke and cardiovascular illnesses
• Have effect on managing hearts rhythm
• Help to maintain healthy pregnancy

Keep choosing healthy options like these when needing snacks, Good luck with all your healthy eating.

Super Foods

By just incorporating the following foods into your diet, you could lower cholesterol, fight cancer, increase your heart health and boost brain power and to top it all they taste great too!

1) Brazil Nuts - All nuts are a great source of fibre and protein, especially on a vegan or vegetarian diet, but Brazil nuts are also a great source of selenium which has been proven to fight Alzheimer's!

2) Olive Oil - There's a reason the Italians live long healthy lives, olive oil is full of antioxidants and is proven to lower cholesterol but be careful of the calories!

3) Salmon - Oily fish is full of Omega 3 and 6, excellent for eyes, bones, skin and the brain!

4) Broccoli - Is quite simply amazing, it contains so much in one floret it can boost immune systems, fight blindness, heart disease, muscle wasting illnesses and a host of other age related illness. If you didn't like it as a child, it may be time to think again!

5) Tea - In any form is full of antioxidants. It has actually been proven to prevent damage to artery walls thus reducing the risk of heart disease. Go on, put the kettle on!

6) Yogurt - we've all heard the benefits of friendly bacteria; well plain old simple yogurt fights bad bacteria and fills you up with good bacteria. Any flavour, any form, a yogurt a day will keep your intestines tip top!

7) Garlic - A wonderful way to flavour food, especially if you are cutting back on salt. Garlic helps cleanse the blood keeping all of your major organs working at their best.

OVEREATING "Binge eating"

Binge eating is an eating disorder where a person feels compelled to overeat on a regular basis.

People who binge eat consume very large quantities of food over a short period of time and they often eat even when they are not hungry. Binges are often planned and can involve the person buying "special binge foods".

Binge eating usually takes place in private with the person feeling that they have no control over their eating. They will often have feelings of guilt or disgust after binge eating. These feelings highlight underlying psychological issues, such as:

• depression – feelings of extreme sadness that last for a long time
• anxiety – a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can range from mild to severe

Depression and anxiety may be both a cause and an effect of binge eating.

Binge eating is a mental health condition, but it is also triggered by the effect that the binge eating cycle has on the body (see box, below left, for more information about the binge eating cycle).

See Binge eating – Causes for more information.

Who is affected by binge eating?

Anyone can be affected by binge eating. Unlike anorexia where more women than men are affected, binge eating affects men and women equally. The condition tends to be more common in older adults than in younger people.

Binge eating and bulimia

People who binge eat and those with bulimia (another type of eating disorder) often eat until they are uncomfortably full. People with bulimia then purge (flush out) the food they have eaten by making themselves vomit or by takinglaxatives (medicine to help empty the bowels).

Unlike those with bulimia, people who binge eat do not purge themselves to control their weight. Therefore, binge eating can cause weight gain, which can lead to obesity(see below), which is where a person has too much body fat for their sex and height).

See the Health A-Z topic about Bulimia for more information about the condition.

Binge eating and obesity

Binge eating is often associated with obesity, where someone is very overweight with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or over. Obesity is a serious health problem that can lead to a number of serious chronic (long-term) health conditions such as:

• high blood pressure (hypertension)
• high cholesterol
• type 2 diabetes
• heart disease

Managing Stress With Regular Exercise

Taking frequent effective exercise is one of the best physical stress-reduction techniques available. Exercise not only improves your health and reduces stress caused by unfitness, it also relaxes tense muscles and helps you to sleep. 

Exercise has a number of other positive benefits you may not be aware of:

• It improves blood flow to your brain, bringing additional sugars and oxygen that may be needed when you are thinking intensely.
• When you think hard, the neurons of your brain function more intensely. As they do this, they can build up toxic waste products that can cause foggy thinking (you may have experienced the feeling that your brain has "turned to cotton wool"). By exercising, you speed the flow of blood through your brain, moving these waste products faster. 
• Exercise can cause release of chemicals called endorphins into your blood stream. These give you a feeling of happiness and positively affect your overall sense of well-being.

There is also good evidence that physically fit people have less extreme physiological responses when under pressure than those who are not. This means that fit people are more able to handle the long- term effects of stress, without suffering ill health or burnout.

There are many wrong approaches to exercise. Some traditionally recommended forms of exercise actually damage your body over the medium- or long-term. Your doctor is a good starting point for recommending good forms of exercise.

Please seek professional advice before under going physically exercise.

Sleep & Exercise

Sleep and exercise aren’t just good ideas; they are integral to the quality of both your daily life and your physical performance. They should be handled with the same priority you’d give to eating healthy or regularly seeing a doctor. Here we examine why these two components are so important to your well being.

The Importance of Sleep

There is an old saying regarding sleep and performance. Simply put, ”Well rested – Well Tested,” is as true a maxim as ever existed.

The Importance of Exercise

Consistency: if you want to do anything well, you have to do it often. This applies to exercise. A recent study done by the University of Georgia showed that regular exercise improves oxygen consumption by 11 percent and muscle strength by 33 percent, compared to no exercise. These two factors are key in almost any type of physical performance a person could engage in. The more oxygen you consume, the more efficiently you can process it. The more efficiently you process oxygen, the healthier your heart and respiratory system function. This, combined with stronger muscles, allows you to labor with less stress for longer amounts of time. A fit body makes movement easier and performance higher. The surest way to attain a fit body is through consistent exercise

How They Compliment Each Other

It’s a little realized fact that our bodies are designed for labor. They are designed to work hard enough to become tired. That is why muscles grow back larger when they’re lightly torn. However, lack of sleep can produce similar effects to over training. Torn muscles can only repair when they are allowed to rest. A healthfully exhausted body can only repair and grow strong when allowed to rest, too. Every day that you drive your body to peak performance needs to be followed by a night of completely dormant sleep. The beauty of this, is that a body that has been exercised during the day will more easily attain restful sleep. Problems of insomnia and restless sleep tend to disappear when challenging physical exercise is part of your daily routine. In turn, that full night of sleep will provide you the energy you need to move your body the next day. Its not a vicious circle, but a absolutely delightful and healthy one.  

If you’re interested in peak performance, you’ve no doubt already made many changes to your lifestyle. Sleep and exercise need to be two of those changes. If you are tired, or your body is weak, you won’t get very far toward meeting your fitness goals. Make sure sound sleep and regular exercises are a part of your daily routine.

Always consult a doctor, before starting exercising especially if you on medications/under gone any operations.

Happy healthy life styles everyone. 

Pineapple

Pineapples are some of the most popular tropical fruits in the world. They are sweet, juicy, and delicious. More importantly, they are very healthy and nutritious. It is no wonder many people who want to have a healthy lifestyle include these fruits in their diets. To know more about them, here are some of the many health benefits of eating pineapples.

1. Packed with Vitamins and Minerals

Pineapples are loaded with vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. It is also rich in fiber and calories. On top of it all, this fruit is low in fat and cholesterol. All the nutrients it contains promote good health.

2. Prevents Cough and Colds

Since pineapples are rich in vitamin C, it can fight off viruses that cause cough and colds. Even when you are already infected with such ailment, pineapples can help you. These fruits have bromelain, which is effective in suppressing coughs and loosening mucus. Eating pineapples while taking the right medications prescribed by the doctor for your sickness can help you recover more quickly.

3. Strengthens Bones

Pineapples are also popular for their ability to build and maintain strong bones. This is because these fruits contain manganese, which is a trace mineral that your body needs to build bones and connective tissues. In fact, if you consume a cup of pineapple, you can already get 73 percent of your total body requirement for manganese.

4. Keeps Gums Healthy

People are always very concerned with their teeth that they sometimes fail to give importance to the gums, which are equally essential since they hold the teeth in place. If a person has unhealthy gums, his/her teeth would be in bad condition, and eventually will fall out. Eating pineapple will strengthen your gums that will help keep your teeth healthy and strong.

5. Lowers Risk of Macular Degeneration

Pineapples are known to prevent different kinds of ailments. One example is macular degeneration. This disease, which is the primary cause of vision loss in adults, is caused by damage to the retina. Reading, recognizing faces, and doing daily activities can become a lot more difficult because of this problem. Including pineapple in your diet can lower risk of this disease by as much as 36 percent. This is because this fruit contains beta carotene that is good for our sense of sight.

6. Alleviates Arthritis

Since these fruits have anti-inflammatory qualities, eating pineapples can greatly alleviate the pain of arthritis while at the same time improve the condition by strengthening the bones. Apart from arthritis, it can also improve other similar conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome and gout.

7. Improves Digestion

Bromelain found in pineapples work to neutralize fluids to ensure that they are not too acidic. It also helps regulate the secretions in the pancreas to aid in digestion. Apart from that, since bromelain has protein-digesting properties, it can keep the digestive track healthy