2091 results found for: GUT HEALTH

Give Thanks for a Happier, Healthier Turkey Day!

Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be a carb-loaded, overeating frenzy. You can make satisfying, anti-aging food choices for this holiday that will leave you feeling thankful for indulging. Take turkey, for example. I cook at least four turkeys each Thanksgiving because I usually have about 30 people over for dinner. Turkey contains tryptophan, which produces niacin, giving us energy. Turkey also contains the selenium, a detoxifying antioxidant. You don’t have to drown your turkey in fatty gravy. It can be deliciously sauced using healthier ingredients. I like to marinate my turkeys in a mixture of red wine, soy sauce, and lemon juice […]

Grapefruit Juice Supports Healthy Arteries

Want to hydrate your way toward a healthier heart? Then you may want to consider adding grapefruit juice into your diet. Why? Because a recent study found that grapefruit juice enriched with the bioflavenoid naringenin actually improved a marker associated with arterial function. The results of the study were published in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Grapefruit Juice with Naringenin Decreased Arterial Stiffness Previous research shows citrus bioflavonoids support blood vessel function. They strengthen blood vessel walls, decrease bruising, prevent bleeding, and heal hemorrhoids (hemorrhoids are swollen veins). Of the group of citrus bioflavonoids, naringenin stands out. For the current study, […]

Beets Show Major Health Benefits

Americans generally don’t like beets. People online put the bulbous red root on par with anchovies, chicken liver and Brussels sprouts. It’s hard to hit a root too low, but people typically say that beets taste like dirt, with less hostile commentary simply referring to them as “earthy.” Even President Barack Obama says he doesn’t like beets, which are never served at the White House, although it hasn’t sparked the level of controversy generated by President George H.W. Bush’s disdain for broccoli. But research now is rooting for the beet as the Steve Jobs of the vegetable world — generally […]

The Guilty (and Healthy) Pleasures of Yuca

When talking to friends and colleagues about new, healthy foods to try, I sometimes have to assume a professorial role and do some explaining. This is the case with yuca (pronounced, yoo-kah), also known as cassava and frequently confused with yucca (yuk-ah). Yuca is a plant that is grown and eaten in Latin America, Africa, South Asia and the Caribbean. It has a starchy root that among other things, can be made into tapioca. Yucca, on the other hand, is an ornamental plant with spiky leaves and tall clusters of white flowers. It grows in the Southern and Western parts […]

The Health Benefits of Royal Jelly

Bees are the givers of health and life in more ways than one. In fact, a good deal of planetary life depends upon these small creatures. For example, bees are responsible for 80% of the pollination needed for the existence of fruits and vegetables. The most commonly known bee product is, of course, honey, which has been consumed by humans for thousands of years. But royal jelly deserves an equal amount of attention. Here’s why. What is Royal Jelly? Royal jelly, created within worker bee glands and fed to the hive queen, results in a life span that is up […]

Are There Healthy Fast Food Options?

Here are five quick ideas for reasonable fast-food choices that will help alleviate some of the guilt of occasional drive-through dining (and yes, we name names here…so be ready to see if your favorite option is good or bad news!)… Your shift ended late and you have a ton of things that need to be done. Or maybe you’re on your way to work and realize that you’ve not yet eaten. And guess what? You’re hungry. You only have time for one thing…(insert evil music)…fast food! Can you really pick up a meal from a fast-food restaurant and still maintain […]

Healthy Brain, Happy Life: A Personal Program

The key to a happy life . . . is a healthy brain From the outside, it looked like Dr. Wendy Suzuki had it all. She was a world-renowned neuroscientist. She had been lauded by her peers with many prizes and had produced many highly regarded scientific publications. She had tenure at a top-ranked university, where she also ran her own lab—two of the most difficult and highly coveted positions for any scientist to attain. And yet . . . Wendy was forty, frumpy, and focused on her work one hundred percent of the time. She was single, overwhelmed by […]

Vitamin K2 Improves Artery Health

Despite it being known as the “blood-clotting” vitamin, research shows vitamin K has anti-aging, anti-cancer, and even bone-building effects. Within the last couple of years, it has garnered even more attention for its potential role in preventing heart disease. Impressively, a recent study found that one of its sub-fractions, vitamin MK-7, improved arterial health. The results were published in the journal,Thromobosis and Haemostasis. Vitamin K2 Reduces Arterial Stiffness and Improves Elasticity A fundamental role of vitamin K is to keep calcium out of arteries and into bones. With aging, the reverse is frequently seen, which could explain why older people are stricken with […]

The Health Power of Coconuts

Anyone remember the 1994 exposé of movie theater popcorn? This cinema staple, known for its delicious taste and aroma, had been consumed for years by a public blissfully unaware of the fact that it was loaded with demonized saturated fat. Movie theatre popcorn was (gasp) popped in coconut oil, an “evil” tropical fat that had no place in a healthy diet. As a result, concession stand popcorn sales dropped by half and many venues scrambled for an alternative. Fast forward twenty years, and coconuts, which never went out of favor in their native countries, are now touted for their health benefits. […]

Researched Health Benefits of Turmeric

Over the centuries, the root-like stem of the Curcuma longa plant has been used to make yellow dyes and spike food with some tasty zing. But an ever-growing mountain of evidence shows that boldly colored turmeric with its earthy, bitter-gingery taste may offer a plethora of potential health benefits. Multiple studies — most originating in India, Europe and Australia — show that turmeric, and especially its color-rich constituent of curcumin, can help prevent or treat a wide spectrum of cancers, inflammatory conditions, autoimmune problems, neurological ailments including Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and diabetes neuropathy, among other metabolic diseases. Interest in turmeric and curcumin began […]