Eat “5 A Day”

Fruits and vegetables are nutritional powerhouses. Because they contain fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients, fruits and vegetables are a vital part of a healthy diet and a great place to start eating healthy for teens. When choosing what fruits and vegetables to eat, pick a wide variety of types and colors. Different colors in a fruit or vegetable indicate the spectrum of nutrients that they contain, so combining them ensures that you are getting a range of nutrients.

Go shopping with your parents

Spending Saturday morning at the grocery store with your mom may not seem like fun, but if you want to eat healthy foods you have to get them in the house. Your mom will probably love the company, too.

Choose whole foods

Foods are most nutritious when they are eaten as close to how they would be found in nature as possible. If you look at how a grocery store is laid out, you will notice that the fresh whole foods usually occupy the outer walls of the store, while the processed, pre-packaged foods make up most of the inner aisles. These foods may seem quick and easy, but your body will pay the price of all the added fillers, chemical colorings, flavorings, and preservatives. It is just as easy to grab an apple or banana as a breakfast bar or bag of chips. When choosing bakery products, choose foods with only 100% whole grain flours. Whole grains contain all of the fiber and nutrients that are stripped out of processed flours and need to be added back in. The word “enriched” on the package is a good indicator that you are not buying a whole grain product.

Read the label, or go label free

Get in the habit of reading the ingredient list on the foods you buy. If a food contains a long list of ingredients, especially things you can’t pronounce or don’t recognize as a food, it is not a good choice. Remember that the best choices don’t even have labels - the fresh fruits and vegetables in the produce section! Even frozen or canned items should only list the food that is inside, and occasionally added water or salt. Also check out the nutritional information on the label. Just because front of a cereal box boasts that it contains whole grains doesn’t automatically mean that it is good for you. If you look on the label, even some supposedly healthy cereals contain virtually no fiber, a sure sign that whole grains are low on the ingredient list.

Help out in the kitchen

Helping to prepare the foods you have chosen is a great way to add fun to your menu. Check out a few cooking shows or websites, and impress your parents with your knowledge of foods and cooking. These tips on how to start eating healthy for teens can mean healthier eating, and more fun, for your whole family.

By Ian Pennington

The Principles of Healthy Eating:

The main thing to know is what healthy food is and how you should eat.

When following a healthy eating plan, you should remember the following:

1. Eat a Variety of Different Colored Food

Remember that different foods have different nutritional values. Food can be rich in antioxidants or Vitamin C. When you go to do your regular food shopping, try and see what different naturally colored foods you can pick up.

Down the fruit and vegetable aisle you should see greens, yellows, oranges and reds. You should have as much of a color variety in your shopping cart as you can. For example, when picking out fruit, pick up strawberries, oranges, pineapple, apples, blueberries and bananas and you will notice what a large color selection you actually have. This goes for vegetables too. So, basically, more color means more nutritional value and a healthier type of food.

2. Eat Foods from All The Main Food Groups

The problem with many diets is the fact that they tell you to cut certain foods from certain food groups, or out of the diet altogether. When this is done, you lose important nutrients and don’t eat as healthy as you could be. So, the answer to a healthy diet is to eat a variety of different foods.

Generally, fruit and vegetables should make up the main portion of your diet but you still need carbohydrates such as potatoes, fish or meat and a little bit of fatty foods, like flaxseed oil, which many experts recommend as part of a good fat diet. Flax is very good and full of omega-3, the good kind of fat. Diversion of all the food groups is what is needed for a healthy diet!

3. Snack When You Need To But Do It On Healthy Foods

This doesn’t mean that just because you want to lose weight, that you’ll have to skip your snack. In fact, snacking can actually be quite good for you, just as long as you are eating the right foods.

Usually, when we want to eat snacks, we “snap into a slim jim” or grab a small bag of potato chips. But, if you want to eat a healthy snack, then you will have to swap that kind of snack for seeds, nuts, or fruits and vegetables. That way you will get the energy you need as well as be full until your next meal, and it will be completely healthy.

Since only you know what foods you like and what you don’t, you really have to decide for yourself what your own healthy eating plan will be. The afore mentioned healthy eating tips above can help you to choose the best dieting plan for you.

You don’t need to deprive yourself of foods you love to eat when you do it in a healthy way. Practicing a sensible weight loss campaign is not just taking a diet pill - you should strive for a long-lasting healthy lifestyle.

By Mike Anthony

Drinking more than four units of alcohol a day for a man or 3 units a day for a woman is a common and easily avoided cause of high blood pressure, particularly in people aged under 40 (a unit of alcohol is one glass of wine or one single measure of spirits or half a pint of average strength beer or larger). Regular heavy drinking raises blood pressure, particularly in young men whose diastolic pressures are over 100 mmHg can reduce their blood pressure to normal without medication, once they reduce their drinking to not more than a pint or two of beer a day. High alcohol intake is a common cause of treatment failing to work and if your blood pressure refuses to fall despite apparently adequate treatment, you should think about what you are drinking. Acute heavy drinking (bingeing) can cause a rapid though brief rise in blood pressure and this may bring on a stroke in older people. There is consistent evidence that moderate drinking (example no more than the previously mentioned daily limits) reduces the risks of coronary heart disease, probably through its effects on blood cholesterol and blood clotting factors. Heavy drinking (15 pints of beer a week for a man) increases the risk.

A vegetarian diet would be good for your high blood pressure. Blood pressure in on average lover in vegetarians than meat-eaters. Switching to a vegetarian diet lower blood pressure in many people whose blood pressure is high enough to require treatment, although rarely enough to avoid any need for blood pressure lowering medications. There is good evidence that potassium (which comes mainly from vegetables and fruits) reduce blood pressure and this may be the main way in which a vegetarian diet works, although there has not yet been a strong medical evidence to back this up.

Vegetarian diets have high fiber content and high-fiber foods are digested and absorbed slowly (which means that you tent to feel full for longer - very helpful if you are trying to lose weight). They usually include plenty of pulses (peas, beans and lentils) which contain a particular type of fiber called soluble fiber, which appears to lower blood cholesterol levels. As well as all these benefits, some kinds of cancer seem to occur much less in vegetarians. Of course, people who become vegetarians tend to avoid various other sorts of dangerous habits, especially smoking and excessive alcohol intake, but the consistency of the evidence is impressive. Omnivores wait impatiently on just how much meat they may eat, without losing the apparent benefits of vegetarianism.

By Michael Russell

If you are missing the sweet stuff, which is only natural, you may be able to locate a diabetic bakery in your area and most grocery stores now are catering to diabetics by providing sugar free desserts such as cakes and pies. I did find a terrific website with a Diabetic E-book that has an astonishing 500 recipes from sugar free cakes, and chocolate chip cookies to black bottom pie, Swiss steak, beef stew and meatloaf! It’s called what else, DELICIOUS DIABETIC RECIPES , and is available on-line for $14.95. So, if you’re a diabetic with a sweet tooth or a craving for some down home comfort food, definitely should check it out!

Now, back to the food. It’s going to be all about food now that you have diabetes. You’ll need to always know where your next meal is coming from, what time you’ll need to eat that meal, and what that meal is going to consist of. Like I said, a life full of food. But, hey, it’s food. That’s a good thing right? So, here is a great tip. It will pay to invest in a small cooler if you don’t already have one. You are going to become a smart food snack-er “pack rat”. Try saying that three times fast. In between breakfast and lunch and lunch and dinner you will be snacking. And not just any snacks. Here’s the scoop. Red apples, grapes and raisins are bad snacks. Too much sugar. Also, steer clear of the white flour chips and crackers. Green apple slices, cheese, nuts or Ritz Crackers with a little peanut butter is a better choice.

Of course, your American Diabetic Food Exchange Guide will give you lists of the foods that you can eat in each food category. It’s just that some are better than others. For example, broccoli, aside from being healthy for all of us, has been found to help normalize blood sugar levels in diabetics. Also, as mentioned before, do not eat anything with white flour. If you need snack crackers, most manufacturers now offer a whole wheat product as well. A good example is Ritz. They make a whole wheat version of their original cracker. Try taking a whole wheat Ritz cracker, a piece of cheese and a slice of a Golden Delicious apple and you have a tasty and healthy snack! Okay, here comes the best diabetic HINT I have come across and it really, really works. In my last article I mentioned MILK. Most diabetics are told to drink orange juice if they are having a low blood glucose. Okay, here’s why milk is a better choice. Orange juice is very high in sugar and what it does is “shoot” your blood sugar up immediately which can leave you with a terrible headache and in some cases even a migraine! Try milk instead. Milk is like manna from heaven. Since milk is a whole food with sugar in it, a small amount of sugar, it goes to work in your body immediately to normalize your blood sugar. So, please, the next time you have a low reading and are not feeling well, reach for a glass of milk and not the orange juice. It may take a few minutes longer to work but in the long run it will normalize your blood sugar instead of shooting it over to the high side and you will not be left with the side affects of orange juice. How’s that for a great tip?

By Bonnie Howell

Our body starts demanding a supply of energy as soon as we wake up, whether we’ve eaten or not. Our brain cannot store any energy for itself and constantly requires a supply of glucose. Not eating, especially in the morning, can hamper mental alertness and put a strain on both our bodies and brain.

Here are some tips for eating a healthy breakfast that will set you up for an energized and mentally alert day:

1) Avoid refined carbohydrates

These include white breads, bagels or pastries. Normally refined carbohydrates have a high GI (glycemic index). This means that glucose is released rapidly into the blood stream, giving a very short-lived energy boost. Low GI carbohydrates such as whole meal/ wholegrain breads, and cereals release energy slowly, allowing you to have a constant supply of energy until your next meal.

2) Include protein

These can be from meats from dinner left-overs, eggs, bananas or milk. Protein helps keep you fuller for longer.

3) Fruit and Vegetables

Most fruit and vegetables contain no cholesterol and are of low GI. You’ll also get a good dose of important vitamins, minerals and fiber.

5) Get Creative

If you’re getting bored of cereal, then try another cereal or something different all together. You could try making exotic fruit smoothies or fancy omelettes.

6) When on the go

Not having time shouldn’t be an excuse to not eat breakfast. Give ready made liquid breakfasts a go. A quick trip to your supermarket should be enough to show you the varieties available. Cafes usually serve healthy food with fresh ingredients. Try grabbing a sandwich on your way to school or work.

7) Just eat something

Even if you’re in a rush, have something, anything. Some juice, a glass of milk, a piece of toast. Anything that provides your body with an energy source.

Always keep in mind that your body has been starved of nutrients for at least 8 hours while you sleep. Eating a healthy breakfast will restore the depleted nutrients. It will also give you the kickstart you need to begin your day on the right foot.

By Gabriel J. Adams

We have to go through lists and study materials to know what and how much we should eat; like the one you are devouring now. Our physical fitness, though not solely, is largely dependent on our diet. Fitness emerges out from a balanced diet. What do you call as a balanced diet? It is a quite complicated problem to answer this. I know, giving you a list will seem sufficient to tell you about balanced diet. But wait. I don’t want to repeat the same thing for like a thousandth time before you. I think it is better if I tell something about how to decide a well maintained diet that will aid to your fitness. Lists, you can find them through any search engine.

The first tip for food is to have it at regular time. Actually, there is a clock in our body; you might have heard of it, the biological clock. This clock notes the time for everything. That’s why a man rising at 5 O’ Clock will regularly wake up at about the same time. So, as the time we ought to eat at approaches, our digestive system anticipates food and secretes acids and other juices in the preparation. Having our food before or much after this time will thus lead to improper digestion.

The second tip is about what should be consumed when. Make it a note to take a heavy breakfast in the morning. Don’t just with hungry till your lunch or just give two biscuits to the active acid in your stomach. For fitness, take a breakfast rich in carbohydrate. Then for lunch, take a well proportionate food containing carbohydrates and proteins. Don’t care a lot about vitamins. You’ll get it if you consume a moderate quantity of fruits everyday. In the evening, take some light snacks and fruits. Also you may add a glass of milk for this time. Take a relatively lighter dinner and don’t go to bed as soon as you dine. Your dinner should be rich in protein and should be low in calories.

Try not to skip a meal for any reason. Have a lot of water everyday. This will help to detoxify your system. Vegetarians should supplement animal proteins with milk or other pulses. There are some essential amino acids which are found only in the animals and not in the plant proteins. If you want yourself to be called fit, you’ll have to heed to the tips I have mentioned here. Now, to know more about the amount you should consume in grams, just search in any search engine.

By Nachiketa Mishra

The problem is we’ve become too accustomed to our lifestyles. It’s easy to order a take away or to ignore the exercise bike collecting dust in the corner, and why walk when driving is so much easier?

It’s a vicious cycle and one we seem to be passing on to the next generation. Why is Ronald McDonald is more widely recognized amongst kids than a few former presidents of the United States?

If we want our kids to grow up and lead a healthy life we’re going to have to set the example first.

Here’s a great reminder of all the wonderful benefits of healthy eating:

Longer life -

Research has proven those who at eat less saturated fats, processed foods, etc. live a longer and healthier life, and are less prone to illnesses and disease.

Happiness -

There’s no doubt when you eat healthy foods you’ll suffer less from those terrible ups and downs that make us moody. Who wants to be grumpy all the time?

Vitality -

Healthy eating along with exercise will give you tons of energy and make you feel “on top of the world.” Imagine bouncing around from one thing to the other without having to drink tons of coffee!

Great Skin -

Everything we put into our bodies is reflected in our skin, hair, nails, teeth, etc. The way we age is partly due to genetics but it’s also due to our lifestyle choices. Healthy eating is our “miracle cure” for staying gorgeous.

Loose Weight -

Have you ever seen an overweight person who eats healthy food and exercises? I mean TRULY eats healthy food… probably not. Unless you have a thyroid condition you’ll definitely loose weight and maintain it once you embark on healthy eating.

Those are just a few of the benefits you’ll experience by eating healthier foods and leading an active lifestyle.

So why not stop thinking about it and actually do it? Live longer, feel great, have tons of energy, look gorgeous, and loose weight… and if that isn’t tempting enough, what about the thought you could actually give all of the above to your kids.

Well you can, simply set the example and they will follow. You may actually be surprised at how easy it all really is… really.

By Mila Sidman

Step One

At night, sit down and plan out your coming day. You will want to look at everything that you need to do during the day. You may want to write this up in a planner to help you to see where all of your events fall during your day.

Step Two

Onto this schedule of events, write in when you will have your meals and snacks. You should be eating every two to three hours. Make sure that you include whether it is a meal or a snack you will be a having.

Step Three

Look at each meal and snack time in your daily healthy eating plan. If you will be at home, make a note about what you will make yourself to eat. For eating on the go make a separate lists of snacks and meals that you will need to pack to eat healthy during the day.

Step Four

Look at the daily healthy eating plan for the list of items that you will need to pack for the coming day. Prepare and package these items so that they are easy to grab on your way out the door in the morning. Your healthy eating plan will help you to prepare the healthy snacks and meals that will keep you away from fast food when you are out and about.

Step Five

During the coming day look at your daily healthy eating plan often to make sure that you are on track with your eating. By checking your plan often you will not skip meals and snacks. This is important to eating and being healthy.

Step Six

Repeat this process everyday to stay healthy. It will be difficult at first to get used to doing all the preparation and planning. As time passes, you will find that keeping a daily healthy eating plan is very easy.

Tip

Keep a food journal along with your daily healthy eating plan. This will be where you write down what and how much you ate each day. This will make you more accountable for what you are eating. You are less likely to cheat when you have to write down what goes into your mouth.

By Liz Thomas

There are many benefits to starting a healthy eating plan. Most commonly people adopt a healthy eating plan to lose weight. There are many health benefits as well. Among all the benefits of a healthy diet include the following.

Weight loss
More physical energy
More mental energy
Younger appearance
Feeling better overall
Avoidance of disease

Your poor diet can lead to a number of diseases and health problems. As you get closer to the age of 40 these health problems may start to appear.

Adult onset diabetes
High blood pressure
Some cancers
High cholesterol
Heart disease
Strokes

No matter what your age, you should start to develop healthier eating habits now to avoid these health problems. If your goal is to lose weight then a healthy diet along with a proper exercise program will certainly accelerate your weight loss goals.

There are several key elements to a healthy eating plan for weight loss. Here is a simple plan to help you change your eating habits and begin seeing your weight loss goals become a reality.

Increase your fruit and vegetable intake. This is one of the most important parts of a healthy diet. Fruits and vegetables contain essential nutrients your body needs to energize you body and your mind.

Drink more water.

Drink less coffee, alcohol and carbonated drinks. Replace these drinks with fresh water. Try for 2 liters of water per day.

Eat plenty of fiber.

Fiber has an effect of making you feel full. Fiber is important to keep food moving through your bowels. It is thought by many health experts that by simply doubling your fiber intake can help the average person lose about 10 pounds per year.

Eat more lean protein.

Proteins take longer to digest than other foods so you will feel full for a longer period of time. Protein is also essential to help you maintain your muscle mass, which is critical for fat loss.

Eat good fats.

Good fats help to protect against illness and makes your skin, hair and nails look better. The best fats to include in your healthy eating plan come from oily fish such as salmon and mackerel. Using olive oil in your cooking also provides the good fats you need.

Eliminate those processed foods. Replace processed foods with fresh fruits and vegetables and good carbohydrates. Processed foods can cause blood sugar problems and can eventually lead to adult onset diabetes.

Eat regularly beginning with breakfast each day. Breakfast should consist of fruit and fiber. Eat on a regular schedule every few hours. You will feel and function better if you eat 6 small meals per day rather than 3 large meals.

Control your portions. If you clench your fist, this represents the amount of most foods you should eat at a time. Of course with most fruits a portion is one fruit, such as an apple or a banana.

Be aware of the foods you eat each day. Begin to replace some of the harmful foods with healthier foods. In no time at all you will be eating a healthy diet and losing weight.

A great way to improve the condition of your hair is to give your hair a final rinse of cold water when you are finished shampooing. This rinses away any excess shampoo from your hair and will shock the hair shaft shut. People who are into natural methods suggest using rainwater to rinse your hair. This may be very true because natural rainwater is not full of chemicals like your tap water.

Some people advocate the use of beer on your hair to give you a good curl to your hair. This method can work well also. You can also steep herbs in water for the final rinse to your hair to give it a nice condition all over. Rosemary is a good herb to use for this method. There are many natural ingredients that you can use on your hair, like coconut milk, which gives you great conditioning and smells good at the same time.

Conditioners work by smoothing

Conditioners work by smoothing out the outer layer of the hair shaft. This hair has a tendency to split away from the rest of the hair and cause fly away or dry frizzy looking hair. The conditioner is supposed to smooth down these individual hairs and let them be combed and styled without breaking away and splitting.

There are some things that are done in the name of hair care that are very damaging to our hair. Too much heat and hairspray are a couple of these things. If you use a cool setting on your hair dryer you will be helping to keep your hair in the best condition. Leave your hair a little damp when you are drying to prevent excessive damage to your hair. If you are in an area or time of year that will allow, let your hair dry on its own for the best condition of all.

The chemicals that are used in hair products are another way to cause damage to your hair. The hydrogen peroxide that is used in hair coloring products is one type of chemical that can cause damage to your hair. Permanents and straightening chemicals are other such damaging products.

To keep your hair in the best condition just wash and condition it every day. By getting rid of the dirt that can be in your hair you are preventing damage that can be caused by the dirt getting caught in your brush and causing your hair to tear. You can also improve your diet to make sure you have the healthiest hair you can.

• Sneezing and runny nose
• Sore throat
• Watery Eyes
• Difficult to swallow
• Glands may become swollen
• May not feel like eating much
• Baby may become irritable
• A cough may develop
• Baby may get a slight fever of 101o to 102o Fahrenheit

Reason for getting cold

One reason that babies get a lot of colds is that their immune systems is immature, making them more vulnerable to illness. Also, your child can develop immunity to only one of the more than 200 different viruses that cause the common cold at a time. As your baby grows, he’s likely to be exploring a lot and touching and licking. So it’s easy for him to pick up a cold virus on his hands. Then all he has to do is put his fingers in his mouth or nose or rub his eyes, and the virus will get a chance to set up shop. Your baby may get sick more often during the fall and winter months because cold air and indoor heating dry out his nasal membranes, making it easier for a cold virus to get a foothold there.

Baby Care from Cold

If your baby is three months old or less and has cold like symptoms, you should contact a pediatrician immediately. Cold like symptoms in a baby three months old or less are misleading and could lead to a serious ailment.

On the other hand, if your child is more than three months old you should contact a doctor if you notice that he is breathing loudly and his nostrils expand out with each breath. His nails or lips are becoming blue. His mucus is thick, runny and green. He has a cough that hasn’t gone a way for more than a week. His ears ache. His temperature is more than 102 degrees Fahrenheit. He has become more drowsy or grouchy.

Care when a cold becomes serious

If a cold has left your little guy’s nose constantly running, avoid chapping and irritation by applying a small amount of Vaseline or Aquaphor to the area just below the nose a few times per day. When wiping the nose, use a tissue made with moisturizing lotion, since infants with eczema may carry a staph bacterium in their nose, if you notice scabbing around the nostrils and mouth following a runny nose, call your pediatrician who can prescribe a topical antibiotic to help clear the infection.

Most colds are simply a nuisance. But it’s important to take your baby’s signs and symptoms seriously. Again, call the doctor at the first sign of illness if your baby is younger than 3 months. If your baby is 3 months or older, call the doctor if he or she:

• Isn’t wetting as many diapers as usual
• Has a temperature higher than 100 F for more than three days
• Seems to have ear or sinus pain
• Has yellow eye discharge
• Has a cough for more than one week
• Has thick, green nasal discharge for more than two weeks
• Shows any signs of illness that worry you
• Seek medical help immediately if your baby:
• Refuses to nurse or accept fluids
• Coughs hard enough to cause vomiting or changes in skin color
• Coughs up blood-tinged sputum
• Has difficulty breathing or is bluish around the lips and mouth

Best way to avoid cold

Medical experts tell us there is no cure for the common cold. However, there are ways to alleviate the miserable symptoms your baby undergoes.

The best way for your baby to avoid a cold is to not have him near people who are infected. But if your baby gets a cold, the best thing you can do is make it comfortable for him. Soon his cold symptoms will disappear and he’ll be back to health.

Breastfeeding your newborn has many advantages. Perhaps most important, breast milk is the perfect food for a human baby’s digestive system. Breast milk is the ideal and most complete food for the baby because it contains all of the nutritive elements essential for its growth. It is an important source of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals – all in the right proportion. The baby can easily digest it. It is readily available for the baby and is always at the right temperature. Also, breast milk contains antibodies that help protect infants from a wide variety of infectious diseases, including diarrhea. Breastfeeding is great for moms, too. It burns calories and helps shrink the uterus, so nursing moms get back into shape quicker. Breastfeeding may also protect mom from breast and ovarian cancer.

Your newborn should be nursing eight to 12 times per day during about the first month. In the beginning, mothers may want to try nursing 10 to 15 minutes on each breast, and then vary the time as necessary. Most experts suggest you nurse or feed your baby whenever he or she seems hungry.

Signs that babies are hungry:

• Moving their heads from side to side
• Opening their mouths
• Sticking out their tongues
• Placing their hands and fists to their mouths
• Puckering their lips as if to suck
• Nuzzling again their mothers’ breasts
• Showing the rooting reflex (when a baby moves its mouth in the direction of something that’s stroking or touching its cheek)

Bottle Feeding

Once you have decided to bottle-feed, you either use expressed breast milk or artificial milk also called formula. Most doctors recommend a Soya-based formulation. It is important to prepare formula milk exactly according to the instructions provided. It this milk is diluted the baby will not receive the required number of calories. If it is too thick it can lead to dehydration. The bottles and nipples or teats will have to be well sterilized as milk breed bacteria easily and your baby will easily fall ill. Not all babies need to be taught to bottle-feed, a number of them take to it without much fuss.

Even after you start bottle-feeding it is best to continue breast-feeding as well. This is known as mixed feeding. For the full-time bottle-feeding baby, simply experiment with various types of nipples to see which one works best for your baby. If baby is both breastfeeding and bottle-feeding, use a nipple with a wide base. Like so much with babies, you’ll need to listen and observe. If you hear a lot of noisy sucking sounds while she drinks, she may be taking in too much air. To help your baby swallow less air, hold her at a 45-degree angle. Also take care to tilt the bottle so that the nipple and neck are always filled with formula.

Advantages of bottle-feeding

• Bottle-fed babies need to be fed less frequently since it is more difficult to digest.
• If you are bottle-feeding your baby, you know exactly how much milk your baby has had.
• You do not need to be present each time the baby has to be fed; some other family member or friend can also feed the baby.
• Your social life does not need to be curtailed. You can resume your normal life.

Bottle feeding tips

Colon and Rectal Cancer

In a Harvard University study that involved more than 50,000 middle aged men, those whose diets were most likely to raise blood sugar fast and high were 32 percent more likely to develop colon and rectal cancer over 20 years. The effect is much stronger for heavier men.

Breast Cancer

In the Women’s Health Study, women who followed a blood sugar-boosting diet were 135 percent more likely to develop breast cancer in seven years than woman whose diets were more blood sugar friendly. Many different studies have shown a huge increase in breast cancer in women that do not follow a blood sugar friendly diet. It was linked to even be a higher percentage to woman who do not exercise frequently.

Endometrial Cancer

In the Iowa Women’s Health Study, which involved more than 23,000 post-menopausal women, those who didn’t have diabetes and followed blood sugar-spiking diets were 46 percent more likely to get this cancer over 15 years. An Italian study that compared women who developed endometrial cancer with a similar group of women who didn’t found a 110 percent increase in risk linked to this type of diet.

Prostate Cancer

Here we go men, are you ready for this? An Italian study looked at men ages 46-74 who developed prostate cancer and compared their diets to a group of similar men who didn’t get the cancer. Those whose diets were most likely to spike blood sugar were 57 percent more likely to have prostate cancer. A similar Canadian study found a 57 percent increase in risk.

Pancreatic Cancer

Even the organ that produces insulin may be more prone to cancer if it’s constantly bathed in that hormone. A study using data from the Nurses’ Health Study over 18 years found that women whose diets raised blood sugar the most were 53 percent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than women whose diets raised it the least. Women in the first group who were overweight and physically inactive were 157 percent more likely to get the cancer than similar women in the second.

If this information does not make you realize how important blood sugar can be in your life, then I truly hope you find the information that will help you realize it. Blood sugar can be very serious and it should be treated that way. It is very important for training reasons as I pointed out in previous articles, but it is more important for life and living reasons.

- Michael Gatchis

Surviving is a strong instinct in mankind and we have the potential to overcome many challenges, beat incredible odds, and come out a survivor. With the proper attitude anything is possible. Sadly, many of us accept the diagnoses and prescribed treatment of our disease without seeking additional forms of life-saving medicines or treatments. We need to recognize that there are many paths to ridding the body of disease.

Studies have showed that people often turn to alternative therapies for chronic conditions such as back pain, anxiety, headaches or chronic pain. Often times, people seek out alternative treatment when conventional medicine has little to offer and hope is all that is left. The value of hope should not be under estimated. Where there is hope, there’s life.

Alternative Medicine and Treatments

Do you know that some medical treatments are very old? Some can be traced back 200,000 years. The Greeks were known to use aspirin which come from white willow bark and morphine from the opium poppy. Foxglove, a flower in many gardens, is a source of digitalis prescribed by doctors to strengthen the heart and regulate its beat.

Research has determined that regular consumption of flaxseed can be used as a cancer fighting agent. The LNAs (omega 3 Alpha Linolenic essential fatty acid) kill human cancer cells in tissue cultures without harming normal cells.

Cancers such as prostate, colon, breast and lung were studied and according to Dr. James Duke, an ethnobotanist with the USDA (Food and Drug Administration), flaxseed contains 27 identifiable cancer preventive compounds.

Flaxseed also helps with the following:

* Heart Disease - blood regulating capabilities prevent spontaneous blood clots caused by an excess of fatty acids.
* Diabetes - Reversal of symptoms can occur and may also lower insulin requirements.
* Skin Conditions - such as psoriasis and eczema have improved dramatically.
* Sexual Disorders - impotency in men is a blockage of blood flow in the arteries of the pelvis. Flaxseed will help unblock narrowed arteries.

Flaxseed increases the metabolic rate and the efficiency of cellular energy production. Athletes or anyone wishing to lose weight will benefit from a daily consumption of flaxseed.

Surviving Cancer

A strong desire to beat cancer and having an open mind is essential for any therapy to work. Many people have beaten cancer using alternative therapies. In order to make informed decisions about the proper course of treatment there are a couple of things you need to do first.

* Learn Your Options
* Get professional guidance

Do not wait until its obvious conventional treatments are failing before trying alternative medicine. In fact, don’t wait until you have cancer!

Sherry Rogers MD, Leading National Toxicology Expert, has this to say …

“We are all a toxic cesspool of the lifetime accumulation of chemicals from our air, food, and water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency studies of chemicals stored in the fat of humans show that 100% of people had dioxins, PCBs, dichlorobenzene, and xylene while another analysis of the exhaled breath of humans showed carcinogenic benzene in 89% and perchloroethylene in 93%. And these chemicals are just the tip of the iceberg. For now we have the proof that it is the steady silent accumulation over a lifetime that produces most diseases, including cancer. But medicine merely sees every disease as a deficiency of some drug or surgery, and tell us there is no known cause or cure.

Take charge of your cancer!

- Elizabeth Day