Health & Nutrition

Salmon is one of the most popular fish to eat. It is quite rich in Omega-3 fat, protein, vitamins and minerals. Let’s look at the health benefits of some of these:

Omega-3 Fats

The positive effects of Omega-3 are well-known. They help lower “bad” cholesterol and blood pressure. They also act as anti-inflammatory agents in your muscles, including your heart.

Magnesium

Magnesium is important for maintaining proper muscle functioning. Low levels can result in muscle twitching, heart palpitations, high blood pressure and headaches. It is also used to help the body absorb calcium.

B Vitamins

The B vitamins are used mainly for proper metabolism, immune system support and mental functioning.

Potassium

This mineral is quite important. It regulates your heart beat and nervous system, along with managing the flow of water throughout cells.

Selenium

Selenium has certain antioxidant effects and might help lower the risk of cancer.

Finding salmon is relatively easy. You can buy it in grocery stores or fish markets. You can buy it as smoked salmon, frozen fillets or in canned form. In restaurants you will often see salmon as well. Always try to buy wild fish, as opposed to farmed fish.

Most salmon you’ll find in North America comes from the Pacific ocean, usually Alaska. There are various kinds, but you should be able to find wild salmon. Atlantic salmon is a little more rare and is generally farm-raised, so you should avoid it.

Wherever you’re buying it from, you should make sure that everything is fresh and hygienic. Check that everything set up is clean and orderly. There should be plenty of ice around the fish and they should be covered. It should have a nice, mild aroma…not a strong one.

When buying a frozen fillet, it should be very pink and shiny. Press down on it to make sure it’s firm…squishy fish is not a good thing. It should also have that same mild aroma, not anything pungent. If you store it in your freezer, make sure to eat it within a few months. Otherwise, it can stay in the fridge for 2 whole days and should be eaten as soon as possible. The same day is the best option.

Now, if you’re actually buying the full fish, there are other things you should be checking. First of all, the skin should again be shiny. The eyes should not be clouded, but clear, and the gills should be bright red. Again, make sure it doesn’t have a strong aroma.

If you’ve bought a fillet, there are many ways to cook it. A whole fish can really only be grilled or baked. It doesn’t take too long to cook either. A typical fillet will only take 20 minutes in the oven on a moderate heat level.

Canned salmon is ready immediately — it’s already been precooked. It can be thrown into salads and put on sandwiches. Also, don’t worry about eating the bones with canned tuna. They are softer and it’s OK.

Hope that helps!

The French chemist and pharmacist Theodore Nicolas Gobley was the first person to describe lecithin in 1847. He extracted pure phosphatidylcholine from egg yoke but lecithin is the generic term used to describe the group of yellow-brown fats found in the tissues of plants and animals.

Lecithin is used as a food additive, being officially recognized as safe by both the European Union (under reference E322) and the United States Food and Drug Administration. It has many uses including helping the flow of chocolate, breaking down and dispersing the fat in ice cream (so giving a creamier texture), breaking down and reducing fats in a non-stick cooking spray, controlling sugar crystallization, and stabilizing fermentation.

It has many uses in non-food products as well. The chemical and pharmaceutical industries use lecithin to help emulsification and an antioxidant. It is used as an anti-sludge additive for motor oils and enriches protein and fat in animal feed. In the paint industry lecithin has many uses including helping mixing and spreading, eliminating foam in water-based paints, forming a protective surface and intensifying colours.

How The Human Body Benefits

To improve the cholesterol levels in the body, the bad LDL cholesterol needs to be reduced and the good HDL cholesterol increased. This lecithin does very well. It is not clear why this happens but the results are clear. Other advantages have been found in choline, one of the constituents of lecithin.

In a 1949 British study, CH Best and his team discovered a reduction in choline lead to an increase of arterial damage and hypertension as a result of droplets of fat forming on the arterial walls. A supplement of choline was also found to reduce fatalities in patients who had previously suffered a coronary thrombosis.

There was an erroneous theory that lecithin enters and breaks down the adipose tissue or fat cells. In fact what the substance does is reduces blood and dietary fats into smaller molecules. These then form fatty acids, which the body will tend to use as energy rather than store it uselessly in the adipose tissue.

The liver benefits most from lecithin. During their studies, Best et al discovered that cirrhosis of the liver tends to be a result of nutritional deficiency and not simply chronic alcoholism. Their research showed the condition occurred where there was a combination of excess alcohol and some dietary deficiency. The abnormality did not appear where there was a lot of alcohol but a choline supplement was taken. It was concluded that the choline removed any excess fat.

Choline can also be used to combat gallstones. The purpose of the gall bladder is to secret bile, which then emulsifies fats. To do this it contains cholesterol, bile acids and lecithin. It is the lecithin, which emulsifies the fats and probably controls the damaging effects of the acids. Where there is a reduced level of lecithin the patient is likely to suffer gallstones.

Other studies have shown that lecithin improves male sexual performance (the male ejaculate contains lecithin) and the brains operation. The substance has been used to treat dementia.

Conclusion

There can be side effects to the consumption of lecithin such as lowered blood pressure leading to dizziness and fainting but this only occurs when excess amounts are ingested. Moderation is key.

Lecithin is important to the human body and it is worth considering taking some as part of a natural dietary supplement if your levels are reduced, such as if you do not eat enough eggs.

Do you remember your mother telling you to finish your glass of milk before you could be excused from the dinner table? Did she also tell you to finish your plate of spinach if you wanted muscles like Popeye? Good old Mom; she was right, you know! Research has always supported the health benefits of including calcium and certain nutrients into our daily meals. Research findings also support the role that protein plays for living a healthy lifestyle. As we age, keeping adequate amounts of protein in our diets is necessary for bone health.

The Bony Facts

Bone is a living tissue, and it’s responsible for supporting and protecting other organs as well as storing minerals and helping us with movement. As we age, it is inevitable that we feel the effects of daily stress and wear and tear. For example, your back might ache after sleeping or a knee might throb after a daily jog. Mother Time can’t be stopped from visiting, but you can prepare for her arrival. Being proactive is one way to insure that your bones will last a lifetime. To prevent bone weakness and density loss, consuming the right amount of protein as well as exercise and living a healthy lifestyle are recommended.

What is Osteoporosis?

According to the US Department of Health & Human Services and the Office of the Surgeon General, each year an estimated 1.5 million individuals suffer a fracture due to bone disease. Osteoporosis is called a silent disease because people often don’t know that they have it until they break a bone. As we age, our bones lose density or mass. As a result, bones become weak and may break more easily. The facts presented by the Surgeon General suggest a serious problem.

Here are just a few findings, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services:

- There is documentation that cites alarming high numbers of bone fractures in the elderly. These accidents are primarily caused by bone disease. The most common cause for breaking bones is Osteoporosis.

- Hip replacements and reports of people over age 50 having to go to an emergency due to a broken hip is close to 10 million individuals in the United States alone.

- Researchers are predicting a rise in osteoporosis and the risk of developing it as we age is a 50% chance.

- It affects all genders and although it is more prominent in women, it can also strike men.

Osteoporosis puts you at a greater risk of breaking a bone from having a minor fall, bending to pick up something or doing something as simple as sneezing. These minor accidents or everyday movements can cause a fracture, and this is serious. Like your mother told you, the best time to build strong healthy bones is in childhood, but lifelong calcium intake can help to make up for any early deficiencies.

The Surgeon General recommends eating vegetable protein sources like beans, nuts, seeds and green vegetables. These are the most favorable sources of protein to insure bone health. Vegetarian diets should be designed so that adequate protein intake is consumed. Grains, rice and potatoes are not enough.

Experts also say that supplements or some animal products may help in maintaining muscle and bone mass. It will also prevent frailty. Keep in mind that the diets should be designed for the elderly. Animal products should not be the major source of protein in the diet.

Studies on Protein intake

This research study was conducted over a 7- 10 year period and followed 1000 elderly women. The study found increase bone loss and risk of hip fracture in those with a higher ratio of animal protein to vegetable protein in their diet. The scientists concluded that protein requirements were necessary for maximizing bone health, but most of it should be derived from green vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds, more than an animal source.

Another study undertaken, compared protein intake with bone mineral density in the heel in 75 year old women. They discovered at a later age, a higher range of protein intake (above 80 grams a day) contributed to better bone density. Their study supports the importance to insure adequate intake of protein as we age.

Conclusion

Protein should be a part of our daily diet for many health benefits, including good bone health. Animal products should not be the only source of protein. Green vegetables, beans, nuts and seed provide a great source, especially for the elderly. Protein supplements can be included in our maintenance program, but it alone does not insure good bone health. Vitamin D and other nutrients are often recommended because they help as we age in our digestive efficiency. They also maximize the absorption of nutrients that we have in our diet. Exercise will help to maintain muscularity in later years.

Make no bones about it; our bones are living tissue that helps us function daily. Our organs, and other tissues and body parts rely on it for support and functioning. Like our appearance, with time the bones change and it’s a natural process that can’t be prevented. From the time we are born, our bones are changing. The loss of bone density is inevitable, but we can insure a lengthy life of good bones if we start early on a diet of calcium and protein. If we provide them with a little help and daily maintenance, we have the capability of having them last us a lifetime.

Linseed (or Flax as it is often known) is of the family Linaceae with the Botanical name of Linum usitatissimum. Archaeological digs have discovered flax fibres believed to be from around the year around 34,000 BC. Historically Flax was cultivated around Ethiopia and Ancient Egypt.

Flax grows to between one and one and a half metres. Averaging around 1.2 metres in height. The seed capsules, born of light blue flowers contain the apple seed like seeds of the Linseed. Each seed is approximately 7 mm long.

Flax also refers to the fibre of the plant, which can be spun into fabric.

Nutritionally, Linseed is most recognised for its rich source of omega3. It contains significantly more omega3 than fish oil. Linseed is high Carbohydrates, Sugars, Dietary fibre, Protein, Thiamine (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacin (Vitamin B3), Pantothenic acid (B5), Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc and Potassium.

Linseed is used throughout the world as a nutritious food additive. It is used as a food additive and is used as a source of oil for both health and industry. As a supplement Linseed may assist with reducing blood pressure and lowering harmful cholesterol. There are studies that have shown linseed’s positive effects on the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Linseed has the potential to decrease the risk of heart disease by decreasing the probability of clots in the arteries. Blood clots lead to potential stroke, pulmonary and vascular disease.

Regular intake of Linseed through direct consumption or through its oil or supplementation can result in increased vitality and increased energy.  Linseed can help you feeling calm during stressful periods. Omega3 fatty acids can prevent excess toxic chemicals that are produced by the body under stressful situations.

When taken internally or topically through skin care products, Linseed has shown to provide dramatic change in the texture and quality of the skin. Linseed can assist in repairing skin conditions associated with a lack of omega 3 fatty acids in the diet.

Omega3 fatty acids such as found in linseed have shown to be helpful in relieving the symptoms associated with Arthritis. I personally take Omega3 supplementation daily for Arthritis and I can feel notable difference. It took a couple of weeks before they worked but I didn’t connect my use of them an the reduction in pain until I missed about a weeks worth of doses and the pain returned dramatically.

Linseed oil can aid water retention by assisting the kidneys to flush toxic products from the system.

Linseed can be found in whole grain breads, perhaps the most popular way of consuming the whole seed. Omega3 Dietary supplements can contain Linseed as well as many nutritional ad health supplements and Vitamins.

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The myth that all athletes need extreme amount of protein in their diets will just not go away. There is a secondary myth that goes along with that myth which says that athletes do not need to eat carbohydrates. Protein is important in the diet, however so are the other nutrients. Finding the right balance in the diet is important not only to fuel the body before and during the workout but for proper recovery afterward. A diet that is too high in protein can actually hurt the athlete’s performance and can lead to dehydration and other serious problems.

The average person needs to have about .6-.8 grams of protein per kilogram of their body weight; however an athlete will need slightly more. The increase will take into account the increased lean muscle mass of the athlete and the need for more energy, however if the protein is being added in place of complex carbohydrates, there might be a bigger problem overall.

There are typically two types of elite athletes, the endurance athlete and the strength athlete. The endurance athlete will automatically gravitate to the higher carbohydrate, lower fat diet, knowing that they need the carbs to stoke up their energy stores and keep their body moving. The strength training athlete however will typically go for a high protein diet thinking that it will build muscle faster – which may not be as true as he thinks.

The muscle burns energy simply by existing. One pound of muscle burns between 40 and 120 calories per day, simply sitting still (On a related note, one pound of fat only burns between one and three calories per day). When the strength athlete starts working out, obviously there will be a need for energy- the muscles will turn to glycogen which is stored as energy there. Glycogen also helps the muscles to retain water. During a high intensity workout though, the demands are going to exceed the glycogen stores and the muscle will need additional energy sources. Fat and protein cannot be oxidized fast enough so the body will need carbohydrates to fuel the hard working muscles.

High protein can hurt overall sports performance in several ways. First, it depletes glycogen from both the muscles and in the liver. Second, it can lower the endurance- once the glycogen stores are burned out, the workout is over if there is no additional source of energy in place. Third, it can hamper your maximum effort. Not only can you not work out as long, you cannot work out as hard. High protein diets before a strenuous workout can also cause extremely low blood sugar- hypoglycemia.

The athlete’s diet should consist of about 55-65% complex carbohydrates, 25-30% fat and 12-15% protein. However, there are some that would say that the fat count is too high and that the protein amount is too low. Tweaking these numbers for individual needs and performance should be done within reason. However, the protein intake should stay in the 20-35% range and never go higher than that upper limit.

High Protein and Possible Dehydration

Another way that a diet that is too high in protein can hurt an athlete is by increasing the risk of dehydration. It is estimated that three of every four adults in the United States are chronically dehydrated. It is also a known fact that a loss of just 2-3% of the body’s water could negatively impact both cardiovascular health and athletic performance.

A study was done with athletes, giving them a diet that was for a 150 pound person. The athletes were split into three groups, a low protein, a moderate protein and a high protein diet group. In the high protein group, the diet consisted of about 246 grams of protein or about 30% of the overall daily calories (typical of the average high protein diet plan). The study found that as protein consumption went up, hydration levels went down. Other tests showed an elevated amount of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) which is consistent with abnormal kidney function and also showed much more concentrated urine in the high protein group.

Dehydration can be very serious, not only for the athlete but for others as well because it can cause electrolyte imbalances which can impact the rhythm of the heart and possibly lead to heart attack.

When eating a high protein/low carb diet the metabolism changes to a state called ketosis which also occurs in diabetics who are not following the right diet. In ketosis, the body is not burning carbohydrates for energy, but is using fat instead. The fat is broken down into carbon based materials called ketones which are then released into the blood stream. Ketosis suppresses the appetite; however, it also increases the urine output and can also lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.

The Right Balance

Increasing the amount of fluids that you consume no matter what type of diet you follow is a good idea, however if you are eating a higher protein amount, it is vital. You need to make sure that you are getting enough protein to not only maintain lean muscle mass but to continue to build it as well. If you do not have enough protein in your diet, your muscles will end up destroying themselves in their effort to build and repair; you will lose not the fat and flab that you want to get rid of, but your lean muscle mass instead.

Whey protein supplements can be a beneficial way to keep the lean muscle mass that you want to build- because it contains the amino acids that you need. After your work out, the muscles will continue to synthesize protein for up to twenty four hours so it is important that you restore protein supplies right after a workout. Whey is most like skeletal muscle and has high levels of both arginine and lysine which can stimulate the release of a growth hormone that is a naturally occurring alternative to steroids. It also has glutamine which protects against fatigue and overtraining.

In addition to whey protein there are other supplement types which are available in a number of strengths and flavors that have high quality protein, low calorie counts and zero fats.

Many people depend on caffeine each day. It’s something that is used to help wake up and stay focused on things as it does energize the body and help especially when down and tired. How many people do you know that can’t start the day without a cup of coffee or caffeinated soda? There are some who for personal reasons or health reasons decide to stop using caffeine. Learn some tips that will help you quit using this substance.

Realize that when you make these changes you are going to feel bad for awhile. There are symptoms that will hit you when you stop using caffeine. You can get a headache, become tired, be cranky, and feel fatigued. Simply that fact that you get withdrawal symptoms means that something has been amiss! The natural reaction will be to go back to your normal habits. You need a strong reason to really stop using it.

It’s best to step down gradually. Going cold turkey can be extremely hard; I know I’ve done it before. While you might want to stop right now, you don’t have to immediately. Start cutting back a serving a day over the next week or two and let your body adjust to having a bit less.

Replace drinks with caffeine with other drinks. This might be half caffeine versions or other drinks that don’t have any in it at all. You will still have things to drink but don’t have to always be using caffeine.

Most people use quite a bit of caffeine in the morning. Add things to your morning routine that will help you wake up instead of just taking this substance. Relax a bit in the morning. Listen to music. Have lots of light in your home. Eat breakfast. Exercise in the morning. All these things will help you wake up naturally without having to have additional substances.

Don’t make the mistake of not drinking water to replace what you might not be drinking anymore. If you get dehydrated, you will feel even worse while quitting.

You aren’t going to be perfect at this. Just relax and don’t be too hard on yourself if you find yourself drinking something with caffeine in it.

Caffeine is something most people use everyday. Some want to quit this habit. Hopefully these tips can help you quit more easily or at least cut back and not be dependent.