Are You Eating Good Fats or Bad Fats?

Are You Eating Good Fats or Bad Fats? (Infographic)

May 19, 2015 / By Heart & Vascular Team

http://health.clevelandclinic.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/15-HHB-423-Dietary-Fats-Infographic_FINAL.pdf

For years, we’ve heard that saturated fatis bad for our hearts and that unsaturated fat is good. But experts’ views on dietary fat are changing. It’s easy to be confused. Learn which fats you can eat more of and which fats to avoid. And enjoy useful tips on heart-healthy eating, cooking and shopping from preventive cardiology dietitians Julia Zumpano, RD, LD, and Kate Patton, MEd, RD, CSSD, LD.

Are You Eating Good Fats or Bad Fats? #infographic

5 Food Additives You Should Avoid

Processed food has become more American than apple pie. But chemical additives in the food, if consumed in large quantities, may be a health concern. Here are five additives you should avoid.

Source: 5 Food Additives You Should Avoid | Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

5 Food Additives You Should Avoid

August 17, 2015 / By Heart & Vascular Team

Food additives prohibited

“Mmm, sodium nitrate.”

When is the last time you heard someone say that? Right before you sunk your teeth into some juicy sodium nitrite?

Probably not.

People typically don’t consider the chemicals in their cuisine. However, additive-laced processed foods have become more American than apple pie.

Americans spend 90 percent of their food budget on processed food, claim some sources. It’s more convenient. It can be less expensive. But is it as healthy?

Dietitian Kate Patton and intern Sara Saliba of Cleveland Clinic’s Section of Preventive Cardiology & Rehabilitation explain.

What is processed food?

“Processed food has been altered in some way from its natural state,” says Ms. Patton. “Often, that means it has been treated with additives – substances that add color, enhance flavor or increase shelf-life, for example. Additives are not necessarily bad. Most foods do require additives to prevent spoilage and maintain their nutritional value.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved thousands of additives for use in food. But while consuming small amounts is safe, it may be warranted to limit the amount of these foods you consume.

What’s so bad about food additives?

“People should eat a healthy diet, rich in fresh vegetables and fruits. Eating a diet rich in processed foods is linked to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer,” says Ms. Saliba.

For example:

Preservation

• Sodium nitrites help stabilize, flavor, and provide a bright red color to meat. When the meat is heated at high temperatures or combines with stomach acid, sodium nitrite can produce nitrosamines, which is linked to an increased risk of pancreatic and colorectal cancer.
• Sulfites are a popular preservative that many people are sensitive to; and can aggravate asthma and deplete vitamin B1 (thiamine). These additives have already been banned from use on fresh fruits and vegetables in the U.S., but are still present in other foods. (Look for these ingredients on the label: sulfur dioxide, potassium bisulfite, sodium bisulfite, sodium sulfite.)
• Trans fats is a type of fat added to foods to extend its shelf life or improve the consistency. It increases LDL or bad cholesterol, which increases the risk for heart disease.

Flavor Enhancers

• Monosodium glutamate (MSG) enhances flavor and texture in Asian foods, soups and other processed foods. Many people are sensitive to MSG. People with MSG sensitivity can experience nausea, breathing problems and other reactions. It also adds extra sodium, which can elevate blood pressure. (Look for these ingredients on the label: natural flavoring or hydrolyzed vegetable protein).

Artificial Colors

• FD&C yellow #5 and #6 has been linked to hyperactivity in children. It can cause severe allergic reactions, especially in people with asthma. Food dyes come from chemicals, so try to choose foods that are in their natural state and color.

How can you avoid unhealthy additives?

The best way to eat healthy is to:

1. Buy more fresh foods than processed (or “convenience”) foods. Farmers markets are good places to shop.
2. If fresh foods are not available, choose frozen fruits and vegetables without any additives.
3. Avoid prepackaged, pre-cooked meals. Cook your own meals so you know what is in your food.
4. Check food labels. Don’t buy products with known additives, and beware of other ingredients you can’t pronounce.

“By following these tips, your food will be healthier and more nutritious as well as fresher and more naturally flavorful,” says Ms. Patton.

References

American Cancer Society

The World’s Healthiest Foods

Sustainable Table

Healthy Eating Politics

Schlosser, E. (2002). Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Break Your Sugar Addiction in 10 Days (Infographic)

Do you have a sweet tooth? Most of us will overindulge at times. But the more sugar we consume, the more we want, says Mark Hyman, MD. However, the good news is that people can break the sugar addiction in 10 days. Here's how.

Source: Break Your Sugar Addiction in 10 Days (Infographic) | Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

Break Your Sugar Addiction in 10 Days (Infographic)

May 21, 2015 / By Family Health Team

How to break your #sugar addiction in 10 days. #infographic

Do you have a sweet tooth? Most of us will overindulge at times. But the more sugar we consume, the more we want, says Mark Hyman, MD. However, the good news is that people canbreak the sugar addiction in 10 days. Here’s how.

How to break your #sugar addiction in 10 days. #infographic

Do You Know the Colour of Body Fat?

Do You Know the Color of Body Fat? (Infographic)

health.clevelandclinic.org/2015/04/do-you-know-the-color-of-body-fat-infographic/

By Chronic Conditions Team | 4/23/15 7:00 a.m.

Body fat gets a bad rap, but you’d die without it. Body fat stores crucial energy. It provides insulation. It protects your organs. It even helps hold your cells together.

But too much of a good thing can be fatal.

Explore this field guide to human body fat. Discover the different colors and what they mean. Learn which kind of fat can kill you and what you can do about it.

What The Color of Your Urine Says About You

What The Color of Your Urine Says About You (Infographic)

health.clevelandclinic.org/2013/10/what-the-color-of-your-urine-says-about-you-infographic/

By Urinary & Kidney Team | 10/31/13 11:01 a.m.

Human urine has been a useful tool of diagnosis since the earliest days of medicine. The color, density, and smell of urine can reveal much about the state of our health. Here, for starters, are some of the things you can tell from the hue of your liquid excreta.

 

10 Amazing Health Benefits of Coffee

http://www.naturalblaze.com/2014/04/10-amazing-health-benefits-of-coffee.html 10 Amazing Health Benefits of Coffee ... 

These ten benefits definitely fall in the category of "Amazing" given that many of us were raised in a culture negatively biased regarding coffee. But many of you, like I have, may have been following the results of lab studies over the last decade or more revealing why we love to love coffee. I appreciate this article because it offers links to cited information and discusses research on our favorite pick-me-up. However, hands down, the exciting details revealed in the article are the specific details regarding in what way coffee prevents, and in some cases, cures some of the worst serious illnesses of our times.

The end of the article shares coffee recipes including information about new innovations in how to make use of all parts of this beneficial plant for our good health.

So, cheers! fellow coffee aficionados.

Rodale Article: The 6 Worst Natural Ingredients

The 6 Worst Natural Ingredients

They may sound healthy and "all-natural," but you don't want any of these ingredients in your grocery cart. BY EMILY MAIN

http://www.rodalenews.com/natural-ingredients

Rodale, once again, simplifies and makes quite clear some very basic and life-saving (over your long term) facts to steer your lifestyle away from sneaky ingredients labeling and dangerous additives lurking in seemingly innocent natural products. Lots of pictures for those of you that lean more from the visual approach, and divvied up into six simple chunks of information, this is a quick study and easy to understand.

More healthy news from Janet's Eye on the Media....

Hava nice cuppa ...... ?

http://thebiznavigator.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/pros-and-cons-of-coffee-consumption-infographic.jpg

Check out this well done and easy to read infographic on coffee.

I must add to you personally that I observe the so called negatives can all be counterbalanced by choices regarding the type of coffee; how you brew your beloved cuppa; and judicious moderation.

Whereas the positive effects look good by themselves! though I would have to read the individual studies to see if I agree with those particular conclusions, some of the positives are self-evident.