Pocket The Inked Ice Maiden's blog: "Health Illnesses and Foods that Help"

Recipes for the Mind, Body, Soul, Fitness, and Health!! Facts of Life: Stick to the List and watch the definition happen: Eat 6 small meals a day Eat lean protein and complex carbohydrates at every meal Lean protein can come from lean poultry, fish, egg whites, soy beans, legumes, lebtils, and limited nuts (remember we are going for defined abs) 2 handfuls a day is suffice Complex Carbohydrates come from fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains Drink plenty of water everyday at least 3 liters almost a gallon avoid all processed refined and chemically charged foods avoid sugars except for naturally occuring sugars in fruits avoid trans and saturated fats avoid sodas and juices since they contain loads of sugars,either real or fake (I just cant seem to follow this one well) Limit treats to once per week rather than an entire day.. What to eat before you workout??? Eat complex carbs for energey before a workout and lean proteins afterward for tissue repair Eat at least an hour before you begin your workout 10 Superfoods for a super Body: 1. Lemon just one lemon has more than 100% of your daily intake of vitamin C, which may help increase "good" HDL cholesterol levels and strengthen bones. Citrus flavonoids may help inhibit the growth of cancer cells and act as an anti-inflammatory. Quick Tip: add a slice of lemon to your green tea. 1 study found that citrus increases your body's ability to absorb the antioxidants in the tea by 80%... Heart Healthy, Cancer preventing, & Bone building 2. Broccoli One medium stalk of broccoli contains more than 100% of your daily Vitamin K requirement and almost 200% of your recommended daily dose of Vitamin C- 2 essential bone- building nutrients The same serving also helps starve off numerous cancers. Quick Tip: Zap it! Preserve up to 90% of broccoli's vitamin C by microwaving.(steaming or boiling holds on to just 66% of the nutrient). Cancer preventing, Bone building 3. Salmon A great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to a reduced risk of depression, heart disease and cacner. a 3 ounce serving contains almost 50% of your daily dose of niacin, which may protect against Alzheimer's disease and memory loss. Quick Tip: Opt for wild over farm-raised, which contains 16 times as much toxic polychlorinated biphernyl (PCB) as wild salmon. Heart healthy, cancer preventing, and brain boosting 4. Garlic Garlic is a powerful disease fighter that can inhibit the growth of bacteria, including E. Coli. Allicin, a compound found in garlic, works as a potent antiflammatory and has been shown to help lower cholesterol and Blood pressure levels. Quick Tip: Crushed fresh garlic releases the most allicin. Just don't overcook; garlic exposed to high heat for more than 10 minutes loses important nutrients. heart healthy, immune strengthing 5. Spinach spinach contains lutein and zeaxanthin, 2 immune boosting antioxidants important for eye health. Recent research has found that among cancer- fighting fruits and veggies, spinach is one of the most effective. Quick Tip Spinach is a healthy- and flavorless- add to any smoothie. You won't taste it, we promise. Try blending 1 cup spinach, 1 cup grated carrots, 1 banana, 1 cup of apple juice and ice. Cancer preventing, and immune strengthing 6. Beans Eating a serving of legumes (beans, peas, lentils) four times a week ca lower your risk of heart disease by 22%. That same habit may also reduce your risk of Breast Cancer. Quick Tip: The darker the bean, the more antioxidants it contains. 1 study found that black bean hulls contain 40 times the amount of antioxidants of white bean hulls. heart healthy, and cancer preventing 7. Walnuts contain the most omega-3 fatty acids, which may help reduce cholesterol, of all nuts. Omega-3s have been shown to improve mood and fight cancer; they may protect against sun damage, too (but don't skip the SPF!) Quick Tip: Eat a few for desert: the antioxidant melatonin, found in walnuts, help to regulate sleep. Heart healthy, cancer preventing, brain boosting 8. Avocado Rich in healthy, satisfying fats proven in one study to lower cholesterol by about 22%. One has more than 1/2 the fiber and 40% of folate you need daily, which may reduce your risk of heart disease. Quick Tip: Adding it to your salad can increase the absorption of key nutrients like beta-carotene by 3 to 5 times compared with salads without this superfood. Heart healthy 9. Potatoes 1 red potato contains 66 micrograms of cell-building folate- about the same amount found in 1 cup of spinach or broccoli. 1 sweet potato has almost 8 times the amount of cancer-fighting and immune-boosting vitamin A you need daily. Quick Tip: Let your potato cool before eating. Research shows that doing so can help you burn close to 25% more fat after a meal, thanks to a fat-resistant starch. Cancer preventing, immune boosting 10.Dark Chocolate Just 1/4 of an ounce daily can reduce blood pressure in otherwise healthy individuals. Cocoa powder is rich in flavonoids, antioxidants, shown to reduce "bad" LDL cholesterol and increase "good" HDL levels. Quick Tip: A dark-chocolate bar contains about 53.5 milligrams of flavonoids, a milk chocolate bar has fewer than 14. Heart Healthy information from Fitness October 2008

As most know I am a cancer fighter, and extremely into fitness and health, so I am going to share some new information with you all. This some may already know, but what do you really know about the foods that you eat and love??? 1. Almonds and other nuts (eat them with skins in tact) Superpowers: building muscles, and fighting food cravings Fight against: Obesity, heart disease, muscle loss, cancer eat as much as 2 handfuls a day. If you eat about 2 ounces (bout 24) almonds each day, it suppresses your appetite especially if you wash them down with water.... For a quick popcorn alternative, spray a handful of almonds with a nonstick cooking spray and bake them at 400 degrees F for 5 to 10 minutes... take them out of the oven and sprinkle them with either a brown sugar and cinnamon mix or cayenne pepper and thyme. 2. Beans and other Legumes (including soybeans, chickenpeas, pinto beans, navy beans, kidney beans, lima beans) Superpowers: Building muscle, helping to burn fat, regulating digestion. Fight against: Obesity, Colon Cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure 3. Spinach and other green vegetables Superpowers: Neutralizing free radicals (molecules that accelerate the aging process) Fight Against: Cancer, heart disease, stroke, obesity, osteoporosis If you hate vegetables, hide them. Puree them and add them to marinara sauce or chili. The more you chop the less you taste, and the easier it is for your body to absorb nutrients. 4, Dairy Products: ( nonfat or lowfat milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese) superpowers: building strong bones, firing up weight loss Fight against: Osteoporosis, obesity, high blood pressure, cancer 5. Instant Oatmeal (unsweetened, and unflavored) Superpowers: Boosting energy, reducing cholesterol, maintaining blood sugar levels Fight Against: Heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, obesity 6. Eggs: Superpowers: building muscle, burning fat Fight Against: Obesity 7. Turkey and other lean meats (lean steak, chicken, fish) Superpowers: building muscle, improving the immune system Fight Against: Obesity, mood disorders, memory loss, heart disease 8. Peanut Butter (all natural and sugar free) Super Powers: Boosting testosterone, building muscle, burning fat Fight Against: Obesity, muscle loss, wrinkles, cardiovascular disease 3 tablesppons a day should guarantee the benefit without overloading on the fat. 9. Olive Oil Superpowers: Lowering cholesterol, boosting the immune system Fight against: Obesity, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure 10. Whole Grain Breads and cereals superpowers: Preventing your body from storing fat Fight Against: Obesity, cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease Whole grain breads keeps insulin levels low, which keep you from storing fat 11. Extra Protein (Whey) Powder Superpower: Building muscle, burning fat Fight Against: Obesity 12. Rasberries and Other Berries Superpowers: Protecting your heart, enhancing eyesight, improving memory, prevent cravings Fight Against: Heart Disease, cancer, obesity any berry will do except crunch berries Watermelon is also a very good cancer fighter due to the lypocene content it contains.. 2 small watermelons a week... I will not take credit for this, only in reading the information and passing it along to those who care to learn more!!! feel free to add to it in the comments if you like... Education is key and Learning is Best