i’ve been drinking at least 2 liters of water everyday now for the past 2 weeks. My body is all kinds of flushed. Here’s hoping I don’t drown.
Most foods in the U.S. contain some trace of chemicals. Pesticides are used on commercially grown produce. Antibiotics and genetically modified feeds are given to animals. Organic produce and meat are treated without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. By eating organic can lower your risk of exposure. The Environmental Working Group has listed the most contaminated fruits and vegetables. It may more expensive but the following fruits and vegetables are worth buying. While organic alternatives may not be available all the time , it’s important to be aware and make substitutions when you can.
BENEFITS OF BANANAS
Diet
One banana has 11% of the RDA of dietary fiber and only about 108 calories. The fiber in bananas not only keeps digestion regular, but also helps maintain low blood sugar and curbs overeating.
Lower Blood Pressure
Studies show that the high amounts of potassium in bananas (over 13% of the RDA) can lower one’s blood pressure, which in turn lessens the possibility of atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke.Bone Health
Along with lowering blood pressure, potassium prevents the weakening of the body’s bones. A high sodium intake, which is typical of many American diets, can cause excessive amount of calcium to be lost through the urine, which threatens not only the strength and general health of the bones, but also negatively affects blood clotting, proper muscle contraction, and normal nervous system function. The potassium found in bananas neutralizes the high amounts of sodium in one’s diet, thus allowing for healthy amounts of calcium to remain within the body.High Nutrient Absorption
The potassium in bananas is not the only means to ensure healthy levels of calcium in the body. Bananas also contain high levels of fructooligosaccharide (FOS) that—along with insulin—promotes calcium absorption. FOS further nourishes healthy bacteria in the colon that manufacture vitamins and digestive enzymes that boost the body’s overall ability to absorb nutrients.Healthy Digestive Tract Bananas can diminish the uncomfortable effects of diarrhea and constipation. The high amounts of potassium in bananas can restock electrolytes that are easily depleted when suffering from diarrhea — potassium being an important electrolyte itself. Furthermore, bananas can relieve the body from constipation and help restore regular digestion with pectin, a soluble polysaccharide that helps normalize the digestive tract.
Rugged Gut
Bananas protect the healthy constitution of the stomach in two ways. Firstly, they trigger the production of mucus in the stomach, which provides a protective barrier against stomach acids. Secondly, bananas possess protease inhibitors, a substance that breaks down bacteria in the stomach that cause ulcers. (Moreover, protease inhibitor also obstruct the replication of certain cells and viruses, including HIV.)Cancer Prevention
A large study by the Internal Journal of Cancer illustrates that the probability of developing kidney cancer is greatly lessened by frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables, though especially bananas. For instance, the probability of developing kidney cancer in female subjects decreased by 50% when eating bananas four to six times a week.Vitamin B6
One banana has an impressive 34% of the RDA of vitamin B6, which serves many important roles in the body’s health. For example, the B6 in bananas acts as an anti-inflammatory agent that helps ward off cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, as well as obesity. B6 also contributes to the maintenance of the lymphoid glands that ensure the production of healthy white blood cells that protect the body from infection. Finally, the vitamin B6 in bananas plays a pivotal part in cell formation and proper nervous system function, making one banana a day a healthy and delicious choice.
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26 / 5 / 2012 @ 13:17
(source: muffintop-less)
fruits
health
grapefruit
papaya
raspberry
flax
beauty
skin
12 fruits and vegetables with a wide variety of health benefits.
Dr. Rankin provides information gathered from studies about the “placebo” effect and how having a healthful mentality is key when attempting to recover from illnesses (both minor and serious) as well as psychosomatic disorders.
If you think you’ll get better, you will get better.
I’ve moved from the peasants’ diet (bread+water=meal) to eating salads and trying to eat breakfast.
I desperately want to get back into shape.
Aiden needs to not leave for the weekend. I don’t know what the hell happened while he was gone, but somehow i managed to gain weight. 2 days! 2 days and i manage to feel bloated and look a bit ‘fuller’.
Perhaps it is my inability to ration out appropriate portions. Perhaps it’s the fact that i spent all weekend going out drinking.
Yeah, that’s probably it. As much fun as it was to go out both on Friday and Saturday night, it was counterproductive to any attempt I made towards being healthy. This is why I REALLY don’t like drinking: I just get fat for a couple of hours of belligerence.
The only time that drinking helped me at all to stay skinny (remember, I said skinny, not healthy) was when I was a drunkarexic throughout college. ”Oh, we’re going to be going to a party tonight, fuck eating, I’ll hold out and just get drunk of nothing!” I was so skinny. SOOOO SKINNY…. Now all that being a sober person has done to me is made it more difficult to overcome my fat girl tendencies.
I want to be healthy again. I think my peak was roughly 2 years ago, when I was basically unemployed and living at my parents. I had all the time in the world to do something productive, since finding a job was clearly not working. So I focused on my body. I got so fit over the summer. That’s just before I met Aiden.
Aiden must have been so happy about my appearance at the time: tan, lean, gorgeous. Doable. I managed to keep this great shape throughout the first year of our relationship. Heading into year 2, however, I was working all the time and was spending all my free time with him (something that didn’t happen before b/c we had no free time together for 6 months since he was in South Africa). I like spending time with him. But to be honest, the only exercise that ever happens when we are together in in the bedroom.
By the way, I am writing this post and I just realized that it is my subconscious attempt at avoiding going on the run that I said I was about to leave the house for.
So, when we think about fruits and veggies fighting cancer, we tend to think of some of our brightly colored favorites. Blueberries, strawberries, and sweet potatoes come to mind for me. However, turns out that onions and mushrooms have just as many qualities as the more sparkly stuff!
Compounds…
Kale is here to get you back on your feet!
