Good Nutrition Can Lower The Risk Of Alzheimer’s Disease
I have recently been told that I am one of the millions of Americans who will be afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease,” Ronald Reagan, former president of the United States, announced in November 1994. “I intend to live the remainder of the years God gives me on this Earth doing the things I have always done,” he declared. “Unfortunately, as Alzheimer’s disease progresses, the family often bears a heavy burden. I only wish there was some way I could spare Nancy from this painful experience.”
In his message, Reagan summed up the tragedy of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Those suffering from AD face the reality of losing touch with their old lives. Family and friends are forced to watch a loved one slowly fall victim to the dreadful condition.
Scientists aren’t sure exactly what’s behind AD. Some suspect a certain gene – apolipoprotein E 4 allele (Apo E4) – plays a major part in your brain’s decline. Other experts believe years of oxidative stress also are at the root of the problem.
Whatever causes Alzheimer’s disease attacks the part of your brain that controls speech, thoughts, and memory. You gradually lose the power to recall the past and the ability to carry out your daily life. AD usually hits around age 65 and older, and your risk goes up each year after that.
Through this dark cloud, however, there is a ray of hope. According to AD experts like Dr. Grace Petot, a professor at Case Western Reserve University, people can change their lifestyles to lower their risk. Boost your fruit and vegetable intake for a start.
From her research, Petot discovered that many AD sufferers ate fewer fruits and veggies as adults.
Science, she suggests, also points to a connection between heart disease and Alzheimer’s. So eating a heart-healthy diet might protect you, too. That means a lot of high-fiber, low-fat foods. It’s also a good idea to exercise both your mind and your muscles. “Keeping the brain active and the body active,” Petot says, “is beneficial in many ways.”
Nutritional blockbusters that fight AD
Antioxidants.
Thanks to cutting-edge research, experts now hope AD can one day be prevented. Antioxidants, those powerful substances that fend off cancer and heart disease, might also safeguard your brain against free radicals. Antioxidants appear to slow – and even reverse – the memory loss caused by free-radical damage.
Supplements usually only contain one antioxidant, so eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to get the most benefit. Fruits and vegetables are rich in many antioxidants – not just beta carotene or vitamin C, but flavonoids, too. Flavonoids make memory-saving marvels out of snacks like blueberries, strawberries, and spinach.
B vitamins.
You also need foods rich in B vitamins to help protect your brain from AD. At least two studies show Alzheimer’s sufferers have lower levels of folate and B12 than their non-AD peers. Low B-vitamin levels, according to several other studies, appear to lead to lower scores on IQ and memory tests.
Vitamin B 12 helps your body make neurotransmitters, chemicals that help carry messages between your nerves and brain. Another B vitamin, thiamin, helps nerve signals travel from your brain to different parts of your body. These important tasks could be why a lack of B vitamins might affect your brain’s health.
To get more folate into your diet, try dark leafy greens, broccoli, beets, beans, and okra. Meats, eggs, and dairy products are good sources of B12. For older adults, who might have trouble absorbing B12, experts suggest eating fortified breakfast cereals. Wheat germ, nuts, beans, and rice will give you your full day’s supply of thiamin.
Omega-3s.
Look to the sea to find help against Alzheimer’s. Fish are the greatest source of omega-3 fatty acids. These fat molecules protect against heart disease and inflammation and may lead the attack against Alzheimer’s as well. One of AD’S possible causes is beta-amyloid plaque, clumps of protein that build up in the victim’s brain. Experts believe beta amyloid might be connected with inflammation of the brain’s blood vessels. So it makes sense that anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids could help.
It’s a good idea to eat as much fish as you can net. Experts recommend at least two servings of salmon, tuna, mackerel, or other cold-water fish per week. For you landlubbers who think fish are for the birds, get your omega-3 from flaxseed, walnuts, and dark leafy greens. And while you punch up omega-3, limit your intake of omega-6 fatty acids. They compete with omega-3 and can cause inflammation. Foods high in omega-6 include fried and fast foods, salad dressings, and baked goods.
Honeydew Fun Facts & Nutrition
Honeydew is a variety of muskmelon, considered the sweetest of all melons. They’re also called winter melons because they’re harvested late in the season, peaking during late summer, fall and winter, though honeydew is available almost the whole year round. Most of our U.S. honeydews come from Arizona, Texas or California with imported melons from Mexico taking up the slack during winter months.
Where did Honeydew originally come from?
No one is exactly sure the origin of honeydew but Persia is named the likely humble beginnings for this succulent melon. Columbus carried honeydew seeds to America and now it’s one of our favorite melons behind watermelon and cantaloupe.
How To Pick A Honeydew Melon:
Things you want to look for when picking out a perfectly ripe melon are no bruises, soft areas or cracks. Don’t bother shaking or hitting it, that won’t tell you anything. Sniff the stem end (which should be somewhat smooth): if you can smell it, then it’s ripe. Also, a ripe melon should be somewhat firm, if it’s a little soft that’s ok but if it’s very soft, put it back, it’s overripe.
Honeydew Nutrition:
Like other melons, honeydews contain a large amount of water and are happily quite low in calories. Additionally, they’re fat-free and cholesterol free. They’re also a great source of Vitamin C and potassium.
How To Store Honeydew Melon:
You can refrigerate cut honeydew in a covered container for up to three days. Make sure to keep it covered though, as the smell can mix with other foods thanks to its wonderful aromatic properties.
Want to keep that sweet taste of summer with you all year? No problem, you can easily freeze honeydew. Just slice it up, freeze it on a cookie sheet and place in freezer baggies. You can also add syrup or sugar if you like.
Some Honeydew Serving Suggestions:
Before cutting into it, it’s best to wash your melon with soap and water because honeydew is grown on the ground and can make contact with fertilizer and other contaminants you don’t want to ingest.
Serve it barely chilled. If it’s been stored in the refrigerator, remove it from the fridge 15-20 minutes before serving. You can put it in a fruit salad, whip it up into a frothy cool summer drink or drizzle lemon on top to add tang to the melon’s natural sweetness. A clever serving idea is to use a half-cut melon as a serving bowl, perfect for yogurt, cottage cheese or even ice cream if you’re feeling mildly decadent.
[Top]Common Mistakes In Nutrition For Athletes
Many people think that athletes are examples of health and that it is strictly related to their nutrition plans and a lot of exercise. Well, in some cases it is true, but there are still people who consider themselves as athletes and practice some totally inappropriate diet, what may finally end in serious health problems. The next time you will meet one of them, try to speak about following issues to make sure, that they know what and why they are eating.
Extra proteins will help you to gain more muscles
Professional nutrition plans for athletes prohibit more than 2.5 times higher protein intake than it is shown in RDA. The higher intake can be responsible for dehydration or even severe problems with liver or kidney. Furthermore there is no scientific proof that high-protein diet will effect in gaining extra muscles.
Athlete should intake fluid when he is thirsty
One of the most common problems in athlete’s life is the possibility of dehydration. Even when an athlete is not thirsty, he may need additional fluid to drink, for every lost pound of weight should be replaced with no less than two cups of water.
Nutrition plan for athletes before competition should not contain sugar
We must remember that sugar gives us energy, so small intakes of this carbohydrate will not only bring no harm, but even can be beneficial for the performance of the athlete.
Sport drinks are good only for those athletes who exercise a lot
Again, we speak about the danger of dehydration. While the total water loss due to exercises may wary depending on the type of exercises, conditions of the gym and the health status of the athlete, the possible problems caused by dehydration are so severe that there should be no restriction in drinking sport drinks, even by those who exercise for less than an hour a day.
You can lose weight when you exercise a lot
This is another common myth. Of course when we consider the water loss as loss of the weight, we may still believe in this superstition, thus endangering ourselves to dehydration. A true athlete, however, knows that every water loss must be replaced as soon as possible and the best and the safest way to loose some additional weight is by proper nutrition for athletes.
While we all want to have healthy and good looking bodies we must remember that not everyone can be an athlete. And when we finally become one of them,we should always keep in mind a single fact, only proper nutrition for athletes, free of popular, but false, beliefs and myths can let us not only stay for years in good shape but also win.
[Top]How to Gain Healthy Body by Eating Healthy Nutrition
Online health store for getting quality health products in India. Today, people are getting several advices or suggestions on how watch out their bodies, and for making physical body strong, people generally go to the gym or join any health club or go for a walk in the morning to evening to become physically fit. But, it is not enough for us if we are not taking good nutrition because besides exercise, a body needs healthy eating equally so as to operate well. Now stop worrying concerning what you eat and begin loving it, just enjoy your food or meals with your family and make your meals a pleasurable experience that you exactly anticipate to. Do not take large meals, but break your food in small portions, this is very important for those people who are suffering from gastritis, and it also helps in maintaining blood sugar levels. Remember, little changes can make an enormous impact so that try these important tips
Take your lunch or dinner properly
Don’t take fizzy sugary drinks, but sugar-free versions. For example, drink water rather than try a slice of lemon, orange, etc.
Don’t not add more salts on your food as well as decrease size (quantity) of your meal.
Take breakfast every day instead of taking snacks, biscuits, etc. at morning.
Do not take high fat food always or whenever you go out to party of enjoying celebrations with your friends of family, just try to avoid it most of the time. Always take balanced food, which are satisfying by selecting full of nutritious meal from all food groups including carbohydrate, protein, vitamins, and minerals as well as fat because they provide you energy and keep you fresh and active for many hours. Today, people can easily get the best nutrition’s product online also as there are many online health store that are providing branded Nutrition products in India at the affordable prices with free shipping.
In today’s fast and furious life, people generally junk food instead of homemade food because due to busy schedule or lack of time due to high work pressure. But, homemade meal is the best food in comparing to junk food (which includes fast food) by many ways, including junk food is higher in fat, salt, sugar, lower in fiber, calcium and iron and served in big portions that mean more kilojoules. Therefore, always try to take home made meal as it keeps our body more health and diseases free. You can take help from your doctor or any Dietitian for making a diet chart as well.
[Top]The Nutrition And Effects Of Different Kinds Of Fruits
As we all know, fruits are very beneficial to human body. However, different fruits not only have different nutrition, but also have different effects on human body. As a result, the following section will give a detailed introduction of the nutrition and effects of different kinds of fruits.
1. Banana
Banana can help the sentimental people dispel the pessimistic and irritable emotion, and keep a calm and happy mood. This is mainly because banana contains a large number of 5-hydroxy tryptamine, which can bring people great pleasure. Study has found out that, for those patients with depression, they contain less 5-hydroxy tryptamine than other average people.
2. Pear
Pear is a kind of fruit which can make people dynamic and energetic. It contains sufficient water, and is rich in vitamins A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E and trace element iodine, which can maintain the health of cells and tissues, promote the detoxification and purification of human organs. What’s more, it can also soften the blood vessels, promote the blood to transport more calcium to the bones.
3. Grapefruit
Grapefruit can ensure human health and promote the healthy functioning of the cardiovascular system. It contains pectin, which can lower the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the body, reduce the damage on artery walls, maintain the function of blood vessels, and prevent atherosclerosis and heart disease. The researchers also have found out that, eating grapefruits can significantly promote the recovery of injured tissues and organs in the exercise.
4. Apple
Research shows that, eating an apple every day not only can prevent many kinds of diseases, but also can give people a sense of satiety. It is indeed the most practical fruit. American Cancer Research Center recommends people to eat apples for the prevention of cancer, because the rich content of natural antioxidants contained in apple can effectively eliminate the free radicals in human body and reduce the incidence of cancer.
5. Watermelon
Watermelon contains a large number of water, fructose, and a variety of vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Watermelon is the best fruit in the hot summer. It can improve the symptoms of sunstroke, fever, sweating, thirst, and so on. In addition, those who suffer from stomatitis, hematochezia, alcoholism can eat more watermelon, which can help them relieve the diseases.
6. Kiwifruit
Kiwi fruit not only supplies a lot of nutrients to human body, but also can prevent the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines in the body. What’s more, it also has the effect of lowering the level of cholesterol and triglycerides in human body.