FRIDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Giving dark chocolate to your Valentine might be more than sweet; it could help guard your true love against cancer.

"The great news this Valentine's Day is that in addition to being decadent and delicious, moderate amounts of dark chocolate may play a role in cancer prevention," Sally Scroggs, a health education manager at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center's Cancer Prevention Center, said in a news release from the university.

Dark chocolate contains antioxidants that have been shown to combat cell damage that can lead to tumor growth. These antioxidants occur naturally in the cacao beans used to make all chocolate products.

"The main reason that eating dark chocolate, versus milk or white chocolate, reduces cancer risks is because it has a higher percentage of cacao, and thus antioxidants," Scroggs explained.

People should look for dark chocolate that contains at least 65 percent cacao, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research. Recommended servings for dark chocolate are seven ounces per week, or about one ounce per day.

"Savoring a small amount of dark chocolate is much better than gulping soft drinks or eating doughnuts. Remember, dark chocolate is still a calorie-dense food that can be high in fat. You can enjoy it daily as part of a balanced diet, as long as you keep your portion size in check," Scroggs said.

She recommended buying chocolate that can be eaten in small portions, such as individually wrapped chocolates or boxed chocolates. Check the ingredients to make sure the chocolate doesn't contain fats, such as palm and coconut oils, and that they are made without the use of hydrogenated or partially hydrogenate oils.

Article Source: www.sparkpeople.com/resource/health_news_detail.asp

I know all the women are loving the fact that chocolate has some benefits! Woot Woot!

57 Health Benefits of Going Vegan

Vegans are frequently misunderstood as fringe eaters with an unnatural passion for animal rights. While many vegans do feel passionately about animals, its time for others to see that a vegan diet and lifestyle go way beyond animal rights. Following a healthy, balanced vegan diet ensures a host of health benefits as well as prevention of some of the major diseases striking people in North America. Find out from the list below how eating vegan can help you in your search for better health.

Nutrition

All of the following nutritional benefits come from a vegan diet full of foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, and soy products.

1. Reduced saturated fats. Dairy products and meats contain a large amount of saturated fats. By reducing the amount of saturated fats from your diet, you’ll improve your health tremendously, especially when it comes to cardiovascular health.
2. Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide energy for your body. When you don’t have enough carbohydrates, your body will burn muscle tissue.
3. Fiber. A diet high in fiber (as vegan eating usually is) leads to healthier bowel movements. High fiber diets help fight against colon cancer.
4. Magnesium. Aiding in the absorption of calcium, magnesium is an often overlooked vitamin in importance to a healthy diet. Nuts, seeds, and dark leafy greens are an excellent source of magnesium.
5. Potassium. Potassium balances water and acidity in your body and stimulates the kidneys to eliminate toxins. Diets high in potassium have shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
6. Folate. This B vitamin is an important part of a healthy diet. Folate helps with cell repair, generating red and white blood cells, and metabolizing amino acids.
7. Antioxidants. For protection against cell damage, antioxidants are one of the best ways to help your body. Many researchers also believe that antioxidants help protect your body against forming some types of cancer.
8. Vitamin C. Besides boosting your immune system, Vitamin C also helps keep your gums healthy and helps your bruises heal faster. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant.
9. Vitamin E. This powerful vitamin has benefits for your heart, skin, eyes, brain, and may even help prevent Alzheimer’s Disease. A diet high in grains, nuts, and dark leafy greens is full of Vitamin E.
10. Phytochemicals. Plant-based foods provide phytochemicals, which help to prevent and heal the body from cancer, boost protective enzymes, and work with antioxidants in the body.
11. Protein. That protein is good for your body is no surprise. It may be a surprise to learn that most Americans eat too much protein and in forms such as red meat that are not healthy ways of getting protein. Beans, nuts, peas, lentils, and soy products are all great ways to get the right amount of protein in a vegan diet.

Disease Prevention

Eating a healthy vegan diet has shown to prevent a number of diseases. Find out from the list below what you could potentially avoid just by switching to a healthy, balanced vegan way of eating.

12. Cardiovascular disease. Eating nuts and whole grains, while eliminating dairy products and meat, will improve your cardiovascular health. A British study indicates that a vegan diet reduces the risk for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Vegan diets go far in preventing heart attack and stroke.
13. Cholesterol. Eliminating any food that comes from an animal and you will eliminate all dietary cholesterol from your diet. Your heart will thank you for that.
14. Blood pressure. A diet rich in whole grains is beneficial to your health in many ways, including lowering high blood pressure.
15. Type 2 diabetes. Not only is a vegan diet a weapon against Type 2 diabetes, it is also "easier to follow than the standard diet recommended by the American Diabetic Association." Read more about it here.
16. Prostate cancer. A major study showed that men in the early stages of prostate cancer who switched to a vegan diet either stopped the progress of the cancer or may have even reversed the illness.
17. Colon cancer. Eating a diet consisting of whole grains, along with fresh fruits and vegetables, can greatly reduce your chances of colon cancer.
18. Breast cancer. Countries where women eat very little meat and animal products have a much lower rate of breast cancer than do the women in countries that consume more animal products.
19. Macular degeneration. Diets with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially leafy greens, carrots, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes, can help prevent the onset of age-related macular degeneration.
20. Cataracts. Much the same way macular degeneration is headed off by a vegan diet, cataracts are also thought to be prevented through the intake of the same fruits and vegetables. Produce high in antioxidants are also believed to help prevent cataracts.
21. Arthritis. Eliminating dairy consumption has long been connected with alleviating arthritis symptoms, but a new study indicates that a combination of gluten-free and vegan diet is very promising for improving the health of those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.
22. Osteoporosis. Bone health depends on a balance of neither too much or too little protein, adequate calcium intake, high potassium, and low sodium. With a healthy vegan diet, all four of these points set a perfect scenario for preventing osteoporosis.

Physical Benefits

In addition to good nutrition and disease prevention, eating vegan also provides many physical benefits. Find out how a vegan diet makes your body stronger, more energetic, and more attractive.

23. Body Mass Index. Several population studies show that a diet without meat leads to lower BMIs–usually an indicator of a healthy weight and lack of fat on the body.
24. Weight loss. A healthy weight loss is a typical result of a smart vegan diet. Eating vegan eliminates most of the unhealthy foods that tend to cause weight issues. Read more about weight loss and a vegan diet here.
25. Energy. When following a healthy vegan diet, you will find your energy is much higher. This blog post in Happy Healthy Long Life describes how NFL tight-end Tony Gonzalez started eating vegan and gained energy–while playing football.
26. Healthy skin. The nuts and vitamins A and E from vegetables play a big role in healthy skin, so vegans will usually have good skin health. Many people who switch to a vegan diet will notice a remarkable reduction in blemishes as well.
27. Longer life. Several studies indicate that those following a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle live an average of three to six years longer than those who do not.
28. Body odor. Eliminating dairy and red meat from the diet significantly reduces body odor. Going vegan means smelling better.
29. Bad breath. Vegans frequently experience a reduction in bad breath. Imagine waking up in the morning and not having morning breath.
30. Hair. Many who follow vegan diets report that their hair becomes stronger, has more body, and looks healthier.
31. Nails. Healthy vegan diets are also responsible for much stronger, healthier nails. Nail health is said to be an indicator of overall health.
32. PMS. When switching to a vegan diet, many women tell how PMS symptoms become much less intense or disappear altogether. The elimination of dairy is thought to help with those suffering with PMS.
33. Migraines. Migraine suffers who go on vegan diets frequently discover relief from their migraines. Read more about the food-migraine connection in this article.
34. Allergies. Reduction in dairy, meat, and eggs is often tied to alleviation of allergy symptoms. Many vegans report much fewer runny noses and congestion problems.

Too Much in the American Diet

The typical American diet not only consists of too much food, it also relies on too much of unnecessary food products or toxins. The following list explains how a vegan diet can eliminate these problems.

35. Animal proteins. The average American eats twice as much protein as necessary for a healthy diet and much of that is from red meat. Getting protein from beans and grains is much healthier and reduces the risk for osteoporosis (see above).
36. Cow’s milk dairy. The human body is not designed to digest cow milk and cow milk dairy products, yet the idea of milk being healthy is pushed through advertising. As many as 75% of people in the world may be lactose intolerant and many people suffer from undiagnosed milk allergies or sensitivities. By eliminating cow’s milk from your diet, you are improving your overall health.
37. Eggs. Many nutritionists believe that the number of eggs in the American diet is too high. While sometimes disputed, it has been shown that eggs can raise cholesterol levels.
38. Mercury. Most of the fish and shellfish consumed has mercury in it. While some fish have less than others, it is almost impossible not to be putting mercury in your body when you eat fish.
39. Sugar. Most people have heard that Americans consume way too much sugar. Relying on other sweeteners that are not synthetic, processed, or derived from animal products is a healthier way to eat. Many vegans do not eat processed sugar due to the fact that most of the cane sugar is refined through activated charcoal, most of which comes from animal bones.

Other Benefits

In addition to the health benefits above, following a vegan lifestyle and diet also provides these benefits as well. From helping the environment to avoiding serious bacterial infections, learn other benefits to eating the vegan way below.

40. Animals. Many people begin a vegan diet out of concern for animals. Whether opposed to the conditions of animals intended for food or eating animals in general, going vegan will help your conscience rest easily.
41. Environment. Growing plants takes much fewer resources than growing animals. By eating vegan, you can help reduce the toll on the environment.
42. E. coli. E. coli comes from eating contaminated red meat and is the leading cause of bloody diarrhea. Young children, those with compromised immune systems, and elderly people can become extremely ill or die from E. coli. Eating vegan means completely avoiding the risk of E. coli infection.
43. Salmonella. Another gastrointestinal illness from animal products, salmonella food poisoning is closely related to E. coli. The most frequent way people contract salmonella food poisoning is through contact with raw eggs or raw chicken meat from chickens infected with salmonella. Again, going vegan means eliminating this risk altogether.
44. Mad cow disease. It’s safe to say that most people would want to avoid contracting a fatal, non-treatable disease. One way to ensure you don’t get Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is by not eating animals infected with mad cow disease. While the incidence of mad cow disease is not reportedly so high in North America, it does exist.
45. Global food supply. Feeding grain to animals meant as food sources reduces the amount of food that is available to underdeveloped nations. Many people will go hungry while that same food they could be eating is given to animals raised for slaughter. Eating vegan ensures that you have removed yourself from the participation of this imbalance.
46. Hormone consumption. Eating animals that have been given hormones to speed growth (a common practice in the meat industry) means those hormones go into your body. Not only can this disrupt the natural balance of your hormones, but some of the hormones given to animals have shown to cause tumor growth in humans.
47. Antibiotics. Antibiotics are frequently given to feed animals, which can lead to bacterial resistance. Many of the antibiotics used to treat human infections are also used in feed animals.

Healthy Eating

A vegan diet can be a much healthier way to eat. Find out how to combine the vegan diet with other ways of eating for an even more healthy way to go or discover ways to keep your vegan diet healthy but more convenient with the resources below.

48. Raw. A raw diet lends itself to veganism by the very nature of its design. Find out how to combine live and vegan diets with Raw Inspirations.
49. Organic. Eating organic and vegan is super easy to do. Use some of the recipes from this blog for help with meal ideas. The posts have slowed, but you can always search the archives for some great ideas on how to live and eat organic and vegan.
50. Fat-free. Vegan eating is typically pretty low in fats anyway, but the FatFree Vegan Kitchen shows you how to make some delicious vegan food that is always fat free.
51. Gluten-free. Due to allergies, Celiac’s Disease, or whatever your reason you avoid gluten, find out how to combine the best of gluten-free with vegan cooking in the Gluten-Free Vegan blog.
52. Eating out. Eating out isn’t usually associated with eating healthy, but a vegan diet ensures there will be a lot less of the bad things in the food you choose. Find eating out options around the world for vegans here.
53. Lunch. Maintaining a vegan diet means you are likely to take your lunch more often than most people. Vegan Lunch Box offers recipes, tools, and ideas for carrying great vegan lunches every day.
54. Dinner. Coming up with new dinner ideas is challenging for everyone–regardless of what type of diet you follow. Check out this amazing selection of vegan dinner recipes accompanied with mouth-watering photos of each preparation on Dinner with Dilip.
55. Dessert. While not all the recipes on My Sweet Vegan are for dessert, you will find a large selection of sweet vegan recipes with the most delicious-looking photos.
56. Wine. Pairing vegan food with wine may be challenging for those who rely on the old standard of "white with fish and red with meat." Read this article for ways to compliment your healthy vegan diet with a tasty glass of wine or this blog entry for specific pairings of wine and vegan food.
57. Fun. These ladies know how to kick it with vegan cooking. Post Punk Kitchen offers some great recipes with a ton of fun infused in them. Be sure to go through the archives for more yummy food ideas.
 

for more on this go to: www.nursingdegree.net/blog/19/57-health-benefits-of-going-vegan/

Who says that a vegan diet is restrictive now? What a list of benefits!

Yay flax seed! http://www.healthcastle.com/flax.shtml

Benefits of Flax seed

(HealthCastle.com) Its high content of alpha linolenic acids has made the ancient flax seed become our modern miracle food. Alpha linolenic acid is a type of plant-derived omega 3 fatty acid, similar to those found in fish such as salmon. Benefits of flax seed as shown in many studies include lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) levels. Other benefits show that flax seed may also help lower blood triglyceride and blood pressure. It may also keep platelets from becoming sticky therefore reducing the risk of a heart attack.
flax seed health benefits
Other Benefits of Flax seed

Aside from alpha linolenic acid, flax seed is rich in lignan. Lignan is a type phytoestrogen (antioxidant) and also provides fiber. Researches reveal that lignan in flax seed shows a lot of promise in fighting disease -- including a possible role in cancer prevention especially breast cancer. It is thought that lignan metabolites can bind to estrogen receptors, hence inhibiting the onset of estrogen-stimulated breast cancer.

Recent studies also showed positive benefits of flax seed oil in IBD (Crohn's Disease and Colitis). Flax seed oil seems to be able to heal the inner lining of the inflamed intestines.

Moderately include flax seed in your diet. Indeed, a lot of food products contain flax seed such as bread, cereal and bakery goods. Bakers may use flax seed flour or include flax seed in baking.

www.healthcastle.com/flax.shtml

The list of flax seed benefits just goes on and on!

Thousands of parents are finding that following a gluten-free and casein-free diet helps ease the symptoms of childhood Autism. What constitutes a gluten-free and casein-free diet? A gluten-free and casein-free diet is the elimination of gluten and casein, common gastrointestinal allergens, from the diet. Try cutting all wheat and milk products for a month and determine whether or not your child is: A) Responding better to his or her environment; B) Healthier look in the eyes; C) Rashes decrease and D) Less painful bloating and gas.

Eliminating wheat (gluten) and milk (casein) from a child’s diet need not be an unpleasant experience, although most parents feel that a total diet change would be more complex, expensive, and stressful than filling a prescription. Therefore, they might see a diet change as a last resort for their child displaying Autism symptoms. A word to the wise here, the doctor could very easily miss certain symptoms, by not looking in the right places, and the child, the parents, as well as the physician, are running a risk by not first checking for food allergies and intolerance. The doctor might administer medicine to the child that was manufactured with gluten or casein in it, thereby exacerbating the situation with another source of the allergen. Worse, the doctor could prescribe either hyperactivity or psychotropic drugs which could further disable the child.

It is important to know that many studies have surveyed children with autism and found very few who showed celiac disease symptoms. On the other hand, it is also important to acknowledge that many children, with symptoms amounting to Asperger’s Syndrome, which is not quite full-blown autism, will find relief from their symptoms--and even seemingly unrelated allergies--by changing to a gluten-free and casein-free diet. It need not be a torture process, either.

http://www.celiac.com/catalog/article_info.php?articles_id=14

Just another benefit of gluten-free foods in your diet!

How does flaxseed oil benefit children?
· Omega-3 fatty acids serve as building blocks for nerve cell membranes in the brain and the retina of the eye. Mothers consuming flaxseed oil at daily recommended doses could readily provide these nutrients to fetuses in utero and nursing babies. The livers of nursing babies can also make the conversion of EPA to DHA as needed to optimize availability.
· Nourishing neurons with omega-3 fatty acids helps to optimize communication among nerve cells and maintain positive mood. Omega-3 fatty acids are effective in alleviating mood disorders, including depression.
· Even among developmentally uncoordinated kids, omega-3 fatty acids increase learning, reading, and cognitive skills. Optimizing nutrition for neurons helps to optimize learning ability.
· Attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder. In addition to eliminating refined sugar and flour, as well as artificial colors and flavors from the diet, omega-3 fatty acids can help improve attention span, mental focus, and calm behavior in children.
· Muscle and joint inflammation. Omerga-3 fatty acids are the raw materials for tissues to manufacture local hormones that regulate organ and tissue function. In contrast to the local hormones made from omega-6 fatty acids, those made from omega-3s are non-inflammatory. This means that athletic kids will experience less inflammation after heavy workouts. This is the reason Hilary Swank’s personal trainer, Grant Roberts, recommended flaxseed oil during her intense preparation for her brilliant performance in the movie Million Dollar Baby.
· Asthma. Omega-3 fatty acids on the membranes of smooth muscle tissue in the bronchial tubes to reduce the tendency of these muscles to construct and reduce airflow. In addition, omega-3s also reduce the production of pro-inflammatory local hormones by white blood cells located on respiratory mucous membranes.

How much flaxseed oil should children take?
The basic recommendation for children and adults is one tablespoon of flaxseed for every 100 pounds of body weight. Using this concept, you can adjust the dosage according to the child’s weight.

Are there easy ways to get a child to take flaxseed oil?
Unlike fish oil, flaxseed oil can be used as an ingredient in delicious recipes by simply replacing the omega-6 laden vegetable oils with omega-3 rich flaxseed oil. Use flax oil in salad dressings, in muffin recipes, on hot cereal, and in smoothies.

Adding Flaxseed oil to your child’s diet will:
· Enhance brain development.
· Increase learning.
· Increase reading shills.
· Enhance nerve development.
· Help prevent asthma.
· Reduce muscle inflammation.
· Reduce joint inflammation.

ADD/ADHD Child:
· Improve attention span.
· Increase calm behavior
· Enhance memory.

www.infinitehealthresources.com/Store/Resource/Article/1-2/2/437.html

Here's to doing our best to help our children be healthy and happy!  Namaste, Kathleen

Dr. Fuhrman Discusses DHA for Children

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a long-chain omega-3 fatty acid. About half of the brain and eyes are made up of fat, much of which is DHA, which is an essential nutrient for optimal brain and eye function.1 Children's diets today are notoriously low in the beneficial omega-3 fats found in foods such as walnuts, flax seeds, soybeans, leafy greens, and certain fish. I do not recommend fish as a preferred source of these beneficial fats for children because of contamination with pollutants and mercury.

The most commonly used supplement to add DHA to the diet is fish oils, but what is not widely known is that most of us can produce sufficient DHA from short-chain omega-3 fatty acids received from walnuts, flax seeds, and green vegetables. Many fish make their DHA from eating greens, too, from algae.

DHA is also a normal component of breast milk, and infants fed breast milk score higher on intellectual and visual measurements than those fed baby formulas lacking DHA. Children who were breast-fed, as a group, have higher IQ scores than those who were formula fed.2 Pregnant women should pay close attention to their DHA status to ensure proper DHA supply for prenatal development. Maternal supplementation with DHA during pregnancy, and lactation has been demonstrated to augment children's IQ.3

DHA is present in breast milk, but up until 2002, the United States was the only country in the world where infant formulas were not fortified with DHA, despite a 1995 recommendation by the World Health Organization to do so. In addition, the average DHA content of breast milk in the United States has been tested to be low compared to other countries that consume more fish. In fact, postpartum depression, lower IQ, dyslexia, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have been linked by many scientific studies to the low DHA intake common in the United States.4

Deficiency in DHA fatty acids has been linked to:

* Impulsiveness
* Aggressiveness
* Dyslexia
* Depression
* Reduced intelligence
* Sleep problems
* Temper tantrums
* Alcoholism
* Schizophrenia
* Manic depression 5

The first year of life is a crucial year that sets the stage for your child's healthy body and mind. Exposure to DHA-rich breast milk while the brain is rapidly growing assures that your child will develop his full intelligence potential. To supplement her healthy diet, Mom should be taking a multivitamin plus a daily DHA supplement containing approximately 200 mg of DHA, to assure adequate DHA content in her breast milk. Even after food is introduced, continued breast-feeding is important and necessary past the first birthday for maximum disease resistance, immune function, and brain development.

Once your child is off breast milk, I recommend that parents add a small amount of DHA (50 to 100mg) to their child's orange juice, oatmeal, or other food. Even if you don't do it every day, it still ensures that no child will suffer the consequences of DHA deficiency during these crucial years of brain development. When our children don't consume the right mix of brain boosting nutrients, they have a reduced ability to learn and a lower IQ, and later in life they can develop dementia and Alzheimer's disease. On the other hand, the right mixture of brain-supporting foods will afford our children the ability to reach their maximum potential in life, not just for health, but for emotional stability, happiness, and success in their chosen careers.

www.diseaseproof.com/archives/supplements-dr-fuhrman-discusses-dha-for-children.html

Namaste! Kathleen