Chemistry teacher’s DIY infographics reveal truth behind strange effects of certain foods.
Natural food may be healthier than processed, but some can have strange effects on our bodies.
A British graduate chemist and secondary school teacher has created a number of infographics to explain the unexpected chemistry behind some foods – revealing why coffee tastes bitter and chocolate is toxic to dogs. Continue reading
There is a lot of controversy in nutrition. Sometimes it seems like people can’t agree on anything at all.
But there are a few exceptions to this… some nutrition facts that aren’t controversial.
Here are 11 universal truths in nutrition that people actually agree on. Continue reading
All herbs have a purpose—whether it’s culinary or medicinal—but, it’s a particularly good sign when an herb is revered as the “queen of herbs” and is held as a holy plant worthy of worship. This plant, holy basil (tulsi), not only has medicinal benefits, but is also said to have spiritual benefits. What’s more, holy basil benefits can be experienced in an exciting way, as the herb can be grown in your home or on your patio – making it a great addition to your healing herb garden.
Holy basil, or tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) is a member of the mint family. It’s closely related to the sweet basil you add to Italian dishes and pesto, but the flavors are quite different. This plant is sometimes referred to as pepper basil as it’s clove-flavor is spicier than it’s sweet counterpart. Continue reading
Throughout my life I have always enjoyed soups – of an exotic flavor – as well as other delicious delicacies. Within the following column from the Fall of 2011 are a series of recipes that defy the dictates of all seasons. Eat healthy, my friends. (Ed.)
We may be seeing the first burnt-orange and fiery reds of fall foliage, but farmers’ markets and Community Supported Agriculture baskets are still laden with deep greens like Swiss chard, broccoli rabe and bok choy. If your produce basket is overflowing, here are five new recipes from Martha Rose Shulman that will get you cooking with greens. Continue reading
Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY) and a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers have recently introduced legislation to allow for the sale of raw milk, i.e., unpasteurized milk. Their Milk Freedom Act of 2014 would make it legal for “certified dairy farmers” to sell unpasteurized milk products without harassment and criminal prosecution on the part of the FDA. If enacted, this would be a major victory for those who are health conscious and understand the grievous misperception by our medical establishment regarding the safety of raw milk.
The distribution of raw milk has been banned in the U.S. since inception of the pasteurization laws in the 1920s. The American Medical Association together with the FDA brought about this ban of raw milk because of its susceptibility to being a carrier for certain infectious microbes such as salmonella.
The error here is that it was never “raw milk” that was a problem. It was “warm raw milk” produced in crowded, unsanitary conditions from grain-fed cows instead of grass-fed that was prone to an unhealthy level of microbes. Grass-fed cows produce a milk with natural “inhibins,” anti-microbial agents that keep pathogens low, while grain-fed cows do not produce high “inhibin” levels in their milk. Continue reading
Vegetarians are less healthy and have a worse quality of life than meat eaters, according to a study by the University of Graz, Austria.
According to the study, those who abstain from meat are “less healthy (in terms of cancer, allergies, and mental health disorders), have a lower quality of life, and also require more medical treatment.”
Vegetarians were twice as likely to have atopy (allergies), a 50 percent increase in cancer and a 50 percent increase in heart attacks. They also drank less alcohol. Continue reading
The future of wheat is certain, and it’s toxic. There are as many health risks associated with the consumption of wheat as there are nutritional benefits claimed by the wheat industry. Why is there such a strong emphasis on the development of wheat products all over the world when there are so many adverse and crippling effects such as neurological impairment, dementia, heart disease, cataracts, diabetes, arthritis and visceral fat accumulation, not to mention the full range of intolerances and bloating now experienced by millions of people?
Approximately 700 million tons of wheat are now cultivated worldwide making it the second most-produced grain after maize. It is grown on more land area than any other commercial crop and is considered a staple food for humans. Continue reading
Drinking at least a cup of green tea a day may significantly decrease a person’s risk of lung cancer, according to a study conducted by researchers from Shan Medical University in Taiwan.
Cancer rates are significantly lower in Asia than in other parts of the world, and high consumption of green tea has been suggested as one of the potential explanations. Laboratory studies have suggested that the polyphenols in green tea can halt the growth of cancer cells, but the results of human studies have been mixed.
In the current study, researchers analyzed green tea consumption, smoking, genetic factors and lung cancer risk in more than 500 people. They found that among non-smokers, those who did not drink tea had five times the lung cancer risk of those who drank at least one cup per day. Among smokers, not drinking green tea was linked to 12 times the cancer risk of those who drank at least one cup per day. Continue reading
For years, chocolate lovers have remained blissfully unaware of the precise reason bittersweet dark chocolate seems to improve cardiovascular health. At least until, now that is.
On Tuesday, researchers at meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Dallas said they had solved the confection conundrum: Specific chocolate-loving microbes in the gut convert an otherwise indigestible portion of the candy into anti-inflammatory compounds, they said. Continue reading
∑ Guidelines urging people to avoid fat to stave off heart disease ‘are wrong’
∑ There is no evidence of a link between saturated fat and heart disease
∑ Healthy polyunsaturated fats also do not reduce heart disease risk
∑ A dairy fat ‘significantly reduces’ heart disease risk
Guidelines urging people to avoid ‘unhealthy’ fat to stave off heart disease are wrong, according to a major study.
After decades of advice on the harm done by saturated fat such as butter, scientists have found no evidence of a link with heart problems.
A ‘mega’ study which analysed a huge amount of existing data also said so-called healthy polyunsaturated fats, such as sunflower oil, had no general effect on the risk of heart disease.
In contrast, a dairy fat called margaric acid ‘significantly reduced’ risk, while two kinds of saturated fat found in palm oil and animal products had only a ‘weak link’ with heart disease. Continue reading
Your body has powerful infection-fighting white blood cells that are your arsenal for beating down viruses, fungi, bacteria and, yes, cancer cells. This arsenal of cancer cell killers relies on certain nutrients to have the fuel to do its job, and that is to keep you alive and winning the “cancer” war that’s going on inside your body, and that goes for everybody, every day. Whether you like it or not, your body is a machine that is made to survive even the worst of odds or circumstance. Your body is built ready to use nutrients to contain, reduce and eliminate a tumor. Your body is built ready, with a very powerful immune system, but it’s beaten down and “intoxicated” from birth, by vaccines, flu shots and dead, processed food. Your system can defeat cancer cells that may be developing, mutating, multiplying and going after weak tissue right now. How will you “fortify” your tissue, your blood? Continue reading
NOTE: The following has been extracted from a paper written for a graduate-level class on Argumentative Research and Writing by the author. (Ed.)
Abstract
The apparent benefits of GM crops include higher yields, lower labor cost, soil preservation, reduction of herbicide input, decline in CO2 emissions, and affordable prices to buyers, which resulted in a rapid takeover of the corn, soybeans, and cottonseed markets. However, a critical review of these perceived advantages reveals troublesome trends such as modest or negligible gains in realized crop yields, genetic pollution of traditional varieties, rapid development of glyphosate resistance in weeds and Bt-toxin in root worms, environmental damage due to alterations to the ecological balance of non-target species, alarming toxicological effects in rats and pigs, and detectable levels of Bt-toxins in human blood samples. Current GM-based agricultural models must be revised to prevent irreversible health and environmental damage. Continue reading
There is nothing more relaxing than a warm drink on a chilly day. Something about sitting back and enjoying the smooth taste and comfort of a toasty beverage with a friend or a great book just makes us feel good.
The bonus of some of these “feel good” drinks is that they are also beneficial for our physical health as noted beside each drink in the list below. Continue reading
Makin’ Bacon
Where does our food come from? Often the answer is Tyson Foods, America’s meat factory.
Tyson, one of the nation’s 100 biggest companies, slaughters 135,000 head of cattle a week, along with 391,000 hogs and an astonishing 41 million chickens. Nearly all Americans regularly eat Tyson meat — at home, at McDonalds, at a cafeteria, at a nursing home.
“Even if Tyson did not produce a given piece of meat, the consumer is really only picking between different versions of the same commoditized beef, chicken, and pork that is produced through a system Tyson pioneered,” says Christopher Leonard, a longtime agribusiness journalist, in his new book about Tyson called “The Meat Racket.” Continue reading
Step right up to your favorite food bar, whether at Whole Foods, Harris Teeter or Farm Fresh, and “get you some” potato salad, coleslaw, egg salad, pasta salad, chicken salad, tuna salad, baked goods, or just make your own salad with lots of salad “dressing” and you are most likely getting a few heaping tablespoons of rapeseed oil with each serving, better known these days as canola oil. Now, whether or not there really is any such thing as organic canola oil, well, the jury is still out on that one. Regardless, canola oil is not good for you, and it ALL goes through a “deodorizing” processing stage that removes the “stink” of rapeseed, in case you didn’t know.
Canola oil can have detrimental effects on your health, especially the genetically modified (GM) canola that Monsanto so conveniently manufacturers for the masses to consume. It’s all mixed into those fancy, condiment-loaded, creamy salads at the friendly grocer, and it’s FRESH! Step right up to the fresh bar! Add in some tasty conventional spices and keep it hot or cold in those little bins for those “whole” food enthusiasts. Lots of people pack a few of the canola “mixtures” into plastic (BPA) containers and take them home. What exactly are you taking home, though? Continue reading