Olive Oil is not only delicious, it’s good for your heart and helps to keep your cholesterol levels healthy. Studies show that the monounsaturated fat content of Olive Oil can ‘lower your risk of heart disease’ by reducing the total LDL’s, or ‘bad’ cholesterol levels in your blood. In contrast, saturated and trans fats — such as butter, tropical oils and hydrogenated margarines — increase your risk of heart disease by increasing your total and LDL cholesterol levels. Studies also state, despite the fact that all forms of Olive Oil contain desirable levels of monounsaturated fat; it is the ‘virgin’ and ‘extra-virgin’ Olive Oils that contain the highest levels of polyphenols, a powerful antioxidant.
Demographic research argues that the high consumption of Olive Oil in the Mediterranean is the very reason that cancers such as breast, ovarian, colon and prostate seem to occur with less frequency than in the countries of Northern Europe and the USA where polyunsaturated fats (PUFA’s) are preferred over Olive Oil. It appears that Olive Oil does indeed provide a fat with the capacity to maintain a healthy body balance.
The coronary arteries provide blood to your heart muscle. The monounsaturated fats help to keep those arteries clear so that your heart can get enough oxygen and nutrients to keep pumping. Whilst you can get this health benefit by substituting other less-healthy fats with two tablespoons (23 grams) of Olive Oil, it is important not to increase the total number of calories you eat in a day. Virgin Olive Oil is better than more refined oil because it contains polyphenols that work as antioxidants to keep your heart healthy. Extra virgin Olive Oil contains polyphenols that can reduce inflammation and may help to prevent some forms of cancer.
Ideas To Include In Your Diet:
Mix Olive Oil with vinegar on salad.
Choose Olive Oil over butter or margarine.
Add flavour to Olive Oil by infusing with garlic or other herbs.
Add Olive Oil to your smoothie.
Use Olive Oil spray instead of traditional cooking sprays.
More Health Benefits Of Consuming Olive Oil:
Studies have shown:
Countries where people who’s main source of fat is Olive Oil had the lowest levels of heart disease related deaths.
Increasing Olive Oil consumption in Northern Europeans reduced waste by-products of oxidative damage to cells, a precursor to cancer. Within 3 weeks of consuming 25 ml of olive oil a day by-product levels has dropped significantly.
Consuming Olive Oil instead of saturated fats significantly reduced the required dosage of antihypertensive medication required by hypertensive patients.
Consuming Olive Oil high in phenols actually reduces the expression of genes associated with atherosclerosis (the thickening of artery walls due to a a build-up of fatty materials such as cholesterol).
Consuming phenol-rich Olive Oil alters the expression of genes associated with inflammation, cardiovascular disease and Type 2 Diabetes.
Despite being high in calories, Olive Oil is without doubt a superfood if it is consumed instead of saturated fat. It has a high level of vitamin E, antioxidants and is rich in both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Olive Oil is even thought to improve the ratio of Omega-3s to Omega-6s. High levels of Omega-3s have been extensively linked to a healthier heart and lower risk of stroke.
In A Nutshell:
Olive Oil should be part of a balanced diet and the phenol-rich extra virgin oil, with its proven health benefits, is a definite superfood. Please note that well over 50% of imported Olive Oils labelled as extra virgin did not meet the required legal standards, so choose carefully.
Olive Oil has its maximum health benefits when consumed in its natural state. Heating olive oil, especially to frying temperatures destroys many of its beneficial compounds.
Now that it is Springtime in the southern hemisphere, it is typical for most people to want to shed the extra weight that they may have put on over the winter months. It has been my experience in dealing with patients on a regular basis, that moderation is key and a plan and specific goals to work toward achieving helps assist in a successful springtime exercise program. The other key to remember is what you eat. Exercise without watching what goes in the mouth, will not bring the health benefits as doing both. Same with only watching what you eat, without exercising. The two go hand in hand.
One big exercise that is commonly chosen is running. I have heard people say that they’ll take that up and get out in the fresh air, and the weight will drop, and it will look after itself.
Wrong! Running to lose weight and/or keep fit can invariably lead to running injuries. I highly recommend educating yourself, doing some ‘homework’ and getting informed on some of the possible injuries associated with running. Then make a wise and informed decision if running is the best option for you.
Many Running Injuries Are Caused By Overuse
When you think about taking up running, or just starting to run, it’s best to learn how to prevent running injuries.
The Most Common Running Injuries
• Knee
• ITB (Iliotibial Band)
• Foot
• Calf
Chondromalacia, or Runner’s Knee is due to wearing of the cartilage under the patella (kneecap) when the patella is tracked incorrectly while running, causing pain in the knee.
Lateral or side knee pain is usually due to Iliotibial Band (ITB) Syndrome. This band runs from the outside of the pelvis, over the hip and knee and inserts just below the knee. The ITB is meant to stabilize the knee while running. If this gets irritated, it can get inflamed and cause pain in the knee or band itself. This leads to ITB Syndrome.
Another contributor to knee pain as well as foot pain, is Plantar Fasciitis. The plantar fascia is the thick fibrous connective tissue on the bottom of the foot. It’s job is to absorb the shock of the running motion. Plantar fasciitis is when this tissue gets inflamed due to wear and tear, resulting in pain. This can be temporary or a long-term problem.
Shin splints are usually caused by stepping up the volume of training too quickly. Achilles tendonitis can cause leg pain and or ankle pain, and may eventually lead to rupture of the tendon itself.
Running May Lead To Back & Pelvis Injuries
Besides the injuries listed above, some runners may suffer from acute back pain, pelvis or hip pain, groin pain, and chronic back pain. Running can also irritate the discs in the lower back, which may lead to things such as Sciatica.
Running Injuries Take Long To Heal
Running injuries may take months, or even longer to heal, easily putting fitness and weight loss programs on the back burner. There are also the injuries that may lead to other problems that cause long term effects that can irritate other areas of the body. I believe that it is wise to learn about the preventative measures so that we can make better choices and better decisions on the type of exercise we undertake.
Running for exercise is not for everyone – but if you currently run, or are thinking of taking up running for exercise, then the following may be of benefit to you:
Useful Tips For Preventing Running Injuries
1. Strengthen the areas which are vulnerable.
2. Buy and utilize the correct footwear.
3. Use the Correct running posture
4. Warm up before your running workout.
5. Gradually step up your running program.
6. Cool down appropriately to minimize stiffness and soreness.
Check with a health professional such as a chiropractor or sports massage therapist for advice that is unique to your specific needs. Each body is different, so to adopt generic advice is not wise, nor will it assist in prevention or overall achieving of goals.
Preventing injuries involves listening to your body and basic common sense, so make sure that is Number One on your list!
Posted by chiropam on Feb 28, 2010 in Chiropractic
I was speaking with a group of people over the weekend, and I’ve come to realise that there are people who still share a few untruths about chiropractic. Let me share these 2 myths primarily, and shed some light on these topics:
Myth #1:
“Chiropractic care is only for back pain.”
This is just not so. Chiropractic care can benefit a wide variety of health problems that stem from the spine and nervous system. Old injuries, everyday wear and tear, stress (emotional, physical, mental) or repetitive daily activities can contribute to the spinal bones (vertebrae) losing their proper position and/or motion. This dysfunction of spinal joints may cause pain and nerve interference in one or more areas of the body. Any type of dysfunction of these spinal joints can be a source of irritation to the nervous system.
Myth #2:
“Chiropractic care is either rough, painful, dangerous, or all three!”
I would like to share with you that there are alternatives to what would be considered mainstream manual chiropractic techniques. There are several other low-force, gentle, safe techniques that would be an alternative, yet with health benefits.
One of the main techniques on instrument adjusting is the Activator Method Chiropractic Technique (AMCT). The Activator Method uses an activator instrument. An activator instrument is a hand-held instrument designed to give the patient a very specific, low-force adjustment. The activator instrument delivers a controlled, light and fast thrust without causing undue strain to patients. The activator adjustments are so quick and controlled, that the body’s muscles are less likely to resist, allowing for a more precise and exact adjustment. It’s so gentle and it is actually relaxing.
Activator Instrument
Another technique involves an instrument called the Impulse Instrument. This is an electric powered instrument that offers specific, low-force adjustment to the affected area. This instrument offers all of the benefits associated with the Activator instrument.
Impulse Instrument
Perhaps there is an ankle or wrist, hip or shoulder, or hand or foot that may need an adjustment. There are bones and joints in these areas as well that can benefit from an adjustment by a chiropractor. This may not be well known either as chiropractors can be streamlined as “back doctors” only.
Conditions that have been helped through chiropractic care include, but not limited to:
I hope this sheds some light on the 2 very common myths associated with chiropractic. Have you had an experience with ‘instrument adjusting’? Activator or Impulse? Are you aware of the health benefits that can be obtained through chiropractic care? Comments welcome…
A wellness approach to health incorporates a variety of healthy habits for optimum function on physical, mental, social and spiritual levels.
Why It Is Wise To Have Chiropractic When You’re Not In Pain
Many people think that if they don’t have pain or symptoms that they are healthy. Chiropractic care focuses primarily on the nervous system. The nervous system controls virtually every aspect of our body’s functions. In order to be your very best, it is essential to have a properly functioning nervous system. Chiropractic care can be a very important choice for a wellness lifestyle, as well as exercise and good nutritional habits. Those who want to be at their optimum health add regular chiropractic care to their health choices. The health benefits include more vitality, endurance and the ability to enjoy life to the full.
Chiropractic Helps More Than Just “Bad Backs”
Wellness and maintenance care are often thought to be the same thing. However, the objective or goal in these types of health care are actually very different as are their results and benefits. What is most important to understand is that if we want areas in our life to continue to function properly – they require regular maintenance.
Our car, our house, our teeth, our health, our relationships, and yes…our spines! So in any aspect of our life that we are not applying regular maintenance (adding energy and organisation) over time it will breakdown and lead to a crisis. If you don’t maintain your kitchen…crisis! If you don’t maintain your bathroom…crisis! If you don’t maintain your relationships…crisis! And of course, if you don’t maintain your spine…crisis!
The vast majority of people today were not aware of the necessity of spine and nervous system maintenance from birth, therefore it is very likely that even with regular maintenance that a person will still experience the occasional relapse. Why? Imagine trying to maintain your teeth if you hadn’t brushed them for the first thirty years of your life. Of course you would need to go through an extensive process of correcting the problem first just to get your teeth to a place where they can be maintained. Even then with regular maintenance it is likely that you would still experience some problems over time.
Let’s introduce wellness! The main difference between maintenance and wellness is that maintenance simply looks to “maintain” the current state by adding just enough energy or organisation to try to maintain the current state. Whereas wellness looks to find even better states of organisation through a process of “constant and never ending improvement”.
Let’s use our kitchen as an example. We can look to maintain our kitchen in its current state of organisation and over time we will realise that it requires more and more energy to simply maintain the kitchen in its current state. Now if we use a wellness approach toward our kitchen, we would not only be maintaining its current state but we would continue to look for ways to improve the level of organisation, which in turn saves on the energy needed for maintaining it.
The exact same rule applies to every aspect of our lives. If we simply look to maintain our car, our home, our health, our teeth, our relationships, as well as our spines – we will find that over time it will naturally require more and more energy to simply maintain its current state. With wellness care we can continue to look for and implement new strategies to actively organise our lives.
When we look at this in terms of our spine and nervous system we realise that using a wellness approach toward our care is not only a wise investment, it is a better way of life. When we look at what today’s research says in relationship to wellness care we realise that maintaining the spine in a wellness model offers our body the opportunity to learn new strategies for dealing with all the natural stresses in life. In fact, people who have been actively maintaining their spine in a wellness model show increased healing and repair processes at levels which are not seen in otherwise healthy people.
Where do you see your health in 5 years? In 10 years? Do you simply want to maintain you current level of health or would you prefer to see your health continuing to improve every year for the next 10 years?
Posted by chiropam on Jul 28, 2009 in Chiropractic
Walnuts are superfoods for many reasons. Eating walnuts regularly provides the body with essential omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. Walnuts have the highest antioxidant content of the tree nuts.
Research suggests that walnuts can be a healthy part of the diet for the prevention of not only breast and other cancers, but also diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Walnuts – “The King of Nuts”
Walnuts are considered by many as the “king of nuts” from a nutritional perspective. Walnuts, like other nuts are high in monounsaturated fats. These are the same type of health-promoting fats that are found in olive oil, which have been associated with reduced risk of heart disease. Therefore, to get the health benefits of walnuts, a moderate handful is sufficient.
Other health benefits of walnuts include:
Prevent Gallstones – as little as 1 ounce per week has been shown to reduce the risk of gallstones.
Source of Bioavailable Melatonin – improves the quality of sleep.
Controls High Blood Pressure – omega 3 fatty acids help to regulate the blood pressure.
Antioxidant King – one of the highest antioxidant levels of all superfoods.
Promotes Heart Health – reduces overall cholesterol, reduces LDL’s (bad cholesterol), increases artery elasticity, antioxidant activity reduces heart disease risk by protecting the blood vessels from free radical damage.
Regulates Type II Diabetes – improved overall cholesterol profile, which helps to regulate the effects of the disease.
Protects Bone Health – supports bone health and prevents excessive bone turnover with the bioactivity of alpha linolenic acid, an omega 3 fatty acid found specifically in walnuts.
Enhances Brain Activity – omega 3 fatty acid content helps to sustain a clear, healthy brain by supporting the cellular function via the fatty brain cell membranes.
Walnuts are a fantastic source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, which have been found to not only protect the heart and promote better cognitive function, but also provide anti-inflammatory benefits for asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, eczema and psoriasis.
Walnuts also contain the antioxidant compound ellagic acid, which is known to fight cancer and support the immune system. Studies have shown approximately 16 polyphenols in walnuts, including three new tannins, with antioxidant activity so powerful it was described as “remarkable.”
If you want a less stressful and more balanced life, then addressing BOTH externally-imposed and self-imposed pressures are essential. There are times when you can’t change stressful circumstances such as a demanding workload or an annoying co-worker, but you CAN minimise the negative effects of stress by counteracting attitudes that perpetuate stress and limit attention to self-care.
Key To Preventing And Counteracting Burnout
Self-care strengthens your resiliency, which can reduce susceptibility to burnout. Self-care is not just making healthy lifestyle choices. It also includes self-compassion, having healthy boundaries, being aware of your needs, and staying true to your values. Self-neglect takes a toll on your health, relationships, and your effectiveness. Therefore preventing burnout and understanding how stress plays a role is essential.
Simply recognising the importance of taking better care of yourself is not enough. You also need to address the psychological obstacles that limit attention to self-care and foster stress. For example, putting pressure on yourself to always perform with excellence at work while being critical of your mistakes can cause you to become overextended and overlook your needs. This may stem from being judged harshly and having unrealistically high expectations of you.
Self-care practices like meditation or tai chi are great, but won’t stop self-criticism or perfectionism; nor will it address attitudes that foster burnout and undermine self-care such as defining yourself by the good you do for others, an exaggerated sense of responsibility, and difficulty tolerating discord.
Stress Is Unavoidable – Burnout Is
You can take courses on time management and attend seminars on stress management techniques and still suffer from burnout. These strategies are often helpful, but will not lead to lasting changes if you do not address personality traits that foster stress. Much of the literature on burnout focuses more on external pressures than on self- imposed stress. While external pressures such as a demanding workload, juggling personal and professional life, unclear job responsibilities do contribute to stress and burnout, so do beliefs and personality traits. Worries about uncertainty and lack of control can drive to burnout. Even authors who write about personality characteristics that cause stress tend to emphasize overt and extreme behaviors such as the type A personality- overly driven, highly competitive, aggressive and obsessed with work. There are many burnout prone people, however with personalities who do not fit this profile. The most prominent personality characteristics that contribute to burnout are exaggerated responsibility, self-judgement and self-definition.
Perfectionism
Late at night Jacqui lies in bed restlessly, unable to sleep. Two weeks into her new job, she is feeling nervous day and night. She is obsessed with trying to make sure that nothing goes wrong and that no one sees her make a mistake. She has to prove to everyone, including herself, that she is worthwhile. Jacqui believes that she is a failure if anything goes wrong. She needs to realise how never being appreciated growing up causes her to think that self worth comes from perfection.
If you are a perfectionist you push yourself, get overscheduled, promise too many things to too many people, or take on too much work. You judge yourself harshly when you fall short of your expectations or when you make mistakes. You probably would not treat someone you care about in the harsh manner that you treat yourself. You learn to measure your worth by your performance and equate excelling with deserving attention or praise if your parents rewarded you primarily for excelling.
The pursuit of excellence is different from a relentless need to be the best. When you seek perfection and are unable to measure up to your ideal, your self esteem decreases. Developing realistic standards and self- compassion go a long way to counteract stress that leads to burnout.
When you make mistakes, notice how you feel about yourself. Take notice of the ways that you talk to yourself when you fall short of your ideal. You may not recognise that your standards for yourself are excessive. Pay attention during the day to the ways you tell yourself how you did not do something well enough or how you could have done things better. Has anyone else ever spoken to you in this way? You may have internalised the ways that your parents spoke to you. Now picture someone else talking to you the way you speak to yourself. Chances are you would not tolerate them talking to you in this same manner.
Remember, you can’t always control the circumstances that may cause stress, but you can control how well you take care of yourself. Taking proper care of your body, mind and soul can keep you in optimum health and wellness.
While researching for my last post on dark chocolate, I found a website that really grabbed my attention. The website was about a specialty chocolate and coffee shop, called a chocolateria. The presentation of the website caught my eye. As I was reading, I was curious where this shop was and to my wonderful surprise, there was one in Perth! Actually, in Fremantle which is south of Perth. The shop was called San Churro. They specialise in the Spanish donut, ‘the churro’ and different chocolates. They serve coffee and the famous, Spanish hot chocolate. I was so excited that I could experience these Spanish delights here in Perth! There are other shop locations as well in Australia. The week after I found this website, I was meant to meet a friend in Fremantle for breakfast. I suggested we go there to try their coffee and churros. She knew exactly where it was and was pleased to say she had been there before and really enjoyed it.
It was Wednesday morning, when we met at 9am at San Churro on Market Street, Fremantle. The churros are made fresh on the premise. The aroma was filling the air as the morning churros were freshly being made. After we placed our order, we had a chance to look around the shop. There were different chocolates from all over the world.
Making the Churros
The real bonus for me was the dipping options for the churros. Choices between white, milk and dark chocolate and the fourth option was “dulce de leche”. This brought back fond memories of my trip to South America, in particularly Argentina. This delicious caramel is like peanut butter is to the United States and vegemite is to Australia. We chose the dulce de leche and dark chocolate due to its health benefits.
Churros
There are also handmade chocolate truffles for the true chocolate connoisseur termed the “Coleccion Afrodisiaca” which translates to the Aphrodisiac Collection. There are unique flavours for a really special treat.
If you’re not in the mood for churros, there are different cakes, cookies, biscuits to choose from. And what really impressed me was they offered gluten-free, lactose-free, vegan, vegetarian and low-fat options.
So really, there seems to be something for everyone. We browsed through the shop items that offered various chocolates from different parts of the world. Great gift ideas for the chocoholic!
We sat down on a comfortable leather lounge at the side of the shop with a wooden coffee table to have our coffee and churros on. The coffee was one of the best cappuccinos I have ever had. The chocolate on top of the froth was their special shaved chocolate. That was a treat in itself.
Cappuccino
I highly value presentation and service. San Churro gets a thumbs up from me in both areas as well as their products. A delightful experience I just felt I had to share.
There are many superfoods listed – usually between 10 and 20. I have written my blog posts according to my personal favourites. Saving the best for last, here are the health benefits of dark chocolate.
Most people love chocolate – I do! What I found for myself was that eating regular milk chocolate was never satisfying. You could always eat more. It can be very difficult to stop, especially if you don’t have self-discipline. The sugar and less cocoa content is responsible for this. I’m not a fan of white chocolate, so it really isn’t tempting to me. After reading and understanding what is behind dark chocolate, it became my favourite type of chocolate and that is why I chose it as my last superfood.
Did you realise that chocolate is plant-derived, as are the fruits and vegetables recommended to be heart healthy?
While a little dark chocolate is good, a lot is not better. Chocolate is still loaded with calories/kilojoules. If you’re going to eat more chocolate, you’ll have to cut back somewhere else. With Easter here, so much emphasis seems to be around marketing chocolate eggs, bunnies, etc. Overindulgence is not recommended! Remember that a balanced diet and regular exercise is still the key to good health and wellness.
If you enjoy strong dark chocolate, you get more of the good stuff — cocoa. This in turn has less of the sugar, and your chocolate craving should be satisfied with lesser amounts. If you substitute plain dark chocolate for junk food, you will come out ahead health-wise. On the other hand, there are plenty of other, perhaps healthier ways to boost your flavonoid intake: fruits and vegetables give you the added benefits of fibre, vitamins and minerals, while straight black or green tea give you an antioxidant boost.
Dark chocolate does contain a bit of protein and various minerals including iron, copper, magnesium and zinc. However its main saving grace is that it contains high levels of flavonoids — chemicals that help protect plants from disease and insects. Gram for gram, cocoa contains higher levels of flavonoids than other renowned sources such as red wine, tea, apples and berries!
Studies have shown the benefits of both cocoa and high-cocoa chocolate have shown that it not only tastes good and stimulates endorphins, the feeling of pleasure but it also:
• Improves blood vessel health which in turn can help to lower blood pressure.
• Contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant.
• Can help to lower cholesterol.
• Can improve insulin resistance and sensitivity.
• Helps to reduce blood pressure in people with high blood pressure. However, people with normal blood pressure don’t appear to be affected.
• Reduces inflammation and plaque build-up in blood vessels, which can lead to atherosclerosis.
• Decreases blood platelet activity. Chocolate has been found to have the same anti-platelet effects as aspirin.
Dark chocolate also improves cholesterol profile by increasing HDL (good cholesterol) levels and lowering LDLs (bad cholesterol).
Here is some more good news — Even though it contains high levels of saturated fat, some of the fats in chocolate do not impact your cholesterol. The fats in chocolate are 1/3 oleic acid, 1/3 stearic acid and 1/3 palmitic acid:
• Oleic Acid is a healthy monounsaturated fat that is also found in olive oil.
• Stearic Acid is a saturated fat but one which research is shows has a neutral effect on cholesterol.
• Palmitic Acid is also a saturated fat, one which raises cholesterol and heart disease risk.
That means only 1/3 of the fat in dark chocolate is bad for you.
• The stearic acid is converted to oleic acid which doesn’t raise cholesterol. Combined with the oleic acids already present in the chocolate, these appear to counteract the negative effects of the other saturated fat, palmitic acid, making it at least blood cholesterol neutral and perhaps even lowering it.
Does it have to be dark? The answer is yes. Dark chocolate for most is an acquired taste. It has been suggested that the milk proteins inhibit the absorption of cocoa flavonoids, so even if you eat more milk chocolate to compensate for the lack of cocoa, or eat milk chocolate with higher cocoa content, you still won’t get the same benefit as eating pure dark chocolate.
It has also been suggested that eating or drinking dairy products such as milk just before or after dark chocolate reduces its effects.
It can be healthy, but…
To add to the confusion, not all chocolate is created equal — levels of flavonoids may depend not only on the percentage of cocoa in the chocolate, but also the growing conditions, initial handling of the cocoa beans and the manufacturing process. What you buy might not be in the same league as what was proven beneficial in tests.
This makes it hard to pin down how much of which chocolate you need for health benefits. And the amount of chocolate consumed in some of these studies is enormous. The 100 grams of chocolate in some studies would account for more than one-quarter of the average person’s daily kilojoule requirements — with little other nutritional benefit. The dark chocolate that I recommend is the Lindt 70% or 85% varieties.
Like fine wine, appreciating fine chocolate is a “fun way to live longer” and a fantabulous way to receive some health benefits along the way!
Pumpkin is so versatile, and depending what region of the world you come from will determine which form it is used. When I grew up in Michigan in the United States, the pumpkin I remember eating was in pumpkin pie. We carved pumpkins for Halloween and actually threw out the flesh! As an adult living in Australia, I realised how much of a waste that was. Luckily, my mother roasted the pumpkin seeds and we had those after the Halloween pumpkin jack-o-lantern was carved. At least then we received the health benefits from the pumpkin seeds. Our family ate pumpkin pie traditionally at Thanksgiving and on Christmas.
I remember when I first moved to Australia, pumpkin was eaten as a savoury vegetable, namely in pumpkin soup. It was also a favourite roasted vegetable that accompanied various meat roasts. There were also pumpkin muffins, pumpkin scones and pumpkin bread, that I hadn’t been exposed to before. In Australia today, pumpkin is thriving in various recipes and I am happy to say that I enjoy the wide variety that pumpkin has to offer. I still enjoy pumpkin pie too!
Pumpkin flesh contains vitamins C and E, magnesium, potassium and a staggering quantity and variety of carotenoids, being one of the most abundant natural sources of these amazing phytonutrients. There are numerous types of pumpkin in all shapes and sizes with many similar nutritional values. Although pumpkin is a squash that’s best between late summer and autumn, canned or tin pumpkin is readily available year-round in the United States. However, here in Australia we tend to puree our own from fresh pumpkin all year round. Pumpkin is also high in fibre with a one-half cup serving providing approximately 5 grams.
Powerful antioxidants known as carotenoids give pumpkin its superfood status. These compounds have the ability to ward off heart disease and cancer as well as certain eye-related diseases.
Pumpkin is packed with various nutrients and carotenoids, particularly alpha and beta carotene. Carotenoids are orange, yellow, and red colored, fat-soluble compounds occurring in a variety of plants. Carotenoids represent one of the most widespread groups of naturally occurring pigments. These compounds are largely responsible for the red, yellow, and orange color of fruits and vegetables, and are also found in many dark green vegetables. Carotenoids help to protect you from free radicals, enhance cell-to-cell communication, and modulate your immune response. They also protect your skin and eyes from damage caused by ultra violet light.
Pumpkin is the highest source of alpha carotene, which may be even more powerful than beta carotene. Pumpkin contains 400 percent of the recommended daily allowance of alpha carotene, along with close to 300 percent of beta carotene, and only 83 calories in a cup!
Alpha carotene and beta carotene have been tied with multiple health-promoting and disease-fighting benefits such as:
• Reduces inflammatory arthritis
• Decreases the risk of various cancers (breast, lung and colon)
• Lowers the rate of heart disease
Canned or tin pumpkin puree, which is not the same as the canned pie filling, is cooked down in order to reduce the water content that is still present in a fresh pumpkin. Because of this condensation, canned pumpkin is actually more nutritious than fresh pumpkin!
In fact, it’s not just the inner meat of a pumpkin that’s virtuous but its seeds are super nutritious too and contain a wealth of health-promoting properties. Like melons, cucumber, and squash, pumpkins belong to the gourd family. They were much celebrated by Native American Indians who made use of their flesh and seeds for culinary and medicinal purposes.
Pumpkin seeds are a superfood that the American Native tribes prized for its culinary and medicinal value.
High in fiber and protein, these seeds are also a rich source of minerals including magnesium, manganese, iron, and zinc. Pumpkin seeds are believed to be beneficial for things like prostrate health, bones strength, and arthritis. Pumpkin seeds also contain compounds called phytosterols, which are believed to reduce levels of harmful cholesterol and also improve the body’s immune system.
Pumpkin seeds can now be readily found. They are sold, raw, roasted, shelled, and unshelled. Pumpkin seeds are also known as pepitas, and they are dark green and flat with a chewy texture and rich nutty flavour. These seeds are dense in minerals, with just a quarter of a cup providing approximately half the daily recommended dose for magnesium and iron, in addition to high doses of zinc, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, manganese and copper. They also contain the amino acid tryptophan known for anti-depressant qualities, and essential fatty acids. These essential fatty acids assist in improving mental function and aiding memory.
The dark green oil produced from pumpkin seeds has been used throughout history in India, Europe and America to fight parasites, aid the digestive tract and help with prostate and reproductive disorders. It has also been recommended for pregnant and lactating women because of its high content of essential fatty acids.
The essential fatty acids in pumpkin seeds are also necessary for prostate health, and zinc (which pumpkin seeds are especially high in) is great for the reproductive systems and has been shown to reduce prostate size, and have been found to help prevent against prostate gland enlargement.
So don’t delay – there are many ways to get the health benefits of pumpkin. Here’s a recipe link for a good variety of ideas.
Cherry season is just about over here in Perth, Western Australia. I did manage to find some nice ones at the local fruit and vegetable shop just the other day.
I did an experiment at the start of cherry season here which was the beginning of summer. One of my best friends was going to a market and offered to pick up a box of fresh cherries. They came in a 5 kilogram box which equals 11 lb and 0.36 oz. This box had some of the tastiest cherries I have ever had. I thought I would get tired of them but it was actually the opposite. I realised I would be missing all the health benefits on a regular basis if I didn’t include them almost daily. They don’t have to be fresh all the time. Cherries are also available dried, canned, jarred, juiced, and frozen.
Several cherry varieties are produced primarily in Michigan. Michigan is actually my birthplace and where I grew up. Some of the things I miss about Michigan are cherry picking, cherry festivals and cherry pie. I can’t forget Cherries Jubilee – which was one of my favourite desserts.
While writing this post, I was also reflecting and 2 things really stood out:
Erma Bombeck was born in 1927 in Dayton, Ohio. I didn’t realise she was born in the same city as my husband! Even though Erma suffered from a hereditary kidney disease, she developed a comical approach to life. Erma wrote about being a mother, wife, journalist, and a woman. She published more than four thousand syndicated columns, wrote 15 best-selling books, and became one of the world’s most beloved humourists. Erma Bombeck passed away in 1996. Her spirit, however, lives on.
Secondly, the movie, “Witches of Eastwick”. If you’ve seen the movie, you know what I’m referring to.
“Have another cherry…..” If you haven’t seen the movie, here’s a clip of the memorable scene: (Caution – sense of humour needed!)
In Australia, the cherries seem to be very popular at Christmas time because it is summer here in December. I have no complaints, as they are one of my absolute favourites.
Cherries have several important health benefits – from helping to ease the pain of arthritis and gout, to reducing risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers, particularly colon. Cherries also contain melatonin, which has been found to help regulate the body’s natural sleep patterns, aid with jet lag, prevent memory loss and delay the aging process.
Cherries are heart healthy. Studies have found that a cherry-enriched diet can help in loss of weight, body fat (especially the important “belly” fat), inflammation and cholesterol. All of the above contribute to risk of heart disease.
While there’s no established guideline yet on how many cherries it takes to reap the benefits, experts suggest that 1-2 servings of cherries daily can help provide some of the health benefits identified in the research. Single serving size examples include:
• 1/2 cup dried
• 1 cup fresh or frozen
• 1 cup juice
• 1 ounce (or 2 Tbsp) juice concentrate
Tart cherries offer far more benefits than sweet cherries. Tart cherries are very rich sources of anthocyanins whereas sweet cherries have lower amounts. In general, the darker the cherry color, the higher the anthocyanin content. The skin of the cherries holds most of the essential antioxidants vital to their health benefits.
Studies show that tart cherries, enjoyed as either dried, frozen cherries or cherry juice, have among the highest levels of disease-fighting antioxidants, when compared to other fruits. They also contain other important nutrients such as beta carotene, Vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iron, fibre and folate.
In one study, women who ate two servings of Bing cherries daily experienced decreased markers of inflammation – due to the synergistic effect of all the natural compounds found in cherries. It has also been demonstrated that the anthocyanins in tart cherries may help prevent muscle pain related to intensive exercise. Cherry juice in the daily diet reported decreased symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage. There was also reports of lowered serum urate levels. Other benefits extend to patients with autoimmune neurodegenerative and connective tissue diseases, particularly rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes.
Chiropractic is an art, science and philosophy focusing on a nervous system free from interference to allow the body to reach it’s optimum potential, naturally.
Chiropractic is a main passion and interest in my life. Not only is it my profession, but a way to connect the mind and body; a lifestyle - a natural way to allow your body to heal itself, and so much more. It is about looking at the entire body. Our bodies act as a whole unit - from Above, Down, Inside, Out! I love serving the community and being pro-active in making a difference…both individually and collectively as a whole.
