Next time you think you're doing
something good for your health by
reaching for a bottle of iced tea
instead of a soft drink, think again. It
is hard to find a bottle of tea that
does not contain sugars or artificial
sweeteners. If you want to include tea
drinking as part of a healthful
lifestyle brew it yourself and drink it
hot or cold.
Teas such as green tea is packed
with high levels of antioxidants,
polyphenols and other healthful
compounds. Drinking tea on a regular
basis may promote heart health and
reduce the risk of cancer, arthritis,
osteoporosis, cataracts and dental
cavities.
On the
other hand bottled teas contain
considerably fewer of these beneficial
components and, worse yet, many are
essentially no more than diluted sugar
water. At Oregon State University in
Corvallis, researchers found that
ready-to-drink teas typically had
polyphenols and antioxidant levels 10 to
100 times lower than those in
conventionally brewed tea.
We offer
a high quality affordably priced green
tea.
Click Here for this Great Value.
Make Sure
Your Eggs Are From Chickens Not Cooped
Up in Cages
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A
number of colleges and
universities, along with many
businesses have reduced or
eliminated their use of eggs
from caged hens.
Stacked Two Stories High
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Yale, Tufts,
Dartmouth, Vassar, the
University of Wisconsin, and 80
more schools have made the
switch in response to a campaign
by the Humane Society of the
United States. Caged hens live
in battery cages which can be
stacked as tall as two stories
high, with about six hens per
cage. This gives each hen a
space about 3/4 the size of a
sheet of notebook paper. |
Increasing
Sales
The
industry argues that this is still a
humane system, because conveyer belts
remove manure twice a day, and fans keep
the air fresh. "Wow! How Humane!
--editor"
Cage-free
hens require four to six times the
space, making their eggs more expensive.
Even so, sales of cage-free eggs are
increasing by as much as 10 to 20
percent a year. Other specialty eggs,
such as organic eggs or eggs high in
omega-3 fatty acids are also undergoing
rapidly increasing sales.
---USA
Today April 11, 2006
Editors Notes: Organic, cage-free
eggs are an incredible source of
high-quality nutrients that many of us
are deficient in, especially
high-quality protein and healthy fat.
Although they may be a bit pricier than
typical commercial eggs, the extra price
is well worth it for the benefits they
will bring to your health let alone the
more humane treatment of hens.
Quality test: Just look at the
yolks. You are getting really healthy
eggs, if the yolks are bright orange
yellow. If they are pale yellow, better
keep looking.
Buy
Locally direct if you can: If you
cannot find a farmer to sell you eggs
directly, then organic eggs from the
store would be your next best option.
Still,
it's best to purchase directly from the
farmer. Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Wild
Oats and Henry’s are reputable retail
stores for those of you living in areas
where the farms have been replaced by
shopping centers and condominiums.
Preparing your eggs: You can safely
eat them raw by adding to a protein
shake and when cooking eggs remember the
less you cook them the better, and that
scrambled eggs are the absolute worst
way to eat eggs. Valuable nutrients like
lutein and other powerful antioxidants
are destroyed when they are exposed to
high temperatures.
Powerful
Health Benefits of Peppers
Capsaicin, the active ingredient in
chili peppers, is so hot that it can
make your mouth feel like it's on fire.
This phytochemical exists in peppers,
most likely, to deter animals from
eating them, and is also the active
component of pepper sprays used for
self-defense. Yet for humans, when
capsaicin is consumed in a somewhat
diluted form, such as in hot sauce,
chili peppers or cayenne peppers, it
offers a myriad of health benefits.
Chili peppers come in hundreds of
different varieties, each with a unique
flavor, color, shape and heat factor.
Generally speaking, the hotter the
pepper, the more capsaicin it contains.
Ready to add
a little spice to your life? Here are
several reasons to turn up the heat in
your next meal.
Fights
Cancer A study published in Cancer
Research found that capsaicin caused
cancer cells to commit suicide. The
substance caused almost 80 percent of
prostate cancer cells to die in mice,
and prostate tumors treated with
capsaicin were about one-fifth the size
of those in untreated mice.
Provides
Pain Relief. A topical form of
capsaicin is a recognized treatment for
osteoarthritis pain, and may also help
alleviate pain from diabetic neuropathy.
Studies have found that capsaicin both
relieves and prevents cluster headaches,
migraine headaches and sinus headaches.
Prevents
Sinusitis and Relieves Congestion.
Capsaicin has potent antibacterial
properties that fight and prevent
chronic sinus infections, or sinusitis.
Because it is so hot, it also helps to
stimulate secretions that help clear
mucus from your nose, thereby relieving
nasal congestions and relieves
sinus-related allergy symptoms.
Fight
Inflammation Capsaicin is a potent
anti-inflammatory agent. It works by
inhibiting Substance P, which is
associated with inflammatory processes.
Capsaicin is being looked at as a
potential treatment for arthritis,
psoriasis and diabetic neuropathy.
Soothes
Intestinal Diseases. A Duke
University study found that capsaicin
may lead to a cure for inflammatory
bowel disease (IBD). The substance can
also help to kill bacteria such as H.
pylori, which can help prevent stomach
ulcers.
Burn Fat
and Lose Weight. Capsaicin is a
thermogenic agent, which means it
increases metabolic activity. This,
in turn, helps to burn calories and fat.
Many popular "fat-burning" supplements
on the market contain capsaicin, as the
substance may significantly increase
metabolic activity for over 20 minutes
after it's eaten.
Protect Your
Heart. Capsaicin may help to protect the
heart by reducing cholesterol,
triglycerides and platelet aggregation.
It may also help the body dissolve
fibrin, which is necessary for blood
clots to form. Further, cultures around
the world that use hot peppers liberally
in their meals have significantly lower
rates of heart attack and stroke than
cultures that do not.
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