Good Food Good Health- Garlic

Hi everyone

For many years garlic has been known to have great health benefits and is often thought of as natures own antibiotic’ but people have been wary of eating fresh garlic because of the pungent odour it leaves on your breath, or excreted through the pores. Garlic has this effect because it is a substance that is not metabolised; instead it is absorbed through the stomach lining.

Now it has been realised that taking a good quality supplement of Allicin (the active ingredient of garlic) gives you equal effectiveness, and of course you can use the odourless variety, for this garlic is aged and detoxified leaving it deodorised.

I adore garlic and am happy with garlic on just about any type of savoury food, but being the minority in the family have resorted to taking odourless capsules to keep the peace. I think garlic is one of the few foods that everybody has an opinion about; you either love it or hate it!

In fact my father-in-law Joe used to eat raw cloves every day, probably one of the reasons he is in his eighties and has never suffered from bad health. Joe originates from Poland where garlic had been used for health benefits for years and years, primarily eaten against influenza, but they would also use it topically rubbed on the soles of their feet to ward of colds and many other ailments.

But yes, there was a problem with odour and it came to a head at the maternity centre when I had our eldest daughter, the nurses could not believe how after he visited us the odour lingered, and went on to tell him they were worried it would upset the babies on the ward. Obviously he was a little offended, but more embarrassed, even though we had approached the subject before, thank goodness this time it sank in. Now he still uses garlic, but not every day, and happily takes a daily odourless supplement.

To date garlic has under gone many studies and it seems the list of its benefits keeps on increasing. The main reason I have taken garlic for several years now is because of the effect it has on strengthening the body’s immune system.

With all the stress in today’s society our bodies could do with a little help. The antioxidant properties contained in garlic comes from selenium and germanium that are sulphur-containing antioxidants that boost the immune system.

It is this property that helps rid the body of free radicals that are believed to be associated with the ageing process, growth of tumours and atherosclrosis. Garlic in it’s raw state is thought to be one of the most potent boosters of you body’s natural killer cells. This alone should encourage non-garlic lovers to change their minds.

Research has shown that garlic-Allicin is an excellent natural antimicrobial that can disable a wide variety of infectious organisms. These antibiotic properties can provide extremely active against yeast, fungi and viral infections.

Garlic is great for your heart too, as it contains properties that fight bad’ cholesterol. Nowadays we are all aware that HDL- high-density lipoprotein which is not dangerous, but LDL – low-density lipoprotein definitely is because of the fact that it can be oxidised by dangerous free radicals. Garlic’s antioxidising qualities help diminish the free radical damage.

Garlic is a natural aspirin as it can help prevent red blood cells from clumping together. Garlic naturally keeps the blood thin which is necessary for the prevention of strokes and heart attacks, so people who regularly take garlic benefit from the same aspects as aspirin but without other risks associated with it, but it should not be taken in place of prescribed medication.

Garlic is also beneficial for the cardiovascular system – circulation, and has been proven to improve circulation in the body’s peripheries, which is extremely helpful especially in the aged, when getting enough exercise is often difficult.

Studies are also being undertaken to find the effect garlic has on cancer cells, and to date the findings carried out on mice are looking good. This is really encouraging.

I hope if you are not a lover of garlic this has given a good insight into the benefits of eating garlic or at least taking a supplement. Not only will your health benefit, but you will also have the added benefit of knowing you are safe from vampires!!

Garlic has been written about throughout history. 22 Egyptian remedies using garlic were found on papyrus dating back to the sixteenth century BC. Vikings would not take to long sea voyages without garlic, because of its anti-bacterial properties, this was also the reason it was used against the plague in the 1770′s. African missionaries found that garlic was successful at stopping dysentery.

In fact my granddad grew garlic, and he used to use old cloves steeped in water to cleanse his lean-to come greenhouse, he would fervently swear that it killed mildew and other infections, and apparently having been his grandfather that passed this down to his father, was obviously well thought of for its antibacterial properties.

In our modern hi-tech world we now live in, we have all but forgotten natures own natural problem beaters and these are often absolutely harmless, with no man made chemicals to endanger the environment. Perhaps we should look closer at what our ancestors knew and we seem to have forgotten.

Good food is good health

Sandra & Ted
http://www.goodfoodgoodhealth.com

http://www.thetalkingbooksite.com

http://www.quantum-mind-power.com

Good Food Good Health- Fibre

Hello everyone

Most of us know the importance of eating enough fibre daily in our diet and that a good varied balanced diet is essential – good food for good health, to keep us feeling on top of the world.

But alas, for a lot of people at this time of year it is easy to comfort eat, reaching for quick fixes that do not fulfil us for long and that often have high sugary and fat content. So if you need to snack why not try a healthy flapjack instead of crisps and chocolate, as

oats are a great way to include fibre in your diet.

Foods containing fibre release their sugars far more slowly than refined foods, therefore curbing the appetite much better with a fuller feeling for longer and in so helping control blood sugar levels.

Because of fibres excellent ‘filling’ properties it is helpful for people trying to lose weight or calorie count.

There are no recommended daily amounts (RDA) of fibre, but we should all aim to eat 25 – 30grams every day.

I adore porridge and always start the day with a bowl and is quite a family favourite, especially now you can buy a variety with maple flavoured sultanas, dates and pecans – it has been known that I have tucked into another bowl during the evening!

Fibre is essential to our digestive health and system by aiding digestion, it is important in helping escort ‘waste’ from the gut out of the body, also it can help reduce cholesterol levels which is good for improving cardiovascular health.

Research has shown that by eating a fibre rich diet can reduce the risk of bowel cancer by up to 40 per cent, which is a sizeable reduction. My father died from bowel cancer, and in fact had the disease twice, luckily with a 17-year remission in between.

Because of this I ensure my family eats a fibre rich diet. I am assured that bowel cancer is not hereditary but that it can occur in family clusters sometimes, and so am lucky enough to be on a programme where I have a colonoscopy every 5 years due to this, so maintaining a healthy digestive tract is important for all of us.

Fibre comes in two types – soluble and insoluble. The insoluble form contains lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose and is the type most people associate with. Found mainly in pulses and grains and is easily attainable through wholegrain bread and cereals that assist the movement of stools through the digestive tract.

Soluble fibre contains pectin and gums that helps to increase the level and growth of good bacteria in the gut, helps to lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar levels. Found in many fruits such as oranges, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, apples, pears, blackberries etc.

Eating a healthy fibre rich diet is good for anyone wanting to lose weight, as they are generally lower in fat and good sources of other nutrients, and fill us for longer. Whole grain foods are also packed in iron and vitamin B.

By making sure you are eating at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables is a great way to increase your intake. Other easy changes to your diet can be made to include more fibre by eating brown rice, wholemeal pasta, baked potato and apples with skin.

Baked beans are an excellent choice as only 150 grams contains 10g.

Nuts are often overlooked for fibre, but a handful gives a generous amount – 6 walnuts about 2g, 10 hazelnuts – 2g, peanuts, almonds and Brazil are also a good source.

A tablespoon of raisins has 2g, so added to cereal will help boost your intake, a 200ml glass of orange juice contains 0.6g whereas a large orange has 2g.

Vegetables also contain a good source of fibre including broccoli, beans, spinach, kale, Brussel sprouts and Swiss chard.

Many people find that by suddenly increasing the intake can cause excessive wind and bloating to occur, so by gradually adding it to your diet can help stop this.

Any one who suffers from constipation should eat a fibre rich diet as this can alleviate it, but what is equally important is drinking plenty of fluid as this enables the fibre to work.

Remember eating good food gives you good health

Sandra & Ted

http://www.goodfoodgoodhealth.com

http://www.thetalkingbooksite.com

http://www.quantum-mind-power.com

Good Food Good Health- Soy

Hello everyone.

In today’s society for one reason or another we are all constantly aware of body weight, and often succumb to peer and media pressure to conform to certain dietary expectations. Not only this, but certain foods are often labelled as ‘health foods’ – rightly or wrongly, and consumption of these are elevated to the point that they can actually do more harm than good.

As you know our slogan ‘good food good health’ is to try and get everybody to eat a varied and balanced diet, nothing in small doses occasionally will hurt you, but to eat the same food types all the time can cause an unbalance in nutrients and absorption of crucial elements needed for healthy support of our body.

Soy is classed, and especially by vegetarians as a ‘health food’, but there are many reasons that caution should be used when eating large amounts of the products. While fermented dark soy sauce has high antioxidant properties which we know is good for us – and these out weigh vitamin C and red wine, lesser known is that the beans are high in phytic acid which impedes absorption of key minerals.

Two members of my family were and are on long-term diet plans including my mother and have used the reputable company Slimming World, where healthy balanced varied diets are used. The diet plan consists of red and green days, meat being only eaten on a red day.

This had worked well with weight loss, but mum who has suffered from hypothyroidism for over 25 years had been using tofu and soy products regularly to make up some of the ‘meat’ on red days and also using it on green days as it is meat free, began feeling less than her usual bubbly self. It took her and her GP many weeks before cutting out soy and realising this was what was interfering with her thyroid hormone utilization.

Apparently, this problem in not only limited to people with thyroid conditions, people with normal functioning thyroid glands can be affected also if their consumption of soy is high.

Soy phytoestrogens are the problem in these cases as they are potent antithyroid agents, leading to hypothyroidism and also it is thought might cause thyroid cancer. Autoimmune thyroid disease has been linked with infants through consumption of soy formula.

Also these phytoestrogens have the potential to cause infertility, and are known to disrupt healthy endocrine functions and are linked with promoting breast cancer.

Antinutrients contained in soybeans can inhibit enzymes that digest proteins and curb amino acid uptake, although in tofu and bean curd the enzyme inhibitors are reduced.

Many people say they never eat soy, but if they checked the labels on foods they have in their kitchen cupboards would be quite surprised, many foods especially processed contain soy protein isolate, bean oil, flour or soy lecithin and are included in products such as sweets, bread, sausages and cereals to name but a few.

Soybeans are high in phytic acid as I mentioned earlier, and this organic acid reduces absorption of key minerals – magnesium, zinc, calcium and iron. Growth problems in children have been caused by diets high in phytates.

Soybeans phytic acid content is not reduced by normal cooking means – soaking and slow cooking for long periods, only by a fermentation process.

By eating soy regularly it increases the body’s vitamin D requirement and also vitamin B 12, as B 12 analogs are not absorbed in soy.

Worryingly aluminium that is toxic to the kidneys and nervous system, has been found in soybeans in fairly high levels.

As you can see there are many reasons that caution should be heeded when eating soy as a health food, and when it is substituted for dairy products and meat regularly, mineral deficiencies can happen and so a good supplement can help to maintain a healthy balance.

On the plus side, fermented soy products provide nutrients that the body can easily absorb such as Natto, Tempeh and Miso. Soy sauce has been found to have a preventative aspect that has shown to slow down neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases.

Soy protein has been shown to aid the lowering of blood cholesterol, and this works significantly and more effective with people who have very high cholesterol levels, in respect to those who had not substituted animal proteins for soy proteins.

People that incorporate soy products regularly into their diet have been shown to live healthier lives, as generally these people are aware of the diet they are eating, and it is often much more varied and balanced good food.

Soybeans are naturally rich in phosophatidycholine that give an efficient system of nutrient delivery and is also an important component of cell membranes for good health.

As for soy and weight loss or fat burning, no conclusive evidence is available to say that soy products actually maximize this, even though the proteins themselves contain the properties of fat and water absorption, aeration, emulsification and imparting of texture.

Solubility and dissociation of soy globulins and proteins is affected greatly by salt content and the ph of the solution, and these proteins perform best where acids and salts are present causing a ‘sponge’ like action.

This action of the polysaccharides may and can only occur as fast as other metabolic processes. It is therefore true that soy products can absorb up to four times their weight in water, but as for fat loss there is no conclusive proof that soy products can produce this. It can be effective as a supplement in helping with fat loss and toning of the body when used in conjunction with exercise and a healthy diet regime.

So as with any diet program we should all take care to eat good food for good health and use supplements to maximise health benefits and to counteract any deficiencies.

Soy can be a healthy option especially when consumed in moderation. Please leave a comment so we can help you to help yourself.

So remember good food is good health.

Sandra & Ted

http://www.goodfoodgoodhealth.com

http://www.thetalkingbooksite.com

http://www.quantum-mind-power.com