September, 2010

Food / Fruit — No Comments
23
Sep 10

The Truth Behind the Chia Seed

The seed that has been getting more attention today is the chia seed, from the species Salvia Hispanica, a species of flowering plant in the mint family. It existence dates back to the ancient times of Mexico when Aztec warriors rely on the seed to sustain them for an entire day, complete with hydrating, endurance and energy components to keep them going. However, the cultivation of chia plants to preserve chia seeds has been dismissed due to religious and agronomic reasons when the conquistadors have arrived to colonize the Aztec empire.

Today, commercial production of the chia is widespread from Mexico to Guatemala, to as far as Bolivia, Ecuador, and Australia. Its rebirth is attributed to the efforts made by University of Arizona professor Dr. Wayne Coates when they began their research in cultivating new crops in Argentina. He co-authored a book with Ricardo Ayerza entitled Chia: Rediscovering a Forgotten Crop of the Aztecs.

Chia has about 16% protein, 31% fat, and 44% carbohydrates (by which about 38% is dietary fiber). Its seeds are very flexible when it comes to storage. As long as it is stored in a dry place, it can be stored for several months to more than a year. It doesn’t go rancid too easily. Even when you grind it, its benefits are still present because of its natural antioxidants.

It is convenient to mix it with fresh fruit juices and as a part of a dish or recipe. It is best consumed uncooked so that its nutrients won’t be affected by heat. The chia doesn’t have a hard seed coat, so grinding the seeds isn’t really necessary at all. You would just have to add or sprinkle the seeds to your salads, sandwich spreads, cereals, or oatmeal.

Both black and white chia seeds are not grown with pesticides. The reason for this is that insects do not like the taste of the seeds.

Nutrition / Supplements — No Comments
23
Sep 10

B Vitamins – Can They Help Depression?

If you are currently experiencing depression, chances are you believe that the culprit is what is going on in your life.  While there is no doubt that dealing with disappointments and excessive stress can lead to feeling down, the truth is that very often it is much more than that.  When your body is not getting the nutrients it needs, it becomes very difficult for you to deal with what is going on around you.  This is why integrative health professionals are now looking at the role of B vitamins in the treatment of anxiety and depression.  It has proven to be effective for everyone, especially vegetarians and vegans who may have a hard time in getting enough B12 in their diets.

Science has recently shown that the levels of B12 in the bloodstream that were once believed to be perfectly acceptable are instead seriously low.  Just a few years ago if you had gone to the doctor and tested as having levels of 200, this would have been fine.  Now we know that when you have blood levels anywhere below 400, you are at great risk of developing vitamin b12 deficiency symptoms.  These symptoms can include depression, anxiety, confusion, and anorexia.  In addition to this, you are also at an increased risk of developing heart disease.  Because of this, most integrative practitioners are now suggesting that we maintain blood levels closer to 800.

James Gordon, MD, a psychiatrist, has said that through his clinical experience he has found that there are many times when simply adding B12 and folate to the nutrient therapy of patients with depression can be enough to significantly impact their symptoms.  Research has backed this up, by showing that patients with low levels of folate, B12 and B6 have a much higher chance of experiencing depression.  The reason for this is that the B vitamins are very important in regulating how our bodies deal with stress through the adrenal response.

Therefore, if you are going through a serious depression you may want to talk to your doctor about supplementing with b vitamins.  B12 shots have helped a lot of people and they could help you!

Drinks / Nutrition — No Comments
21
Sep 10

Understanding Juicing Nutrition

Juicing is one of the best ways to improve your diet and lose weight. When taken consistently over a period of time there are many benefits of juicing, particularly from the value of the nutrients. One of the great advantages of drinking juice is also the variety in the fruits and vegetables available. It’s possible to experiment with endless combinations of fruits, vegetables and other ingredients to ensure your drinks never get boring. You also get the added benefit of different types of juicing nutrition from the various fruits and vegetables.

When juicing it is always preferable to go for fresh fruit and making the juice yourself. There are many reasons for this, with the main two being cost and better quality nutrition. Buying pre-packed juices from the store can be very expensive and is often unnecessary as an electrical juicer can be purchased very cheaply from most electrical stores and produce the same amount of juice in no time.

Secondly, the fresher the fruit the more nutrients in contains and therefore the more beneficial it is to your health. As time goes on the fruit begins to lose its nutritional value, this is caused by a number of factors such as the air and levels of heat. It is ideal to keep the fruit or vegetables refrigerated until they are ready to be made into juice. It is also recommended to drink the juice as soon as it has been made for the optimum benefit, although it is possible to store it in a bottle or air tight container for a couple of days.

So why is nutrition so important? Well, vitamins and minerals are essential for your survival. The human body cannot produce or store most of the vitamins or minerals on its own and therefore needs a regular supply. Being deficient in particular vitamins/minerals causes and imbalance in the body and can lead to many different conditions such as a weakened immune system or poor function of the liver.

Blenders — No Comments
6
Sep 10

Best Juicer – Omega J8003 Review

Fresh fruit and vegetable drinks are great for our health. When we have our own juicing machine we can easily make a couple of these drinks per day. For example a hydrating vitamin boost in the morning and one again in the late afternoon is a great way to provide our body with a wide array of nutrients. Doing so helps us in many different ways. First of all the actual water content of the drinks is beneficial. Since our bodies are made up of so much water, it is essential that we take plenty on board every day. These drinks help us to ward off illness, feel good and look good too.

There are plenty of different styles of juicing appliances too. What is the best juicer? This really depends upon our own specific needs and budget. For example there are citrus presses for people who love fresh orange or grapefruit juice but these cannot be used for any other juicing needs. But I really want to provide an Omega J8003 review today. This is the cheapest Omega masticating juicer. These machines are not really limited to what they can juice. In fact they can even be used to extract the juice from wheat grass. They are very good all round appliances. And the good news is that the Omega J8003 is not too expensive either. Mind you it still costs about $200 so it is not a budget appliance.

The J8003 can be used for much more than just juicing. You can make baby foods, create vegetable sauces and even extrude pasta depending upon which attachments you use on this machine. It is a versatile kitchen appliance. Of course, its primary function is to act as juicer. I like this machine because it can be used to juice continuously as the pulp is ejected out the side rather than being retained within the device.

Blenders — No Comments
1
Sep 10

Omega J8003 Masticating Juicer

There are many different types of juicers being sold these days. For example you can get centrifugal juicers such as the Breville BJE510XL, twin gear juicers like the Green Star GS-1000 and you can also buy an Omega J8003 which is a masticating juicer. They way that these three machines work is quite different but they all have the same goal. That is, to make great tasting fruit and vegetable drinks. There are many different places where you can read juicer reviews and before you make your final purchasing decision, it is a good idea to read a wide range of articles to establish which style of appliance is best for your specific needs. Each type of juicer has its own strengths and weaknesses. In this article I want to talk specifically about the Omega J8003 masticating juicer.

When you look at this machine you will see that its body is white. The J8005 model looks similar except it has a black and chrome body. In fact, this is the only difference between these two machines, apart from the price. The J8005 is about $30 more expensive. So if you are keen to get a good juicer for a lower price, then the J8003 can be seen as a bargain. Masticating juicing appliance can work continuously. They have 3 separate holes. One is on the top, this is where you put in the fruit and vegetables that you want to juice. The hole on the bottom is where the liquid comes out. Then the hole at the side is where the pulp is ejected. This juicer comes with two containers, one for the juice and the other for the pulp. The two choices that you should consider if you want a masticating juicer are Omega and Champion. They are not cheap but they are good quality.