Just for the Health of It – August 2012

| August 13, 2012

Losing the Last 5-10 Pounds

Drink a Cranberry Fat Flush daily. 1 Cup of unsweetened cranberry juice plus 2 TBSP of ground flaxseed and enough water to fill a 1 liter bottle. Shake well before drinking each time. It’s a little like drinking slightly sour water, but drink one liter each day for a week and it really helps to flush fat.

 

Sour News About Sweet Drinks

Drinking sodas and other sugar-sweetened beverages may increase a woman’s risk of heart disease and diabetes, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2011. Middle-aged and older women that drank two or more such drinks per day were nearly four times as likely to develop high triglycerides and significantly more likely to develop impaired fasting glucose levels, plus increase their waist size. The study also noted that risk factors for heart disease and stroke developed even when the women didn’t gain weight.

 

Easy Single Serve Mac and Cheese Recipe

Get both the convenience of the boxed stuff and the satisfaction of homemade with this 10 minute dinner. Combine ½ cup macaroni pasta, ½ cup water, and ½ tsp. salt in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 2 minute intervals, stirring between each, until pasta is al dente, 6 to 8 minutes. (Add 2 tbs. water, if needed, to fully cook pasta.) Stir in ¼ cup milk and ¼ to ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese. Microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until the cheese melts into a rich sauce.  For variety, add diced veggies, meat, or spices to make this mac your own.

 

Cancer Prevention in a Spice

This year, an estimated 52,610 people (38,380 men and 14,230 women) will develop cancer in the head and neck, leading to an estimated 11,500 deaths (or just under 22 percent), according to statistics adapted from the American Cancer Society’s publication, Cancer Facts & Figures 2012. New hope may lie in an ancient spice. A pilot study conducted at the university of California-Los Angeles Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has shown that eating curcumin, the main component in the spice turmeric, works to suppress a cell-signaling pathway that spurs the growth of malignancies in the head and neck. Further, Curcumin reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines (naturally occurring regulatory proteins) within saliva. Turmeric is widely used in South Asian and Middle Eastern Cooking (curry, for example), and has been long valued for its anti-inflammatory properties, In India, women have used it for centuries as an anti-aging agent rubbed into the skin, as a poultice to promote wound healing and as a treatment for menstrual cramps.

 

On a Budget Popcorn

No need to buy pricey (and preservative-filled) bags of microwave popcorn when you can make your own. Add about ¼ cup kernels to a large microwave-safe bowl and set a plate slightly askew on top. Or fill a brown paper bag with about ¼ cup of kernels and fold the top of the bag over a couple of times. Microwave for 2 to 3 minutes or until most of the kernels have popped. Remove and sprinkle as desired with butter, salt, and other toppings to your liking!

 

Wondrous Watermelon

On a hot summer day, a cool, juicy slice of watermelon offers enticing refreshment. The treat offers surprising health benefits too – it may help keep weight off and arteries clear, according to a recent study involving mice with high cholesterol by University of Kentucky researchers. One group sipped watermelon juice; the control group, water. After eight weeks, the mice that imbibed the juice had a lower body weight due to a decrease in fast mass; lean muscle mass was unaffected. These same mice also experienced reduced atherosclerotic lesions – associated with hardening of the arteries – and lower concentrations of cholesterol in their blood.  “This pilot study has found…interesting health benefits in the mouse model of atherosclerosis,” says lead investigator Dr. Sibu Saha, a cardiothoracic surgeon. “Our ultimate goal is to identify bioactive compounds that would improve human health.”

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