It's All In The Grape

 

Photo Credit: World Community Cookbook

'For centuries, wine has been credited for a myriad of health benefits, however little is said about primary constituent. Consuming grapes protect against high blood pressure, ultraviolet radiation, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, alzheimer's and even disables viruses. New research shows that grapes may also help protect against organ damage associated with the progression of metabolic syndrome.'

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Suspiciously Sweet: How artificial sweeteners can hinder weight loss

'You may have read my post last week about sugar, its addictive qualities, and its effects on metabolism, entitled, “Spike, Crash and Burn: How Even a Little Sugar Could Be Sabotaging Your Weight Loss and Workouts”.  Blood sugar and its effect on metabolism is an extremely important piece of the weight loss and fitness puzzle.  

As I explained, the spikes and crashes that sugar creates in our bodies can cause our metabolism to go into survival mode.  These energy ups and downs send signals to our body that we don’t have a consistent source of energy to keep us moving.  

The body interprets this is a need to conserve energy, so it begins storing fat instead of burning it.  In this survival mode, we may find ourselves working out regularly and not losing weight at all.

You may be thinking, “No problem, I’ll just replace sugar with artificial sweeteners!”  But, do these products have consequences for our health?  What about our weight loss goals?'

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New Diet Drug Trades Brain Damage for Minimal Weight Loss

How much risk is acceptable in the attempt to lose weight? The FDA seems to believe that there’s virtually no limit, not even a very large risk of brain damage, among many other adverse effects, from the new drug Qsymia.

'The latest entry into the prescription weight-loss drug market,
Qsymia^®, is a combination of two dangerous drugs, one of which, topiramate (Topamax brand name), is known to cause brain damage. Perhaps it’s worth that risk in the population for which it was originally designed: epileptics.

 However, taking topiramate as a diet aid means taking the gamble that a little weight loss won’t also result in nerve damage, vision damage, nervousness, speech damage, inability to concentrate, loss of control over body movements, or any of many other indications of brain damage.'


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Research: Foods/Spices Slow, Perhaps Reverse Alzheimer's

'Back in 2006, a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) found that a class of compounds found within turmeric known as curcuminoids enhance the amyloid-beta uptake of macrophages within Alzheimer’s disease patients. Amyloid-beta (Abeta) plaque is found in unnaturally elevated levels in neurodegenerative disorders such as AD, and is believed to contribute to the underlying disease process.'




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Fad Diets Are Out - Eaters For Health Who Focus On Non-GMO, Organic and Toxic-Free Foods Are In

'A wave of highly informed seekers of clean and healthy food is taking over the information highway and leaving yo-yo and fad dieting methods in the dust. They are representing a new generation of educated consumers who seek not only to maintain a healthy body, but supercharge their longevity and well-being with foods which are free of toxins and genetically modified organisms (GMO).


They do not necessarily fall into any specific category whether vegetarian, fishetarian, vegan, raw or any other known pattern. They're simply interested in eating clean, fresh, unadulterated foods that agree with both their palate and physiology.'


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