Protect Your Body

I’ve gone through a lot of articles over recent weeks, looking at foods to boost your brain and memory, ways to cut your stroke risk and protecting your heart. The latter being an essential topic, especially coming to the 5^th anniversary of my dad’s sudden death from a heart attack. All of the foods listed have numerous essential health benefits, and should be a key part of everybody’s diet.

FOODS TO BOOST YOUR BRAIN AND MEMORY

ONIONS – Keep your brain fresh; researchers in Japan say their sulphur compounds neutralise toxins which limit cognitive function.

RED CABBAGE – Boost your memory; studies completed on a number of people found that 100g significantly raised brain-boosting anthocyanins.

KIDNEY BEANS – These offer a great combination of inositol and choline, B vitamins which work together to aid the functioning of brain cells.

SARDINES – High in vitamin D; studies done at the University of Manchester found that vitamin D aids memory by protecting key brain pathways. 

CUT YOUR RISK OF STROKE

Here, I’ve listed 3 quick tips to help cut your risk of strokes. Start today, and protect your life, it’s precious!

1. 27% reduction in your risk of stroke if you swap red meat for chicken.

2. Cut your risk of strokes by eating white-flesh fruits or vegetables, such as apples, bananas and cauliflower. Studies completed in Holland found that one portion of any of these a day, can reduce stroke risk by a massive 52%.

Further studies were to be carried out to establish exactly what causes this highly positive effect.

3. Drinking coke on a regular basis significantly increases your risk of stroke say the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

PROTECTING YOUR HEART

As I mentioned above, this topic has significant importance to me, as my dad died of a sudden heart attack in 2008, and over the years I’ve wanted to pass on vital tips and information to protect your heart. It’s in our own hands, but more teaching is required, and hopefully that’s what I will do.

So, firstly I have a recipe for a smoothie which sports nutritionist Matt Lovell says will strengthen your heart due to its perfect blend of sodium, potassium and good fats.

Ingredients;

- 1 Banana

- 150g Raspberries

- 1tbsp Peanut Butter

- 120ml Low Fat Chocolate Frozen Milk

- 240ml Fresh, Semi-Skimmed Milk

Just add it all to your blender and blend until smooth, then enjoy! 

Quick Tip; Men who drink 5 glasses of water each day have a 54% lower risk of heart disease, says the American Journal of Epidermiology.

That’s all from my latest post, I hope you enjoyed it and learnt something new. Please check back regularly for more posts on living a healthy lifestyle. Thank you for visiting.

Health Benefits of SPINACH

Find some great recipes that include spinach here;  http://www.menshealth.co.uk/search-results/?q=spinach and please check back soon for more great tips and advice to lead a healthy lifestyle. Thank you for checking my blog.

Worlds Healthiest Food & Drinks

In this post I've got a number of different food and drink items which can help protect your body in many different ways, including keeping your eyes healthy, protecting yourself from skin cancer, reducing cholesterol and your risk of heart attacks, plus more. 

We'll start with the food items I've looked into, and first the huge benefits of eating KIDNEY BEANS. These beans not only help with muscle-building, but can also ensure you keep your EYESIGHT in tip-top condition. This is due to their high levels of fatty acid DHA which is essential for eye health. Studies from Harvard Medical School found that, consuming high levels of it can mean a 43% lower risk of macular degeneration. 
And still on kidney beans.....Studies have shown that eating regularly, they can reduce your risk of BOWEL CANCER by 33%. A chilli a couple of times a week should be enough to get the benefits.

Guard yourself against PROSTATE CANCER by eating TOMATOES, which are rich in cancer-beating lycopene. Added in a simple salad everyday is the best way to get your regular intake. 

Now, we all know that fruit has its benefits, but which are the best, which should you pick next time you're out shopping......Here's a couple to look out for and bring home........firstly FIGS. One of these a day can reduce your risk of developing CANCER and DIABETES. Plus they're high in CALCIUM to help keep bones strong. 
The other fruit to go for is DRIED APRICOTS. Not only do they fend off AGEING, and keep teeth and bones healthy, but they can protect against CANCER too!! Loads of benefits to make this fruit a must-have everyday. Add a few to your cereal in a morning.

That's it for the foods for this post, so on we go with the couple of drinks essential for a healthy lifestyle, plus the benefits they can bring to your body....

Drinking 3 cups of COFFEE a day is said to reduce your risk of SKIN CANCER by up to 20%. But don't drink more than that, just stick to 3 cups, and make sure you get enough water on-board each day. Also, when having your first coffee of a morning, wait 30 minutes after your breakfast. Caffeine interferes with your body's ability to absorb IRON and can decrease the amount you intake by a massive 73%.

And back onto your EYESIGHT, and, according to the Journal of Neuroscience, a glass of ORANGE JUICE per day improves and preserves eyesight. Also high in vitamin C for healthy bones. Enjoy a 200 ml glass each morning with your breakfast.

If you're dehydrated during exercise you can drop 30% in STRENGTH. If you want to start seeing the benefits, start drinking 500 ml of WATER per 30 minutes of exercise say Alabama A and M and Auburn Universities. 

For now that's all I have on the healthy food and drinks. I hope you enjoyed reading and learnt something new to help you. Please share my posts where you can, and keep checking back for more. Thank you for visiting.

Cancer Beating Food....

Well, I finally have working internet connection after a couple of months wait. And, after a few weeks break I've had myself due to work commitments, I can get posting once again. 
Today I've posted a couple of random, but vital, health facts in a very short, but essential blog post, including foods to enjoy, how to protect your heart and advice to lower cholesterol....

LOWER CHOLESTEROL AND BETTER YOUR DIGESTION

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 80% of heart disease may be preventable, and with a few tips and little changes, you can massively increase your heart health; lowering cholesterol, a balanced varied diet and exercise. Here's a few tips to get you started....... 

ARTICHOKES are rich in the phenolic compound CYNARIN, which reduces cholesterol, for a healthier heart and better digestion, according to the Atherosclerosis Journal. 

Increase the digestion of KEY NUTRIENTS by 33%, if you eat PINEAPPLE on a regular basis.

When choosing your EGGS in the supermarket, go for LARGE ones, which are said to contain 14% less CHOLESTEROL, and 64% more VITAMIN D, compared with large eggs tested in 2002 (UD Department of Agriculture).


FOODS TO BEAT CANCER

A study from the Journal of the American Medical Association found that, if you increase your intake of SELENIUM, of which you get 20% of your RDA with your EGGS in a morning, it can clear cancer-causing free radicals, in-turn, halving your risk of dying from cancer!

Enjoy a handful of WALNUTS each day to cut your risk of PROSTATE CANCER. A study done by scientists at UC Davis and the US Department of Agriculture Research Centre in California, say they lower blood levels of insulin-like growth factor, a protein which is associated with the disease. 


More posts will be added in the coming weeks now I have the internet up and running properly. I hope you enjoy today's tips and find them useful, thank you for taking the time to read. If you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to contact me.

Why No Blog Posts?

Hi, just wanted to let you know that I am currently having internet connection issues, and this is the reason I haven't been able to post anything recently. I am awaiting a new router and will be up and running very soon. I do apologise, and please check back soon when I am posting again, regularly. I am hoping this will be within the next 1-2 weeks, thanks for your patience. 

Quick-Fire Health Tips

This blog post is very short, and is just made-up of a few health facts based on some of my research over the last few days. Included there's a couple of healthy foods, weight-loss tips and keeping arthritis at bay. I hope you enjoy the read, and please visit my blog regularly and share where you can. Thank you for reading.

So, onto the quick-fire health tips....

1. Have a cup of ginger tea before your workout to reduce post-workout muscle pain by 25% 



2. Choose chocolate with 72% + cocoa content to help lower blood pressure - Buy chocolate pictured from http://www.ecogreenstore.co.uk/plamil-no-added-sugar-chocolate-bar-72-cocoa-100g-p-3478.html?zenid=25d77eeecf556a1941e393ec0c475b8a&gclid=CP3SmPmTo7kCFQ_LtAodfQwAaQ

3. Avoid arthritis in later life by eating cherries. These contain a high amount of anthocyonin, which is a compound that reduces inflammation in your joints and muscles 


4. Reduce your risk of a heart attack by always allowing yourself to get a solid 7 hours sleep, every night 

5. 1000mg of calcium a day can aid in weight-loss. Try adding these non-dairy calcium-packed foods within your weight-loss meal plan; Baked Beans, Black-Eyed Peas, Kale and Tinned Salmon


Thank you for reading and I hope you've learnt something worthwhile in this post. Please check back soon and follow my blog, and me @JamesHarvey87 on Twitter.

More Cancer Fighting Tips!

Again today the main focus is going to be on foods and exercise which are proven to be great at fighting cancer. There will be other posts on different topics, but this being a deadly disease which is claiming thousands of lives every year around the UK alone. We need to help each other and share any vital information we have, which is why I am here.

So, onto the different foods and exercise. I have listed 4 key points, here they are;

• Scientists at Sheffield Hallam University have found that baking British garden rhubarb for 20 minutes can dramatically increase its levels of anti-cancerous chemicals. The rhubarb itself contains high levels of polyphenols which are fast becoming cancer's worst enemy as a non-toxic alternative to standard treatments. 

• There's 40% decrease in the chances of you dying from ALL major diseases, if you run regularly, according to scientists at Stanford University in California. Regular running primes your body to avoid the onset of cancers, neurological diseases, infections and other major causes of death. The scientists also published a companion paper showing running wasn't a cause of osteoporosis in later life too. 

• Adding Rosemary to your Sunday Roast Beef can reduce your risk of cancer-causing heterocyclic omines (HCA's), formed during cooking. A study in the "Journal of Food Science" found that this herb was a tasty method of stopping the compound's formation. 
  
  
  

• Researchers at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania found that, not only being a great low-calorie alternative to crisps, popcorn will reduce your risk of developing cancer. Dr Joe Vinson, the study leader, explained that it was due to the popcorns surprisingly high levels of polyphenols, which are antioxidants that are a key part in fighting tumours.

And that's it on the blog post today. Again, more essential health advice to fight off cancer. Please share my posts on Twitter and Google + when you get chance, it's much appreciated. Thank you for reading my post and please check back regularly.

Fight Heart Disease and Cancer!!

Good day to everybody, and thank you for taking the time to read my blog post. Today I’ve got a few more vital health tips to help you fight against Heart Disease and Cancer, and in general to lead a healthier life.

So, onto the important facts……

1. Do you enjoy a little spice in your life? If so, you should be using Tabasco, and if not, you need to start now. Adding this hot sauce to meals can significantly reduce your risk of colon cancer, say scientists at Hannam University.

Hot chillies are said to attack the development of the disease in your body, thanks to capsaicin, which is the compound that makes chillies spicy. 

Continuing on the spice theme, we move onto the Mexican spice mix, Ras el Hanout (pronounced, Raz-el-Han-Oot). Add this to your dishes to massively reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer. When added to meat, it reduces the compounds that contribute to heart disease and cancer by as much as 71%!!! – Source; American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

2. Keeping vitamin supplements in your fridge will dramatically decrease your risk of heart disease, as well as fend off most regular ailments.

Researchers at Purdue University found that the high humidity in a kitchen cupboard reduces their usage to the point of rendering them useless.

Study Author Dr Lisa Mauer says “The moisture from the heat breaks down nutrients”

So, there you have it. I always used to keep my supplements in the kitchen cupboard, knowing full-well it was very humid, and there was a chance the supplements could have been affected. Not any more though, knowing the full facts and benefits.

3. If you’re looking to lower cholesterol, try having oatcakes for breakfast or snacks. These fibre-rich oats help lower levels of your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and reduce your risk of heart disease. 4 oatcakes accounts for 25% of you Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of fibre.

 

4. Now we all like a bit of chocolate every now and then, and now there’s reason to enjoy some, without feeling guilty for days after. Try Divine Dark Chocolate with Ginger and Orange, to help fight against tumours. The dark chocolate contains high levels of antioxidants, helping your body to fight free-radical damage. (Souce; Julie Pech, Author of “The Chocolate Therapist: A User’s Guide to the Health Benefits of Chocolate) – Buy your from divinechocolate.com

Another Author, Paul Young, says “Melt 30g into milk for a spicy hot chocolate”. The calcium will help protect against colorectal cancer, according to studies by the American Institute for Cancer Research. 

And for now, that’s all on another post about fighting cancer and heart disease. Please share this information about, and leave any feedback you may have. I hope you’ve learnt something new today, please do check back regularly, thank you for taking the time to read my posts.

Food For Thought

In this post I have put together a couple of bits of health information on foods, including the perfect lunchtime sandwich which can help fight against cancer, build muscle, boost energy levels and more. 

Nutrition-Packed Sandwich

If you're looking for a nutrition-packed, protein-filled sandwich, to help build muscle then I have the perfect ingredients for you to succeed. As well as helping build muscle due to its high protein content, the ingredients can help fight cancer, fortify bones and boost energy levels.

So, the ingredients, and their benefits....

Rye Bread - Fight Cancer - Rye grains contain molecules with a large water-binding capacity, which swells in your stomach, so you're fuller for longer. Rye is also low GI for sustained energy.

Rye Bread

According to studies, choosing breads with more than 51% whole grains, can reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. 

Pastrami - Build Muscle - High in sodium nitrate which aids muscle recovery. This is done by relaxing arteries so more blood and oxygen can flow through. A few slices of pastrami contains 15g of protein and less than 2g of fat.

Sauerkraut - Boosts Energy Levels - This fermented cabbage is packed with disease-fighting nutrients. It also aids digestion by increasing the good bacteria in your stomach.

Swiss Cheese - Fortifying Bones - Contains 30% of your Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of calcium. It is also rich in tryptophon which is said to help you reach a deep sleep. The high protein content is also great for improving muscle strength.

As well as having essential health benefits, it's also a delicious light-lunch, easy to make, and easily transported to work, gym, football, or absolutely anywhere, so no excuses, why not try it out?

Post Workout Pain Relief

Post Workout Pain Relief

Here I have listed a couple of natural way to take away the pain after a tough workout! Don’t go for the medicine cupboard and take pills, try these 3 naturals instead!

For tired muscles, go for ice and heat. According to studies at the Australian Institute of Sport, putting muscles in hot, then cold conditions enhances recovery. For a simple way of doing this just grab an ice pack(or a bag of frozen peas will do) and press against the sore muscle for 60 seconds, then place in hot water for a further 60 seconds. Alternate this for 5-10 minutes.

For Pain Relief, instead of taking pain killers, try Brazilian Tea! Like ibuprofen, Brazilian Tea has shown to reduce pain and swelling according to researchers at Newcastle University. So go switch the kettle on and put your feet up!

For Joint Ache, get your intake of turmeric extract! Turmeric (pictured left) can stop cartilage from breaking down and, according to researchers at the University of Arizona it can also reduce pain and swelling! Buy turmeric tablets from revital.co.uk

And there you have it, 3 great ways to ease the pain and all done without the need of pills! Let me know how you get on when trying these out. Thanks for reading, and please check my other blog posts.

3 Essential Health Facts You Need To Know

3 Essential Health Facts You Need To Know

Here I have listed just 3 essential health facts to help burn more calories, rid aching joints, and beat prostate cancer. Great information for leading a healthy lifestyle. Why not start today?

1. You can burn an extra 11% of calories when completing fast reps when working out, opposed to normal speed reps with the same size weight!

2. Take 2-3 turmeric tablets a day to get rid of those aching joints. Get yours from revital.co.uk

3. Enjoy sardines to keep your sperm healthy and reduce your risk of prostate cancer. 100g of these supply 70% of your RDA of Selenium.

And there you have it, just a brief blog, with 3 vital facts about health and fitness. Please check back regularly for more health and fitness advice, healthy foods, muscle-building tips and more. Thank you for reading.

Healthy Eating For Kids

Healthy Eating; Starting Young!

Good nutrition doesn't have to be complicated – for most children, and parents too! it boils down to eating more fruit & veg and eating less junk food.

By encouraging good eating habits in our children from an early age we can help to prevent health problems in later life, such as:

Overweight and obesity

Heart disease & stroke

Type 2 diabetes

Cancers

You might think that these illnesses strike later in life – and you’d be right – but they take a lifetime to develop and have their roots in childhood. By helping our kids to eat right from an early age, we can help them to avoid these illnesses in the future. It is up to you as a parent to help your children get the healthy diet, as they don't have the capability of making the correct decision when it comes to healthy eating. Children follow trends and what their friends are having, so start your children trending fresh fruit and vegetables now!

Eat More Fruit & Veg

Eating fruit and vegetables every day is vital for good health. Worryingly, most children (and most adults!) do not eat enough of these essential foods.

Reports from the World Health Organisation (WHO) reckon that up to 2.7 million lives worldwide could be saved every year if we simply ate more fruit and vegetables.

Experts recommend that we eat 5-10 portions of fruit and vegetables per day – where a portion is roughly a handful. So in the case of a small child, a small apple or a handful of chopped carrots would count as a single portion. It’s easy to get these vital fruit and vegetables into a daily habit, by having fruit on cereals, making home-made soups and stews and as snacks in general.

So start getting the healthy eating habit into your child from as early an age as possible. And encourage cooking and baking with your children; this will help them gain more knowledge of foods and health, and will help them try more variety of foods. Healthy foods can be tasty foods!

3 Incentives To Lose Weight and Gain Years

Despite the vast amounts of advice in the world, most of us continue to put our lives in danger through unhealthy eating and lack of physical exercise! So why do we make ourselves so unhealthy and continue to ignore the advice of the so-called 'experts'!

Now's the time to start paying attention, do something about your health, and even add years to your life! No excuses! Below, I've listed a couple of tips to get you started.....

1. Studies from the Journal of American College of Cardiology shows that if your body mass index(BMI) is between 25-30, you’re more likely to suffer your first heart attack 3 and a half years earlier!

Now you know, go do something about it!

2. Men over 25 years of age, who cut their calorie intake by at least 15%, or 300 calories, increased their average life expectancy by a huge 4.5 years. This information is sourced by St Louis University.

3. And finally, the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism say that losing 13.5kg, if your overweight, can raise your testosterone to the level of a man 10 years younger!

Surely that's reason enough to lose that unwanted gut!!

So there it is, just a couple of tips to give you the push you need to lose weight, and even gain years on your life! Please check my other blog posts on healthy eating, beating cancers, lowering cholesterol and much more. Thank you for reading my post.

Health Benefits.......Food and Drinks

Health Benefits.......Food and Drinks

My latest blog will have a look at a couple of healthy foods and drinks, and their benefits, which include fighting against cancer, keeping your eyes healthy, and more. Please check out my other Health and Fitness blog posts coming soon, and let me know what you think and any recommendations.

Firstly a look at beetroot, as I've found a few health benefits to this particular vegetable. Now I've never tried this myself, as I'm not a fan of beetroot, but drinking BEETROOT JUICE is said to boost your stamina. This stuff is high in nitrate, which widens blood vessels, optimising oxygen intake for extra energy levels. Great for football, weight training, the lot! Also, scientists from Mid Sweden University found that drinking 700ml of beetroot juice can enable you to hold your breath for 11% longer; especially great if you're a swimmer.
And, if that wasn't enough, scientists at Wake Forest University in North Carolina say that eating just one beetroot a day can help fight Alzheimer's due to its high levels of nitrates (your mouth bacteria then turns it into nitrites). In-turn, the chemicals dilate your blood vessels, increasing flow and oxygen delivery. 

 If you’re serious about fighting against getting cancer then I highly recommend a regular intake of BROCCOLI each week. I’m not the biggest fan of broccoli either, or vegetables in general, but chopping them finely and adding them to soups, stews and much more, is a simple and effective way of beating this, and is also a good way of getting your children eating them, starting them off early. Oregan State University research has shown that the chemical Sulforphane, found in broccoli, attacks cancer cells while ignoring the healthy ones! Perfect combination!

PEANUT BUTTER regenerates your liver! So it's not just a great muscle-gaining aid then! Research done by the University of Virginia found the effects of liver damage can be reversed by eating foods rich in vitamin E, as they help block the RSK proteins that cause cirrhosis. Peanut butter is said to be one of the best sources, so stock your cupboards now!

And next we move onto antioxidants, and the best foods to find them in....

Red Kidney Beans – Studies have shown that these help to reduce cholesterol levels. Also high in the fatty acid DHA, essential for eye health.

·        
Cranberries  – These are said to fight against tooth decay.

·        
Pecans – Eating these can delay age-related Motor Neuron Degeneration.

·        
Wild Blueberries – These little beauties can help you in your weight-loss goals as they’re said to reduce stomach fat.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog posts, please check back regularly for more information, tips and advice. Also please check my other blog on Horse Racing, and if you want to contact me, please feel free.

2 Food Choice Questions Answered

2 Food Choice Questions Answered

Here I have another short blog answering a 2 questions I have been asked myself plenty of times, as well as seeing them in various magazines and websites. Everyday we struggle in supermarkets, picking which product is best for our needs, but you can't always get a direct answer from any packaging, especially if you don't know what you're looking for. Below I have answered a couple of questions which will hopefully give you useful information for making an informative decision. I will post more Question and Answer blogs over the coming months. If you have any of your own questions, please contact me.

So here we go, the first question I'll be answering today is one asked quite frequently.

Q. Is chicken a better choice than beef? 

A. All in all the answer is not about whether chicken is a healthier choice than beef is, it’s all about how the animal has been raised. Free-range chicken is extremely healthy! The cheaper version has 266% more fat than it did in 1971 according to studies from the Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition! Again with beef, grass-fed is better than grain-fed, with 27% less fat and 10% more protein. It’s important when shopping to check different products and their nutritional information. You will find the healthier more expensive!

And the second question is;

Q. 'Is brown rice a lot healthier than white rice?' 

A. It sure is! The extra fibre content ensures you feel fuller for longer. But if this fibre is removed (as with white rice), rising blood sugar triggers a flood of insulin from the pancreas, which encourages the body to store fat. Studies showed that people eating whole grains lost 2.4 times more fat!

I hope these questions and answers were helpful and please leave comments and check back soon for more blogs. If you have any particular questions you want answering, please contact me @JamesHarvey87 or in comments box. I will try my best to get an accurate answer were I don't know myself, and will do my best to answer all questions, either in a blog, or personally.

Gain Extra Muscle and Strength

Gain Extra Muscle and Strength

This short Blog post will give you some great advice on foods and drinks to help gain that extra muscle and strength. Also please keep a look out for future Blog posts on health and fitness advice coming up in the next days and weeks. I used to Blog from http://exerciseandhealth-harvey1234j.blogspot.co.uk/ but after a year or so out, I am back at this new address. 

Now onto the Blog post, enjoy......

Watermelon makes you stronger.....

Recent studies have shown that an amino acid found in watermelon has the potential to boost the amount of weight you can handle and add more reps to your workouts. The acid, known as Citrulline malate, buffers muscle fatigue if you consume it daily.

Protein Shakes add years on your life..... 

Now there's even more reason to enjoy your protein shakes before and after workouts, and as mid-day snacks.

Scientific studies have shown that consuming amino acids, the building blocks of protein, can increase your lifespan by up to 12%. The amino acids digested when you drink one protein shake a day increase activation of the mitochondria in cells, which in turn, slow down the ageing process.

Muscle-Building Tip.....

Studies carried out at the University of Wisconsin, found you lift faster in the evening, which increases muscle growth overnight, so keep your workouts for later in the day, and enjoy some light jogging or walking in the mornings.

Also, 20 minutes after your workout enjoy a bowl of Shreddies. Research from the university of Texas showed them to cause a 17% boost in the muscle-building process.

Build an impressive chest by doing crossover cables. This exercise will also keep your shoulders and rotator cuffs free from injury, and works your abs. 3 in 1, perfect.

And that's about it for now, with just a couple of quick tips about muscle building and foods. I hope you enjoy and please check my other blog posts, and look out for the ones to come, thanks again.