Horse Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire ?

It is Thanksgiving day, once again. Today, family and friends gather to celebrate life and give thanks to God for all his blessings. It is also a day for roasting chestnuts....but, not horse chestnuts.
Horse chestnut seed extract(HCSE) has been proven to help chronic venous insufficiency. This condition can cause: leg swelling
varicose veins
leg pain
itchy legs
and ... skin ulcers.
However, the flower, branch bark and leaf are toxic.
Horse chestnut extract can be purchased in health food stores.
So, during this Holiday season. if you are experiencing leg problems; horse chestnut may be the answer. Siting by the open fire, roasting chestnuts, may not be good for your circulation. Get up, move around, and think about purchasing some of this wonderful seed extract. Then, sit down and enjoy some roasted chestnuts. By the way, if you are not familiar with roasting these tasty nuts, all you have to do is to clean them off...slit the shell in an X pattern....preheat the oven to 425 degrees .....and roast for 20 to 30 minutes. Don't forget to slit the shell, or the nuts will explode and shoot around the open like bullets.
Have a Great Holiday Season !!

Reference:

www.enotalone.com/article/9219.html

The Seven Bad Foods

Did you know that some foods are considered bad for you, when in reality they have nutritional value ? Learn more about the Seven Bad Foods. sevenbadfoods

Avocados and Your Health

Avocados have a bad reputation. They are listed among the Seven Bad Foods that people try to avoid. This list includes coffee, grape juice and 4 others. But, in actuality, avocados are good for you.
Avocados have a bad rep because they contain cholesterol. The fact of the matter is that dietary cholesterol does not increase cholesterol levels in the blood. Saturated fats increase cholesterol levels.
Avocados contain mono- and polysaturated fats that are heart healthy. This fruit also helps the body as a "nutrient booster" enabling the body to absorb fat soluble nutrients like alpha- and beta carotene and lutein. These are antioxidants, and lutein is also found in avocados.
Avocados contain 20 nutrients including:
fiber
potassium
Vitamin E
B vitamins
and..... folic acid.

So, don't be afraid of the "Bad " fruit. Enjoy the goodness of the "Good Avocado".

Reference:

www.avocado.org/healthy-living/

Fathers Day 2010

Fathers Day 2020 has passed. Fathers Day is a day to remember and honor our fathers. It may also be a day for others to celebrate your fatherhood. I hope that everyone had a great day. I did.
After the festivities, I started to think about the origins of Fathers Day. So, I did a little research.
The idea of Fathers Day came from Sonora Smart Dodd. In 1910, in a church in Spokane, Wa., the idea came to her. Her father, William Dodd, raised herself and 5 sons after his wifes' death. She proposed June 5, her fathers' birthday. The date was moved to June 19 by church ministers who needed more time to prepare. The idea was supported by William Jennings Bryan, and received national support. Congress was slow to accept the idea since it was viewed as self congratulatory by the male Congress members.
In 1916, Woodrow Wilson and his family celebrated the day. But, it wasn't until 1972 that President Richard Nixon made Fathers Day a national holiday.
Historically, the Romans celebrated Fathers Day in February, but only honored deceased fathers.
If you enjoy Fathers Day, like I do, then it is important to take care of your health. You can't celebrate if you are ill or suddenly pass away.
Mens' health is an important issue.


To live healthy lives, men need to:

eat healthy

maintain a health weight

exercise

stop smoking

manage stress

Are you suffering from too much stress ?

Do you find it difficult to control your temper ?

To you think that you need anger management ?

Learn more about anger management classes.

stressmanagement

Spring is in the Air !!

Yes, spring is in the air. And, so are a wide variety of pollens. Tree pollen, grass pollen....oh, they can make our lives miserable. Runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes...we all know the routine.
But, there are other allergens that can affect our health year round.
Do you have pets ?

Specifically, do you have

CATS ?

Cats are one of the most allergenic pets. Some evidence suggests that
dogs may be worse than cats, but cats are probably responsible for more allergic
reactions. The allergens from cats can cause hayfever like symptoms. They can
also cause asthma and cat scratch fever.
Cat fur is always blamed for the allergies.

But, the fur is not the problem.
Cats clean themselves, and the saliva deposited on the fur
drys and becomes dandruff.

Here lies the source of the allergic reaction:

DANDRUFF

The allergy occurs as a reaction to an allergen, and histamines are produced

Symptoms include:

itchy eyes
sneezing
and even rashes.

The allergen is a protein in the saliva.

FEL d 1
Petting the cat releases the dandruff from the fur.
That is why cats need brushing, and long hair cats need even more.
Bathing can reduce the allergen, but we all know how cats love water!!

Scratches from cats can cause cat scratch fever.
Although the name refers to fever, a fever rarely occurs.
The reaction is to a bacteria,

Bartonella henselae.
In stead of fever, systemic illness and lymph node
lesions can occur.

Healthy humans will have a minor infection.
Those with poor immune systems are at greater risk.

Learn more about cat disease and humans:

cats

St. Patty's Day Cabbage

Did you know that cabbage is really good for you ? Cabbage contains phytonutrients that can protect the body against free radicals that can damage cell membranes. These phytonutrients are antioxidants.
Cabbage is a :

muscle builder

cleanser

eye strengthener


Cabbage contains iron and sulfer. It also contains:

140mg potassium

46 mg calcium

per 100g serving.

Cabbage may lower the incidence of cancer in:

stomach

lungs

colon

Cabbage contains sulforaphone, a chemical that stimulates the production of
glutathione which is an antioxidant. This antioxidant is neccesary for liver detoxification. And, did you know that red cabbage is better than green cabbage ?
Red cabbage contains 6 to 8 times the vitamin C of
green cabbage.
It also contains anthocyanin, and antioxidant the protects brain cells and
may help in preventing Alzheimer's disease.

Antioxidant power in green or red !!!

Learn more about corned beef nutrition.

cornedbeef

Heart Healthy Vitamins

As you might know, February is heart month. It is important to realize that our diets do not always provide us with essential vitamins. Vitamins are necessary for proper cell function, organ function and overall wellness.
Heart vitamins keep our heart healthy and help to prevent cardiovascular disease. Heart vitamins include the following:

folic acid(B9)
B6 and B12
In general, the B vitamin family is good for your heart.
B vitamins can be found in meat.
Vegetarians should take supplements because of
their meatless diets.

Homocysteine , in high levels, can cause artery damage. B vitamins help to reduce homocysteine in the blood. B3 may also help to reduce cholesterol levels. More testing is necessary to establish this fact.
In addition, vitamins C and E help to keep your heart healthy.
These vitamins are antioxidants. There function is to help the body remove free radicals from our systems. Free radicals can cause heart disease, cancer and premature aging. It is important to eat healthy and to take supplements of these vitamins. Our bodies cannot produce vitamin C , unlike our domestic pets, the cats.
Also, minerals are needed for heart health.

Want to learn more ?
pomegranate


Reference:

www.healthy-heart-guide.com/heart-vitamins.html

Resource:

www.health-heart.org/vitamins.htm