Why Reproductive Health is Important at EVERY Age!

If you’re a woman of childbearing age or a man of a responsible age to sire a child, then it’s important that you take care of your reproductive system in order to avoid fibroids and cysts (for women), as well as low sperm count and sexual impotence (for men).

If you’re an older woman or an older man, you also need to take good care of your reproductive system in order to especially avoid ovarian and breast cancer (in women) or prostate enlargement and prostate cancer (in men).

And as simple as it may seem, your diet has a significant impact on your female or male reproductive system and its overall health at every stage of your life.

Some of the key diseases linked to poor reproductive system health include:

Dysmenorrhea (painful periods) , Fibroids, Cysts, Sexual impotence, Prostatic Adenoma (enlarged prostate), Prostate Cancer, Breast Cancer

The best thing about all this, though, is that YOU have the power to improve and maintain the health of your reproductive system just by paying attention to what you eat and making better food choices.

Here are five(5) superfoods that are great for YOUR reproductive system health:

1. Tomatoes (preferably ripe): Contain lycopene, which causes cells to reproduce in an orderly manner, as well as significant amounts of Vitamins A & C, Folate and Potassium.

2. Mung Bean (Green Soy):  Rich in protein, Vitamins B1, B2, B6, calcium, phosphorous, iron & magnesium.

3. Soybeans: Contain two (2) anticarcinogens (prevents cancer) – Isoflavones and Saponins.

4. Adzuki:  Rich in protein, Vitamins B1, B2, B6, calcium, phosphorous, iron & magnesium.

5. Feijoa (if you can’t get Feijoa you can try Guava which is a family food to it): Rich in Vitamin C, contains fibre, folate and potassium and is particularly good during pregnancy, for goiters (goitres) and constipation.

 

You should also check out these 3 Best Kept Secrets about ‘Foods and Their Healing Power’ for some amazingly simply food facts to a healthier you.

Information Source: “Encyclopedia of Foods & Their Healing Power”

Image Credit: GreenFlames09/flickr.com

 

 

Why You Should Really ‘Eat Your Greens’!

According to Aine McAteer on Oprah.com, “Greens are powerful antioxidants, which are known to protect the body from damage from toxins in the environment and the foods we eat. Antioxidants neutralize these toxins and clear them from the body.”

That’s not all they do, though. In her article titled, ‘Embracing all things Green‘, she provides a short summary of 5 other amazing things that green vegetables do for our bodies that will leave you embracing your green vegetables for real.

She’s not the only one talking about ‘The Power of Green Foods’, as you’ll see from this fitday.com article and the ‘Eat Your Greens‘ video below.

And in order to show you just how easy, delicious and rewarding having your green vegetables daily can be, why not check out my Naturally Sweet Cole Slaw Vegetable Salad Recipe which I LOVE preparing and eating, knowing that I am enjoying my greens while benefiting from all the good and healthy things they provide and do for my body.

 

Physical Tip – FOODS FOR THE HEART

How Important is Your Heart?
If your loved one is still with you because the doctors used a defibrillator to restore his/her heart beat or you know someone who now wears a Pacemaker, then you already know that no heart beat, skipped heart beats and abnormal heart beats can result in the death of you or your loved one.

Heart Healthy Foods
So here are some important foods that you should incorporate into your diet to strengthen your heart muscles and help your heart to efficiently and effectively carry out its functions of providing a continuous daily supply of approximately 2,000 gallons of oxygen-rich blood to your coronary arteries and every cell in your body:

Soursop, Cherimoya, Sugar apple, Broccoli, Green Peas, Banana, Peach, Grapes, Walnuts, Macadamia nuts.

Diet After a Heart Attack
If you or someone you know has already experienced a heart attack, be sure to:

1. Increase your daily intake of fresh fruits (5 to 6 portions daily) and vegetables (at least one mixed, fresh green salad daily).
2. Reduce the intake of foods high in saturated fats such as, bacon, butter, beef, pork, cheese and ice cream.

For additional quick tips, information and resources for your total health and well-being visit, MPSE Health or check out the blog posts for previous weeks.

Source: Foods and Their Healing Powers

Physical Tip – HOW TO EAT TO AVOID WEIGHT GAIN

As you enter the 40s, 50s and 60s, you may have noticed that it gets increasingly harder to keep off excess weight.  You’re eating the same portions, and even less sometimes, but you notice an increase in weight gain.  Things you used to eat and quantities you used to eat get tricky.  Well as you age your body’s metabolism slows down.  What this means is that your body burns fat at a slower rate.  So although you may be eating the same as always, or even a little less, your body’s reduced efficiency at burning fat means that fat gets deposited in places you don’t want – mostly stomach and thighs – instead of being burnt up and away. There is hope yet.  How and what you eat can help to keep you from gaining extra pound and save the day. Here’s how.

Tips for Eating to Avoid Weight Gain

1. Eat slowly: People who eat slower consume less since they tend to feel full faster than people who eat quickly.
2. Eat small portions more often: If you eat one large meal on a given day you give your body too much work to digest the food and there is increased likelihood of some of that excess food being turned into fat. If however you eat small portions of food every 4 hours, you maintain a steady blood sugar level and you increase your body’s metabolism, which results in more efficient burning of fat.
3. Do not eat your primary meal in the afternoon or at night: You use most of your energy during the day so your primary meals should be breakfast and lunch. Thereafter, you increase your body’s likelihood of storing fat since food eaten in the afternoon and especially at night will not be burned up by the body in energy intensive activities but stored as fat instead since you are a lot less active at night.
4. Eat more fruits, vegetables and lean protein: Fruit and vegetables are rich in fiber and are very filling for a long time. Breads, pastries and manufactured snacks, however, contain too much carbohydrates that give a filling feeling initially and empty calories which contribute to weight gain.

For additional quick tips, information and resources for your total health and well-being visit, MPSE Health or check out the blog posts for previous weeks.