What Eating a Banana and an Avocado Every Day Can Do to Your Body

Both bananas and avocados are powerhouse fruits, containing large amount of vitamins and minerals. They are known for their wide range of health benefits, but not long ago scientists have revealed yet another- their ability to prevent heart attacks.

The study was done at the University of Alabama and published in journal JCI Insight. As a matter of fact, the researchers revealed that eating a banana and an avocado daily protects against heart disease, specifically against atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.


In addition, it might also reduce the risk of arterial blockages, which often seek surgery.  The potassium content in these fruits relieves huge part of the burden, the study points out.  The animal study also revealed that it reduces vascular calcification, one of the complications of cardiovascular disease and kidney disease. When you eat foods containing potassium, symptoms like pliable arteries are alleviated, particularly the stiffness seen as precursor to cardiovascular disease.

Calcification and What It Means for Your Arteries

Calcification is an accumulation of calcium in the tissues, organs, or blood vessels.  According to Difference Between:

“Arteriosclerosis is a defect occurring in the artery (blood vessels carrying oxygenated blood) walls. It refers to hardening of the normally flexible walls due to loss of elasticity of the arterial musculature. When young, the arteries are flexible due to the presence of a protein called elastin.

As age advances, there is loss of this elastin causing thickening of the arterial walls. Atherosclerosis is another condition that refers to the deposition of fat plaques and cholesterol globules within the arteries causing narrowing of the lumen of the arteries.”

As the scientists explained,  vascular smooth muscle cells, or VSMCs, lead to vascular calcification in atherosclerosis and  “Arterial stiffness has become an independent predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, representing an important health problem for the nation as a whole.”

This research suggests that vascular calcification could be a more significant contributing factor to aortic stiffening that it was thought earlier. As a matter of fact, a 2009 study is titled  “Vascular calcification: the killer of patients with chronic kidney disease.” It noted:

“Previously considered a passive, unregulated, and degenerative process occurring in the arterial media, vascular calcification has now been demonstrated to be a highly regulated process of osteochondrogenic differentiation of vascular cells.”

Magnesium and Potassium: Interrelationships in Regard to Health

The National Academy of Sciences investigated the role of various nutrients, including magnesium, and observed:

“Magnesium has been called ‘nature’s physiological calcium channel blocker.’ During magnesium depletion, intracellular calcium rises. Since calcium plays an important role in skeletal and smooth muscle contraction, a state of magnesium depletion may result in muscle cramps, hypertension, and coronary and cerebral vasospasms.

Magnesium depletion is found in a number of diseases of cardiovascular and neuromuscular function, in malabsorption syndromes, in diabetes mellitus, in renal wasting syndromes, and in alcoholism.”

Symptoms of low magnesium include irregular heart rhythms, anxiety, eye twitches, unexplained fatigue, and muscle spasms. It has been scientifically shown that problems like osteoporosis and asthma might also occur, along with symptoms that indicated potassium deficiency.

Bananas: An Example of the Adage ‘You Are What You Eat’

Bananas have a robust nutritional profile! When eating this fruit, it is important to watch you sugar intake, as it is packed with sugar ( natural fructose).  But, the potassium content is more than good for you. Here are some of the reasons to choose small banana as a snack option:

• Bananas help balance blood sugar levels as they don’t raise your glycemic index
• Unripe bananas are beneficial for people with insulin sensitivity as they contain 15 to 30 grams of digestive-resistant starch
• Eating bananas helps maintain a healthy blood pressure level
• High-potassium foods like bananas can help lower the risk of developing kidney stones

Avocados: Impressive Nutritional Profile

Avocados provide amazing nutrients which positively affect every part of the body, particularly the arteries and the heart. Some of them include vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and fiber.  To see how much you need to provide you with the optimal amounts. Nutrition Data gives data on the major nutrients one avocado contains and the percentage of daily values:

• Fiber- 54%
• Folate 41%
• Vitamin C-33%
• Vitamin B6-26%
• Vitamin K- 53%
• Magnesium-15%
• Potasisum-28%
• Pantothenic acid-28%

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8 Symptoms of Meningitis That Every Parent Should Know About

Bacterial meningitis is undoubtedly the most serious type of meningitis, which can often lead to disability and even death.  It affects the meninges, the membranes located around the brain and spinal cord and are responsible for protection of the central nervous system.

Everything You Should Know About Meningitis

• In the U.S. there were around 4,100 cases of bacterial meningitis from 2003 to 2007, of which about 500 were fatal.
• Bacterial type is the second most common type viral meningitis.
• Infants are at higher risk of bacterial meningitis.
• Meningitis spreads very easily in public places, such as college campuses.
• Early signs of meningitis include a fever and stiff neck, confusion, headache, nausea, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to light.

Causes and Risk Factors

Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges that surround the brain. Bacterial meningitis can be caused by a range of bacteria, such as

• Haemophilus influenzae (H. influenzae) type B (Hib)
• Group B Streptococcus
• Neisseria meningitides (N. meningitides)
• Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumonia)
• Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes)

Meningitis-causing bacteria typically pass from one person to another through saliva, spit, or droplets in sneezes and coughs. But, some types can spread through food as well.

Risk Factors

Infants are most susceptible to bacterial meningitis. Other risk factors include:

• an anatomical defect or trauma, such as a skull fracture, and some kinds of surgery,
• an infection in the head or neck area
• living in or traveling to certain locations, such as sub-Saharan Africa
• having a weakened immune system as a result of medical condition or treatment
• spending time in communities
• working in laboratories and settings where meningitis pathogens are present

Symptoms

The symptoms might appear out of the blue or over a couple of days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).



Early symptoms include:

1. Muscle pain
2. Sensitivity to light
3. Nausea and vomiting
4. Fever
5. Headache and a stiff neck
6. Confusion
7. Cold hands or feet and mottled skin
8. Rash

Infants are likely to:

• Breathe quickly
• Be stiff, floppy or listless
• Refuse feeds and be irritable
• Cry excessively, or give a high-pitched moan

Meningitis rash glass test

A meningitis rash happens if blood leaks into the tissue underneath the skin.  It typically begins as a few spots in any bodily part, then spread quickly and resemble fresh bruises. The glass test can help identify a meningeal rash.

Press the side of a glass firmly against the rash.
If the rash fades and loses color under pressure, it means that it isn’t a meningitis rash.
If it doesn’t change color, contact a doctor as soon as possible.
The rash/ spots may fade and then come back.

Treatment

Common treatment includes:

• Oxygen therapy to help with breathing.
• Fluids, particularly if the patient is vomiting or unable to drink.
• Sedatives to calm the patient.
• Antibiotic are usually given intravenously.
• Corticosteroids to reduce inflammation in the brain
• Acetaminophen, or paracetamol: along with cooling pads, fluids, and room ventilation to  reduce fever.
• Anticonvulsants

If You Want to Decrease Body Fat and Increase Muscle Strength, Try This 7-Minute Workout

It was once thought that the longer you stayed in the gym, the better. However, experts now claim that you can maximize you results while working out for a short period of time, so it`s no wonder that intense workouts are so popular these days.

As a matter of fact, people have been exercising in short and intense intervals since the very beginning, but they called it survival back then.  As such, the body is programmed to respond to intense burst of activity.  As people aren’t doing this on their daily basis anymore, they are seeking it in high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

‘Maximum Results With Minimal Investment’


Brett Klika, a coach for the Human Performance Institute (HPI) in Orlando, Florida, and Chris Jordan, the director of exercise physiology at the HPI, did a study to identify the health benefits of high-intensity circuit training (HICT).

When it comes to resistance training, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) suggests 8 to 12 repetitions, and 2 to 4 sets, for each major muscle group.

As for aerobic training, 150 minutes weekly of moderate-intensity exercise for half an hour  to an hour  per session and/or 75 minutes weekly of vigorous-intensity exercise for 20 to 60 minutes per session are suggested.

“Although these traditional protocols can be effective, they may not be realistic enough for time-conscious adults because of the amount of time necessary to complete each program, in addition to some limitations to effectiveness demonstrated in the literature,” the ACSM said.

As such, they created a program that is a combination of  aerobic and resistance training. It is quick (7 minutes) and can be done virtually anywhere, without any equipment. They wrote in the ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal:

“Our approach combines aerobic and resistance training into a single exercise bout lasting approximately [seven] minutes. Participants can repeat the [seven]-minute bout two to three times, depending on the amount of time they have.

As body weight provides the only form of resistance, the program can be done anywhere.

HICT is not a new concept, but it is growing in popularity because of its efficiency and practicality for a time-constrained society. The combination of aerobic and resistance training in a high-intensity, limited-rest design can deliver numerous health benefits in much less time than traditional programs.”

Proven Benefits of a 7-Minute Workout

1. Fat Loss and Weight Loss

HICT leads to greater far loss compared to resistance training or typical aerobics as it boosts the levels of catecholamines, that increase both resting energy expenditure) and human growth hormone (HGH) in the blood.

2. Improved VO2 Max

The VO2 max is utilized as a measure of cardiovascular endurance. “When HICT protocols have been compare with traditional steady state protocols in the laboratory, HICT elicits similar and sometimes greater gains in VO2 max despite significantly lower exercise volume,” they wrote.

3. Decreased Insulin Resistance

It has been scientifically shown that HICT and HIIT reduce insulin resistance, which is one of the key factors that contribute to the development of type II diabetes.  In addition, healthy middle-aged adults managed to improve their insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation after just 2 weeks of this training.

“Positive changes have been observed in insulin resistance in as little as eight minutes per week when executed at an intensity more than 100 [percent] VO2 max, ” Kilka and Jordan added.\

Kilka and Jordan’s program was designed to:

• Use large muscle groups to create resistance and aerobic intensity
• Be immediately modified or adapted as necessary to increase or decrease intensity
• Create a balance of strength throughout your body
• Promote strength development for all major muscle groups

Put These 2 Ingredients In You Coffee. After Just 2 Sips, Your Belly Fat Will Disappear And Your Metabolism Will Be Faster Than Ever!

There’s no doubt coffee is the most enjoyed morning drink throughout the world. For one thing, it instantly boosts your energy levels and prepares you for the day ahead. Plus, it packs a number of other health benefits, such as improved metabolism, and when consumed moderately, it protects your heart.

But, few people know that you can turn your favorite morning brew into a powerful fat burner by just adding a few common ingredients such as coconut oil, cinnamon and honey. If you mix these ingredients into your coffee, you’ll easily drop a few extra pounds without having to make any dietary or lifestyle changes.

Why Is This Combination So Powerful?

1# Cinnamon provides numerous health benefits. It’s a powerful anti-inflammatory agent which reduces inflammatory processes in the body. Plus, it’s full of antioxidants meaning it neutralizes the negative effects of free radicals. It also reduces blood sugar levels by increasing blood sugar metabolism. It supports the breakdown of sugar, which is transformed into energy. In this way cinnamon prevents fat buildup in your body. The most popular types are Ceylon and Cassia cinnamon.

2# Coconut oil is another gift from nature which provides a long list of health benefits. It mostly consists of medium-chain fatty acids, which the digestive system immediately sends to the liver. If they are not turned into energy, they are transformed into keton bodies  meaning they aren’t stored as fat. The best advantage of coconut oil for weight loss is that it naturally sets the metabolism to burn fat more efficiently.

3# Honey may be full of sugar, but this is natural sugar that the body depends on for energy. Honey is also abundant in important minerals such as sodium, iron, zinc, calcium, potassium and phosphorus. Plus, honey contains niacin, folate, vitamin C, riboflavin and Vitamin B6. It has proved highly beneficial for regulating blood cholesterol levels and reducing stress.
Now, the fat burning process in the body largely depends on minerals and vitamins. This is where honey steps in. It provides the essential nutrients thus preventing any mineral or vitamin deficiencies in the body. Raw unpasteurized honey is the healthiest.

What you need:

• ½  cup of honey
• ¾ cup of coconut oil
• 1 tsp. of cinnamon
• 1 tsp. of cocoa (optional)

What you do:

Make well-blended paste by mixing all the ingredients together. Store in a glass jar and keep in the fridge.

How to use it:

Add 1-2 teaspoons of the mixture in a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Stir well and enjoy your morning fat-burning cup of coffee!

Shocking Health Benefits Of Corn Silk That You Didn’t Know !! ( Must Know )

Corn silk is the hair like structure found covering the corn. After reading this article you will never throw it away. – By Deepti Verma:

Corn silk is the strands found under the green color outer covering of the corn. As kids, you must have been fascinated about it since they resemble a dolls hair. Many people just throw it away because we don’t know that it has so many uses and it can benefit us so much.

Here are some of the amazing benefits of corn silk:

Prevents Kidney Stones:

Corn silk has been used to prevent kidney stone since ancient times. Kidney stones are formed by the accumulation of small crystals in the kidney. It helps in the proper flow of urine that prevents the accumulation of crystals.

However, it does not remove the stone already in the kidney.

Assists in blood clotting:

It contains vitamin K which helps in blood clotting. Vitamin K makes sure that you don’t loose excessive blood from your body when you get hurt hence helping it clot and preventing blood loss.

Controls blood sugar:

In many recent studies corn silk has been proven as an agent that controls the blood sugar levels. It increases insulin levels and aids in the repair of damaged cells in the pancreas, where insulin is produced.

Control cholesterol:

It also controls the cholesterol in the body. High cholesterol leads to several heart diseases. Hence consumption of outer silk of corn can help in keeping you away from the heart-related ailments.

Diuretic properties

It has diuretic properties which helps flush out excessive fluids and toxins from the body hence preventing the risk of cardiovascular disease and Urinary tract infecting (UTI).

How To Consume Corn Silk?

Corn silk cannot be consumed as it is. To benefit from corn silk.

• Boil water and add corn silk to it, serve hot or cold. Lemon juice can be added to enhance the taste.
• Put corn silk in a jar full of water and keep the jar under sun direct sunlight for a day. In evening add some honey to that water and drink.

Use only organically grown corns, not the ones sprayed with pesticide.

NOTE: It is not advised to consume corn silk in excess. Consult your doctor before using corn silk if you are pregnant as it might lead to miscarriage.

Scientists Discovered That Jackfruit Is A Strong Cancer Killer

Colon cancer is one of the most dangerous and hard to cure cancers that also create additional complications. According to  N. Cancer Institute, more than 1.16 million people suffered from this sickness in the USA in 2013.

Nature has again provided a cure for this deadly condition, like in many other similar cases, through the delicacy fruit named jackfruit. This fruit grows in hot tropical areas in the world and people from these parts use it to prepare many kinds of recipes.

Jackfruit is believed to be a strong cancer killer. This fruit is rich with nutrients such as isoflavones, lignans, phytonutrients and saponins that benefit the health and are able to fight cancer.

These nutrients prevent the flow of free radicals that are the main cause for cancer and other chronic sickness.

PHYTONUTRIENTS

Phytonutrients prevent the creation of the cancer cell in its first stage. The jackfruit can cure a person who suffers from belly ulcers and remarkably improves his/her  health condition. There are thousands of the phytonutrients discovered and recognized by scientists that have the capability to provide remarkable benefits to overall health. Phytonutrients originate from food based on plants.

Scientists are still researching to find out how these phytonutrients actually work to cure cancer.

SAPONINS

The saponins are very important and strong colon cancer killers.  A research has discovered that these phytonutrients caused mitotic arrest. In the condition of the leukemia cells. The research also showed that it is useful for various cases in creating remission. Saponins attack the outer layers of the cancer cells, by linking them and stopping them from growing further.

LIGNANS AND ISOFLAVONES

Isoflavones and Lignansbelong to phytoestrogens. They are attached on the receptors of estrogens. These nutrients are believed to be able to lower the risk of the endometrial cancer. In 2006, the N. Cancer Institute published a research that covered about 500 women that were chosen random. According to the research, the group of women that consumed largest levels of isoflavones leaves and the lignans from the jackfruit showed lower cancer rates than the ones in control group.

PROTECTION OF CELLULAR DNA

The jackfruit is also rich with antioxidants that are important for protecting the cellular DNA from the potential damage that could be caused by free oxygen radicals. And it is also successful in fighting already created mutations. Therefor the anti-cancer benefits of jackfruit do not stop here. The value of this fruit is enormous. It lowers the risk of colon cancer and is fiber rich. It is an incredible colon cleanser and also cleanses the digestive tract from toxins.

STRENGTHENING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

Jackfruit is rich with vitamin C and with simple sugars that are important for strengthening the immune system in humans. A research was performed on mice that involved an analysis of influence of sugars that exist in the pulp of jackfruit on immunity. The results of the research showed that jackfruit consisted of polysaccharides that help improve the function of the phagocytic cell, which is part of the immune system. See below the nutritional value.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF JACKFRUIT

• For lowering the risk of colorectal cancer and improving the digestive system, jackfruit is the number one fruit.
• 1 cup jackfruit has 155 calories and just 4 calories from the fat
• The fruit has minimal quantities of saturated fats, cholesterol and also sodium.
• It is rich with vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, niacin, thiamine and riboflavin.
• It is rich with minerals such as potassium, zinc, magnesium, iron, calcium, manganese, copper, selenium and phosphorus.
• Contains simple sugars that are exceptional for human health
• Only one cup jackfruit provides more than 11% of daily fiber that your body needs.

This fruit is so delicious that it is almost impossible to satisfy your taste buds with just one cup, once you start consuming it. In China, jackfruit is also able to reduce the negative effects caused by alcohol.

Mix THIS With Orange Juice To Flush Nicotine Out Of Your Body

Your body needs about 48-72 hours to flush nicotine out, which is bad news for those who try to reduce their cravings to minimum. However, cream of tartar can very well be your miracle ingredient which will help you flush that nicotine right out of your body. One week of treatment with this byproduct of the wine making process actually costs less than a quarter of a Nicorette pack, can you believe it?

Even if you don’t smoke cream of tartar has a plethora of health benefits which means it’s an excellent addition to any healthy diet plan.

What Is Cream Of Tartar?

Cream of tartar is a powder also known as potassium hydrogen tartrate in the chemical circles. It’s the sediment that comes from the bottom of a wine barrel. However, it doesn’t contain any alcohol, so don’t worry.

Here are just some of its amazing benefits:

Quit Smoking

Cream of tartar doesn’t only help you eliminate nicotine from your body, some even say that it can create an aversion for the taste of cigarettes. If you’re trying to quit smoking drink cream of tartar mixed with some orange juice, it works best like that.

The orange juice replenishes your body’s vitamin C levels, which are depleted as a result of the chemicals in cigarettes. The elevated levels of Vitamin C further help your body flush nicotine.

One of our sources confirmed the effectiveness of this mixture and said it helped him smoking. He was drinking a medium glass of orange juice with half a tsp. of cream of tartar every night for a month.

Reduce Arthritis Pain

There are 2 milligrams of magnesium in just 100 grams of cream of tartar. According to Dr. Sircus, magnesium “modulates cellular events involved in inflammation.” In laymen’s terms, if you have arthritis cream of tartar will be your new best friend.

NaturalRemediesCenter.com recommends mixing 2 tbsp. of cream of tartar with 3 tbsp. of Epsom salt in your daily bath. Soak in this concoction for 30-40 minutes at least once a day. If you have localized arthritis pain you can halve the cream of tartar and Epsom salt quantity and use a bucket instead.

Relieve Urinary Tract Infection

EverydayRoots.com says that cream of tartar can relieve UTIs by altering your urine’s pH level and creating an unfavorable environment for the bacteria responsible for the infections. Mix 1½ tsp. of cream of tartar with 1 cup of warm water. Add a few drops of lemon juice and consume the mixture once or twice a day.

Clear Acne

Theodora Pennypacker a writer for Leaf.tv says: “cream of tartar’s acidic properties make it a great acne-fighting, cleaning agent for your skin. You don’t apply the cream directly to your face, though. Rather, you create a drink with 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar and 8 ounces of water or orange juice.”

Make sure you drink this mixture every day and gradually it will help you flush out all the toxins and bacteria which are the root cause for your skin problem.

Reduce Blood Pressure

If you suffer from low potassium levels like the majority of people you are at risk of developing hypertension. Cream of tartar can help with this as well.

There are a whopping 16,500 milligrams of potassium in just 100 grams of cream of tartar. If you suffer from hypertension consult your doctor to see if it’s caused by a potassium deficiency. If your doctor confirms add cream of tartar to your nighttime routine. Mix a teaspoon of cream of tartar in a glass of water and drink it before you go to bed.