Food and Diet. Find daily health food tips and ideas from Dr. David Samadi. Discover healthy food for healthy living. Explore major food issues and debates related to health such as buying and cooking with organic food, genetically modified food (GMO versus Non-GMO), nutrition, dieting epidemic, obesity, disease prevention, best digestion foods.
Healthier unsaturated fats include polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Both types of fats are needed in our diet and when we replace saturated with these healthier options, our heart benefits from that.
Read MoreThe health benefits of hummus are hard to beat. This creamy blend of chick peas, sesame paste (tahini), olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and seasonings, have endeared Americans to find a special place in their hearts for hummus.
Read MoreHere are 10 perfect and healthy food ideas to amplify your energy level from sluggish to energized staying-power:
Read MoreOver 1 billion people worldwide regularly consume turmeric as part of their diet.
Read MoreTea has several qualities working in its favor making it an effective strategy for stress. Here are four ways drinking tea can calm your nerves taking you to a new height of tranquility:
Read MoreChoose water as your beverage – no calories plus it keeps you hydrated and it’s free. Be familiar with cooking terms looking for foods prepared either steamed, broiled, baked or grilled. Limit fried and sautéed items or foods described as ‘crispy,” “rich,” or “au gratin.”
Read MoreDr. David Samadi gives his expert opinion on a study showing decaffeinated green tea extract does not modify body weight or abdominal obesity in men at high risk for prostate cancer.
Read MoreNow we know that eating “healthy” fats can actually help us achieve a lean, mean, in-shape body that not only makes us look good but more importantly, feel better and have more energy.
Read MoreA heart-healthy or well-stocked kitchen means what you’ll find in your pantry, refrigerator and freezer are foods promoting heart health. Making simple yet healthy changes adds up over time to a healthier you.
Read MoreAll those foods containing more sugar than we realize contributing to our sugar stockpile over the course of a day?
Read MoreOlive oil, that very special component of the popular Mediterranean diet, is bringing much more to the table than just a little “local color.”
Read MoreIs watermelon a fruit or vegetable?
Read MoreWe love our tea. In fact we love it so much tea is the most widely-consumed beverage in the world, second only to water. Hundreds of millions of people around the globe enjoy drinking tea and studies have shown green tea provides some of the most nutritional health benefits of all.
Green tea is made from unfermented leaves and reportedly contains the highest concentration of powerful antioxidants called polyphenols. Antioxidants are substances that fight free radicals, damaging compounds in the body that change cells, damage DNA, and even cause cell death. The belief by scientists is free radicals contribute to the aging process along with the development of health problems including cancer and heart disease. Antioxidants such as polyphenols found in green tea, can neutralize free radicals and may reduce or perhaps prevent some the damage they cause. These same polyphenols may also be the answer to a youthful glow as research has discovered that these compounds in green tea may protect skin against UV radiation as well as improve skin quality such as elasticity and dryness.
Because of the polyphenol chemicals found in green tea, researchers believe green tea’s potent health properties derive from them. Polyphenols contained in teas are classifies as catechins. Green tea contains six primary catechin compounds with one of them being apigallocatechin gallate or EGCG. ECCG is the most studied polyphenol component in green tea and the most active. Some researchers think the polyphenols in green tea, giving it its bitter flavor, seem to have greater antioxidant effects than vitamin C.
Green tea also contains alkaloids including caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline. An amino acid compound also found in green tea, L-theanine, has been studied for its calming effects on the nervous system.
Besides the possibility of preventing major chronic diseases, green tea has been used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine to help relieve or cure other health conditions such as using it in various ways:
· A stimulant
· A diuretic to help rid the body of excess fluid
· An astringent to control bleeding and help heal wounds
· To treat gas
· To help regulate body temperature and blood sugar
· To promote digestion
· To improve mental processes
To help maximize the most health benefits green tea has to offer, there are certain steps one can take to do this:
· The best source of tea polyphenols is brewed green tea.
· Steep the tea bag or tea leaves for at least three minutes as it takes time for the polyphenols to dissolve into the water.
· Squeeze in a few drops of lemon juice which not only supplies some vitamin C but also protects the polyphenols from being oxidized and lost.
· An 8 ounce cup of fresh-brewed green tea contains about 320 milligrams of polyphenols, including roughly 190 mg of EGCG.
· It is recommended to consume about 2 to 3 cups of green tea daily to receive the health benefits it may provide.
If you are unsure if drinking green tea is safe for you or not, always discuss with your healthcare provider as to what they recommend. People with high blood pressure, heart, liver or kidney problems, or with anxiety may need to avoid large amounts of green tea or avoid it altogether.
Here are 10 foods athletes can eat assisting them in striving to be at their tip top shape:
Read MoreThese food cravings can be both physiological and psychological, but both can be overcome with some useful techniques.
Read MoreA new study says flavonoids can help with erectile dysfunction. By eating certain foods, like brightly colored fruits and vegetables, rich in flavonoids, men could be able to easily cut their risk for the common sexual disorder.
Read MoreHave you ever started getting real snappy with people for no reason at all? Has it always been after not eating for a few hours? Do you feel instantly better once you have a meal? What you are experiencing is the feeling of being “hangry”, a real thing.
Read MoreNew study: Weight loss surgery cures half of patients with type-2 diabetes, for at least five years. Published in the Lancet journal. The trial involving 60 people found none of those with type 2 had been cured by medication and diet alone. The surgery improves symptoms both through weight loss and by changing the way the gut functions. Experts said the results were "remarkable" and that too few people were getting access to the surgery.
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