The Truth About Kale

Within the past few years, kale has rapidly become a well-loved super food. In fact, 2013 saw the first ever National Kale Day that was marked by kale-based cocktails and talks about the benefits of the leafy green. Once a pretty unknown veggie, kale has quickly found its way in just about every health food on the market and is often the first thing people reach for when juicing.

But does kale live up to the hype? Is it really that great for you? What should you know before stockpiling this super food?

The Many Benefits

On the upside, kale really is the nutritional powerhouse that people normally promote. One little cup of kale is packed full of 9% of your daily intake of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, and a staggering 684% of vitamin K.

Of course, there's also the matter of minerals. The leafs contain huge amounts of copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus all of which support a wide variety of biological systems. Among other things, your immune and nervous systems could all get a boost from a healthy dose of kale.

Kale is also a rich source of antioxidants and other plant chemicals that offer an impressive range of benefits. The compounds found in kale have been shown to improve eye health and brain function, while fighting heart disease and cancer.

Like all leafy greens, kale contains massive amounts of dietary fiber, as well. Although it does not offer any fuel in the form of calories, the fiber that makes up the leaves can improve digestion while lowering cholesterol and increasing cardiovascular health.

Clearly, kale has tons of things going for it. But, like everything else, kale is no magic-pill. Despite what proponents might have you believe, kale is not a cure-all.

Some Things To Consider

Kale is a prime example of how you can often have too much of a good thing when if comes to your health and diet.

For starters, the incredible amount of vitamin K found in kale could prove to be of fairly great concern for some people. While it is normally a very beneficial nutrient, vitamin K promotes clotting and can interfere with certain medications like warfarin thus rendering the drug less active and less effective.

One of those plant chemicals that kale offers, called oxalates, could also cause issues in high doses. Besides limiting your body's ability to absorb the vital calcium, these substances have been shown to increase your risk of kidney and gallstones by way of oxalate accumulation. Other compounds in raw kale could also cause complications if you have preexisting thyroid issues, too. Before tossing kale into everything you eat, you should talk to your doctor if you have struggled with thyroid conditions in the past.

You can get too much fiber, as well. While it can help your digest, too much fiber can cause gas, bloating and other digestive problems. This is especially true with raw kale.

Finding The Balance

Obviously, most of the causes for concern when it comes to kale are only an issue if you chose to enjoy it raw. For this reason, many health experts recommend only eating raw kale twice a week, at most. There is a cap on how much cooked kale you can eat.

Here's the problem, though: Cooking kale tends to destroy many of the things that make it so beneficial. To get around this, try cooking the leaves in broth or water. Afterward, include that liquid in your meal. Not only will it be delicious but also most of the nutrients that were removed from the leaves during cooking will not be infused in the fluid.

Clearly, then, kale is good for you. But, just like everything else, it is not the answer to all your problems and a balanced view is needed. If you do decide to chow down on the green stuff, limit your consumption of raw leaves and find ways to include it in to your meals.

Incredible Smoothie for Infertility Problems

Inability to conceive is slowly becoming a common problem worldwide. More and more couples are facing infertility and this situation can be really frustrating and stressful for them as well as for the close members of the family which further worsens the problem.

Although it seems impossible to overcome such turmoil, yet there is a lot you can do to significantly improve the chances for conception which gives more hope for a baby to see the broad light of day

If you have experienced disappointments and heartaches for so long, you might try to change some patterns in your diet on daily basis.

Foods that are rich sources of antioxidants are beneficial for optimization of egg and sperm quality.

If you are making hard efforts to enhance fertility in a natural way, then you should implement strawberries in your everyday diet. As a result of their powerful composition, namely polyphenols, vitamin C and A and folate, strawberries, as well as other berries, prove to be efficient in helping you reach your dream of becoming a parent. You would be amazed to learn that the luscious and juicy strawberries actually contribute a great deal to the healthy production of sperm and proper division of egg cells.

Spectacular Drink that Prevents Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is malicious disease that often comes without any warning signs. It starts in the tissues of the breast and it is of vital importance to discover its existence on time in order to avoid lethal outcome.

Taking a walk at least an hour a day reduces the chances for breast cancer by nearly 30 %. Proper diet plan also plays a major role in prevention of cancer.

If you haven’t used so far, now it is the time to discover the humble beet root as a completely natural therapy for cancer. Beets are among the best fresh ingredients to fight breast cancer and they undoubtedly deserve the reputation “natural cancer cure”. They reduce inflammation within the cells and boost immunity thus protecting the body from any negative impact.

Pears have many anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects and recent studies show that pears are associated with lower risk of breast cancer. They contain flavonoids and phenolic phytonutrients such as cinnamic acids which are potent anti-cancer weapon.

It is important to keep the skin of the pear when you consume it because by removing the skin, you eliminate most of the powerful compounds it contains.

Spinach and cilantro are another ingredients with cancer-fighting potential. Spinach is high in folate, a vitamin essential for creation and reparation of DNA. Carotenoids and glycolipids isolated from spinach have been demonstrated to cause dose-dependent growth inhibition in breast cancer cells. Cilantro is effective natural remedy for breast cancer as it is shown that cilantro inhibits 94 % of breast cancer metastasis in vitro.

Limes contain compounds limonins which fight breast cancer cells and prevent the formation of malign tumors.

If you have a family history of cancer then introducing all of the above mentioned ingredients to your diet can offer real protection against breast cancer. Combine them together and prepare the incredibly powerful drink to help you successfully ward off breast cancer. Consume it as often as possible.

Ingredients:

• 2 beetroots
• 1 pear
• a handful of spinach
• 1 lime
• 2 sprigs cilantro ( coriander)

Instructions:

Put the ingredients in a juicer and juice well till you get this vibrant looking drink with incredible taste.

Toxic Chelation Compounds Soon To Be Added To Wine To Extend Shelf Life

According to food scientists, an additive consisting of a series of chelation compounds could soon be applied to wine to prevent it from looking, smelling and tasting funky after oxidation. The problem is, many of them are toxic to living cells.

The researchers stated that chelation compounds that bind with metals to inhibit oxidation, or oxygen’s ability to react with some of the trace metals that are found in the wine, according to Gal Kreitman, a doctoral candidate in food science, Penn State.

“Oxidation has several bad effects on wine, such as discoloration and a loss of aroma,” said Kreitman. “It can cause browning, as well as the loss of fruity characteristics, something that is much more noticeable in white wines.”

It's one of the reasons wine can lose its appeal within three days of opening a bottle. It’s not that the wine will go “bad” on day four, but the wine gradually loses most of its nuance and begins to take on unpleasant flavors as it oxidizes (which starts as soon as the cork comes out). Wines will last 5 to 10 days longer if you remove the air in the bottle with a vacuum-sealing stopper.

Oxygen usually enters wine through the cork and interacts with metals, particularly iron, setting off a chain reaction that changes compounds that add particular and often disagreeable tastes and smells to the drink, according to the researchers, who released their findings in a recent issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

The concern for critics is the toxicity of the chelating agents which may soon be used and incorporated in wine's across the country to extend shelf life. Because two types of oxidations states -- iron 2 and iron 3 -- are present in wine, the researchers looked at iron 2 and iron 3 chelators, including bipyridine, ferrozine, ethylenediaminetertraacetic acid - EDTA -- and phytic acid. All of these have been found to inhibit cell strucutres and cause changes in critical metabolic pathways, many of which induce disease.

Although both types of chelators significantly inhibit the oxidation in wine, they also inhibit functions in the human body.

“The ligands of bipyridine, Ferrozine, EDTA and phytic acid bind to the metals, which can inhibit their reaction,” said Kreitman. A ligand is a molecule that is able to bind to the central atom of a metal.

"Once these chelators are added to wine, even in very small amounts, there is an inevitable toxicokinetic effect which will ultimatelyhave a negative impact on cells," said toxicologist Dr. Brian Morrison.

Winemakers have previously attempted to control oxidation in the wine by stripping out the metals, which are acquired through the soil and from the grape. However, Kreitman said those processes are impractical and expensive.

“Unfortunately, the process to remove the metals can strip color and flavor compounds from the wine and processes like ion exchange can end up making the wine taste more salty,” Kreitman said.

Kreitman said that further research would be needed to find safer chelators. Phytic acid is one chelator that might be both effective in neutralizing oxidation, as well as safe for consumption, according to Kreitman. However, the potential usefulness of phytic acid against oxidation is probably less than its effectiveness for acute toxicity, which is well established in lab rats.

Amazing Juice for Instant Immunity Boost

Building stronger immunity involves protection against diseases and viruses, better health and much more The type of diet, psychological stress, age, physical activity and lifestyle practice all affect the immune system and the way it functions.

Combining the right ingredients and implementing fresh food into your diet has proved crucial in establishing better immune system and near-perfect immune response.

Orange color foods are rich in vitamin A and beta carotene and are great choice for building stronger immune system and keeping your health intact. In this way, your immune system will do a remarkable job of defending 

Ginger is another powerful ingredient which enhances immune function and keeps you in better condition. It has a lot of powerful compounds which activated have anti-cancer effect and stop the growth of cancer cells. Ginger is also known to be a great anti-inflammatory agent, naturally reducing pain and swelling. Consume it regularly and you will notice how sickness and diseases disappear from your body.

Orange color foods combined with ginger creat a unique synergy loaded with enzymes, antioxidants, vitamins and flavonoids that strenghten the immune system and protect the body from all viruses and bacteria. Once you have a stronger immune system, you body will win the battle over cold, flu and many diseases that will attack you constantly. Prepare this powerful immunity boosting juice and quickly improve the way your immune system works. For better results it is recommened to consume the juice on an empty stomach.

Ingredients:

• 2 carrots
• 1/3 cup chopped mango
• 1/4 cup chopped papaya
• 1 tbsp. grated ginger
• 1/3 cup water

Instructions:

Place the given ingredients in a juicer and process well. Consume the drink immediately.you against disease-causing microorganisms.natural potential for fighting off infections.