1) Did you know that - the most
important meal is breakfast?
Having a good healthy breakfast is important
in balancing blood glucose levels.
Try to refrain from drinking coffee or
tea, as caffeine forces the adrenal glands
to produce adrenaline, which raises blood
sugar levels and then triggers the release
of insulin. That is why we feel ‘high’
soon after we take caffeine, but subsequently
may feel ‘low’ later (which
in turn creates the craving for more tea
or coffee).
Some people must have their coffee or else
they feel cranky or lethargic. In this case,
just have one cup. Savour it. But switch
to herbal teas, green tea, juice or just
plain water for the rest of the day. Because
caffeine in coffee is a nutrient
destroyer.
Decaffeinated coffee is also not really
recommended either. The chemicals used in
the process of removing the caffeine remain
in the coffee powder. When consumed, these
chemicals will enter our bloodstream and
will require detoxification by our liver.
In the US studies have shown a link between
children who participate in the nationwide
School Breakfast Program with improved academic
performance and better psychological behaviour.
>more>
Here are some great breakfast
recipes to kick start your
day.
2) Did you know that - the largest human
organ is the skin?
The skin is the largest organ in the body.
It defends our bodies against disease and
infection, regulates body temperature and
also aids in vitamin production.
To maintain good dermal health the important
nutrients are: vitamins A,
C,
E and
the minerals zinc,
iron,
iodine,
selenium.
Consume lots of foods that contain the
antioxidant nutrients. Antioxidants combat
free radicals. Free radicals have been blamed
for a host of problems (wrinkles, ageing,
cancer, poor health, low immunity .. etc).
More info on Antioxidants coming soon.
3) Did you know that – coffee,
alcohol and sugar are notorious nutrient
destroyers?
Drinking caffeinated drinks all day can
deplete important nutrients such as magnesium,
vitamins A,
B1 (thiamin),
B2 (riboflavin),
B3 (niacin),
B5.
More info >> nutrient
destroyers.
4) Did you know that - the total
combined human hair of one head can take
the weight of 2 elephants.
For a healthy individual with no hair diseases,
hair fiber is very strong with tensile strength
around 1.6 x10 -9 N / m2. That is about
as strong as copper wire of the same diameter.
One strand of hair can support up to 100
gms in weight. So a whole head of hair (which
has about 100,000 to 150,000 strands of
hair) could support up to 12 tonnes (roughly
the equivalent of 2 African elephants !!).
It also has elastic properties. It can
stretch up to 20% of its original length
before breaking when it is dry and when
it is wet it may stretch up to 50% before
breaking.
To maintain good hair health, take sufficient
biotin
(a B vitamin, a.k.a. vitamin
H) and folic
acid (another B vitamin, a.k.a.Vitamin
Bc).
5) Did you know that – Vitamin
C is necessary for the absorption of
iron?
>> More
info on Vitamin C (a potent antioxidant)
6) Did you know that – meat
tenderizers are synthesized from the papaya
fruit.
Another common fruit - the Kiwi
fruit, also has meat tenderizing propeties.
7) Did you know that – Vitamin
D can be produced in our bodies from
the action of sunlight on the skin?
Vitamin
D, is also known as "The Sunshine
Vitamin". Because our bodies can produce
vitamin D from sunlight’s ultra-violet
rays on our skin. It is a very important
vitamin for healthy, strong teeth &
bones. However, it is the most toxic (in
high doses).
>>More
info on Vitamin D
8) Did you know that – Vitamin
A is a powerful anti-oxidant and has
many health benefits, but taking too much
vitamin A (in the preformed state, also
known as Retinol) can lead to vitamin A
poisoning?
So when shopping for vitamin A supplements,
always look for beta-carotene (pro-vitamin
A). Beta-carotene is non-toxic. Our bodies
will turn beta-carotene into Retinol only
when it is needed. So there is little chance
of Retinol poisoning.
Did you also know that our liver
can store up to a year's supply of our Vitamin
A needs?
>> More
info on Vitamin A
9) USDA considers 85 grams of meat
= 1 serving
10) 600 million Big Macs were consumed
by Americans at McDonalds in 2004.
11) 20 billion hot dogs were consumed
by Americans in 2004.
12) 127 chickens are eaten every
second in the U.S.
13) A South Korean eats an average
of 30 kg of kimchi per year.
14) An American eats an average
of 63.5 kg of potatoes per year.
15) 80% of heart disease and 90%
of diabetes are tied to unhealthy eating
and lifestyle habits.
16) Diets with fruits, vegetables
and some nuts can lower blood pressure and
reduce the “bad” cholesterol
as effectively as modern medicine.
17) Adding fiber to the diet and
avoiding highly refined foods can delay
the onset of Type 2 diabetes.
More fun health facts coming soon. Please
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