SuperFoods

Circulation problems can be felt in a number of ways.  Some symptoms include fatigue due to poor circulatory function, which may bring on other symptoms such as dizziness and fainting. The inability to concentrate, coldness in the hands or feet, headaches, angina, and high blood pressure are also other signs there could be problems with the circulation system.  There are nutritionally-dense foods we can incorporate into our diets to ensure our circulatory system is functioning at its best. If your circulation is poor, it is vital that the vitamin C content of the body is kept up, because it will help prevent hardening of the arteries and arterial ballooning.  Citrus fruits, red berries, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, red and green bell peppers, cabbage, and spinach are all great vitamin C foods sources, and it helps promote a healthy immune system and is required to help make collagen, which holds cells together, which is vital in main...

It’s been said we are what we eat, and that sentiment definitely holds true when it comes to our skin.  It’s our body’s biggest organ, and it deserves all the nutritional TLC we can give it. So take a look at what you’ve been feeding yourself, and therefore feeding your skin.  One the most important components of skin health is vitamin A, and probably one of the best sources of it is low-fat dairy products. It could be said the health of our skin depends on vitamin A. Low-fat yogurt is not only high in vitamin A, but also acidophilus, the "live" bacteria that is good for intestinal health. Turns out, it may also have an impact on the skin, since it aids in digestion.  Other good sources of vitamin A include cod liver oil, sweet potatoes, carrots, leafy vegetables, and fortified breakfast cereals. It’s important to also make sure you’re eating foods rich in antioxidants, such as blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and plums. The benefits of these foods for health...

Schizophrenia is a difficult malady, both to diagnose and to treat. It’s defined as any of a group of psychotic disorders usually characterized by withdrawal from reality, illogical patterns of thinking, delusions, and hallucinations, and accompanied in varying degrees by other emotional, behavioral, or intellectual disturbances. Recent research suggests that those who suffer from schizophrenia could benefit from incorporating more B3 (niacin), essential fatty acids (EFAs) and eating more whole grain carbohydrates to help level out blood sugar levels so that bouts with hypoglycemia are lessened. Food sources high in niacin include light-meat chicken, tuna, salmon, turkey, enriched flour, peanuts, and fortified cereals. Niacin is an important player in the digestion process, and it aids in converting food into energy. Therefore, it also plays a role in the essential fatty acid metabolism of the brain, processes of which are disrupted in schizophrenia.   Because these processe...

Gout, also called gouty arthritis, is caused by an accumulation of uric acid in the blood. The disease usually appears in midlife and primarily in males. It can be hereditary or the secondary to some other disease process. The main symptom of gout is severe pain and swelling in joints, but gout usually effects one joint at a time, then may move from one joint to affect another joint. The kidneys filter uric acid out of the body. But with gout, the body makes excess uric acid or the kidneys fail to function properly, failing to rid the body of the uric acid and it begins to build up in the joints in the form of uric acid crystals. This condition is very painful. The accumulation of these crystals causes severe pain and swelling in the joint. A common site for gout is the big toe joint. But gout can occur in an ankle, knee, elbow, wrist or finger. Typically the onset occurs at night with excruciating pain, swelling and inflammation. Rich food and alcohol may contribute to the rise in ...

Cranberries may help to fight off urinary tract infections (UTIs). They reduce the power of certain E. coli bacteria to adhere to and penetrate the walls of the bladder. In about half the cases of UTIs, the E. coli responsible have special little hairy tips called P fimbria. The bacteria use their fimbria to attach themselves to the bladder so that they can multiply and cause an infection. That's where cranberries--which contain a group of chemicals called proanthocyanidins---come in. They bind to the P fimbria of the E. coli and hinder them so they are unable to sticking to the walls of the bladder.   As a result, the E. coli is flushed out in the urine instead of causing an infection. And because cranberries remove rather than kill the bacteria, there’s less of a chance for the E. coli to become resistant. It’s imperative that those who are prone to UTIs eat cranberries or drink cranberry juice on a daily basis, because once the bacteria are able to adhere to the wall, the i...