Types of Fat

You might see ads for foods that say they're "low-fat" or "fat-free." Lower-fat diets have been recommended for health and to help people lose weight. But nutrition experts are finding that fats are more complicated and that some kinds of fat are actually good for your health. As a bonus, fat in food helps people feel full, so they don't eat as much.

But that doesn't mean a high-fat diet will be good for you. And some fats are better than others. Here are the three major types:

Unsaturated fats: These are found in plant foods and fish. These may be good for heart health. The best of the unsaturated fats are found in olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, albacore tuna, and salmon.

Saturated fats: These fats are found in meat and other animal products, such as butter, cheese, and all milk except skim. Saturated fats are also in palm and coconut oils, which are often used in commercial baked goods (the kind you buy at the store). Eating too much saturated fat can raise blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease.

Trans fats: These fats are found in margarine, especially the sticks. Trans fats are also found in certain foods that you buy at the store or in a restaurant, such as snack foods, baked goods, and fried foods. When you see "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" oils on an ingredient list, the food contains trans fats. Like saturated fats, eating too much can raise cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease.

Why Do We Need Fat?
Dietary fat helps a kid's body grow and develop like it should. Fats fuel the body and help absorb some vitamins. They also are the building blocks of hormones and they insulate nervous system tissue in the body.

So fat is not the enemy, but you'll want to choose the right amount - and the right kind - of fat. If you're getting most of your fat from protein-rich meats, nuts, and heart-healthy oils, you've already made fat your friend!

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: December 2004
reference: www.kidshealth.org

Is That Belly Ache in Your Head?

by Sharon Boone

When bathroom issues put a cramp in your life, the most effective treatment may target both your gut and your mood. A Boston University study found that people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were 40 percent more likely than those who didn’t have IBS to suffer from depression, too. IBS is a common disorder, especially among women. Depression doesn’t bring on IBS, experts say, and IBS doesn’t cause depression.

“But often the two conditions travel together,” says Olafur Palsson, PsyD, an associate professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina. Why? Nobody knows for sure—stress hormones may play a role—but the right remedy may address the connection. If you’ve got chronic gastrointestinal problems, experts suggest the following steps to get real relief:

Keep a daily mood and symptom diary for a week or two, noting any relationship between stressful events, mood swings, and your symptoms. “That way you can present a whole picture to your physician,” Palsson says.

Tell your doctor if you think you may be depressed. And speak up, too, if you’re experiencing headaches or puzzling pain and fatigue. The Boston University study found that irritable bowel also seems to be associated with migraine and fibromyalgia, a syndrome in which people feel overwhelmingly achy and tired.

Don’t be surprised if your doctor suggests a depression medication. Studies show that certain antidepressants actually relieve some symptoms of IBS, particularly abdominal pain. And that’s something to feel good about.

reference www.health.com

Stop Smoking Help

By: Dr. D.S. Merchant
If you have been unsuccessful in your attempts to quit smoking, you have probably experienced those moments when the withdrawal symptoms are too much to handle or the cravings simply become too powerful to ignore. These moments can occur even when you are using an aid like nicotine gum or a nicotine patch. Unfortunately, once you cheat and pick up a cigarette, you can quickly become a full-time smoker again.

At Ultra-Herbal, we carry the amazingly effective Nicocure, an all-natural patch that can help you avoid those moments for good. Our patches imitate the effects of nicotine without putting any of this harmful chemical into your body. Instead, Nicocure relies on all-natural ingredients such as Lobelia Inflata. This means that you will not experience symptoms such as unrest, tension, fatigue, irritability, or weight gain while you are quitting. It also means that nicotine will be flushed completely from your system and your cravings will disappear.

By using Nicocure each day for 30 days, you can lose the desire to smoke. If during that time you feel the urge to smoke, don't worry. Nicocure makes the taste of tobacco products unpleasant, killing the urge to cheat! This method is always safe, and 97 percent of users have had success.

Nicocure patches do not cause any side effects. However, if you do smoke while using them, you can experience nausea and dizziness, helping you to kick the habit itself as well as the nicotine craving. Plus, Nicocure is equally effective for cigarettes, chew, and any other forms of tobacco. Once you start using these incredible patches, you'll notice results quickly, and your urge to smoke may be gone in less than two short weeks. Try Nicocure today to see what a difference the right stop smoking aid can make!

Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com

Top 5 Foods for Women

Make these five superfoods part of your diet at any age.

By Joan Raymond

Cranberries
They earn super status for their ability to help fight off nasty urinary tract infections. About 10 ounces of juice a day does the trick. Plus, recent research shows that cranberries might also help fend off colds and fight stomach bugs, gum disease, and certain types of cancer. Add a little unsweetened cranberry juice to smoothies, and sprinkle some dried berries into cereal and muffin mix.

Walnuts
These nuts are rich in omega-3s, which help reduce inflam-mation and increase good cholesterol. They may even help with depression and reduce your risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Top your salad with 1/4 cup or try them in pesto.

Beans
The humble legume may prevent heart disease and help head ?off colon cancer. Rich in two heart-friendly phytochemicals, beans are packed with magnesium, potassium, folate, and fiber. Get a 1/2 cup five to six times per week by adding canned kidney and garbanzo beans (rinse and drain first) to salads, burritos, and dips.

Fish
Studies show that eating seafood rich in omega-3s at least twice a week could reduce your risk of heart disease. And the reports say women of childbearing age and nursing mothers can safely eat as much as 12 ounces of seafood a week if they avoid high-mercury swordfish, shark, tilefish, and king mackerel; albacore tuna should be limited to 6 ounces a week.

Tomatoes
Loaded with the antioxidant lycopene, tomatoes and ?cooked tomato products pack a big health punch (at 32 milligrams, 1 cup of spaghetti sauce serves up the day’s recommended intake). Studies show that women with lycopene-rich diets can have as much as a 50 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer. The antioxidant can also lower your blood pressure and bad cholesterol, and may even reduce your risk of getting macular degeneration and a host of cancers.

Reference :www.health.com

Can Medicine Make You Fat?

In a word, yes. Here’s what to do when the drugs you need also put on the pounds.

When you start putting on weight, you look to the usual suspects: the dusty treadmill or that stash of chocolate in your desk drawer.

But for 30-year-old Chelley Thelen, the culprit sat in her medicine cabinet. In six years, Thelen gained 60 pounds from taking prednisone, a steroid used to treat her arthritis.

Thelen is just one of a growing number of women who can blame their excess pounds on the drugs they’re taking for everything from allergies to migraines. The chances of finding yourself on a drug that can lead to weight gain have more than doubled in the last 20 years.

In fact, the number has increased from one in ten to one in four, says George Blackburn, MD, associate director of the Harvard Medical School Division of Nutrition. The problem is so critical that Blackburn teaches a course for physicians on the weight-gain side effects of medications.

“The drugs we’re most concerned about are drugs for chronic diseases, like diabetes and psychiatric problems, because you have to be medicated for life,” Blackburn says. But even innocuous-sounding meds like over-the-counter sleep aids can cause snug-jeans syndrome—some by slowing your metabolism, others by altering the hormones in your body that control your appetite.

And the problem isn’t just affecting women’s waistlines: Some are even choosing not to take drugs critical to their health for weight-control reasons. If you suspect that meds are making you gain weight, check our list below for the most common culprits and expert advice on what to do about it.

Reference :www.health.com