Liquid Minds IX: Lullaby

Liquid Mind IX: Lullaby is slow music at its best... Soothing, melodic, heartfelt, and comforting, this new album from Liquid Mind® composer Chuck Wild continues a fifteen year tradition of deeply calming music for relaxation.
Appealing to the softer side of the musical spectrum, Liquid Mind IX: Lullaby is filled with gentle extended soundscapes that create a welcome relief to those of us searching for a break from our high stress, high energy world. Liquid Mind's albums have for many years been popular with music therapists and other healthcare practitioners, and are frequently used in massage, anxiety management, meditation, sleep therapy, surgical recovery, Yoga, Reiki, Pilates, maternity and many other healing settings.
While we think of lullabies as being primarily for children, you will find the peaceful compositions on Liquid Mind IX: Lullaby are perfect for both grownups and kids.

Reference:
http://www.liquidmindmusic.com/lullaby/index.html

10 Veggies to get more stamina

In today’s fast paced world it is not very uncommon to feel depletion in energy levels as the day progresses. So it’s very important for everyone, whether you have an athletic or normal build, to enhance body stamina without increasing body bulk.
Eating a well balanced diet and taking proper sleep are natural ways for boosting energy. Following is a list of stamina increasing, healthy and nutritious vegetables whose regular intake yield long term benefits for athletes, aspiring sportsperson, and people of all genre alike.

1. Beet juice

A recent study by the University of Exeter found out that juice of the red beet can increase your physical output up to 16%. The cause of this major improvement are nitrates. They decrease blood pressure, the need of the muscles for oxygen and lead to improved performance in high intensity exercises

2. Quinoa

Declared as a sacred grain by the Incas, and fed to their warriors.
This small, high-energy grain, can be cooked like rice in only 10 minutes making it an ideal pre-run ingredient.
It contains all eight essential amino acids, a bunch of vitamins and minerals plus fiber. On top of that, it’s gluten-free and easy to digest. Mix it with honey, almonds or berries for some extra flavour.

3. Corn

Corn is filled with Carbohydrates which are burnt by your body while doing easy and long exercises.
While the workout intensity gradually increases, the body switches to burning glycogen (which is a fast-paced energy-reserve, stored in the liver and muscles). Glycogen makes it easier for your body to maintain the effort. That is why it is important for runners to maintain a high level of glycogen. As per The Putney School, glycogen like component has been extracted from corn.
(Actually, corn is a grain, but we’re including that in this list too)

4. Spinach

Spinach is one of the natural healers and a must in everyone’s diet to obtain great health. Spinach contains vitamins which help in increasing stamina, like Vitamin A and C. Spinach is a natural nutritious powerhouse and helps in strengthening bones thereby preventing various bone relates disorders.
Best part about spinach is that you can eat in both raw and processed form. However it looses some of the vital nutrients during cooking.

5. Green Cabbage

Studies show green cabbage is a muscle builder, blood cleansener and eye strengthener. It contains phytonutrients which works to protect body from free radicals and helps preventing cell membranes.
Also, juice of raw cabbage is proven to heal stomach ulcers. Green cabbage is a best deal when comes to increasing body strength as its heavy on advantages and less on pocket.

6. Watercress

Watercress is mother nature’s perfect multi vitamin vegetable, body cleansing detoxicant and tastes yummy. Probably among the oldest known leafy vegetables, watercress contains iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, magnesium, & calcium in balanced quantities.
Thus watercress is one of the most recommended vegetables to strengthen bones. Watercress also increases immunity because of its multi-vitamins capabilities.

7. Lettuce

Another study at University of Exeter showed vegetable rich in nitrate helps in enhancing one’s stamina and build immune system. Lettuce, which is commonly used in daily salad, is enriched with same advantages less known to people.
Adding to the above results, Barts, the London School of Medicine & Dentistry and the Peninsula Medical School stated that lettuce also helps in lowering blood pressure and is useful not only for athletes but all genres. Diets rich of vegetables with high nitrate content, like Lettuce, could help people suffering from high blood pressure and are potentially helpful if one would aim to increase stamina.

8. Pumpkin

If you always thought pumpkin is best utilized in Halloween, then you must know it is one of the best vegetables to increase your stamina.
Available almost throughout the year in majority of countries, it is also a natural depression cure. Not only pumpkin but its seeds, also called “pepitas”, are loaded with minerals. They seem to have an anti-inflammatory effect, and may even help protect against prostate cancer and osteoporosis.

9. Eggplant

Eggplant is probably one of the unique vegetables containing an important antioxidant ingredient phytonutrients, besides minerals, vitamins and proteins.
Phytonutrients have certain phenolic compounds, such as chlorogenic acid, and flavonoids, like nasunin. Intake of eggplants help maintain a balance in salt intake; thus maintaining a nice level of hydration which is very important while doing the athletic workout building stamina.

10. Asparagus

Stamina is built if your entire body is fit. Eating asparagus can help you get rid of warts. If you switch to low-glycemic foods like asparagus, the energy release is gradual and long lasting which is ideal for sport. Since you do not tax your pancreas, you feel better and your stamina and performance improves.
Asparagus also helps prevent the formation of cancerous tumors since it has anti-cancer agents.

Vitamins for Eye Floaters and Eye Flashes

Many people experience small particles or tiny strands slowly moving in their line of vision; these are called eye floaters. Most eye floaters don’t have treatment as it is believed that they eventually disappear while one continues to ignore it. But the fact is that there may be some developed treatment through correct approach in diet and lifestyle. There are also supplements and vitamins for eye flashes that you can try so that eye floaters can no longer remain as your visual issue.

Here are some of the important vitamins and nutrients needed for prevention and healing of eye floaters:

• One of the essential vitamins for eye floaters is vitamin C. Vitreous, lens, and retina contain high concentrations of vitamin C. This is the reason why vitamin C is important to eyesight. Vitamin C protects our eyes and maintains the consistency and clarity of the vitreous gel.
• Our eyes need vitamin A to support the cells in the retina to function properly during the night and day vision. Blindness is one serious problem that emerges due to vitamin A deficiency.
• Essential fatty acids are necessary for the components (particularly the vitreous, retina, and the lens) of the eye to function properly.
• Other supplements for eye floaters are lutein and zeaxanthin, which are found extensively in the retinal region of the eye.

Oils and Fat

Prefer products with low in saturated fats, rather that just low fat

It's not just the quantity of fat in your diet - the type of fat in your diet can make big difference to your health. Its important to include good fats, and cut back on foods high in saturated fat and trans fatty acids. Focus on mono-saturated and omega-3 fats.

Eat plenty of nuts, seeds, olives and avocados to gain unsaturated fats. Other fats, called essential fatty acids cannot be made by the body, so have to be obtained through diet. The best of these healthy fats are from seafood, poly-unsaturated oils, linseed, mustard seed oil and canola oil.

Minimize saturated fats and oils including: Fatty meets, sausages, salami, full-fat dairy products, potato chips, cakes, cookies, pastries, pizza and deep-fried foods such as French Fries and Fried Chickens. Look out for products low in saturated fat, rather than just low fat.

What is a saturated fat?

Saturated fats, which are usually soilds at room temperature, are simply fats that contain saturated fatty acids (SFA). SFA are a long-chain carboxylic acid, which usually has beteween 12 to 24 carbon atoms that has no double bonds. Thus, saturated fatty acids are saturated with hydrogen, since double bonds reduce the number of hydrogen on each carbon 

What food contain saturated fat?

Saturated fatty acids are found mainly in animal fats, including dairy products. Fatty meats, such as bacon, salami, and sausage, are primary sources of saturated fat. Cheeses, full fat milk, butter, and cream are good sources of saturated fat. Only two vegetable fats are saturated, which are palm oil and coconut oil. We typically get our greatest proportion of saturated fats from prepared or processed foods. This includes sweets and snacks such as cookies, cakes, pastries, crisps, and chocolate.

The American Heart Association recommends limiting the amount of saturated fats you eat to less than 7 percent of your total daily calories.

Risk of products with saturated fats

Saturated fatty acids are a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. Diets high in saturated fatty acids increase the production of acetate fragments in the body which, in turn, leads to an increase in the production of cholesterol. When consumed, saturated fats tend to clump together and form deposits in the body, along with protein and cholesterol. They get lodged in blood cells and organs, leading to many health problems, including obesity, heart diseases, and cancers of the breast and colon. The build-up in the arteries can cause a narrowing of the arteries, called atherosclerosis, which consequently can lead to major heart problems.

Obesity

The saturated fat that is consumed are put into storage cells called adipose cells. These storage cells can hold up to 1000 times its own size, therefore it is used to store up a large amount of fats. Saturated fats, which are flat, build up easily in these cells causing obesity. A host of other health problems typically accompanies obesity in those comsuming a diet rich in Saturated Fatty Acids.

Saturated Fats - Not All Bad
Saturated fats have been shown to improve liver health, promote healthy lungs, promote healthy brain functioning, positively influence proper nerve signaling, improve bone strength, and support the body's immune system. However, unsaturated fats also accomplish many of these benefits in the body with less harmful side effects. A diet void of fat should be avoided; however, smart diet decisions should be made instead.

Healthy Diet
In order to avoid a diet rich in saturated fatty acids, a modest total intake of fats should be followed. This would be around 25 percent of your total daily calories. Also, normal amounts of omega-3 fat, which is healthy fat, should be included in the diet. Intake of saturated fat should be reduced in the diet to a maximum of 1/3 of your total fat intake. The American Heart Association recommends limiting the amount of saturated fats eaten to less than 7 percent of the total daily calories. Choose lean meat, fish, and skinless poultry. Grill meat instead of frying in fattening oil or lard. Also, trim the fat off of meat before cooking it. Consume fewer pastries, biscuits and sweets.

Useful URLs:
http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/fats/why-saturated-fatty-acids-are-harmful.html#b

http://www.lowcarbdietworks.com/carbsinfat.php

http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/lowfatbasics/a/fats1004.htm

http://www.cdrfoodlab.com/food-analyzers/foodlabfat/?gclid=CNz94MnJw7ICFQV76wodzgwAzw

Know what you're eating

Check out facts about the your daily meals, and get your diet better managed:

Here is the 'Self Nutrition Data' : http://nutritiondata.self.com/

'Health Better Managed' :) Yepee!

Pomegranate - The symbol of fertility and prosperity

Pomegranate contains more anti-oxidants than even Red Wine, Green Tea, Blueberry juice, Cranberry juice or an Orange juice. It has been shown to be highly effective in clearing plaque from inner arterial walls.
Medically valued for:

• Preventing heart-attacks, strokes
• Preventing and treating Cancer
• Combating diabetes
• Blood Pressure disorder
• Preventing blood clotting
• Intestinal problems of all types
• Eliminating parasites
• Fighting bacterial and fungal infections
• Cholestrol problems

Read an exhaustive article from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomegranate