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Why We Should Eat More Cherries

I love cherries! Dried, fresh, frozen, tart or sweet…in smoothies, on salads, even in main courses. They are an excellent sweet healthy snack full of antioxidants, and fat burning ingredients.

Cherries contain some unique and pretty awesome bioactive components that can help prevent cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and other inflammatory diseases—as well as prevent muscle soreness, and help you sleep. Not only that, cherries are an extremely effective treatment for arthritis pain, gout, hemorrhoids, and allergies.

Cherries have boatloads of antioxidants in them that fight free radical damage and protect our cells’ DNA. Free radicals are linked to many diseases including cancer, heart disease, and dementia. Cherries also contain the super-nutrients quercetin, hydroxycinnamates, potassium, carotenoids and melatonin. Even sweet cherries have a healthy low glycemic index of 22, making them a healthy food for people trying to keep their blood sugar stable.

Anti-Inflammatory

Cherries are one of the best anti-inflammatory foods you can eat. These little red powerhouses contain phytochemicals called “anthocyanins” that give them their deep red color. Scientists at Johns Hopkins University found that the powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins in tart cherries were as effective at decreasing inflammation as the anti-inflammatory drugs Ibuprofen, aspirin and Tylenol. Another study published in the Journal of Natural Products showed that anthocyanins and cyanidin isolated from tart cherries worked better than aspirin. And many studies have shown that Tylenol and Ibuprofen can be extremely harmful to the liver and very toxic, so eating foods that are anti-inflammatory is far better for your health.

In fact, cherries can even help your workouts. Cherries have been proven to get rid of the aches and pains from an intense workout. They can actually reduce muscle soreness as well. This study published in Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition looked at cherries’ power to reduce muscle damage and soreness from working out.  54 runners ran a 16 miles race, while drinking tart cherry juice or a placebo. The group drinking the cherry juice reported a significantly smaller increase in pain compared to the placebo group, which was attributed to cherries’ anti-inflammatory effect.

Arthritis and Gout

Over 33 million Americans have osteoarthritis. Arthritis can physically affect the joint, creating friction and lots of pain when the cartilage wears down. In one study done at the Osteoarthritis Research Center with 58 osteoarthritic patients who drank two 8-ounce bottles of tart cherry juice for six weeks, Western Ontario McMaster Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores decreased significantly after the tart cherry juice treatment. The WOMAC index is standardized questionnaire used by health professionals to evaluate patients with osteoarthritis of the knee and hip, including pain, stiffness, and physical functioning of the joints.

Gout is another type of arthritis that is extremely painful, usually affecting the big toe. Uric acid crystals build up in the toe joint, causing major inflammation, swelling, redness and serious pain. High uric acid levels in the body can also be associated with diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease. A large study of 633 people with gout were treated with cherry extract over a two-day period showing a 35% lower risk of gout attacks. When cherry intake was combined with allopurinol, a prescribed medication for gout and kidney stones, the risk of gout attacks was 75% lower.

Anti-Cancer

Anthocyanins from cherries, especially sour cherries have such strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, they inhibit tumor development in mice and the growth of human cancer cells. On a study done with mice with a genetic risk of colon cancer, a diet of tart cherries and anthocyanins helped prevent colon cancer and tumor growth. This study also showed that these two compounds from cherries reduced the growth of human colon cancer cells as well.

One other study done on humans with cherry extract showed a reduction in the growth of colon cancer cells and human breast cancer cells as well.

Sleep Better After Eating Cherries

Cherries also help you sleep more soundly because they are one of the only foods that contain a natural substance called ‘melatonin’. Melatonin is a hormone in the body that regulates sleep cycles and helps you sleep deeply. Tart cherries contain the highest levels of melatonin. It only takes two tablespoons of concentrated tart cherry juice to promote good quality, deep sleep necessary for healing and repair of the body.

Melatonin contains powerful antioxidants that helps reverse aging as well. What’s more, a good night’s sleep helps to reduce cortisol which helps you burn fat better as well! In a study published in the European Journal of Nutrition, 20 volunteers consumed either a placebo or tart cherry juice concentrate for seven days. As a result of this treatment, total melatonin content was significantly elevated in the cherry juice group.

Healthy Hearts

Tart cherries can also protect the heart and reduce the risk of strokes. Research done at University of Michigan shows tart cherries activate something called PPAR (peroxisome proliferator activating receptors) in the body. These receptors are connected to glucose and fat metabolism and can help reduce heart attacks and cardiovascular disease. There are prescribed medications that do the same thing, but they come with serious side effects, such as increasing the risk of heart attacks and stroke!

While sweet cherries are effective, tart cherries contain even more of the powerful antioxidants that burn fat, help with muscle aches and soreness and help you sleep more soundly. Enjoy cherries in your next smoothie, on top of your breakfast oatmeal, throw in a salad, or just plain for a sweet, satisfying snack! One of my favorite snacks is frozen organic cherries mixed with raw almonds, and sprinkled with a little bit of cinnamon.  Give it a try!

(Cherry-infused cocktail: I have a sour cherry tree in my yard, so I get literally 1000’s of tart cherries every July… My favorite way to use all these sour cherries is to fill a bunch of mason jars with cherries and then add rye whiskey to the top of each jar, so that the sour cherries are infusing in the whiskey.  I let the jars sit at least for a couple weeks before I start drinking the cherry-infused whiskey, although many of the jars will soak for months before we get around to beginning to drink them.  

Each night after dinner, I like to take 1 shot of the cherry-infused whiskey, add a few shakes of organic digestive bitters, and a splash of sweet vermouth, and enjoy a super-healthy cocktail that’s a healthier version of a Manhattan. The antioxidants and natural melatonin get extracted very effectively from the cherries by the alcohol (the cherries become white over time as the whiskey extracts all the phytonutrients) and help you fight inflammation, joint pain, and can help to get me to fall asleep easier from the natural melatonin.  I used to have knee pain years ago, but I think this combination of having 1 drink per day of my cherry-infused whiskey and my 1 mug per day of bone broth has completely eliminated my knee pain.  My joints have never felt better since I’ve been doing this nightly ritual!)

And some more tips on sleeping better, using tart cherry syrup and other tips too:
Drink tart cherry syrup and THIS tea to sleep deeper (plus 5 tips for insomnia)

Now you know cherries are one of the best anti-inflammatory foods you can eat. They are as effective in decreasing inflammation as those anti-inflammatory drugs you buy over the counter.

The Above Article By: Catherine Ebeling & Mike Geary
Co-author of the best-sellers:  The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

Categories: Alzheimer's Anitoxidants Anti-Inflammatory Arthritis Better Sleep Blood Sugar Cancer Cures Cherries Diabetes Diet Disease & Prevention Eating Healthy Eating Healthy Energy Food Fruit General Health Gout Healthy Choices Healthy Heart Heart Disease Inflammation Managing Diabetes Natural Cures Organ Toxicity Personal Health Sugars Uncategorized Your Body

Demystifying Clarified Butter or Ghee

What is ghee?

Ghee is a type of clarified butter. It’s more concentrated in fat than butter, as its water and milk solids have been removed.

It has been used in Indian and Pakistani cultures for thousands of years. The term comes from the Sanskrit word meaning “sprinkled.” Ghee was created to prevent butter from spoiling during warm weather.

In addition to cooking, it’s used in the Indian alternative medicine system Ayurveda, in which it’s known as ghrita.

Given that its milk solids have been removed, ghee does not require refrigeration and can be kept at room temperature for several weeks. In fact, like coconut oil, it may become solid when kept at cold temperatures.

SUMMARY

Ghee is a type of clarified butter that’s stable at room temperature. It has been used in Indian cooking and Ayurvedic medicine since ancient times.

Ghee and butter have similar but not identical nutrient profiles. Compared to butter, ghee may contain more fat but contains no lactose.

How does it compare with butter?

Ghee and butter have similar nutritional compositions and culinary properties, although there are a few differences.

Calories and nutrients

Below is the nutrition data for one tablespoon (14 grams) of ghee and butter (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source):

GheeButter
Calories123100
Fat14 grams11 grams
Saturated fat9 grams7 grams
Monounsaturated fat4 grams3 grams
Polyunsaturated fat0.5 grams0.5 grams
Proteintrace amountstrace amounts
Carbstrace amountstrace amounts
Vitamin A13% of the Daily Value (DV)11% of the DV
Vitamin E3% of the DV2% of the DV
Vitamin K1% of the DV1% of the DV

Both contain nearly 100% of calories from fat.

Ghee contains a higher concentration of fat than butter. Gram for gram, it provides slightly more short-chain saturated fats.

Overall, the differences between the two are small, and choosing one over the other likely won’t significantly affect your health.

However, ghee is completely free of the milk sugar lactose and the milk protein casein, whereas butter contains small amounts of each.

Per the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, if you have a casein allergy you should avoid both butter and ghee. People with intolerances should be fine consuming ghee since the lactose and casein amounts are so low (3).

Culinary uses

Butter and ghee are rich in saturated fatty acids, which can handle high temperatures without becoming damaged.

Heating ghee also appears to produce much less of the toxic compound acrylamide than heating vegetable and seed oils.

In fact, one study found that soybean oil produced more than 10 times as much acrylamide as ghee when each was heated to 320°F (160°C) (4Trusted Source).

Furthermore, ghee has a high smoke point, which is the temperature at which fats become volatile and begin to smoke.

Its smoke point is 485°F (250°C), which is substantially higher than butter’s smoke point of 350°F (175°C). Therefore, when cooking at very high temperatures, ghee has a distinct advantage over butter.

However, while ghee is more stable at high heat, butter may be more suitable for baking and cooking at lower temperatures because of its sweeter, creamier taste.

SUMMARY

Ghee and butter have similar nutritional profiles, but ghee may be a better choice for those with lactose or casein sensitivities. While ghee is typically better for high temperature cooking, butter has a sweeter taste that may be more suitable for baking.

Benefits of ghee

Thanks to its impressive nutrient profile, ghee has been associated with several health benefits.

Here are a few of the potential benefits of ghee:

  • Boosts vitamin A intake. Ghee can help ramp up your intake of vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin that’s important for maintaining eye health, skin health, immune function, and more (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).
  • Could support heart health. Ghee is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which may help decrease inflammation and protect against heart disease (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source).

SUMMARY

Ghee is rich in important nutrients like vitamin A, omega-3 fatty acids, and conjugated linoleic acid. It may also help reduce gut inflammation and support heart health.

Potential adverse effects

People’s responses to saturated fat intake are highly variable.

Those whose LDL (bad) cholesterol levels tend to increase in response to high saturated fat intake may want to limit their ghee or butter intake to 1–2 tablespoons per day.

Another concern is that during the production of ghee at high heat, its cholesterol may become oxidized. Oxidized cholesterol is linked to an increased risk of several diseases, including heart disease (10Trusted Source).

According to one older analysis, ghee contains oxidized cholesterol but fresh butter does not (11Trusted Source).

Consuming an excess amount of ghee can lead to increase weight gain and increase risk for obesity. Also, consuming excess saturated fat can increase risk for heart disease and stroke (12Trusted Source).

SUMMARY

The potential adverse effects of ghee include increased LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and the formation of oxidized cholesterol during its production.

Information courtesy of Healthline.com

Click the link below for a simple recipe on How to Make Ghee

How to make Ghee and Clarified Butter

Categories: Cancer Coconut Oil Digestion Disease & Prevention Eating Healthy Healthy Techniques Heart Disease Omega Olis Personal Health Uncategorized

5 Ways to Improve the Performance of Your Greatest Asset: You

5 Ways to Improve the Performance of Your Greatest Asset: You

Image credit: Snapwire Snaps

We are constantly looking for ways to enhance, grow and improve our assets, but we often overlook the most important one of them all. Your greatest asset is not your bank account, stock portfolio, 401(k) or real estate holdings — it’s you.

What are you doing to make sure you perform at your very best? Imagine if your personal performance started to suffer — your business would soon follow. Here are five simple ways to improve the performance of your greatest asset.

1. Prioritize your health and wellness.

For your business to thrive, you need to be involved. This won’t happen if you are in and out of the hospital with health issues. Regular exercise and an intelligent diet helps your body and mind operate at peak performance.

Time is a rare commodity — but make sure to carve out at least 30 minutes a day for physical exercise. If you are bound to a desk and chair all day make sure to get up and stretch every hour. A mid-day walk also goes a long way to help combat the health risks associated with sitting for long periods of time.

2. Delegate and outsource all of your busy work.

You will operate so much more efficiently if you can eliminate all of the busy work that typically slows you down. When you don’t have tedious tasks pulling at you from all directions you can focus 100 percent of your attention on the objectives that directly impact the growth of your business.

Learning to delegate was difficult for me at first — I felt like I had to do everything myself to ensure it was done correctly. I learned to trust the people I have in place and delegation has allowed me to focus on more important parts of my business related to growth. More doors and opportunities have opened up simply because I pushed all of those little time sucking tasks off my daily plate.

3. Don’t hold back stress and anger. Voice your opinion.

If you ignore the issues that are causing you to become stressed out and angry it’s just going to keep building up until you explode. This isn’t good for anyone involved — it’s best to address anything that upsets and angers you on the spot.

Sure, take time to assess the situation and come up with a well thought-out solution, but don’t keep putting it off and letting it build up. When you don’t have pending issues or stress on your mind you can devote all of your energy to what’s important — working on your business and working towards your goals.

4. Have fun, and include your team members.

If you aren’t having fun then you need to reconsider what you are doing and try something new. Having fun is one of the most overlooked components of success. Sales, money and growth are usually on top of the priority list — but if you aren’t having fun you are going to burn out and your performance will suffer, eventually impacting your business.

The same concept applies to your employees and team members — if they are having fun they are going to enjoy what they are doing, and that will directly impact how they perform. Make sure you create a fun work environment but also consider hosting an out-of-the-office event once a month or even once a quarter — something as simple as an evening of bowling can really help to keep the fun vibe alive and well.

5. Find a mentor.

Ask every successful entrepreneur for one piece of advice and you will undoubtedly have several of them tell you to get a mentor. You aren’t going to have the answer to every question and some situations are going to leave you seeking help.

Rather than stress out or scramble for a solution you can simply pick up the phone knowing you will have someone on the other end that is there to help. Having a mentor that you know you can turn to any time eliminates a lot of unnecessary stress. Less stress equals better personal performance.

 

Jonathan Long – July 02, 2015

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Categories: Business Depression Do's & Don't's Entrepreneur Folklore Insomnia Inspirational Life Lessons Positive Mental Attitude Positive Outlook Relationships Self Esteem Self Improvement Success Uncategorized Well Being

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Will You Have A Beddian Birthday in your lifetime ?

Birthday Party

No more than once in a lifetime, you get a Beddian year, named for the late New York firefighter Bobby Beddia. As defined by Beddia, and refined by mathematician Barry Cipra, it’s the year in which your age matches the last two digits of the year you were born. If you were born in 1950, it was 2000, the year you turned 50. (If you were born in 1984, you won’t see yours until 2068.)

Trivial, perhaps, but interesting. As Cipra says:

What’s sort of great about it is that it will happen to everybody if you live long enough. If you were born in 2000, it happens instantaneously. The people who were born at the end of the century have to take care of themselves.

1957

 

I had mine Last Year, 57 in ’57.

It was Great !!!

Admin – Cymantra

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Categories: Beddian Birth Year Folklore Life Lessons Quotes Uncategorized Your Body

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1,000 Year-Old Onion And Garlic Remedy Kills MRSA Superbug!

Scientist holding a petri dish with virus cellsA 1,000-year-old treatment for eye infections could hold the key to killing antibiotic-resistant superbugs, experts have said. Scientists recreated a 9th Century Anglo-Saxon remedy using onion, garlic, wine and part of a cow’s stomach. They were “astonished” to find it almost completely wiped out Staphylococcus aureus, otherwise known as MRSA. The remedy was found in Bald’s Leechbook – an old English manuscript containing instructions on various treatments held in the British Library.

 The recipe, which dates from the 9th century, calls for two species of Allium that includes garlic, onion, and leek, as well as wine and oxgall, or bile from the stomach of a cow. The paper reports that the recipe specifically calls for the mixture to be brewed in a brass vessel, purified through a strainer, and left to sit for nine days before use.

The scientists found the remedy killed up to 90% of MRSA bacteria and believe it is the effect of the recipe rather than one single ingredient.

Dr Freya Harrison said the team thought the eye salve might show a “small amount of antibiotic activity”. “But we were absolutely blown away by just how effective the combination of ingredients was,” she said.

In case you’d like to make your own “Bald’s Eye Salve”:

You might have a little trouble sourcing cow stomach bile but substitute some rennet (used in cheese making) and see what happens!

  • Equal amounts garlic and onion finely chopped and crushed to a smooth consistency.
  • 25 ml English wine (from vineyard in Glastonbury)
  • Dissolve bovine salts in distilled water
  • Add ingredients together and keep chilled for 9 days at 4C

 

Experts from the university’s microbiology team recreated the remedy and then tested it on large cultures of MRSA.

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MRSA

Analysis

 

The leechbook is one of the earliest examples of what might loosely be called a medical textbook

It seems Anglo-Saxon physicians may actually have practised something pretty close to the modern scientific method, with its emphasis on observation and experimentation.

Bald’s Leechbook could hold some important lessons for our modern day battle with anti-microbial resistance.

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In each case, they tested the individual ingredients against the bacteria, as well as the remedy and a control solution.

They found the remedy killed up to 90% of MRSA bacteria and believe it is the effect of the recipe rather than one single ingredient.

Dr. Freya Harrison said the team thought the eye salve might show a “small amount of antibiotic activity”.

“But we were absolutely blown away by just how effective the combination of ingredients was,” she said.

Dr. Lee said there are many similar medieval books with treatments for what appear to be bacterial infections.

She said this could suggest people were carrying out detailed scientific studies centuries before bacteria were discovered.

The team’s findings will be presented at the Annual Conference of the Society for General Microbiology, in Birmingham.

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Bald’s eye salve

Bald's eyesalve

Equal amounts of garlic and another allium (onion or leek), finely chopped and crushed in a mortar for two minutes.

Add 25ml (0.87 fl oz) of English wine – taken from a historic vineyard near Glastonbury.

Dissolve bovine salts in distilled water, add and then keep chilled for nine days at 4C.

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