Posted in Category : Foods that Heal | November 4, 2009

Nutrients for Breast Cancer:

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancers. It is a cancer that arises in the breast tissue. A healthy diet will help the patient cope with the treatment of the condition, and it will also help in rebuilding the tissue that has been damaged by the condition. A lot of women however find it difficult to eat well during the treatment for this condition, particularly due to various side effects such as vomiting and nausea and diarrhea. It is however very important to maintain a healthy diet while battling breast cancer.

Consume a diet that is varied. The term “varied diet” simply means a diet that consists of a daily serving of vegetables and fruits, grains, proteins and dairy products. But each person’s diet should be in accordance to their personal requirements and needs. This means that if a certain patient has diarrhea as a side effect of the treatment, then they may want to reduce the intake of foods that are high in insoluble fiber such as fruits, vegetables and cereals. The benefits of a varied diet are as follows; fruits are an excellent source of vitamin C, besides being low in fat and calories. Vegetables are rich in fiber and the vitamins A and C. Dairy products provide you with calcium and vitamin B12 and protein, so it is important to include cheese and milk in your diet. Protein rich foods are important to improve the immune system and so are foods that are rich in iron and zinc. Nuts, beans, seeds and meat are good sources of protein. Grains such as cereals, rice, pasta and bread help in supplying the body with carbohydrates.

Reduce your intake of refined foods and red meat. Food that has a high fat content or fried should be avoided. As a loss of appetite, nausea and various other stomach problems may arise during treatment, it is advisable to eat small frequent meals. This will ensure that you do not lose any weight, while at the same time it will also help in maintaining your health. It is of the utmost importance to keep eating as your body requires all the strength it can get to help fight this illness. Lastly it is always important to talk to your physician about your diet, as certain kinds of food, minerals or even vitamins could interfere with the cancer treatment. Furthermore the kind of diet that you may need to adopt may also depend largely on the stage of treatment that you are on.

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Posted in Category : Foods that Heal |

Radish for Healthy Body:

Radish is a vegetable that has white flesh and a thin white skin. It is known to be beneficial for health on account of its high nutritional value. It contains the vitamins A, B and C, iron, calcium and other elements that are good for one’s health. The vegetable can be eaten in its raw form, in salads or as an appetizer, or it can be eaten cooked. The health benefits associated with this particular vegetable are plenty. It is has been found to be helpful in digestive and respiratory problems, it aids in getting rid of nervous exhaustion and has also been found to be good for the gums, teeth, hair, nerves and nails. It can also help in both the treatment as well as the prevention of kidney stones. The juice obtained from ground radishes should be left overnight and consumed in the morning; this is particularly good for individuals who suffer from kidney stones.

Apart from this, the juice of the vegetable can act as a cleanser, diuretic and a disinfectant, and thus help in the treatment of several kidney-related ailments. It also facilitates digestion, and cures any constipation problems that one may have. It can help soothe both the excretory and digestive system, and hence is very often recommended for people suffering from piles. Furthermore, it contains certain sulfur based chemicals, which can regulate the flow and production of bile, which in turn helps in maintaining a healthy liver and gallbladder. The vegetable can also be used as an excellent detoxifier to cleanse the system. The benefits of this vegetable however do not end here.

Due to its anti congestive properties it has been found to be useful in a large number of respiratory conditions, such as asthma and bronchitis. It relieves the congestion that could be present in the respiratory system in these conditions. To add to the long list of its benefits, as it is high in vitamin content, it protects the respiratory system from a large number of infections. Radish is also known to possess cancer protective qualities. Apart from being valuable to one’s physical health, it is also good for the health of our skin. It is used in curing a large number of skin conditions. In fact raw radish has been found to be a good natural cleanser and an effective face pack as well. Thus, suffice it to say that radish has plenty of properties that are beneficial for our overall health and well being.

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Posted in Category : Foods that Heal |

Nutrition Deficiency Symptoms

While most people are aware that the lack of a well balanced diet will affect their medical condition quite significantly, most are very unsure of how this degeneration of the human body can actually take place. Moreover, with the increasing convenience of fast food comes a very acceptable ignorance to the kind of food that we eat. Let’s be honest, not many people have the time in today’s hustle and bustle world to concentrate too much on the kind of food that they are stuffing their bodies with. However, it is crucial to understand this as it could mean the avoidance of a number of problems that could greatly reduce the quality as well as the length of a person’s life. A lack of nutrients in a person’s daily diet can lead to a number of medical complications such as anemia, beriberi, osteoporosis, rickets and pellagra among others.

Anemia is the condition in which a person has a significantly low red blood cell count, resulting in a noticeable decrease in the amount of blood that is delivered the each tissue of the body. Some of the commonly experienced symptoms of the condition include fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath, lightheadedness and palpitations of the heart while more severe symptoms include dizziness and fainting. A diet rich in substances like iron, folate and Vitamin B12 will help prevent the onset of this condition. Osteoporosis is a condition in which there is an extremely low bone mass which will result in weak and fragile bones – causing a high likelihood of broken bones in even the lightest of physical extortions or collisions. The condition is very common and is known to currently affect around 10 million people in the United States of America alone. About 80% of all sufferers are women. Patients may notice symptoms of the condition only once it has reached an advanced stage. Some of the symptoms include a dull pain in the bones or muscles, particularly neck pain or low back pain. A high intake of calcium and vitamin D will significantly reduce the likelihood of osteoporosis in an individual.

A well balanced diet will include rich sources of Vitamin D, magnesium, iron, folica acids and calcium. Vitamin D can be found in foods like milk and oranges; magnesium in nuts, fish, oats and bran; iron can be found in tofu, beans and spinach while calcium can be found in milk and milk products. Folic acids can be found in foods like cereals, broccoli, bananas and spaghetti.

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Posted in Category : Foods that Heal | October 27, 2009

Hiatus Hernia Diet:

A Hiatus Hernia is caused when a part of the stomach slips through an opening in the diaphragm that is intended for the esophagus, which connects the mouth to the stomach, to pass through. The part of the stomach that pushes through this opening gets caught in the chest cavity making it very uncomfortable and, at times, painful for the person that has the condition.

However, close to about 50% of the people with hiatus hernia do not show any symptoms. For the remaining 50% that do have the hernia, heartburn is the most common symptom. Controlling your diet goes a long way when it comes to controlling your heartburn.

Before we look at the foods that will help you keep your heartburn in check, we will go over a few rules that you should keep in mind if you have a hiatus hernia:

• Eat smaller more frequent meals. If you generally eat 3 big meals in a day, change that to 6 small meals spread throughout the day.
• Do not eat within 2 hours of bedtime.
• Do not bend over just after having finished a meal.
• Sit up for an hour after having finished your meal.
• Avoid alcohol.
• Do not smoke.
• Don’t wear clothing that constricts the stomach.
• Avoid activities that can put strain on the abdomen.

It is very important to remember that one should never take water with meals, but half an hour before or after a meal. This helps the digestive process and reduces the likeliness of heartburn. The diet should consist of seeds, nuts, whole cereal grain, vegetables and fruits (raw or lightly cooked). About half of the food consumed should be vegetables and fruits.

Foods like white bread, sugar, cakes, biscuits, rice puddings, over cooked vegetables, strong tea and coffee as well as over – processed foods should be avoided.

Raw juices extracted from vegetables and fruits have been known to help considerably with hiatus hernia. The patient should drink around three juices diluted with water about half an hour before each meal. Carrot juice is especially beneficial as it is an alkaline food which soothes the stomach. Hot drinks must be allowed to cool before consumed as extremes in temperatures, with food and drinks, should be avoided.

As an additional measure you should also raise the head end of the bed by placing wooden blocks or bricks below the legs of the bed as this would prevent regurgitation of the consumed food.

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