Melamine

 The poison in your home Melamine is approved for use in the United States. You will find this chemical in many household items; the use varies from more of an industrial application to basic items we all use every day. 

The chemical combines with other products to form a very strong resin, the resin is used to coat items, making them durable. This is fine for things like laminate flooring, or cleaning products, however recent studies have shown that household items like dishes and cooking utensils may not be the best application.

 Research continues, however preliminary results have shown that the melamine in our basic dishes (like a bowl) can leak into our food and damage our health. This chemical has been linked to kidney malfunction and kidney stones. I have never had a kidney stone, but from what I hear, they are best avoided.

 It may sound elementary, but let’s keep the high-grade industrial resin away from your food.

5 Foods to Avoid

We all know it’s important to read our food labels but how many of us really do?  Especially, when it comes to makers that we’ve grown to trust like Campbells.  But just because something is familiar, doesn’t mean it is healthy.  In order to maintain a healthy body we need to be aware of what goes into it.  Read below for a list of foods you should avoid. 

Campbells Chicken Noodle Soup is packed with sodium.  Half of a cup contains 890 mg of sodium.  You would almost be better off eating a large order of fries at McDonalds, which has 350 mg! 

Frozen “Diet” Meals contain a variety of preservatives that spell out trouble for your body.  Most frozen meals include BHT (Butulated Hydroxytoluene) to keep the food from going bad.  BHT may contain cancer-causing agents and has been linked to kidney damage.  Make fresh food and take the leftovers for lunch instead. 

Canned or Packaged Fruits can contain up to 26 grams of sugar. A can of Red Bull contains 27 grams of sugar.  The fructose syrup the fruit marinates in may impose dangerous side effects on your body such as Type 2 Diabetes, Weight Gain, and Hypertension.  Eating fresh fruits will reduce these side effects and is a natural, healthy way to get sugar. 

Chicken Pot Pies are deceptive, containing vegetables and white meat chicken but most pies have on average 1000 calories and 18 grams of fat, not to mention the preservatives.  Chicken breast and steamed vegetables are a much healthier and nutritious meal. 

Doughnuts are made with trans fats, which have been banned by some governments.  Trans fats increase your bad or LDL cholesterol and at the same time lower your body’s good or HDL cholesterol.  This increases your risk of heart disease.  “Partially hydrogenated” vegetable oil is another name for trans fats so be sure to inspect your food labels!  

Bigorexia

(HealthDay News) -- Men obsessed with muscle-building lean toward traditional ideas of masculinity, while men fixated on being thin likely associate with more feminine stereotypes, according to new research. Guys consumed by the idea that they are not muscular enough have a disorder called muscle dysmorphia, popularly known as "bigorexia."

It had been believed that sexuality was one of the main factors behind muscle dysmorphia in men, but this study suggests that how men view themselves is more important, according to the Australian researchers, whose study results are published in the March 27 issue of the Journal of Eating Disorders. The researchers had a group of men complete a questionnaire designed to find out how they viewed themselves in comparison to common stereotypes of masculine thoughts and behaviors.

Men with a strong desire for being muscular had a greater preference for traditional masculinity, while those with a high drive for thinness (as in anorexia nervosa) leaned more toward feminine roles, the study found. "This does not mean that that the men with anorexia were any less masculine, nor that the men with muscle dysmorphia were less feminine than the control subjects we recruited," study leader Stuart Murray, a clinical psychologist, said in a journal news release. "It is, however, an indication of the increasing pressures men are under to define their masculinity in the modern world."

He and his colleagues noted that research over the past several decades has shown that a growing number of men say they are unhappy with their body image. This may show itself in either a desire to lose weight and become thinner or to gain weight and build muscle. This can lead to problems if a person abuses steroids or adopts unhealthy eating habits, or if the compulsion to exercise overwhelms normal life and leads to loss of sleep, reduced quality of life or even an inability to hold a normal job, the researchers said.

More information

The National Eating Disorders Association has more about body image.

Foods that Fight Aging

             

  The principles of eating for longevity are useful at any age. Whether you are young or old, you can take preventative measures in order to safeguard your health for the future. The key is a healthy diet and lifestyle full of foods that promote your health rather than detract from it. Avoid foods heavy in saturated fat and trans fat. Eat foods with a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and protein. Here are some foods that will help you age gracefully.

·         Legumes – Chock full of complex carbohydrates and fiber, legumes help keep a stable blood insulin level. They have no cholesterol, and are packed with antioxidants and protein.

·         Watermelon – The antioxidants found in watermelon help repair the sun damage in skin cells.

·         Tomatoes – Tomatoes contain the antioxidant lycopene, which can reduce the risk of some cancers, and keep the skin looking youthful.

·         Cucumber – The skin of a cucumber is made from silica, which helps to build collagen in the skin.

·         Olive Oil – Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats (good fats) which actually lower your LDL cholesterol. It is high in antioxidants, which improves skin’s elasticity.

·         Nuts and seeds – Nuts and seeds are full of vitamin E, which helps to moisturize the skin by protecting cells against free radical attacks.

·         Broccoli – There is a compound in broccoli called sulforaphane that increases the activity of protective enzymes in our cells.

·         Salmon – The omega 3 fatty acids found in salmon help to reduce hypertension, lower triglycerides, and decrease your risk of heart attack.

·         Whole grains – Whole grains help reduce the risk of diabetes because of they take longer to digest and do not cause spikes in blood sugar.

·         Berries – Dark berries such as blueberries and raspberries are rich an antioxidants called anthocyanins which have been shown to slow the growth of certain cancers and improve brain function.