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5 DANGEOUS FACTS ABOUT MICROWAVE POPCORN
Popcorn is a favorite snack in the United States, with the average American eating almost 54 quarts every year. Although popcorn can be a healthy snack, it can also be dangerous to your health, even exposing you to cancer-causing chemicals. Consider the following five cautions before popping another bag of store-bought microwave popcorn:
1. PFOA. The manufacturers of microwave popcorn coat the bags with a chemical that, according to the FDA, breaks down during the cooking process and forms a chemical called perfluorooctanoic or PFOA. The Environmental Protection Agency classifies PFOA as a likely carcinogen.
2. Diacetyl. A chemical called diacetyl is used to give microwave popcorn a butter flavor — but it also gives rise to bronchiolitis obliterans or "popcorn workers lung." There is disagreement over whether or not ordinary consumers who pop a bag or two a week are at risk, but one court awarded a consumer $7.2 million after developing popcorn lung. A Denver man said he developed the disease from eating two bags of microwave popcorn every day for 10 years. To avoid inhaling diacetyl, open freshly popped bags away from your face, and if you have an exhaust fan attached to your stove, turn it on.
3. Burns. The process of microwaving popcorn in bags causes steam, which can easily cause severe burns to your face and hands. Avoid getting burned when opening a bag of freshly popped corn by keeping your face and hands away from the opening.
4. Tooth damage. Most bags of popcorn have a few unpopped kernels, and those hard pieces can chip and crack teeth. In 2008, a man sued a movie theater after fracturing a tooth on an unpopped kernel. Kernels can also get stuck between teeth causing gum irritation. Eat small amounts at a time and avoid hard unpopped kernels.
5. Fat, salt, and calories. A bag of butter-flavored microwave popcorn can contain up to 24 grams of fat, 500 to 600 milligrams of salt, and about 600 calories. That beats a large popcorn at some movie theaters which can pack as many as 60 grams of fat, but it's far from being healthy.
Even though prepackaged microwave popcorn has its dangers, popcorn can be a healthy snack, and may be the perfect snack food. A single serving of popcorn has twice the polyphenols of most fruits or vegetables, according to Joe Vinson, Ph.D. from Pennsylvania's University of Scranton.
The key to healthy popcorn is popping it yourself — and you don't even have to give up your microwave. One simple way is to put a couple of tablespoons of organic popcorn kernels in a paper bag, fold the top of the bag over, and microwave on high until the kernels stop popping. Or pop on your stove top by pouring a couple of tablespoons of oil in a large, heavy pan and placing on moderate heat. Put two kernels of popcorn in the pan: When the two kernels pop, add three tablespoons of popping corn and cover the pan. When the kernels start popping, shake the pan until the popping stops. Add a dash of salt (and other spices if you choose), and you have a healthy, low-calorie snack.
ENERGY DRINKS INCREASE BLOOD PRESSURE,
DISTURB HEART RHYTHMS
A new study finds that energy drinks may increase blood pressure and disturb your heart's natural rhythm.
If you're a fan of energy drinks like Red Bull, a new study finds that they may increase blood pressure and disturb your heart's natural rhythm.
US researchers analyzed data from seven previously published studies to determine how consuming energy drinks might impact heart health.
Among the studies, a total of 93 subjects drank energy drinks and had their "QT interval" measured, while another 132 had their blood pressure tested. The QT interval is an electrocardiogram measurement of how the heart resets itself electronically while it beats.
In most of the studies, the participants drank one to three cans of Red Bull.
Findings revealed that the QT intervals lengthened after people drank the energy drinks, which could put your heart at risk for electrical short circuits.
It's not clear whether the culprit is caffeine or other ingredients in the products, but study coauthor Dr. Ian Riddock, a preventive cardiologist at the David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base in California, suggested it's probably the latter.
Until more research is done, what's the takeaway? WebMD cites that for those who drink energy drinks from time to time, there is no need to worry. "I have no real concern that having an energy drink or two will negatively impact most people's health," Dr. C. Michael White, a professor at the University of Connecticut and who wasn't involved in the study, told the website.
The findings were presented Thursday at an American Heart Association meeting in New Orleans.
WATER AND ASPIRIN TIPS
FROM THE MAYO CLINIC
How many folks do you know who say they don't want to drink anything before going to bed because they'll have to get up during the night!!
Heart Attack and Water - Never knew all of this ! Interesting...
Something else you may not know ... Why do people need to urinate so much at night time? Answer from a Cardiac Doctor - Gravity holds water in the lower part of your body when you are upright (legs swell). When you lie down and the lower body (legs and etc) seeks level with the kidneys, it is then that the kidneys remove the water because it is easier. This then ties in with the last statement!
You need your minimum water to help flush the toxins out of your body, and this may be news to some.
Correct time to drink water... Very Important. From A Cardiac Specialist!
Drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body: 2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs
1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion
1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure
1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack
Also add to this... Physician's say that water at bed time will also help prevent night time leg cramps. Your leg muscles are seeking hydration when they cramp and wake you up with a Charlie Horse.
Subject: FW: FW: Mayo clinic aspirin Good information.
Subject: Mayo Clinic on Aspirin - PASS IT ON
Mayo Clinic Aspirin Dr. Virend Somers, is a Cardiologist from the Mayo Clinic, who is lead author of the report in the July 29, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Most heart attacks occur in the day, generally between 6 A.M. and noon. Having one during the night, when the heart should be most at rest, means that something unusual happened. Somers and his colleagues have been working for a decade to show that sleep apnea is to blame.
1. If you take an aspirin or a baby aspirin once a day, take it at night. The reason: Aspirin has a 24-hour "half-life"; therefore, if most heart attacks happen in the wee hours of the morning, the Aspirin would be strongest in your system.
2. FYI, Aspirin lasts a really long time in your medicine chest for years, (when it gets old, it smells like vinegar).
Something that we can do to help ourselves - nice to know.
Bayer is making crystal aspirin to dissolve instantly on the tongue. They work much faster than the tablets.
Why keep Aspirin by your bedside? It's about Heart Attacks -
There are other symptoms of a heart attack, besides the pain on the left arm. One must also be aware of an intense pain on the chin, as well as nausea and lots of sweating; however, these symptoms may also occur less frequently.
Note: There may be NO pain in the chest during a heart attack.
The majority of people (about 60%) who had a heart attack during their sleep did not wake up. However, if it occurs, the chest pain may wake you up from your deep sleep.
If that happens, immediately dissolve two aspirins in your mouth and swallow them with a bit of water.
Afterwards: - Call 911. - Phone a neighbor or a family member who lives very close by.- Say "heart attack!" - Say that you have taken 2 Aspirins. - Take a seat on a chair or sofa near the front door, and wait for their arrival and ....
DO NOT LIE DOWN!
A Cardiologist has stated that if each person after receiving this e-mail, sends it to 10 people, probably one life could be saved!
I have already shared this information. What about you?
Do share this message. It may save lives!
"Life is a one time gift from God"
THESE 4 FOODS
ACCELERATE AGING...BEWARE!
Do you eat these harmful foods that AGE you faster? Some are even deceptively marketed to you as "healthy" by giant food corporations. Avoid or minimize these and look 5-10 years YOUNGER than your real age.
Due to biochemical reactions in your body that occur with every type of food you eat on a daily basis, some foods age you FASTER than your real age, while other foods help to FIGHT aging.
Eat the wrong foods regularly, and you can look and feel 10 or more years OLDER than your real age (not fun!) ... but eat the right foods, and over time, you can start to look 5-10 years YOUNGER than your real age.
Three of the processes that go on inside your body that have a MAJOR impact on your rate of aging are called "glycation", "inflammation", and "oxidation". When we talk about aging, we're not just talking about wrinkles on your skin or how thick your hair is... we're also talking about factors that you can't see, such as how well your organs function, and whether your joints are degrading.
Yes, you'll agree this is much more important than just how you look on the surface (although we'll show you how to improve BOTH!)
Your rate of aging can be directly related to the foods you might eat every day, and how to protect yourself...
Food #1 that ages you faster: Wheat (yes, even "whole wheat")
Wheat can actually speed up the aging process in your body, so let's clarify some simple production of AGEs inside your body. This may surprise you, but high blood sugar levels over time dramatically increase age-accelerating AGEs in your body. This is why type 2 diabetics many times appear that they have not aged well and look older than their real age. But this age-increasing effect is not just limited to diabetics. It can affect everyone.
So, let's get back to how "whole wheat" relates to this...
Here is a little-known fact that's often covered up by the massive marketing campaigns by giant food companies that want you to believe that "whole wheat" is healthy for you... but the fact is that wheat contains a very unique type of carbohydrate (not found in other foods) called Amylopectin-A, which has been found in some tests to spike your blood sugar higher than even pure table sugar.
In fact, amylopectin-A (from wheat) raises your blood sugar more than almost any other carbohydrate source on earth based on blood sugar response testing.
This means that wheat-based foods such as breads, bagels, cereals, muffins, and other baked goods often cause much higher blood sugar levels than most other carbohydrate sources. As you know now, the higher your average blood sugar levels are over time, the more AGEs are formed inside your body, which makes you age FASTER.
You've probably heard about the potential health-damaging effects of gluten (also found in wheat) in the news recently, but this blood sugar aspect we just covered is not talked about that often, and is yet another reason to reduce or eliminate wheat-based foods in your diet. Your body will thank you by aging slower and looking YOUNGER!
Remove 95% of the wheat from your diet , and your chronic joint pain will completely disappear! Not only that, you can lose those "love handles" that have been plaguing you your entire adult life...All by reducing your wheat intake!
Another problem with wheat-based foods and aging...
As it turns out, baked wheat products contain carcinogenic chemicals called acrylamides that form in the browned portion of breads, cereals, muffins, etc. These carcinogenic acrylamides have been linked in studies to possible increased risk of cancer and accelerated aging. Note that acrylamides are also found in high levels in other browned carbohydrate sources such as french fries or any other browned starchy foods.
Don't worry though... There's a trick that you can use to protect yourself from these carcinogenic acrylamides, and it has to do with eating the RIGHT foods that COUNTERACT damage from these nasty chemicals. We will show you how to find the EXACT foods that protect your body.
Food #2 that ages you faster: Corn-based foods -- corn syrup, corn cereal, corn chips, corn oil
This is quite a variety of stuff that you might eat every day... we're talking corn chips, corn cereals, corn oil, and also the biggest health-damaging villain that gets most of the media attention, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
We already talked in detail in the last section about wheat regarding the blood sugar process and it's relation to age-accelerating formation of nasty "AGEs" in your body.
Well, corn-based starchy foods such as corn cereals, corn chips, etc also have a big impact on blood sugar levels and therefore can increase AGEs in your body and accelerate aging.
But here's another nail in the coffin for corn... it turns out that scientists have found out that the fructose in HFCS causes 10x more formation of AGEs in your body than glucose! Yes, that's right... that means the HFCS you consume daily in sweetened drinks, and most other processed foods (yes, even salad dressings and ketchup) contribute to faster aging in your body... as if you needed yet another reason to avoid or minimize HFCS!
We're not done yet with corn... it gets even worse...
Another major issue with corn-based foods and corn oils is that these foods contribute excessive amounts of omega-6 fatty acids to your diet, which causes an imbalance in your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio and leads to inflammation and oxidation within your body.
Once again... another example of corn-based foods aging you FASTER.
Smart advice: Avoid or reduce corn-based foods like corn chips and corn cereal as much as possible. These aren't as bad as wheat in relation to blood sugar, and they don't contain gut-damaging gluten like wheat does, but they are still bad for you. When it comes to corn syrup or corn oil, avoid as much as you can if you want to stay lean and young looking.
Food #3 that ages you faster: Sugar, sugary foods, certain starchy foods
Again, we get back to the relationship between your average blood sugar levels and blood sugar spikes over time, and how that can increase those age-accelerating compounds called AGEs in your body.
Sugar is an obvious one to avoid. You've heard how bad it is for you 1000 times before for many other reasons, including your waistline and developing type 2 diabetes. But now you also understand the aging effect of sugar.
Instead of sugar, consider using a natural non-caloric sweetener like Stevia in your daily coffee, tea, in baking, or other sweetening needs. This dramatically helps you control your blood sugar response and thereby help slow aging.
So this also means to think twice about sugary desserts, sugary cereals, candy, and other sweets that are contributing to aging you faster.
A personal trick to satisfy your sweet tooth is to only have 1-2 squares of dark chocolate after dinner instead of a normal full dessert that most people choose. You only get about 2 grams of sugar in 1-2 squares of dark chocolate as opposed to 40-80 grams of age-accelerating sugar in a typical cake, ice cream, or brownie type of dessert.
Keep in mind that some starchy foods like white rice, oatmeal, and white potatoes can also have significant impacts on your blood sugar and thereby can increase formation of AGEs in your body. These foods are best kept in smaller portions if you decide to eat them, and balanced with healthy fats and protein to slow the blood sugar response.
Food #4 that ages you faster: Soybean oil, canola oil, or other "vegetable oils"
These have been marketed to you over the years by giant food companies as "healthy", but if you understand a little biochemistry about how these highly-processed oils react inside your body, you would quickly see how false that is.
First, anything labeled soybean oil, canola oil, corn oil, vegetable oil, or cottonseed oil (these are in a LOT of processed foods you probably eat) most times have undergone a refining process under extremely high heat and use of chemical solvents such as hexane.
This leaves you with an oil where the polyunsaturated fats have undergone a lot of oxidation and are therefore VERY inflammatory inside your body, producing free radicals, damaging your cell membranes, contributing to faster aging, heart disease, and other possible health problems.
If you want to avoid the health-damaging effects of soybean, canola, corn and other "vegetable oils", make sure to avoid them as much as you can, and instead opt for truly healthy oils and fats such as extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, virgin coconut oil (a healthy source of MCT fats), and grass-fed butter (a great source of healthy CLA fats).
RARE UNDERSEA DISCOVERY COULD
EXTEND YOUR LIFE BY 10, 20, OR 30 YEARS
Humans have made incredible health strides and are living longer lives than ever. Many of the maladies that struck down our ancestors have for the most part been completely eliminated – everything from tuberculosis, to polio to malaria.
Today, the biggest killers stem as much from our lifestyles as from microscopic bacteria and viruses. One of the worst of these is heart disease, and specifically high blood pressure. It’s a slow, but efficient killer that robs many people of what should be the last 10, 20 or 30 years of their lives.
Part of the reason that heart disease is so prevalent and intractable is that it often requires massive changes to one’s lifestyle— changes that are not easy to make. Everything from radically altering ones diet to implementing serious exercise routines. And while it’s never too late to start, people often realize the true danger only when it’s too late to make the changes and the damage is done.
Now, however, there may be a scientific breakthrough that could have an impact on high blood pressure comparable to penicillin’s ability treat infections or quinine’s effect on malaria.
Scientists are claiming that they have now isolated unusual ingredients in a rare seaweed discovered by fishermen off the coast of Korea that offer incredible health benefits—including the ability to restore blood pressure to normal levels.
Dr. Haengwoo Lee, a renowned biochemist living near Seattle, Washington conducted a massive 15 year, multimillion dollar clinical study on these two ingredients. The first is Seanol, an extremely rare seaweed extract from Ecklonia Cava that's proven to be 100 times more powerful than any land-based antioxidant. That's because it stays working in your body for 12 hours, compared to land-based antioxidants that work for 30 minutes.
"Its secret is its make-up of special polyphenol antioxidants that are a whopping 40% lipid (fat) soluble," Dr. Lee explains. "Unlike nearly all land-based antioxidants that are water soluble, Seanol's protective compounds can get into things like the fatty tissues of your brain and penetrate all three layers of your cells, including the outside, the oil-based cell membranes, and your DNA."
Indeed, Seanol is so powerful, it's the only FDA-approved Ecklonia Cava marine-algae extract in existence.
The second ingredient is Calamarine, a deep-sea omega-3 discovery that delivers 85% more DHA omega-3s to your heart, brain, joints, and eyes. It's known to combat everything from fatigue and poor memory, to vision problems, joint pain, mood swings and depression.
With that research in mind, Dr. Lee combined Seanol and Calamarine with a high dose of vitamin D to form Marine-D3, the newest supplement in the fight against age-related illnesses and high blood pressure.
According to the CDC, about 1 in 3 U.S. adults has high blood pressure, which increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, the two leading causes of death in the United States. Increasing your omega-3 intake can reduce high blood pressure, and because it's difficult to get enough omega-3s in foods like fish and nuts, many people turn to supplements.
Dr. Lee found that Calamarine delivers some of the greatest concentration of omega-3s known to science, and has been able to formulate it without any fishy burps or aftertaste. Combined with Seanol's ability to reduce body inflammation, as well as help cells get the nutrients they need to thrive, stay healthy and protected, Marine-D3 is able to boost a body's entire well being.
The makers of Marine-D3 are so confident that you'll see fast dramatic results from this product, that if you aren't happy after two full months, simply return the unused portion and they'll buy it back. They'll even give you ten dollars extra just for giving it an honest try! That kind of faith, combined with Dr. Lee's exhaustive research, shows that Marine-D3 really is a one-of-a-kind product.
Click here to learn more about Marine-D3.
The statements and claims made about this product have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (U.S.). This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.
Finding a single "best" health and fitness website is subjective, as different people have different needs and preferences. However, several highly-regarded websites consistently rank among the top choices for reliable information, workout routines, nutrition advice, and community support:
For comprehensive health and fitness resources:
Livestrong: Offers a wide array of information on exercises, health care, physical and mental health, and more.
Verywell Fit: Provides information on exercises (walking, running, swimming) and general health issues, including the latest news and scientific discoveries.
Healthline: Focused on providing simple, expert-based information on physical and mental health to help people reconnect with their well-being.
WebMD: One of the most visited health websites, providing a wealth of medical information, drug guides, disease symptom self-test tools, and healthy lifestyle advice.
Mayo Clinic: Clinical experts provide medical information and news on healthy lifestyle choices, diseases, drugs and supplements, symptoms, and medical tests.
For fitness and exercise-specific resources:
CrossFit: The homepage for the fitness revolution known as CrossFit, offering workout routines and information.
Muscle & Fitness: Geared towards building muscle and staying in shape.
ACE Insights Blog: Provides fitness articles backed by guidelines and recommendations from the American Council on Exercise, covering topics like yoga, strength training, and exercises for beginners.
Fitness Blender: Features workout tips, workout videos, and healthy living tips.
For nutrition and healthy eating:
MyFitnessPal: A freemium website and app that allows users to track calories and get fitness and food advice, with a food database containing over 20 million foods.
Nutrition Stripped®: Shares science-based articles on trending nutrition topics, foods, and healthy eating habits, founded by a Registered Dietitian.
Eating Bird Food: Features healthy recipe creations focused on whole foods, wellness articles, and workouts.
Bites of Wellness: Run by a personal trainer, nutrition coach, and fitness chef, offering recipes for various diets and wellness tips.
For weight loss programs and support:
Noom: A comprehensive weight-loss platform integrating psychology, technology, and coaching to build healthier eating habits and achieve sustainable weight loss.
WeightWatchers: Offers a flexible weight loss program.
Fooducate: Allows users to compare foods and beverages based on calorie content and an assigned letter grade.
CalorieKing.com: Straightforward and intuitive for getting nutrition information and exercise tips.
Specialty Websites:
T Nation: Designed for more advanced fitness enthusiasts, focusing on hardcore training.
Nerd Fitness: Offers healthy lifestyle advice with a fun, engaging blog, online coaching, and at-home workouts.
Fit Bottomed Girls: Combines health and wellness with a mom blog, perfect for mothers seeking to stay healthy and active.
Tips for evaluating health and fitness websites:
Look for websites sponsored by government agencies (.gov), educational institutions (.edu), or reputable non-profit organizations (.org) as these are generally more reliable than commercial sites (.com).
Check who wrote or reviewed the content. Look for articles written or reviewed by medical experts, doctors, and professionals in the medical field.
Ensure the information is based on scientific research and studies.
Look for websites with up-to-date content (ideally no more than 2-3 years old).
Be cautious of chat rooms and discussion groups, as the information may not be reviewed or regulated.
Compare information from multiple sources to ensure accuracy.
Ultimately, the best health and fitness website for you will depend on your specific goals and interests. By exploring some of the options mentioned above and keeping the evaluation tips in mind, you can find the resources that best support your journey toward a healthier and fitter lifestyle.
Fitness Trends That Make Exercise More Engaging
Several innovative fitness trends are emerging that make exercise more engaging and enjoyable, keeping people motivated on their wellness journey.
Here are some top trends to consider
1. Gamified fitness
Gamified fitness incorporates game elements like points, rewards, leaderboards, and challenges into workouts. This taps into our natural desire for achievement and competition, turning exercise into a fun, interactive experience.
Examples:
Apps like Zombies, Run! where you run to outrun virtual zombies. Virtual reality workouts like Beat Saber or Supernatural, that immerse you in game-like environments for boxing or dance cardio.
2. Hybrid fitness
Hybrid fitness blends in-person and digital workouts, providing flexibility and convenience. This allows you to combine the social aspect of group classes with the flexibility of virtual sessions.
Examples:
Gyms offering memberships that include access to both on-site classes and online platforms for live-streamed or on-demand workouts.
3. Immersive experiences
Immersive fitness uses Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and audiovisual elements to create captivating workout environments.
Examples:
Cycling through virtual landscapes.
Boxing in a neon-lit futuristic arena.
Yoga or meditation in serene digital settings.
4. Outdoor and adventure fitness
Many people are rediscovering the joy of exercising outdoors, combining fitness with fresh air and a change of scenery. This trend offers a refreshing break from traditional gym settings and can also provide mental health benefits.
Examples:
Hiking, cycling, trail running, or even outdoor bootcamps.
Joining group runs in local parks or nature preserves.
5. Social and community-based fitness
Exercising with others can significantly increase motivation and enjoyment. Participating in group challenges, classes, or team sports can foster accountability and build a sense of community.
Examples:
Joining dance classes like Zumba or hip-hop cardio.
Participating in group fitness classes, sports leagues, or running clubs.
6. Mind-body fitness and holistic wellness
This trend emphasizes the connection between physical activity and mental well-being. It focuses on overall health rather than just physical appearance, says Smart Health Clubs. Practices like yoga, Pilates, and meditation are gaining popularity for their ability to reduce stress, improve focus, and enhance inner health.
Examples:
Yoga, Pilates, and Tai Chi.
Mindfulness workouts and recovery-focused sessions with guided relaxation techniques.
By exploring these trends and finding what resonates with you, you can transform your fitness journey into a more engaging, rewarding, and sustainable experience.
