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Organic VS Non-organic

Yes, there are people who actually argue that conventionally grown food is as nutritious as organically grown food.? And as the popularity of organic foods increases, so does the debate.? Well, the debate over whether organic food is healthier than conventionally grown food may be coming to an end, according to results from the largest study of it’s kind into organic food.

The four-year, European-Union-funded 25 million dollar study found that:
* Organic fruit and vegetables contain up to 40 percent more antioxidants
* Organic produce had higher levels of beneficial minerals like iron and zinc
* Milk from organic herds contained up to 90 percent more antioxidants

The researchers obtained their results after growing fruit and vegetables, and raising cattle, on adjacent organic and non-organic sites.

Five Foods to ward off Cardiovascular Disease

According to NewsMax Health Alerts, the five foods proven to fight cardiovascular disease are:

  1. Spinach — Spinach is high in folate which helps prevent the accumulation of homoscysteine in the blood. Homoscysteine is a major risk factor for heart disease.
  2. Salmon — Salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids which reduce inflammation and help prevent plaque from blocking arteries.
  3. Tomatoes — Tomatoes are rich in lycopene which lowers cholesterol.
  4. Oatmeal — Oatmeal is a great source of soluble fiber which absorbs excess cholesterol and removes it from your body.
  5. Pomegranates — Pomegranates are rich in polyphenols, which are antioxidants that keep hearts healthy by neutralizing cell-damaging free radicals, and may also reduce LDL “bad” cholesterol.

The above foods although nutritious,??are going to do very little in the way of warding off heart disease.? There are other foods wich are literally poisons that need to be avoided if one is trying to eat heart healthy.? Conversely, there are also foods and nutrients which you need to add to your diet that are much more heart healthy than the above list.

Despite what you have learned, high cholesterol is not your enemy. Our enemy in this battle against heart disease is vegetable oils.? That’s right, the very same oils that are promoted as heart healthy.? Studies using rabbits in the early 1900’s are often touted as proof positive that a diet high in cholesterol, which raise cholesterol, promote heart disease.? If you look up these studies you’ll find that the researchers used corn oil or partially hydrogenated oil.?

One study used corn oil with the same amount of cholesterol people normally consume.? The rabbits in this study like all the others developed rampant atherosclerosis.? As we’ve known for decades through past, as well as recent studies, vegetable oils and hydrogenated oils facilitate atherosclerosis without adding cholesterol.? Only God knows how many people have died or suffered as a result of the mass marketing of vegetable oils as heart healthy over the last 7 decades.

Build the Ultimate Sandwich

Men?s Fitness.com helps you create a healthy lunch that actually tastes good with their guide to building the ultimate sandwich.

GO WITH THE GRAIN
Just because the bread’s brown doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Check out the ingredient list. “Whole wheat” should be the first thing listed?not “refined grains,” which have fewer nutrients and less fiber than their whole-grain counterparts. Also be sure the loaf has at least 3 grams of fiber per serving and doesn’t contain any high-fructose corn syrup.

RAID THE PRODUCE AISLE
Pile on all the cucumbers, tomatoes, pickles, onions, bell peppers, or jalape?os you want. The extra calories they add to your meal are virtually nil.

ALL ABOUT MEAT
Ham: It’ll only set you back around 60 calories yet packs 11 grams of protein. Select a nitrate-free variety, though (these preservatives have been shown to increase the risk of cancer when consumed over time). Less sodium means you’ll also avoid that after-lunch bloat.

Turkey: The king of the healthy lunch meats. It’s low in calories, fat, and sodium but loaded with protein. Buy 100% baked or smoked sliced turkey breast.

Roast Beef: Red meat gets a bad rap for being high in fat, but with many lower fat brands out there, you can now pile on the beef without adversely tipping the scale.

Check out the rest of Men?s Fitness ingredients to the ultimate sandwich, here.

Smoking and your johnson

Are you a smoker?? If you are you obviously don’t care it’s the number one preventable cause of death in the U.S.? Well, maybe you’ll care that smoking promotes erectile dysfunction.? That’s right, chances are if you’re a smoker?you’re having trouble in the sack. ?Italian researchers followed 860 male subjects between the ages of 18 and 44 for 3 years.? The subjects were divided into 3 groups: smokers, never smokers and former smokers.? Those that smoked were 30 ? 90 percent more likely to have problems getting it up.? Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor, which means it causes the diameter of arteries to become smaller.? Not only is this bad for Mr. Happy because it reduces blood flow, it is systemically bad for the body because it raises blood pressure.? Another negative effect smoking has is the inhaled chemicals decrease the amount of NO (nitric oxide) released by blood vessels.? Nitric oxide is responsible for the relaxation of blood vessels (arteries) which allows your johnson to come to attention when aroused.? Those of you who smoke because you think it makes you look cool (virtually everyone who starts) had better start thinking about how cool you?ll look with a frustrated naked woman in front of you.

Dental Hygiene

Good dental hygiene can protect your teeth and gums from decay and other serious problems. Left untreated, dental and gum diseases can lead to tooth loss, infection, and damage to bones and nerves.

The American Dental Association offers these guidelines for proper hygiene:
* At least twice a day (and after meals when you can), brush with a fluoride toothpaste.
* Use an antimicrobial mouthwash.
* Floss at least once each day. If possible, floss after every meal to remove food particles from between teeth.
* Get a new toothbrush at least once every three months, or whenever the brush’s bristles become frayed and worn.
* Limit sugary meals, drinks and snacks.
* Visit your dentist twice a year for a cleaning and checkup.

HealthDay.com (HealthDay News)

What this health update does not discuss, is the link between bad oral hygiene and cardiovascular disease. Studies have shown that people with periodontal disease have almost twice the risk of CVD as those without periodontal disease.

Researchers are not exactly sure why periodontal disease is linked to CVD; one possibility is that the bacteria actually damage the artery walls causing clots to form in order to repair the damage which can lead to fatty plaques. When researchers look at the areas where plaque has formed in the arteries they have found damaged tissue caused by viruses and bacteria.

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