Tahlia's Vitamins Journal

Everyone is aware that certain food groups are especially healthy. These include legumes, vegetables, fruit, fish, pulses and more. They are particularly good for the heart.

However, it is also quite well known that some individual foodstuffs are extremely good for the heart. This is a list of some of the best:

1. Oily fish are packed with Omega 3. The best are salmon, mackerel, herring, tuna and trout.

2. Asparagus has folic acid, which aids in preventing the narrowing of the blood vessels in your legs.

3. Chilli peppers can help to thin the blood, which enhances your circulation.

4. Blueberries are packed with antioxidants, which are able to thin the blood and which also contain cholesterol-lowering properties.

5. Almonds are full of protein, not to mention fibre and Vitamin E. Of course, they also contain fat, so don't eat too many.

6. Spinach has lots of potassium, which has shown some impressive blood circulation and stroke-reducing abilities.

7. Olive oil can help to control bad LDL cholesterol, while raising the amounts of good HDL.

8. Ginger has the ability to aid your circulation, which means that it is less likely that you will end up with a blood clot.

9. Black pepper is another antioxidant. In addition, it can help with your digestion.

10. Cranberries have the ability to ward off strokes. It is also believed that they possess some cancer-fighting ability.

11. Garlic is able to reduce your cholesterol and your blood pressure.

12. Red wine, when drunk in moderation, has the ability to add chromium, which helps to regulate the cholesterol in your blood.

13. Bananas are packed with potassium, which can help you to keep your blood pressure healthy, as well as reducing strokes.

14. Green tea is rich in antioxidants, which has the ability to lower cholesterol.

Reference: Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil

Similar Articles: Dr Sears Fish Oil

A recent outbreak of E. coli has infected 21 people in 16 states. This time the culprit is beef that was shipped to various restaurants throughout the Midwest and western United States. The beef was chopped, which increases the surface area, allowing for bacteria, like E. coli, to penetrate the internal portions of the food products. When that part of the food isn't cooked thoroughly (as is common with beef), the bacteria isn't killed and can cause foodborne illness.

The concern for bacteria in ground meat is one reason why most restaurants won't serve hamburgers rare, like they will do with steaks. However, some restaurants may use mechanically tenderized steaks that have been injected with tenderizing fluids. It's important to know that this process can also lead to bacterial contamination of meat.

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Chamomile tea is probably one of the best selling infusion tea flavors on the US market. Tea made from the chamomile plant has a subtle, sweet taste and is believed to have stress reducing qualities. Of course, some of the stress reduction might just be due to the relaxing benefit of
 sipping a hot beverage, but chamomile gets most of the credit.It is widely believed that drinking a cup of chamomile tea in the afternoon can greatly reduce feelings of stress, but what if you find yourself stuck at the office and unable to obtain a hot cup of that magic elixir? Chamomile is also available in melting oral tablets from companies like 1-800homeopathy.com, and can be found in many health-food stores. Local pharmacies often carry chamomile supplements in capsule form that you swallow with water. Chamomile is so renowned for its calming effects that Hyland's Homeopathy offers teething tablets for babies that feature the plant.Well, reputation is one thing, but proof positive is another. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate herbal supplements and homeopathic medicines, and it is difficult to find a scientific study proving the calming benefits of chamomile. To that end, I will offer my own experience.The use of chamomile tablets was suggested to me after the birth of my son, by a Certified Nurse Midwife. I regularly took two capsules of chamomile in the morning, then would take the recommended dose of oral tablets in the afternoon. As I have always been a hot tea drinker, drinking chamomile tea was already a habit.I found that using the oral tablets seemed to help reduce stress almost immediately. For a new mother with a colicky baby, that was a huge relief. However, taking chamomile did not completely relieve my stress. Months of sleeplessness still took their toll, though I took as much chamomile as I felt comfortable with. As for using chamomile to sooth a teething or colicky baby, our son seemed to have the same result that I did. Taking chamomile would sooth him quickly, but the benefits were short-lived.

If you're looking to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) naturally, St. John's wort may not be your best bet. A recent study found that the herb was less effective than a placebo when it came to alleviating IBS symptoms such as stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation, and bloating.

The study included 70 IBS patients. For three months, half the participants received St. John's wort, while the other half received a placebo. After observing the patients' symptoms throughout the treatment period, researchers determined that the placebo group had a better response than study members taking St. John's wort.

A popular natural remedy for IBS, St. John's wort is thought to affect neurotransmitters found in the colon. In past studies, St. John's wort has been found to benefit people with depression, as well as individuals attempting to quit smoking.

More Information: Dr Sears Fish Oil

I know fats can be confusing; which ones are bad and how bad are they? And which ones are good? One of the good fats is called omega-3 fat, and you're probably not getting enough of it in your diet.

The omega-3 fats are good for us because they'll help to keep our hearts and blood vessels healthy and resent research suggests they may even help us live longer.

Most of us probably need more than what we're getting from our diets, but you can add more omega-3 fats when you eat fish, flax, canola oil, walnuts, soy and pumpkin seeds. Or you can take them in supplement form (and they're sneaking into many food products as a nutritional ingredient).

Read More
Why Are Omega-3 Fats So Important?
Plant or Fish for Omega-3 Fats?
Which Fish Are Good and Which Ones Are Bad?
What Are Some Good Omega-3 Supplements?
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When you think someone who may have high cholesterol, who do you think of ? It may be somebody older, and perhaps slighly overweight. However, a new study released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggests that high cholesterol can strike even younger. According to the CDC, in a statement released yesterday, a little over 20% of teenagers aged 12 to 19 years have abnormal cholesterol levels.

The results were generated from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) over a 7 year period (1999 – 2006), which examines health and nutritional habits within the United States population. The majority of high cholesterol and/or triglyceride levels were noted in obese and overweight teens.

You can read more about this study on the CDC website.