Potato consumption can help reduce sodium retention and risk of high BP

Increased potassium intake has been linked to improvements in cardiovascular and other health outcomes. The researchers have found in a new study that individuals with higher cardiometabolic risk may benefit from adding more dietary potassium, namely potatoes, to a typical American diet.

The research revealed that potato consumption had the greatest benefit on reducing sodium retention that resulted in a greater systolic blood pressure reduction compared to the control diet. Further, despite commonly held misbeliefs about French fries and their role in heart-healthy lifestyles, the authors observed that a 330-calorie serving of baked French fries, when eaten as part of a typical American diet had no adverse effect on blood pressure or blood vessel function.

The researchers assessed increasing potassium intake through food or supplements as part of a controlled diet on BP, microcirculation ( endothelial function) and potassium and sodium retention in 30 pre-hypertensive-to-hypertensive men and women.

The study is the 1^st controlled feeding trial looking specifically at dietary potassium as the primary nutrient of interest on effects on BP in vulnerable men and women.

The researchers assessed the effect of dietary potassium from potato sources ( baked and boiled (potato) or French fry) compared with a potassium supplement ( K gluconate) on BP and metabolism outcomes in per-hypertensive to hypertensive adults via a cross-over, highly controlled feeding trial.

Participants were randomly assigned to one of four 16-day dietary potassium interventions-

Control diet including 2300 mg potassium / day ( reflective of typical intake, considered to be ‘ low potassium’)

Control diet + 1000 mg of potassium from potatoes ( baked, boiled or pan-heated with no addition fat)

Control diet + 1000mg  from baked French fries

Control diet + 1000 mg from a potassium-gluconate supplement.

Each diet was tailored to participants’ specific caloric needs while all other nutrients were kept constant. Blood pressure was measured across multiple visits of each phase, and participants also collected daily urine/ stool samples to assess potassium and sodium excretion and retention.

The strengths of the study include a highly controlled diet, cross-over design, and excellent compliance. However, the researchers note a few limitations as well, including the study’s  relatively small sample size, poor retention in study participation and relatively short study duration.

All clinical studies are faced with limitations; however, despite those found in this study, the rigor of the study design is strong and unlikely any other studies that have investigated the effect of a whole food- and potassium- on high BP, the researcher notes. Through our carefully controlled balance study, we could determine the mechanism by which potatoes reduced BP. Overall, we concluded that boiled or baked potatoes can help reduce systolic BP and baked French fries have no adverse effects on BP and can be included as part of an overall healthy diet.

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
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7 Food Combinations That Can Ruin Your Health

In our great digital age, you can learn at any time about the nuances of a healthy diet, including which foods might be unhealthy or even dangerous to eat together.

We have probably all run across information that indicates certain food combos can cause a host of dangerous conditions like diabetes, cancer, or arthritis. As an intelligent person who craves the best information possible to guide your dietary choices, the internet is a real life-saver.

However, there is sometimes too much info out there, and not all of it is accurate. If you actually tried to follow every piece of dietary advice you came across you’d probably drive yourself crazy designing even one meal. But despite the dire warnings you might read about foods that will nearly kill you if eaten together, most of that stuff is based on superstition rather than science.
Sometimes there is a grain of truth to food combination warnings, but it is rarely reason enough to swear off of them entirely. Stick with us to discover the facts and the fiction surrounding 7 food combinations that the internet says will ruin your health.

1. Cold Water With A Meal

The story: The theory goes that drinking cold water directly before, during, or after a meal will cause the food to congeal or solidify in your stomach. After all, fats do congeal when exposed to cool temperatures outside of your body. Some people also suggest that drinking water with food dilutes stomach acid and thus reduces the acid’s ability to digest a meal.

The reality: What this idea fails to consider is that our bodies are warm inside. Cold water doesn’t stay cold for long after being consumed; it quickly warms up to body temperature. And while cold water can help prevent overheating when you’ve been out in the sun too long, it’s not enough to solidify fat and keep it that way throughout digestion.

Drinking water of any temperature during a meal actually aids digestion. Water can be pretty good at breaking things down all by itself, and in your digestive system, it works in tandem with stomach acid, not against it.

2. Cucumbers And Tomatoes

The story: Because cucumbers and tomatoes have vastly different digestion times, eating them together is likely to cause nausea, gas, bloating, or even (gasp) death. Cucumbers also contain an enzyme that destroys the vitamin C in tomatoes. That salad you thought was healthy is really making you sick.
The reality: It’s actually true that cumbers contain an enzyme that destroys vitamin C, but as long as you eat a generally balanced diet, you will get plenty of daily vitamin C from other sources. And, adding a little vinegar to the combo negates the effect. Since salad dressings often contain vinegar, you rarely need to worry about this part of the rumor.
As to the other issue, tomatoes and cucumbers have only slightly different digestion times. It’s not enough to cause tummy trouble that you’ll distinctly notice, unless you happen to be sensitive to either of these foods individually.

3. Beer And Nuts

The story: Both beer and salty foods like nuts can cause dehydration, so consuming them together will critically deplete the water in your body. You may get so thirsty that you end up drinking way too much beer in an effort to hydrate.
The reality: There is absolutely a grain of truth to this. Bar owners typically serve salty food with beer because they know it will make you drink more. Salt also tends to blunt the bitterness of beer somewhat, making it easier to drink. Beer conversely improves our experience of salty foods, which is why we tend to crave salty stuff when we’re drinking it.
However, beer is a diuretic, and as such actually causes your body to excrete more sodium in your urine. It’s not likely that the salty snacks will contribute to critical dehydration. The alcohol alone can, though. Unless you want a massive hangover, try to drink at least as many glasses of water as you do alcohol.

4. Meat And Pasta

The story: Proteins and carbohydrates are digested differently and your system can’t handle that. A carbohydrate begins to be broken down by saliva and the process continues in your stomach and intestines, while protein doesn’t really start to get digested until it hits your stomach. So goodbye, spaghetti and meatballs. Adios, chicken fettucine.

The reality: While different foods are digested a bit differently, most bodies are totally able to handle this. Humans evolved eating a variety of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, so in reality we are built specifically to eat this way. Unless you actually experience digestive distress, don’t worry about this one.

5. Fruit With Or After A Meal

The story: Another twist on the theme of “different digestion times” suggests that eating fruit with or after a meal is dangerous because fruit is so easily digested that it ferments in your stomach while hanging around waiting for other food to digest.
The reality: The sugars in fruit do digest pretty quickly, but fruit also has fiber that acts to slow absorption of that sugar into your blood. It’s actually a helpful fail safe that prevents a dangerous spike in blood sugar.
In no case does fruit stay in your stomach long enough to ferment. In fact, the stomach is so acidic that fermentation isn’t really feasible.

6. Milk And Sour Fruit

The story: There have been various twists on this theme that single out pineapple, lemon, or orange as dangerous to consume with milk. When acidic fruit juice is added to warm milk, it curdles the milk and spoils it. When curdling happens in your stomach, you get ill.
The reality: It’s true that the acid in fruit can curdle milk, especially warm milk. But when acid is added to cold milk, the curdling process happens so slowly that you won’t even notice it. That’s how we can enjoy orange creamsicles, lemon cream pie, and pineapple yogurt smoothies.

Plus, curdled milk isn’t necessarily bad for you. If milk has curdled as a result of spoilage, it’s not safe to drink. But milk is often curdled on purpose for products like cheese and yogurt. And you might not want to think about it, but milk always curdles once it hits your stomach.

7. Hot Dogs And French Fries

The story: Hot dogs are processed meats that are full of cancer-causing preservatives and a lot of sodium. The refined white flour in the bun is nutritionally void and will spike your blood sugar dangerously.

Meanwhile, frying potatoes to a high temperature creates the carcinogen acrylamide and the cooking oils are artery-clogging trans fats. The massive amount of salt on French fries also causes a host of physical problems.

The reality: This is all true. Regularly pairing two unhealthy foods together, like fast food restaurants do when they serve fries on the side of everything, sends your lifetime risk of illnesses like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease through the roof. In the short term, you are likely to experience upset stomach, diarrhea, or constipation as well as higher blood pressure and a cranky or depressed mood.

The upshot of all of this diverse dietary advice is simply to trust your body. You are wonderfully designed to digest all sorts of foods in combination with each other. However, everybody is different, and certain combinations may bother you more than they do others. Just avoid bingeing on junk food and respect your body’s signals, but don’t worry that any particular food combo will ruin your health.

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement 

 

Are Some Foods MORE Addictive Than Others?

We often say we’re “addicted” to the food we love and crave the most, and for some reason, this food is never carrots or broccoli, but some version of fast food, like pizza or french fries. But what if being addicted was not just a phrase we use, and we could really become dependent on certain foods? It turns out that this might just be the case, and our brain might be to blame. Let’s find out which foods are the most and least addictive, as well as the science behind it in this article.

What Makes Us Addicted to Certain Foods?
A fairly recent scientific observation is that in some individuals, certain foods create some of the same patterns of addiction observable in people dependent on drugs or alcohol, namely the inability to stop eating and binge-eating despite negative consequences. Food addiction is also associated with compulsivity and emotional attachment.

It has been estimated that about 20% of the general population is affected, and people suffering from obesity are even more likely to exhibit addictive eating behavior.

Even more astonishingly, neuroimaging research uncovered that people who exhibit symptoms of food addiction have identical pathological reward patterns in the brain with those suffering from substance and alcohol abuse. This is a huge problem, as overeating and resultant obesity significantly increase one’s risk of a wide variety of diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

10 of the Most Addictive Foods
The results of the study revealed that the following foods were found to be the most addictive: ( GI in brackets)
1. pizza (4.01)
2. chocolate (3.73)
3. chips (3.73)
4. cookies (3.71)
5. ice cream (3.68)
6. french fries (3.60)
7. cheeseburgers (3.51)
8. soda (not diet) (3.29)
9. cake (3.26)
10. cheese (3.22)
Note the numbers next to each food: the researchers ranked each food on a scale from 1 to 7 from least to most problematic and addictive, and each number reflects the position of each food on that scale.

It seems that foods that are the most likely to cause addiction are highly processed foods, foods that have a lot of added sugar or salt, and those that are fried. All of the foods above except for cheese are highly processed, and the researchers state that processing is the most accurate predictor of a possible addictive response. This is because highly processed foods like chocolate, chips, and ice cream are high in carbs and sugar and very easy and quick to digest, producing sugar spikes that our brain can get addicted to.

When exposed to these high-risk foods, certain areas in the brain release high amounts of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes us feel satisfied and satiated. Very soon, when the blood sugar level starts to fall, this feel-good effect wears off, leaving you with a feeling of craving more. Some people are more responsive to these brain hormone spikes than others, and in the course of the study, 10% of the overall 518 people invited to participate in the study were diagnosed with food addiction.

10 of the Least Addictive Foods
According to the same research, the following foods were the least likely to cause addiction:(GI in brackets)
1. cucumbers (no dip) (1.53)
2. carrots (1.60)
3. beans (no sauce) (1.63)
4. apples (1.66)
5. brown rice (no salt) (1.74)
6. broccoli (1.74)
7. bananas (1.77)
8. salmon (1.84)
9. corn (no butter or salt) (1.87)
10. strawberries (1.88)

In contrast with the previous list of highly addictive foods, none of the foods on the list above contains highly processed foods. In addition, all of these foods apart from the salmon are extremely low in fats, quite low in salt, and have a relatively low glycemic load, in stark contrast with the first list. This would suggest that these foods are much less likely to cause blood sugar spikes and the resulting dopamine reward, and thus they will not cause addictive behavior.

To conclude, you shouldn't blame your poor willpower if you can't help but indulge in these high-risk foods from time to time, as it turns out that they can, in fact, make you addicted. If you fear that this might affect your health, stay away from these and other highly processed foods and opt for wholesome foods to break the bad habit, or seek professional help if you feel like the issue is too big for you to address on your own.

Additionally, it has been observed that it isn’t just any food that can generate the addiction, which is why you rarely, if ever, hear of a person eating too much broccoli or cucumbers. Usually, it’s the most highly processed and unnatural foods that generate the condition. This is both good news and bad news, as this means that most of us were exposed to the culprits, but it also means that avoiding these foods can prevent the behavior completely.

But let’s be more specific and look at the results of a recent study, where researchers tried to establish which food varieties are the most and least addictive.

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
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17 Cancer Causing Foods You Have to Stop Eating

You are likely aware that eating junk food is a major risk factor for cancer. But did you know that some so-called health foods are actually carcinogens in disguise?

Or that certain ingredients found in virtually all packaged foods present a serious health risk?
By being an informed consumer, we can help influence for good the types of products that end up on our grocery shelves, and enjoy better health to boot.

Read on to discover 17 very common foods known to increase cancer risk, along with some healthier alternatives.

1. Soda
Not only is soda jampacked with sugar – cancer’s fuel of choice – but it often also contains caramel color. This artificial coloring has the carcinogenic chemical 4-MEI as a byproduct. Laboratory tests show that 4-MEI shows up in sodas with caramel color.
Alternatives – Water is always best, but if you really crave the sweet, bubbly hit of soda, choose a natural brand without caramel color.

2. Grilled red meat
While a nice char on that steak may taste good, the high temperatures used for its cooking produce cancer-causing hydrocarbons. And excessive consumption of red meat in general is thought to up your cancer risk..
Alternatives – Eat red meat sparingly, cook it carefully, and choose organic, grass fed beef if possible.

3. Microwave popcorn
There’s a triple whammy here – the butter flavoring used in many microwave popcorn brands releases diacetyl, a known toxin, when cooked. Next, the perfluorooctanoic acid that lines the bags themselves is carcinogenic. And finally, popcorn producers are not required to report whether or not their kernels are GMO.
Alternatives – Buy organic kernels and pop them in an air popper or on your stove.

4.Canned foods
Canned foods are dangerous because the cans are lined with the chemical BPA, a known hormone disrupter. Canned tomatoes are especially problematic because their acidity causes the BPA to leach into the food. Tomatoes in general are very healthy; it’s the packaging that’s the problem here.
Alternatives – Eat fresh or frozen produce.


5. Hydrogenated oils
Vegetable oils are not extracted from their source naturally, but instead must undergo a chemical process. Later, even more chemicals are added to achieve the desired look and consistency of the product, resulting in an extremely high level of unhealthy omega-6 fats.
Alternatives – Choose olive, soy, or canola oil instead; these oils are naturally extracted.

6.Farmed salmon
Though wild-caught salmon is one of the healthiest proteins you can eat, the farmed version is fed an unnatural diet full of chemicals, pesticides, and antibiotics. They are also fattier than wild-caught, and therefore store more of the bad stuff in their bodies.
Alternatives – Eat wild-caught salmon or augment your diet with a purified fish oil supplement.

7. Artificial sweeteners
Most artificial sweeteners are produced by a chemical process, and there isn’t enough data to really deem them safe. Some studies suggest that artificial sweeteners cause the toxin DKP to build up in the body and potentially cause brain tumors.
Alternatives – If you must use sweetener, choose plant-based Stevia. Certain recipes can also substitute applesauce for sweetener.

8. Refined white flour
The refining process strips away all nutritional value from the original wheat. Even worse, the flour is then bleached with chlorine gas to achieve that appealing white color. White flour is a carbohydrate that breaks down into simple sugar, cancer’s preferred fuel.
Alternatives – Choose unbleached, whole wheat flour for your cooking, and read labels carefully to determine how much of the white stuff is in packaged products.

9. Non-organic fruits and vegetables
The fruits and veggies themselves are extremely healthy, but the pesticides sprayed on them are anything but. Altrazine, for example, is a weed-killer that has been banned in Europe for causing severe problems in humans, but is still commonly used in the U.S.
Alternatives – Buy organic as much as you can, and carefully wash all produce before eating.

10. Processed meat
This includes things like bacon, hot dogs, sausage, and deli meats. The processing often adds huge amounts of salt as well as dangerous chemicals, especially nitrate and nitrite. The additives are intended to make the food look nicer and last longer, but carry a steep risk to your health.
Alternatives – Eat mostly fresh, organic meats and look for other products with minimal processing and no preservatives.

11. Potato chips
Potato chips are offenders for several reasons. One, they are fried in trans fats, and two, they are loaded with salt. Many varieties also have preservatives and artificial coloring.
Alternatives – Pretzels, air popped popcorn, dried apple or banana chips.

12. GMO Foods
There is fierce debate about the safety of GMO foods. Huge food producers like GMO products because they have been modified to better resist pests, be easier to transport, and last longer. However, very little safety testing was done before the foods hit shelves, and we have no idea of their long-term health effects.
Alternatives – Organic produce and meats; packaged foods with a Non-GMO label.

13. Alcohol
Studies by the National Cancer Institute have shown a link between alcohol consumption and cancers of the head and neck, esophagus, liver, breast, and colon.
Alternatives – If you are not ready to quit entirely, keep your alcohol consumption in the low risk category – no more than 3 drinks in a sitting for women and 4 drinks in a sitting for men, with no more than 7 drinks total per week for women and 14 total per week for men.

14. Refined sugars
The worst offender in this category is high fructose corn syrup, and it’s in a ton of processed foods and drinks. For example, you’ll find 15 teaspoons of the stuff in one 20 oz soda! As we know, cancer loves to feed on sugar.
Alternatives – Always scan the ingredients list when buying packaged food; the sugar content will surprise you. Satisfy your sweet tooth with whole fruit rather than candy.

15. Margarine

Margarine was supposed to be a healthier alternative to butter, but as it turns out, margarine is made from hydrogenated vegetable oils and is full of trans fats. Recent studies have suggested that trans fats are way more dangerous than the saturated fats found in butter.
Alternatives – Still go easy on the butter, but choose it over margarine. Olive oil flavored with herbs is also a nice topping for bread or veggies.

16. Diet foods
This one’s a real kick in the teeth – you think you’re making a smart choice by purchasing “diet” foods, but in reality these products are often jammed with extra sugar or artificial sweeteners to replace any fat that’s removed. They may also contain various chemicals designed to get you hooked and coming back for more.
Alternatives – Eat fresh, whole foods rather than packaged diet meals.

17.French fries
French fries taste so good, but being fried in trans fats and then heavily salted makes them a real cancer risk. Foods heated to such a high temperature also produce acrylamide, a known carcinogen found in cigarette smoke.
Alternatives – Check out some recipes for baked fries; using flavorful spices and olive oil produces a very tasty and much healthier side dish.

CONCLUSION
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by information on the good and the bad in food choices.
But luckily it can all be boiled down into some simple guidelines. Simply shifting your mealtime balance towards whole foods (away from packaged products) and skipping the sodas will make a huge difference in cancer risk.


this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement