5 Healthy Reasons to Eat More Coconut

It's no secret that coconut has been incredibly popular for the last several years, and for good reason. This versatile ingredient has endless functionality—you can use coconut oil for everything from cooking and cleaning to taming frizz, taking off makeup, and curtailing chronic inflammation. Coconut water is packed with health benefits, thanks to electrolytes, antioxidants, and vitamin C. But the fruit of a coconut is something extra special: It serves as a so-creamy vegan swap for plant-based desserts and dairy products like ice cream and yogurt, adds crunch to granola, and shines in simmer sauces (if you haven't tried coconut curry shrimp, you're seriously missing out). Wellness-wise, we're just getting started. Here are the top five healthy reasons you should start eating coconut today, according to nutrition experts Susan Hewlings, PhD, RD, and Kelly Springer, MS, RD, CDN.

Coconut can fight inflammation.

“As a part of a healthy diet, coconut shows antioxidant activity due to its polyphenol content,” explains Hewlings. “Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) is a rich source of phenolic compounds, such as caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and more. Because these polyphenols have antioxidant properties, they can help offset oxidative free radicals which can lead to inflammation.” Hewlings recommends looking for fresh, unprocessed raw coconut and/or coconut oil to reap the most antioxidant,anti-inflammatory benefits.

It’s great for gut health.

According to Springer, eating coconut is great for gut health because it contains a substantial amount of fiber, which helps your microbiome thrive by providing sustenance for your good gut bacteria. “Coconut is also relatively high in fat, which helps your body absorb the fat soluble vitamins D, E, A, and K,” she explains. “This is important because vitamins D and K may be associated with a more diverse, and therefore more resilient, gut microbiome.” A stronger gut microbiome means better digestion, immunity, and overall health. Try adding a few spoonfuls of shredded coconut to your oatmeal or yogurt in the morning to reap these benefits.

Coconut is a superfood for glowing skin.

“Coconut can be very beneficial for the skin, especially in the form of coconut oil. I love using original virgin coconut oil on my skin to help calm inflammation and redness, replenish moisture levels, and even promote faster wound healing,” says Springer. Since coconut oil has a significant amount of fat, Springer adds that it will also help your body to absorb vitamins E and A, which are both antioxidants known to protect and restore the skin. (Note that coconut oil is comedogenic, which means it can clog pores, so you should avoid using it on acne-prone areas.)

It may improve cognitive function.

“One of the primary features of Alzheimer’s disease is a decreased ability for the brain to use glucose as a fuel, which can begin about 10-15 years before the diagnosis,” explains Hewlings. “When the brain can’t use glucose (its primary fuel source), it can use ketone bodies as an alternative fuel source. Coconut oil is rich in precursors for ketone bodies. Therefore, coconut oil as part of an overall healthy diet is thought to benefit cognitive health by providing an alternative energy source to the brain.”

Coconut is a more favorable source of fat in the diet compared to butter and/or beef fat.

It’s important to note that coconut does contain saturated fat, but recent research has shown that coconut contains primarily medium-chain fatty acids. Hewlings explains that these are absorbed differently and have a more favorite lipid profile compared to longer chain fatty acids, such as those found in animal fats like meat and butter. “Oils contain more than just the fatty acids that comprise them, including other nutrients and vitamins, which may also have an impact on cardiovascular risk,” she says. “Additionally, dietary fats provide energy, are key to the absorption of fat soluble vitamins, provide cell structure, are the base for many hormones, serve as carriers throughout the body, provide ‘padding’ and protection for organs, and so much more. Coconuts contain essential nutrients found in these dietary fats and provide a healthful source of saturated fats while also providing antioxidants.”

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

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Instant Relief Apple Cider Vinegar Hot Flashes Tea

Do you wake up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat to the point you need to change your sheets? Maybe your partner is sleeping in another room due to how cold the bedroom is?

Today we are sharing a simple remedy from Dr. Esposito. She stumbled across this when assisting her Mom and her Apple Cider Vinegar Hot Flashes Recipe will change your life too.

She calls it the 5 Minute Relief Formula because it takes less than 5 minutes daily and it’s possible to see results within one or two days.

This quick, easy and highly effective remedy will be of great comfort and restore your sanity.

Menopause can hit at any age. It has a number of symptoms, many that are not commonly known, 34 major ones in fact.

Here’s how to use apple cider vinegar for hot flashes relief:

Take 2 tbsp of raw, organic apple cider vinegar in 6 to 8 oz of warm water and a serving of Stevia in the morning. Dr. Esposito says to buy the Apple Cider Vinegar with the ‘mother in it’. This means non-pasteurised and fermented as opposed to the filtered version.

Repeat this again in the evening. That’s a total of 4 tbsp of apple cider vinegar for hot flashes each day. As mentioned earlier, you should start to see real results in a couple of days.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
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Infusion of Young Blood Reverses Age-Related Impairments in Mice

A newly published study from Stanford University found that an infusion of young blood can counteract and reverse pre-existing effects of brain aging at the molecular, structural, functional and cognitive level in mice.

Something — or some things — in the blood of young mice has the ability to restore mental capabilities in old mice, a new study by Stanford University School of Medicine investigators has found.

If the same goes for humans, it could spell a new paradigm for recharging our aging brains, and it might mean new therapeutic approaches for treating dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease.

In the study, published online May 4 in Nature Medicine, the researchers used sophisticated techniques to pin down numerous important molecular, neuroanatomical and neurophysiological changes in the brains of old mice that shared the blood of young mice.

But they also conducted a critical experiment that was far from sophisticated, said Tony Wyss-Coray, PhD, the senior author of the study and a professor of neurology and neurological sciences. The scientists simply compared older mice’s performance on standard laboratory tests of spatial memory after these mice had received infusions of plasma (the cell-free part of blood) from young versus old mice, or no plasma at all.

“This could have been done 20 years ago,” said Wyss-Coray, who is also senior research career scientist at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System. “You don’t need to know anything about how the brain works. You just give an old mouse young blood and see if the animal is smarter than before. It’s just that nobody did it.”

Wyss-Coray has co-founded a biotechnology company, Alkahest, to explore the therapeutic implications of the new study’s findings. He serves as the director of Alkahest’s scientific advisory board.

The study’s lead author, Saul Villeda, PhD, now has an active lab of his own as a faculty fellow in anatomy at the University of California-San Francisco. Villeda was a graduate student at Stanford and, briefly, a postdoctoral scholar under Wyss-Coray’s direction when the bulk of the work was performed.

Reversing impairments

“We’ve shown that at least some age-related impairments in brain function are reversible. They’re not final,” Villeda said.

Previous experiments by Wyss-Coray, Villeda and their colleagues, described in a paper published in 2011 in Nature, had revealed that key regions in the brains of old mice exposed to blood from young mice produced more new nerve cells than did the brains of old mice similarly exposed to blood from old mice. Conversely, exposing young mice to blood from old mice had the opposite effect with respect to new nerve-cell production, and also reduced the young mice’s ability to navigate their environments.

But that earlier work didn’t directly assess the impact of young mouse blood on older mice’s behavior. This time, the researchers checked both for changes within nerve circuits and individual nerve cells and for demonstrable improvements in learning and memory. First, they examined pairs of mice whose circulatory systems had been surgically conjoined. Members of such pairs, known as parabiotic mice, share a pooled blood supply.

Wyss-Coray’s group paid special attention, in these parabiotic mice, to a brain structure called the hippocampus. In both mice and humans, this structure is critical for forming certain types of memories, notably the recollection and recognition of spatial patterns. “That’s what you need to use when, for example, you try to find your car in a parking lot or navigate around a city without using your GPS system,” Wyss-Coray said.

Experience alters hippocampal activity and anatomy. Studies have found, for instance, that a veteran London cabdriver’s hippocampus is larger than it was when the driver was first hired, and larger than the average person’s. The hippocampus is also extremely vulnerable to the normal aging process, showing early erosion in function as people grow older. In dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease, this hippocampal deterioration is accelerated, leading to an inability to form new memories.

“We know that detrimental anatomical and functional changes occur in the hippocampus as mice and people get older,” said Villeda. “This is just from natural aging. We’re all heading in that direction.”

When the investigators compared hippocampi from old mice whose circulatory systems had been conjoined with those of young mice to hippocampi from old mice that had been paired with other old mice, they found consistent differences in a number of biochemical, anatomical and electrophysiological measures known to be important to nerve-cell circuits’ encoding of new experiences for retention in the cerebral cortex.

Recharging old brains

The hippocampi of older mice that had been conjoined to younger mice more closely resembled those of younger mice than did the hippocampi of older mice similarly paired with old mice. The old mice paired with young mice made greater amounts of certain substances that hippocampal cells are known to produce when learning is taking place, for example. Hippocampal nerve cells from older members of old-young parabiotic pairs also showed an enhanced ability to strengthen the connections between one nerve cell and another — essential to learning and memory.

“It was as if these old brains were recharged by young blood,” Wyss-Coray said.

Villeda, Wyss-Coray and their associates next subjected regular older mice to a test in which the mice were trained to quickly locate a submerged platform in a water-filled container. The mice had to speedily orient themselves using memory cues provided by their surroundings. The investigators injected old mice intravenously with plasma from young or old mice and ran them through the test. Typically, untreated older mice did poorly compared to young mice, as they did when injected with plasma from old mice. But if they were infused with young mice’s plasma they did much better.

This was likewise the case on another test in which mice were trained to freeze in fear when plunked into a particular environment. The better they recognized that environment, the longer they would freeze. Older mice typically freeze for a shorter period of time than younger ones do. Again, “freezing” times for older mice given young plasma, but not old plasma, increased significantly.

Finding the factors

In both tests, the improvement vanished if the plasma provided to the old mice had first been subjected to high temperatures. Heat treatment can denature proteins, so this hints that a blood-borne protein, or group of them, may be responsible for the cognitive improvements seen in old mice given young mouse plasma.

“There are factors present in blood from young mice that can recharge an old mouse’s brain so that it functions more like a younger one,” Wyss-Coray said. “We’re working intensively to find out what those factors might be and from exactly which tissues they originate.”

“We don’t know yet if this will work in humans,” he said, adding that he hopes to find out sooner rather than later. A near-term goal of his company is to test this proposition through a clinical trial.

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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What to Do to Restore Gut Flora After Taking Antibiotics

After taking antibiotics, it is important to take probiotics and eat the proper foods to prevent gastrointestinal upset and help restore gut flora. A course of antibiotics can upset the delicate flora in your gut because they destroy both the bad and good bacteria. Foods like plain yogurt, bananas, and whole-grain cereals help to boost the number of good bacteria to restore your gut flora.


Although we sometimes need antibiotics to treat serious infections, they don’t discriminate between harmful and beneficial bacteria. This change in the gut flora can cause antibiotic-associated diarrhea, vomiting, vaginal itching and skin rashes.

What to Do After (or While) Taking Antibiotics – an Overview

To avoid the side effects of antibiotics, it’s important to know when to take probiotics after taking antibiotics. You also need to know which foods to eat when taking antibiotics and which foods are best to avoid.

Consume prebiotics

The first thing to do when taking antibiotics is to take prebiotics to help restore the microflora in your gut.

Prebiotics are a type of fiber that act as a “food source” for probiotics. There are many foods that contain prebiotics and you can also buy prebiotic supplements.

Consume probiotics

The second thing to do while on antibiotics is to take probiotics or consume foods containing probiotics.

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are beneficial for gut health. As with prebiotics, you can get probiotics from foods or supplements. Some popular probiotic strains are Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces.  Probiotics are also found in fermented foods such as kefir, natural yogurt, kombucha (type of fermented tea), miso and tempeh.

You can take probiotics with antibiotics if you wait for 2 hours or so after taking the antibiotic pill. You should also continue to take probiotics after the course of antibiotics has finished.

Avoid processed sugar

The third thing to do is to avoid processed sugar that can feed the growth of bad bacteria. At the same time, you should consume foods that are easy on your digestion and contain probiotics to prevent the side effects of taking antibiotics.
To sum it up, after taking antibiotics, make sure you eat right, and avoid being naughty. Load up on greens and vegetables, skip processed sugars, and eat fermented foods. In this way you’ll repopulate your gut with good bacteria and restore your immune function.

Taking Probiotics During and After a Course of Antibiotics

Doctors prescribe antibiotics to treat serious bacterial infections that can sometimes be life-threatening. There are some unpleasant side effects of taking antibiotics that include gastrointestinal upset, yeast infections, and rashes.

The Yonsei Medical Journal reports that antibiotics upset the intestinal microbiota and can cause antibiotic-associated diseases. The most common side effect of taking antibiotics is diarrhea. 

Other studies into the effect of antibiotics on gut health have shown that taking antibiotics can cause Clostridium difficile (C. diff.) infections that can cause inflammation of the colon. Research has also found that interfering with the gut microflora can also impact the immune system and put you at risk of further infection. 

Scientific research shows why you should take probiotics after taking antibiotics. For example, a systematic review of 20 trials found that probiotics can help to prevent C. diff. infections that cause diarrhea.

Another review of clinical trials involving more than 3,400 children found that various probiotic strains can help to prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children. 

One study found that the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 was effective in reducing and preventing diarrhea in people taking antibiotics. Taking 2 probiotic supplements 2 times a day for 4 weeks helped to prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

Probiotics to Restore Gut Flora After Taking Antibiotics

Many studies point to the effectiveness of taking probiotic supplements to restore the microflora of your gut. This is usually necessary after taking antibiotics or when you have had gastroenteritis.
The Journal of Family Practice reports that taking probiotics while taking antibiotics can help to “replenish the natural GI (gastrointestinal) flora.” A meta-analysis of over 30 randomized controlled trials found that probiotics can both prevent and treat antibiotic-associated diarrhea. 

The researchers concluded that the positive effect of probiotics in restoring gut flora is a reason to pair antibiotics with probiotics. In fact, the result of the meta-analysis found that taking probiotics along with antibiotics resulted in a 66% reduction of C. diff. infections. 

Taking probiotics is an effective way to recover from taking antibiotics.

Taking Antibiotics and Probiotics

You can take probiotics while you are taking a course of antibiotics but you shouldn’t take them both at exactly the same time.

Antibiotics are designed to kill off all bacteria in your gut – harmful and beneficial bacteria. So, taking a probiotic supplement right after taking an antibiotic pill may result in all the good bacteria getting destroyed as well.

The journal Antibiotics reports on various studies on when and how long you should take probiotics. Some studies indicate that you should take probiotics 5 to 10 days during antibiotic treatment and continue for one week after finishing the course of antibiotics. 

Other studies recommend taking probiotics for as long as the antibiotic treatment lasts. However, some reports indicate that taking probiotics for as long as 8 weeks can help to restore healthy gut flora.

To get the most benefit from probiotics, it is good to wait for around 2 hours after taking an antibiotic pill. This will help to offset the negative impact that antibiotics have on your gut and prevent diarrhea.

To make sure that you get the full benefit from probiotics, you should always take probiotics with food. The journal Beneficial Microbes advises to take a probiotic supplement with a meal or 30 minutes before it. Also, you should preferably take probiotics with a meal containing some fats.

Prebiotics to Help Restore Gut Health After Antibiotics

To help boost the effectiveness of taking probiotics after antibiotics, you should also take prebiotics. Prebiotics are a type of fiber that act as a food source for good bacteria in your gut.

The British Journal of Nutrition reported that prebiotics help to strengthen the gut against pathogens. Prebiotics have a positive impact on the health of the large intestine in humans. 
 
For example, the prebiotic supplement galacto-oligosaccharides has been shown to help prevent the negative impact of taking amoxicillin on your gut. The prebiotic helped increase the activity of bifidobacteria and improve gut health. 

Other studies have proved that prebiotics like fructooligosaccharides can help prevent various gastrointestinal infections. These can also help good gut bacteria strains such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium to flourish in the gut.

The Best Foods to Eat After Taking Antibiotics

Another thing to do after taking antibiotics is to eat proper foods to lessen the impact of medication on your gut.
If you have diarrhea from antibiotics, here are some of the best foods you can consume while taking antibiotics. You can also add these foods to your diet after your antibiotic course has finished to maintain good gut health.

Consume fermented foods while taking antibiotics

Many fermented foods contain probiotics and can help to restore normal gut flora that has been disrupted by antibiotics. Here are a few of the best probiotic-foods.

Yogurt. You can eat raw yogurt when taking antibiotics because it contains strains of healthy bacteria. One study found that people who consume yogurt have more Bifidobacterium (type of good gut bacteria) in their gut.  Other studies have shown that raw yogurt containing Lactobacillus casei can positively influence gastrointestinal health. Yogurt is also one of the best foods for treating yeast infection.

Some studies seem to indicate that calcium-enriched foods may inhibit the absorption of certain medications. However, this has not been proved with calcium-rich dairy products when taking moxifloxacin

Kefir. This is a fermented milk drink that contains many types of good gut bacteria. Several studies have shown that kefir has antimicrobial, antitumor and anticarcinogenic activity. Consuming kefir can also boost your immune system and improve lactose digestion.

Kimchi. Another probiotic food you can take after antibiotics is kimchi. Kimchi is made by fermenting vegetables (most commonly cabbage) with probiotic lactic acid bacteria. Studies have shown that kimchi contains probiotic properties that have a positive effect on your gut health and immune system.

Consume prebiotic foods to help restore gut flora after taking antibiotics

Many foods naturally have prebiotics that can help to promote good gastrointestinal health. Here are just a few prebiotic foods you can consume while taking antibiotics:
Garlic. Garlic has many health benefits inducing having antibacterial properties. Studies have shown that garlic also benefits the gut’s microflora because of its prebiotic content. Garlic can help increase the number of bifidobacteria and can help prevent some gastrointestinal disorders.

Banana. Eating bananas while you are taking antibiotics is good because they are easy to digest and contain prebiotics. The journal Anaerobe reported that bananas contain fiber with prebiotic characteristics. Eating a banana or two a day can help to increase beneficial bacteria levels in your gut.

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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