Salt or no salt? Food safety

Refined table salt labelled as iodised salt contains added iodine.

Chemically all types of salt contain sodium and chloride,
regardless of whether the salt is processed from seawater
or rock salt, which is mined from the ground. Unrefined
sea salt or rock salt may contain trace amounts of beneficial
minerals such as magnesium, iodine and zinc as well as other
impurities that are present in the seawater or in the area
from which the salt was mined. However, the amount of the
minerals relative to the amount of sodium and chloride is so
small that, to be nutritionally significant, very large
amounts of the salt would have to be consumed.

Source: Salts of the earth...The Star

How to identify a stroke

Below is very useful information. Unfortunately, I'm not
able to give credit to the source but if you know it, please
post it.

Note from a friend: I wish I knew this several years ago
when a friend was having a stroke at a clubhouse function and
I didn't recognize it; just that something was wrong and did
get a resident doctor in the hall and made other people aware,
but unfortunately her husband listened to her and didn't get
her to the hospital for a couple hours.

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify.
Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The
stroke victim may suffer brain damage when people nearby
fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors
say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three
simple questions:

*Ask the individual to smile.
*Ask him or her to raise both arms.
*Ask the person to speak a simple sentence.

If he or she has trouble with any of these tasks, call 9-1-1
immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
After discovering that a Group Of non-Medical Volunteers
could identify facial weakness, arm weakness and speech
problems, researchers urged the general public to learn
the three questions. They presented their conclusions at
the American Stroke Association's annual meeting last
February. Widespread use of this test could result in
prompt diagnosis and treatment of the stroke and prevent
brain damage.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it
to 10 people you can bet that at least one life will be saved.
Tell as many people as possible about this. It could save
their lives!

Health tip - Are you anxious?

Is worrying one of your characteristics? Well, stop! It is
okay to worry, but at the right time.

Psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania tell patients
who suffer from anxiety to regularly do a daily twenty minute
“worry session,” always at the same time and in the same place.
Collect your head full of worries during the day (don’t suppress
them!) and then pour them out during your daily worry session.

Exaggerate your worries to the point of absurdity - knit your
brows, make faces, let the sweat flow, shake and cower as much
as you like. In other words, make a caricature of the part of
yourself that is always worried, and in so doing exorcise it.

Eliminating worry will help prevent numerous psychosomatic
illnesses, which result from living in a state of permanent
anxiety.

Health tip - How to fight aging

This health tip is taken from an e-book "27 OF THE BEST
HEALTH "TIPS"" published by International Authors Bureau.

These health tips compiled by the editors of PRACTICAL
HEALTH GUIDES have been proven to be effective and easy
to follow. Many are based on recent research, while
others were known in ancient times.

It's helpful to keep these tips close at hand and make the
advice it offers a part of your daily life. Here's a first
health tip to start off.

1. How to fight aging
Did you know that just walking for 30 minutes, 3 or 4 times
a week is enough to combat aging?

According to researchers at the University of California,
one of the principle causes of deterioration of the human
organism’s physical faculties is its diminished ability to
metabolize glucose. And they showed that even leisurely
exercise, like taking a walk, plays an important role in
keeping glucose metabolism functioning smoothly.

Do you spend the whole day sitting at your desk or in front
of a computer screen? Why not get up occasionally and do a
few minutes of physical exercise? Don’t worry about what
other people think.

In some Japanese companies, it is even become a collective
habit. Every twenty minutes a bell sounds, and everybody
gets up to do some stretching exercises, after which they sit
down again as if nothing had happened. Japanese managers are
convinced that their employees are more productive when they
are relaxed.

Cool cucumber has hidden health benefits

The Star
FOOD SAFETY by CHIA JOO SUAN

What is the right vegetable for decorating dishes with a touch of green and complement the dish with a pleasing taste of juicy crunchiness? Often the answer is either fresh or pickled cucumber. The complementary appetiser has its unique moist and cooling taste coupled with hidden health benefits unknown to the diners.

Read full story...

Wellbeing for Women

Given the right diet and exercise, women can easily live
healthier lifestyles, writes YAM CHER SENG.

THERE is no denying that apart from physical difference,
women usually experience more health problems than men,
largely because of their reproductive function that usually
requires more medical attention compared to men.

Read more...The Star/Clove

FOCUS ON FIBER: How Much is Enough?

Looking for an easy and natural way increase your
vitality and improve your overall well-being? Try eating
more fiber!

The average American only gets about half the
amount of fiber they need everyday for their body to
function optimally. According to the American Heart
Association (AHA), fiber helps lower cholesterol and
is important for the health of our digestive system.
Both the AHA and the National Cancer Institute
recommend that we consume 25 to 30 grams of fiber
daily.

Dietary fiber is a transparent solid complex
carbohydrate that is the main part of the cell walls of
plants. It has two forms: soluble and insoluble.
Soluble fiber may help lower blood cholesterol and
reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Insoluble fiber provides the bulk needed for proper
functioning of the stomach and intestines. It
promotes healthy intestinal action and prevents
constipation by moving bodily waste through the
digestive tract faster, so harmful substances don't
have as much contact with the intestinal walls.

Unfortunately, many people are not eating this much
fiber, which is causing serious cardio-vascular health
concerns. Recently the AHA and the FDA (Food and
Drug Administration) confirmed that coronary heart
disease is the leading cause of death in the United
States, killing more people than any other disease. It
causes heart attack and angina (chest pain). A blood
clot that goes to the heart is considered a heart
attack, but if it goes to the brain it is a stroke. The
AHA ranks stoke as the third most fatal disease in
America, causing paralysis and brain damage.

Eating a high-fiber diet can significantly lower our risk
of heart attack, stroke and colon cancer. A 19-year
follow-up study reported in the November 2001 issue
of Archives of Internal Medicine indicated that
increasing bean and legume intakes may be an
important part of a dietary approach to preventing
coronary heart disease. Beans and legumes are high
in protein and soluble fiber. Another study reported
in the January 2002 issue of the Journal of the
American College of Cardiology also suggests that
increasing our consumption of fiber-rich foods like
whole grains, fruits and vegetables, can significantly
lower the risk of heart disease. Additionally, results
from recent studies at the American Institute of
Cancer Research indicate high-fiber protein-rich soy
foods, such as textured soy protein (also known as
TVP) and tempeh, help in preventing and treating
colon cancer.

Whole beans, soybeans and other legumes are
excellent sources of fiber. A 1 cup serving of cooked
navy beans contains about 19 grams of fiber! Always
read the Nutrition Facts label to find out the amount
of, and the type of, fiber contained in any particular
food. To help you achieve your daily allotment of
fiber, here is a list of various foods with their fiber
content.

Examples of Dietary Fiber:
1 cup cooked dry beans (navy, pinto, red, pink,
black, garbanzo, etc.) = 9-19 grams of fiber
1 cup cooked lima beans = 13 grams of fiber
1 cup cooked peas = 9 grams of fiber
1 cup raisin bran cereal = 8 grams of fiber
1 cup canned pumpkin = 7 grams of fiber
1 cup cooked spinach = 7 grams of fiber
1/2 cup whole wheat flour = 7 grams of fiber
1/2 cup soy tempeh = 7 grams of fiber
1/2 cup soy flour = 6 grams of fiber
1/2 cup edamame (whole green soybeans) = 5
grams of fiber
1 cup cooked broccoli = 5 grams of fiber
6 Brussels sprouts = 5 grams of fiber
1 baked sweet potato = 5 grams of fiber
1 cup cooked brown rice = 4 grams of fiber
1 cup cooked old fashioned rolled oats = 4 grams of
fiber
1 medium apple = 4 grams of fiber
1 medium orange = 4 grams of fiber
1 cup carrot strips = 4 grams of fiber
1/2 cup raspberries or blackberries = 4 grams of
fiber
1 medium banana = 3 grams of fiber
5 dried plums (prunes) = 3 grams of fiber
1 ounce of nuts (almonds, peanuts, pistachios) = 3
grams of fiber
1 baked potato (russet) = 3 grams of fiber
1/4 cup dry roasted sunflower seeds = 3 grams of
fiber
1 medium mango = 3 grams of fiber
1 medium tomato = 2 grams of fiber
1 cup pineapple juice = 2 grams of fiber
1/2 cup blueberries = 2 grams of fiber
1 cup romaine lettuce = 1.5 grams of fiber
1/2 cup tofu = 1 gram of fiber

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Monique N. Gilbert, B.Sc. helps people improve their
well-being, vitality & longevity. Her personal
coaching provides motivation, guidance and
support to get healthy, fit, reduce stress & anxiety,
strengthen the immune system, increase energy
levels, lower cholesterol, improve sleep, and
achieve your goals. For more information about
Monique’s coaching, visit
http://www.MoniqueNGilbert.com