Soak Your Nuts -

Say what? Here’s what you need to know about “activating” nuts and seeds.






We know that nuts and seeds in moderation are a wonderful addition to a healthy diet. However, there will always be differing opinions as to which way is the best way (without differing opinions, most food magazines would not exist!). Some people go the taste route, and proclaim that roasted with a generous sprinkling of sea salt is the way to go. In addition, roasting can kill potentially harmful bacteria, like salmonella. Then there are the health junkies (let’s be honest, most of us at Ace fit into that category). The popular route to go as of late is to soak nuts and seeds. There are many reasons for doing this, but here are the top three (said in a David Letterman voice):

1) Enzyme activity: when a nut is growing, the right conditions, specifically rain, will help to activate the beneficial enzymes in the nut. When we eat a dry, unsoaked nut, the enzyme inhibitors may interfere with digestion. We will require the enzymes of our own organs, which puts undue stress on the body. Use the enzymes in the nuts instead, people!

2) Greater absorption of the food’s nutrients by the body. Soaked nuts and seeds begin the sprouting process, which bumps up the nutritional value by removing some of the phytic acid. Phytic acid is in the outer layer of the nut and can actively interfere with mineral absorption, such as calcium, magnesium and iron. Soaking the nuts not only makes these minerals possible to absorb, but also increases the amount of Vitamin B.

3) Easier digestion. As well as the aforementioned enzyme activity, soaking the nuts will also break down gluten and other difficult-to-digest proteins. Nuts are essentially gluten free, but do have traces of gluten in them. Soaking nuts help to prevent the heavy feeling that often follows nut eating. You can use your soaked nuts in your blender or food processor to add to soups, smoothies or raw desserts. Of course, you can always have them plain, letting their newfound creaminess speak for itself.

If the idea of eating a wet nut does not appeal to you, then you can soak the nuts for around 4 hours (you will notice them plump up) and then dehydrate them or dry them for a couple of hours on your lowest oven setting. This soaked, then dried technique is known as “activation” with some nut aficionados calling themselves “activators” (we imagine a superhero look to these people).

You can also keep a small portion of nuts in a bowl of water in your fridge, ready to consume within a few days.

Lemons: Your Citrus Savior. -

Lemon is a popular flavour in springtime desserts, but researchers have also identified several healthier uses for this tangy and delicious citrus fruit. It’s long been known that lemons are an excellent source of vitamin C, although more recently, several other health-promoting compounds have been found. Like other members of the citrus family, lemons are a source of several different flavonoid antioxidants (1). Due to their flavonoid content, eating lemons may play a role in the prevention of certain types of cancer and heart disease (2).

Lemon Flavonoids
Lemons have some flavonoid antioxidants in common with other citrus fruits. They also have many unique flavonoids that are not found in any other citrus fruit (1,3). The flavonoids in lemon have a moderate to strong antioxidant ability (1). Around 90% of the flavonoids in lemons are from a sub-class of flavonoids known as flavanones (2). Almost all of the flavanones found in the human diet are from citrus fruits (3), so lemons represent an important dietary source of flavonone antioxidants.

Heart Disease
Spanish researchers conducted a clinical trial in 2011 that demonstrated that a lemon juice beverage decreases several heart disease risk factors (4). Fifty-three middle-aged (50-65 years old) adults participated in the trial: 20 healthy participants and 33 participants with metabolic syndrome. Individuals with metabolic syndrome have an increased risk of heart disease due to several factors. These include high levels of C-Reactive Protein (CRP), which indicates the presence of chronic inflammation in the body, and increased oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol (4). For six months, each day participants drank either 300 mL of lemon juice and chokeberry mixture containing 95% lemon juice, or 300 mL of a placebo beverage. After 6 months, the amount of CRP and oxidized LDL cholesterol was significantly lowered in the participants with metabolic syndrome that drank the lemon juice beverage, compared with those that drank the placebo beverage. Levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that is associated with increased heart disease, were also significantly lowered in metabolic syndrome participants that received the lemon juice beverage.

Cancer
More research is needed to better understand the role that lemons play in cancer prevention, but some recent studies have demonstrated positive results. For example, one cell culture study found that lemon extract helps to prevent breast cancer cells from spreading (5). This was accomplished by causing a type of programmed cell death known as apoptosis (5), a process that is normally impaired in cancer cells. As well, a comparison of 11 studies conducted in various countries across the world found that in general, higher citrus intake was associated with lower risk of developing pancreatic cancer (6).

Digestion
Another benefit of lemons is that they improve digestion. As lemon juice enters the mouth, it causes an increase in saliva production (7), which is one of the first steps involved in digestion. Aromatic compounds in the lemon rind can also increase saliva production (7). This increase in saliva production then influences digestion in the stomach as well (7). Specifically, there is an increase in the amount of the digestive enzyme pepsinogen, which breaks down protein, and stomach acid that is released by the stomach (7). In addition, the acid in lemon juice has been found to increase pancreatic secretions (7), which help to break down and absorb fats in your diet.

The Power of Pomegranates -

Pomegranates have grown incredibly popular over the last 14 years. This incredible fruit has helped create the modern anti-oxidant movement. You can’t find a supermarket that doesn’t sell them individually, nor the popular health beverages that contain pomegranate juice. The fruit is an excellent source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Calcium, and Fiber. But the real claim to fame for the fruit lies in its role as an antioxidant. The levels of antioxidants found in a single pomegranate far exceed the amounts found in similar fruits, such as cranberries and oranges. Pomegranates are recommended by doctors and nutritionists to help reduce the risk of heart disease and lower high blood pressure. Considering that heart disease is the number one killer in North America, it’s easy to see why pomegranates are becoming an essential fruit for the averagehealthy adult.

In 2007, Harvard Medical School published reports of two clinical trials involving the effects of pomegranate juice on mice. The first trial’s results showed that pomegranates slowed cancer growth and caused cell death for the cancerous cells. The study also stated, “in a preliminary study of men with prostate cancer, pomegranate juice lengthened patients’ PSA doubling time (the longer the doubling time, the slower the tumor is growing) from 15 months before treatment to 54 months on the juice” (Harvard Health, 2007).

Those are pretty incredible results for a single fruit. The same Harvard report also went on to show that pomegranate juice helped prevent artery inflammation, the hardening of cholesterol, and overall better blood flow in the heart.

Another study, outside of Harvard Health, took 45 people with known heart disease and then divided them into two groups. One group would ingest pomegranate juice on a daily basis, and the other group would drink a placebo with a similar taste and look as pomegranate juice. The study showed that “participants who drank the pomegranate juice experienced a 17% improvement in blood flow to the heart muscle, whereas those given a placebo beverage had an average worsening of 18%” (Chealth, 2012).

POM Wonderful is the market leader in pomegranate juice. The company has taken an active role in the modern research of the health benefits of the fruit since 1998. Since then, a total of 70 studies as well as 16 clinical studies have taken place as a direct result of this funding. All of this research can be found at www.wonderfulpomogranateresearch.com. With a mountain of research supporting the beneficial and medicinal effects of pomegranates in relation to various forms of cancer and heart disease there is no doubt that thepomegranate is a super food. Given the incredible amount of popularity the fruit has gained since 1998, it is very possible that we will see pomegranates as an essential part of our diets.

ab exercises for ripped abs

Getting fit in 2010

Dr. Melina Jampolis has tips from delicious low-fat chips to food journals that will help on the path to healthy living.

How to prevent weight gain

Dr. Melina Jampolis, a physician nutrition specialist, answers your diet and fitness questions.

Daniel Cortés

Chris Comfort Fitness: Glutes

Exercise keeps you from aging

Daniel Cortés Vida y Armonia rutina de ejercicios Hechos AM

A 4minutes abs workout: how to get a six-pack at home

These are 3 good and simple exercises to make your abdomen really strong and to make your core fit: "Knees-up", "Classic crunches", "Side plank": you can do them in a row or you can perform them separately: anyway, you should do a total of 10-12 sets of 10-12 reps with just 5 secs of rest between sets...Eat good and train your abs every day, mixing all these 3 exercises in different ways.

Daniel Cortés Vida y Armonia ejercicios Hechos