Philippine Health Tips

Do you add Splenda (sucralose) in your morning coffee? Well, if you answer is yes, then you should stop immediately! A recent study links sucralose, sold as Splenda, to significantly increased risk for leukemia, as well as overall risk for cancer. This study, published in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health , has discovered that mice who were given large amounts of sucralose throughout their lives, developed leukemia and cancerous tumors. How Much Splenda is Too Much? Note: You should know that the doses of sucralose used in the study were roughly equal to 10 cans of diet soda per day. Yes, we know that nobody really drinks that much, but the real and ugly truth is that this artificial sweetener is found in over 4,500 foods and beverages. It’s not hard to see how eating a lot of processed foods could increase your risks. And don’t go thinking that eating just a little bit of it every day is fine. Lisa Lefferts, MSPH, senior scientist at the Ce

Ever bought too much garlic and have it sprout before you could use it? Turns out those bright green shoots don’t mean it’s gone bad. Garlic that’s been sprouted for five days has significantly higher antioxidant levels than fresher garlic, finds a new study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry . It’s a strange concept, but it makes more sense when you consider the current “sprouting” trend: A growing number of food companies and restaurants are now offering sprouted grains, nuts, and legumes because the process actually improves their food’s nutrient composition. With this new study, it’s clear that the same goes for garlic. Here’s what’s happening: “Plants are very susceptible to attack from bacteria, viruses, and insects during sprouting,” says study author Jong-Sang Kim, PhD . “This causes them to produce a variety of chemicals called phytoalexins to defend themselves. Most of these are toxic to microorganisms and insects, but beneficial to human health.”

Not many of us know about the health benefits and nutrition value of lemon peels. So, before throwing the lemon peel away after squeezing the lemon juice or using it in any salad etc., think twice because even lemon peels are very beneficial. Let’s look at a few well known benefits of lemon peel: 1. Improves Bone Health It contains a high amount of calcium and vitamin C, which help in maintaining and improving the health of bones. Lemon peel also helps in preventing bone related diseases likes osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory polyarthritis. 2. Treats Oxidative Stress Lemon peels have high amounts of citrus bio-flavonoids, which are a very powerful source for the reduction of oxidative stress from your body. 3. Eradicates Toxins There are toxic elements present in our body which not only make us weak from within but also increase the addiction to hard drinks and other harmful eatables. Lemon peels, because of its citrus bioflavonoids content, help i

Lemons are well known for their health benefits. In fact, you have already heard and read about the benefits of drinking hot lemonade first thing in the morning. Often overlooked, lemon peel has strong anti-inflammatory properties. You may not know this, but lemon peel can help to reduce joint pain. The lemon peel is rich in essential oils which can relax the blood vessels and possess anti-inflammatory properties which makes them great for neutralizing pain. There are two ways to unleash the power of lemon peel: 1. Grate the rind, but only get the yellow layer. Apply the peel on the sore spot, fix a bandage and leave on for two hours before removing. 2. Peel two lemons and place the peel in a glass jar. Pour olive oil and close the jar. Let it stand for two weeks. This oil is then ready for use: moisten a gauze with this oil, and fix it with a bandage on your feet then leave it overnight. Source: Fine Living Advice

Sugar itself has been linked with numerous health problems ranging from obesity to tooth decay. Back then sugar was a luxury item, enjoyed only by the elite.  Today, it is everywhere with the average Brit consuming a shocking 1.25lbs a sugar a week. Across the Atlantic, sugar consumption is even higher. Americans consume, on average, 22 teaspoons of sugar a day - double the recommended daily amount. 6 NATURAL SUGAR ALTERNATIVES  1. Stevia A herb native to South American, stevia is 300 times sweeter than sugar. It has been used as a sweetener for centuries in South America, and in Japan, makes up 41 percent of the sweetener market. So widespread is its use before Coca-Cola decided to ‘standardise’ the recipe, stevia was used in Japanese Diet Coke. The herb recently ran into trouble in the US with the Food and Drug Administration over the label ‘sweetener’ but has rebounded to become the second most popular sugar alternative in the US under the term ‘dietary supplement’. St

When you think of Vitamin C, you tend to think about immune defense and beating those pesky colds and flu. Yet, Vitamin C is an essential beauty nutrient too!  Many of us have tried expensive cosmetics and skincare to try and prevent signs of aging, when one of the most powerful and inexpensive ways to maintain a healthy glow is by consuming plenty of Vitamin C. There's a catch though - because it’s a water-soluble vitamin, your body doesn’t store it, so you need to consume it every day through what you eat! Superfoods such as acerola cherry, camu camu and goji berries are some of the world's most potent sources of vitamin C! Ensure you get plenty of vitamin C each day to reap these benefits: 1. Longer Nails Vitamin C helps maintain the integrity of our nails by strengthening them from the inside out by helping the body to produce collagen. 2. Prevents Signs Of Aging As it’s a potent antioxidant, it helps to keep wrinkles and skin dryness at bay by fighting fr

It wasn’t that long ago that we didn’t have hand sanitizers. Instead, every time our hands got dirty, we headed for the nearest sink. If there wasn’t one around—well, a quick wipe on the jeans would do. Then, in the 1990s, hand sanitizers started to become popular. Suddenly, we had a quick, on-the-go way to banish germs. Since we were all really into getting things done fast by that time—and we were obsessed with being germ-free—it seemed the perfect solution. Germ-free hands in seconds. On the plane. In the car. At the playground. Before touching the shopping cart. After shaking hands with someone who had a cold. It seemed there was no end to the many ways hand sanitizer could help us stay clean and healthy. And then came the devastating news…hand sanitizers are actually really unhealthy for us. (Oh, and they’re horrible for your skin, too.) Use them often enough, and you’ll accelerate the appearance of aging. Why? We’ll explain that below. Meanwhile, don’t think you hav

Forget the store-bought salad dressings! They're typically loaded with emulsifiers, stabilisers, artificial flavors and other unnecessary additives! Make these delicious ones instead; they're amazingly good for you and will transform your everyday salad into a taste sensation! 1. Sweet Sesame This dressing is rich and creamy with a bitter-sweet, nutty flavor perfect for drizzling over thick leafy greens such as kale and collard greens.   What you need: 2 tablespoons tahini 2 tablespoons maple syrup 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil What to do: Whisk all ingredients together until creamy. 2. Curried Turmeric Infuse your ingredients with a warming curry flavor with a punch of heat! Perfect over roasted vegetables.  What you need: 1/2 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup  1 tablespoon tahini 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon hot curry powder 2 teaspoons lemon juice A small pinch of ca

Breakfast is such an important meal and we can’t say it enough - it should not be missed. Making time for a healthy breakfast to break your fast is ideal in achieving a healthy metabolism, balanced weight, good concentration levels and making good food choices for the rest of the day. Breakfast sets us up. Missing breakfast gives us lack of focus, low concentration and energy levels, more chance of cravings, especially sugar, and less chance of making good food choices through the day. Some so called ‘healthy’ breakfast foods like fruit juice and cereals are loaded with sugar and not a good start. Here are the breakfast do’s and don’ts. Muesli Muesli Don’ts Most supermarket bought muesli is high in sugar and contain processed carbohydrates. Toasted muesli also contains damaging vegetable oils. Muesli Do’s Make your own homemade muesli. You can use olive and coconut oil to toast your own muesli. You can avoid using sugar or use sugar-free alternatives and can make it grai

Your body requires a certain amount of carbohydrates to function optimally each day. Unfortunately, most of the nutrition is stripped from carbohydrates such as rice and other whole grains when they’re refined or processed into ‘white’ grains and flours. Eating refined carbohydrates can leave you feeling tired and lethargic as they quickly spike your blood sugar levels, and see your energy levels crash shortly after.  Consuming whole grains and plenty of vegetable sources of carbohydrates ensure you’re getting way more nutrients into your meals, without the major energy slump! We’ve collected 7 delicious, nutrient-rich ways for you to swap out refined carbs and bump up the goodness of your favorite dish! 1. Try lettuce cups instead of white flour tortillas  Skip the flour tortilla for crisp and hydrating lettuce cups! Use fresh large leaves for wraps or taco shells, filling them with your favorite ingredients. 2. Try cauliflower pizza bases instead of white flour pizza

Our skin may be the largest organ in our bodies, but it’s also the last place to receive nutrients. So, if your skin is supple, and looks all dewy and glowing, it generally means that your insides are in pretty good shape. However it is common for your skin to go through phases where it may not look as good, due to dietary changes, hormonal changes and even environmental changes.  One of the things we know for sure is that, what you put in your body matters, so does what you put on your body. Beauty products promising to rehydrate your skin are often laden with toxic ingredients that you probably can't even pronounce. So before you reach for the bottles off the shelf promising rehydration, give these 7 super hydrating goods a go!  Seven Super Skin Hydrating Foods 1. Cucumbers Many of my juices during the cleanse contained cucumber, but I’m also making sure I eat them in my salads and on their own. Did you know that plain cucumber, eaten whole, makes for an awesome sna