You should!

It appears that eating 3 servings per day of whole grain bread could reduce by a third the risk of two of Britain’s top killers: Heart disease and cancer.

Whole grain bread is nearly unprocessed and unrefined, meaning that all the elements are still present, as intended by nature. Unlike processed grain, which is composed only by the endosperm, whole grain bread has 3 layers:

83% of Endosperm

14% of Bran

3% of cereal germ

But most people don’t know the benefits of whole grain bread, since the market is flooded with refined grains. Just take a look at your cupboard and you’ll certainly find processed grain pasta, white bread, white rice, refined grain cakes and pies, and much more, like nearly everyone else we know.

But the benefits are far greater than you could think. You don’t need to cut off all your processed grain intakes, but with some simple changes in your cooking ingredients, you would meet the recommended amount of 3 servings a day.

Instead of eating toast in the morning you could eat whole grain bread, or muesli instead of the usual cereals. At lunch time you could take a whole grain sandwich or replace your pasta by whole grain pasta, they taste the same, and are just a bit more “al dente”.

Finally, for dinner, just replace your white rice with unprocessed rice, which tastes perfectly fine, with some Indian food or as Pilaf. And you could still have your white grain snacks (chips, crackers, cakes etc.).

But reducing heart strokes and cancer are not the only benefits from eating whole grain bread, recent studies have shown additional benefits such as:

-        Type 2 diabetes risk reduced by 21-30%

-        Better weight maintenance

-        Reduced risk of asthma

-        Healthier carotid arteries

-        Reduction on inflammatory disease risk

-        Lower risk of colorectal cancer

-        Healthier blood pressure levels

-        Less gum disease ant tooth loss

But why do so many people stick on white grain?

A survey from Whole Grain Health (WGH) shows that:

-        70% are not aware of whole grain health benefits

-        54% do not know what whole grain is

-        77% do not check what ingredients are in foods

-        72% said would eat more whole grain if they knew the health benefits

-        15% only eat 3 servings of whole grain a day (the recommended amount).

Liposuction is an increasingly popular medical procedure because of its ability to remove unnecessary fat in the body with relative safety. The traditional method of liposuction is to literally remove the fat out of the body through an invasive procedure. While effective, it can have some serious (sometimes fatal) side effects on the body and it can’t easily work on small areas or parts of the bodies where bones could be affected during the procedure.

Because of the potential side effects of traditional liposuction, medical professionals started introducing VASER or Vibration Amplification of Sound Energy at Resonance. Approved by the FDA in 2002, the procedure is gaining in popularity in USA and around the world.

The development of VASER was based on the early UALs or Ultrasound Assisted Liposuction during the 80s and 90s. While the precursor of VASER, early UALs had some serious drawbacks as it can cause serious side effects such as tissue damage. VASER is the third-generation UAL and medical professionals have practically perfected the system to efficiently remove the excess fat safely.

Aside from its relative safety, another advantage of VASER is its ability to work in very tight areas. Normally, areas with the possibility of excessive blood loss are avoided in traditional liposuction. But VASER easily works with these areas with very minimal blood loss. Incision is still required but it’s only 3 – 4 mm in length. Another safety feature of VASER is its ability to differentiate different types of tissues which means it can target fat without dangerous side effects such as tissue damage.

Preventing cancer is always a possibility with the help of the different types of fruits and vegetables. Fortunately, there are a good number of fruits and vegetables you can take to help you prevent cancer and even eliminate its early stages of growth.

Along with the right type of diet and exercise, the following are the types of food that can help you prevent cancer:

Grapefruit – it’s one of the best fruits that can deal with cancer because of its ability to remove carcinogens that causes cancer. Grapefruit contains high amounts of monoterpene which is an essential element that can deal with carcinogens.

Garlic – recent research shows that ginger can deal with different types of cancer. Prostate, ovarian and colon are only some of the cancers that can be prevented or even dealt with through garlic. Extract from ginger can easily help in preventing and dealing with cancer. Ginger comes with gingerol that can slow down the rate of colon cancer cells. It’s also proven that ginger can induce apoptosis or cell suicide for ovarian cancer which is also helpful in dealing with prostate cancer.

Soy – soybeans and other foods that contain soybean comes with isoflavones. It’s a very powerful component that can help the body protect itself from breast cancer. The potential harmful side effect of estrogen is breast cancer but soybeans and foods that contain soybeans could prevent this fatal health problem.

Tea – one of the most popular ingredients in weight loss and fat burning but also popular for preventing cancer. Tea comes with catechins and these are antioxidants that inhibit the development of cancer cells.

Bad breath otherwise known as Halitosis is one of the most common problems in every individual. There are a number of reasons why certain individuals face this problem while others don’t. Bad breath is estimated to affect nearly 50% of the population in varying degrees and is caused by various conditions.

What causes Halitosis?

Halitosis is described as the production of volatile sulphur compounds in the mouth which are developed by anaerobic (without oxygen) bacteria. These bacteria live in the mouth and are expelled in the breath. Some researchers were able to identify these primary producers of the bacteria and locate their living in the oral cavity. Other causes for Halitosis include sinusitis, gastritis, tonsillitis, chronic bronchitis which have a fluid discharge at the back of the throat eventually causing bad breath. Food habits also have a major impact and are the main cause for bad breath. The following steps explain how to avoid bad breath and maintain a good oral hygiene.

1.       Identify and treat existing oral diseases

It is a pre-requisite to identify the cause for your bad breath. For some individuals, bad breath persists because of throat problems like bronchitis, sinusitis, bad tooth, excessive intake of coffee, alcohol or smoking etc. It is always necessary to identify these issues and tackle them first either by visiting a dentist or halitosis treatment centre.

2.       Good Oral hygiene

Maintaining a good oral hygiene is one of the key factors to eliminate bad breath. Most of the dentists recommend that every person should brush and use dental floss twice a day. Additionally, you can also use a tongue scraper after brushing your teeth. Anaerobic bacteria cannot survive on a clean pink tongue condition.

3.       Using natural antibiotics

Using naturally available antibiotics in the form of herbs, fresh mint leaves, spices like cardamom etc can help in eliminating bad odours. Aloe vera and fresh parsley are very effective in reducing bad breath.

Chewing fresh basil or parsley will not only detoxify your mouth but also contains chlorophyll which helps in sweetening your breath and avoids your mouth from becoming dry. Using Aloe vera juice as a mouthwash will also prevent foul smell. The aloe vera juice is available in local herbal stores or pharmacy.

4.       Less consumption of caffeine

Although it is a bad news for all the caffeine lovers but avoiding coffee or switching to Tea will be more beneficial. Consuming coffee in the early morning creates a thin layer or coat on the tongue thus blocking the oxygen supply to the tongue. This creates a perfect environment for the anaerobic bacteria to dwell upon and survive. Some scientists have proved that Tea has more organic benefits than coffee.

5.       Drinking plenty of water

As they always say, Water is the best medicine for the entire human body and consuming 8 litres of water every day will fetch greater benefits in the long run. Consuming water on a regular basis in a day will dilute the concentration of VSC (Volatile Sulphur Compounds) reducing the foul smell from your mouth. The Anaerobic bacterium which usually breaks down the protein and sugar into VSC’s to generate bad odour creating an environment for them to thrive upon on.

6.       Food habits

Avoiding or reducing the intake of smelly foods like onions, garlic, eggs and red meat can help in eliminating bad odour. Although these foods are very essential and comprise a healthy diet, these should be avoided during the working hours or in social gatherings. Avoiding crisps and fizzy drinks are also proved to have good benefits.

7.       Fruits and Vegetables

Eating crisp fruits and vegetables like cucumber, celery, apple, carrots, salads, herbs and other greens will help in naturally cleaning your mouth. They tend to clean and remove the plaque and food particles between the teeth and gums, naturally becomes an auto-floss process.

8.       Choosing the right toothpaste

Commercial toothpastes contain unnecessary elements which are not essential and damage the overall oral health. Making toothpaste for you sounds difficult but it is a lot easier. Create a mixture of baking soda and salt in a 3:1 proportion and sprinkle this paste on a wet toothbrush helps in cleaning your teeth more effectively. The baking soda prevents bad breath and neutralizes the acids by bringing down the VSC’s effect. Always consult your doctor before using a tooth paste as he may suggest which is already available in the market and suits you. Attending consultation for bad breath treatment on a regular basis with a dentist will reap benefits in the long run.

9.       Avoid mouthwashes

People tend to use mouthwashes probably thinking that it helps in reducing the bad odour and essential to use. However, many commercial mouthwashes contain large proportion of alcohol which when used leads to dry mouth. Dry mouth is a perfect condition for the bacterium to thrive upon and thus resulting in bad mouth. Most of the mouthwashes contain ingredients which are not necessary such as colour and flavour.

10.   Chewing sugarless gum

Most of the people are under the perception that chewing gum which has high sugars will help in reducing the foul smell from their mouth, but it isn’t true. Chewing a gum without any sugar content such as parsley, mint leaves basil leaves will give you a fresh breath and improves your overall oral hygiene.

Don’t leave your bad breath ruin your social life and make you a halitophobic. There isn’t either a quick solution for this to fix to your bad breath within a week or a month. A persistent effort and a healthy oral regime can derive more benefits than expected. Harley Health Centre provides halitosis treatment in London for any bad breath problems you are facing.

One of the biggest misconceptions with wine is that red wine contains more health benefits than white wine. The reason for this misconception is that red wine has a color that makes people assume that it has more grape content than white wine. But the real fact is that there is very little different when it comes to health benefits between red and white wine.

The Benefits of Wine

Before looking further at the difference between red and white wine in terms of health benefits, let’s take a look at the general health benefits of the drink. Although it’s an alcoholic drink, wines are full of resveratrol because they are fermented from grapes. Resveratrol is an antioxidant which could prevent different types of health problems and even improve the skin.

The Difference of White and Red Wine

Although there is a difference between red and white wine, the difference is very small. A 5 ounce white wine only contains 70 calories while the red wine with the same volume contains 74 calories. The reservatrol control is also in the same range for red and white wine. The reason for a higher concentration in red compared to white wine is the fermentation period. Red wines are fermented longer than white wines.

Drinking Moderately

Red and white wines are known for their health benefits. However, it doesn’t mean you can consume as much wines as you want. Wines still contain alcohol which could be dangerous to your health if over consumed. If you want to take advantage of the health benefits of wine, drink in moderation.

Halitosis is a medical condition that refers to the bad smell coming out of the mouth. It’s a medical condition that often causes discomfort because of the irritating smell and the person suffering from the condition could feel awkward. Those suffering from halitosis often seek cure as soon as possible because of its social implications.

Causes of Halitosis

There are many causes of halitosis. The common cause of this medical condition is poor dental hygiene. Smoking is also a known as a cause of halitosis. There are also people who suffer from halitosis because of dry mouth, which means their body doesn’t have the ability to produce the right amount of saliva. Their mouth cannot clean itself to prevent bad odor. Dry mouth could be caused by several factors such as side effects from medications or even alcohol abuse.

In rare situations, halitosis can come from the stomach. In this case, the acid coming from the stomach emits a foul odor in the mouth. There are also sinusitis patients who suffer from halitosis because their nasal discharge affects their breath.

Treatment of Halitosis

There is no single cure for halitosis because the medical condition has a variety of causes. But more often than not, halitosis can be dealt with through proper dental hygiene and a visit to the dentist for a clean-up. The dentist can also recommend a special type of treatment or even changes in lifestyle (smoking and other foods) especially for those who suffer from halitosis due to rare medical conditions.

Coca-Cola is one of the most popular soda drinks in the world. With its fierce competitor, Pepsi, both products are highly recognized in the market due to their taste and price. The drink is often supplied meals in millions of restaurants worldwide and consumers buy Coca-Cola and other related products in bulk as well as retail. Coca-Cola is also highly accessible which allows anyone to consume the popular soda drink anytime of the day.

But increasing consumption of Coca-Cola can be very dangerous to the body. It contains ingredients that can cause fatal side effects or long term bodily harm.

The most popular ingredient in Coca-Cola (and Pepsi) is caffeine. This ingredient is added to enhance the flavor and the after effect of the soda drink. Caffeine can cause insomnia, jittery feeling and mood swings. It could even increase the risk of high blood pressure and heart attack. Increased consumption of caffeine pushes the heart rate really fast and the body could eventually succumb to heart attack if there’s too much caffeine. The increase in blood flow could also cause high blood pressure.

Another popular ingredient in Coca-Cola is sugar and everyone knows that too much sugar can cause diabetes. It’s a very subtle disease but it could accelerate with the increased content of sugar.

Because of the increased caffeine and sugar content, it’s always important to drink in moderation. It’s a great soda drink but it could cause serious health problems when taken in excess. Consider healthier drinks such as water instead of Coca-Cola to avoid these health problems.

Salads, especially those laden with vegetables are known as healthy choices for meals. Even in fast food restaurants, many consumers choose to have vegetable salads as their meal because they recognize the health benefits of vegetables. It’s also known that vegetables contain minimal amount of calories or non at all.

But a salad doesn’t automatically translate into a healthy meal. Even though you’re consuming vegetable salad, there is still a chance that you’re enjoying something unhealthy. This is especially true if you’re enjoying a vegetable salad from your favorite fast food restaurant.Fast food restaurants salads look amazing and healthy because of the vegetable content. But these salads contain more than just the vegetable and that’s where the problem starts if you’re looking for something healthy. Aside from vegetables, additional ingredients of the salad such as deep fried chicken and salad dressing might contain unhealthy components.

Many weight watchers take a closer look at the ingredients and content of the salads from the fast food restaurant. More often than not, these salads are disappointing because they contain a lot of ingredients with high calorie and fat content. These are often found in the dressing because restaurants that serve salads include additives to ensure that the salad tastes good even with very little preparation.

To make sure that you are eating healthy salads from your favorite restaurant, check out their official website for nutritional facts. Their website will give you a good idea on the calorie and fat content of their meal. Stay away from the salads in fast food restaurants that do not provide any nutritional facts because their salads most likely have high calorie content.

Many consider chocolates as their “sinful indulgence” because they treat chocolates as a food full of calories and fats. There are even individuals who simply ignore any type of chocolate because they think chocolates only cause more health problems. It’s simply something that you want to avoid if you want to live longer.

However there are actually chocolates that can provide more health benefits than problems. Experts consider chocolates with high cocoa content as a good source of anti-oxidants which helps the body deal with aging, stress, asthma and other internal diseases. The anti-oxidants are so high in chocolates with high cocoa content that 100 grams of dark chocolates (chocolates with high cocoa content) produces more anti-oxidants than blueberries.

Chocolates are also a good source of flavonoids, known for its ability to help improve muscle activity. There are even studies that prove chocolates lower the LDL cholesterol level, even though popular perception of these sweets leads to increase in bad cholesterol.

Although chocolates are good, it doesn’t mean everyone should eat chocolates all the time. While it’s true that it can produce certain health benefits, it can still cause problems. Most of the chocolates sold in retail stores have a high sugar and caffeine content. Moderation in chocolate intake is still a must.

Always check the label of your favorite chocolates. Choose a chocolate with high-cocoa content to ensure that it will help your body instead of causing any health problems later.

One of the best ways to stay healthy is to eat five types of fruit and vegetables on a daily basis. While any type of fruit and vegetable will work, it’s best to carefully choose what you eat to get the best out of the diet plan. Certain fruits and vegetables are perfect to prevent and sometimes are good to cure certain conditions, which mean you need to know how to mix and match to give your body full protection.

It’s All in the Color

The easiest method in learning how to mix and match your daily fruit and vegetable requirement is through color. Select five fruits and vegetables with varying colors since each color signifies a unique capability on how to help your body.

Veggies and fruits with the color green are known for their ability to prevent cancer. It’s also the best way to improve absorption of nutrients within the body. Many believe that green veggies and fruits can also help the eyesight because of lutein.

Yellow and/or orange fruits and vegetables are known to actively protect your body from different types of ailments. It’s also a good source of Vitamin C for energy and even comes with antioxidants to make the skin look radiant.

Fruits and vegetables with natural purple color can also help promote a healthier, younger looking skin. It is also known to help reduce risk of different types of cancer.

The white colored fruits such as bananas, garlic and mushroom can help lower cholesterol. Fruits and vegetables with this color also come with an impressive range of vitamins and minerals rarely found in other food groups.

Last but not the least is the fruit and vegetables with red color. They are known for their anti-aging properties as well as improvement of memory. Like most of the group in the list, it also has anti-cancer properties.