In my experience, luck has very little to do with achieving
home based business success. People who succeed in their
home based business are typically the ones who are always
positive, believe they will succeed, have a burning desire,
goals, knowledge and courage to implement a plan of action.
How can you believe and expect to succeed in your home
business if you allow yourself only negative input.

Discover how to lift your mood and your energy with these
five simple tips and the home business blues will become a
song of the past.

1. Just as you can choose your mood for the day, you can
choose positive things that will give you a lift the first
thing every morning. Those could be for example, just as
simple as, seeing your wife's or husband's smiling face, or
your children playing in the living room floor, or what
ever. It doesn't matter what those are. The most important
thing is that they make you feel good and happy.

2. When you're not physically healthy, your energy levels
are compromised, your mind doesn't function at optimum
efficiency, your moods may be altered and heavy, and an
imbalance may be created that will affect all areas of your
life and business. Take care of yourself. Eat healthy and
excersise regularly. I am sure you know the phrase "Healthy
Mind In Healthy Body".

3. Lift your mood by having the time of your life,
literally. If you will force yourself to call a friend and
meet for coffee, a movie, a walk, a talk - anything to get
out and change your atmosphere, the chances are good that
will have a good effect on changing your mood for the
better.

4. Watching an hour long comedy where we laugh and take our
mind off our daily problems can last for hours or days as
far as reducing chronic pain, a "blue mood" feeling. This
is very effective way for me personally to cheer up if I
feel a little bit down.

5. Music (hearing it or playing it) has long been used by
people of all cultures to create or alter a mood. It will
change your mood for the better if you allow it to and if
you concentrate on the music and creating and forget how
you have been feeling.

Now that you have created choices for yourself to lift your
mood, reward yourself every time you make a positive
choice. No matter what type of reward it is, make sure it's
something that doesn't counteract your home business goals,
but instead makes you want to achieve more. Knowing that
all of the income you have coming in was created because of
you is a great feeling. Being positive and energetic makes
you more effective, being effective makes you more money,
and making more money, trust me, feels soooo good.

In summary, to be successful home business owner you must
have positive attitude in all areas of your life. Positive
attitude comes from yourself. It is all up to you how you
keep your mind healthy. Here was some simple tricks for you
to use.

About the Author:

Are you in good mood and feeling energetic now? Good, visit
Pasi Kaarakainen's website at http://www.WealthatHomer.com
and put your energy to good use and start building your own
home business with all the resources you need.

We live in a time when most of our food sources are
composed of convenient, fast, and processed foods. In
addition to the chemicals and preservatives added, this has
resulted in food with less nutritional value. One of those
nutritional values is the lowered amounts of natural fiber.
One of the disturbing health concerns that has resulted
from this is that we have had an enormous increase in the
number of people, especially young people, wh are
overweight or obese. Excess weight leads to other physical
health concerns and also emotional health concerns, i.e.
self image and esteem.

People without excess weight concerns consume about 33%
more dietary fiber than people who suffer weight issues.
There are good reasons that people who consume more dietary
fiber do not experience weight concerns. When soluble
fiber combines with water, it swells the stomach giving a
greater feeling that hunger has been satisfied without
adding excess calories. Fiber slows the digestion process
resulting in feelings of hunger occurring less frequently
and providing our bodies with the time needed to properly
absorb nutrients. This eliminates the feeling of hunger and
feeling the need to continue eating which leads to excess
weight. Fiber reduces the occurrence of spikes in
blood-glucose levels which possibly leads to insulin
insensitivity and food cravings. Fiber may also reduce the
absorption of fat. Fiber also lowers cholesterol levels
which is a serious concern for people with excess weight.
High cholesterol in bile is responsible for the formation
of gallstones that lead to pain and gallbladder surgery.
Fiber lowers cholesterol as effectively as statin drugs,
which carry the risk of harmful side effects.

Most of us consume half of the dietary fiber that we need.
Lack of dietary fiber is associated with health concerns
such as hemorrhoids, cancer, diabetes, varicose veins, heat
dissease, appendicitis and chronic constipation. Chronic
constipation is a huge complaint of many people, especially
older people, and accounts for millions of visits to a
doctor and is among the most frequently given reasons for
the purchase of prescription or patient, synthetic drugs
with their possible harmful side effects. Antacids often
contain aluminum and synthetic painkillers and
antidepressants may actually cause constipation. Fiber
contributes greatly to the healthy function of our
digestive system by removing sludge, mucus, heavy metals
and fat and relieving constipation and/or diarrhea which is
essential for weight loss. Fiber protects against
diverticulosis by keeping waste soft and easy to eliminate.
Straining hard to eliminate waste contributes to
diverticulosis and also hemorrhoids.

Since many of our processed and fast foods contain little
fiber, we can increase our fiber intake with the use of
supplements that contain additional amounts of fiber and
also contribute in many other ways to our health as well as
assisting us in reducing and maintaining our weight.

Oat bran fiber contains a great deal of soluble fiber that
forms a gel which produces a soft easy flow of the contents
of our stomach and small intestine. This helps decrease
constipation distress. The gel delays our stomach emptying
giving us a longer feeling of our hunger being satisfied
helping with weight loss. Oat bran fiber is also very
effective in lowering cholesterol levels by attaching to
cholesterol and eliminating it. People who consume oat bran
fiber are far less likely to become overweight.

Apple pectin is a fiber that can be obtained in supplement
form. It is a powder obtained from dried apples. Apple
pectin lowers cholesterol levels, helps prevent hardening
of the arteries, diabetes and may inhibit cancer
metastases. Apple pectin corrects constipation and
promotes digestive health including promoting the health of
intestinal flora. Apple pectin is tolerated by most people
with allergies.

Green foods can be obtained in supplement form and contain
good amounts of fiber. In addition, green foods provide
antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, active
enzymes, bioflavonoids, chlorophyll and other
phytonutrients necessary for cellular metabolism, repair
and protection, enhanced digestion and absorption of
nutrients, and detoxification. All this is vital for
health and weight loss. Most of us do not get a good
amount of green foods that we need because of our modern
eating habits.

Flaxseed oil is one of the best choices of high fiber food.
Mucilage is the unique soluble fiber in flaxseed that
absorbs moisture and forms mucilagenous substance that
cleans and soothes intestinal walls and relieves many
intestinal discomforts. Flaxseed oil contains many
vitamins, minerals and other elements that contribute to
balancing blood sugar levels as well as other benefits.
Balancing blood sugar levels is very important for weight
loss and energy as well as a feeling of well being.
Flaxseed oil lowers cholesterol and triglycerides. It
helps satisfy hunger with few calories and reduces the
absorption of fats.

Many of us have experience the benefit of using fiber to
lose weight.. We come to know the use of fiber for weight
loss as "fiber trimming" or "fiber thin". In addition, we
have experienced many other very important health benefits
from fiber beyond weight loss. The way foods are being
processed for convenient consumption, little preparation
and for long shelf life makes it difficult for us to obtain
proper nutrition and health benefit without using natural
health supplements. This is also true of our obtaining a
healthy amount of fiber in our diets. Green foods, oat
bran, apple pectin, and flaxseed oil are easily obtainable
in supplement form. The cost, economically and
emotionally, of obtaining natural health supplements to
gain and maintain good health is far less than the cost of
illness and medical care where we risk the possibility of
harmful side effects from prescription, patient, synthetic
drugs and medical procedures. Fiber each day, keeps the
doctor away. Prevention is far less expensive in so many
ways, than repair. We can lose weight, improve our health
and feel far better about ourselves with the use of
supplemental dietary fiber.

About the Author:

Jenny has more than twenty years experience with all
natural health care products. More information about
natural dietary fiber for weight loss and other natural
weight loss products is available at =>
http://www.sweetmedicineessentials.com/natural-weight-loss-c
-3.html

"According to this, if I'm highly fit, I'm 70 percent less likely to
die. Let's hear it for immortality!"

That note was in an e-mail sent to me by HSI researcher Michele Cagan.
Michele's comment addressed this sentence from an Associated Press
article: "The Veterans Affairs researchers found that the 'highly fit'
men in the study had half the risk of death as those who were the least
fit. Being 'very highly fit' cut the risk even more, by 70 percent."

The last I heard, our chance of dying is pretty uniform at 100 percent,
no matter how highly fit we may be. So it's safe to assume that the AP
article was talking about the risk of premature death.

If you can't be immortal, the next best thing is a healthy longevity,
and the Veterans Affairs study confirms that a little daily exercise
will help that effort.

Another recent study from Yale University School of Medicine reveals
what appears to be the primary nutritional element needed to keep your
body in good working order for at least a century.

********************************
Saying "no" to decline
********************************

As the Yale team noted in a January issue of the Journal of the
American Medical Association, their objective was to find out if low
blood levels of nutrients might be associated with physical function
decline in older subjects.

STUDY PROFILE

* Researchers recruited nearly 700 subjects who were 65 or older
* Blood samples from each subject were tested for levels of folate,
and vitamins B6, B12, D, and E
* The physical condition of each subject was assessed with the
Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), a standardized tool
for evaluating lower extremity function in older people
* These same assessments were conducted again with each subject
three years later
* Of the five nutrients tested, only low levels of vitamin E were
linked with a decline in physical function

The researchers noted that their study doesn't establish vitamin E
deficiency as a specific cause of physical function decline. But they
suggested that insufficient vitamin E might create an imbalance between
oxidants and antioxidants. The resulting oxidative stress might prompt
DNA, muscle, and neuronal impairment.

********************************
Heart protection
********************************

The Yale team notes that Clinical trials should be mounted to determine
if optimal vitamin E levels might reduce functional decline and the
onset of disability in older people.

Actually, we already have a few trials that show just how important it
is to maintain adequate E levels as we age.

In 2005 I told you about a Brigham and Women's Hospital study in which
nearly 40,000 women over the age of 45 were divided into three groups
and assigned to take either 600 IU of vitamin E each day, a low dose
aspirin, or a placebo. After 10 years, results showed that women in the
vitamin E group over the age of 65 had a 50 percent lower risk of dying
from heart disease compared to the other two groups. Heart attack risk
was also lowered by nearly 35 percent in this group.

And I've told you before about another intervention study that
recruited more than 600 subjects over the age of 65. For one year, each
subject received either 200 IU of vitamin E daily or a placebo. The
results: Vitamin E supplements had a preventive effect on upper
respiratory infections. Subjects who took E supplements had a 20
percent reduced risk of coming down with a common cold.

HSI Panelist Dr Allan Spreen, recommends 400 IU of vitamin E daily
(ideally as d-alpha or mixed tocopherols), along with 200 micrograms of
selenium. Dr. Spreen: "Both selenium and vitamin E are intimately
associated with stimulation of the part of the immune system dealing
with production of immunoglobulins." The immune system uses
immunoglobulins (or antibodies) to identify and neutralize viruses and
bacteria.

Talk to your doctor before adding an E supplement or selenium to your
daily regimen. Meanwhile, you can get vitamin E from a variety of food
sources, including eggs, liver, nuts and seeds, spinach, broccoli,
peaches, wheat germ, and vegetable oils.


******************************
...and another thing
******************************

Obesity increases middle-aged women's risk of suffering a stroke, a
study suggests. US researchers have linked an almost threefold increase
in the number of female stroke victims to a rise in the number of
overweight victims.



Sources:
"Serum Micronutrient Concentrations and Decline in Physical Function
Among Older Persons" Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol.
299, No. 3, 1/23/08, jama.ama-assn.org

Today we are fortunate to interview Dr. Jerri Edwards, an
Associate Professor at University of South Florida's School
of Aging Studies and Co-Investigator of the influencial
ACTIVE study. Dr. Edwards was trained by Dr. Karlene K.
Ball, and her research is aimed toward discovering how
cognitive abilities can be maintained and even enhanced
with advancing age.

Alvaro Fernandez (AF): Please explain to our readers your
main research areas.

Jerri Edwards (JE): I am particularly interested in how
cognitive interventions may help older adults to avoid or
at least delay functional difficulties and thereby maintain
their independence longer. Much of my work has focused on
the functional ability of driving including assessing
driving fitness among older adults and remediation of
cognitive decline that results in driving difficulties.

Some research questions that interest me include, how can
we maintain healthier lives longer? How can training
improve cognitive abilities, both to improve those
abilities and also to slow-down, or delay, cognitive
decline? The specific cognitive ability that I have studied
the most is processing speed, which is one of the cognitive
skills that decline early on as we age.

AF: Can you explain what cognitive processing speed is, and
why it is relevant to our daily lives?

JE: Processing speed is mental quickness. Just like a
computer with a 486 processor can do a lot of the same
things as a computer with a Pentium 4 processor, but it
takes much longer, our minds tend to slow down with age as
compared to when we were younger. We can do the same tasks,
but it takes more time. Quick speed of processing is
important for quick decision making in our daily lives.
When you are driving, if something unexpected happens, how
quickly can you notice the situation and decide how to
react?

AF: Please describe how the ACTIVE trial used the cognitive
training program, and what the results were found to be
when they were published in the Journal of the American
Medical Association in December 2006?

JE: I was a co-investigator of the ACTIVE study, a
multi-site, controlled study, with thousands of adults over
sixty-five, to evaluate the effectiveness of three
different cognitive training methods with three different
groups:

- The first group used a memory training program including
a variety of traditional memory techniques such as
mnemonics and the method of loci.

- The second group was trained in learn inductive reasoning
skills.

- The third group was exposed to computer-based programs to
train processing speed.

All 3 groups spent the same amount of time in their
respective training programs, around 2 hours a week for 5
weeks, going through exercises of increasing difficulty.
The ACTIVE study was designed to track participants'
performance over a number of years, so, after this initial
5-week intervention, some groups received training booster
sessions, after 1 year and again after 3 years.

Willis and colleagues published the 5-year results in JAMA
last December and the results were very positive. All 3
types of cognitive programs were shown to have an effect
immediately after the program, after 3 years, and after 5.
But, the results of the group that used a computer-based
program to train processing speed showed clear short-term
and long-term results. Individuals who experienced improved
speed of processing also showed better performance on tasks
of instrumental activities of daily living such as quickly
finding an item on a crowded pantry shelf and reading
medication bottles. They also reacted to road signs more
quickly. We found this transfer of training in our prior
studies using the training protocol as well.

In short, significant percentages of the participants
improved their memory, reasoning and information-processing
speed across all three methods. The most impressive result
was that, when tested five years later, the participants in
the computer-based program had less of a decline in the
skill they were trained in than did a control group that
received no cognitive training.

AF: The results of the ACTIVE study were quite impressive
and contributed in large part to the amount of media
coverage about brain fitness last year. However, as you
have probably seen, there is a good deal of confusion about
brain fitness among the media and the public at large. Can
you help our readers understand two common questions: 1)
Why are new programs better than, say, doing crosswords
puzzles?, and 2) Can one really say that these programs can
reverse age-related decline?

To answer the first question, I would say that a crossword
puzzle is not a form of cognitive training. It can be
stimulating, but it is not a form of structured mental
exercise that has been shown to improve specific cognitive
skills - other than the skill of doing crossword puzzles,
of course.

In terms of the second question, it is too early to say
whether we can really reverse decline in a permanent way.
There are many skills involved and the studies are not long
enough to really compare different trajectories. What we
can say is that by doing some exercises, one can improve
cognitive speed of processing by 146-250%, and that a
significant portion of that improvement stays even after 5
years. We cannot say more definitively.

But I think it is noteworthy to be able to say that, in all
of the programs tested, the payoff from cognitive training,
or what we can call "mental exercise", seemed far greater
than we are accustomed to getting from physical exercise.
Just imagine if you could say that 10 hours of workouts at
the gym every day this month was enough to help keep you
fit five years from now.

AF: Research like this seems to present major opportunities
for society. For example, wouldn't insurance companies, or
the AARP, want to sponsor more research and evaluate
whether to offer this type of training to their members?
Won't major employers see opportunities to improve the
performance of older employees by identifying the cognitive
skills that may need the most improvement and offering
tailored training? We could speculate that a person with
faster processing abilities will also be able to make
faster decisions and learn faster...

JE: That makes sense, based on what we know. Cognitive
abilities evolve in different ways as we age, and some
typically start to decline in our thirties. Cognitive
interventions may help train and improve those abilities,
and there is already research that strongly indicates where
and how training can be useful. More research is still
required to deliver more precise and tailored interventions
in a variety of environments. I suspect we will see the
field grow significantly - and not just for aging-related
priorities. Cognitive training may become useful for a
variety of health conditions, such as Parkinson's and
Alzheimer's patients, for example. More research will help
researchers refine assessments and training programs.

About the Author:

Alvaro Fernandez is the CEO and Co-Founder of
SharpBrains.com, which provides the latest science-based
information for Brain Fitness combined with fun brain
teasers. SharpBrains has been recognized by Scientific
American Mind, Newsweek, Forbes. Alvaro holds MA in
Education and MBA from Stanford University, and teaches The
Science of Brain Health at UC-Berkeley Lifelong Learning
Institute. You can learn more at
http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog

Who has not heard "Use It or Lose It". Now, what is "It"?
Last week I gave a talk at the Italian Consulate in San
Francisco, and one of the areas attendants seemed to enjoy
the most was learning what our brains are and how they
work, peaking into the "black box" of our minds. Without
understanding at least the basics, how can we make good
decisions about our own brain health and fitness?

Let's review at a glance:

The brain is composed of 3 "brains" or main sub-systems,
each named after the evolutionary moment in which the
sub-system is believed to have appeared.

1) Neocortex, or Human Brain, is the most recent area,
where we perform high-level thinking and complex
integrative tasks. Other mammals do have this part too, but
in smaller proportion of the whole brain volume. This is
where we have our right and left hemispheres.

The Neocortex is composed of

-Frontal Lobes: or the CEO of the Brain, for sophisticated
brain functions such as planning and conceptualizing.

-Parietal lobes: dealing with movement, the senses, and
some forms of recognition

-Temporal lobes: auditory processes and language

-Occipital: visual processing center (credit: Morphonix)

B) Limbic System, or Mammalian Brain, critical for emotions
and for memory,

Emotions are generated here, as well as the appetites and
urges that help us survive. For instance, the amygdala gets
triggered to prepare us to deal with a threatening
situation, resulting in our feeling of fear. The
hippocampus is key in the formation of memory.

C) Cerebellum and Stem, or Reptilian Brain, that regulates
basic vital variables such as breathing, heartbeat and
motor coordination.

When we exercise our brains, we put our Neurons and
connections between neurons in action.

Given the diversity of functions outlined above, it is
clear that different activities are going to activate
different brain areas, which scientists now know thanks to
neuroimaging techniques. There is no one magic bullet that
is best (either crosswords puzzles, or computer-based
programs, or physical exercise): we do need a variety of
mental stimulation or "brain exercises".

"Cells that fire together wire together" means that
synapses-unions between neurons- get solidified the more
often the respective neurons "talk" to each other.

Here you have some tips that can help you put all this
theory into practice:

- Be curious! Get to know your local library and community
college, look for local organizations or churches that
offer classes or workshops

- Do a variety of things, including things you aren't good
at (if you like to sing, try painting too)

- Work puzzles like crosswords and sudoku or play games
like chess and bridge

- Try a computerized brain fitness program for a customized
workout

- If you can only do one thing, learn something new every
day!

About the Author:

Alvaro Fernandez is the CEO and Co-Founder of
SharpBrains.com, which provides the latest science-based
information for Cognitive Fitness and Cognitive Training,
and has been recognized by Scientific American Mind,
MarketWatch, Forbes, and more. Alvaro holds MA in Education
and MBA from Stanford University, and teaches The Science
of Brain Health at UC-Berkeley Lifelong Learning Institute.
You can learn more at http://www.sharpbrains.com/

50% of Americans are overweight. This is an alarming statistic by itself. But what is worse is that they spend US$40 billion annually on dieting and weight-loss products. It is unimaginable that Americans can be spending so much but still be fighting the losing battle against obesity. The sheer proportion of the sample size will make most dieticians sit up and take notice. The dichotomy of effort and results speak for a grave problem plaguing the diet and weight-loss industry. By now, you will hopefully begin to question: Perhaps the products and programs Americans are paying for are not all they are cut out to be?

Precisely, dear reader. A 2002 Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report found that more than half of the weight-loss ads in 2001 made at least 1 false or unsubstantiated claim. For example, the popular silver 'slim suits' designed to keep body heat in and thus melt away fats is definitely not all it is touted to be. The type of weight lost through the wearing of these suits is nothing more than water loss through perspiration. All that will be put on again after the next drink from the cooler.

Advertisements for such weight-loss programs, are a scam and a sham. Unfortunately, they are not the worst. Some diet products have a detrimental effect on your body. A cursory check of the weight-loss section in the local pharmacy will reveal many brands of fatburners and carbohydrate blocking pills. These pills reduce the body's ability to absorb nutrients. Unknown to consumers, the refusal of nutrients can lead to gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea and bloating. Vitamins that are contained in these nutrients are also refused entry. Sadly, these pills have also not been proven to help weight-loss.

The situation has deteriorated so much so that the FTC has even released a list of dieting and weight-loss slogans to be wary of. Included in this list are very familiar buzz words such as 'Lose 30 pounds in 30 days!', 'New Scientific Breakthrough!', and 'No Diet! No Exercise!' As is the case with phony Get-Rich schemes, if the program sounds too incredible, then it probably is.

Cue Tom Venuto, a tried, tested and acclaimed weight-loss guru. One look at him and one gets the sense that this guy knows what he is talking about. Further research reveals that he has been in the industry for 14 years, and is acutely aware of the scams that are plaguing it. He systematically exposes them on his website. His program stands out because it acknowledges the shortcomings of the industry. His knowledge of what works and what does not has led him to design a program that has won over cynics and doctors alike.

Frankly, the future looks bleak for those attempting to lose weight. One has to sift slowly through cover-ups and lies in order to find a solution. Hopefully, Tom Venuto's program is the start of a resurgence in the industry. There will be an outcry once greater light is shed on the behind-the-scenes workings of this industry. It is not sustainable to keep pulling the wool over the eyes of consumers. They have a right to ethical products and unexaggerated marketing. In Winston Churchill's words, 'The truth is great and it shall prevail'. The weight-loss industry has to seek treatment for its own disease before it can help anyone else lose weight.

Estevan is tired of fat loss programs.He's been scammed once too often.It was only after visiting http://www.fatlossmasterclass and http://www.weightloss-scams.info that he finally learnt the effective way to burn fat.He now sports a six-pack.

Can anyone say that it is a comfort to sleep with a snorer? I can't imagine how I cope with this chain saw sound every night. I believe that his snoring has damaged our relationship. It has come to a stage that my relationship with my husband is on the rock. If only my friends can tell me what stop snoring remedies can end my misery.

I know that people snore for different reasons. I can't blame him if he has it since birth or some kind of defects in his septum. But he doesn't. His problems are down in his obstructed throat when he sleeps. This happen when the air travel through narrow passageway in the throat which causes resonance.

It would be a simple solution if he snores occasionally. I only need to drop by a pharmacy and buy some over-the-counter remedies that can clear his air passageway. However, he doesn't seem to be interested in these medicines. So, I tell him to try herbal remedies to stop snoring which usually are free of side effects.

One of the methods he tried is aromatherapy. However, you must exercise caution when using these essential oils. The aromatherapist tells use that some of these oil cause damage to our health if used in wrong concentration. I think it is a wise move for him to consult a specialist. I don't want anything bad happen on him.Before using any oil, he check with a professional aromatherapist. Following the instruction, he applies the oil on his neck and slowly rub until the oil is absorbed into the skin. Sometimes, he rinses his mouth with it as it help to soothe the irritated air passage. Once a while, he will make his own steam bath. He just adds the oils into the bath tub of hot water. This is a simple way to perform a steam bath and it helps to remove any mucus along the lining of the airways. You can say that he enjoys some successes with these home remedies to stop snoring. Now, I could hardly hear him snore.

I am lucky that he wasn't diagnosed with sleep apnea. This condition is usually associated with snoring. A snorer will not be aware if he has sleep apnea until his partner tells him. This is not something you can laugh at because people do die from sleep apnea. Lack of oxygen in the body usually occurs in this case. If you leave it alone, then you will face a higher risk of developing high blood pressure, strokes or heart attack. It would be foolish if you don't want to visit your doctor for treatment.

Not all stop snoring remedies can solve your problem.In case nothing works, then you need to undergo surgery if you want these problems to go away.

Regular enjoyment of eating nuts as part of a well balanced diet can protect your heart and reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In moderation, eating nuts can also assist in managing your weight. Containing a wide range of important vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other phytochemicals, nuts will naturally help in assisting your overall general health.

High in Fat. Yes, but Healthy!

Simply because nuts contain a high fat content doesn't mean they are unhealthy. In fact, nuts contain a great source of good fats, both monounsataurated and polyunsaturated, which have been proven to be essential for regulation of blood cholesterol.

Nuts that contain high levels of monounsaturated fats include macadamias, cashews, almonds, pistachios and pecans.

Nuts that contain high levels of polyunsaturated fats include walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts and brazil nuts.

Fibre in Nuts

Eating nuts constributes fibre into your diet and eating soluble fibre will keep you satisfied for longer periods. The dietary fibre contained in nuts will also help to lower blood cholesterol and is an essential ingredient to maintain healthy bowel function.

Folate in Nuts

One of the B Vitamins, Folate is associated with heart health, cancer protection and a lower risk of birth defects in newborn babies. Vital for good health, and to provide additional folate in your diet, include hazelnuts, chestnuts, cashews, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts.

Magnesium in Nuts

The mineral magnesium is essential for good nerve and muscle function and assists in strengthening bones. By including an average serve of 30g of brazil nuts, almonds and cashews will provide more than 75% of the recommended daily intake for magnesium.

Zinc in Nuts

This mineral is necessary for many processes in your body including strengthening the immune system as well as healing and protecting your skin. Consuming one third of a cup of cashews, almonds and pecans will provide you with more than 15% of your recommended daily intake.

Selenium in Nuts

Essential for a well functioning immune system and thyroid gland, Selenium will also protect cells from damage in your body. Particularly rich in selenium are brazil nuts, with just two providing all your daily requirements of selenium.

Antioxidants in Nuts

Antioxidants contained in nuts include flavonoids as well as a compound calld luteolin. These anitoxidants are known to assist in slowing down the ageing process and also protect your body from a variety of lifestyle related diseases.

Arginine in Nuts

The building block of protein, arginine is an amino acid that maintains the health of your blood vessels. Brazil nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts and pistachios all contain good sources of arginine.

Plant Sterols in Nuts

Plant sterols are substances that reduce cholesterol absorption from the gut. Plant sterols are found in tree nuts such as pistachios, cashews, almonds and pecans. Consuming these nuts will contribute this important ingredient into your diet.

Recommended by health authorities around the world, including more plant foods in your diet is vital for good health. Fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds are all plant foods which protect you against many of the lifestyle related issues seen today. One of healthiest diets in the world today is experienced by the people of the Mediterranean who include plenty of plant foods and nuts daily in their diet.

Ensure you include nuts in your diet today to maintain optimal health.

Danette Hibberd. Wellness Coach. Author - From Flutter to Fly, Inspirational Quotes to transform you. http://www.fabat40.com Total wellness for women 40 yrs plus
http://www.alternatively-healthier.com
Discover the benefits of natural and holistic living.