REMEMBER – Eat a varied and balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables. ‘You are what you eat’!

The Top 10 Foods you can eat are Olive Oil, Garlic, Tea, Fish, Tomatoes, Broccoli, Celery, Soya Beans, Oats and Yogurt  (Click to go directly)

Now it can protect you against bowl cancer- Daily Mail, 19/09/00

New research today shows that olive oil – which the Ancient Greeks believed had supernatural powers – protects against bowl cancer. Scientists who carried out the research based on eating habits in the UK and 27 other countries, believe that the oil triggers an increase in the number of times the cells of the bowl lining renew themselves. They also found that in those with diets high in meat content, the renewal process slowed down.

The results of the search give yet another health benefit for an oil that is now thought to be helpful in more than a dozen conditions.

It is also now believed that anti-oxidants, such as vitamins E and K, and polyphenols found in the oil, provide some kind of defence mechanism that may help to delay ageing, and prevent atherosclerosis, as well as boosting the immune system.

Just why olive oil is so beneficial, compared with other vegetable oils, is not yet known. One theory is that it is because the traditional cold production process for virgin olive oil, which involves only pressing and filtering, does not destroy the health enhancing compounds.

Bowl Cancer: Research today from the University of Oxford shows that olive oil decreases the amount of bile acid and promotes the constant relining of the bowl. Other researches have shown that people who get their fat from olive oil can halve their chances of getting colon cancer, which is Brittain’s second biggest cancer killer.

When scientists at the University of Barcelona fed olive oil to one group of rats and then tried to induce bowl tumours, only half as many developed cancer compared with those in a group which had not been given the oil.

Heart Disease: The first real clue to the positive health effects of olive oil was the realisation that people with a Mediterranean diet rich in it had a much lower rate of heart disease than those in Western countries, including the UK and America. A 30 year study on Crete, where the average islander gets through 60lb of olive oil a year, confirmed the effects. It’s thought that the oil, which is real in monounsaturated fat, helps to protect the oxidation of ‘bad’ cholesterol.

Ageing: Researchers in Israel have reported that it is effective in delaying the human ageing metabolism. Vitamin E is thought to be responsible for this anti-ageing effect on both skin and bone.

Diabetes: Research at the University Medical School in Naples, has found that diets rich in olive oil lower blood sugar levels, helping diabetes and other disorders related to insulin production.

Pregnancy Nutrition: Essential fatty acids are key constituents of cells and the nervous system. Researchers say that 2 spoonfuls should be consumed with each meal to supply the daily fatty acid requirements during pregnancy.

Breast Cancer: A study in Sweden found that women with the highest risk of breast cancer had the lowest intake of monounsaturated fats, of which olive oil is the most important. One theory is that the beneficial effects are due to the Omega-3 fatty acids found in olive oil.

GARLIC

World wide research into garlic have proved beyond doubt what ancient civilizations believed. They have conclusively shown that garlic will do the following things. Reduce blood pressure, act as a good anthelmintic (worm destroyer) and help against intestinal putrefaction. It is a wonderful antiseptic for all kinds of bacteria. Russia acknowledge garlic as a penicillin because of its amazing results in treating the wounded in both world wars. By placing the herb around the infected wounds, it would be cleared in a matter of days. In the USA, also believe the herb to be a preventative against tuberculosis, pneumonia, diphtheria and typhus. Being a great aide to the digestive system, it can kill all manner of worms.

Ancient Greeks believed in the extensive use of garlic for treating every illness and as such was used as a part of the daily diet. Greek athletes ate garlic to improve performance at the stadium. A Greek doctor named Discorides was chief physician to the Roman Army in the 2^nd century A.D. He prescribed garlic for all lung complaints, stomach and intestinal disorders, especially to destroy worm in the intestines.

Babylonians believed that it was a miraculous herb. It was used to treat respiratory infections, and illnesses of the breathing tract, skin complaints, leprosy, to prevent plagues and epidemics and many bacterial infections. Romans maintained that this herb was the finest antidote against poison Roman soldiers ate garlic believing that it helped them to be strong and brave on the battlefield.

Ancient Egyptians slaves had the first ever strike recorded in history during the construction of the pyramid Cheops. They put down their tools, because their daily supply of garlic had been withheld. This herb was vital and necessary for strength, stamina and endurance to carry out their task.

Tea is the most popular drink in the world. Tea comes from an evergreen shrub which grows in subtropical climates. The Chinese have been drinking ‘cha’ for more than 2000 years and was introduced into the UK in 1644.

In the past few years, it has been said that drinking cups of tea was unhealthy. Now scientists believe that drinking four to six cups of tea could help protect our bodies from a host of illnesses including cancer and heart disease.

Scientists have discovered that tea has an abundance of phytonutrients, also found in fruit and vegetables, which are antioxidants that defend against cell damage that leads to ageing and diseases such as diabetes, cataracts, heart disease and cancer. The antioxidant activity of tea is more powerful than that found in most fruit and vegetables.

Dr Chen, of the Chinese Academy of Preventive medicine in Beiijing, discovered that tea polyphenols shrink white patches in the mouth, known as oral leukoplakia, which are linked to the development of mouth cancer.

Researchers in Washington have found that tea reduces the development of some tumours.

In Holland, 8000 elderly people who drank over four cups of tea a day had 60% less furring of the two arteries. Two of the chemical compounds in tea help clear free radicals, unstable molecules in the body which contribute to fatty build-up in the arteries.

• The Ancient Greeks used tea to treat asthma, colds and bronchitis.
• In 19^th century Russia, tea was prescribed to strengthen the digestive and nervous system, blood vessels and heart.
• In the 1940’s, American researchers discovered that tannin compounds in tea had antibacterial and anti-viral properties.
• Tea supplies almost half of an average person’s intake of mangaese, a mineral necessary for healthy joints.
• Teas are rich in fluorides which help prevent tooth decay.
• A cup of tea after lunch helps digestion.

Fish can be classified into two groups, oily and white. The oils in white fish are concentrated in the liver, hence, cod liver oil! While those in oily fish , for example mackeral are spread throughout the body. In the 1970’s, research into eating habits of the Greenland Eskimos shows that oily fish positively influences cardiovascular health. Further investigation showed thsat two fatty acids known as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which accounted for the beneficial effects of oily fish on the heart and circulation. EPA and DHA are components of the ‘omega 3’ family of polyunsaturated fats. These help to thin the blood, regulate blood pressure and reduce inflammation.

Fish contain protein and is one rare sources of iodine which helps prevent goitre, a disease caused by iodine deficiency.

Fish is also rich in selenium, a cell-protective antioxidant mineral, and when fish is eaten with its bones, as in canned salmon, it is also rich in calcium and phosphorus. Fish is a source of vitamins A and D, needed for healthy bones and teeth.

• One – two fish meals a day can lower your chances of suffering a stroke.
• Regularly eating fresh oily fish reduces mortality after an initial heart attack.
• Fish oils may reduce the pain of arthritis and alleviate symptoms of inflammatory skin disorders.
• Fish is very good for the nervous system.
• Prawns are rich in calcium and iodine, which is needed for the healthy functioning of the thyroid gland.

The tomato is an excellent food for fighting cancer. The valuable ingredients are betacarotene (converted into Vitamin A in the body), vitamin C and E, potassium and a compound called lycopene. These nutrients are believed to fight the harmful effects of free radicals, rogue molecules that cause cell damage, a precurser to heart disease and cancer.

Broccoli, a member of the cruciferous family which also includes cabbage and brussels sprouts, is a rich source of vitamin C and betacarotene. Broccoli is another source which is believed to prevent cancer cells.

Scientist in the USA confirmed that the chemical called 3n buytyl phthalide lowers high blood pressure and helps to cleanse the blood. In addition, the potassium content in celery helps to regulate the body’s fluid balance and is a rich source of anti-inflammatory chemicals that may ease joint pains and prevent rheumatism. Celery tea is believed to be a natural tranquilliser.

Soya beans are believed to reduce levels of harmful blood fats involved in heart diseases, regulate the bowls, stabilise blood sugar levels and combat breast cancer. Soya beans contain plant oestrogens and may act to block oestrogen receptors cells so that the body’s own oestrogen, which acts as a cancer promoter, is passed out of the body.

Oats are an excellent source of helping to lower blood pressure and sugar levels. The soluble fibre in oats also helps to remove bile acids involved in the formation of cholesterol.

Lactobacillus bacteria in live yogurt helps to restore the normal balance of bacteria in the digestive system. It lowers cholesterol, boosts the immune system and may prevent colon cancer. Its high content in calcium and phosphorus is a vital source for strong bones and teeth.