Since we can’t stop the aging process, are there any foods we can consume in order to maintain our health  beauty longer? The answer is “yes.” There are numerous foods which promote healthy aging  longevity. So what are these magical foods and how exactly do they work?

One of these magical foods is olive oil. This particular product has been around forever and numerous studies have confirmed its health benefits. For instance, the people of the Greek islands of Crete have been consuming olive oil for centuries. Numerous studies have shown that those people have very low rates of heart disease. This particular product is rich in mono-saturated fats and polyphenols, both of which protect the body from heart disease and other heart related illnesses. Another age healthy food is fish. Fish also promotes heart health because it is rich in omega 3 fats. The omega 3 fats prevent cholesterol buildup, prevent abnormal heart rhythm, and numerous other heart related illnesses. A study has been completed on the Native Inuit’s of Alaska who ate mostly fish and as a result of their diet they were completely free of heart disease.

Blueberries are the third age healthy food. Blueberries are responsible for maintaining a healthy balance and concentration as we age. They also have the capability of lessening inflammation and oxidative damage. For those people who don’t know, oxidative damage is associated with age related deficits in memory and in motor function. So by consuming blueberries, we are improving our memory, our balance, our reaction time, and our coordination. Google of these age healthy foods are easily attainable and delicious. So why wouldn’t we want to make our future healthier and brighter by consuming more of these age defying foods.

Lyla Feldman writes about health and fitness. Some of her favorite passions include writing about energy drinks and natural sleep aids.

There are multiple problems that can develop in the Blogger in older men. These include benign enlargement of the prostate (BPH) and prostate cancer (CaP). Some writers would suggest that BPH and prostate cancer are inevitable problems that occur in any man who lives long enough, but this is not true. There are many dietary and herbal interventions that can help prevent these problems.

BPH or enlargement of the prostate causes a weak stream, nighttime urination, frequent urination and retention of urine in the bladder. It is commonly treated with two types of prescribed medicines; finasteride (Proscar) and alpha-adrenergic blockers such as terazosin. In severe cases, surgical resection of the prostate through the urethra is performed. Saw Palmetto, derived from the American dwarf pine tree, is effective at treating early BPH. It inhibits the conversion of testosterone to dihydro-testosterone and therefore leads to shrinkage of the prostate. This is incidentally the same mechanism by which finasteride works. In fact, it has similar efficacy as finasteride with fewer side effects. Stinging nettle, which inhibits the growth of prostate cells, is commonly added to saw palmetto in Europe to treat early BPH.

Prostate Cancer is the most common cancer in men with approximately 230,000 new cases annually. It is second only to lung cancer in deaths with 30,000 men dying each year. Prostate cancer risk is affected by male hormones as well diet. Men in the orient have a very low risk of prostate cancer, while men in Western Europe and United States have a high risk of prostate cancer. Furthermore, when men in the Orient eat a Western diet their risk of prostate cancer increases.

WHAT TO AVOID:

The typical American diet high in animal meat, cured meats, animal fats, and milk increases the risk of prostate cancer. This type of diet not only leads to CaP but also to other cancers, heart disease and strokes.

WHAT TO EAT

Diets high in vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids are the best way to prevent prostate cancer. Additionally, you can consider adding some of the following.

Soy protein (isoflavones) in the diet protects against CaP by altering the production and metabolism of male hormones and estrogen. In the orient, it is thought that the high soy content contributes to the low incidence of prostate cancer.

Fish and omega-3 fatty acids (olive oil) are associated with a decreased risk of CaP. They are anti-inflammatory and improve health of blood vessels. Olive oil has been shown to directly inhibit growth of prostate cancer cells. Flaxseed another omega-3 fatty acid also has phyto-estrogen activity. In a study by Duke University, flaxseed was found to inhibit CaP cells in men who were undergoing prostatectomy.

Saw Palmetto may help to prevent CaP by inhibiting the conversion of testosterone to dihydro-testosterone. Its anti-inflammatory effect further inhibits cancer formation.

Stinging Nettle has been shown to inhibit the growth of prostate cells and prostate cancer cells both in the laboratory and in mice. Further human studies are needed.

Green Tea (polyphenols and isoflavones) has multiple effects including anti-oxidant, anti-proliferative, anti-angiogenesis, and encourages natural cell death (apoptosis). There are strong data in the orient for its use in preventing prostate cancer.

Lycopene (tomatoes) is a powerful anti-oxidant and therefore prevents damage to the prostate from oxygen radicals. Oxidative damage has been linked to chronic diseases and cancers.

Selenium, an essential mineral, is found in our diet. It has many activities including inhibition of prostate cancer as well as other cancers. Higher blood concentrations of selenium correlate with a decreased risk of prostate cancer.

Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussel sprouts) contain sulforaphane and indole-3 carbinol. These substances induce enzymes in the GI tract to break down cancer causing substances. They are also excellent anti-oxidants.

Pumpkin seeds contain zinc and are thought to help with BPH. Zinc in small amounts appears to protect against prostate cancer but high amounts of zinc (100mg/day) may increase the risk of prostate cancer.

Prostate problems are not inevitable in men. A healthy diet and some herbs can go a long way in preventing prostate problems and Blogger even prostate cancer.

Robert Avery MD, is a practicing oncologist in the St. Louis area. He has a keen interest not only in cancer care and therapy but also nutrition and how is helps prevent cancer. He is owner of Citrine Sun, an online company dedicated to helping cancer patients through every stage of their illness through education and natural supplements. An interesting newsletter and information about helpful supplements are available at his website, http://www.citrinesun.com Contact Dr. Avery through his email, AskDrAvery@citrinesun.com

One of the causes of cancer is abnormal genes. Cancer Live genes are called oncogenes and genes that prevent cancer are called tumor suppressor genes. Cancers can occur when the normal genes are not functioning normally. Genes, as you know, are the blueprints to the body. They tell a cell what it will be and what it will do. We could not function if the process did not run well. There is a system Live place that is designed to keep good genes running and suppress bad genes. This process is called epigenetics.

Epigenetic changes are modifications to the genome that are heritable during cell division but do not involve a change in DNA sequence. Expression of genes is not regulated by the DNA sequence, which is the same in every cell, but by epigenetic marking and packaging. This process regulates chromatin structure through DNA methylation, histone variants, post-translational modifications, nucleosome positioning factors or chromatin loop and domain organization.

How can this cause cancer? Well, if a tumor suppressor gene is abnormally turned off, or an oncogene is turned on, then cancer (carcinogenesis) can occur. One key is a chemical change to the DNA called methylation. First, we need to define the process to make it clearer.

DNA contains four bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymidine, but there is a fifth base methylated cytosine. DNA methyl-transferase (DNMT) produces methyl-cytosine where cytosines precede guanine (CpG). The CpG areas are not symmetric but clustered in CpG islands located at promoter regions. The promoter region is the region at the beginning of a gene and it controls the start of gene transcription. If the promoter is off, then the gene never is expressed.

Abnormal methylation in cancer has been known for 20 years. Hypo-methylated areas turn on normally silent areas such as virally inserted genes or inactive X-linked genes. Hyper-methylated areas silence tumor suppresser genes.

We know that cancers have abnormal levels of methylation and we know foods can help prevent cancers. Is there a link between foods and epigenetics? Yes!

The study of food nutrients and their effect on disease through epigenetics is known as nutrigenomics. This is a growing field, in fact, it is exploding. A Google search for the term nutrigenomics produces 127,000 entries.

Epidemiologic studies suggest there are bad foods and good foods. BAD: red meat, processed meat, grilled meat, dairy, animal fat, partially hydrogenated fats. Good: Fish, fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, omega-3 fatty acids, whole grains.

You can study the epigenetic effects of bad or good foods. I’m going to talk about some of the cancer preventing foods and how their mechanisms include epigenetic effects.

Foods with epigenetic effects include green tea, cruciferous vegetables, and grapes. Usually we hear about antioxidants and foods. Antioxidants are important but there are beneficial substances in foods called polyphenols which can affect genes. Of the polyphenols, different forms exist but flavonoids are the most highly cited for health benefits and are found in a variety of vegetables and fruits. Types of flavonoids include flavanols in tea, isothiocyanate in cruciferous vegetables, anthocyanidins in grapes and berries, flavonone in citrus fruits, flavonols in onions, isoflavones (genistein) in soy.

All tea contains polyphenols, but the highest levels are in green and white tea. Green tea has been well studied and appears to have anti-cancer benefits. In China, green tea drinkers are 50% less likely to develop gastric or esophageal cancer (Carcin 2002; 23 (9): 1497), and 2 cups daily added to topical tea extract reversed oral leukoplakia (J. Nutri Biochem 2001; 12 (7): 404).

Green tea has powerful antioxidant effects but it also helps to balance normal methylation in DNA. In fact, one study in esophageal cancer cells demonstrated that EGCG from green tea is able to turn on tumor suppressor genes that had been chemically silenced by methylation Live Research 2003;63:7563).

Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Bok choi and their anti-cancer effects have been demonstrated in epidemiologic studies. These powerful vegetables not only induce enzymes that break down carcinogens but they also inhibit DNA methylation allowing tumor suppressor genes to thrive. Inhibiting abnormal methylation also helps cruciferous vegetables to inhibit the cancer causing action of tobacco smoke by preventing the formation of nitrosamine-DNA adducts.

Grapes, which contain reserveratrol, are excellent for heart health and they have anti-cancer activity. Grapes work by preventing the formation or initiation and promotion of cancers. They don’t have methylating actions as discussed above but they work by modulation histones.

Histones are the chief protein component of the DNA chain (chromatin). They act as spools for the DNA to wind around which then shortens the length of the DNA to 30,000 times shorter than an unwrapped strand. This process not only allows the long DNA chain to fit into a cell but also plays a role in gene expression because how the genes are wound affects which are exposed and available for turning on or off. Rolling the spool a different way would expose other genes and change their expression.

Histones are modified after translation by acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitination. The changes occur at lysine residues (except for phosphorylation of serine or threonine). When the histone is acetylated the charge is changed and the histone loosens its grip on the DNA strand and the DNA unwinds, exposing the genes to be transcribed, or repaired.

When histone tails (H3,H4) are acetylated, genes are transcribed, when they are deacetylated, genes are turned off. Histone deacetylases work to maintain deacetylated sites.

Resveratrol, found in grapes, activates Sirtuins; SirT1 (Sir2 proteins). There are at least 7 Sir2-like proteins and they are histone deacetylators. Sirtuins are induced in animals during starvation states. They seem to have a life preservation effect. Interestingly, when an animal is starved, it can live longer. When the calorie intake of rodents was decreased by 40% in rodents, they actually lived 50% longer and appear to have fewer chronic diseases. The same benefit occurs when rodents when they are given resveratrol in their diet.

Resveratrol deacetylates histones causing tighter packing of the chromatin and a lower level of transcription of DNA. This silencing of the DNA is thought to be the mechanism of life prolongation, heart health, and its beneficial actions to prevent cancers. This is why grapes or red wine is beneficial to your health. How much red wine should you drink? No one knows for sure, but any beneficial effects might be negated after two glasses a day because of the alcohol. I wouldn’t advise drinking more than this until more is known. The data is very promising, but more research is needed.

Our knowledge of disease expanded in the genomic era due to the human genome project but the study of genes is not enough. Epigenetics is a very important and complicated concept that helps explain how genes are turned on or off. As more studies are completed we will be able to unlock the mechanisms to diseases and produce new therapies that could turn off bad genes and turn on good genes. More importantly, these studies will demonstrate how foods affect your genes and can prevent or reverse diseases or cancers. Nutrigenomics, the study of how food chemicals (nutrients) affect genes, is a growing field and promises to change the way we look at and eat our meals. Some of the most beneficial foods include green tea, cruciferous vegetables and grapes, but don’t stop there. The more fruits and vegetables the better when it comes to your health.

Robert Avery MD, is a practicing oncologist in the St. Louis area. He has a keen interest not only in cancer care and therapy but also nutrition and how is helps prevent cancer. He is owner of Citrine Sun, an online company dedicated to helping cancer patients through every stage of their illness through education and natural supplements. An interesting newsletter and information about helpful supplements are available at his website, http://www.citrinesun.com Contact Dr. Avery through his email, AskDrAvery@citrinesun.com

Cake decorating is a fabulous mixture of cookery and art, with a sprinkling of inspiration, precise care and reckless use of the imagination thrown in for good measure. Cake decorating is my hobby and, as such, is hugely satisfying. The popularity of decorating is undeniably intense. I’m going show you that cake decorating is fun for everyone.

Cake

Cakes are a unique food product because cakes can be cooked, molded, shaped, and decorated to look like just about anything imaginable. While the history of cake dates back to ancient Egyptian times when cakes were more bread-like, the art of cake decorating has a relatively short history that dates back to the mid-17th century when cake pans made their debut in kitchens across Europe. During the 1840s, the advent of temperature-controlled ovens and the production of baking soda and baking powder made baking cakes much easier.

Cake decorating is probably one of the most fun and creative hobbies you can get yourself into. Cake Decorating is not an impossible art to learn, but it does take practice and patience. Decorating a cake usually involves covering a cake with some form of icing and then using decorative sugars, candies, chocolate or icing decorations to embellish the cake. Cake decorating Equipment ? When you are decorating for birthdays and the holidays, you don’t need every cake decorating tool out there, but you do need a few basics. Cake decorating is made easy these days as there are cake decorating kits easily available in the market.

Icing

Cake decorating is one of the sugar arts that uses icing and other edible decorative elements to make otherwise plain cakes more visually interesting. But it can also be as simple as sprinkling a fine coat of icing sugar or drizzling a glossy blanket of glaze over the top of a cake. Icing decorations can be made by either piping icing flowers and decorative borders or by molding gum paste, fondant, or marzipan flowers and figures. Icing should stand to 3-4 inch peak on spatula Cnn if icing begins to fall slightly after lengthy use, simply rewhip. Icing is the finishing touch on cakes, cookies, and cupcakes.

Conclusion

Cake decorating is not as difficult as it seems. The aim of cake decorating is to enhance the appearance of the cake. Successful cake decorating is all about preparation. The enjoyment of cake decorating is that there are no two cakes alike.

Kath Ibbetson qualified as a pharmacologist and then worked in computerized drug databases for 12 years. She has a BSc, a diploma in aromatherapy and a certificate in counseling. She has two young sons who love to see and be involved in cake decorating.Find out more about it at This Site

I have been enjoying my holiday today, and  have spent a large portion of it reading my favorite bloggers. I discovered a few new ones today, so I have been inspired to write about how our thoughts  things.

Thanks to the brilliant insights of Robin, a friend of mine whose link I am not allowed to have here, (but if you e-mail me I will gladly give you her web address… lol) I was reminded of the importance of really being aware of my thinking.

I often speak about world peace. It is my loftiest dream and seemingly the most futile. At the same time, I recognize the fact that I alone do not have the power of mind to single-handedly create world peace. I like to think I can do anything… but for today, I humbly admit that world peace is a collective effort. So what are we waiting for?

Maybe the term “waiting” is a little off the mark, but sometimes the things I desire most tend to take a little while before showing up. Have you noticed? Actually, there are also times when I think something and for whatever reason, poof! — there it is. These events, however, are usually related to parking spaces

So, as I was thinking about thinking, I was reminded of a term used by Esther Hicks when discussing the delayed manifestation of a given desire. She calls this effect “the buffer of time.” What she is describing is the space between the thought and the thought becoming the thing. Stay with me here, this is good stuff.

This idea really helps me to have patience, and it is rather beneficial to us as humans at this juncture in our evolution when you stop to think about it. (It will  interesting to read this back and count the number of times I use the word think.) When I think something, or wish for, or pray for anything, there is the reality that we exist within the spacetime continuum. It can make me nuts when I have to wait for the money or the phone call or the lottery results, and I am ok with that. The truth is, I understand the benefit of the delay between the thought and the thought becoming the thing. I’m sure none of us would like the hateful thought we had toward our friend or spouse to immediately become reality, would we?

If I have the power of mind to push my thought beyond time and space but my thought isn’t pure, I am in trouble. Do you get my drift? I am thankful that I don’t get instant results with each thought. At the same time, that awareness aids me in becoming the master of my thoughts I can’t always control my thoughts and that is not really my aim as much as it is to improve my thoughts… especially my thoughts about others. I don’t want to inflict pain on someone by thinking something about them that could, in fact, do just that. I want to think good thoughts about everyone. It is a goal, not a reality so let me be blunt.

Watch what you’re thinking! There will come a day when we will collectively possess the power to create anything we want, just by thinking it. We are in this physical plane of existence to work that fact out in our minds now in order to improve the state of our world later. If we all truly wanted world peace, we would already have it in our present reality. The fact that we do not, speaks to the way many of us think. I actually know people who are “praying” for the end of the world. Ouch! Sort of shortsighted if you are actually praying for the end of the world. Maybe you should concentrate on what is happening in your world if you’re so ready to pop out. I like it here, and I know my work is not done.

May you monitor your thoughts lovingly, without judgement. May you reflect on your thinking and simply improve the thought that you are not pleased with, again without judgement. And may you come to understand that what you think about others, even though they may not be aware that you are thinking of them, must become a thought created in love. It will help me in my quest to see this world enveloped in peace, and it will help you in creating thoughts that become good things.

Peace in your world, love in your life, and pure thoughts in your mind. — jb

I would like to hear what you think about thinking, so drop me a line and let’s get the peace train rolling. Thanks for reading.

I have been looking and I have been finding, asking and receiving, knocking and doors are opening. If you want to know more, it’s easier if you just go here — http://www.jeffbakertalks.com/mystory.html

Peace — jb