Foods That Help In The Anti Aging Process

By Tony Pang 

For thousands of years, people have been in search for the elusive fountain of youth. One such famous search for the youth was conducted by Ponce de Leon in the early 1500's. The mythical legend spoke of miraculous waters and those who drank from this miracle fountain would never age and would maintain the beauty of youth. The water was never found and so the fountain of youth remained only a legend.

Despite the fact that this miraculous water was never found, the quest for a miraculous anti aging elixir that would maintain our youthfulness forever has not been quenched. Today, many products and procedures claim to be able to reverse or slow down the aging process. These products and procedures include using natural remedies, creams, injections and of course, the plastic surgery.

However, the most natural of all the substances may be found in the foods that we eat everyday. These foods may be the natural solution to help in the quest for the anti aging process. These foods can be broken down into two basic categories of: fruit and vegetables

Fruits - Certain fruits have demonstrated promising results in the aid of anti aging process. Those fruits include apples, strawberries and grapes. Researchers have discovered that some of these fruit products contain ellagic acid. Ellagic acid is a natural insect repellent substance found in various plants

This acid has demonstrated the capacity to hinder the growth of tumors within the body. This hindrance process of tumor growth is accomplished by the ability of the acid to minimize the enzymes, within the body, that are utilized by mutated cancer cells.

Other fruits that contain the valuable anti aging ingredients are cantaloupe, peaches and apricots. These fruits contain antioxidant properties that are known as lycopene. These antioxidants protect the body's cells from damage caused by the free radicals. In addition, these fruits have demonstrated their effectiveness in protecting certain organs of the body.

And apple aid in the anti aging process of the skin. Initial testing has shown that apples stimulate the production of collagen. The production of collagen is necessary for the skin to maintain its elasticity which can help minimize the wrinkling of the skin.

Vegetables - Some vegetables have also shown their ability to fight the anti aging process. Vegetables such as carrots, spinach and sweet potatoes have also demonstrated known antioxidant capabilities.

One other group of vegetables like soybeans and alfalfa sprouts, when eaten, that has demonstrated their effectiveness in blocking the production of particular enzymes. The ant aging substance found in these vegetables is known as genistein. Genistein inhibits the production of enzymes that have been identified as stimulants that are known to activate the cancer genes.

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7 Super Foods for Eyes As Sharp As a Hawk

By Janice Costa  

They say papaya is great for your skin, dairy products can do wonders for hair and lean fish can keep your heart pumping, but isn't there a part of your anatomy that you haven't been paying enough attention to? Your eyes! If you don't want glasses permanently perched on your nose and cataract blurring your vision in old days, you better take care of your peepers now. Here is our pick of 7 super foods that will do your eyes a world of good.

Carrots

Your mom must have grilled you about the importance of eating carrots since infancy and every bit of it is true. Carrots are loaded with beta carotene and antioxidants that help improve your vision and reduce the risk of cataract. Dice some carrots and add them to your soup, eat as munchies with your lunch or enjoy them with mayonnaise or a hummus dip. Get creative with your cooking; the plain-jane carrot does not have to be so bland anymore.

Tomatoes

Here is all the more reason to dig into juicy tomatoes. Tomatoes are a rich source of carotenoids and lycopene that help protect the retina from light-induced damages. When you include tomatoes in salad, we recommend adding olive oil dressing to the salad, as it boosts the absorption of lycopene, making it all the more nutritious.

Ostrich

The idea of eating ostrich might not exactly be appealing to your senses, but it does have its perks. Apparently, ostrich meat is loaded with proteins, zinc and iron - all of which are great for your eyes. Plus, it is not as fattening as beef or read meat. Cook the tender ostrich meat at just the right temperature and season it with herbs and you won't be able to tell the difference between ostrich and chicken meat.

Spinach

Just a cup of spinach contains approximately 20 milligrams of lutein and zeaxanthin, both of which can do wonders for your eyes. With enough lutein in your system you can safely keep the risk of muscular degeneration and cataract at bay. So, scrunch your nose and gobble up the spinach and your peepers will be thankful for it.

Eggs

If you are having a tough time keeping down the spinach, then you can also try eggs. Eggs have a decent amount of zeaxanthin that will work just as well for your system. Whether you like your eggs scrambled, poached or as omelet, make sure to eat at least two eggs every day.

Sweet Potatoes

Beta carotene to the rescue once again! The bright-orange cover of the sweet potatoes is loaded with beta carotene and you don't need to be told exactly how helpful it can be for your eyes. Sweet potatoes work great as side starch in dinner and when fried in little oil, it is the best fries ever, only minus the fat found in regular fries.

Nuts

You knew nuts can be great for your skin and hair, but did you know that it can also work wonders for your eyes? Nuts are an excellent source of vitamin E, which protects eyes from free radicals and slows down age-related muscular degeneration. Just an ounce of your favorite nut a day, be it walnut, peanut or sunflower seed and you are good for the day.

Don't forget to conduct regular eye exam, just to be sure.

If you don't want glasses permanently perched on your nose and cataract blurring your vision in old days, then you better take care of your peepers now. To find a reliable eye doctor, click on this link.

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What Is the Nutritional Value of Sweet Potato?

By Steve D Wright 

The sweet potato is an incredibly popular vegetable that features on it's own, and as part of other dishes in restaurants and homes all over the world. Have you ever wondered about what the nutritional value of sweet potatoes are though, I mean just how good for you are they? This article is going to explain to you in simple terms all of the sweet potato nutrition facts, that highlight just why this is spud is such a common choice for the dinner table.

Nutritional data

I am going to start off by putting all of the nutritional information surrounding the sweet potato in black and white for you, before going on to explain what it all really means. Statistics don't necessarily mean the same thing to everybody.

The following sweet potato nutriton facts are based on one potato without the skin, weighing 151 grams.

Vitamins 

Vitamin A - 23,769 IU
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) - 0.1 milligrams
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) - 0.1 milligrams
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) - 0.8 milligrams
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) - 0.9 milligrams
Vitamin B6 - 0.2 milligrams
Vitamin B9 (Folate) - 9.1 micrograms
Vitamin B12 - 0.0 micrograms
Vitamin C - 19.3 milligrams
Vitamin E - 1.4 milligrams
Vitamin K - 3.2 micrograms
Choline - 16.3 milligrams

Minerals 

Calcium - 40.8 milligrams
Copper - 0.1 milligrams
Iron - 1.1 milligrams
Magnesium - 27.2 milligrams
Manganese - 0.4 milligrams
Phosphorus - 48.3 milligrams
Potassium - 347 milligrams
Selenium - 0.3 micrograms
Sodium - 40.8 milligrams
Zinc - 0.3 milligrams

Other Nutrients

Protein - 2.1 g
Cholesterol - 0.0 milligrams
Dietary Fiber - 3.8 g
Carbohydrates - 26.8 g
Water - 121 g
Total fats - 0.2 g
Sugars - 8.7 g

So what do all of these nutritional statistics actually mean, which are positive, and which are negative?

The positive nutritional values of sweet potato

Let's begin with the good news, as there is much more of this to talk about. The sweet potato is a natural food and therefore it is something that is loaded with vitamins and minerals. Some to a higher degree than others of course, but overall making a notable contribution to a great many of these that your diet requires on a regular basis.

Dietary fiber - Fiber is a fundamental part of the human diet, and the 3.8 grams you can get from just one boiled potato is 15% of the total you need in a whole day.

Vitamin A - They are simply an enormous source of vitamin A, a nutrient important to your health for various reasons such as the functionality of your eyes. You can get over four times the amount of vitamin A that you need in a day through just one sweet potato!

Vitamin C - Vitamin C is renowned for helping your immune system stay healthy, but it has many other roles in the body too. You can get around a third of the total vitamin C needed in a day with a single sweet spud.

Potassium - One of the most essential minerals that your body must have in order to perform a variety of processes. Potassium gives you energy, helps your muscles and regulates both your blood pressure and nervous system. A boiled sweet potato can provide you with 10% of the total potassium your need in a day.

Manganese - Another mineral that this vegetable is rich in is manganese. In fact 0.4 milligrams is 20% of your body's daily requirement.

Being a natural plant food, the sweet potato contains no cholesterol, a low amount of sodium, and an incredibly low amount of fat. It is a great source of carbohydrates, which is where it's calories come from, and also contains a moderate amount of sugar.

Calories in sweet potato

Something that may border on the positive and negative is the number of calories in a sweet potato, which for the example used on this page is 115. This may sound a lot for one potato, and it is 6 per cent of the total calories the average adult male should be consuming in a day, but when you look at all of the nutritional benefits this is a no brainer. The sweet potato offers too much in it's nutritional goodness to overlook, for the sake of cutting out a few extra carbs and calories.

Summary

You are going to be hard pushed to find any reason to leave something as healthy as the sweet potato out of your diet. It is a versatile food that tastes delicious on it's own as well as complimenting many main meals, and even being made into dishes such as the ever popular potato pie.

If you can overlook the calorie content, which really is not exactly all that bad, you will be greeted by a wealth of positives when it comes to what they can do for you.

I hope that this has been a sound explanation for all of those people looking to find out the answer to the common question, 'what is the nutritional value of sweet potato?'. With bases covered you can do your health nothing but good by eating them.

Steve Wright is an internet writer and nutritional expert. With various websites to his name including the popular http://www.calories-in-foods.com/, Steve proudly uses Ezine articles as a method of sharing his work and knowledge with others.

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