Sore throat? Sinusitus? Try Pineapple!

Pineapples contain an enzyme called bromelain that has anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce the irritation at the backs of our tongues and in our voice boxes. On top of that, pineapples contain plenty of vitamin C, which helps to boost your immune system. So when your throat starts hurting, drink some pineapple juice or eat some fresh pineapple. It helps!

The Pleasant Bitter Taste of an Artichoke May Reduce Your Cholesterol

Artichoke for Cholesterol Reduction

The artichoke has strong choleretic activity (promotes bile secretion in the liver), and choleretics increase the excretion of cholesterol and decrease the manufacture of cholesterol in the liver.The pleasant bitter taste of the artichoke is due mostly to a plant chemical called cynarin, which is found in highest concentration in the leaves of the plant. European scientists first discovered cynarin’s ability to reduce cholesterol in the 1970′s. A compound found in artichoke called luteolinis is also believed to assist with reducing LDL cholesterol. In a 50-day double-blind study, thirty patients received 500 milligrams of pure cynarin per day and had an average 20 percent reduction in total cholesterol along with an average 15 percent reduction in triglycerides compared to a placebo group.

A 6 week double blind, placebo controlled clinical trial of 143 patients has demonstrated the effectiveness of artichoke leaf extract (ALE) for lowering LDL cholesterol. The decrease of total cholesterol in the group that received the extract was 18.5% compared to 8.6% in for the placebo group. LDL cholesterol decrease in the ALE group was 22.9% and 6.3% for placebo. LDL cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio showed a decrease of 20.2% in the ALE group and 7.2% in the placebo group.

10 Reasons to “Go Green” on Your Next Pizza!

The Benefits of Spinach Consumption The benefits of spinach are many. Leafy greens like spinach provide more nutrients than any other food, when compared calorie for calorie. Here are some spinach facts to consider:

1. This is a very nutrient-dense food. It’s low in calories yet very high in vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients. When you consume this healthy food, you don’t need to worry about your weight-loss diet as you take in abundant, good-for-you nutrients.

This leafy green is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, magnesium, folate, manganese, iron, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin B2, potassium, and vitamin B6. It’s a very good source of protein, phosphorus, vitamin E, zinc, dietary fiber, and copper. Plus, it’s a good source of selenium, niacin, and omega-3 fatty acids.

2. One of the benefits of spinach is that this green is readily available, nearly all over the world. Even though, with its abundant nutrient profile, it sounds like an amazing super food, it’s still easy to find in the market or easy to grow. In addition, it’s affordable.

3. This is a versatile food. It can be eaten raw in a salad (and is much more nutritious than iceberg lettuce) or a green smoothie. Or it can be cooked (lightly, please) and eaten as a dish on its own or added to soups and other dishes. If boiling, use the least amount of water possible for the shortest time.

4. Spinach is loaded with flavonoids which act as antioxidants, protecting the body from free radicals. Researchers have discovered at least 13 different flavonoid compounds that act as anti-cancer substances. The various nutrients offer much in the way of disease protection. Remember Popeye? He squeezed those cans of spinach into his mouth and instantly developed muscles and super strength. Well, he also may have been protecting himself against various illnesses and conditions.

5. Another of the benefits of spinach is that this is a heart-healthy food. It’s an outstanding source of vitamins C and A which are antioxidants that help reduce free radical amounts in the body. The antioxidants work to keep cholesterol from oxidizing. In addition, folate is good for a healthy cardiovascular system, as well as magnesium, a mineral that helps to lower high blood pressure.

6. Gastrointestinal health can be guarded by eating more of this food. The beta-carotene and vitamin C work to protect the cells of the body’s colon from the harmful effects of free radicals. Also, DNA damage and mutations in colon cells may be prevented by the folate that’s present in this green leafy vegetable.

7. Some conditions that are identified as inflammatory, such as arthritis, osteoporosis, migraine headaches, and asthma, may be helped because of the anti-inflammatory properties of some of the nutrients found in spinach.

8. Studies have shown that consumption of green leafy vegetables such as spinach may slow the age-related decline in brain function. So, eat your greens and keep working those crossword puzzles to keep your brain young and agile.

9. Have you heard of lutein? It’s a carotenoid found in spinach that is protective against eye diseases such as age-related cataracts and macular degeneration. There is some indication that it might be absorbed better if you eat it with a little fat, such as a small amount of olive oil, or the food that you’re eating it with may contain some fat.

10. The mineral iron is particularly important for menstruating women and growing children and adolescents. In comparison to red meat, spinach provides a lot less calories, is fat and cholesterol free, and an excellent source of iron. Because iron is a component of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to all body cells, it’s needed for good energy.

Pizza Moments in Hollywood #3: Pizza as a Way to Cut School

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (USA, 1982). All through Mr. Hand’s American history lecture on Cuba, stoner Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn) has a certain knowing look on his face. Then, there’s a knock at the classroom door. “Who ordered the double cheese and sausage?” “Here, dude,” Spicoli drawls.

Pizza Moments in Hollywood #2: Pizza as a Way to Get Whacked

GoodFellas (USA, 1990). Young Henry Hill (Christopher Serrone) makes his parents proud when he gets an entry-level job with the mob—that is, until the truancy notices from school start piling up. When Henry tells his boss, Tuddy Cicero (Frank DiLeo), he has to quit, Tuddy shanghais the mailman to the local pizza parlor. From now on, all letters from the school go directly to the pizzeria, or the mailman’s going in the oven with the pies—headfirst.

Pizza Moments in Hollywood #1: Pizza as a Goof on Product Placement

Wayne’s World (USA, 1992). Totally excellent product placement! Public-access TV star Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) hits the big time when his talk show moves up from his parents’ basement to a slick Chicago studio. But when a sleazy producer (Rob Lowe) suggests that the show’s sponsor get prime camera time, Wayne says he refuses to sell out. “That’s where I see things a little differently,” Wayne explains, as he raises the lid of a Pizza Hut box so its logo sits centered on-screen. “Contract or no, I will not bow to any sponsor,” he continues, posing with a slice.

What is the significance of Fat Tuesday?

“Mardi Gras” is French for “Fat Tuesday,” and that this festive occasion is the last day before the Catholic observance of Lent.

Lent is a period of penitence before Easter. In the early Christian Church, the ritual of baptism was primarily performed on Easter Sunday, and people would fast and pray for several days or more before they were baptized. This practice and similar traditions grew into the Lent season that lasts 40 days before Easter. In the Middle Ages, faithful Christians eliminated meat, eggs, milk, and other luxurious foods from their diet during Lent, and spent additional time in prayer. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, so named because priests place an ash mark on worshippers’ foreheads to symbolize mortality.

Human nature being what it is, people began holding indulgent pre-Lent celebrations at an early date. The word “carnival” comes from the Latin for “farewell to flesh” — so Carnival (another name for Mardi Gras) can be seen as a time to say good-bye to fleshly pleasures that will soon be denied. Early Christians in Rome used the old pagan festivals as a model for their Carnival, and European Christians continued the celebration. The day before Ash Wednesday became known as Fat Tuesday because people indulged in the meat and fatty foods that they would forsake during Lent.

Fat Tuesday is also known as Shrove Tuesday. The word “shrove” is derived from the Latin scribere, meaning “to prescribe penance,” a fitting description for the day before Lent. Pancakes somehow became associated with this day, perhaps because people needed to use up the eggs and lard that were forbidden during Lent.

Article Source: Yahoo.com