A Simple Food That Has Higher Vitamin C Than an Orange (w/ How to Cook It) [Health Series]

One of the food that has higher Vitamin C than Orange is Cauliflower. Yes, you read it right, Cauliflower.
While eating one medium sized orange gives you 70mg dose of Vitamin C, eating a small head of cauliflower gives you a 127.7 mg dose of vitamin C, plus 5 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. [1] [2]

Cauliflower

Health Benefits of Cauliflower:

1. Nutritional

Cauliflower also contains vitamins B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine) and B9 (folic acid). It contains omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin K. It serves as a good source of proteins, phosphorus and potassium. Cauliflower is a very good sourceof vitamin C and manganese, which are both powerful antioxidants.

2. Antioxidation

Aside from these antioxidants above, cauliflower also contains carotenoids, such as beta-carotene, and phytonutrients that include kaempferol, ferulic acid, cinnamic acid and caffeic acid. With these antioxidants, you can be certain that eating cauliflower regularly will help protect you from free radical damage and reduce your risk for diseases caused by oxidative stress, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

3. Detoxification

It contains glucosinolates and thiocyanates (including sulforaphane and isothiocyanate), which help to increase the liver’s ability to neutralise potentially toxic substances that could lead to cancer if left unattended. The presence of enzymes like glutathione transferase, glucuronosyl transferase and quinone reductase also help in the detoxifying process.

The detox support provided by cauliflower includes antioxidant nutrients to boost Phase 1 detoxification activities and sulfur-containing nutrients to boost Phase 2 activities.While the glucosinolate content of cauliflower is definitely significant from a health standpoint, cauliflower contains about one-fourth as much total glucosinolates as Brussels sprouts, about one-half as much as Savoy cabbage, about 60% as much as broccoli, and about 70% as much as kale.

4) Cancer Prevention 

There are dozens of studies linking cauliflower-containing diets to cancer prevention, particularly with respect to the following types of cancer: bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer. 

This connection between cauliflower and cancer prevention should not be surprising, since cauliflower provides special nutrient support for several body systems that are closely connected with cancer development as well as cancer prevention.

Several research on this flowery vegetable have revealed that it has compounds to resist cancer; it has the ability to eliminate cancer enzymes.

5) Anti-Inflammatory

Potentially, regular cauliflower consumption can help decrease the risk of inflammation-mediated diseases such as arthritis, obesity, diabetes mellitus, inflammatory bowel disease and ulcerative colitis. A cup of boiled cauliflower contains about 11 micrograms of vitamin K and 0.21 g omega-3 fatty acids. Because of the omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin K in cauliflower, it helps to prevent chronic inflammation that leads to conditions such as arthritis, chronic pain, and certain bowel conditions.

 In addition, one of the glucosinolates found in cauliflower–glucobrassicin–can be readily converted into an isothiocyanate molecule called ITC, or indole-3-carbinol. I3C is an anti-inflammatory compound that can actually operate at the genetic level, and by doing so, prevent the initiation of inflammatory responses at a very early stage.

6) Digestive Support

A cup of boiled cauliflower delivers about 3.35 g of dietary fiber, which helps clean your digestive system and gets rid of unnecessary substances. Additionally, a substance called glucoraphin present in cauliflower appears to have a protective effect on your stomach lining. With glucoraphin, your stomach is not prone to the bacterium helicobacter pylori, thereby reducing your risk for stomach ulcer and cancer.

7) Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular

By virtue of having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, cauliflower consumption is protective against cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. For instance, in atherosclerosis, there is chronic inflammation of the blood vessel, and the deposition of lipids and white blood cells eventually leads to a decrease in their diameter.

This decrease in diameter leads to decreased blood flow to essential organs like the brain (which could lead to stroke), heart (which could lead to heart attack) and kidneys (which could lead to kidney failure). By decreasing chronic inflammation, cauliflower is able to maintain the patency of the blood vessels and keeps excellent blood flow to essential organs of the body.

Source: http://www.trueactivist.com/7-health-benefits-of-cauliflower-and-mashed-cauliflower-recipe/

The Healthiest Way To Cook Cauliflower ?

From many of the cooking methods people tried when cooking cauliflower, the favorite is Healthy Sauté. It has been believed that it provides the greatest flavor and is also a method that allows for concentrated nutrient retention.
(Learn How To Sauteing here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saut%C3%A9ing. It's pretty simple. )

Prep and Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
1 lb cauliflower
1/2 clover of onions or 1 pcs of egg
1 TBS of oil or even you can use water.

Dressing: (Optional)
Pepper or Black Pepper or Honey

Directions:

1. Cut cauliflower florets into quarters and let sit for 10 minutes to bring out their hidden health benefits (the cutted cauliflower will produce phenethyl isothiocyanate which is very good for our health).
2. If you use garlic --> Press or chop garlic and let sit for 10 minutes.*
3. Heat a stainless steel skillet on medium heat.
4. When the heat is enough, please add the cauliflower. Cook for no more than 5 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl. For more flavor, toss cauliflower with the remaining ingredients while it is still hot such as pepper/black pepper or even honey


Actually, there are many simple foods that has higher vitamin C than an orange. You may check that out in http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20745689,00.html


* It is important to crush the garlic and let it sit for 10 minutes. It is because the crushing garlic releases an enzyme, called alliinase, that causes the formation of allicin. Allicin then breaks down to form the beneficial and healthy organosulfur compounds that very useful for our body.

Hope This article is useful. The scheduled writing for next week (2nd Feb 2014) is about "An Interesting Chemistry's Point of View of Cookies"

Cheers,

Albert ^^

Reference:
[1] http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20745689_9,00.html
[2] http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/12-foods-vitamin-oranges/story?id=20729780#

Stay Fit: an Exercise That Makes You More Awesome and Healthy. Free! Also :) [Health Series]

Bodyweight Training

This is an article about Bodyweight Training that really good for men and women. Some people call Bodyweight training as Calisthenics training or vice versa.

Testimony: I have tried this training by my own self and the result is quite amazing. :) I just can say Wow! lol It will improve your stamina, agility, and so on. :)



Here is the video about the guy who inspires me to do the bodyweight / Calisthenics training:


WHAT IS CALISTHENICS?
Calisthenics is an unofficial sport of bodyweight exercises. This sport is unique because it requires little to no training apparatus or equipment. Calisthenics is accessible anywhere and everywhere, imagination is the only limitation. There are many advantages to bodyweight training.

ADVANTAGES
It is beneficial in all ways physically. Whereas heavy weight lifting may have an impact on your joints, impacting the growth of children and teens, calisthenics has no dangers of the sort. In fact, the stretching out of the skeleton during exercises such as pull ups can improve your posture and often help prevent or cure back problems.

1. Calisthenics is absolutely free, requiring no equipment. The only limitation is the imagination. Tree branches, the floor, curbes, benches can all be used for this sport.
2. Bodyweight exercises have been shown to benefit not just the young, but the elderly also.
3. Improves overall stamina, strength, energy, agility, coordination, balance, and promotes overall fitness for your health.
4. Can improve mental health just as it does psycho-motor skills like balance and coordination. It can boost your self-esteem.
5. Calisthenics is available for everyone with any type of genetics. It is a common misconception to think that people with thicker bones aren’t suited for this sport. That is not true.

Source: http://www.fortressbody.com/calisthenics/
This is one of his video that I have tried for forearms training:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H8S7PgLVwg&feature=c4-overview&list=UUajFsJ74oE4zt3sPkOP_81g

Hope it helps.
Cheers,

Albert ^^

How to Stay “Young and Beautiful” For Women? [Health Series]

Stay Young & Beautiful

Firstly, we will talk about women and then in the another writing we will talk about men. 

I believe that both writing is very good to be read by both men or women since we discuss it from men and women's point of view.

Disclaimer: Eventhough the writer is a man, the writer is trying to his best to share his knowledge and experience in this writing. Enjoy! ^^

Credit:

Most of the knowledge in this writing is given by this really informative and awesome book:

Venus on Fire, Mars on Ice: Hormonal Balance - The Key to Life, Love and Energy 

The Main Idea:

One of the good way for women to stay young and beautiful are to give and receive love.

When women give love to and help others, their level of oxytocin hormone will raise up. Oxytocin is really a great hormone for women. These are the benefits of Oxytocin for a woman: [1]

1. Oxytocin makes a woman feels happier
2. Oxytocin helps a woman stays young  (Every woman wants to stay young, right? lol)
3. Oxytocin helps a woman in shape or slim (@women: Yes, it’s true that you can stay in shape.)  

We need to know that receiving love is very important in women (@women: Agree, right?). Receiving love can increase women’s oxytocin level too. One of the way for the women to receive love is to be loved and feel special. [2]

What To Do?

So, what you (women) can do to yourself  to increase your oxytocin level to stay young and beautiful? (Here are just a few of examples)

1.       Gather with some other women friends and have a chat.

2.       If  you have a garden, go gardening. It’s really a good idea.

3.       Go shopping {even if you (woman) don't buy anything, it will still increase your oxytocin.}

So, what you (men) can do to women to increase her oxytocin level? These are some examples:
(This is the part that she will receive love)

1.       Just listen to her when she speaks especially about her challenges. She just need a man who listen. She doesn’t need a solution for her challenges. You (man) may give a solution when and only when she asks for it. 

2.       Give her flower(s).

It is a guarantee that when you give flower(s) to a woman, her oxytocin level will raise up. Here some common question regarding to this:

a.       Is it better to give her a real or plastic flower?

                                                                         Yeah, it is true that real flower will be withered after 3-5 days. However, that’s the good thing. You (man) have the cause to give her more flower. J

b.      Is it better to give her a bouquet of flower or just a stalk of flower?

                                                                         Up to you (man), a stalk of flower will do. If you want to give a bouquet of flower is okay. Because actually what’s more important for women is the meaning not the price of the gift.

Interestingly enough if you give a woman a stalk of flower, you will score +1 on her.  Moreover if  you give a woman a bouquet of flower, you will still score +1 on her too. Thus in giving a gift, frequency of the gift is more important than intensity of the gift for women.[2]

3.       If you already have a family and children when you come back from your work, hug/kiss your wife first and then your children. It makes a BIG difference.

Please, share some of your thoughts and feedbacks in the comment J Thank you. Hope this short article will be very useful for you.
Later we will discuss "How to Stay Young & Strong For Men". (Still in the making :) )

Cheers,

Albert ^^

Reference:
[1] http://io9.com/5925206/10-reasons-why-oxytocin-is-the-most-amazing-molecule-in-the-world
[2] http://www.marsvenus.com/p/men-are-from-mars-women-are-from-venus-hardcover

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