LDL HDL Ratio

A few months ago I stumbled upon an article that tied together cinnamon, diabetes, and insulin resistance. Intrigued, I did some follow up research and made some astonishing discoveries. In fact, I’m absolutely amazed that what I discovered isn’t covered on the nightly news, the major newspapers, and is a constant top story on Drudge considering the profundity of what you’re about to learn.

First, the background on insulin, insulin resistance, and diabetes. After we eat, food is broken down into glucose, the simple sugar that is the main source of energy for the body’s cells. But our cells cannot use glucose without insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. Insulin helps the cells take in glucose and convert it to energy. When the pancreas does not make enough insulin or the body is unable to use the insulin that is present, the cells cannot use glucose. Excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream, setting the stage for diabetes.

Being obese or overweight affects the way insulin works in your body. Extra fat tissue can make your body resistant to the action of insulin. If you have insulin resistance, your muscle, fat, and liver cells do not use insulin properly. The pancreas tries to keep up with the demand for insulin by producing more. Eventually, the pancreas cannot keep up with the body’s need for insulin, and excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream. Many people with insulin resistance have high levels of blood glucose and high levels of insulin circulating in their blood at the same time.

People with blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet in the diabetic range have “pre-diabetes” or “insulin resistance.” Insulin resistance is a hidden condition, one that doesn’t present any symptoms, that increases the likelihood of developing diabetes and debilitating heart conditions. If you have pre-diabetes, you have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult-onset diabetes or non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Studies have shown that most people with pre-diabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years, unless they lose 5 to 7 percent of their body weightówhich is about 10 to 15 pounds for someone who weighs 200 poundsóby making modest changes in their diet and level of physical activity. People with pre-diabetes also have a higher risk of heart disease. Type 2 diabetes is sometimes defined as the form of diabetes that develops when the body does not respond properly to insulin, as opposed to type 1 diabetes, in which the pancreas makes no insulin at all. At first, the pancreas keeps up with the added demand by producing more insulin. In time, however, it loses the ability to secrete enough insulin in response to meals.

OK, I’ve established the connection with diabetes and insulin resistance. What’s up with the cinnamon? In August 2000, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced preliminary findings that “Cinnamon may significantly help people with type 2 diabetes improve their ability to regulate their blood sugar. As a matter of fact, this study found that it increased glucose metabolism 20-fold.” Over the next few years additional studies were conducted with humans to further evaluate this surprising result. In one small 60 patient study conducted in Pakistan, reporting in the journal Diabetes Care, all the patients had been treated for type 2, adult onset diabetes for several years and were taking anti-diabetic drugs to increase their insulin output. But they were not yet taking insulin to help process their blood glucose. The subjects were given small doses of cinnamon ranging from as little as a quarter teaspoon up to 2 teaspoons a day for 40 days.

The results again surprised the scientists, but were even more profound than previous. Not only did the cinnamon reduce the blood sugar levels and increase the natural production of insulin, it lowered their blood cholesterol as well. Even 20 days after the cinnamon treatment had ended, the patients continued to see beneficial effects.

This is good news for the more than 50 million Americans who suffer from diabetes and/or heart disease. All the patients in the study showed better glucose metabolism and natural insulin production when they took cinnamon capsules that delivered less than two teaspoons a day of the spice.

Specifically, their blood cholesterol levels were lowered in the range of 10 to 26 percent, affecting overall cholesterol levels and reducing the LDL (known as the bad cholesterol) but not reducing levels of HDL, the good cholesterol.

This is also potentially good news for the many millions more of us who suffer from insulin resistance, sometimes known as pre-diabetes, or the Metabolic Syndrome. Lowering blood sugar levels, and improving cholesterol ratios can help reverse pre-diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome, and in fact may actually prevent the onset of full diabetes.

Better news still, while cinnamon addresses elevated blood sugar levels and helps to combat insulin resistance, it is also a successful factor in helping you lose weight. The fat cells in your abdomen are particularly sensitive to high insulin levels, and are very effective at storing energy far more so that fat cells you would find in other areas such as the lower body (i.e. hips, rear-end, thighs). Because abdominal fat cells are so close to your digestive organs, and there is an extensive network of blood vessels circulating in the abdominal area, it is even easier for fat cells to store excess glucose there.

Now here’s the challenge: getting enough cinnamon over the course of a day without getting absolutely sick to death of the taste. After doing this research, I decided to be my own guinea pig for testing. I spent the first week putting a couple of teaspoons of cinnamon in a bowl of oatmeal every morning and after about the third day, I knew that wasn’t going to be a workable long term strategy. I next went online and found an excellent source of cinnamon capsules. I’ve been taking two cinnamon capsules a day ever since I made my discovery and the effects have been profound. I’ve lost 14-lbs and no longer have a noticeable bulge around my waistline. I changed nothing else in my daily routine other than adding the cinnamon capsules. My diet is predominantly low-carb but I’m not fanatic about it. I have a sedate office job and the extent of my exercise is doing household chores and playing with the dogs. This certainly doesn’t qualify as a rigorous scientific controlled test, however I’m certainly convinced as I’m a believer in finding out what works and sticking with it.

An expanded version of this article is online at the authors website.

Dating back more than 4,000 years, Chinese green tea diet has been long revered as a tasty drink that can ward off diseases and improve one’s well-being. There are only a few herbs that can surpass its impressive history.
Since its first recorded use during the time of Emperor Shen Nung, the link between Chinese green tea diet and good health has never been severed. Today, further studies are made to test the benefits of the remarkable health elixir.
Traditional Health Benefits of the Diet
According to tradition, this diet could cure anything from headaches, body aches, and pains to constipation and depression. Over the centuries, more health claims are made on account of the Chinese green tea diet.
It detoxifies the body. The presence of polyphenols, a naturally occurring antioxidant in this particular tea, is said to combat harmful free radicals and help keep the body free from diseases. In this regard, Chinese green tea helps maintain the overall well-being of the body. It fights against the anti-aging process because the antioxidants can boost immunity, preserve young-looking skin, and brighten the eyes.
Additional health benefits of the green tea is it increases the blood flow throughout the body. Because it contains a little caffeine, ingesting this drink stimulates the heart and allows the blood to flow more freely through the blood vessels. For the same reason that tea stimulates blood flow, it also stimulates mental clarity.
For many years, men of science remained skeptical about the health claims made by Chinese green tea diet enthusiasts because the health benefits are truly vast in number. Their doubt was changed to a more positive reception when subsequent researchers proved its disease-preventing attributes and confirmed most of the health claims.
The Heart
Study after study has shown that drinking green tea and eating polyphenol-rich foods reduces the risk of any heart complications. It helps strengthen the blood vessels that provide oxygen and valuable nutrients to the heart and brain. It has also been researched that men who use the diet have a 75 percent less possibility of having a stroke than those who don’t use the diet.
The green tea diet helps lower total cholesterol levels and improve the ratio between LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. Study shows that men who drink nine or more cups of Chinese green tea daily have lower cholesterol levels than those who drink fewer than two cups. While nine cups may seem a lot, break it up through out the day and you’ll realize it’s not that difficult to drink that many cups. You could have one during and after each meal and during your breaks.
You really need to learn more. The Silent Killer Exposed uncovers and gives you the information you need to maintain a healthy blood system. Visit it here now.
Longevity
The role of the ‘Chinese diet’ in promoting longevity has been investigated upon by many researchers. They found the premise of their study on observing Japanese women who are greater-than-average green tea drinkers; have lower mortality rates compared to others. This led the researchers to believe that the diet has “a protective factor against premature death.”
The polyphenols found in the diet may be held accountable. With its high amount of polyphenols, it seems to have a stimulating effect on the immune system. A stronger immune system as a result of drinking the green tea helps reduce risks of obtaining many illnesses.
If these health benefits of doing the Chinese green tea diet don’t motivate you to start drinking this miracle in a cup, chances are you’ll never become motivated to loose weight. So start today and drink up. The health benefits go well beyond weight loss!

Active Life: 4-6 hours

Drug Class: Anabolic/Androgenic Steroid (Oral)

Average Dose: Men 50-150 mg/day……Women 50-75 mg/day

Acne: Rare

Water Retention: No

High Blood Pressure: Rare

Liver Toxic: Very low and only in very high dosages

Aromatization: None

DHT Conversion: No

Decrease HPTA function: Low

Comments: Moderately Anabolic/Low Androgenic

Primobolan is an almost pure anabolic with an extremely low androgenic component. The ratio of the anabolic to the androgenic effect is indeed very favorable but, since the overall anabolic effect is only moderately strong, Primobolan tablets have only a limited effect in building up muscle mass and strength. With Primobolan neither fast weight gains nor explosive strength gains occur. Primobolan is therefore mostly taken over a prolonged period since it gives only a slow but also a high-quality muscle gain which mostly remains after use of the compound is discontinued.

An effective daily dose observed in athletes is in the range of 50- 150 mg so that the 25 mg tablets are preferred to the 5 mg tablets. As for the recommended dose, the athlete obtains interesting information from the German package insert by Schering AG for their compound Primobolan S: “Unless otherwise prescribed the following guidelines apply: The dosage should be I – 1,5 mg per pound of body weight/day, that is 4-6 tablets for 100 pound of bodyweight.” A bodybuilder weighing 100 kg should therefore take 200-300 mg daily which would corre-spond to a dosage of eight to twelve 25 mg tablets per day. We believe that this dosage is too high; however, this example shows that a fairly large dosage of the oral acetate form is necessary. The reason is that the Primobolan acetate tablets are not I 7-alpha alky-lated and, during the first pass in the liver, a large part of the substance is destroyed and thus deactivated leaving only a much smaller quantity of the substance to get into the blood.

If Primobolan is the only steroid that is taken, then with respect to strength and muscle buildup, it will usually lead to success in women and steroid novices. This, however, changes greatly when Primobolan is combined with steroids that are moderately too highly androgenic but which themselves do not aromatize or retain water. In such an environment the anabolic effect of Primobolan can develop to its optimum. Masteron, Parabolan, Equipoise, and Winstrol, are par-ticularly suitable. The effect can be optimized by the additional in-take of Oxandrolone. Steroid novices and the less advanced achieve a good strength and muscle gain by taking 50- 100 mg Primobolan S/day and 150 mg Winstrol Depot/week, without retaining water. Even competing athletes report good quality gains with continu-ously “harder” muscles when taking 150 mg Primobolan S/day and 50 mg Winstrol Depot every two days, as well as 76 mg of Parabolan every two days.

The main uses of the Primobolan tablets, however, are in the preparation for a competition and in use by women. Since the acetate form does not aromatize into estrogens and does not cause water retention, the use of Primobolan during competitions is widespread. Acetate tablets are special in that they actively help burn fat. The Primobolan acetate tablets, however, must never be taken as the only steroid during a diet since, due to its extremely low androgenic effect, significant losses in muscle and strength can occur and there is a risk of overtraining. The above mentioned common steroid combinations are extremely effective when combined with a suitable diet during the preparation for a competition. Due to the fact that the acetate tablets burn fat but, at the same time, that in large part they are already deactivated in the liver, it would be most efficient to apply the compound locally, bringing the substance directly into the blood through the skin in the areas with undesired fat deposits. At first this seems a little adventurous, but it is possible with the DMSO compound. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is one of few substances which are fully absorbed through the skin and distributed through the body It is included in many ointments and gels which are used to treat sport injuries, contusions, swellings, and effusions in order to transport the casing substance through the skin. ln addi-tion, DMSO makes the skin permeable to other substances.

Finely grind up one 25 mg Primobolan tablet with the grip of a knife on your kitchen board, mix it with half a teaspoon of DMSO gel and then apply a thin layer to your skin. It is important that you only apply it; do not rub it in. One or two applications is usu-ally enough. Another way to avoid the liver and consequent destruction of the substance is to grind up the Primobolan tablets in a mortar and consume them together with heated vitamin E oil. The Primobolan/vitamin E mixture reaches the blood similar to Andriol that is the absorption occurs through the lymph system and the solution does not reach the liver through the portal vessel. Since the Primobolan tablets are not I 7-alpha alkylated but have a I 7-beta hydroxy group they are almost non-toxic to the liver. in a high dosage, however, they can influence the liver values resulting in higher biliburin, GPT, GOT, and alkaline phosphatase. Primobolan generally does not cause any significant side effects since it does not aromatize, does not cause water retention, is not I 7-alpha alkylated, and is only slightly androgenic. Blood pressure, liver values, cholesterol level, HDL and LDL values usually remain unaffected, making Primobolan well-liked by health-conscious older athletes. Primo is often an “entry drug” for novice users and, due to its rare side effects, encourages many steroid users to switch to “harder” stuff such as Dianabol, Anadrol 50, and testosterone. Since Primobolan is a precursor of dihydrotestosterone it can accelerate hair loss if such a predisposition exists.

The availability of Primobolan Acetate tablets on the black market is quite poor both in Europe and the U.S. The price for one 25 mg tablet on the black market is about $2.

Trade Names:

Primobolan (o.c.) 5 mg tab.; Schering G, A, B

Primobolan 5 mg tab.; Schering Mexico, Costa Rica, Dom. Rep., Ecuador, E

Primobolan S 25 mg tab.; Schering G, NL; Leiras FI; Berlimed South Africa

Primobolan (o.c.) 50 mg tab.; Schering FR

There’s an ancient Chinese proverb that states, “Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one.” They must have known something that Westerners are just discovering: tea, especially green tea, has numerous health benefits.
The Chinese have preached about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times. They’ve used it to treat everything from headaches to depression. In fact, green tea has been used for medicinal purposes in China for at least 4,000 years and it is growing in popularity in Dallas, Houston and throughout Texas.
These days, scientific research from all over the world is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea. A recent issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of a study that showed drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly 60 percent. In a recent study, University of Purdue researchers concluded that a certain compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. And there’s newer research showing that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.
According to recent research studies in the West and in China, the medical conditions for which drinking green tea is supposed to be of help include:
- Cancer
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- High cholesterol levels
- Cardiovascular disease
- Infection
- Impaired immune function
So what makes green tea so special? Its secret lies in its richness in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a powerful anti-oxidant that not only inhibits the growth of cancer cells but also kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. And EGCG is known to inhibit the abnormal formation of blood clots. The last benefit is important when you consider that the formation of abnormal blood clots is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.
Now researchers are making connections between the effects of drinking green tea and the “French Paradox.” Researchers were puzzled that, despite consuming a fat-rich diet, the French have a lower incidence of heart disease than people in the U.S. do. Red wine, which is consumed by the gallon in France, contains resveratrol, a polyphenol that limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet. Researchers from the University of Kansas determined that EGCG is twice as powerful as resveratrol. This may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is also quite low, even though approximately 75 percent are smokers. But that doesn’t give anyone the excuse to start smoking or to not give it up entirely.
But why don’t other Chinese teas have similar benefits? Green, oolong, and black teas are all made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Green tea is different because of the way it is processed. Green tea leaves are steamed, preventing the EGCG compound from being oxidized. By contrast, black and oolong tea leaves are fermented. This results in the EGCG being converted into other compounds that are not nearly as effective in preventing and fighting various diseases.
New evidence has also emerged that green tea can even help people in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas who are on diets. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently published the results of a study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. The study found that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo.
Green tea can also benefit your smile by helping prevent tooth decay. Just as the tea’s bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the bacteria that cause dental plaque. Meanwhile, skin preparations containing green tea — from deodorants to creams — have started hitting the market.
Okay. So green tea is good for you. Are there any negative effects of consuming this tasty beverage? The only downside reported from drinking green tea is insomnia because, like most other teas, it contains caffeine. However, green tea does have less caffeine than coffee. There are approximately thirty to sixty mg. of caffeine in six to eight ounces of tea, compared to over one-hundred mg. in eight ounces of coffee.
Another new study suggests that green tea may also help ease the inflammation and pain of rheumatoid arthritis. The study findings are preliminary, emphasized lead researcher Salah-uddin Ahmed, an investigator at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor. For patients with rheumatoid arthritis, this lining of tissue surrounding the capsule of the joints is inflamed, leading to long-term joint damage and chronic pain. About 2.1 million Americans have rheumatoid arthritis, according to the Arthritis Foundation.
The researchers focused on whether EGCG had the ability to block the activity of two potent molecules, IL-6 and cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2), which play a role in breaking down bone in an RA joint. The study found that the two molecules were suppressed by the EGCG. While it is difficult to quantify exactly the effect of the suppression, the EGCG “blocked them significantly,” according to Ahmed. EGCG also blocked the production of prostaglandin E2, another compound that can cause joint inflammation.
This new study is one of the first to focus on the benefits of green tea on rheumatoid arthritis, which could be good news for rheumatoid arthritis patients, offering a non-drug option to keep their pain under control.
While the research is not yet conclusive and more study is needed, Ahmed said people might want to try drinking three or four 8-ounce cups of green tea per day. “Try different brands,” he suggested. “The flavors may taste slightly different. Drink it continuously throughout the day,” he said, to keep blood levels more constant.
As you’ll discover, what you put into your body will affect your health. And your health, good or bad, will eventually affect your bank account.

The news today is all about the extraordinary growth of the Chinese economy, but is there a danger that in importing Western affluence the Chinese may also import our levels of the characteristic diseases of affluence – obesity, diabetes, heart attack, stroke and even cancer?

Perhaps, but probably not, so long as traditional Chinese medicine retains its focus on promoting the balance and harmony of the entire human organism; on unleashing and then harnessing the body’s own incredible healing powers.

The Chinese approach is becoming increasingly popular in the West, but fortunately there’s no need for you wait until you’re ill or to consult a specialist practitioner to derive the benefits. As amazing as it may seem, as simple a change as incorporating a few cups of green tea a day in your routine can deliver dramatic improvements in your well being.

Tea became widely known in China during the Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) but there’s evidence that its health promoting qualities had been known to the enlightened for at least four thousand years.

It was used first as an aid to good digestion, stimulating the absorption of nutrients from food; and also became known as a powerful anti-oxidant and detoxifying agent. These qualities alone, common to all teas, would be more than enough to make it a very valuable health supplement. But there’s much more to green tea than this.

What makes green tea different from the more common black varieties is the method of production. Crucially, leaves for green tea are steamed rather than fermented, preventing the destruction of the vital EGCG compound. If you’ll forgive a little scientific jargon, EGCG is short for Epigallocatechin Gallate, one of a number of catechin polyphenols that occur naturally in tea. EGCG is a very powerful anti-oxidant, the preservation of which has been indicated by research to make green tea anything up to ten times more potent than the more common fermented varieties.

The power of EGCG and related compounds in green tea may be illustrated by comparison with the so-called “French paradox”. Reputable recent research has indicated that the relatively low incidence of heart disease in France, despite the traditionally high fat national diet, is due to the significant quantities of resveratrol found in the red wine which is also liberally consumed.

Like EGCG, resveratrol is an anti-oxidant polyphenol, but a 1997 study at the University of Kansas demonstrated that EGCG is up to twice as powerful. Other research has credited EGCG with the ability to reduce total levels of cholesterol as well as improving the ratio of “good” (HDL) cholesterol to “bad” (LDL) cholesterol and protecting against the abnormal blood clotting which is a major risk factor for both heart attacks and strokes – still two of the biggest causes of premature death and disablement in the Western world.

But if there’s one single disease that’s most characteristic of Western society today it must surely be obesity; as a look around your local gym or shopping mall will quickly confirm. And in truth, many of the killer diseases of affluence, most notably diabetes and cardio-vascular problems, have chronic obesity at their root. Swiss research published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in November 1999 suggested that green tea possessed thermogenic properties and promoted fat metabolism at a faster rate than could be explained by its caffeine content alone. Or in layman’s terms, green tea is a powerful fat burner which can be a very useful tool in any weight loss program.

Finally, and perhaps most excitingly of all, there’s increasing evidence that the anti-oxidant effects of green tea may even have positive effects in the fight against cancer. In a major step forward, University of Purdue researchers recently isolated EGCG as the compound responsible, suggesting that the amount contained in as few as four or five cups of green tea a day may inhibit the growth of cancer cells without apparently harming healthy tissue.

Now of course, no one is claiming green tea as a cure for cancer, obesity or any of the conditions mentioned above. But there no longer seems any doubt that just a few cups a day of this very inexpensive and simplest of drinks can be an invaluable addition to your daily health regime.

Green tea became well known in China during the period of the Tang dynasty (AD 618907) and was quickly prized as a promoter of health and vitality. There’s good evidence, however, that its many benefits had already been known to the elite for thousands of years by then. In fact legend tells of a stray camellia blossom, drifting on the breeze one day in 2737 BC, which found its way into the Emperor Shen Nung’s steaming drinking water and quickly infused it with all the characteristic refreshment and invigoration we associate with green tea.

So renowned did the benefits of green tea become that detailed rules of etiquette for its correct consumption emerged, culminating in the publication of Lu Yu’s “The Classic Art of Tea”. This famous poet and Buddhist priest laid down strict procedures for the preparation and serving of the perfect cup of tea. The water had to come from a gently flowing stream and be combined with leaves in a fine porcelain cup. And the resulting brew of green tea was ideally to be drunk next to a lily pond in the company of a beautiful woman.

Not surprisingly, given this kind of marketing, the popularity of green tea spread rapidly throughout China in the centuries following the publication of Lu Yu’s work. “Rather three days without food than a day without tea” became the saying, as news reached the remotest corners of the vast empire. Books and poems were composed in green tea’s honour; Emperors gave particularly prized samples as gifts, and the teahouse became a familiar feature of countless cities, towns and villages.

So just what are the health benefits of drinking green tea? The Chinese knew it from earliest times as an aid to good digestion when consumed after a meal, stimulating the absorption of nutrients from food; and it’s since also become known as a powerful anti-oxidant and detoxifying agent which can speed the flushing of toxins from the body. But there’s far more to green tea than this.

Most importantly, leaves for green tea are steamed rather than fermented, preserving the vital Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) compound. EGCG is just one of a number of catechin polyphenols found in tea, but research suggests that it’s a particularly powerful anti-oxidant, the presence of which makes green tea anything up to ten times more powerful than the more common fermented (black) teas.

In fact, today’s Western science is increasingly confirming the health benefits long claimed for the consumption of green tea. And as amazing as it may seem, EGCG and related compounds in green tea appear directly to target the most common killer diseases often attributed to western affluence and diet. Some research, for example, has credited EGCG with the ability to reduce total levels of cholesterol whilst at the same time improving the ratio of “good” (HDL) cholesterol to “bad” (LDL) cholesterol; thereby helping to protect against both heart attacks and strokes – still two of the most frequent premature killers in the Western world.

Some exciting Swiss research published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in November 1999 also suggests that green tea may help with the increasing problem of obesity by prompting the body to burn fat at a significantly increased rate.

But perhaps most excitingly, there’s now evidence that green tea may even help in tackling cancer. For example, in 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of a study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of oesophageal cancer in Chinese people by almost sixty percent. And University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that as few as four or five cups of green tea a day may provide enough EGCG to help retard the growth of tumours and this without apparent damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

Now if after reading all of the above you’re just raring to add green tea to your daily dietary regime I wouldn’t blame you at all. In fact I’d actively encourage you. But it’s only fair to give you the whole picture. And that means pointing out that the consumption of large amounts of green tea could risk adding some caffeine to your normal intake.

Let me put this in perspective though. A standard six to eight ounce cup of green tea will contain between 30 and 60 milligrams of caffeine. A similar size cup of coffee will likely contain more than 100 milligrams. So just replace a couple of cups of your normal coffee intake with your recommended four to five cups of green tea and your caffeine intake’s going to stay level. But if you want to eliminate caffeine entirely then caffeine-free green teas are now becoming readily available.

So you can enjoy all the benefits cited above without any of the possible side-effects of caffeine, and with ever increasing interest in the health promoting properties of green tea, new benefits are coming to light all the time. Already for example, the anti-oxidant (ie antiageing) qualities of the tea are being applied to the manufacture of skin care products.

These applications may still seem a little far-fetched to you right now, but in terms of your internal organism there’s no longer any doubt that green tea is truly one of nature’s great gifts – a very inexpensive but extremely valuable health booster.

Yes, there is no doubt that the microwave oven was one of the eighties hottest must have kitchen appliances. Do you remember how much the first ones cost to own? Look how cheap and common place they have become since. Sure heating foods and liquids in seconds, not minutes, has caused most people to abandon any intuitively negative thought they may have had in suspecting radiation cooking to be bad for you. Due to this convenience factor, denying and not acknowledging the danger is normal. But, there are reasons why the sale of these appliances was banned early on in countries like the Soviet Union.
One of the worst outcomes of microwaved food is not so much the radiation factor, as most people feared, but the almost complete (97%) nutrient loss in healthy fresh food like vegetables, for instance, when micro-cooked. There is also the formation of new radiolytic compounds. This chemical structure change in foods and liquids has been the focus of a few studies done to determine what kinds of changes occur in microwaved foods. Rest assured, however, that although the studies have been few, the changes discovered have been significant.
Hans Hartel, a swiss food scientist, is a man of intense passion, he determined that there is no need to violate the laws of nature by corporate man and his state-supported monopolies in science, technology, or education. Hans was one of the first scientists to form an idea to conduct a quality study on the effects of microwaved nutrients had on the blood and physiology of human beings. This small but well-controlled study pointed a very firm finger at a highly degenerative force in microwave ovens and the food produced in them.
Blood samples of the volunteer test subjects were taken before the ingestion of the foods offered. Then, at predetermined intervals after the eating of raw milk and raw vegetables, or the same food conventionally cooked, or microwaved.
What was eye-opening, and rather shocking, was that there were significant changes discovered in the blood samples of the test subjects who had ate the foods cooked in a microwave oven. These changes included a decrease in all hemoglobin and cholesterol values, especially between the HDL (good cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol) values and ratio.
White blood cells also showed a more distinct short-term decrease after eating microwaved food than opposed to eating food conventionally cooked or raw. Hartel’s conclusion was this, due to extensive scientific literature describing the different hazardous effects that microwave radiation has on living systems, it is astonishing what little effort has been made to replace this technology with something more nature friendly.
From the conclusions of Swiss, Russian, and German scientific studies, here are 10 good reasons to ditch your microwave oven for good.
1)Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long term -permanent- brain damage by ’shorting out’electrical impulses in the brain [depolarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue].
2)The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by-products created in microwaved food.
3)Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by continually eating microwaved foods.
4)The effects of microwaved food by-products are residual [long term, permanent] within the human body.
5)Minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.
6)The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals when cooked in microwave ovens.
7)Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths [tumors]. This may explain the rapidly increasing rate of colon cancer in America.
8)The prolonged eating of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to increase in human blood.
9)Continual ingestion of microwaved foods causes immune system deficiencies through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.
10)Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a decrease of intelligence.
Now, I do not know about the rest of you but, once information like this enters my head it is hard to just toss it out. I roll it around for a little while, then, I make a conscious choice. My nineteen year old has been trying to get me, for quite a while, to get rid of our microwave and replace it with a toaster oven.
After doing some intelligent researching on line and reading of this subject, you too have the same option I did in making a healthy choice for your health, and your family’s health. Remember one point, our society pretty much runs on money (the bottom line). The corporations who manufacture microwaves make a lot from the sale of them. There is no money for me, or any of the scientists who know that eating food processed in one of these things is dangerous.
You do, however, have the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping others to live more healthy, you are saving lives, and you are spreading future happiness by encouraging anyone to, including yourself, stop eating microwaved food.

If the blood supply to a portion of the heart is completely cut off by total blockage of a coronary artery, the result is a heart attack. The first thing that comes to mind when one hears about heart disease is almost always cholesterol. Importantly, while many cardiologists insist that lowering cholesterol is correlated with a reduction in the risk of heart attacks; few can say that there is a reduction in the risk of mortality (death).

There may be a weak correlation of elevated cholesterol with heart attacks, however this does not mean it is the cholesterol that caused the heart attack. However, the bottom line is that a high level of plasma cholesterol is one of the major risk factors for heart disease and strokes. For a healthy heart, the best course of action is often to lower cholesterol in large part by losing weight.

If high cholesterol were the most important cause of cardiovascular disease, it should be a risk factor in all populations, in both sexes, at all ages, in all disease categories, and for both heart disease and stroke. Fish and fish oils are said to help prevent cardiovascular disease including fatal and non-fatal heart attacks, strokes, sudden cardiac death, and coronary artery disease (angina). High cholesterol and triglyceride levels are common among diabetics and are major contributors to their increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

People suffering from type II diabetes often have high blood levels of triglycerides and are therefore prone to coronary heart disease. Many people with hypertension also suffer from diabetes and there has been concern that fish oil supplementation may aggravate problems with glucose intolerance. It is also known that a high fish intake can delay the development of diabetes in glucose-intolerant individuals. Obesity is also strongly associated with type 2 diabetes, which itself poses a significant risk for high cholesterol levels and heart disease. Overweight and obese children who have high cholesterol

should also get tested for high blood pressure, diabetes, and other conditions associated with metabolic syndrome. The establishment of diabetes as a CHD risk equivalent reflects the prevalence of heart disease as a cause of death in the diabetic population.

Although most studies that prove that lowering cholesterol saves lives are done using drug therapy, the absolute mandate for improving cholesterol levels is to first make changes in lifestyle (both diet and exercise). Aerobic exercise helps to open up blood vessels and, in combination with a healthy diet, may improve blood-clotting factors. If you are unable to lower your cholesterol to safe levels through diet and exercise, then your doctor may prescribe cholesterol-lowering medication. I am sure many of you have been reminded by doctors, nurses, and public health officials to lose excess weight, quit smoking cigarettes, exercise regularly, and eat less saturated fat and sweets. You will also find information on cholesterol-lowering diets, recipes, exercise, weight loss, and lifestyle changes.

Again, high cholesterol is not necessarily the direct cause but may only be a marker. Now consider that more than 90 % of all cardiovascular disease is seen in people above age 60 also and that almost all studies have found that high cholesterol is not a risk factor for women. Of particular interest is the finding that a high ratio of triglycerides to HDL cholesterol is a powerful risk factor for a major cardiac event even when LDL cholesterol levels are

normal.

Green Tea has had more zealous acceptance than nearly any other food product in the past twenty years. There are claims that substances contained in green tea inhibit cancer cells, improve cholesterol, reduce the appetite and strengthen the immune system. Not since the Vitamin C rage has another food product been treated as a must have. The following summarizes the more important claims; some backed by research, some not.

Research at the University of Purdue, concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. A report published in a 1994 Journal of the National Cancer Institute indicated that drinking green tea lowered the risk of esophageal cancer.

There are also studies that have concluded green tea lowers overall cholesterol levels and improves the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol. Still other studies indicate that green tea is also reputed to be helpful with Cardiovascular disease, infection, impaired immune function, Rheumatoid arthritis.

Green Tea is rich in antioxidants, particularly catechin polyphenols. This powerful antioxidant has been shown by researchers at the University of Kansas to be twice as powerful as resveratrol, the compound that gives red wine its amazing heart protecting effects. To further support the claim, Japanese men have a low heart attack rate despite the fact that more than 70% smoke cigarettes.

The results of a study published by American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed a green tea extract, when taken with caffeine can lead to an increased rate of calorie burning. Green Tea has bacteria fighting abilities that can helps in prevention of tooth decay and food poisoning.

There does not seem be a real consensus on how much green tea should be consumed. Some recommend as many as 10 (six to eight ounce) cups per day, while others suggest at least three cups.

There are few negatives effects caused by drinking green tea other than those caused by the caffeine that is present. A cup of green tea contains about 60% of the caffeine found in a cup of coffee. For those people who are sensitive to caffeine, green tea may cause insomnia or nervous irritability.

If you are unable to drink green tea during the day, a green tea extract will provide similar benefits. These can be found in most supermarkets.

Clearly, the research suggests there are significant health benefits to adding green tea as a component of your daily diet. If your fighting to lose weight and gain better health, a warm cup of green tea will hit the spot.

Do not use green tea without first talking to your doctor if you have heart problems or high blood pressure, kidney disease, an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), an anxiety or nervous disorder, or a bleeding or blood clotting disorder or if you take a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin).

I’ve written many times in the last couple years about the mistaken beliefs in society about saturated fat and the false perception in the media AND with MOST health professionals that saturated fat is bad for you.

If you’ve seen in some of my articles, I’ve even showed you why saturated fat can even be GOOD for you in some cases, despite every health/fitness professional in the world just accepting the false belief that it’s bad for you.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised to FINALLY see a big name publisher have some guts to publish an article about why everyone in the world may be wrong about their beliefs about saturated fat.

I received my new issue of Men’s Health magazine over the weekend, and they have a huge 6-page article in there about the faulty research in the past about saturated fat, and some new emerging research that is showing why it may actually be more good for you than you would believe.

I’ve got to give them credit… the article was VERY well researched and put together beautifully to summarize where the studies in the past have gone wrong, and why recent studies are showing that everyone may have been wrong for the last 5 decades about saturated fat.

I’d highly suggest you read the entire article if you can. If not, I’m going to try to give you a quick summary of the findings here since it was a long article…

First of all, did you realize that although doctors, nutritionists, fitness professionals, and the media all have told you that it’s a FACT that saturated fats are bad for you, this “FACT” has actually never been proven!

It’s actually not a “fact” at all. It was a hypothesis! This goes all the way back to a flawed research study from the 1950’s where a guy named Ancel Keys published a paper that laid the blame on dietary fat intake for the increasing heart disease phenomenon.

However, there were major flaws to his study. For one, in his conclusions he only used data from a small portion of the countries where data was available on fat consumption vs heart disease death rate. When researches have gone back in and looked at the data from all of the countries, there actually was no link between fat consumption and heart disease deaths. So his conclusions were actually false.

Second, his blaming of fat intake for heart disease was only one factor that was considered. There was no consideration of other factors such as smoking rates, stress factors, sugar intake, exercise frequency, or other lifestyle factors.

Basically, his conclusions which blamed heart disease deaths on fat intake were really just a shot in the dark about what a possible cause may have been, even though all of those other factors I just mentioned, plus many others, may be the bigger cause.

Unfortunately, Keys study has been cited for over 5 decades now as “fact” that saturated fat is bad for you. As you can see, there certainly is nothing factual about it.

Since that time, numerous other studies have been conducted trying to link saturated fat intake to heart disease. The majority of these studies have failed to correlate ANY risk at all from saturated fat. A couple of them made feeble attempts at linking saturated fat to heart disease, however, it was later shown that in those studies, the data was flawed as well.

Do we actually have evidence that saturated fat may actually be good for you instead?

Well, let’s consider a few examples…

Did you know that there are several well known tribes in Africa… the Masai, Samburu, and Fulani tribes… where their diet consists mostly of raw whole milk, tons of red meat, and cows blood? Despite their very high saturated fat intake, they display extremely low body fat levels, and heart disease to natives of the tribe is virtually non-existant.

Now most critics of this example will say that it must be related to superior genetics… however this is false, as when they studied tribesman who had moved out of their native lands and started eating more modern day diets, their blood chemistry skyrocketed with heart disease risk factors.

This is true of certain pacific island countries inhabitants as well. Several studies have shown that certain pacific island nations had VERY high intakes of total fat as well as saturated fat from tropical fats such as palm, coconut, and cocoa. Despite super-high intakes of saturated fat, these island natives were typically very lean and heart disease was virtually non-existant.

However, when researchers followed up with islanders that had moved away from their native island and adopted a typical western diet, the heart disease factors were through the roof.

In fact, did you know that although saturated fat intake does increase your LDL bad cholesterol, it actually increases your HDL good cholesterol even further, hence improving your overall cholesterol ratio, which has been proven to be more important that just total cholesterol level (actually total cholesterol is an almost useless number… inflammation is the REAL problem, but that’s a whole different topic).

Another fact worth noting in favor of saturated fat…

Saturated fat is comprised of various different types… the 3 most common types are stearic acid, palmitic acid, and lauric acid.

Stearic acid is found in animal fat and cocoa in higher levels. Research continues to show that stearic acid has no negative impacts on heart disease risks. If anything, it’s either neutral or beneficial. In fact, your liver breaks down stearic acid into a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid, which is the same type of fat that makes up most of heart-healthy olive oil. Bet you didn’t know that!

Lauric acid is beneficial as well. Not only has it been shown to increase your HDL good cholesterol levels significantly, but it is also lacking in most Americans diet and has even been shown to have some powerful immune-boosting effects potentially. It is even being studied currently in HIV/AIDS research to help improve immune function in patients.

Tropical oils such as coconut and palm are the best sources of lauric acid.

Palmitic acid is the other main component of saturated fat and has also been shown to increase HDL good cholesterol to the same, if not greater extent than LDL bad cholesterol, thereby making it either neutral or beneficial, but certainly not bad for you.

So, if all of these researchers have tried so hard over the years to point the finger at saturated fat, but have continued to fail to show a correlation between saturated fat and heart disease risk, what are the REAL culprits for heart disease?

Well, here are the REAL causes of heart disease risk:

*Trans fats (artificially hydrogenated oils)

*Heavily refined vegetable oils such as soy, cottonseed, corn oil, etc. (inflammatory inside the body, and typically throw the omega-6/omega-3 balance out of whack)

*Too much refined sugar in the diet (including high fructose corn syrup)

*Too much refined starches such as white bread, low fiber cereals, etc

*Smoking

*Stressful lifestyle

*Lack of exercise

*Other lifestyle factors

So why does it seem that so many attempts over the years have tried to lay the blame on saturated fat… do you think it might have anything to do with the muli-billion dollar vegetable oil industry, which has taken over for cooking oils for what used to be mostly animal fats and tropical oils in decades past…

Hmm… do multi-billion dollar industries really have an influence on the way data is portrayed to the public? I think you know the answer to that! And don’t even get me started on the cholesterol meds industry! Again, I digress.

I hope this article has opened your eyes about the truth about saturated fat and how you’ve been misled over the years.

The true FACT is that saturated fat is a neutral substance in your body, and even beneficial at times, not a deadly risk factor for disease. The REAL risk factors are what I listed above.

Keep in mind that this does NOT mean that eating 5 pounds of bacon for breakfast every morning is good for you, and you should only eat foods high in saturated fats. Rather, you still need a to strike a balance for optimal health… this means fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, healthy meats, eggs, and small amounts of whole or sprouted grains.

Again, animals raised in an unhealthy manner are not good for you… this is the case with most commercially raised meat and grain fed meat. On the other hand, wild game meats, grass fed meats, free range chickens and eggs (preferably organic) are healthy animals, and therefore the meat is generally healthy for us with better omega-3 to omega-6 ratios than standard meats.