More Reasons Why Being a Vegetarian Is Awesome

VegetarianDid you hear? Vegetarians may live longer!  A research report has found that vegetarians are less likely to die from cancer or cause-specific reasons.  Curious?  Read more about it here.

 

Getting Healthy with Chia Seeds

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It’s no wonder Chia Seeds are considered to be the Superfood of 2013.  They give you everything from Omega-3, endurance, heart health, mental energy, protein, hydration, digestive health, and more!  Read this ARTICLE to get one step closer to a healthier you.

 

Posted By: Axiom Health Care Marketing

Chia Seeds: Top Ten Reasons they are the Superfood of 2013

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Every year there seems to be a new superfood that gains so much popularity that only those handcuffed to a fast food restaurant without a smart phone wouldn’t know about it.  It’s on the news, the internet, your friends are talking about it, and every health magazine has a spread dedicated to this “it” food.  It’s the food that your friends brag about by posting countless Facebook pictures of their hip, new, healthy concoctions – making you want to put down your cheeseburger and GMO infested soft drink.   In 2013, it appears as if Chia seeds are generating quite the stir for health enthusiasts everywhere.  How does such a food make headlines and impress upon leaders in holistic health?  Well, the Chia seed doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to natural benefits across the board.

 1. Omega-3

Chia is extremely rich in Omega-3.  In fact, they are one of the “richest plant-based sources,” even above flax seeds and salmon!  Within the Chia seeds’ lipid profile, it has an overall omega-3 composition of 60%, which is high in alpha-linolenic acid, ACA. Benefits of omega-3 include reducing high cholesterol and inflammation, while refining cognitive performance.  Its anti-inflammatory properties, associated with Chia’s high essential fatty acid content, help improve heart health, lowers the risk for arthritis along with joint pain, and also aids in the prevention of some forms of cancer.  Enhancing hair, skin, and nail health is also associated with incorporating omega-3 fatty acids into your diet.

Chia-Seed-Nutritional-information

  2. Nutrition

“Two tablespoons of Chia seeds contain 18 percent of the DRI for calcium, 35 percent for phosphorus, 24 percent for magnesium and about 50 percent for manganese,” according to healthyeating.sfgate.com.  The nutritional makeup of Chia does wonders to your health – maintaining a healthy body weight and issues with hypertension are just a few of the benefits.  Calcium and manganese help improve bone health, and phosphorous is essential for tissue growth and repair, as well, as protein syntheses.

  3. It’s Gluten and GMO Free – Vegan and Kosher Friendly!

Gluten allergy or on a gluten free diet?  No problem, because you will not find gluten in Chia.  It is also valuable for vegans, vegetarians, and safe for those who eat Kosher.  If you have any of these dietary restrictions, you are in luck.  This superfood allows you to gain many of the health and nutrition benefits that could have been lacking in your diet – with no hidden GMOs anywhere to be found.

  4. Protein

Chia seeds are loaded with protein, which helps curb cravings and build lean muscle mass. This is definitely an advantage to any vegans or vegetarians out there scrambling to get more protein in their diet!

  5. Mental Energy

The high essential fatty acid content found in Chia seeds is excellent for improved cognitive performance, concentration, mood, and overall mental health.  It is a great study tool for all of you students out there!

  6. Endurance

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Put down the Red Bull, because Chia was derived from the Mayan word for “strength,” and referred to as the “running food” by ancient Aztecs, for a reason.  The Chia seed’s hydrophilic properties and complex carbohydrates (soluble fiber) create a physical barrier between digestive enzymes and carbohydrates in your digestive system.  This barrier is a result of a gel that is formed when the soluble fiber in the seed attracts water and expands.  This efficient process allows a delay in carbohydrate to sugar conversion, thus resulting in increased metabolic rates and endurance.  This process also stabilizes blood sugar, which is essential for diabetic individuals.

  7. Weight Loss

The gel forming phenomena that takes place during digestion, along with the Chia seeds’ high protein content, makes you feel fuller faster and for an extended period of time.   Satiety is one of the major keys to weight loss, due to its power to decrease calorie intake.  The insoluble fiber in Chia seeds helps clear and detoxify the colon by clearing out the “extras”, thus by promoting digestive regularity.

  8. Hydration and Electrolyte Balance

In addition, the gel created by Chia ensures maximum hydration and electrolyte retention.  Toss the Gatorade because “the seeds absorb and retain 10-12 times their weight in water.”

  9. Inexpensive and Organic

dailymoneysaving.com

This is not a combination you hear very often, but for those on the right path of eating organically, Chia seeds can cost as low as $9 for an entire pound – this amount typically lasts for about 3 weeks.  If you want to buy in bulk, Chia lasts 4-5 years, unless it is in its gel form, which gives it a safe 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.   Chia seeds are also naturally organic.  There is no need to treat them with pesticides because insects don’t have much interest in the product.

  10. It’s Delicious!

It took a few years after the Chia Pet hit the shelves, and thousands of years after it was a staple food for the Mayans and Aztecs, for the Chia seed to hit the shelves as a well-known health food.  The typical American diet lacks, well, standards, to say the least – especially when it comes to incorporating nutrients the natural way.  After understanding how Chia seeds can greatly improve your health and wellness, you may never want to change your diet again.  The reputation of the Chia seed may withstand the bounds of a yearly fad.

 

 

References:

Brown, Genevieve Shaw. “Chia Seeds the ‘It’ Food of 2013.” ABC News. ABC News Network, 6 Feb. 2013. Web. 10 Sept. 2013. <http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/eating-chia-seeds/story?id=18296119>.

“Chia Seeds – The Pinnacle Superfood.” Healthy-Eating-Guidelines.net. Healthy-Eating-Guidelines.net, n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2013. <http://www.healthy-eating-guidelines.net/chia-seeds.html>.

Coles, Terri. “Chia Seed Benefits: 10 Reasons To Add Chia To Your Diet.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc., 03 June 2013. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. <http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/06/03/chia-seed-benefits-_n_3379831.html>.

Duncan, Lindsey, ND, CN. “Chia: Ancient Super-Seed Secret.” The Dr. Oz Show. HARPO, Inc., 14 Oct. 2011. Web. 10 Sept. 2013. <http://www.doctoroz.com/blog/lindsey-duncan-nd-cn/chia-ancient-super-secret>.

“Five Health Benefits of Chia.” FitDay. Internet Brands, Inc., n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2013. <http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/exercises/five-health-benefits-of-chia.html>.

Hathwell, Jen. “Top 10 Health Benefits of Chia Seeds.” SFGate: Healthy Eating. Demand Media, n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2013. <http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/top-10-health-benefits-chia-seeds-6962.html>.

Katie. “10 Uses for Chia Seeds.” Wellness Mama. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2013. <http://wellnessmama.com/4981/10-uses-for-chia-seeds/>.

Mike. “Chia Seed Benefits.” Nutrition Talk. Thrive Foods, 27 July 2009. Web. 10 Sept. 2013. <http://blog.thrivefoods.net/2009/07/chia-seeds-top-10-benefits.html>.

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Photo 2: wesellchia.com

Photo 3: mensfitness.com

Photo 4: dailymoneysaving.com

Posted By: Axiom Health Care Marketing

 

Vegetarians May Live Longer

Check out these statistics on being vegetarian!  The numbers may surprise you.

vegetarians-may-live-longer

Posted By: Axiom Health Care Marketing

Live Longer, Healthier, and Leaner by going Vegetarian

blueberries_on_plantGiving up meat doesn’t sound too appetizing to some people, but the results are well worth it – if it’s done right.  Enjoy nature’s best, and start eating more of what your body craves.  Find out what researchers are saying when it comes to combating cardiovascular disease, losing weight, and elongating your lifespan with a vegetarian lifestyle.

 

Posted By: Axiom Health Care Marketing

Vegetarians May Live Longer

California research finds 12% lower risk of dying for those who don’t eat meat

By Denise Mann
HealthDay Reporter

Vegetarians may live longer than meat-lovers, new research suggests.

Scientists in California analyzed the diets of 73,300 Seventh Day Adventists, and found that vegetarians were less likely to die from any cause or from cause-specific reasons, except for cancer, compared to those who ate meat.

“Certain vegetarian diets are associated with reductions in all causes of [death] as well as some specific causes including heart disease, kidney-related deaths and endocrine disease-related death such as diabetes,” although we don’t know why said lead researcher Dr. Michael Orlich.

“Reductions in meat in the vegetarian diet may be part of it, but it may be due to higher quantities of plant foods,” he added, although it is also possible that vegetarians may lead more healthy lives.

The research was published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

For the study, the researchers used a food questionnaire to assess dietary patterns and looked at men and women who adhered to one of five diets: non-vegetarian; semi-vegetarian (eats meat or fish no more than once a week); pesco-vegetarian (consumes seafood); lacto-ovo-vegetarian (includes both dairy products and eggs), and vegans, who don’t eat any animal products.

During the course of the more than five-year study, 2,570 people died. But vegetarians were about 12 percent less likely to die from any cause than their meat-eating counterparts, the study showed. And the survival edge seemed to be stronger in men than women.

In addition, the researchers noted that vegetarians tended to be older and more educated, exercised more and were less likely to drink alcohol or smoke than their carnivorous counterparts.

The study also did not pinpoint which type of vegetarian diet provides the greatest survival benefit because the vegetarian diets were compared to non-vegetarian diets only, not to one another.

The research team now plans to look at the patterns of food consumption seen in each vegetarian diet. “We want to see what they eat more or less of, and then investigate the effect on mortality or associated with specific foods,” Orlich said. “Are there particular foods that account for most of this apparent association. Is the lack of meat the big issue, or is the amount of plant-based foods responsible?”

Nancy Copperman, a dietician at North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System in Great Neck, N.Y. , said that the fiber in vegetarian diets may be what’s driving the survival edge. “It’s not just fruit and vegetables, but all types of fiber [including whole grains] that seems to really reduce health risks,” she said. “The new study pushes the literature that we are building about the impact that whole grains and fruits and vegetables can have on your health.”

But Rebecca Solomon, a nutritionist at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, noted that plant-based diets can be beneficial only if they are done right. “You need to make sure that you have a good nutrient balance despite omission of certain or all animal products,” she added.

For example, she said, some vegetarians may overdo the carbohydrates and fats, which can lead to weight gain and its associated health problems.

“My general advice is that you don’t need to be a vegetarian to improve your health and lifespan,” she said. “Eating lean protein such as poultry and fish and following some of the principles of the Mediterranean diet, which includes generous amounts of vegetables, fruits and whole grains and is not red-meat heavy, can be very beneficial.”

For a diehard vegan like Stephanie Prather, 45, the news may come as no surprise.

Prather hasn’t eaten any animal products in more than two years, and actually changed careers midstream to become a vegan pastry chef. Her impetus was a high-profile documentary about the benefits of a plant-based diet.

Not only does she feel better, but she has lost close to 20 pounds since giving up all animal products in her diet.

This latest research, follows a British study in January that showed vegetarians had about a third less risk of hospitalization or death from cardiovascular disease than meat-eaters did.

That study, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, included nearly 45,000 people from England and Scotland, about a third of who were vegetarians. And the research showed that the vegetarians had a 32 percent lower chance of being hospitalized or dying from heart disease. They also typically had lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels than non-vegetarians.