Fat is fundamental to our health. Our bodies cannot live without fat. Dietary fats provide our bodies with energy, promote cell growth, help the body absorb certain nutrients and stimulate hormone production. A certain amount of body fat is essential to keep your body warm and to cushion your body’s organs. A no-fat diet or extremely low-fat diet is dangerous and would soon compromise the healthiest body.

Here some interesting facts about fat:

Not all fats are alike. There are four categories of dietary fat: saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and trans fats. These fat types are distinguished by their chemical and molecular make-up, which affects how they are metabolized and processed in the body. The bad fats are trans fats and saturated fats. They are comparatively solid at room temperature (butter, lard, bacon fat). The good fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are comparatively liquid at room temperature (these include vegetable oils). Learn more about good fats and bad fats.

Fats are packed with calories. Per gram, fat contains 9 calories (any fat, regardless of its type). Compare this to carbohydrates and protein, which contain about 4 calories per gram. This points to the fact that high fat consumption increases the total calories in our diet. For this reason alone, it is smart to limit fat intake if your are attempting to lose weight.

Some fats can help lower chloresterol. The bad fats are bad mostly because they lift LDL chloresterol levels (known as bad chloresterol). Good fats, the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, increase the HDL (known as good) cholesterol levels, which helps lower LDL chloresterol.

Fat can help us lose weight. The monounsaturated fat found in avocado, walnuts, almonds, canola oil, and olive oil have been found to promote weight loss, reducing body fat itself. Keep this in mind, you don’t want to eat too many, but be sure to include small amounts of these nuts and oils in your regular diet if you are trying to lose weight.

Fats provide energy to the body. Polyunsaturated fats (found in oily fish such as salmon and tuna as well as corn, safflower, and sunflower oils) have a detoxifying effect on our cells, removing toxic fats deposited there that clog up cell processes.

Fat lubricates the body. Good fats are like oil in a car engine, providing needed lubrication to our joints, digestive system (flax seed is excellent for constipation) and skin. Some of our dermatological problems are caused by deficiencies of good fats in our diet.

A big web flower store has examined the gift market, designing a single place to purchase gifts for friends, colleagues, or family. And that solution? 1800Baskets.com. And better yet — their coverage is international, so wherever your intended recipient might be, you can be confident of getting their present to them with no difficulty. Whatever the occasion — a holiday, a special event — their gift baskets are filled with luxuriant trinkets. Their food is, to give one example, a treat for gourmands. Bringing together crackers, meat, fruit, and cheeses, they produce dishes designed to delight the tastebuds. Of course, it’s not just food; as we’re sure you know, meals will only be made better by what you drink with them — which is the reason why 1800Baskets.com will generally accompany their baskets with good wine as well.

If you’d prefer something a little sweeter, they still have several assortments you might choose from. You might order a basket which only contains sweets, or alternatively use them as one aspect of an assortment. Other treats including cakes can be every bit as toothsome and will offer a little variety with which to enliven your basket.

Should the recipient prefer to steer clear of sugar while they nevertheless want sweeter tastes, this basket provider offers sundry different fruits in a selection of arrangements. Taking into account the tropical boxes — pears, citrus fruits, pineapples, etc — cheese & fruit baskets, and baskets of individual fruits there’s a wide spread of options. If you’d rather not send edible gifts, give some thought to sending a spa gift selection built around soaps.

A number of the packages are developed specifically for the holiday season. A selection of treats, cookies, chocolates, crackers, wine, and many more unusual toothsome snacks are collected in decorative baskets and boxes. Decide on the look that suits you best — do you prefer a family-friendly Santa Claus, or is it an austere container suited more to the office? They’ve got you covered. Christmas is hardly the only important date each year, so you needn’t worry — you can also get specials for closing a business deal, signing a contract, anniversaries, weddings, as well as other major events. In practical terms this means that you have effectively unlimited ways to send your friends and family baskets now, no matter where they may be located. Without even having to leave your armchair you may choose your order, certain that it will get to its recipient still in excellent condition and in absolute compliance with even the utmost demands on quality.

Did you ever wish you could send people the sort of tasty cookies your grannie made? Cheryl and Company can make this wish come true. The company offers a large choice of quality epicurean baked goods and you can send these to anywhere in the US. Every box is attractively wrapped and promptly couriered right to the recipient’s door with every item at the height of freshness. Can you think of a better way to cheer up your family, or your clients? The very first location was opened in Ohio in the early 1980s. Only 7 years after opening they had already eminently expanded their product range. They soon began selling via a mail order catalog and retail outlets as well as via a corporate gift section to serve businesses. When they went online, they gained tremendous popularity and they finally became part of the 1800Flowers brand family and are one of the most popular baked goods providers on the net. Excellent quality is the top priority of this baked goods provider. Every batch of cookies is shipped quickly to ensure it arrives at the height of freshness.

None of the cookies have any un-natural additives. The range includes conventional cookies such as chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin, and a few different flavor combos besides. The hardest part will actually be picking what not to send. The choice isn’t merely limited to cookies either because brownies and luxury chocolates are also available. If speed is an issue, lots of carefully chosen gift boxes are available online. On the other hand, simply pick out how you would prefer your gift to be packaged and then pick out the treats you think your loved ones will enjoy most. The brownies are available in buttercream iced, fruit and low sugar varieties, and even include tiny taster sizes.

Be sure you review this marvelous website for cookies ideas…

Tasty cookies and brownies in an elegant presentation box or tin are the ideal thank you for colleagues. Or you can let a loved one know they are missed by choosing tasty treats in a novelty hamper. There are also cookies made especially for Christmas, Easter, and other holidays to ensure you can always find the ideal present. When you look at the wonderful range of brownies on offer and the massive variety of ways to pack your selection of epicurean treats, you are certain to find something stunning for everybody!

You simply have to glance at hard numbers to see where popcorn stands in America’s perceptions. Upwards of 1.000.000.000 pounds of unprepared kernels changed hands over the counters of domestic vendors in 2000 alone. The Popcorn Factory is America’s leading provider of tins of popcorn, popcorn balls, popcorn favors, gourmet popcorn and beautiful arrangements, sending out over a million pounds of the appetizing snack every year. In addition, it’s kosher certified, for anyone to indulge. Using all your favorite flavors and a variety of presentations, they can supply all the popcorn you want. Exactly as they have ever since 1979. It takes the finest fixings to make delicious popcorn, so they sort through domestically grown kernels to be sure of the best available. If you use the purest corn oil, you can keep that flavor as the kernels pop, permitting other flavorings to be added. Love that fresh taste? To preserve it, immediately after popping, the corn is rapidly wrapped up to be sent out. Have you ever wanted a six gallon tin, filled to the brim with popcorn? The Factory have got you covered. So if you’ve a company function that wants snacks providing - or just want to get your friends and family enough to cater for the next few movie nights - you know where to come. Of course, everyone expects the plain and buttered varieties, but other tastes available might be new to you. But if that’s not what you want, they do offer other possibilities; among them the beautiful smaller tins and boxes. Designed to say “thank you”, to celebrate birthdays, or to send a message, they make excellent presents. There are extra customization opportunities - an apt image, the recipient’s name, even a special note. There are customers who know their flavor preference and thus merely purchase a large tin of it. You might alternatively purchase an assortment or even a sampler. If you desire larger helpings, while keeping that range, you can always assemble a tower. Simply constructed from a stack of boxes securely attached, you can order specific arrangements or assemble your own.

There you have it; so many flavors, so many options. With their style, too, they make great presents. Do you know anyone who’d enjoy a six gallon tin? I greatly recommend it.

Even those people who do not suffer from any type of diabetes know that those who do have to keep to a diet. Diabetics should to be aware of special feeding plans and programs as soon as they find out they have the disease. And of course they should be aware of diabetic diets. Today it’s a common thing to use online diets, including online diabetic diets.

No matter what type of diabetes a person has s/he has to keep glucose (blood sugar level) under control. It’s of vital importance. Neglecting treatment of this issue can be fatal.

Even for insulin-dependent people diabetic diets could be of great help as glucose level directly depends on what and how much we eat. So, it becomes obvious why diabetics follow diets constantly or at regular intervals. Now let’s think why diabetics use online diabetic diets.

Every person is under threat of getting the disease at any age in spite of the fact that it’s not an infectious disease. Young generation uses internet for everything: they meet online, date online, buy online, study online, and follow diets online. Internet is great source of all possible types of diets, including diabetic diets. It’s simple and convenient way to find a diet that fits you most and feel better.

Quality Acai Juice Extract

Acai Berry juice extracts come from a palm from the Amazonian rainforest. It has small, purple fruits that have been used by Brazilian natives for food and health for hundreds of years. The active constituents in Acai are polyphenols and anthocyanins. Scientific studies have shown these compounds to be powerful antioxidants, benefiting the entire body by protecting the cells from free radicals.

Today, companies are sprouting virtually overnight porting the benefits of acai. They make acai juice, pills, creams, lotions and just about anything else you can possibly think of. Some companies have even created multilevel marketing opportunities behind this berry. It seems there are no shortages of ideas for multilevel marketing companies. Personally, I remain unconvinced that the products provided through these companies are significantly better than what you can purchase on your own. The only benefit, that I can see, to buying acai juice or acai juice extract capsules through one of these companies is the moneymaking opportunity that comes with it.

However if you are not a salesman and not into trying to convince people to join a business opportunity you can still get the benefits of a quality acai juice extract. Source naturals makes a good one that you might want to consider.

A dose of vitamin C may give a quick boost to the poorer-than-average blood circulation seen in healthy young smokers, a study suggests.
The study of 25 healthy men found that although smokers initially showed poorer results on a test of blood flow to the heart that changed after they took a large dose 2 grams of vitamin C.

Shortly after taking the vitamin, the 13 smokers showed blood circulation on par with that of the 12 non-smokers, according to findings published in a leading heart journal.

However, lest smokers think they can undo heart damage by chasing a cigarette with a vitamin C pill, the researchers say their findings underline the dangers of smoking.

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant, a substance that helps clear the body of cell-damaging molecules called oxygen free radicals. Because of this, it’s thought that the vitamin may counter the “oxidative stress” that smoking puts on the lining of the blood vessels a mechanism by which smoking leads to artery disease.

The new study looked at the effect of oral vitamin C on coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR), a measure of how well blood flow speeds up to help the heart when it’s under high demands. Past research has shown that smokers show poorer blood-vessel dilation in response to blood flow, and have a diminished CFVR.

The research team used a non-invasive ultrasound technique to measure CFVR in smokers and non-smokers, before and after they took vitamin C.
They found that before taking the vitamin, smokers had a lower CFVR than non-smokers did. Two and four hours after the dose of vitamin C, however, smokers’ average CFVR was “restored” to a more-normal level.

Though the men in the study were given a large dose of vitamin C, researchers pointed out that it’s probably useless to take doses beyond 200 milligrams, because the body will excrete the excess.

Moreover, it’s not clear that loading up on vitamin C can benefit smokers. Some trials have found that taking C supplements does not improve smokers’ blood vessel function, at least in the short term.

Researchers said further, large-scale trials should look at whether daily vitamin C supplements cut smokers’ long-term risk of coronary artery disease.

Tanya Roberts is research associate, www.onlinesmoker.com

Chronic arthritis pain isn’t something to ignore: not only can it affect your quality of life, it can also deplete your emotional stores (leading to anxiety and/or depression) and muscle fitness (leading to weakness or complete muscle breakdown).

But whether you suffer from osteoarthritis (”wear and tear” of the joints), rheumatoid arthritis (inflammation in the joints) or gout (excess uric acid that accumulate in the joints), relief from your arthritis pain is available. This article will discuss the pros and cons of over the counter (OTC) medications and supplements for osteoarthritis, focusing on managing arthritis pain and maintaining the ability to use the joint in question.

Arthritis Pain Relief: Acetaminophen
Of the drugs in our list of arthritis pain relievers, acetaminophen is widely accepted as the OTC with the least amount of undesirable side effects and the lowest long-term costs. However, acetaminophen does nothing to reduce inflammation associated with arthritis pain, normally can only treat mild to moderate cases of osteoarthritis and can easily become toxic if mixed with alcohol.

Arthritis Pain Relief: NSAIDs
NSAIDs help sufferers with both arthritis pain and inflammation and are quite inexpensive (like acetaminophen). However, long term usage has been shown to cause upset stomach and other, more serious side effects (such as skin rashes or speeding up the progression of osteoarthritis by interfering with cartilage repair and promoting cartilage destruction).

Arthritis Pain Relief: Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate
Combined together, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are excellent supplements in the fight against arthritis pain: they are said to increase mobility, reduce osteoarthritis pain and form the building blocks for cartilage growth. However, those allergic to shellfish must avoid glucosamine at all costs (since it’s derived from the shells of shrimp, lobster and crab).

Arthritis Pain Relief: MSM
MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) has been studied extensively (for over twenty years) as an arthritis pain relieving supplement. By blocking pain transmitters in the affected nerve, MSM users find similar arthritis pain relief to acetaminophen, but without the potential liver toxicity. Some osteoarthritis sufferers have also noticed a reduction in inflammation of the joints also, since MSM reduces histamine levels (linked to allergy-related inflammation).

Arthritis Pain Relief: SAMe
SAMe (S-adenosyl-L-methionine) has been shown to reduce inflammation in osteoarthritis sufferers as much as NSAIDs. However, SAMe takes a longer time to see symptom reduction, but offers less gastrointestinal discomfort than NSAIDs in general. Arthritis pain sufferers should ensure enough B vitamins are ingested along with SAMe to feel the full effects, and expect slow but steady arthritis pain relief.

Arthritis Pain Relief: Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA)
Found in evening primrose and borage oils, GLA is an omega-6 fatty acid said to help lessen arthritis pain, stiffness and swelling. Few side effects have been recorded, however all omega-6’s are blood thinners and may increase the risk of bleeding if taken with NSAIDs.

As with all OTC supplements and drugs, check with your doctor first before starting any arthritis pain reducing regimen on your own. You may also want to monitor your liver and kidney function for most of the medications discussed above since almost all have a slight risk of side effects. Start with the lowest dosage possible to see how your body and your illness tolerate the item, and be patient: you’ll never be sure if a new supplement or medication is actually working if you don’t take adequate time to test.

John Robben is the owner/operator of Ultimate Water Massage (est. 2000), a Washington-based company that offers over 2000 products to ease arthritis pain. Visit for more information, tools, supplies and tips for living with arthritis at http://www.ultimatewatermassage.com/.

How many pills do you have to take every morning? Lots of multivitamins in there? For most people the answer is yes, considering there are more multivitamins sold than Prozac or Viagra!

I think my mom used to take at least five or six vitamins. I don’t know about you, but I think that sounds like a big hassle, and I don’t have time for it.

The thing is, vitamins and minerals are necessary. You can get most of your nutrients from eating a balanced diet which includes lots of fruits and vegetables, but you can’t get everything. That’s where vitamins come in.

You may be wondering, “Why do I actually need vitamins and minerals?” Let me tell you about the United States Senate Document #264 from way back in 1936.

The main point of the document is that the soil in developed countries, especially North America, has been nearly depleted of all important minerals. And this was in 1936! Thank about how bad it is now. We should be getting minerals from the foods we eat, but we aren’t. (Don’t worry, the end of the article has a solution.)

To quote directly from the document, “The alarming fact is that foods, fruits and vegetables and grains, now being raised on millions of acres of land that no longer contain enough of certain needed minerals, are starving us - no matter how much of them we eat!”

One mineral you’re probably familiar with is calcium. We need that for our bones. And since cycling is not a weight bearing sport, we need extra calcium. Calcium does more than build strong bones, however.

Read this interesting selection from the document for more detail:

“A cage full of normal rats will live in amity. Restrict their calcium and they will become irritable and draw apart from one another. Then they will begin to fight. Restore their calcium balance and they will grow more friendly; in time they will begin to sleep in a pile as before.”

Now we come to another important question: Do you have a dangerous mineral deficiency? For example, if you are deficient in selenium, you could experience an irregular heart beat, infertility, or muscular dystrophy. A deficiency in tin could lead to male pattern baldness. And a lack of lithium could cause reproductive failure. Yikes!

(By the way, the product I’m going to tell you about contains all the macro and trace minerals known to man!)

Hopefully you now realize the importance of vitamins and minerals in your diet. But you probably know how annoying it is to take pills. Well, what about liquid vitamins?

First off, let’s talk about absorption rates. In pill form, only 10-20% of the vitamins are absorbed. However, in liquid form, 98% are absorbed. (Think of taking pills as flushing 80-90% of your money down the toilet!) (1996 Physicians Desk Reference, p. 1542)

Along with actually working, liquid vitamins are easy to use. Just take a few sips, swish it around in your mouth, and swallow. That’s it.

Personally, I hate swallowing pills. I know some people who couldn’t swallow a pill to save their life. And I know people who pass pills through their system without breaking them down at all. However, everyone I know can swallow a liquid.

Not too long ago, Centrum actually came out with a liquid multivitamin because they could see the potential in this market. However, it is simply a multivitamin in liquid form. Wait…isn’t that what we wanted? Well, yes. But there is something even better.

Remember how I said it would be a good idea to get your nutrients from actual whole food? Now there’s a way to do that, but with a liquid.

That way is with a product known as Body Balance. By taking it, you’re getting organic vitamins and minerals derived from live plants. Specifically, from pure deep sea vegetation. (See why Centrum isn’t on par with whole food like Body Balance?)

Click here for more information or to order Body Balance.

Check it out today. Isn’t your health worth it?

Article not evaluated by the FDA. Some statements are just the opinion of the author and should not be used as a substitute for qualified medical advice. Body Balance works for most people, but that does not guarantee that it will work for you.

This article was written by Levi Bloom in 2004 and originally appeared in the health and fitness articles on his site.

Bee pollen has all the essential components of life. It is considered by many to be nature’s most perfect complete food. It is extremely loaded with vitamins and contains nearly all known minerals, trace elements, enzymes and amino acids. Bee pollen is also considered to be a first-rate source of anti-oxidants.

Bee pollen is a complete food, and taking it helps to balance the incomplete foods that we are all used to eating in everyday life.

Additionally, bee pollen is one of the world’s oldest health foods. You can find references to it in the Bible, the Torah, the Koran as well as ancient Chinese and Egyptian texts. And one of our most popular presidents, Ronald Reagan, took bee pollen for years.

And many people swear to the healing properties of bee pollen. They claim that it’ll give you increased energy, boost your body’s immune responses by increasing your red and white blood cells, increase longevity by repairing damaged cells, and help to cure all kinds of diseases with it’s built in antibacterial qualities.

People also say that it is good for the intestines, moderating and controlling the organisms dwelling there and helping to aid digestion and the assimilation of nutrition

But it helps to keep a little perspective and remain as least a little skeptical. Thus far, I am aware of no reputable scientific study that supports the view that bee pollen is effective against any human disease.

So what exactly is bee pollen?

Pollen is created by the male part of the flowering plant. As the bee flits from flower to flower, it carries pollen with it, which cross-pollinates and fertilizes the plant. Some of the pollen also makes it back to the bee hive where bee keepers can then collect it.

And it is precisely because of this pollen that many people who have allergies will be negatively affected by bee pollen. In fact, there are documented reports of bee pollen and royal jelly triggering asthma, hives, sore throats, facial itches and even anaphylactic shock in people with allergies to specific pollens. And these reactions can occur with as little as one teaspoon of bee pollen.

But another real hidden danger is that many people will believe so much in the efficacy of bee pollen or some other nutrient of the month that they completely ignore the signs of their own body. Nutritional supplements should never, ever take the place of consultation and treatment of your doctor or competent health care professional and nutritionist.

Jim Allen is a writer and researcher for www.acai-berry-fruit-juice.com.