Vitamin B Deficiency and Hair Loss

You look amazingly young for your age but your hair is still getting thinner on your head and thicker in other places you don’t want it to. You have tried hair products guaranteed to bring results but have had no luck. Dr Oz says take a look at your diet and your hair. Here is a list of the tops foods for better hair according to Dr. Mehmet Oz who you have probably seen on Oprah or on his own show on cable – The Dr. Oz show.

Salmon – Omega-3-rich foods such as salmon and sardines help seal in your hair’s shine. Distilled fish oils or DHA supplement will work too. Oz recommends 2g of fish oil if you’re taking a supplement that contains both EPA and DHA. If you’re taking DHA alone, you need only 600 mg.

Bran - Bran is rich in Vitamin B, which may slow hair loss and promote hair growth. Other B-rich foods include beans, peas, carrots, cauliflower, soybeans, nuts and eggs. Increase the fiber in your diet and your hair may grow faster.

Diet to Prevent Colon Cancer

Dr. Oz says one in 19 Americans will be diagnosed with colon cancer at some point, and many aren’t taking any preventive measures. There are many foods to prevent colon cancer which you can include in your diet. Dr. Oz also mentions vitamin B6, baby aspirin and coffee as part of your diet to prevent colon cancer. Read on to find out why you should include the following foods in your diet.

Fish - In a large, 22 year study, men who ate fish five times a week had a 40% lower risk of colorectal cancer than men who didn’t. Salmon is your best bet because it has a high concentration of vitamin D which has been shown to be effective in preventing colon cancer.

Whole grains – More highly processed products made with refined flour can create a sluggish insulin response and make the environment in your colon more friendly to tumors.

Beans - and celery, radishes, cucumbers, peppers and onions, are high in flavonols, compounds that help prevent colon polyps. Studies show that diets high in flavonols were 76% less likely to be associated with recurring advanced-stage polyps.

List Cancer Fighting Foods

Wouldn’t it be great if you could do something every day to prevent cancer in your body? Well, there is an easy way to do just that by consuming one cancer fighting food each day. According to research, these 10 foods can help protect against a variety of cancers says author Dave Grotto, RD, LDN, who wrote 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life. Here are the ten foods that help to prevent cancer:

Canned Beans - The have lots of fiber, which helps protect against colon and stomach cancer. Research also show they may help reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence in post menopausal women.

Broccoli – It is high in a phytochemical called sulforaphane, which helps fight carcinogens, and is rich in the anitoxidant indole-3-carbinol, which has been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Carrots - Carrots are high in antioxidants that have been associated with a lower risk of bladder, cervix, prostate, colon, larynx and esophageal cancer, as well as postmenopausal breast cancer. Cooked carrots provide better absorption better than raw.

Coffee – Some studies indicate that one cup a day may help protect against liver cancer.

Best Blueberry Muffins Recipe

Blueberry Power Muffins with Almond Streusel

Here is a great recipe for “power” muffins from Cooking Light magazine. The muffin are loaded with B vitamins from whole wheat flour, calcium from milk and yogurt, antioxidants from the blueberries, and heart-friendly monounsaturated fat from almonds and canola oil. You can freeze the muffins for up to a month, then thaw them at room temperature, or microwave each muffin at High 15 to 20 seconds. I tested the recipe using greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt and the muffins came out great, very tender and tasty. When I made the recipe it actually made almost 60 mini-muffins so I had to make additional streusel topping.

Muffins:

1 and ½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups vanilla low-fat yogurt (I used Greek yogurt which is a bit thicker than regular yogurt)
½ cup 2% reduced-fat milk
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 and ½ cup fresh blueberries (I used frozen and did not defrost them)
Cooking spray

Health Benefit of Watercress

Not all salads are created equal in terms of health benefits. The lighter greens such as iceberg, romaine and butter lettuce don’t share the same nutritional value as darker greens such as watercress, spinach and arugula. Read on the see what Dr. Oz has to say on the subject:

Watercress: This peppery green is full of iron, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and lutein, and contains compounds called isothiocyanates that may thwart a potent carcinogen in tobacco.

Arugula: This green is part of the cruciferous family of veggies. Why that’s important: They keep you smart. Women who eat the most from this food family score the same on brain tests as women who are two years younger. Plus, cruciferous vegetables have the power to turn on a cancer-fighting substance in your body that makes prostate-, breast- and colon cancer cells die.

Spinach – Its powerful ingredients include magnesium, a nutrient most of us don’t get enough of. Your brain loves this green, too: People who eat three or more servings of the stuff slow mental decline due to again by as much as 40%

Antioxidant Treats

Dr. Oz just posted an article talking about the benefits of cranberries. Though we think of them of as a holiday treat Dr. Oz says for the following reasons we should eat them all year round:

They’re high in antioxidants -
Cranberries have more of these disease-fighters than do apples, red grapes, strawberries, oranges, bananas, pears, grapefruit, pineapples and peaches. Cranberries all contain resveratrol, the heart protector in red wine, which is now being tested against breast, skin, prostate and liver cancer.

Cranberries are heart healthy –

Cranberries have antioxidants, anti-inflammatories and anticlotting agents, a combo that helps prevent fats and cholesterol from sticking to artery walls and seems to lower bad LDL cholesterol and boost good HDL cholesterol.

Cranberries help protect your teeth -

Compounds in cranberry juice appear to reduce decay-causing mouth bacteria and dissolve clusters of unhealthy germs. Just be sure to buy sugar-free juice or rinse well with water afterward. Do the same with any sweetened drink.

Cranberries help prevent ulcers and soothe upset tummies -

Scientists suspect that the berries keep ulcer-causing H. pylori bugs from hanging around the stomach and flush other harmful bacteria out of your digestive system.