While science is continually confirming the health benefits of a fresh, natural diet, it’s quite probable very few of us are thinking of food synergy.

Food synergy is taking the stage to let us know that the way we eat fresh, natural foods affects their benefits to us.  You probably won’t find discussions of food synergy over beer and steak at your next barbeque party, nevertheless it’s an important concept for you to consider in your quest for good health.

Healthy vegetarians know that they must combine certain foods to make whole proteins and to get enough iron and other nutrients from their diet.

Consider the following examples of food synergy:

• Providing nut allergies are not a problem then it’s time you once again enjoyed a peanut butter sandwich made with whole wheat bread for good food synergy.  Combining these two foods will give your body the essential amino acids which make up a complete protein.  While wheat alone is an incomplete source of amino acids, peanuts contain the amino acids that wheat needs to make it a complete source of protein; together, they do the job your body needs.
• If you are not a big meat eater then your body may not be getting all the required iron.  If you lean toward a vegetarian way of life then it will be helpful for you to combine foods rich in vitamin C with plant based iron sources such as lentils, beans, soy, leafy greens like spinach, broccoli mustard and dried fruit.
• Studies have shown that vitamin C together with the phytoestrogen found in various fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and soybeans work in combination  to inhibit the oxidation of LDL cholesterol (the bad one!).
• In my house, tomatoes combined with broccoli don’t often come to mind when planning a meal.  Good food synergy says it should.  This combination may be more effective at slowing prostate tumor growth than either of them alone.
• Natural flavonoids found in certain foods will assist in greater protection against cancer when you eat them together as compared to eating the foods individually.  Food synergy happens when the compound sulforaphane and the flavonoid polyphenol apigenin are taken together making the effect twelve times stronger than when eaten alone. You will find  Polyphenol apigenin in many fruits and vegetables such as apples, cherries, tomatoes and celery plus tea and wine also contain this antioxidant.  The sulforaphane can be found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower.  Sounds like the makings of a delicious salad to be enjoyed with a nice glass of wine or cup of tea with dessert.

There are many more combinations that make up food synergy for your good health.  If food synergy interests you and you want to read more then you may enjoy a book written by Elaine Magee, MPH, RD titled Food Synergy.  Visit healthtopics.ca regularly for health and wellness news.

Tags: antioxidant, flavonoids, Food Synergy, Health Benefits

It’s no wonder women turn to menopause self help.  The last gynecologist I visited threw his hands in the air and told me that bioidentical hormones are a “myth”.  All I did was ask if he prescribed them because I was at my wits end with what seemed to be a menopause problem.  My own Doctor told me she doesn’t prescribe bioidentical hormones but she would fill a prescription if I brought one from a Naturopath.   She said there is no long term research and therefore doesn’t recommend them but I got the feeling she really just wasn’t interested in learning about them.   After much frustration with the medical system and reading books and researching, I tried my own menopause self help.  Menopause self help is really just good common sense recommendations. 

The top 10 menopause self help tips:

1. Aim for raw foods for 50% of your diet and consume a protein supplement which will help stabilize your blood sugar.  Add blackstrap molasses to your diet together with soybean products, broccoli, salmon with bones, sardines (not my favorite!) and white fish.  Even dandelion greens and kelp if you are feeling brave.
2. Phytoestrogens also play a role in menopause self help.  Eat the following foods high in these: soybeans, flaxseeds, nuts, whole grains, apples, fennel, celery, parsley and alfalfa.  Relief from hot flashes may come from soy and soy isoflavones.  Women in Asian cultures rarely experience hot flashes and this may be due to a high intake of phytoestrogens.
3. Don’t consume animal products other than the fish as listed.  Avoid dairy products.  Limit yourself to small amounts of low-fat yogurt or buttermilk.  Dairy and meat products may promote hot flashes.
4. We love our wine and coffee but try to avoid alcohol, caffeine, sugar, spicy foods, hot soups and drinks as they may trigger hot flashes while aggravating urinary incontinence not to mention making mood swings worse.  These also make the blood more acidic which in turn prompts the bones to release calcium that will act as a buffering agent.  We want to avoid bone loss during the menopause years.
5. Menopause self help would not be complete without regular moderate exercise.
6. Easier said than done at times but avoid stress as much as you can.
7. Use Mrs. Dash or garlic or onion powder in place of salt when cooking.  An increase of urinary excretion of calcium results with salt consumption.
8. We want to keep our skin hydrated and prevent drying of mucous membranes so drink 2 quarts of good quality water every day.
9. For annoying, embarrassing itching in your vaginal area try vitamin E cream that has no added fragrance or you can open a vitamin E capsule and apply the oil.
10. Also use vitamin E oil or aloe vera gel to lubricate your vagina if sexual intercourse is painful.  The good news is frequent sexual intercourse can help relieve vaginal dryness.

Whether or not you are on hormone replacement therapy, you will feel better while following the above menopause self help guidelines.

Tags: Bioidentical Hormones, hot flashes, Menopause, Menopause Self Help