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Processing green tea differs from the way black tea is processed. Antioxidants in the tea leaves are nearly exhausted after black tea is processed whereas in green tea, almost all of its antioxidants are left in the leaves after processing.

Antioxidants in an apple

Antioxidants are active when an apple is sliced. You must have noticed that after slicing an apple, its flesh slowly turns into brown. That is because the apple's flesh is reacting to oxygen when it is exposed to air. This reaction produces free radicals and could create a chain reaction.

All fruits have antioxidants. Different types of fruits have different types of antioxidants. This is nature's defense for the fruit from oxidizing.

Let's get back to the apple. When free radicals are formed in the exposed flesh, the antioxidants in the apple quenches these free radicals to prevent a chain reaction. All of the exposed area of the flesh reacts to oxygen and therefore all these areas forms free radicals which are then quenched by the apple's antioxidants. Chain reaction cannot continue to the inside flesh as antioxidants quench these free radicals.

The discoloration you see in the exposed flesh are the result of molecules which reacted to oxygen. Scrape off that layer and you will see what the antioxidants in the apple has accomplished. It stopped the oxidation from going further inside the flesh.

Black Tea Processing

The following are the basic processing of black tea.

1. Harvesting
2. Withering - the leaves are spread and left to dry.
3. Rolling - the leaves are twisted and rolled either by hand or machinery. This process breaks or cracks the surface of the leaves exposing it to oxygen.
4. Oxidation or fermentation - the leaves are left to dry for several hours until it is about 80% dry.
5. Drying - the leaves further dried by applying heat without burning the leaves. This stops the oxidation process.

Just like the apple when the membranes of the leaves cracked in the rolling process, it exposed the insides of the leaves to oxygen. The free radicals produced are quenched by the antioxidants inside the tea leaves. Therefore those antioxidants that quenched the free radicals are already spent and will not be available in the finished product.

Green Tea Processing

This process differs a little bit from the way black tea is processed.

1. Harvesting
2. Withering
3. Drying

As you can see, the steps that can oxidize the leaves, rolling and oxidation, are omitted leaving the antioxidant content of the leaves almost intact.

Which do you prefer?

Now that you have seen the difference in processing and the final outcome of antioxidant content, what do you prefer? Tea with more antioxidant content? Others prefer the stronger taste of black tea against the milder taste of green tea. Others prefer green tea because of its healthful benefits.

How to get more antioxidants from tea

Our body can absorb only a small percentage of the antioxidants in tea. By combining it with citrus juices or vitamin c, our body's absorption of the antioxidants in tea can multiply more than 5 times.

The author has more health info on herbal green tea, antioxidants in green tea and green tea for weight loss.

Source:http://www.articlealley.com/article_537498_23.html 

Pain causes Sleep problems.

Acute and chronic pain are linked to problems with sleep. When your body is in pain, your body's energy is directed toward healing whatever is causing the pain. And this shift in physical processes leads to sleep disturbance.

People in pain report having difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, sleeping fewer hours, and waking up at night.

Dr. James C. O'Brien MD, became involved in sleep medicine when he began to notice that many of his patients, with undiagnosed sleep disorders, were not responding to conventional medical treatments. When sleep disorders were diagnosed and treated, a patient's condition improved, and they reported a new sense of well-being.

Dr. O'Brien describes some of the physical changes that our bodies feel when we are in pain, and how it impacts sleep. In an interview for Medical News Today, about the affects of pain on sleep, he shares how pain can affect the body's ability to "shut down".

When you are in pain, your hormones change. Adrenalin, our body's hormonal response to pain, can be in "overdrive" mode. When we have extra adrenalin surging in our bodies, it is difficult to relax and prepare for sleep. "Pain is clearly the nemesis of getting good sleep", says Dr. O'Brien.

Distinguishing acute pain (due to a recent injury or muscle strain) from chronic pain (long-term symptoms like arthritis pain, and when pain persists after the injury has healed) can help sleep treatment. Acute and chronic pain can influence sleep differently, so they may require different treatment.

Dr. Ellen Miller tells how medications can further complicate sleep problems. The medications have ingredients that stimulate the body and the nervous system. Some include caffeine, which stimulates the nervous system and inhibits sleep.

Medications may also have discomforting side effects. So, then sleep can be disturbed due to the initial pain and due to medications' side effects.

If you have difficulty sleeping, or if you have pain which may affect your sleep, here are some of the sleep experts' most common tips for improving sleep quality:

*Avoid caffeine late in the day
*Exercise early in the day
*Avoid drinking too much liquid in the evening
(author's note: hydrate early in the day, because dehydration can increase pain symptoms and inhibit sleep)
*Minimize alcohol consumption, especially in the evening
*Avoid spending time in bed except for sleep time
*Practice meditation and relaxation methods
*Establish an "unwinding ritual" around bed-time
*Go to sleep at the same time each night
*Awake at the same time each day, even if you did not get a good night's sleep

Basically, Prevention and lifestyle habits are key to a good night's sleep. And understanding the connections between pain and sleep can help treat problems with both!
 

source:http://www.articlealley.com/article_537384_23.html 

Vitamins and minerals are found in fruits, vegetables and other food items in abundance. Below are the natural sources of vitamins and minerals that are essential for the proper growth and development of our body.

Vitamin A – The main sources of Vitamin A are milk, cheese, butter, green leafy vegetables, cabbages, carrots, red and yellow fruits and vegetables. Large amounts of Vitamin A are also found in fish liver oils (eg Cod liver oil).

Vitamin B – The main sources of Vitamin B are milk, yeast, wheat bran, fresh vegetables and fruits, germinated wheat, leafy vegetables, pulses, etc. are the usual sources. It is also present in eggs, meat (especially liver), and fish.

Vitamin C – The main sources of Vitamin C are sweet-sour fruits, myrobalan, tomatoes, watermelons, pears, cabbages, pineapples, potatoes and green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin D – Sunlight is the best source of Vitamin D. It also occurs in milk, eggs and some fish liver oils.

Vitamin E – The main source of Vitamin E are milk, germinated wheat, green leafy vegetables, vegetables oils, nuts and eggs.

Vitamin K – The main sources of Vitamin K are wheat bran, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, cauliflower, soyabean oil, vegetable oils, and livers of animals.

Calcium – The main sources of calcium are milk and milk products, fenugreek, drumsticks, and other green leafy vegetables, beetroots, figs, grapes, watermelons, millets, seasame and black grams. Some fish and oysters also contain plenty of calcium.

Phosphorous – The main sources of phosphorous are milk, cheese, yeast, dry fruits, soyabeans, dates, carrots, guava etc. It is also present in eggs, fish and meat.

Chlorine – Carrots, milk, potatoes, common salt, spinach, eggs, meat, salt-water, cabbage, tomatoes, bananas, dates etc. are the major sources of chlorine.

Potassium – Fresh fruits, milk, garlic, radishes, potatoes and meat are the main sources of potassium.

Iron – Fenugreek, mint, green leafy vegetables, seasame, millets, eggs, meat, animal livers, oysters, grams, green grams, black grams, soyabeans, dates, mangoes, etc.

Sulphur – The main sources of sulphur are beetroots, cabbage, radishes, garlic, onions, meat and milk.

Sodium – The main sources of sodium are milk, common salt, beetroots, carrots, radishes, eggs, meat and fish.

Magnesium – Milk, green vegetables, cereals, dry fruits and meat are the main sources of magnesium.

Iodine – It is present in sea foods and green vegetables.

Know more on Hair loss remedy. Visit an extensive section of Home remedies at Natural cures guide – a health guide to make you and your family live better, fit and healthy.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

source:http://www.articlealley.com/article_538825_23.html 

Good eating habits results in healthy digestive system that will improve your overall health. It also makes you free from a number of ailments. Below are top ten eating habits that are very beneficial for maintaining a good health.

- Always be mindful of the wholesomeness of the food combinations – Even alkali-genic and nutritious foods, when taken without regards to the rules of food combinations, can generate toxins in the body.

- If you are not hungry, don’t eat – It is advised by health experts that eating food without hunger is not good for health and may create many digestive disorders.

- Chew your food properly – Thorough chewing mixes saliva with the food. Digestion starts off in the mouth itself with the action of the enzymes present in the saliva. Moreover, well-chewed food is easily digested.

- Do not drink water with meals – Water requires only 10 minutes to be absorbed from the stomach, and in the process it carries the enzymes away. This reduces the digestive process, which may result in the loss of appetite. You can drink water 15 minutes before a meal, half an hour after taking fruits, and two hours after a full meal.

- Do not eat when you are under physical or mental tension – If the body or the mind is exhausted or under tension, the secretion of the digestive juices will not be adequate.

- Do not eat or drink anything that is too hot or too cold – Ideally the temperature of any food should be around 37 ºC (98.6 ºF), the temperature of the body. The enzymes in the mouth and the stomach act best at such temperatures.

- Do not overeat – Overeating is always harmful. The stomach is a flexible bag made up of muscles. Its rhythmic contractions and expansions are responsible for the efficient mixing of digestive juices and enzymes with food. These movements are hindered if the bag is stuffed with excessive food. The enzymes are not mixed properly with the food, which begins to decay. Most people fail to exercise discretion in the amount of food they take. Overeating makes one lethargic and dull. This is a constant feeling of thirst. With time the belly gets enlarged, and one fall victim to disorders of the digestive system. In fact, to keep healthy it is necessary at all times to remain slightly hungry.

- Rest for a while after meal – The body vessels of the stomach dilate just after meals. This stimulates the secretion of enzymes, and thus helps digestion. If work requiring any kind of physical or mental exertion is taken up just after a meal, blood will be diverted from the stomach to other parts of the body like the hand, feet or brain, slowing down digestion.

- Eat only one meal, or take only fruits, one day every week – Giving occasional rest to the stomach is as necessary as giving it its usual assignment of digestion, for maintaining its efficiency. Moreover, when the body is not occupied in the task of digestion, it is free to tackle the poison that has been accumulated in it.

- Do not take any food while suffering from fever or any other ailment – This is essential. It is a fact that we never do feel hungry when we indisposed, and actually feel averse to taking any food. During an illness, the secretion of digestive juices is greatly reduced. As a result, the digestive processes are almost at a standstill.

Know more on Triphala. Visit an extensive section of Home remedies at Natural cures

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program. guide – a health guide to make you and your family live better, fit and healthy.

source:http://www.articlealley.com/article_538824_23.html 

All of us want to stay in shape and look much younger than our age. But due to our bad eating habits, lack of exercise and sometimes due to our genetic dispositions, we keep gaining in weight. This leads us to relentlessly think about ways in which we can get slim and that too, fast. When in the advertisements we see models claiming to lose tens of pounds in just a few weeks by trying some or the other product, we also feel tempted to use that product and get slim fast. These models also claim that they have not restrain themselves from eating and they were continuing their own eating habits but the product they used was really good and helped them look slim without actual diet.

What we must be definitely interested in is safe and effective methods to get slim fast; methods that will not play havoc with the internal chemistry of the body. The following are five of the most popular methods used:-

Proper diet

Obviously, diet is the primary factor, because this is what we are directly introducing into the body. If you research on diets, you will get several kinds of them, and each of them has a different logic to make your body slim fast. There are low carbohydrates, high protein, low fat, totally fruit, totally liquids … so many different kinds of diets. You must do a proper research on them and then decide which of them is really good for you. And when you are on a diet, try to be as faithful to the diet as possible.

Lifestyle

The lifestyle you lead decides a lot about how obese or how slim you will be. If you lead a lifestyle parked on an office chair for most hours of the day, you are surely going to put on weight. If you have vices like smoking, alcoholism, etc. they are also going to take a toll on your health and add those ungainly pounds. The reason is that these substances do not allow your body to function properly, which disturbs the digestive metabolism greatly.

Exercise

Everyone advocates exercise as the best way to get slim fast, and it is indeed true. Exercise helps to burn off the excess fat and makes your body trimmer and fitter. You must spend a couple of hours each day doing the right kinds of exercises, and you will surely find the difference that makes to your body.

Body Cleansing

Cleansing your body internally makes a big difference to your overall health, and is of paramount importance in weight loss. When you cleanse your body, you are removing all the excess residual toxic materials that have built up inside it. That improves the functions of the body, and helps your body to metabolize better. The primary result of keeping your body internally clean is that you will not gain unwanted pounds anywhere in your body.

Using Herbal Supplements

All herbal supplements are primarily targeted at keeping your body working in the best possible manner. This optimum limit of functioning is brought about by a variety of herbs which are formulated in the right proportions to create these herbal supplements. The best part of using the herbal supplements to keep your body functioning in the right manner is that they are absolutely safe to use, and you never have to worry about any side-effects when you are using them.

For more information on Bioslim is one of the most effective herbal supplement t that will not only make you lose weight but will also help you in getting in shape.

source:http://www.articlealley.com/article_538338_23.html