Curry

In a study testing the brain power of more than a thousand Asian people, those who ate curry, even just once every six months, had better results than those who said they "never or rarely" ate it.

Curcumin, the chemical found in the spice turmeric, could both boost brain power and help prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Research suggests that curcumin inhibits the build-up of the harmful protein deposits called amyloid plaques that occur in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Curcumin is also reputed to have antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Chocolate

chocolateA growing number of studies have indicated there are actually health benefits to eating minimally processed dark chocolate. Cocoa flavanols improve blood flow and reduce the tendency to form damaging clots.
However, not all chocolate contains high quantities of cocoa flavanols:

  • Only eat DARK chocolate (70%+ cocoa solids). Dark chocolate has antioxidant properties. Adding milk (as in milk chocolate) cancels out the chocolate's antioxidant effects. Even some dark chocolate may not necessarily be healthy as it is processed in ways that destroy the majority of the beneficial polyphenolic bioflavanoids.
  • Only eat chocolate if you're healthy. Chocolate, even if it is dark, still contains large quantities of sugar, and eating sugar has a profoundly negative influence on your immune system.
  • Be moderate. If you are constantly craving sweets, it is likely that you are not eating the correct balance of protein, fats and carbohydrates for your metabolic type. If you tend to crave chocolate when you are upset, bored or lonely, this is a sign you could benefit from resolving these underlying emotional issues.
Fizzy drinks

If you routinely drink fizzy drinks --regular or diet--eliminating them from your diet is one of the simplest and most profound health improvements you can make. Studies have linked them to osteoporosis, obesity, tooth decay and heart disease.

The dangers of consuming fizzy drinks are many and varied. One can of fizzy drink contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar, 150 calories, 30-55 mg of caffeine, and is loaded with artificial food colors and sulphites (which can trigger asthma). Just one can a day can add as much as 6 kilos to your weight over the course of a single year. Diet drinks are no better as they are laced with harmful artificial sweeteners like aspartame. (Aspartame is a sugar substitute found in thousands of products, including, diet drinks, chewing gum and many processed foods. Some Americans are using aspartame to get rid of infestations of ants, which are impervious to many poisons. Aspartame works like a pesticide, as the asparctic acid contained in this toxic product is a well-documented excitotoxin that causes specific brain cells to become excessively excited to the point they quickly die. Not good for ants and not good for children either.)

Chips/French fries (and nearly all commercially fried foods)

Potatoes are composed of simple sugars that are rapidly converted to glucose, raising insulin levels which can devastate your health. They are cooked in trans fat at high temperatures. These polyunsaturated fats easily become rancid when exposed to oxygen and produce large amounts of damaging free radicals in the body. These oils can actually cause aging, clotting, inflammation, cancer and weight gain.

Crisps

Most commercial crisp type snacks are high in trans fat. Fortunately, some companies have caught on to the recent media scrutiny about the dangers of trans fat and have started to produce crisps without trans fat. However, the high temperatures used to cook them will potentially cause the formation of carcinogenic substances like acrylamide, and this risk remains even if the trans fat is removed.

Bacon

A review of available research indicates that the more processed meat (especially bacon) you eat, the more likely you are to develop stomach cancer. Processed meats include bacon, hot dogs, salami, deli sausages, ham, and smoked or cured meat. The shelf-life of these products is extended with nitrates, along with excess salt and smoking. (Scientists have discovered that nitrites and nitrates, compounds used to cure meats, might be converted into nitrosamines, dangerous cancer-causing substances, when they are digested.)

Soy

Soy's health claims are usually based on the low rates of heart disease and certain cancers in east Asian populations. However, Asians do not actually eat as much soy as has been generally assumed, and what they do eat tends to have been fermented for long periods. Fermentation considerably reduces the levels of hormone-disrupting isoflavones in soy. Non-fermented soy products contain a number of potentially health-disrupting "anti-nutrients," such as phytic acid. (For more information see The Whole Soy Story by Dr. Kaayla Daniel.)
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