The Balkan Chronicle

Fasting could be best described as voluntary abstinence form taking food for certain period of time. Fasting has both medical and spiritual significance. Beyond these two there are many more interesting facts pertaining to fasting. Fasting is a wonderful gift to the mankind since times immemorial. 'It is one cure to many ailments': experts say!

Diet soft drinks can actually make people fatter, say scientists.
Reaching for the Diet cola is a bad idea for those trying to cut calories - because it may make you want to eat more, according to two studies.
Artificial sweeteners could be to blame, as they were shown to increase blood sugar levels over time, and researchers believe they could also actually trigger the appetite.

Medical personnel always advice on exercise to keep fit and in shape, and the best exercise is JOGGING or brisk walk for at least 30 minutes daily. Taking jogging for granted will cause your body more harm than good, defeating the whole purpose of investing your time and money to stay in form.

However, slow running or jogging is a simple way to develop cardio-respiratory endurance. You can either do it alone, with a partner, or even in a group. Remember, a good pair of running or sports shoes is the only equipment you need, and finding a place to run or jog is as simple as walking out of your house. Getting a full workout through jogging takes less time than doing aerobic activity. This is because it can be done in almost all types of weather, when on vacation, or at times even during the lunch breaks.

Every 10th cases of cancer diagnosed in men is caused by excessive alcohol consumption, according to a survey conducted by the German Institute of Human Nutrition.

This information is the results of a major European study, published online by the British Medical Journal , which found that up to one in 10 cancers in men and one in 33 in women could be caused by drinking.

Researchers concluded that drinking above recommended alcohol limits was likely to be responsible for the majority of cancer cases linked to alcohol, although for some people even a small consumption may increase the risk.

To summarize the first article in this series, we continue to be a world of haves and have-nots but in today's version even the haves are suffering and they are suffering from having too much. This too much is too much food but not enough nutrition. The haves can eat all the time but they are choosing to eat the wrong foods and or the empty foods. Empty foods meaning that they are eating but there is no nutritional value in the food that they are choosing to eat, this why we are giving you this information on where to find the whole food sources for the majority of your vitamin and mineral needs.

In this supplement we are covering the systems supported, the benefits to be found and the whole food sources for vitamin C.

To summarize the first article in this series, we continue to be a world of haves and have-nots but in today's version even the haves are suffering and they are suffering from having too much. This too much is too much food but not enough nutrition. The haves can eat all the time but they are choosing to eat the wrong foods and or the empty foods. Empty foods meaning that they are eating but there is no nutritional value in the food that they are choosing to eat, this why we are giving you this information on where to find the whole food sources for the majority of your vitamin and mineral needs.

In this supplement article we are covering the benefits to be found and the whole food sources for complex of vitamins B1, B2–Riboflavin, Vitamin B3–Niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12.

To summarize the first article in this series, we continue to be a world of haves and have-nots but in today's version even the haves are suffering and they are suffering from having too much. This too much is too much food but not enough nutrition. The haves can eat all the time but they are choosing to eat the wrong foods and or the empty foods. Empty foods meaning that they are eating but there is no nutritional value in the food that they are choosing to eat, this why we are giving you this information on where to find the whole food sources for the majority of your vitamin and mineral needs.

With all of the talk about starving people all over the world this title may seem incorrect but it’s not. The vast majority of people who do have access to food on a regular basis are overfed and undernourished.

Look around you the next time you are out and you will see bulging waistlines and double and triple chins everywhere.These problems in appearance are not the worst of it. With the increase in weight the increased incidence in heart disease, cancer and diabetes is destroying national economies world-wide.

Diseases like the above mentioned are so harmful because they not only incapacitate the individual but they are usually chronic long-term problems which also hurt the family and the community that has to provide for the sufferer.

 

As dietary changes bring us global obesity, nutritional scientists are able to view the changes that come with a shift from a healthy traditional diet to a modern unhealthy one. Modern dietary changes have included an overabundance of saturated fats and simple carbohydrates/sugars.

With an increase of these food sources and a decrease in fresh whole foods, our nutrient intake has largely become unbalanced.

But what does this mean for us everyday eaters? To find out, Dr. Elaine Paterson, manager of clinical research at Standard Process, put together sample diets.

For centuries, bee pollen, bee venom and honey have been used for treating various conditions like chronic pain and other skin conditions.

The venom acts as a natural anti-inflammatory for chronic pain.

Usually, bee venom is a complex composition of enzymes, amino acids and proteins.

An epidemiologist and toxicologist who is an expert in environmental health has found evidence linking cell phone usage to an increased rate of certain kinds of brain tumors in young people who were heavy cell phone users.

In her book, Disconnect, Dr. Devra Davis talks about how she found evidence of studies, some decades old, showing that the radio-frequency radiation used by cell phones could have biological effects -- enough to damage DNA and potentially contribute to brain tumors.

Recapping The Goodness

First, I’d like to give a quick bullet-point run-down of some of the effects of fasting that I reported on in the last five posts.

Here we are nearing the end of our journey through the physiology of fasting. It’s been an interesting, enlightening ride and provides further justification for incorporating Intermittent Fasting of some sort into one’s dietary regimen. One final little post on exercising while fasting and then we’re off to a Q&A session. Then we’ll have to find something else to talk about. I will warn that this post is far more speculative than the previous ones, having reached the end of the scientific studies for the most part.

Here we are at the fourth installment of our look at the physiology of fasting. Thus far, we’ve looked at energy production, hormonal effects, the anti-inflammatory nature of fasting, and changes in blood markers. Today, let’s look at healing, disease, aging, and longevity.

In our previous two posts, we took a high-level look at the hormonal effects of fasting, along with some of the benefits of these hormonal changes. Today, we’ll take a quick look at the effects on inflammation and blood.

Last time, we started looking at the physiological effects of fasting. I first looked at it from the perspective of energy production. As we saw, fasting has several effects on hormones, such as glucagon, epinephrine, and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).

Physiological processes during fasting

As you know, I’m a big fan of , but this is an area of it that I’ve never really looked at. I’m going to break this into several posts because there’s a lot going on here and I don’t want to burden everyone with a novella. Today, we’ll look at how the body handles energy production during the fasting period, a good starting point given that, when you get down to it, an energy source and water are the only two requirements for the body to operate.

If your pants are feeling a bit tight around the waistline, take note: Belly bulge can be deadly for older adults, even those who aren't overweight or obese by other measures.

One of the largest studies to examine the dangers of abdominal fat suggests men and women with the biggest waistlines have twice the risk of dying over a decade compared to those with the smallest tummies.

New research suggests the little white flower packs a punch similar to prescription anti-anxiety drugs. How is that possible?

In what's being called the first scientific proof that aromatherapy works, researchers in Germany have concluded that the smell of jasmine, a small white flower that's been used homeopathically for years to calm the nerves, is just as effective as Valium — at least, on lab mice. Could doctors someday prescribe a daily whiff of this fragrant flower?

Most kids won't turn down a sugary treat, but it turns out some children prefer more intense sweetness than others. Those kids drawn to sweeter-than-cola drinks are also more likely to have a family history of alcoholism and depressive symptoms, a new study finds.