Why You Should Have Turmeric Every Day

Before there were prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines, herbs and spices were the foundation of traditional medicine practices around the world.

Fast-forward thousands of years, and researchers today are now taking a fresh look at the potential in these natural remedies. The Indian spice turmeric is right at the top of the list.

Turmeric, with its mellow flavor and bright color, is a key ingredient in curry powder, and a highlight of cooking in places from India to Nepal to Southeast Asia. Turmeric’s health benefits — along with that distinctive yellow color — come from a group of flavonoids called curcuminoids. (That’s why the dietary supplement from turmeric is called curcumin.)

As modern science is now showing, turmeric is an outstanding example of the concept that foods can powerfully support the body’s healing processes. The past few decades have witnessed intense research devoted to this “sacred spice.” Here are seven of the most important benefits it can offer:

Continue reading “Why You Should Have Turmeric Every Day”

Read This Before Ever Using Turmeric Again

Turmeric is gaining in popularity and for good reason!

The yellow pigment found in turmeric, which is also responsible for the majority of its medicinal properties is called “curcumin.”

Study abstracts from the National Library of Medicine’s bibliographic database known as MEDLINE show over 600 potential health benefits of turmeric, and/or its primary polyphenol known as curcumin.

While adding turmeric to your diet is a sure way to boost your overall health, there are a few things you need to know about.

Turmeric’s Key Nutrient Isn’t Easy To Absorb

As mentioned previously, curcumin is the active compound you want to absorb from eating turmeric. However, a big problem with turmeric is that curcumin isn’t easily absorbed (1).

Various animal and clinical studies reveal that the concentrations of curcumin in blood plasma, urine, and peripheral tissues, if detectable at all, are extremely low regardless of dosage size (2). And low absorption rate will not give you the health benefits of this medicinal food.

How To Skyrocket Turmeric’s Bioavailability?

Fortunately, there are simple kitchen strategies that you can use to boost turmeric’s bioavailability.

1. Always Mix With Black Pepper

Black Pepper is a powerful medicine in its own right and a Potent Turmeric Adjuvant.

“If people are given a bunch of turmeric curcumin, within an hour there’s a little bump in the level in their blood stream. We don’t see a large increase because our liver is actively trying to get rid of it. But what if the process is suppressed by taking just a quarter teaspoon’s worth of black pepper? Then you see curcumin levels skyrocket. The same amount of curcumin consumed, but the bioavailability shoots up 2000%. Even just a little pinch of pepper—1/20th of a teaspoon—can significantly boost levels. And guess what a common ingredient in curry powder is besides turmeric? Black pepper.” via NutritionFacts

One Study entitled: Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers demonstrated that when piperine was co-administered with curcumin and given to human subjects the bioavailibity of curcumin increased 2000% (3).

2. Add a Healthy Fat to Turmeric
Since turmeric is fat-soluble, in order for your body to fully absorb it and experience its amazing health benefits, turmeric needs to be combined with a fat.

When eaten with healthy fats, such as coconut, ghee or olive oil, curcumin can be directly absorbed into the bloodstream through the lymphatic system thereby in part bypassing the liver.

This is very important because less curcumin is exposed to metabolic enzymes and remains in a free form allowing it to stay in the body longer. via DrNibber

3. Heat Increases Turmeric’s Bioavalibility
“The potent ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, which, despite its power, is not easily absorbed by the body without assistance. This is where the sauté pan and a little warm oil come into play,” Dr. Sukumar explains.

“I use it [turmeric] in every sauté, just a quarter teaspoon, a half teaspoon is enough. But you don’t have to use it sparingly – use it lavishly.”

“The better way to take it, I feel, is to use it in your cooking very extensively. If you have any sauté, just sprinkle it in. The moment you heat oil and add turmeric to it, it now becomes completely bioavailable to you.”

Bottom Line

To maximize the effectiveness of the turmeric you’re eating always make sure to do these 3 things:

  1. Activate turmeric by heating it up.
  2. Boost turmeric’s absorption by 2,000% by combining it with some freshly ground black pepper.
  3. Mix turmeric with a healthy fat to bypass the liver.

Dosage guidelines according to the University of Maryland Medical Center:

  • Cut root: 1.5 – 3 g per day
  • Dried, powdered root: 1 – 3 g per day

If you’re interested, here’s a golden milk recipe that’s worth trying.

Sources:
[1]http://www.mccordresearch.com/sites/default/files/research/Curcumin-Bioavailability.pdf
[2]http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/biof.1042/abstract
[3]http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9619120

Thanks to http://dailyhealthpost.com/improve-turmeric-bioavailability/

Do you have Carcinophobia?

Carcinophobia (or the fear of cancer) is an unpleasant and very real phobia afflicting people (or even friends and relatives of people) who have been diagnosed with the deadly disease.

Do you suffer from Carcinophobia? I think that is some form or another, we all do… The odds are against us. Statistics say that 1 in 4 Canadians will die from cancer. I would like to think that I am one of the 3 who will survive, but I am really?

I lost my father to pancreatic cancer when I was 24 years old and my mother died in 2009 from lung cancer. Is cancer in my family genes? Am I more susceptible to get cancer because my parents died from cancer… These thoughts cross my mind from time to time. In 2011 after I went for a routine mammogram I got a call from my doctor’s office asking me to come in. This is a call you don’t want to get. I went to the office as soon as I could and my doctor told me that they had found a lump on my left breast and I needed to get an ultrasound done to see if the lump was something to be concerned about. I had to call the clinic to book an appointment and the first available time was 6 days away. I was terrified and I wanted to know now, not in 6 days. My mind was racing and all sort of thoughts were going through my mind. What if this and what if that… At the follow-up appointment I had another mammogram (called a “diagnostic mammogram”) and an ultrasound. After the ultrasound the doctor told me that I would need to book another appointment in order to get a biopsy of the lump. “It’s probably benign” he said, but that was not very comforting. I week later I was back to do the biopsy, which thankfully was somewhat painless, and then they sent me home to wait for the results. Waiting is one of the worst tortures. It is in these situations where the Carcinophobia is at its highest. I wanted to talk to people about it, but I did not want to alarm them unnecessarily. I needed to be comforted and supported, but I did not want to be more worried with the stories I was going to hear. It was a time a great turmoil and anguish. The results took forever to come and I was really thankful that is was negative. I did not have cancer.

I was and am so grateful for the results. These 5-6 weeks I spent worrying about a cancer diagnostic thought me something very valuable. During all the waiting times I decided that IF I was diagnosed with cancer, that I was not going to let the system get me. I searched for solutions to help me overcome this disease. I am still learning and getting more knowledgeable every day about different ways to truly heal my body and leaving no room for cancer to multiply. There are ways to prevent cancer from developing. My article “10 easy ways to prevent cancer” will help you get started in the right direction. I am still betting against the odds. Are you?

10 Easy Ways to Prevent Cancer

  • 196,900 Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in 2015
  • 78,000 Canadians will die of cancer in 2015
  • 2 in 5 Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetime
  • 1 in 4 Canadians will die from cancer

These scary numbers taken from a report written by Canadian Cancer Society’s Advisory are very alarming. Have a look around you and imagine that 1 out of 4 of the people you see or know will die from cancer. I personally can’t grasp this idea. It blows my mind to think that so many people are affected by this disease. When I look at the services provided by the different cancer agencies I see very little information about what people should do to avoid getting cancer. They raise money for the cure, researches, for finding new drugs and medications, but where does this all summed up to when it comes to avoiding cancer in the first place? Are you ever told what to do to avoid getting cancer? Do you ever stop and wonder WHY this is? Why so many people are affected by cancer? What is the cause, the true cause?

I will shed some light on a few things you can do to stay healthy. You will find out in my article 10 easy ways to prevent cancer. Some of these ways are easy to apply in your daily routine and some others will require a little effort. But when you really think about it… isn’t your health worth the effort? Are you willing to gamble on your life about some little changes? Go ahead and read the article to find out what these 10 easy ways are… You will see it’s not that hard…

  1. Optimize Your Vitamin D

If you want to slash your risk of cancer, it’s essential that you spend adequate time in the sun, or if that’s not possible supplement with proper amounts of vitamin D3. Just be cautious about the length of your exposure. You only need enough exposure to have your skin turn the lightest shade of pink. Once you reach this point your body will not make any additional vitamin D due to its self-regulating mechanism. Any additional exposure will only cause harm and damage to your skin.

The daily recommended intake of a vitamin D3 supplement is only 600 IU/day but researchers have found that a daily intake of 4000-8000 IU/day are absolutely needed to maintain blood levels of Vitamin D metabolites to reduce the risk of cancer by half. The ‘normal’ 25-hydroxyvitamin D lab range is between 20-56 ng/ml but the vitamin D3 level should never be below 32 ng/ml, and any levels below 20 ng/ml are considered a seriously deficient state, increasing your risk of getting, as many as 16 different cancers and autoimmune diseases; like multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, just to name a few.

If you’re taking oral vitamin D, you also need to make sure you’re taking vitamin K2 as well, as K2 deficiency is actually what produces the symptoms of vitamin D toxicity, which includes inappropriate calcification that can lead to hardening of your arteries.

The OPTIMAL value to look for is 50-70 ng/ml (or 125-175 nmol/L). This range applies for everyone; children, adolescents, adults and seniors.

  1. Avoid Eating Excess Protein

Most of us eat far too much protein. Consider reducing your protein levels to one gram per kilogram of lean body weight unless you are in competitive athletics or are pregnant. It would be unusual for most adults to need more than 100 grams of protein and most likely need close to half that amount. This may come as a surprise, as we’ve been told for decades how important protein is for your health, but the truth is that excessive protein intake can have a great impact on cancer growth.

For most people, reducing your protein levels to one gram per kilogram of lean body weight means restricting protein intake from 35 to 75 grams. Pregnant women and those working out extensively need about 25% more protein, though. Further, when you reduce protein you need to replace it with other calories, specifically high-quality fats such as avocados, butter, coconut oil, olives, olive oil, nuts and eggs.

  1. Eat Living Foods with Amazing Health Benefits

Sprouts are a “super” food that many overlook. In addition to their nutritional profile, sprouts are also easy to grow on your own.

  • Sprouts can contain up to 100 times more enzymes than raw fruits and vegetables, allowing your body to extract more vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fats from the foods you eat
  • Both the quality of the protein and the fiber content of beans, nuts, seeds and grains improves when sprouted
  • The content of vitamins and essential fatty acids also increase dramatically during the sprouting process. For example, depending on the sprout, the nutrient content can increase as much as 30 times the original value within just a few days of sprouting. Sunflower seed and pea sprouts tend to top the list of all the seeds that you can sprout and are typically each about 30 times more nutritious than organic vegetables you can even harvest in your backyard garden
  • During sprouting, minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, bind to protein, making them more bioavailable
  • Sprouts are the ultimate locally grown food, and can easily be grown in your own kitchen, so you know exactly what you’re eating. And since they’re very inexpensive, cost is no excuse for avoiding them
  1. Simplify Your Cleaning Supplies

While it is very difficult to prove that a person’s exposure to household cleaners over the course of 10, 20 or 30 years is what caused their cancer diagnosis, it is well known that commonly used household chemicals do, in fact, cause cancer, along with other serious health effects like reproductive and developmental problems in developing children.

Research has found, for instance, that breast cancer risk is twice as high among women who report the most use of cleaning products and air fresheners, compared to those who rarely use such products. Mold and mildew cleaners and air fresheners have shown the greatest correlation with breast cancer.

Some of the chemicals of greatest concern that you’ll want to avoid include:

  • Glycol ethers
  • Phosphates
  • Phthalates
  • Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs)
  • Petroleum solvents
  • Perfumes
  • Formaldehyde
  • Butyl cellosolve
  • Chlorine
  • Ethanolamine
  • Sodium lauryl sulfate

Fortunately, it’s simple to replace toxic commercial cleansers with safer options. One of the best non-toxic disinfectants is plain soap and water. You can use this for washing your hands, your body and for other household cleaning. Another all-purpose cleaner that works great for kitchen counters, cutting boards and bathrooms is 3% hydrogen peroxide and vinegar. You can also keep your home very fresh and clean by making your own natural cleaning products using items you probably already have around your home. Some more tips for making simple and effective all-natural cleansers:

  • Use baking soda mixed with apple cider vinegar to clean drains and bathtubs, or sprinkle baking soda along with a few drops of lavender oil or tea tree oil (which have antibacterial qualities) as a simple scrub for your bathroom or kitchen.
  • Vinegar can be used to clean almost anything in your home. Try it mixed with liquid castile soap, essential oils and water to clean floors, windows, bathrooms and kitchens. It can even be used as a natural fabric softener.
  • Hydrogen peroxide is safer to use than chlorine bleach for disinfecting and whitening.
  1. Use Greener Beauty Products

When cleaning up your lifestyle you may be tempted to start with your diet (which is a good place to start), but your personal care products are also important to address. Putting chemicals on your skin is actually far worse than ingesting them, because when you eat something everything must go to your liver before entering your blood stream, providing your body an opportunity to detoxify substances that could be harmful. When you put chemicals on your skin however, they’re absorbed straight into your bloodstream without filtering of any kind, so the toxic chemicals from toiletries and beauty products are largely going into your blood, lymphatic system and then directly into your internal organs.

There are literally thousands of chemicals used in personal care products, and only a tiny fraction of them have ever been tested for safety. According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, nearly 900 of the chemicals used in cosmetics are known to be toxic. It’s impossible to list them all, but some of the most common culprits to avoid include:

  • Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)
  • Musks
  • Mercury
  • Paraben
  • 1, 4-Dioxane
  • Lead
  • Phthalates, including dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), and diethyl phthalate (DEP)
  • Mineral Oil, Paraffin, and Petrolatum
  • Nano Particles
  • Antibacterials
  • Hydroquinone
  • Formaldehyde

When it comes to personal care products, I like to use this rule — if you wouldn’t eat it, don’t put it on your body. I also highly recommend using the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, where you can look up a wide variety of products and brands to find out what they’re really made of, and whether or not they’re safe. You can also make your own personal care products, using simple all-natural ingredients that many of you may already have in your home.

  • All-natural moisturizers – Cacao butter or coconut oil are a great alternative to facial- and body moisturizers and lotions.
  • All-natural acne fighter — Rubbing just a drop of oregano oil on a breakout can speed up the healing and prevent unsightly scarring (remember to wash your hands thoroughly afterward).
  • All-natural deodorant – Plain soap and water works fine. If you still need further help then try a pinch of baking soda mixed into water as an effective all-day deodorant.
  1. Ditch Your Non-Stick Cookware

About 70 percent of the cookware sold in the US contains a non-stick coating that contains PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and other perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), which are used to make grease-resistant food packaging and stain-resistant clothing as well. Even though there are many names, if the item in question is “non-stick” or “stain/grease resistant,” it will generally have some type of fluoride-impregnated coating that is best avoided.

It’s well documented that when non-stick pans are heated the coating begins breaking down, releasing toxins into the air in your kitchen. When the pan reaches 680 degrees F (which takes about three to five minutes of heating), at least six toxic gases are released. At 1,000 degrees F, the coatings on your cookware break down into a chemical warfare agent known as PFIB. Research has revealed that these toxins can accumulate in your blood at an alarming rate and may lead to chronic disease like cancer over time. You can keep your exposure as low as possible by avoiding (or getting rid of) products that contain PFCs. This includes:

  • Non-stick cookware (choose either ceramic or glass instead)
  • Microwave popcorn
  • Packaging for greasy foods (including paper and cardboard packaging)
  • Stain-proof clothing
  • Flame retardants and products that contain them
  • Stain-resistant carpeting, and fabric stain protectors
  1. Drink Clear Pure Water

If you receive municipal water that is treated with chlorine or chloramines, toxic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) form when these disinfectants react with natural organic matter like decaying vegetation in the source water. DBPs are over 1,000 times more toxic than chlorine, and out of all the other toxins and contaminants present in your water, such as fluoride and miscellaneous pharmaceutical drugs, DBPs are likely the absolute worst of the bunch.

Already, it’s known that trihalomethanes (THMs), one of the most common DBPs, are Cancer Group B carcinogens, meaning they’ve been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals. They’ve also been linked to reproductive problems in both animals and humans, such as spontaneous abortion, stillbirths, and congenital malformations, even at lower levels. A whole-house filtration system is your best choice to remove chlorine, chloramine, ammonia, DBPs and other contaminants from all of your water sources (bath, shower and tap). If you don’t have the resources for a whole-house filtration system at this time, there are a couple of other tricks you can try. Visit Water Matters (http://yourwatermatters.com ) to buy very good filters or at FindaSpring.com you can identify local springs where you can get pure. You can also try:

  • Adding fruit, such as slices of peeled orange, to a 1-gallon water pitcher, which will help neutralize chloramine in about 30 minutes
  • Dissolving a 1,000-mg vitamin C tablet into your bath water, this will neutralize the chloramine in an average-size bathtub.
  1. Choose Organic and Locally Grown Food

Many pesticides and herbicides are potentially carcinogenic, and you may be exposed to them when you eat conventionally grown produce and animal products. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers 60 percent of herbicides, 90 percent of fungicides, and 30 percent of insecticides to be carcinogenic, and most are also damaging to your nervous system as well.

The answer, of course, is to opt for organically grown produce and organically raised, pastured animal products, which are raised without chemicals and other potentially cancer-causing products.

It’s well known that conventionally grown fruits and vegetables are often tainted with unacceptable levels of pesticide residues, but you’re also exposed when you eat animal products. Animals raised in confined animal feeding operations (CAFO’s) eat feed full of pesticides, and these toxins accumulate in their flesh and fat over the course of their lifetimes. When you eat factory-farmed meat, you then ingest these accumulated pesticides.

As for fresh produce, certain fruits and vegetables tend to be far more contaminated than others, simply because they’re more susceptible to various infestations and therefore sprayed more heavily. Some foods are also more “absorbent,” with thin, tender skins. Such foods would be high on your list for buying organic. The Environmental Working Group (EWG)  produces an annual shopper’s guide to pesticides in produce that you can download. It lists the produce with the highest and lowest levels of pesticide residue, which can help save you money if you can’t afford to buy everything organic.

Choosing organically raised animal products is potentially even more important, however, as animal products tend to bio-accumulate toxins from their pesticide-laced feed, concentrating them to far higher concentrations than are typically present in vegetables.

  1. Skip the Canned Foods

Avoiding canned foods is perhaps your best way to avoid bisphenol-A (BPA) – an endocrine-disrupting chemical linked to cancer and reproductive and fetal development problems, among other health issues.

Though BPA is a widely used component of plastic containers, it’s also found in food packaging and the inner lining of cans. Research from the Harvard School of Public Health revealed that canned foods and beverages can increase your BPA levels by a staggering 1,000 percent in a mere five days! The lead researcher noted that given this finding, canned goods may be an even greater contribution to your BPA levels than plastics. Here are 10 tips to help reduce your exposure to BPA around the house:

  • Only use glass baby bottles and dishes for your baby
  • Use glass, ceramic, or stainless steel travel coffee mugs rather than plastic or Styrofoam coffee cups
  • Get rid of your plastic dishes and cups, and replace them with glass varieties
  • Avoid using plastic wrap (and never microwave anything covered in it)
  • Give your baby natural fabric toys instead of plastic ones
  • If you opt to use plastic kitchenware, at least get rid of the older, scratched-up varieties, avoid putting them in the dishwasher, and don’t wash them with harsh detergents, as these things can cause more chemicals to leach into your food
  • Store your food and beverages in glass containers
  • IF you choose to use a microwave (see #10 below), don’t microwave food in a plastic container
  • Before allowing a dental sealant to be applied to your, or your children’s, teeth, ask your dentist to verify that it does not contain BPA
  1. Ditch Your Microwave

If you microwave your food in plastic containers, it can hasten the rate at which potentially cancer-causing chemicals can leach into your food. Additionally, microwaving creates new compounds that are not found in humans or in nature, called radiolytic compounds. We don’t yet know what these compounds are doing to your body.

In addition to the violent frictional heat effects, called thermic effects, there are also athermic effects, which are poorly understood because they are not as easily measured. It is these athermic effects that are suspected to be responsible for much of the deformation and degradation of cells and molecules. As an example, microwaves are used in the field of gene-altering technology to weaken cell membranes. Scientists use microwaves to actually break cells apart. Impaired cells then become easy prey for viruses, fungi and other microorganisms. You really CAN survive sans microwave—people are living quite happily without one, believe it or not. You just have to make a few small lifestyle adjustments, such as:

  • Plan ahead. Take your dinner out of the freezer that morning or the night before so you don’t end up having to scramble to defrost a 5-pound chunk of beef two hours before dinnertime.
  • Make soups and stews in bulk, and then freeze them in gallon-sized freezer bags or other containers. An hour before meal time, just take one out and defrost it in a sink of water until it’s thawed enough to slip into a pot, then reheat it on the stove.
  • A toaster oven makes a GREAT faux-microwave for heating up leftovers! Keep it at a low temperature — like 200-250 degrees F — and gently warm a plate of food over the course of 20-30 minutes. Another great alternative is a convection oven.
  • Prepare your meals in advance so that you always have a good meal available on those days when you’re too busy or too tired to cook.
  • Try eating more organic raw foods. This is one of the best ways to improve your health over the long run.

Source http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/04/22/cancer-prevention.aspx#_edn7

Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month

May is Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month

We are half way through the month already and I am wondering if you knew about it. What does this mean to you? Does it really bring awareness to you and the people around you? I am really concerned about the damages that the sun can have on our skin but I am also concerned about the effects of wearing commercial sunscreens can have on people.

UV light causes skin cancer and prematurely ages the skin, and so it’s very important to protect our skin with sunscreen or clothing. We don’t want to block sunshine completely – about 20 minutes each day is good for us – it boosts our vitamin D and improves our mood. Beyond 20 minutes, however, and our immune system suffers. We either need to spend the rest of the day inside or protect our skin with sunscreen or clothing.

The reason for my concern is that the majority of sunscreen products on the market contain harmful chemicals that might be cancerous. Our skin is our largest organ. Anything that comes in contact with the skin is absorbed into our body and is free to circulate into our bloodstream. There are 17 individual sunscreen ingredients that are FDA approved: 15 of these are clear chemicals that absorb UV light and two are made of minerals that reflect UV light. Of these 15, nine are known endocrine disruptors (Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that, at certain doses, can interfere with the endocrine (or hormone) system in mammals. These disruptions can cause cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other developmental disorders. Any system in the body controlled by hormones can be derailed by hormone disruptors.). Chemical sunscreens don’t sit on the surface of the skin – they soak into it and quickly find their way into the bloodstream. They scatter all over the body without being detoxified by the liver and can be detected in blood, urine, and breast milk for up to two days after a single application. That would be just fine if they were uniformly safe – but they’re not.

This is not the case with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, the two mineral, or physical, sunscreens. These two work very differently – they sit on the surface of the skin and physically block UV light. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are rocks that are ground down to a fine consistency. They do a great job at blocking both UVA and UVB light. Zinc is less whitening on the skin and blocks nearly all dangerous UV light. Inexpensive versions of these sunscreens are gooey and while you might put them on your kid’s skin, most people don’t like them. But newer zinc oxide sunscreens contain particles so small that they are transparent. These sunscreens are called micronized and do a great job at protecting against UV radiation. Be careful when buying these kinds because the micronized particles are small enough to enter your bloodstream and can be just as harmful as the chemical mentioned above.

As mentioned, nine of the 15 chemical sunscreens are considered endocrine disruptors. Those are chemicals that interfere with the normal function of hormones. The hormones most commonly disturbed are estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid. Endocrine disruptors, like some ingredients in chemical sunscreens, can cause abnormal development of fetuses and growing children. They cause early puberty and premature breast development in girls, and small and undescended testicles in boys. They cause low sperm counts and infertility. Endocrine disruptors that act like estrogen can contribute to the development of breast and ovarian cancers in women and other endocrine disruptors may increase the chance of prostate cancer in men.

Luckily there is some alternative for us. Nature is providing us with natural ingredients that can protect our skin naturally. Here’s a list of natural oils that can protect our skin for the damaging UV rays.

Carrot seed oil –> SPF 38-40
Raspberry seed oil –> 28-50
Wheat germ oil –> SPF 20
Avocado oil –> SPF 4-15
Coconut oil –> SPF 2-8
Olive oil –> SPF 2-8
Macadamia nut oil –> SPF 6
Almond oil –> SPF 5
Jojoba oil –> SPF 4
Shea butter –> SPF 3-6

With some of these oils you can make your own sunscreen at home. Make sure to look at my “DIY projects – Make your own sunscreens” blog post.

Based on an article by Arthur W. Perry, MD, FACS Dr. Perry is a board certified plastic surgeon, an Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia University, and a member of the Medical Advisory Board for The Dr. Oz Show.

Sun Rays and Your Skin

When the skin is exposed to the sun’s harmful rays it can cause burns and skin irritation. This causes increased thickness of the skin and changes the immune functions. When the immune functions are compromised the result may be injury, optical aging, skin cancer and other diseases. According to doctors, the sun is a source of UV rays responsible for skin diseases caused by prolonged exposure. When UV rays are in prolonged contact with skin optical absorption of photos (radiation) can occur and often oxidative stress results. Oxidative stress stimulates the production of harmful free radicals. So be careful during the summer elements as much as possible and try not to stay a long time in the hot sun. You can prevent these risks by relying on nutrition for the prevention of diseases caused by the sun. Food that contain vitamin C, beta carotene, selenium and other basic foods are helpful as they reduce free radicals, protect you from skin cancer, prevent wrinkles, prevent photovoltaic aging, inflammation and immune changes from exposure. It is important to know that you cannot rely uniquely on these foods to protect your skin from the harmful effects of the sun. See my post on DIY Sunscreen to protect yourself.

Foods That Help Protect Your Skin From Sun Exposure
Tomato: Cooking tomatoes is a highly effective way to help extract the private beta carotene and lycopene Flavonoid that protects the skin from the sun’s harmful rays. In addition olive oil or avocado with tomato salad helps to absorb the tomato’s helpful benefits.
Carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes and spinach: Lycopene belongs to a group which includes carotenoids and beta carotene in foods like carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes and spinach.
Chocolate: Chocolate contains many Flavonoids and antioxidants so having a cup of hot cocoa every day reduces the risk of ultraviolet radiation, as it reduces the appearance of solar wrinkles, especially in the neck and under the eyes.
Green tea: Drink green tea daily to reduce the damage caused by the sun’s rays and prevent skin cancer. Green tea has preventive properties that contain high levels of potent antioxidants that eliminate harmful free radicals that form when skin is exposed to the sunlight’s ultraviolet rays.
Pomegranate: Pomegranates play an active role in protecting the skin from ultraviolet radiation risks because they contain Ellagic acid.
Omega 3 oils: Omega 3 oils work on the immune system response to the risk of skin exposure to sunlight. Flax, chia and hemp seeds are great sources for Omega 3 oils.
Fruit and vegetables: Fruits and vegetables have their own effectiveness in preventing skin diseases because they contain antioxidants, especially in citrus fruits and carrots.

Experts point out that the best way to protect the skin from the harmful sun is to drink sufficient amounts of water, use sunscreen, along with a good moisturizer. This can save you from the rays of the sun that cause damage to the skin.

Thanks to:
The beauty of food by Hanan