Sharon Bell asked:


Americans spent $44.6 billion on anti-aging products and services last year, according to Norwalk, Connecticut - based research firm Business Communications Company Inc. Expenditures included $37.6 billion spent on drugs and supplements targeted at specific diseases of aging, $7.7 billion spent on appearance products and services and nearly $280 million spent on anti-aging products that use advanced technologies such as hair regrowth.

Growing at an average annual rate of 9.2 percent, the total market is estimated to reach nearly $72 billion by 2009. Still, if people ate the right foods, perhaps they wouldn’t spend so much money on Botox, caviar crème, facelifts, and other expensive anti-aging regimens.

The benefits of eating healthy are endless. Health experts said some foods can even help you look and age better. Beans and lentils, for instance, can reduce cholesterol and are rich sources of antioxidants, folic acid and potassium. Try kidney, black, navy, pinto, chickpeas, and soybeans for starters.

You can’t go wrong with a handful of nuts a day. Walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, macadamia and pistachio nuts contain omega 3 fatty acids which are great for your heart. Raw, unsalted nuts and seeds are the best.

Acai berry is one of the most nutritious and powerful foods in the world. It can often be found in juice form in health food and gourmet stores. Garlic, onions, leeks, scallions, chives and shallots can all help the liver eliminate toxins and carcinogens.

Barley can be used as a breakfast cereal in soups and stews, and as a rice substitute. Barley is also high in fiber and helps metabolize fats, cholesterol and carbohydrates.

Green foods like wheat and barley grasses can be bought in powder, tablet or juice form, and offer greater levels of nutrients than green leafy vegetables. They also help control cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and immune response.

Buckwheat is loaded with protein and high in amino acids. It stabilizes blood sugar levels and reduces hypertension.

Both bell and chili peppers contain antioxidants, have twice the Vitamin C as citrus fruit and work as great fat burners.

Numerous varieties of sprouts are great with any meal. They’re a great source of protein and Vitamin C. Try adding them to any dish to boost your immune system.

Yogurt and kefir contain healthful bacteria that aid immune function, and calcium helps burn fat. Try using them as a base for a smoothie.

So what makes certain foods such powerful age-defying weapons? Antioxidants, special substances found in these foods, have the ability to scavenge free radicals, compounds whose unstable chemical nature accelerates the effect of aging on our cells.

If you are already in your forties, eating the foods on our list is not going to magically bring back your hair or make your wrinkles disappear. But they will certainly help reverse the effects of aging. For more tips on staying young, check www.rejuvinol.com.



KREWSON

Anna Stenning asked:


Holidays these days are becoming more adventurous. People are prepared to travel to far and obscure places, planning a trip, which can be physically challenging and mentally invigorating. In other words, there are more opportunities for people try out new things in a place that is unfamiliar to them - now what could be more exciting than that? The problem arises when people are not properly prepared, and one of the most important factors for any traveller is the issues of food and water consumption.

Travelling for anyone is an exciting prospect and these days it is becoming cheaper to travel without sacrificing the quality of your accommodation choices. However, first time travellers will need to better prepare themselves for the upcoming trips. Even if it is a short trip to Europe, one should not underestimate the importance of carrying a portable water filter for when drinking tap water.

The tap water system in the UK uses various filtration methods to improve the quality of its taste, making it safer to drink. Chlorine is used in the water system to kill any residual pathogens, bacteria and harmful toxins, also preserving the water keeping it clean and fresh. However, many believe that chlorine can be harmful for the body, therefore water filters are now available for installation under the sink in most homes.

The various water filters can include a ceramic system that removes chlorine, bacteria and cyst; carbon refill filters, which remove unfamiliar tastes and odours; chlorine and lead removal kits, carbon and hardness removal kits and nitrate removal kits. All of which come with an easy to use instruction and a do-it-yourself installation method. This reduces the cost of spending out on expensive home filters and increases the safety and drinking quality of kitchen tap water.

When drinking tap water abroad, you run the risk of consuming bacterias that can result in Salmonella, Streptococcus, E.Coli, Faecal Coliform, Giardia (dysentery), Vibrio Cholera, Cryptosporidium & other waterborne parasites. Although they can be treated, these parasites will have a long-term affect on the intestines. Other organs are also affected such as the throat (which can often develop serious infections), blood (Hepatitis A, Rotavirus and Norwalk virus) and often the skin, teeth and bones.

When travelling abroad these filters can be taken with you to save you time and money from spending out on bottled water every day. However, not only could you buy waters filters, also available and commonly used are soluble water purifiers. Water purifying tablets use Iodine and chlorine to make dirty water safer to drink, yet they do not filter out the chemicals in the water. The advantages are they are very handy for emergencies and are relatively cheap to buy.

Purifiers and filters work differently from each other. Purifiers are good to kill off the bacterium and pathogens that may reside in the water system; however, filters can also be used to filter out organism and chemicals but you still run the risk of consuming toxins that are more serious. In these cases, it is best to select the right kind of filter and the right kind of purifier, so researching your options is advisable.

Both systems come in different strengths and depending on where you are travelling to, they vary can also vary in price. One thing is for certain, drinking water abroad has improved vastly making it safer to try out new things when on holiday.



ALESHIRE

Alien asked:


A fruit juice maker, also called a fruit juicer, is an electronic kitchen appliance used to extract fruit juices from different fruits and produce.

At the outset, you must understand that you can’t effectively extract juice from different fruits using the same juicer. Different fruits and produce have different properties.

Fruits are softer than vegetables and, hence, require a gentler approach to juicing. Vegetables have cell walls, which make them tougher than the fruits and require a tougher approach to juicing.

Therefore, you need to choose the appropriate type of juicer based on the kind of fruit you want to extract juice from.

You need to think about the attributes you want in your fruit juice maker. The following is a checklist of items you can think of while shopping: speed, noise levels, duration of warranty, what you would be juicing mostly – fruit or produce – ease of cleaning and, of course, your budget.

Different Types of Fruit Juice Makers

Centrifugal

These are the oldest types of juicers available. The centrifugal juicer cannot be used continuously over long time periods.

This is because the pulp accumulates on the inside and has to be removed.

Another problem is that they usually don’t juice greens very well and can’t handle wheatgrass at all.

Expect to get about one or two quarts of juice at one time.

These juicers rotate at speeds of 3600 rpm. Two examples are the Omega 1000 and the Omega 9000.

Centrifugal Ejection

This juicer is almost the same as the centrifugal juicer, except that it can be used continuously. The sides of the basket inside are slanted, allowing the basket to be cleaned automatically.

Newer versions of this kind of juicer come with a feed chute that is 3 inches in diameter. These juicers rotate faster than the older centrifugal juicers at speeds up to 6300 rpm. Some examples are the Omega 4000, Lequip 221, Lequip 110.5, Miracle Ultra-Matic and the NutriSource 2000.

Masticating

These have a combination of three mechanisms during the juicing process. The first is the grating, which helps the initial softening up process.

Next, the pulp is masticated to break it down even further. The third step is squeezing, which enables the juice to be extracted from the pulp. A good example of the hardworking, masticating juicer is the Champion Juicer.

Manual Press

These juicers extract the juice from produce by squeezing them and creating pressure. Unlike the masticating juicers, these juicers adopt a two-step approach.

The first step is to shred the produce and the second step is to press it.

Two examples of manual press juicers are the Ito Juice Press and the Norwalk. The latter, while being sturdy, was priced too high for the average customer ($2000). Press juicers are more effective with fruits than produce.

Single Auger

An auger is a sort of grinding tool. Single-auger juicers run at low speeds and therefore make less noise and cause less oxidation of the juice. The single auger crushes the produce into the juicer walls. Some examples of single auger juicers are the Samson and the Lequip Visor.

Dual Stage Single Auger

These function much like the single auger appliances, except they have an additional stage. After the produce is crushed, it moves through the second stage where a finely-holed screen ensures that virtually no pulp remains in the juice.

Some examples of such juicers are Solo Star and Solo Star II, as well as the Omega 8003 and Omega 8005 models.

Twin Gear Press

These juicers use two gears to help squeeze the juice out of the produce. These are also low-rpm appliances, with the screws turning at average speeds of 90-110 rpm.

The twin gears can be somewhat difficult to clean and might make your juicing experience less ‘wholesome’ than it ought to be. You also might end up paying a much higher-than-needed price, but if you like the idea of twin gears, you can find excellent fruit juice makers.

Some good examples are the Green Power Juice Extractor, the Green Star Juice Extractor and the Samson Ultra Juicer.

How to Choose The Best Fruit Juice Maker ?

No fruit or vegetable is the same and so there cannot be a “one size fits all” juicer that handles everything.

The best you can do is carefully decide what you will be juicing most of the time and then make sure your juicer excels in that area but can handle the others.

Dual stage single augers are priced well and can effectively handle most produce. For vegetables, masticating juicers are good, as are the auger juicers.

If you want fine, high quality juice, you should use the single auger or twin gear press fruit juice maker.

No matter what you choose, be happy knowing that you’re treating your body right.



BARKAN