Why You Should Eat Oatmeal

Oatmeal has minimal amounts of vitamins, minerals and the other healthful nutrients that have been the subject matter of this book. However, one cup of oatmeal provides 16% of our daily requirement for fiber. Here is what the Mayo Clinic says about the importance of fiber in our diets. Normalizes bowel movements Dietary fiber increases the size of our stools and softens them; thus, reducing the chances of constipation. For those suffering from loose, watery stools fiber absorbs water and adds bulk to the stool. A high fiber diet also lowers the risk of developing hemorrhoids and diverticular disease. Lowers cholesterol The soluble fiber found in oatmeal lowers the low-density or “bad” cholesterol levels in our blood. Diets high in fiber also have other heart related health benefits, including the reduction of blood pressure and levels of cardiovascular inflammation. Stabilization of blood pressure People who suffer from diabetes or pre-diabetes can slow the absorption of sugar from their intestines and stabilize their blood sugar levels by eating a diet high in fiber. Diets high in fiber also reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Aids in weight control High-fiber foods are more filling than low-fiber foods like meat; thus, by eating more fiber you are likely to eat less and stay satisfied longer. High-fiber foods also take longer to eat and are less “energy dense” which means they have fewer calories per serving than other foods. Prevention of colorectal cancer Although the evidence is mixed, several studies have shown that high fiber diets reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer. I hate oatmeal! From a personal perspective, I can’t stand the taste of QuakerOats oatmeal. A little over a year ago, I was diagnosed with aortic stenosis and needed to lose about 20 pounds of weight. I knew oatmeal was the answer, but couldn’t stand the taste of the stuff. Purely by luck, I tumbled to the Organic Multigrain Hot Cereal sold at Trader Joes. The taste of this cereal, while not all that great, is tolerable. I have been eating about ¾ of a cup of this oatmeal for breakfast each morning for the past year and during this period have lost 22 pounds in weight. A few other dietary changes have contributed to my weight loss, but I attribute most of it to the daily consumption of Trader Joe’s Multigrain Oatmeal.

The nutritional value of collard greens

Although very popular in the south, collard greens are less likely to be found on the dinner plates in other regions of the country. WHFoods recommends that we eat 1-1/2 cups of cruciferous vegetables a day. Collard greens are a mainstay of this dietary plan because they are literally packed with healthful nutrients. One cup of collard greens contains 858% of our daily requirement for vitamin K, 80% of our daily requirement of vitamin A, 30% of our daily requirement of vitamin B, and 46% of our daily need for vitamin C. One serving of collard greens also contains substantial amounts of fiber (30%), calcium (27%), magnesium (10%) and substantial amounts of other essential vitamins and minerals. Here are some of the specific health benefits of the incredible collard green. Cancer prevention Cancer prevention, is by far, the most important health benefit that can be derived from eating collard greens. This is so because collard greens support three body systems that are closely associated with the development of cancer and cancer prevention. These three systems are the bodies “detox” system, its antioxidant system and its anti-inflammatory system. Imbalances in any of these systems increase the risk of developing cancer. In this respect, consumption of collard greens is most closely associated with the prevention of bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer and ovarian cancer. Antioxidant benefits of collard greens Collard greens provide us with four core antioxidants, vitamins C, A and E and manganese. In addition, collard greens provide key antioxidant phytonutrients (caffeic acid, ferulic acid, quercetin and kaempherol) which also lower the risk of oxidative stress of the body’s cells and, thus, reduce the risk that they become cancerous. By providing us with such a wide array of antioxidant nutrients, collard greens greatly reduces the chances that we will develop cancer. Anti-inflammatory benefits Collard greens provide two hallmark ant-inflammatory nutrients, vitamin K and omega fatty acids. In addition, one of the glucosinolates found in collard greens can be converted to an anti-inflammatory compound that can operate at the genetic level and prevent inflammatory responses at the earlest stage of cancer formation. Cardiovascular support Central to the understanding of cardiovascular disease is the role inflammation plays in the development of hypertension and heart disease. Of particular interest, has been the role that the sulforaphane found in collard greens can play by triggering the anti-inflammatory activity in our bodies that can prevent and possibly even reverse blood vessel damage. Of equal importance is collard greens ability to lower the bad cholesterol in our bodies. Our livers use cholesterol to produce bile acids which facilitate the absorption of fat in the intestines. The fibers in collard greens bind together with the bile acid in the intestine so that these harmful substances are simply passed out of our bodies in a bowel movement rather than being absorbed into the body where they can cause cardiovascular damage. When this happens, our livers replace the lost bile acids by drawing on the bodies supply of cholesterol this, of course, lowers the cholesterol levels in our bodies. One study showed that one serving of collard greens bound 46% as many bile acids as a standard dose of the cholesterol-lowering drug cholestyramine. At a fraction of the cost, I might add. Digestion One cup of collard greens contains over 7 grams or 30% of our daily requirement for fiber. Researchers also have found that sulforaphane protects the stomach lining from bacterial overgrowth. This attribute of collard greens may be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of stomach ulcers. Additional health benefits of collard greens The ant-inflammatory nutrients in collard greens are being studied in in the treatment of several inflammatory-related conditions including Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and ulcerative colitis. Propagation Collard greens are a cool weather vegetable ideally suited for a winter crop in California. They are easy to grow from seeds. In summary While they will never rival superfoods like the magical Goji berry in either nutritional value or taste, collard greens have a lot going for them. They are extremely nutritious, far cheaper than most superfoods and much easier to grow. If you can’t grow them, they are readily available at your local farmer’s market or supermarket. I can’t think of a single reason not to eat this cheap, readily available nutritious vegetable.

Oakland's "Ghost Ship" warehouse fire- who's to blame?

Thirty six people died in the blazing inferno that engulfed a rundown warehouse not fit for humans, probably not even for rats. It could only have happen in a hell-hole like Oakland California, a symbol of everything that is wrong in the crumbling civilization we call America. Damned near everyone in sight is to blame for this disaster, here are a few of the main culprits. The ultra liberal brain-dead morons who run the city of Oakland, starting with mayor Libby Schaaf, who claims she needs more time to figure out what happened (what an idiot), and every single administrator who works for this wretched city. Including especially, the police chief, the fire marshal, the building inspectors, every member of the health department, all of these incompetent fools draw fat salaries but are so stupid that they could not find their way out of a paper box if the lid were open. Every single one of them is responsible for this disaster! My guess is that even the Oakland city dog catchers knew that this dilapidated warehouse was unfit for humans, or even animals. Next on the list of malfeasance's is the owner of the building and anyone associated with the management of the building. They should spend the rest of their lives in prison. Most likely they will be given some type of award for "compassion". We next come to the people who resided is this fire trap and those who chose to party there. These folks are not the brightest stars in the sky and if they had a single brain cell firing would not have been anywhere near this wretched building. The so called artists who lived there, because they could not make enough money to afford a safer environment, are not blameless either. But, in their defense, they were raised to believe that the tax payers owed they a living, even if they chose not to work. When this didn't pan out they decided to live in the warehouse rather than their car, it's really as simple as that. Finally, we come to the parents who raised the misfits who attended the party in the crumbling warehouse. The fact is that they failed miserably in their role as parents, every single one of them! In this respect, I don't believe ether my daughters would have come within ten miles of a place like this. So, when all is said and done, who will be held responsible for this disaster. The parents of the dead, of course, have already paid a huge price for their incompetent parenting. But what about the mayor, the building inspectors, the fire marshals, the health inspectors, the social workers and all the other incompetent city, county and state employees who work in this wretched city? Will any of these bureaucrats lose a single days pay because they failed to do lift a finger to prevent this catastrophe? Of course not, after all this is Oakland, what else would you expect?