Have you ever wondered why some people live to great age and others die much younger?
Is it what they eat, where they live, or does their job have any thing to do with it?
What does rule our life span and are we in a position to change the rules and live a long and happy life?
In many different areas of the world it is a known fact that people do live longer. For instance in the Himalayas, in a place called the Hunza Valley centenarians are nothing unusual. Is it the air or the food they eat that aids their long life?
Apricots are one of the staple diets of these people, along with other fruits like cherries and mulberries.
Apricots are not as common in some countries but even dried apricots or apricot jam and other preserves are very beneficial to your diet, they bring health and longevity which is what every one is aiming for.
Research has shown that apricots possess the highest levels and widest variety of carotenoids.
Carotenoids are antioxidants that help prevent heart disease, reduce “bad cholesterol” levels, and protect against cancer.
Even the kernels of the apricot have healthy properties; these include toning the respiratory system and alleviating a cough.
When eating the kernels always remove the tip of the kernel as it holds a concentrated amount of chemical laetrile which can upset your system.
Limit yourself to eating no more than five kernels in a day.
The kernels are very sweet and for this reason they can be used as a substitute for Almonds.
The air we breathe can be another contributing factor to good or bad health. If you live in a city where traffic and factories let out high pollution, research suggests that particulates – tiny airborne particles – are particularly damaging to health, as they can penetrate deep into the tissues of the lung, and even pass directly into the blood.
Country living may be quieter and less exciting but for a long life it’s a big help as the air is fresh and the slower pace of life is less stressful, the problem is we can’t all live in the country.
Let us look again at food to keep you healthy, one vegetable that is cheap and full of nutrition is the simple cabbage.
Cabbage is available through out the year and it contains a excellent source of nutrients. It contains 14 health-protective nutrients including protein, dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals.
One cup of cooked cabbage contains 50% of the daily value (DV) for vitamin C, 14% DV for dietary fibre and 7% DV for manganese. Like its cruciferous cousins, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and kale, cabbage is also a concentrated source of unique health-promoting sulfur compounds.
Recent studies show that those eating the most cruciferous vegetables have a much lower risk of getting prostate, colorectal and lung cancer-even when compared to those who regularly eat other vegetables:
Consumption of cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, is known to reduce the risk of a number of cancers, especially lung, colon, breast, ovarian and bladder cancer. Now, research reveals that crucifers provide significant cardiovascular benefits as well.
Raw cabbage juice is known for being remarkably effective in treating peptic ulcers. In one study, 1 liter of the fresh juice per day, taken in divided doses, resulted in total ulcer healing in an average of 10 days. This is due to the high content of glutamine, an amino acid that is the preferred fuel for the cells that line the stomach and small intestine,this is the likely reason for cabbage juice’s efficacy in healing ulcers.
A study of Chinese women in Singapore, a city in which air pollution levels are often high putting stress on the detoxification capacity of residents’ lungs, found that in non-smokers, eating cruciferous vegetables lowered the risk of lung cancer by 30%. And in smokers, regular cruciferous vegetable consumption reduced lung cancer risk by an amazing 69%.
