The natural Diet / Health Aid in your kitchen: Green Tea

A study conducted by the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging found that drinking a daily dose of green tea aids in fat loss.

132 obese people participated in the study. The results of the study showed that after 12 weeks of eating the same diet and exercising the same number of minutes per day, the group who drank green tea lost twice as much weight and had larger declines in abdominal fat, subcutaneous abdominal fat, and triglycerides.

Scientists believe that green tea speeds the rate at which fat is broken down in the body. It may also lower the risk of diabetes by aiding the body's sensitivity to insulin. Green tea contains catechins, a powerful antioxidant - so aids in overall health.

Women - avoid stroke by drinking coffee, stopping smoking

This may be tough news for those of us who like to have a cup of coffee and a cigarette, but new studies published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, show that women who drank four or more cups of coffee a day had a 20% reduced risk of stroke compared to women who had less than one cup per month. Drinking two to three cups per day reduced risk by 19%. Drinking a cup five to seven times a week reduced risk by 12%.

The study went on to say that for women who smoked, the risk was only reduced by 3%. High blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol also neutralized the coffee effect.

This benefit doesn't come from caffiene, but from some other substance which serves as a specific antioxidant - lowering inflammation and improving blood vessel function.

The study, taken over a period of 24 years, cautions that the results only apply to people who are healthy at the start - coffee isn't a cure once you're suffering from illness.

And of course, those who suffer from insomnia, anxiety, hypertension, or heart problems should still avoid coffee.

On 60 Minutes: resveratrol - Plus, what drug companies don't want you to know

A recent 60 Minutes broadcast touted the benefits of resveratrol - a natural compound found in red wine, among other things.

Studies are showing that resveratrol thins your blood and improves blood flow because it slows the build-up of platelets in blood vessels, making them less sticky.

It also switches on your immune system, lowers inflammation, and acts as a powerful antioxidant, while it inhibits unhealthy cell growth and modulates hormones. Some researchers now consider resveratrol the best way to fight certain health disasters.

Since it sounds like the wonder drug of the century, pharmaceutical companies are rushing to try to duplicate it synthetically. How dumb.

Of course that's all about the money, so they don't want you to know that you can get resveratrol naturally - in substances that carry no harmful side effects, and for a lot less money than it will take when they come out with their "Anti-aging miracle."

I have to shake my head and wonder why anyone would wait to buy a pill containing a fake when the real thing is available naturally - right now - for a fraction of the cost.

Of course it's found in red wine, but if you don't like wine, then add the following to your diet:

* Raisins
• Red Grapes
• Blueberries
• Cranberries
• Purple Grape Juice
• Peanuts
• Mulberries

Living where I do, I've never tasted a mulberry - but it won't take many changes to our household's diet to add more of the others. I especially love purple grape juice!

Resveratrol is also available as a natural supplement at many health food stores.

5 ways to keep your kids healthy this school year

These should seem obvious, but in today's overly busy world, they're often overlooked. They shouldn't be, because they could make the difference between your child enjoying a healthy school year and being continuously ill from now until next summer.

#1 - Get enough sleep. With kids having to get up super-early to catch busses, attending after school activities, and doing homework, it doesn't leave much time to spend with the family, let alone sleep. You as the parent need to insist - even if it means cutting back on extra curricular activities.

#2 - Eat breakfast. Every body needs some fuel to start the day. So even if you're all in a rush in the morning, make sure the kids get something nutritious. Not junk food - but something good for them. If all else fails, get some (real) juice or milk in small containers and keep boiled eggs and some fruit handy to grab and go.

#3 - Substitute real food for the junk food in your house. Cut back their intake of sugar - both natural and artificial. Prepare meals from scratch and avoid the processed stuff that's full of preservatives and who knows what other body-draining ingredients. Kids really can get through the day without soda pop, candy bars, and chips. You just have to show them how good they feel when they eat well, and they might even help you plan the shopping and cooking.

#4 - Teach the kids to wash their hands regularly. Schools are so filled with germs that if we could see them we'd run away screaming. Just think how many children are sent to school ill - and how often they touch the same things your kids are touching. Put some antiseptic wipes in their back packs too - and stress the importance of using them when they can't get to a sink and a bar of soap.

#5 - Choose your favorite anti-oxidant supplement and make sure they take it daily. Your kids are exposed to all kinds of toxins out there in the world, so give them the ammunition to fight them off.

By the way - those good-health practices are good for you too - not just the kids.

Yours for health and happiness,
Marte