Foods that a good for liver:

Lemon
Brocolli
Sunflower seeds
Almonds
Garlic
Onion
Beet
Cauliflower
Cabbage

Avoid:

Dairy products
Fat foods
Salt
Sugar
Alcohol
Tobacco
Aspirin
Antibiotics

The foods that we eat and how we take care of ourselves greatly affects how our liver works. It is important to choose foods that will help keep your liver healthy. Good nutrition can also help to rebuild the liver and damaged liver cells. It can also help the liver form new cells.

There are many different foods that can help out the liver to keep it healthy as well as to help rebuild it if it is damaged. The foods listed below are used to help to detoxify and to rebuild the liver.

Carrots contain beta carotene and and carotenoids which help to protect the liver. Antioxidants help limit the damage to the liver caused by toxins. There are many different antioxidants.

Brown rice provides the antioxidant, selenium, and also B vitamins.

Beets contain antioxidants such as beta carotene, healing flavonoids, and other carotenes. Beets also contain folic acid. Brocolli contains B and C vitamins and is a good source of folic acid as well.

Broccoli also contains natural sulfur compounds needed for detoxification.

Garlic contains selenium and glutathione which act as antioxidants. It also contains methionine.

Eggs give B vitamins also contains a sulfur containing compound called methionine. Spinach provides folic acid as well as other B vitamins.

Tomatoes contain vitamins C and E and are a good source of the antioxidant lycopene. Wheatgerm is an excellent source of phytochemicals and contains selenium and vitamin E.

Melons and peppers are a good way of getting Vitamin C.

Brazil nuts contain selenium.

Onions have sulfur compounds which are important in detoxification.

Asparagus and watermelon contain high amounts of glutathione which is extremely important in liver toxification.

Papaya and avocado also help the body to produce glutathione.

There are also foods that you can eat that will just help to keep the liver healthy. These foods include soy beans.

Soy beans contain lecithin. Lecithin helps the liver to break down fats and helps the body to reduce high cholesterol levels. It also helps to maintain healthy membranes around the cells of the liver.

Cayenne pepper contains phytochemicals that include beta carotene and lutein. It is also high in certain B vitamins and Vitamins C and E. It also helps to aid in the process of digesting food.

Lemon is helpful in general cleansing of the body.

Walnuts are a good source of arginine. Arginine helps the liver to detoxify ammonia. It is also a high scoure of glutathione and omega 3 fatty acids.

Caraway seeds have flavanoids and carotenoids that act as antioxidants. It also helps if a person has liveror gallbladder disease.

When choosing a diet that is good for helping the liver it is important to think of fresh fruits and vegetables. You will want to eat plenty of dark green, leafy vegetables and colored fruits. These foods contain enzymes, fiber, vitamins, antibiotic substances, and nutrients to help stop cancer. You will also want to eat foods that help to produce glutathione in the body as mentioned above.

Drinking green tea contains properties that help to boost the immune system which in return helps the liver.

Lastly in maintaining a good diet to help the liver, water is always important. You should drink between 6-12 cups per day. Water helps to get rid of the toxins that the liver has broken down.

Making the foods listed above as part of your diet will greatly help your liver as well as your whole body, to make you feel and keep you feeling healthy.

The frequency with which gut-churning salmonella bacteria invade our food lately has all the elements of a bad movie plot that brings us to our knees and makes us hurl.

Lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, peanut butter and now pistachios. Pistachios?

The FDA warned people this week to avoid all foods with pistachios until they can figure out the latest contamination. Only two people have been sickened so far but officials are concerned the problem may grow, according to news reports.

While they are not aliens, salmonella are tough. Last week we learned that salmonella sent into space became more virulent in the zero-g environment.

About 40,000 cases of salmonellosis are reported in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many milder cases are not reported, so the agency figures the real count may be 30 times higher. Most people just get a fever and an upset stomach. Some people show no symptoms at all. But “salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems,” the FDA states.

What’s with these bugs?

Salmonella are a group of different strains of bacteria that can contaminate almost any food, causing diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever. Scientists are still learning why the microbes are so problematic. One reason is that they have evolved tricks to get around the human immune system.

Infamous for clinging to cutting boards even after they’ve been washed, salmonella is now known also to lurk inside you, multiplying quietly, then striking only when it has built up a formidable and sickening force.

Scientists also just learned that salmonella find protection inside amoebas - which are ubiquitous on land and in water - perhaps one reason they spread so effectively.

Your best defenses, according to the CDC:

* Don’t eat raw or undercooked eggs, poultry or other meat. Pink in the middle? You’re at risk.
* Uncooked meats should be kept separate from produce, cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods.
* Hands, cutting boards, counters, knives and other utensils should be washed thoroughly after touching uncooked foods. Hands should be washed before handling food, and between handling different food items.

Another lesser known source of contamination: pets.

Reptiles, including turtles, are prone to pack salmonella on their skin. A 2004 study by Michigan researchers, reported in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, found that nearly 12 percent of salmonellosis cases in children up to age 5 were caused by reptiles.

Ducklings and chicks can pack it in their intestines and infect their surroundings. “Children can be exposed to the bacteria by simply holding, cuddling, or kissing the birds,” according to the CDC.

Perching birds also can catch salmonella, and Virginia citizens have been reporting a significant number of deaths of birds common to bird feeding stations such as finches. Salmonella occurs in wildlife in regular cycles, and this appears to be in one of them, says Jim Parkhurst, a state wildlife specialist.

People handling contaminated bird seed can become infected with salmonellosis, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after contact with products or surfaces potentially exposed to salmonella. Good sanitation with feeding stations is recommended for the sake of the birds and us.

I have started having problems with my stomach 6 months ago. The doctor diagnosed me with GERD. I used to take Nexium for a while and got better. Though after couple of months I started having problems again.

Therefore I am writing this post devoted to GERD treatment.

Activities that help cure/relieve GERD
• No food or drink after 8PM
• No overeating
• Chew thoroughly
• Excercise regularly
• Drink water 30 minutes before meal
• Drink water after acid reflex, to rinse esophagus
• Lying on the left side rather then right
• Small frequent meals instead of 3 big ones
• Elevate head while sleeping
• No exercising within 2 hours after meal
• No bending down within 2 hours after meal
• No wearing of the tight clothes
• Reduce weight to 170 pounds (healthy weight for a 5” 10” male)

Foods to avoid
• Coffee (even decaf)
• black tea
• chocolate
• high fat foods
• tomatoes in any form
• spicy foods
• alcoholic beverages (even beer)
• soda pop
• sweets
• refined carbohydrates (too much bread)
• citrus fruit
• gum
• black pepper
• toast
• bagels
• bread
• milk in the large quantities
• onions

Foods that help
• almonds
• pasta
• apples
• noodle soups
• banana bread
• brown rice
• vegetables (besides tomatoes and onions)
• yogurt

You probably know already that a diet based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and “healthy” fats will provide lots of health benefits, but such a diet can also improve memory. Research indicates that certain nutrients nurture and stimulate brain function.

B vitamins, especially B6, B12, and folic acid, protects neurons by breaking down homocysteine, an amino acid that is toxic to nerve cells. They’re also involved in making red blood cells, which carry oxygen. (Best sources: spinach and other dark leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus, strawberries, melons, black beans and other legumes, citrus fruits, soybeans.)

Antioxidants like vitamins C and E, and beta carotene, fight free radicals, which are atoms formed when oxygen interacts with certain molecules. Free radicals are highly reactive and can damage cells, but antioxidants can interact with them safely and neutralize them. Antioxidants also improve the flow of oxygen through the body and brain. (Best sources: blueberries and other berries, sweet potatoes, red tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, green tea, nuts and seeds, citrus fruits, liver.)

Omega-3 fatty acids are concentrated in the brain and are associated with cognitive function. They count as “healthy” fats, as opposed to saturated fats and trans fats, protecting against inflammation and high cholesterol. (Best sources: cold-water fish such as salmon, herring, tuna, halibut, and mackerel; walnuts and walnut oil; flaxseed and flaxseed oil)

Because older adults are more prone to B12 and folic acid deficiencies, a supplement may be a good idea for seniors. An omega-3 supplement (at any age) if you don’t like eating fish. But nutrients work best when they’re consumed in foods, so try your best to eat a broad spectrum of colorful plant foods and choose fats that will help clear, not clog, your arteries. Your brain will thank you!

A healthy, balanced diet is key, experts say, but these foods may have an extra punch.

Leafy greens: Deep green leafy vegetables are packed with lutein, vitamin A and folate, nutrients that may help prevent colon and ovarian cancer.

* Spinach
* Kale
* Collard greens
* Arugula
* Dandelion greens

Curry: Yellow curry contains cur-cumin, a pungent spice that may help prevent melanoma and other types of cancer cells from proliferating.

Cruciferous veggies: These contain phytochemicals that may cut the risk of stomach, breast and skin cancers.

* Broccoli
* Broccoli sprouts
* Cabbage
* Bok choy
* Cauliflower
* Watercress
* Swiss chard

Berries: These fruits contain antioxidants such as polyphenols, which counteract and repair cell damage.

* Blueberries
* Blackberries
* Raspberries
* Strawberries
* Cranberries
* Red grapes

Tomatoes: Studies suggest that having a tomato-rich diet may help lower the risk of developing both lung and stomach cancer.