Health links

Women and children first? Benefits of cranberry may be better for certain population groups

Consuming cranberry products may reduce the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs) by about 40%, says a new meta-analysis that also indicates that certain groups may benefit more than others.

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Women-and-children-first-Benefits-of-cranberry-may-be-better-for-certain-population-groups

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Probiotic cheese provides immuno-support after exercise: rat study

Researchers have found probiotic cheese may be a viable alternative to enhance the immune system and prevent infection after physical overexertion.

http://www.dairyreporter.com/Formulation/Probiotic-cheese-provides-immuno-support-after-exercise-rat-study

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Chia seeds raise blood ALA and EPA levels for postmenopausal women: Study

Consumption of chia seeds, rich in ALA, may increase blood levels of the long chain omega-3 EPA by 30% for postmenopausal women, says a new study from the Appalachian State University and the University of North Carolina.

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Chia-seeds-raise-blood-ALA-and-EPA-levels-for-postmenopausal-women-Study

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Almonds have 20% fewer calories than thought

The calorific value of almonds is 20% less than previously thought, leading to gross overestimations of their energy value, according to new US research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN).

http://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Ingredients/Almonds-have-20-fewer-calories-than-thought

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Wild blueberries may protect DNA from damage: Study

Juice made from wild blueberries may reduce oxidative damage to DNA by around 3% and decrease the risk of cardiovascular and degenerative diseases, suggests new data.

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Wild-blueberries-may-protect-DNA-from-damage-Study

A little about my trip to America

I have now spent a month in America and it has been a really great trip! As you know, I love America/americans deeply and want to be based here in the future. I'm excited to go back to Sweden now though so that I can start working and preparing for the coming school year - I just wish I could do all that here!
Trips here are so great because it reminds me of the love I have for the country and spending time with my friends over here really blesses me in so many ways and God uses that to recharge me for "another swedish winter".
I'm also really excited about going back to healthy eating! I have no one else to blame but myself for eating worse while I'm here but whatever, I'm on vacation right? But it's good because it gives me so much new motivation to continue working out, eating good and to learn more about nutrition and physiology etc.

I haven't taken a lot of pictures, partly because I always forget and partly because my camera is not good.

First I went to Whitley in Oklahoma and got to spend a few nights in their old house before they moved in to a really beautiful french-inspired house. Me and Whitley went to Tulsa a few times, worked out - a lot, ate lots of salads and had a great time! Our friend Jake drove all the way from Colorado to visit us the weekend they moved so that was perfect! It was a lot of fun to see where she lives as she has been living in our house this past year.
I went to Dallas two weeks later and spend two weeks at the Elkins - the family that I've been staying with both times I've been here before. The mom is very pregnant and she is giving birth tomorrow - so unfortunally I will miss it. It was so much fun to spend time with them again and I'm really excited to see their new baby next time I visit :) And now I have spend the last days with one of my very good friends in Denton, TX which has also been so good!

4th of July in Denton, TX

Last frozen yoghurt for this time!

I think the most fun thing this month was when we went to a rodeo. That was crazy.. At one point, they had kids (I'm guessing 4 year olds) hanging on to sheep until they fell off like on bullriding. I'll post pictures of that later.

I have so many health links I want to post so that will be coming very soon!!
 

The past year..

I thought it would be about time for me to write something here.. I am as for today done with half of my phyto education and I have so many things that I've learned from this weekend and from the weekend in May that I want to write here.. But that comes later. Today I want to share some other things..

I'm done since a few weeks ago with the "Nutrition B"-course at the university. It has been a great year in school even though the last months were "special".. In September I'll be studying Business economy which I'm excited about. The phytocourse has been so much better then I ever could expect. It's so amazing to learn about how many good things plants can do, so that people wouldn't have to take medicine in many cases. I have also tried many herbs myself and it's such a God thing that I ended up on this course, partly because I don't remember any time I've felt this good (as I've been sick for a long time..) and also all the things I learn so that I can hopefully help many others with this in the future.

But, even though this last year has been a lot about school - I'd still say that this year has mainly been about growing in God. It's so cool because I have been so on fire about missions, helping children etc etc since I got saved and I didn't want to go to university before because I saw it as a "waste of time" and I just wanted to "get out there". Plus that I didn't think I would be smart enough for university.. it has always scared me.

God still put me in school again and he has shown me over and over through this year that the dreams I have is also his dreams and that he will fulfill his promises about it. I just have to focus on where I am right now and trust God for the future. This year has only made me more and more excited about making a difference in this world - and that is ALL God! So, I started school with being a little bit "sad" that I was going this way instead of going out on missions or something similiar, but I knew it was God that wanted me to do it and instead of loosing the "fire", the fire and the passions for the other things has just grown bigger and bigger.

I have done so many stupid things in my life but God is still just pouring out his grace over me and gives me things I haven't deserved at all. And the best part is that even though I have a long way to go, God is still patient with me and gives me time to grow in Him. Isn't that just so amazing! That God has patience with us..
I heard a sermon once where the pastor said that he married his wife when she was 19. And he said that she wasn't "everything he had dreamed of" at that time - but he could see that she had the potential to become that. And I kinda see it as that.. God knows we have the potential - because he put it there, so then it's easy for him to be patient with us. And I know one thing - I'm far from perfect, but I love God more than anything else and I know he will continue changing me and that gives me hope!

So this year has been so amazing. I have learned that even if I'm scared - I can still trust God. God is faithful and he is good. He is our father whom we can always go to and that is always in control even when we are scared and we don't see the solution. You only have to throw yourself in his arms and give him all your problems and he will take care of you.

Tomorrow I'm leaving for America.. I will spend the first two weeks with Whitley and then I'm heading down to Dallas for another 2½ weeks. I'm planning to write some summaries on some herbs on the way there.. I have a 8 or 9 hours layover in London so I have plenty of time :) So then I can post those here later.

So until then - God is with you and He loves you!

Ginkgo (herb)

I got a good feeling yesterday when I was thinking about that it's only 2 more weeks on this semester in school! - until I remembered that my summer course which I'm taking "just for fun" (I have to keep my reputation of being a nerd right?) starts in 3 weeks.. Oh well..

My church has a spring seminar this weekend which I really want to go to but I can't cause I'm having my phyto course in Stockholm this weekend. This time it will be about the liver, gallbladder, kidneys/urinary bladder and the skin. I'm really excited as it was sooooo good last time. Not as excited for the test we have though.. :/ I'll post a summary of the weekend later.

But now a little bit about ginkgo!

Ginkgo is widening arteries, stimulates the blood circulation and inhibits platelet collection. It is anticonvulsant and an antioxidant. It highers the tolerance for free radicals and the tendency of the blood to clot reduces.. 


Ginkgo contains a lot of positive substances but also one that is harmful but they normally take out the harmful substance so you won't get any serious side effects if you would take normal doses. 


That was short I guess but still interesting. You can buy these in different ways, personally I have capsules of these right now as I did a blood analysis last week and they could see there that my thrombocytes clot up more than they should so we'll see if it'll help. He also said that this is why I love running so much - because it helps the thrombocytes to not clot. I think I'd love running otherwise anyways though.. The picture is from my blood analysis. The circles are erytrocytes (red blood cells) and the big thing there is my thrombocytes that has "clot up" or whatever you'd say in english..

Health links

Eight top food trends to drive consumers by 2020

Eight top food trends will dominate European shoppers’ buying habits by the year 2020, predicts Spanish research organisation Azti-Tecnalia.

http://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/NPD/Eight-top-food-trends-to-drive-consumers-by-2020

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Is vitamin D3 more effective than D2?

Vitamin D3 is more effective at increasing blood levels of the sunshine vitamin than the D2 form, says the first-ever systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the effectiveness of the vitamin D forms.

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Is-vitamin-D3-more-effective-than-D2

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Isoflavones fail to affect blood pressure for women

Six weeks of supplementation with soy isoflavones did not reduce blood pressure or nitric oxide metabolism, says a new study.

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Isoflavones-fail-to-affect-blood-pressure-for-women

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Tomato juice shows sports nutrition potential

A daily glass of antioxidant-rich tomato juice may reduce markers of oxidative stress and damage after exhaustive exercise, suggests a new study.

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Tomato-juice-shows-sports-nutrition-potential

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Researchers explore links between overeating and pleasure

Eating for pleasure may stimulate the brain’s reward centers and lead to overeating in a way that eating to satisfy hunger does not, according to findings from a small study published in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science/Researchers-explore-links-between-overeating-and-pleasure

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Prebiotics may reduce severity of colitis, say researchers

Prebiotic supplements could help to reduce bacterial infection and inflammation so reducing the severity of colitis, according to new research.

http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Prebiotics-may-reduce-severity-of-colitis-say-researchers

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Cacao & soy compounds show heart health benefits for diabetic women: Study

Supplementation with cacao-flavonoids and soy isoflavones may improve levels of biomarkers of heart disease in postmenopausal, diabetic women, says a new study.

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Cacao-soy-compounds-show-heart-health-benefits-for-diabetic-women-Study

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Plant-animal protein blend boosts post-workout muscles: Study

Blending dairy-derived whey and casein with soy protein can yield benefits in a post-workout setting, according to pioneering but unpublished research.

http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Plant-animal-protein-blend-boosts-post-workout-muscles-Study

Don't know what title I should use.. more updates I guess :)

I'm getting worse at blogging.. I just realized that it takes me quite a few days to write new posts but at the same time, there's just not that much fun to write about right now. I could write a lot about herbs I guess but it might not be fun to only read about that.. There's a lot of things I want to blog about from what I've learned last semester in school but I don't want to even look at those books yet, at least not till I'm done with this semester (only 3½ weeks left!!!) :)

Me and my whole family are going down to Småland this weekend to visit our relatives and then I'm having the phyto course + spring seminar at church the weekend after.. It's also my sisters birthday in a week and I'm so excited to make a cake for her! Gonna try to find a really hard one that takes at least 3 days to do.

School work is also going great! I'd say it's too easy right now but that can be nice sometimes so it's not stressful all the time (as it has been until a few weeks ago)..

For you who are following my blog - I'm now down to 778 km left on my 1000 km running goal.. It was going slow for a while when it was still cold and I was sick but now it's going really good! I don't know what I would do without the running.. There's just so many problems that gets solved while all the fresh air clears my mind :)

I guess I don't have much else to say. I'll be a better blogger soon again, there are many things conserning nutrition I really want to blog about :)

6 weeks left for America, and 11 weeks left for the Paul Simon concert!! Yay!

Updates

A lot is happening in Uppsala this time a year and the weather has been soooo great for a few days now which I don't think anyone who has been through a swedish winter takes for granted! I'm almost scared that I don't enjoy it enough because I know so well that I can not take a single minute for granted.

Monday was valborg, which is huge in Uppsala. I read somewhere that there's over 100 000 that celebrates it in Uppsala so it's packed with people where ever you go. I tried to find friends many times but it was just impossible. Me and my sister went to see the rafting in the morning and went around with church in the evening downtown. For you who don't know what valborg is, it's a day when we celebrate that the winter is over and we have big bonfires in the evening, barbeques through the day etc.. Most people would drink champagne and eat strawberries for breakfast and then drink the rest of the day. So in that aspect it's not that fun that there's soooooo many drunk people everywhere but otherwise valborg is awesome!

And then yesterday was 1st of May which is a holiday here and we go out to demonstrate for different political parties. Me and my sister went with the christian democrates to demonstrate for that people should be able to choose if they want to stay home with their kids when they are young or not. Right now it's very hard for parents to do that and the state is trying to "force" all families to put the kids on the daycare as early as possible. I strongly believe that you should be able to make that decision yourself as parents and that parents are so important for the kids and no one else can replace them. So that was fun! And then I went to see a couple of friends from school to just sit in the sun by the river :) It was really great.

School is going pretty slow right now, it's not much to do.. So not so much to say about that.

I've also booked tickets to go to USA this summer again! I wasn't sure if I was gonna go but has thought about it since I decided not to go to Israel and then I went out for a run, got filled with endorphines and was so happy so I decided that I'm gonna go and booked the tickets a few hours later! I'll be going to both Oklahoma and Texas this time for a whole month and I'm super excited :) Next year I just have to decide earlier so I get cheaper tickets because both this year and last year, I decided way too late. I should've learned that I just can't stay away from there.. I love it and I love the americans way too much.