Top 10 Foods Highest in Vitamin A

Vitamin A is an essential vitamin required for vision, gene transcription, boosting immune function, and great skin health. A deficiency in vitamin A can lead to blindness and increased viral infection, however deficiency is only considered a problem in developing countries where it is a leading cause of blindness in children. Over consumption of vitamin A can lead to jaundice, nausea, loss of appetite, irritability, vomiting, and even hair loss. The current percent daily value for Vitamin A is 5000 international units (IU).

#1: Liver (Pâté)
The liver of any animal is packed with vitamins and minerals, and is best prepared steamed or fried with onions and herbs. Turkey liver provides the most vitamin A with 75333IU (1507% DV) per 100 gram serving, or 62526IU (1250% DV) per liver. The liver of most any animal will provide 1000%+ DV of vitamin A. A single tablespoon of pâté will provide 429 IU (9% DV) of vitamin A, and a teaspoon of Cod liver oil will provide 500IU (10% DV). Click to see complete nutrition facts.

#2: Paprika, Red Pepper, Cayenne, Chili Powder
A tablespoon of paprika contains 3691IU (74% DV) for vitamin A, or 52735 IU (1055% DV) for a 100 gram serving. Other red pepper powders have similar amounts with Cayenne powder providing 41610 IU (832% DV) per 100g or 2081IU (42% DV) in a single tablespoon.
Click to see complete nutrition facts

#3: Sweet Potatoes
With their bright orange color sweet potatoes are packed with vitamin A. Sweet potatoes provide 19218IU (384% DV) of vitamin A per 100 gram serving, or 38436IU (769% DV) in a cup of mashed sweet potato, and 21909IU (438% DV) in a medium sized sweet potato.
Click to see complete nutrition facts

#4: Carrots
Carrots are excellent cooked or as a snack. 100 grams of raw carrots provides 16706IU (334% DV) for vitamin A. That is 10191IU (204% DV) for a medium sized carrot, and 2069IU (41% DV) for a single baby carrot.
Click to see complete nutrition facts

#5: Dark Leafy Greens
Crisp, fresh, and delicious, dark leafy greens are great in a salad or steamed as a side. As a bonus they are also high in calcium. Kale provides the most vitamin A with 15376IU (308% DV) per 100g serving, 10302IU (206% DV) per cup. It is followed by Turnip Greens (232% DV), Mustard Greens (210% DV), Dandelion Greens (203% DV), Spinach (188% DV), and Collards (133% DV).
Click to see complete nutrition facts

#6: Butternut Squash
Dark orange squash has a delicious nutty and sweet flavor. 100 grams baked provides 11155IU (223% DV) of vitamin A, or 22868IU (457% DV) per cup.
Click to see complete nutrition facts.

#7: Dried Herbs
Dried herbs are so packed with vitamins they appear on practically every HealthAliciousNess Top 10 list. Make it a habit to add a pinch of dried herb to everything you prepare. Dried Parsley provides the most vitamin A with 10184IU (204% DV) per 100 gram serving, or 204IU (4% DV) per tablespoon. It is followed by Dried Basil (188% DV), Dried Marjoram (161% DV), Dill (154% DV), and Oregano (138% DV).
Click to see complete nutrition facts

#8: Lettuce
The kind of lettuce matters when it comes to vitamin A content. Dark colorful lettuces provide the most vitamin A with Red and Green Leaf lettuces providing 7492IU (150% DV) per 100 gram serving, 2098IU (42% DV) per cup shredded, and 1274IU (25% DV) per leaf. Iceberg only provides 502IU (10% DV) per 100g, 361IU (7% DV) per cup shredded, and 75IU (2% DV) per leaf.
Click to see complete nutrition facts.

#9: Dried Apricots
Dried apricots are a great portable snack food. 100 grams will provide 3604IU (72% DV) of vitamin A, which is 4685IU (94% DV) per cup, and 144IU (6% DV) per dried apricot.
Click to see complete nutrition facts.

#10: Cantaloupe
Cantaloupe and other yellow/orange melons are a great source of vitamin A. Cantaloupe provides 3382IU (68% DV) of vitamin A per 100 gram serving. That is 5986IU (120% DV) per cup of mellon balls, or 2334IU (47% DV) in a medium sized wedge.
Click to see complete nutrition facts

Other Vitamin A Rich Foods

Papaya	1094IU (22% DV) per 100 gram serving	1532IU (31% DV) per cup cubed (140 grams)	1663IU (33% DV) per small papaya (152 grams)	Click to see complete nutrition facts for Papaya
Mangoes	765IU (15% DV) per 100 gram serving	1262IU (25% DV) per cup sliced (165 grams)	1584IU (32% DV) in an average mango (207 grams)	Click to see complete nutrition facts for Mangoes
Green Peas	2100IU (42% DV) per 100 gram serving	3360IU (68% DV) per cup (160 grams)	1680IU (34% DV) in a half cup (80 grams)	Click to see complete nutrition facts for Cooked Green Peas
Tomatoes	833IU (17% DV) per 100 gram serving	1499IU (30% DV) per cup chopped (180 grams)	1025IU (20% DV) in an average tomato (123 grams)	Click to see complete nutrition facts for Red Ripe Tomatoes
Peaches	326IU (7% DV) per 100 gram serving	502IU (10% DV) per cup sliced (154 grams)	489IU (10% DV) in a medium sized peach (150 grams)	Click to see complete nutrition facts for Raw Peaches
Red Bell (Sweet) Peppers	3131IU (63% DV) per 100 gram serving	4665IU (93% DV) per cup chopped (149 grams)	3726IU (75% DV) in a medium sized pepper (119 grams)	Click to see complete nutrition facts for Raw Red Bell Peppers
Fortified Skim (Non-Fat) Milk*	204IU (4% DV) per 100 gram serving	500IU (10% DV) per cup (245 grams)	63IU (1% DV) in a fluid ounce (31 grams)	Click to see complete nutrition facts for Fortified Skim Milk
Whole Milk	102IU (2% DV) per 100 gram serving	249IU (5% DV) per cup (244 grams)	32IU (1% DV) in a fluid ounce (31 grams)	Click to see complete nutrition facts for Whole Milk
Oatmeal (Fortified)	621IU (12% DV) per 100 gram serving	1453IU (29% DV) per cup (234 grams)	272IU (14% DV) in a half-cup (117 grams)	Click to see complete nutrition facts for Instant Fortified Oatmeal

*Amount of vitamin A may vary greatly between products. Be sure to check nutrition labels for the exact amount of vitamin A from each individual product. 

Health Benefits of Vitamin A

• Increased Protection from Bacterial and Viral Infections - Vitamin A is essential for healthy surface linings of the eyes, mucous membranes, respiratory, urinary, and intestinal tracts.^3-6
• Proper Immune Functioning - Vitamin A is essential to regulate the immune system, and plays a key role in making white blood cells which fight off infections in the body.^4,5,7-9
• Cancer Protection (*Food Sources Only) - Studies suggest beta-carotene and vitamin A lower risk of many types of cancer.¹⁰ This effect could mainly be from a diet high in vegetables and not from supplements. Vitamin A supplements have been shown to increase risk of cancer.^11-13

High Risk Groups for a Vitamin A Deficiency

• Vegetarians and Vegans - Vegetarians and vegans who do not eat eggs and dairy foods need to consume at least 5 servings of either dark leafy greens or orange and yellow fruits and vegetables to meet their vitamin A needs.
• People with Long Term Problems Absorbing Fat - Problems absorbing fat in the long term can lead to diarrhea and vitamin A deficiency. This includes people with:
  • Celiac disease - Gluten Intolerance
  • Crohn's disease - Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  • Pancreatic disorders - The pancreas releases enzymes for proper digestion of fats

Read more at http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-vitamin-A.php#MlVVGy1Xv0WiLwLE.99 

WHY PEOPLE ARE GETTING SO UNHEALTHY

 Are you wondering why people are getting so unhealthy, in this documentary experts explain how our foods have been engineered designed to make your brain crave foods are not healthy for us. If you would like to be informed on how the food industry is affecting your health,  Hungry For Change is a must watch.

Enjoy the movie!!!

HOW TO DETOX YOUR BODY

  We all may be guilty of consuming too much food and drink during the holidays – and with the New Year approaching, you may feel it’s time to detox your body.

  But is a detoxification diet really necessary?

“Our bodies (naturally) detox all the time,” Chris Kilham, the Medicine Hunter, told FoxNews.com. “If we didn’t, we’d die.”

Kilham explained that after the holidays – or whenever a person induldges in too much of a bad thing, like food or alcohol – it’s the liver and intestines that suffer the most. Some people even develop a fatty liver, he said.

“Eat more fruits, like apples, which have powerful antioxidants and pectin – and that cleanses the digestive system. Who doesn't like apples?"

- Chris Kilham, The Medicine Hunter

“When was the last time you heard someone say, ‘I ate too much salad over the holidays?’” he said. “We take in less fiber and more fatty foods.”

So, the New Year is an optimal time to get rid of the ‘junk’ residing in your liver and digestive tract. You can start cleansing your system by drinking more water, Kilham said.

“Water is our friend; we’re made up of more than 70 percent of water,” he added. “Drink plenty of pure, clean water.”

Kilham said another way to detox is to drink dandelion root tea.

“It’s one of those herbal things that works, and it tastes pleasant,” he said. “It helps the liver get rid of impurities and excess fats.”

And what about the detox diets you see advertised on TV – are they worth it?

Kilham said some of those diets, the ones with herbal cleansers and fiber, might be good for cleaning out your body once in a while; but he wouldn’t recommend it on a regular basis. As always, you should check with your doctor before starting any new health regimen.

“My opinion is that if you go lighter – say, you’ve had too much vodka, and you want to clean yourself out – drink more fruit and vegetable juices,” Kilham said. “Eat more fruits, like apples, which have powerful antioxidants and pectin – and that cleanses the digestive system. Who doesn’t like apples? Eat one or two a day; that’s a good way to cleanse.”

Sometimes people vow to start taking more vitamins in the New Year, which Kilham said is a resolution that usually fades by February – but small amounts of vitamin C can also help the body detoxify.

Kilham said if you stick to herbs and fiber for one to two weeks, you’ll likely feel lighter and more energetic. Then, you can go back to your regular diet. Just be sure to include more leafy greens.

Information above is taken from:
 http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/12/27/how-to-detox-your-body/#ixzz2GfD4yhac

4 Medicine Ball Exercises for Shredded Abs

Hit your abs from all angles with this intense medicine ball workout.

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By Mehmet Edip

To really sculpt your abs and get them rock solid you need to hit it from every single angle. And what better way than to use a medicine ball.

Originating from Persia over 3000 years ago and continued to be used in ancient Greece for injury rehabilitation, medicine ball work is one of the oldest forms of strength and conditioning training.

As well as helping with injuries, the medicine ball can help tone your core muscles, - the body’s center of power. Using a medicine ball to train the core is perfect because you can perform so many functional movements similar to those that you do in everyday life.

Here are my top 4 medicine ball exercises to help you sculpt some killer abs:

Kneeling Partner Twist

• Make sure you're are on your knees and back to back with a partner.
• Keep your abdominals contracted and maintain perfect posture.
• Slowly twist to one side and pass the ball off to your partner.
• Return to the other side to retrieve the ball.
•  Continue for 30–90 seconds, going one way. Repeat, going the other direction.

Tip: This can also be done while standing.

V-Sits and Pass to Partner           

• Sit on the floor about 1–2 feet away from your partner with your knees bent, it may help if you lock your feet together with your partner.
• Sit upright with perfect posture, and with your abdominals contracted tightly throughout the entire exercise.
• Start by holding the medicine ball into your chest.
• Now you and your partner recline back a few inches while maintaining perfect posture.
• Slowly start coming back up and once you’re upright, throw the ball to your partner.
• Your partner will catch it, and you’ll both repeat the exercise. Repeat for 30–90 seconds.

Medicine Ball Chest Pass

• Stand in front of a wall (approx 2-3 feet away) holding a medicine ball in front of your chest.
• Keep your feet at shoulder width apart and maintain a slight bend in your knees.
• Throw the ball with as much power as possible against the wall by pushing it outwards from your chest, then catching the ball as it bounces back, bringing it back to your chest before repeating.

Medicine Ball Stomach Hits (This one takes guts)

• Start with a medicine ball and a training partner standing in front of you.
• Holding the ball with both hands, throw it directly at your partner’s abdomen by pushing forward forcefully.
• As the ball is heading towards their stomach, your partner should NOT catch it or block it before it hits them.
• Your partner should catch the ball on the rebound and only after it has hit them, before repeating the exercise and throwing the ball back at you.

Tip: Be sure to start with a light ball and throw conservatively the first time you try this exercise, then slowly increase the weight of the medicine ball.

Information above is taken from: 
http://www.muscleandfitness.com/training/abs/4-medicine-ball-exercises-shredded-abs

Brazilian Style Chicken Pie

This is one of my favorites recipes and its worth a try, if you like chicken recipes you will LOVE this one!

INGREDIENTS

For the filling:

• 1 lb. skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 liter chicken stock
• 4 Tbsp oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 tomatoes, peeled and seeded, minced
• 1 cup of peas, salt and pepper to taste.

For the dough:

• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup of oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon baking powder and  1/2 cup grated cheese.

HOW TO PREPARE

Prepare the filling:

1. Cook the chicken breast in broth until tender
2. book 1 xi tea broth from cooking
3. Shred the chicken and remove any cartilage
4. Saute the ingredients
5. finally add the peas to filling. 
6. add the chicken broth and mix and cook until almost dry

Dough:

1. Beat the milk, oil and eggs in blender
2. On low speed, gradually add the flour, salt and finally add the yeast
3. Pour half the batter into a greased ovenproof dish add the filling 
4. Cover with the remaining dough mix and grated cheese on top
5. bake until golden brown

Glycemic Index and Intramuscular Lipids

The storage of glucose as glycogen in muscle is dependent upon the dose and form of carbohydrate, and also the timing of ingestion. Low-glycemic index diets can reduce many risk factors linked to heart disease, diabetes, triglyceride levels and LDL cholesterol.^1,2,3 A combination of carbohydrate (CHO) and protein (PRO) after exercise may enhance the anabolic effect, compared to protein alone.

It has been reported that ingesting CHO and CHO/PRO immediately following exercise promotes a greater increase in insulin concentration compared to consuming PRO only, or compared to control groups. Additionally, subjects ingesting a CHO/PRO supplement following exercise had a greater increase in growth hormone than control subjects and those ingesting PRO alone.⁴ Researchers suggest that this increase in insulin and growth hormone concentration may facilitate a more favorable environment for recovery than CHO alone.

Other research has concluded that ingesting CHO and PRO— 2 hours before exercise and immediately following, during three consecutive days of resistance training— increased blood glucose, insulin, growth hormone, and IGF-1 to a greater degree than a placebo. Consequently, there is considerable evidence to support recommendations that athletes ingest CHO and PRO following exercise to optimize glycogen resynthesis, promote an anabolic hormonal environment, and increase PRO synthesis.⁵ I have spoken to many bodybuilders during their pre-contest prep, and most of them start to eliminate carbohydrates from their post-workout drinks as the contest approaches.

Intramuscular Lipids and Glycemic Diets

Bodybuilders have a difficult decision as to when to spike insulin— that is, if they want to build muscle. Studies that used carbohydrate supplementation during exercise have shown that it inhibits adipose tissue lipolysis and reduces non-essential fatty acid availability. In this month’s American Journal of Physiology— Endocrinology and Metabolism, researchers looked at different glycemic diets (high and low) and their effects on intramuscular lipids.

Unlike adipose tissue stored on your glutes or your stomach, intramuscular lipids (IMCL) are stored between muscle fibers. A high amount of intramuscular lipids are associated with metabolic alterations within muscle, such as changes in the cellular location of fatty acid transporter proteins, decreased mitochondrial enzyme activity, and defects in mitochondrial morphology— which likely contribute to obesity and insulin resistance. These defects are thought to play a role in the reduced skeletal muscle fatty acid oxidation and increased intramuscular lipid accumulation that is apparent with obesity and other insulin-resistant states such as type 2 diabetes. Regardless, high intramuscular lipids are associated with a host of health-related issues.  

High-Glycemic Diets Increase Intramuscular Lipids

Researchers assigned young men to a high- or low-glycemic diet after exercise, and examined the effects on intramuscular lipid storage. Carbohydrates were provided at 8 g/kg body mass, and protein and fat content constituted 11 percent and 17 percent of energy, respectively. Researchers found that consuming a high-glycemic diet after exercise resulted in a trend toward higher-starting intramyocellular lipids (IMCL) in the high-GI trial.

Despite these observations, an increased storage of IMCL in the high-GI trial would seem likely, as previous research has shown that consuming a high-GI meal following 90 minutes of exercise reduces fatty acid availability, compared to consuming a low-GI meal.⁶ The observation of a trend toward a higher pre-exercise IMCL content following a high-GI diet warrants further investigation, using an appropriate study design.

It is possible that the higher insulin levels characterizing the high-GI diet could also affect other sources of lipids (such as liver lipid release), although this also requires further study.

Taken together, these observations suggest that high-GI diets produce sustained effects on nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) availability and intramuscular lipid oxidation during exercise, although the mechanism by which this happens remains to be studied. So if you are looking to burn more fat, switching to a low-glycemic diet may reduce the accumulation of intramuscular lipids and enhance fat oxidation.⁷

The study provides unique insight into the relationship between carbohydrate quality and lipid deposits during exercise. The data show that the amount of liver glycogen used during exercise is related to both the pre-exercise glycogen content and inversely related to the level of circulating fatty acids during exercise— the higher the starting level of glycogen and the lower the level of circulating fatty acids, the greater glycogen use during exercise.

References:

1. Pereira, MA, Swain, J, Goldfine, AB, Rifai, N, & Ludwig, DS. (2004). Effects of a low-glycemic load diet on resting energy expenditure and heart disease risk factors during weight loss. Journal of the American Medical Association, 24, 2482-2490.

2. Sloth, B, Krog-Mikkelsen, I, Flint, A, Tetens, I, Bjorck, I, Vinoy, S, Elmstahl, H, Astrup, A, Lang, V, & Raben, A. (2004). No difference in body weight decrease between a low-glycemic-index and a high-glycemic-index diet but reduced LDL cholesterol after 10-wk ad libitum intake of the low-glycemic-index diet. American Journal of Clinical Nurition, 80, 337-347.

3. Jimenez-Cruz, A, Bacardi-Gascon, M, Turnbull, WH, Rosales-Garay, P, & Severino-Lugo, I. (2003). A flexible, low-glycemic index mexican-style diet in overweight and obese subjects with type 2 diabetes improves metabolic parameters during a 6-week treatment period. Diabetes Care, 26, 1967-1970.

4. Chandler RM, Byrne HK, Patterson JG, Ivy JL. Dietary supplements affect the anabolic hormones after weight-training exercise. J Appl Physiol, 1994;76:839-845.

5. Conley MS, Stone MH. Carbohydrate ingestion/supplementation or resistance exercise and training. Sports Med, 1996;21:7-17.

6. Trenell MI, Stevenson E, Stockmann K, Brand-Miller J. Effect of high and low glycemic index recovery diets on intramuscular lipid oxidation during aerobic exercise. Br J Nutr, 99: 326-332, 2008.

7. Stevenson EJ, Thelwall PE, Thomas K, Smith F, Brand-Miller J, Trenell MI. Dietary glycemic index influences lipid oxidation but not muscle or liver glycogen oxidation during exercise. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 2009.

Sidebar:

Fat Oxidation During Exercise and Satiety During Recovery Are Increased Following A Low-Glycemic Index Breakfast

Consuming low-glycemic index carbohydrates before exercise results in increased fat oxidation during exercise in trained men and women. It is not known if this phenomenon occurs during low-intensity exercise and in untrained participants. Researchers examined the effect of eating breakfasts containing high-GI (HGI) or low-GI (LGI) foods on substrate utilization during rest and walking exercise in sedentary adults. The metabolic and appetite response to a standard lunch consumed after exercise was also investigated.

On each occasion, participants were provided with a HGI or LGI breakfast 3 hours before walking for 60 minutes. After exercise, participants were provided with lunch and remained in the laboratory for an additional 2 hours. Plasma glucose and serum insulin responses were higher following the HGI breakfast, compared to after the LGI breakfast. During the 3-hour postprandial (occurring after a meal) period, fat oxidation was suppressed following both breakfasts, but remained higher in the LGI trial. During exercise, total fat oxidation was also greater in the LGI trial. There were no differences in the metabolic responses to lunch. Participants reported feeling fuller following lunch in the LGI trial.

Consuming a LGI breakfast increases fat oxidation during subsequent exercise and improves satiety during recovery in sedentary adults.

Reference:

Stevenson EJ, Astbury NM, Simpson EJ, Taylor MA, Macdonald IA. Fat oxidation during exercise and satiety during recovery are increased following a low-glycemic index breakfast in sedentary women. J Nutr, 2009 May;139(5):890-7.

Credits: The information above is a word by word excerpt from MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT.

Digestive Enzymes

  Digestive enzymes are substances that will help you in the digestion process, by breaking down polymeric macromolecules into their smaller building blocks, in order to facilitate their absorption by the body. 
  When we eat our food it sits in our stomach for while before making its way through the duodenum. This occurs due to the lack of enzyme in one's stomach which is caused by not ingesting raw foods which are the ones that contain enzymes. Enzymes are killed with the heating and processing of foods, which means that a lot of cooked and processed  food is not good for you. 

Follow are some of the benefits:

• Digest Proteins
• Assimilate fats
• Increase energy
• Reduce Bacteria
• Assimilate and eliminate Toxins
• Eliminate yeast
• Break up and dissolve Uric Acid Crystals
• Raise T-Cell activity and production
• Shatter Crystalline Deposits 
• Break up Cholesterol Deposits
• Increase the White Blood Cell size and activity
• Increase the surface area of the red blood cell, making it possible to carry more oxygen to all parts of the body

If you are not lacking in your consumption of vegetables, fruits an other types of raw food, digestive enzymes may be a good choice for you.

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