Hewlett-Packard will cut more jobs (BizJournals)
May 21st, 2009More info…
Computer and printer maker Hewlett-Packard Co. will cut 2 percent of its employees, about 6,400 people, to save money.
Beauty news (Daily Telegraph)
Buying organic products.
Aloe vera juice digestion
May 21st, 2009Aloe vera juice digestion
Aloe Vera is a plant that has biblical references. Technically it is one of 250 species of aloe of the liliaceae family. Aloe Vera is a natural inhabitant of Africa and Asia and can grow up to twenty five feet in height and grows best in tropical climates with little rainfall. In appearance aloe vera looks likes cacti. It is a stem less plant with thick fleshy leaves. The flowers of the aloe vera plant grow on long stems in clusters of red and yellow. The part of the aloe vera plant that is used is the gel that is found in the fleshy leaves. This gel harvesting is done best by hand. This gel is used in a variety of ways for a variety of uses. It can be used as a gel or added to a drink and used as aloe vera juice. This juice is extremely beneficial as it comprises several minerals and vitamins including vitamin C and B, potassium, calcium etc. Such are the benefits of aloe juice that even doctors recommend drinking it twice a day. Aloe vera has gained immense popularity amongst those looking for natural health products to use. Aloe vera has cooling and soothing benefits. It is used to help treat wounds and burns. It is also used for treating a lot of skin conditions and for the general upkeep of the tightness and softness of the skin. Aloe vera has been known to increase the blood circulation and has known to be effective in treating joint pain and arthritis. For those who drink aloe vera juice, digestion is also aided in a large way. Aloe vera juice has been known to benefit digestion in more ways that one, the most important being in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Aloe vera juice works as a detoxifying agent. It works to cleanse the colon and also detoxifies the blood. For people who drink aloe vera juice, digestion is helped immensely and conditions such as ulcers are avoided. Ale vera juice helps in the growth of cells and enlarges blood vessels. This helps in improving blood circulation to the digestive system thereby improving digestion. This juice also helps maintain a healthy acid balance in the stomach. Alow vera juice has properties of being anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-bacterial. It thus helps soothe the irritations of the digestive tract including calming down IBS. Aloe vera juice also facilitates and encourages the secretion of the protein digesting enzyme pepsin in the stomach. This facilitates active digestion of proteins in the stomach. Over all for people drinking regular amounts of aloe vera juice, digestion is improved in large amounts. This natural juice has positive effects on the entire body and is another example of the benefits of organic products.
Digestion problems raw vegetables
May 21st, 2009Digestion problems raw vegetables
The human digestive system is a beautifully designed structure that includes sub-processes for digesting all the different types of food that we ingest. From the mouth all through the anus the digestive system is the most extensive in the body after the nervous system. It includes a large number of organs which utilise several chemicals and enzymes to digest food. Digestion allows the food to be broken into smaller pieces and the nutrients to be absorbed by the body. The food that we eat can be categorized into various groups depending on the nutrient content. These groups include carbohydrates, proteins, fats and oils, vitamins and minerals. The human digestive system has chemical processes to digest carbohydrates, proteins and fats and oils separately and in different amounts of time. Carbohydrates (with the exception of cellulose) are the easiest to digest, proteins take some more time while fats and oils take the longest to digest in the gastrointestinal system. Carbohydrates are digested using amylase in the mouth and in the small intestine. Proteins are digested with protease enzymes in the stomach and small intestine. Fats and oils need lipase to be digested. These three food groups make a large part of our diets. But along with these, we also consume large amounts of fruits and vegetable containing these nutrients. In matters of eating vegetables, there has always been a debate about the benefits of eating cooked vegetables versus eating raw vegetables. For those people with digestion problems, raw vegetables might be a part of the diet. The biggest problem with eating raw vegetables is that the nutrients in the vegetables are often embedded in a complicated mesh of fibres. This fibre is not digested by the body and in trying to do so there could be some aches and pains in the digestive system. For people experiencing digestion problems, raw vegetables are probably not being digested properly. For example, when eating raw potatoes only 30% of the starch is absorbed. On cooking potatoes, 98% of the starch can be digested by the body. Raw vegetables contain cellulose which is one component of food that is not digested by the body. Although we need some amount of fibre to help in healthy bowel movements, eating raw vegetables is burdening the digestive system with excess fibre, probably more than it can handle. Hemicellulase enzyme is required to breakdown plant material. With growing age, the amount of this enzyme drops. Hence raw vegetables aren’t broken down as much as they would be. Cooking helps alter the molecular structure of the vegetables making them easier to digest. So although for people with digestion problems, raw vegetables may be a cause, not all vegetables cause trouble. Cucumber, carrots, celery can be eaten safely because of low fibre content. Otherwise, cooking is the safest and best option to avoid unnecessary trouble.