Boba Tea Can Lead To Obesity And Diabetes, Health Experts Warn

Boba tea can lead to obesity and diabetes, health experts warn

LOS ANGELES (KABC) --
A coalition of health and community organizers launched the Rethink Your Asian Drink campaign to help raise awareness about the unhealthy nutrition contents of boba tea.
For the past 15 years, the Asian drink boba tea, also known as bubble tea, has been extremely popular across the U.S.
"Growing up in the San Gabriel Valley, boba was very affordable. I had it every day," said Scott Chan, program manager at the Asian and Pacific Islander Obesity Prevention Alliance (APIOPA).
Health experts warned that boba can be just as unhealthy as soda. A 12-ounce serving of boba can contain about 90 grams of sugar, 7 grams of fat and 490 calories.
"You don't want that much sugar in your body every single day. It has a lot of different impacts on your health," Chan said.
The APIOPA launched the campaign in an attempt to warn people, especially the Asian community, about the need to be conscious about what you put into your body.
"1997 to 2011 here in L.A. County, there was a 68 percent increase in diabetes in our communities," Chan said.
Chef Nico de Leon from Lassa Restaurant in Chinatown created an alternative boba drink to mimic the traditional components.
"In my alternative drink we did a black tea, carrot juice for the color and also add some sweetness, some almond milk instead of the dairy in there so it's actually vegan, and then instead of boba we used chia seeds," de Leon said.
Longtime boba lovers approved of the alternative version.
"The carrot juice, it's very sweet. It's very light. It's refreshing so it's a great alternative, especially for a summer dri Continue reading

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How to Use Cocoa to Prevent Heart Disease and Cancer

Raw cocoa is one of the most amazing superfoods you could ever eat, and no wonder why it appears in so many recommended superfood lists that you find in nutrition books and in the Internet.
Raw cocoa is very rich in antioxidants which can reduce the incidence of several serious illnesses, such as heart disease, cancer and type-2 diabetes. Cocoa adds a great taste to smoothies and also makes them effective in fighting these serious health conditions.
Cocoa beans are native to South America and were used to make bitter drink by the Maya and Aztecs. The beans were also used for medical purposes and as offering in spiritual ceremonies. In the mid 1500s, cocoa beans were introduced to Europe by the Spaniards and they soon became a delicacy.
During the 17th century chocolate houses were established across Europe. Traditionally, cocoa was used in beverages, often mixed with spices such as vanilla and cinnamon, and sometimes with a sweetener such as honey. Later milk was included, and the start of modern chocolate drinks and confectionery began.
Cocoa and cacao – what is the difference?
The explanation to the difference between “cacao” and “cocoa” in not conclusive. Some sources claim that the word cacao comes from the Olmec people from what is now Mexico, and is believed to be the closest pronunciation to the original name of the plant.
It is actually widely believed that the word cocoa has its origins in a spelling mistake which was never corrected, and perhaps found easier to pronounce, and quite successfully overtook the correct form. In other words cocoa is the Angli Continue reading

Man Overcomes Diabetes Without Medicine!

A man who was diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension in 2011 made a revolutionary change of his state and fought the diseases!
His diagnosis meant that he had to take insulin and high blood pressure pills to treat his issues, but he rejected such a treatment and decided to naturally cure himself.
He started consuming raw vegetables and fruits and restored his health!
Namely, 4 and a half years ago, he felt constant thirst and decided to check his condition at his doctor. The doctor informed him that the levels of sugar were increased up to 29.0 mmol/L , and his pancreas stopped working. Therefore, he told him that the use of insulin was inevitable.
Initially, the man started taking insulin on a daily basis and became physically active, but yet, his condition aggravated with time. His triglyceride levels were 16 and his blood pressure raised up to 150/100, so the numerous medications he used additionally damaged his body.
Therefore, on New Year’s Eve in 2013, he decided to try another way to treat his illness.
He saw an episode of the show “The Edge of Science” and listened to the words of the guest, Dr. John Zirdum, who stated that consumed only raw foods for 12 years. This was the turning point, and he decided to buy a blender and start a completely new life.
He found it hard during the first week, as he couldn’t easily resist the temptation to try other foods, but he was determined to continue, and he managed to drop his blood sugar level to 5.0 mmol/L!
He no longer needed to use insulin! He continued to do the regular checkups and also kept the therapy as a bac Continue reading

We Finally Know All 5 Molecules That Are Attacked in Type 1 Diabetes

After 20 years of searching, scientists have finally identified the fifth and final molecule that the immune system attacks in order to trigger type 1 diabetes, completing the puzzle and providing new hope for treatments.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition, which means it's caused by a patient's own immune system attacking their body - in this case, their insulin-producing beta cells. For years, scientists have struggled to figure out exactly how the immune system attacks, and which targets it aims for, but now it looks like they've finally done it.
"With this new discovery, we have now finished identifying what the immune system is targeting - we have the complete picture," lead researcher Michael Christie from the University of Lincoln in the UK, told James Gallagher over at the BBC.
Now that we know which targets the immune system is gunning for, the hope is that we'll be able to figure out a way to stop this from happening.
Researchers have long been studying the antibodies - the tiny weapons that the immune systems of type 1 diabetics produce against their beta cells - but figuring out the specific, molecular targets of these antibodies is tricky. The team compares it to figuring out someone's identity from their silhouette.
Researchers had previously managed to identify four out of the five targets, but for the past 20 years they've struggled to nail down the fifth one, simply giving it the pseudonym of 'Glima' in the research. (As far as we can tell, that's a fancier alternative to throwing up your hands and saying, "Who knows, let's call it 'molecule X'.")
B Continue reading

How to Manage Stress and Diabetes

Having a chronic health condition like diabetes can bring on stress or exacerbate existing symptoms.
The problem is that stress can be harmful to both physical and mental health, so it's important to manage your well-being before stress manifests other complications.
How Stress Affects Health
In addition to contributing to wear and tear on the body, stress can increase blood glucose levels, lead to poor eating habits, impair your thinking and decision-making abilities, and negatively impact immune and digestive functions. Stress can also impact renal and reproductive health, while raising your risk for depression.
Symptoms
Stress doesn't always manifest as agitation, although feeling "wired" is one of the most common symptoms.
Other symptoms of stress can include: significant changes in sleep (sleeping too much or too little), changes in appetite, weight loss or gain, memory or concentration problems, muscle tension, stomach problems, avoidance of work or school tasks, profuse sweating, feeling shaky or uneasy, teeth grinding or headaches.
Managing Stress
Conquering stress starts with being mindful of your triggers or the events in your life causing you stress.
It's important to make time every day for calming activities that can lower your blood pressure, slow your breathing and ground you.
Some ways to cope with stress include: deep breathing, yoga, meditation, slow walks, connecting with nature, spending time with your pet, laughter, listening to soothing music or working with a behavioral therapist.
With diabetes, or with any disease, your mind-body connection will be i Continue reading