Quick Reference Guide on Gluten Free Diet

For those who are gluten-intolerant or gluten-sensitive, the summary table may be helpful to you as a quick reference guide on what foods to eat and what foods to avoid, where possible.

Source: http://glutenfreeworks.com/diet-and-health/the-gluten-free-diet/

Q.  What foods can I eat on a gluten-free diet?
A.  There is a vast world of safe food out there waiting to be discovered.  Most of us who have a problem with gluten, developed it because we have been eating a great amount of it every day.  If you find your diet loaded with hoagies, pizza, pasta, and doughnuts, it’s time to get out of the rut.  Overhaul your diet with fruits, vegetables, safe grains, and legumes.

The comparison chart below shows examples of foods that can be safely eaten and those that must be strictly avoided. For more detailed information, discuss gluten-free choices with a health care specialist or dietitian skilled in this diet.

Foods Allowed/Not Allowed

  *Plain means no gluten ingredients are added to the food.
**Commercially prepared means the product is made by a company for the purpose of selling it.

FOOD GROUP	ALLOWED	NOT ALLOWED
Fruit	All plain* fresh, frozen, or dried fruit; canned fruit in natural juice. Pie fillings thickened with cornstarch, tapioca, or arrowroot.	Commercially prepared** canned or prepared fruits/ pie fillings thickened with flour.
Vegetables	All plain*, fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables.   GF sauced vegetables; vegetables thickened with cornstarch tapioca or arrowroot such as sweet & sour red beets.	Commercially prepared **creamed vegetables and vegetables in sauce thickened with flour. Vegetables with regular bread crumbs or battered and fried; salads with croutons or with dressing thickened using flour or oat gum.
Meat, fish, seafood, fowl	Plain* fresh, canned, or frozen beef, pork, ham, lamb, rabbit, or other meat, seafood, fish, poultry, turkey, or other birds. Bacon; hotdogs, cold cuts; scrapple and sausage made with safe fillers and binders. Canned fish, poultry, seafood, meat in brine or plain water. GF breaded, battered or otherwise prepared.	Commercially prepared** meat, fish, seafood, and fowl or other bird, such as are breaded/ battered (fried), blended, or injected with solution (as in turkeys/chickens/hams). Any of the following that use gluten-containing fillers: cold cuts, hotdogs, scrapple, meat loaf, sausage, meatballs, meat patties; canned meat, fish, poultry, or seafood using hydrolyzed vegetable protein. Imitation crab, other meat using wheat gluten or seitan.
Eggs	Fresh eggs boiled, poached, fried, or plain* scrambled.	Commercially prepared** dried or frozen egg products using flour or wheat starch. Souffle, omelet or scrambled eggs thickened with flour or pancake batter.
Milk and milk products	Plain* fresh or evaporated milk including goat and sheep milk. Plain sour cream, light/heavy cream; plain yogurt.	Malted milk, commercially prepared** chocolate  and flavored milk. Yogurt thickened with wheat starch, hydrolized protein added, or with granola added.
Cheese	Plain* aged, chunk cheese, such as cheddar, Swiss, edam, Parmesan, Romano, and manchego; cottage cheese, cream cheese, and specially prepared GF spreads/ mixes.	Cheese product thickened or stabilized with oat gum or wheat starch, such as spread/ sauce for nachos or macaroni. Some veined cheeses aged with moldy bread, such as bleu cheese, stilton, Roquefort, and gorgonzola.
Pasta and Noodles	Specially prepared GF pasta and noodles made with rice, corn, potato, or other safe flour. Bean thread, rice, and wheat-free buckwheat noodles.	Regular pasta such as penne, spaghetti, lasagna, and macaroni. Couscous. Regular noodles using wheat flour.
Naturally GF starch dishes	Plain* rice, wild rice, sweet potatoes, potatoes, yams, buckwheat or kasha, millet, and hominy or polenta.	Commercially prepared** flavored or seasoned rice, wild rice, kasha, or other GF food using wheat starch/ flour, oat gum, or hydrolized or texturized wheat protein. Frozen French fries and potato products dusted with flour at the plant and/or coated with seasoned flour at the restaurant. Potatoes stuffed with a flour thickened filling.
Breads and yeast raised buns, pizza, and doughnuts	Specially prepared GF.	Regular.
Flatbreads and tortillas	Specially prepared GF flatbreads. Plain* corn tortillas.	Regular flatbreads/ flour tortillas. Corn tortillas with flour or barley added.
Quickbreads	Plain* corn muffins and corn bread.  GF muffins, GF English muffins, GF scones, GF biscuits, GF breads like Irish soda bread, banana, apple, and date/nut bread.	Regular quickbreads.
Baked goods	GF cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, pastries, tarts, croisants, and Danish.	Regular baked goods.
Doughnuts and fried dough	Specially prepared GF doughnuts and fried bread dough.	Regular doughnuts and fried bread dough.
Pancakes, waffles, and crepes	Plain* buckwheat pancakes. GF pancakes, waffles, and crepes.	Buckwheat pancakes made with flour. Regular pancakes, waffles, and crepes.
Cereals	All plain* cereals made from safe foods, such as rice, corn, buckwheat, millet, and amaranth, and are not coated with malt or malt flavoring.	Regular cereal made from wheat, rye, barley, and oats such as wheat flakes, wheat puffs, shredded wheat, wheat germ, cream of wheat, and oatmeal. Any cold cereals coated with malt syrup or malt flavoring to keep them crisp, including  safe grains such as crispy rice or corn flakes. Granolas, muesli, and kashi.
Soups	Homemade broth and soup, and stew using safe ingredients and thickened with cornstarch.	Most canned and dry mix soups and stews. Boullion and boullion cubes using hydrolyzed wheat protein.
Legumes	Plain* beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, peanuts, and soybeans.	Any made with unsafe ingredients such as baked beans thickened with flour or oat gum, coated or blended with breadcrumbs, or flavored with soy sauce or malt syrup/ flavoring.
Snacks	Plain* corn, potato, soy, and vegetable chips. Specially made GF breadsticks, pretzels, and crackers. Trail mix made with GF ingredients. Plain nuts and seeds. Plain fruit bars.	Regular wheat, rye, barley, and oat-based crackers, crisps, and pretzels. Trail mix with wheat nuggets or oat granola.  Seasoned roasted nuts. Seeds with unsafe flavoring.
Beverages	Plain*coffee, tea, cocoa, and fruit juices. Wine made in USA, vodka distilled from grapes or potatoes, sake, vermouth, cognac, and tequilla. Gluten-free beer.	Coca-cola, malted milk, commercially made drinks with unsafe grains such as  Ovaltine, Postum, and Tang.  Herbal teas flavored with barley malt; root beer; some flavored coffees. Some instant decaffeinated coffee. Regular beer, ale, and porter.
Cold Desserts	GF ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, and sorbet. Gelatin, junket, and custard. Puddings, such as rice and tapioca, thickened with cornstarch or arrowroot.	Ice cream and sherbets made with gluten stabilizers, cookie dough, cookies, or other cereal additives. Ice cream cones.  Pudding mixes and puddings thickened with flour, wheat starch, or oat gum.
Sweeteners	Crystalline fructose, honey, maltitol, sorbitol, rice syrup, pure maple syrup, and pure fruit spreads.	Rice syrup with flour and some corn and pancake syrups using wheat, barley malt or oat gum.
Condiments	Apple cider vinegar, white vinegar distilled from corn, rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, wine vinegar, and fruit vinegar like plum and raspberry. Mayonnaise, mustard, catsup, sauces, pickles, and olives made with safe vinegar. Tamari made from soy only. Soy sauce made from soy only.	Soy sauce and hoisin sauce made from soy and wheat.Malt vinegar and products made using it.
Fats	Butter and any oil other than wheat germ oil.	Wheat germ oil. Non-dairy cream substitutes; some commercial salad dressings using wheat germ oil.
Sweets	GF candy and fruit bars.	Commercially prepared** candies dusted with flour to keep from sticking, fillings thickened with flour, wafers and other cereal parts made from unsafe grains, and addition of oats or oat gum or malt flavoring/ syrup. Twizzler’s red licorice and Goetz’s Cow Tales are examples using wheat flour. Some gum drops, and some chewing gum.
Deli or salad bar foods	Plain* salads/ vegetables without croutons or breadcrumbs. Caution: may be contaminated by use of utensils used for unsafe foods or by spillage onto them.	Regular tuna, egg, chicken, seafood, fish, and ham salad. Pasta salads. Breaded foods/ battered foods. Sauced foods.
Nutritional bars	Specially prepared GF.	Regular bars.
Thickeners	Cornstarch, arrowroot, potato starch, and tapioca starch. Zanthan gum, guar gum, caron bean gum, locust bean gum, gum Arabic, cellulose, and carrageenan. Agar-agar gelatin.	Wheat starch/ flour, hydrolized wheat protein, oat gum.
Flavorings	Maltodextrin (in the USA it’s derived from corn, potato or rice), most spices and herbs.	Barley malt, malt, malt extract, and malt syrup, oat syrup. Some spice blends. Dry curry powder. Maltodextrin is usually derived from barley or wheat outside of USA.
Miscellaneous	Active dry yeast, bicarbonate of soda, GF baking powder, cream of tartar. Specially prepared communion wafers	Instant dry yeast. Some baking powders. Standard communion wafers.

Chart 1.3  Safe and Unsafe foods.² Adapted from chart provided in “Celiac Disease.” National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.

Home remedies for treating diarrhea

According to this website, in developed countries such as USA, diarrhea outbreaks are more often linked to contaminated water supplies, food poisioning, and so on. Some viral infections are also more common in summer.  http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/digestive/diarrhea.html# 

Here's a summary of home remedies widely recommended to treat diarrhea, based on several sources of information on this subject.

- Apple juice or clear broth (which may include miso soup), but avoid citrus, pineapple, tomato and other jouice since the acid in them can irritate already inflamed intestines. Start with small sips and work your way up to drinking a cup every half hour.

- Vinegar. If a bacterial infection is at the root of your diarrhea, apple cider vinegar could help contain the problem, thanks to its antibiotic properties. What's more, some folk remedy experts contend that apple cider vinegar contains pectin, which can help soothe intestinal spasms.

- Honey. Many cultures swear by honey as a cure for diarrhea. Mix 4 tablespoons of honey into a cup of hot water. Let cool and drink. It's very sweet, but effective. (Come to think of it, I think 1 tablespoon of honey in a glass of warm water is sufficient, otherwise it would be too sweet.)



This website supports the recommendation of drinking water with honey to treat diarrhea. http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?page=articles&id=157149 

Honey has tremendous medicinal value, because it washes away the harmful substances that might be collected in the intestines and the veins. In treating diarrhea, honey promotes the rehydration of the body and more quickly clears up the diarrhea and any vomiting and stomach upsets. The anti-bacterial properties of honey, both the peroxide and non-peroxide, are effective against MRSA strains of bacteria which are notoriously resistant to antibiotics and are sometimes responsible for the closing of hospital wards.

- Ginger "has been shown to prevent the gases and spasms that can contribute to diarrhea."

Other remedies include pomegranate juice, chamomile tea, rice, potatoes, bananas, yoghurts (in small amounts).

These information are taken from "Reader's Digest Easy Home Remedies" (free iphone app) and the following websites:
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/home-remedies/10-home-remedies-for-diarrhea.htm
http://physicalandspiritualhealth.blogspot.sg/2012/07/health-benefits-of-pomegranate.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/036649_honey_home_remedies_medicine.html

The website also suggests other alternative treatments, such as consuming probiotics, as well as practising yoga and meditation to provide relief from diarrhea.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/diarrhea-management/diarrhea-home-remedies.aspx

"Consuming probiotics, either as a supplement or in foods such as yogurt, may help restore healthful amounts of good bacteria in your intestinal tract. In turn, this helps slow down or stop your loose, watery bowel movements."

Some of the websites also recommend prevention measures, such as washing hands before eating meals since some virus or bacteria may have been passed on from touching common surfaces in public places, public transport, etc.

Ways to Reduce the Risks of Cancer

It's simple: what we do today determines our risk for disease tomorrow.

With this thought in mind, we can strive to apply the following guidelines to our daily choices to reduce risk of most chronic, degenerative conditions, including almost all types of cancer:

1. Limit intake of refined sugar.
   
2. Limit intake of unhealthy oils that are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids.
   
3. Limit exposure to ionizing radiation and electromagnetic fields.
   
4. Avoid use of oral contraceptives and hormone replacement drugs whenever possible.
   
5. Minimize exposure to exogenous toxins like pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, dioxins, asbestos, volatile organic compounds, and polychlorinated biphenyls.
   
6. Minimize or completely avoid use of recreational drugs.
   
7. Optimize vitamin D status.
   
8. Work at getting regular aerobic exercise and restful sleep.
   
9. Strive to be emotionally balanced i.e. avoid living in a fight/flight state where sympathetic nervous system output dominates parasympathetic (rest/digest) tone.
   

Source:
"How Fast Does Cancer Grow?" by Dr Ben Kim

Green Tea - Health benefits

Source: Missr Holland

Some observations about aural energy

Queen Afua Wellness Institute (QAWI)

"Pay attention to whom you share your intimate energy with. Intimacy at this level intertwines your aural energy with the aural energy of the other person. These powerful connections, regardless of how insignificant you think they are, leave spiritual debris, particularly within people who do not practice any type of cleansing, physical, emotional or otherwise. The more you interact intimately with someone, the deeper the connection and the more of their aura is intertwined with yours.

Imagine the confused aura of someone who sleeps with multiple people and carries around these multiple energies? What they may not realize is that others can feel that energy which can repel positive energy and attract negative energy into your life. 

I always say, never sleep with someone you wouldn't want to be."

 ~Lisa Chase Patterson

Related post 
Freedom of Sexual Repression Brings Healing and Wholeness

30 Uses of Apple Cider Vinegar

 

 30 uses for apple cider vinegar from Green Tidings

Here's sharing an excerpt from this excellent health article on apple cider vinegar as a natural remedy for health conditions.

 "You might wonder, if Apple Cider Vinegar is so great, why hasn't your doctor told you about it?

I think the simple reason might be that medical doctors are more apt to prescribe medicines than natural remedies.

Pharmaceutical companies spend a lot of money getting their medicines and pills approved and they certainly wouldn't want you using the inexpensive, unpatentable alternative of ACV instead of buying their expensive cures and treatments.

One big problems today that many people suffer from is acid reflux. Consequently, pharmaceutical companies have come up with a plethora of pills to treat this ailment. But before you take pills that may be harmful to you, you might want to consider treating your acid reflux or other stomach ailments with apple cider vinegar.

You see, your stomach needs acid to digest food and when you have digestive problems like acid reflux or heartburn it's not because you have too much acid it's because there is too little. Most medications you would take for these are antacids which diminish the amount of acid in your stomach but this may not be what you need. These antacids may treat the symptoms but they will not address the cause and therefore, will never cure your problem.

Apple cider vinegar will mimic the acid level of your stomach and help you digest food properly which can help to treat that burning sensation. In addition, you might also consider taking digestive enzymes that will help your stomach digest the food.

If you suffer from acid reflux, heartburn or nausea, try taking one tablespoon of Apple cider vinegar prior to each meal. You may see your symptoms go away in as little as three days. However, you'll want to continue this practice for three to nine months and you may see the problem disappear altogether.

You don't want to use just any kind of ACV, though. What you need is organic apple cider vinegar that still has the enzymes in it (called the "mother"). This is where the healing properties are. The "mother" will show up inside the bottle as stringy globs floating around. To get the most out of your vinegar, shake it up each time you take a swig so that the mother can be dispersed throughout."

Health Benefits of Pomegranate/ Pomegranate Juice: The Top Ten

A little Health fact for you this morning.....
Health Benefits of Pomegranate/ Pomegranate Juice: The Top Ten

1. Antioxidants – These help to wrangle the hoards of free radicals in your system. Free radicals have an uneven number of electrons and like to balance themselves out by stealing from other molecules and cells in your body. These cells are oftentimes very important ones dealing with your DNA, and when they are destroyed, disease steps in. Pomegranate juice is an excellent source of antioxidants that work to help you stay disease-free.

2. Blood Thinner – Pomegranate juice helps your blood circulation, making it easier for blood to travel to your heart, brain, and the rest of your body.

3. Cancer Fighter – Pomegranate has been known to reduce and prohibit the growth of cancer cells and tumors in your body.

4. Digestion Aide – Pomegranate juice is a natural remedy for diarrhea, dysentery, and great number of other digestive problems.

5. Anemia Relief – With a high content of iron, pomegranate juice is a great home cure for anemia because it promotes higher levels of hemoglobin.

6. Anti-Inflammatory – Pomegranate juice has properties that help treat sufferers of arthritis. It can also help cure a cough or sore throat.

7. Neonatal Care – It has been proven that pomegranate juice ingested by pregnant women can help protect the neonatal brain.

8. Artery Protection – It helps keep plaque from building up in your arteries.

9. Cartilage Protection – It works to prevent the deterioration of cartilage in your body.

10. Cholesterol Reducer – Pomegranate juice is capable of lowering blood pressure by as much as 6% in daily drinkers.

Related post: 
Pomegranate Juice: A Fruit Juice Like No Other

Immortality - The Illusion of Death!

I think Ralph Smart has presented a holistic view of death, taking into account the duality of life and death, and how death is viewed differently in different cultures and societies, such as Africa and West Indies. It is good to be reminded that energy can’t be destroyed and it can only be transferred or transformed. Like what he said, there is no separation between life and death, which are essential parts of duality. It is a transition (like what Carlton Pearson shared too), and death is humanity’s shadow, to be embraced. Yes, on a deeper level, there is no beginning and no end, since the concept of time is a man-made invention. Death serves to remind us that life on earth is transient. Life is fragile and sacred, yet we are limitless beings because we are co-creators, and so we can ignore society’s programming and choose to live as long as we want. For example, Brian Boyle in his book “Iron Heart” chose to live and managed to recover from the accident and continued to live his life to the full and fulfilling his dreams.

So yes, in summary, death is the shadow which we need not be afraid of. Like what Ralph Smart says, the universe uses everything in it, including us, and we will be transformed into something else through death. This is true from an ecological point of view. And yes, sometimes, silence is the best way to understand the mysteries of life because it speaks volumes and transcends the limitations of words. 

I also like what he says about Nature being in a constant state of creation, where there is essentially no death, except transformation and immortality. We are constantly undergoing metamorphosis, like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly. Finally, while we are here, it’s about living in the moment. It’s only when we are in the past or future, there is fear of death, which is only an illusion, since there is only immortality. So yes, when we are in the moment, fear disappears. The past is history, the future is mystery, and the present is the only reality that matters, where life, immortality and eternity is, the I Am.

Yoga as a combination of art and science

"Yoga, an ancient but perfect science, deals with the evolution of humanity. This evolution includes all aspects of one's being, from bodily health to self realization. Yoga means union - the union of body with consciousness and consciousness with the soul. Yoga cultivates the ways of maintaining a balanced attitude in day to day life and endows skill in the performance of one's actions." - B.K.S. Iyengar

It is interesting to see yoga as an all encompassing term for holistic living that unites our body, soul and spirit (consciousness). I have come to see yoga as a combination of art and science - the art of being yoked with our true self in oneness of breath and action, and the science of health and spirituality.  It is no wonder yoga has a part to play in the evolution of humanity. I agree with the quote that yoga is useful for living each day with poise and awareness, peace and calm. Conscious living and breathing keeps us centered and balanced physically, emotionally and spiritually in the face of ups and downs in life, as we are anchored to our true identity of divine unconditional love. Through self-realisation, perfect love casts out fear, and perfect peace guards our heart and mind in Christ consciousness.

93 Year-Old Yoga Instructor Can Still Pose Perfectly

I think yoga has long-term health benefits indeed, as the stretching exercises and poses not only help people find relaxation, but also keep their bodies supple and flexible. The 93-year-old yoga instructor looks younger than her age, and she could pose better than me too. That is amazing and admirable.

Preventing Alzheimer's Disease

Some mental exercise is good for preventing Alzheimer's disease in old age, according to research studies in below email I received last year.




                                       CLA on Alzheimers...
"The idea that Alzheimer's is entirely genetic and unpreventable is perhaps the greatest misconception about the disease," says Gary Small, M.D., director of the UCLA Center on Aging. Researchers now know that Alzheimer's, like heart disease and cancer, develops over decades and can be influenced by lifestyle factors including cholesterol, blood pressure, obesity, depression, education, nutrition, sleep and mental, physical and social activity.

The big news: Mountains of research reveals that simple things you do every day might cut your odds of losing your mind to Alzheimer's. 

In search of scientific ways to delay and outlive Alzheimer's and other dementias, I tracked down thousands of studies and interviewed dozens of experts. The results in a new book:100 Simple Things You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer's and Age-Related Memory Loss(Little, Brown; $19.99). 

Here are 10 strategies I found most surprising:
1.  Have coffee. In an amazing flip-flop, coffee is the new brain tonic. A large European study showed that drinking three to five cups of coffee a day in midlife cut Alzheimer's risk 65% in late life. University of South Florida researcher Gary Arendash credits caffeine: He says it reduces dementia-causing amyloid in animal brains. Others credit coffee's antioxidants. So drink up, Arendash advises, unless your doctor says you shouldn't. 

2. Floss. Oddly, the health of your teeth and gums can help predict dementia. University of Southern California research found that having periodontal disease before age 35 quadrupled the odds of dementia years later. Older people with tooth and gum disease score lower on memory and cognition tests, other studies show. Experts speculate that inflammation in diseased mouths migrates to the brain. 

3. Google. Doing an online search can stimulate your aging brain even more than reading a book, says UCLA's Gary Small, who used brain MRIs to prove it. The biggest surprise: Novice Internet surfers, ages 55 to 78, activated key memory and learning centers in the brain after only a week of Web surfing for an hour a day. 

4. Grow new brain cells. Impossible, scientists used to say. Now it's believed that thousands of brain cells are born daily. The trick is to keep the newborns alive. What works: aerobic exercise (such as a brisk 30-minute walk every day), strenuous mental activity, eating salmon and other fatty fish, and avoiding obesity, chronic stress, sleep deprivation, heavy drinking and vitamin B deficiency. 

5. Drink apple juice. Apple juice can push production of the "memory chemical" acetylcholine; that's the way the popular Alzheimer's drug Aricept works, says Thomas Shea, Ph.D., of the University of Massachusetts. He was surprised that old mice given apple juice did better on learning and memory tests than mice that received water. A dose for humans: 16 ounces, or two to three apples a day. 

6. Protect your head. Blows to the head, even mild ones early in life, increase odds of dementia years later. Pro football players have 19 times the typical rate of memory-related diseases. Alzheimer's is four times more common in elderly who suffer a head injury, Columbia University finds. Accidental falls doubled an older person's odds of dementia five years later in another study. Wear seat belts and helmets, fall-proof your house, and don't take risks. 

7. Meditate. Brain scans show that people who meditate regularly have less cognitive decline and brain shrinkage - a classic sign of Alzheimer's - as they age. Andrew Newberg of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine says yoga meditation of 12 minutes a day for two months improved blood flow and cognitive functioning in seniors with memory problems. 

8. Take D. A "severe deficiency" of vitamin D boosts older Americans' risk of cognitive impairment 394%, an alarming study by England's University of Exeter finds. And most Americans lack vitamin D. Experts recommend a daily dose of 800 IU to 2,000 IU of vitamin D3. 

9. Fill your brain. It  <http://brain.it/>  is called "cognitive reserve." A rich accumulation of life experiences - education, marriage, socializing, a stimulating job, language skills, having a purpose in life, physical activity and mentally demanding leisure activities - makes your brain better able to tolerate plaques and tangles. You can even have significant Alzheimer's pathology and no symptoms of dementia if you have high cognitive reserve, says David Bennett, M.D., of Chicago's Rush University Medical Center. 

10. Avoid infection. Astonishing new evidence ties Alzheimer's to cold sores, gastric ulcers, Lyme disease, pneumonia and the flu. Ruth Itzhaki, Ph.D., of the University of Manchester in England estimates the cold-sore herpes simplex virus is incriminated in 60% of Alzheimer's cases. The theory: Infections trigger excessive beta amyloid "gunk" that kills brain cells. Proof is still lacking, but why not avoid common infections .


What to Drink for Good Memory:
A great way to keep your aging memory sharp and avoid Alzheimer's is to drink the right stuff.

a. Tops: Juice. A glass of any fruit or vegetable juice three times a week slashed Alzheimer's odds 76% in Vanderbilt University research. Especially protective:blueberry, grape and apple juice, say other studies. 

b. Tea: Only a cup of black or green tea a week cut rates of cognitive decline in older people by 37%, reports the Alzheimer's Association. Only brewed tea works. Skip bottled tea, which is devoid of antioxidants. 

c. Caffeine beverages. Surprisingly, caffeine fights memory loss and Alzheimer's, suggest dozens of studies. Best sources: coffee (one Alzheimer's researcher drinks five cups a day), tea and chocolate. Beware caffeine if you are pregnant, have high blood pressure, insomnia or anxiety.

d. Red wine: If you drink alcohol, a little red wine is most apt to benefit your aging brain. It's high in antioxidants. Limit it to one daily glass for women, two for men. Excessive alcohol, notably binge drinking, brings on Alzheimer's. 

e. Two to avoid: Sugary soft drinks, especially those sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. They make lab animals dumb. Water with high copper content also can up your odds of Alzheimer's. Use a water filter that removes excess minerals.

5 Ways to Save Your Kids from Alzheimer's:
Now Alzheimer's isn't just a disease that starts in old age. What happens to your child's brain seems to have a dramatic impact on his or her likelihood of Alzheimer's many decades later. Here are five things you can do now to help save your child from Alzheimer's and memory loss later in life, according to the latest research. 

1. Prevent head blows: Insist your child wear a helmet during biking, skating, skiing, baseball, football, hockey, and all contact sports. A major blow as well as tiny repetitive unnoticed concussions can cause damage, leading to memory loss and Alzheimer's years later. 

2 Encourage language skills: A teenage girl who is a superior writer is eight times more likely to escape Alzheimer's in late life than a teen with poor linguistic skills. Teaching young children to be fluent in two or more languages makes them less vulnerable to Alzheimer's. 

3. Insist your child go to college: Education is a powerful Alzheimer's deterrent. The more years of formal schooling, the lower the odds. Most Alzheimer's prone: teenage drop outs. For each year of education, your risk of dementia drops 11%, says a recent University of Cambridge study. 

4. Provide stimulation: Keep your child's brain busy with physical, mental and social activities and novel experiences. All these contribute to a bigger, better functioning brain with more so-called 'cognitive reserve.' High cognitive reserve protects against memory decline and Alzheimer's.

5. Spare the junk food: Lab animals raised on berries, spinach and high omega-3 fish have great memories in old age. Those overfed sugar, especially high fructose in soft drinks, saturated fat and trans fats become overweight and diabetic, with smaller brains and impaired memories as they age, a prelude to Alzheimer's.

Excerpted from Jean Carper's newest book: "100 Simple Things You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer's"