The Kremlin Diet is the type of diet where consumption of carbohydrates is limited. This diet is a Russian analogue to Atkins diet, but it is less balanced and much easier.

According to the Kremlin diet each product assigned a «price» of conventional units, with each unit – one gram of carbohydrates. For every gram of carbohydrate points are calculated, and in one day points must not exceed 40. To prepare the body for the new diet for the first two weeks it is necessary to strictly adhere to restrictions of 40 points (20 in the Atkins diet). To maintain weight you need to stick to 60 points.

The Kremlin Diet – Principle of operation
Insufficient consumption of carbohydrates leads to a drop of glucose levels in the blood, which causes the body fat convert into glucose. (First, the fat is lost on the face and limbs, and then stomach). Kremlin diet allows consumption of protein in «any numbers». However, if protein is consumed without limits (much more than before the diet), the body would get lot of nitrogen, which can badly affect your health. Proteins can be converted into the form of fat in this case as well.

During Kremlin diet the amount of carbohydrates eaten must be strictly counted, or else there will be no result. Foods such as flour and confectionery products, cereals (i.e., containing starch or sugar) should be completely excluded from your diet. It is also recommended to do a lot of physical exercises.

The Kremlin diet – Contraindications
The diet can not be practiced by pregnant women, people with kidneys dieses, heart conditions, stomach diseases. More than two weeks of the Kremlin diet may result in higher levels of cholesterol in the blood and low muscle tone.

Too much sugar – the effects of eating too much sugar.

Sugar is a popular name of saccharose. We perceive cane and beet sugar (sugar sand, lump sugar) as a food product of primary necessity. Usual sugar, called saccharose, refers to carbohydrates, that are considered to be valuable nutrients, supplying the organism with necessary energy.

Sugar is a highly refined digestible carbohydrate, especially lump sugar. It represents no biological value, except calories. Each 100 g of sugar contain 409.2 kkal.

Starch refers to carbohydrates too, but it is slowly digested by the organism. But saccharose quickly breaks up in the digestive tract in glucose and fructose, then they get in the blood flow.

Glucose insures more than half of metabolic cost of the organism. Normal blood glucose concentration is maintained on the level 80 – 120 milligrams of sugar in 100 millilitres. Glucose has the property to maintain the barrier function of the liver against toxic substances due to the assistance in the formation in the liver the so-called paired sulphuric and glucuronic acids. That is why taking sugar by mouth or glucose injection into a vein is recommended in some liver diseases and poisonings.

For a long time, taking sugar and intravenous injection of glucose concentrated solutions have been considered an effective remedy in various diseases of the cardiovascular system, the nervous and the digestive systems.

In the recent years scientists are inclined to the necessity to restrict the use of this product. It is found that for elderly people eating too much of sugar contributes to impaired fat metabolism, leads to the increase in cholesterol concentration and sugar in blood, and disorganizes cell functions.

The character of micro-carbons, getting with food into the organism, influences the increase the cholesterol level in blood. In this respect, lactose is more active in comparison with saccharose, which in its turn promotes hypercholesterolemia more than glucose. Densification of sugar in blood changes permeability of arteries walls and creates favourable conditions for accretion of lipids and increases platelet agglutination.

It is no mere chance that dietarians insist on the quantity of sugar not exceeding 15% of general daily quantity of carbohydrates in the food ration of elderly people, especially those who are inclined to obesity.

Cardiologists state that as a result of increase in caloric value of food on account of sugar, favourable conditions are created in which people who don’t perform manual labour suffer from overweight and quick development of atherosclerosis. Therefore, eating too much sugar is bad for your heart.

The case is that digestible carbohydrates when they are excessively consumed, get from the intestinal tract into blood flow and stimulate (and if it is repeated quite frequently, they can disable) the insular apparatus of the pancreas.

In normal conditions the hormone of the pancreas – insulin performs in the organism the function of a regulator of carbohydrate metabolism. Due to insulin, sugar is distributed in the liver and muscles in the form of glycogen, and a part of sugar turns into fat. The need of the organism for carbohydrates in middle age is 400 – 500g, and in elderly age is 100g less.

Sugar in the middle ages was available only for rich layers of population as it was very expensive and was sold at chemist’s shops by grams. At first sugar was extracted from sugar cane, which has a hollow stem, containing sweet juice suitable for sugar production.

Much later they started to use sugar beet for sugar production. Nowadays 60% of sugar in the world is made of sugar cane and 40% – of sugar beet. Sugar represents practically pure saccharose that is quickly breaks up in the organism in glucose and fructose. It is digested simply in a few minutes and turns into the source of energy.

There are both pluses and minuses in sugar.

Why is sugar bad for you

Sugar doesn’t represent any nutritional value, apart from energetic one.

Sugar has high energetic value, it provides a lot of calories which should be got from other products which besides calories would give vitamins, mineral substances, etc.

Sugar is harmful for teeth as bacteria in the mouth of man transform it in acids which destroy tooth enamel and promote caries.

Excessive use of sugar contributes to the appearance of fat depot, so sugar in large quantities is harmful to the figure and health.

Sugar has a high glycemic index. You have only eaten a piece of cake, and the sugar it contains immediately gets in blood. Sugar level in blood increases: the pancreas reacts immediately, working out insulin, insulin sharply reduces sugar concentration in blood, and the signal comes to the brain that it would be a good thing to eat something delicious. An so endlessly. As the result you get a constantly high level of insulin in blood and a high degree of probability to acquire diabetes as a chronic illness or to get infarct.

The excess of saccharose in food ration is a strong reason for the appearance of atherosclerosis, hypertensive disease, ischemic heart disease.

It is proved that there exists a direct connection between the appearance of allergy of children and grown-ups and the excessive consumption of sugar.

Sugar causes disturbances in the work of the immune system.

Sugar fans need more vitamin B1. Vitamin B1 is necessary for sugar digestion. Fruit, potato and other natural “providers” of carbohydrates contain this vitamin in the quantity which is sufficient to digest their own sugars.

Why is sugar good for you

Sugar makes us happy. In passions of grief we eat something sweet, then the pancreas works out insulin which in its turn leads to secretion of serotonin – the hormone of happiness.

Sugar gives energy. Having got into the organism, sugar is transformed in glucose, supplying us with energy.

One should take into account that carbohydrates are not only sugar but honey, fruit, ground corn products, cereals. The so-called simple sugars (cane, beet, grape) are freely soluble in water and easily absorbed into blood. To slow down the transition of sugar from blood to tissues, it is recommended to replace refined carbohydrates (sweets, confectionery products and others) by starch.

Brown sugar is cane unrefined sugar.

Brown sugar is for active people, trying to look after their health and get the maximum out of life.
It adds a special aroma to various sorts of tea and accentuates its taste, is ideal for coffee, and also for cooking of dark sweet baking. In addition, brown sugar contains mineral substances and even some vitamins therefore it is very useful for those who have made up their mind to lose weight or for those who just take care of their health.

Brown sugar consists of sugar crystals, covered by cane molasses, with natural aroma and colour. It is produced by boiling sugar syrup according to a special technology. There is a great quantity of varieties of brown sugar that differ from each other mainly in the content of molasses. Dark cane sugar has a more intensive colour and a stronger aroma than light one. Its original taste is well emphasized by coffee and tea, so it is sometimes called “tea” or “coffee” sugar. It is erroneously considered that it is allegedly slower digested, and in this connection, it cannot be the reason of excessive weight. Brown sugar is popular all over the world as elite and ecologically clean.

Brown raw sugar contains potassium, iron, calcium, copper. But molasses, that enters into the composition of the so-called brown sugar, is a true storehouse of precious minerals. Its content of calcium is higher than in milk, yoghurt and a lot of cheeses, which are the main source of calcium in food. There is a lot of copper in molasses – more than in any other products, with the exception of lobsters, oysters, fried liver, and sesame. It is rich with iron, magnesium, potassium, it even contains some vitamins. And the main thing is that brown sugar isn’t something exotic and rare. In many countries it is a usual product. We just haven’t got used to it.
Only cane sugar is really healthy brown sugar. There are several varieties of brown sugar.

Golden Granulated – these light-golden crystals ideally suit coffee, tea, fruit salads and kashas.

Demerara is sugar with a specific saturated aroma that can shock some people who got used to the fact that sugar doesn’t smell at all. The first thought is that something has been added to it. In fact, it is the smell of molasses extracted in sugar cane processing, i.e., the true natural product. Experts add Demerara to coffee – it adds a zest to the beverage.

Muskovado – the light sort contains less molasses, the dark one, consequently, – more. The first sort has a refined aroma and taste, reminding fudge. It is good for baking and cream preparing. Dark Muskovado is of dark-brown, almost black colour and very moist consistence. Some gourmands eat this sugar in its pure form. It also is perfect for cooking of original sauces, dressings, mousses, and mulled wine.
Various sorts of brown sugar are essential ingredients of Japanese cuisine, that is the model of eutrophy and a balanced diet.

It’s only recently that that we have started to appreciate the great benefits of buckwheat hull pillows, though buckwheat pillows have been around for hundreds of years.

In Korea kids are given a buckwheat hull pillow by their grandparents. In many other European Countries young kids are given buckwheat hull pillows to help their sleep without feeling too hot or too cold whilst asleep. In Japan even today most of pillows available on the market are filled with buckwheat hulls.

Providing the perfect support for the head and neck buckwheat hull conforms to the natural shape of the head and neck, instantly shaping to your every position while asleep allowing the smaller muscles in your neck to work correctly.

The natural shape of the hulls minimises the flattening and compression properties of fibre filled feather or down filled pillows allowing maximum natural ventilation, breath ability and air circulation, dissipating excess heat, moisture and perspiration to keep the pillow cool, dry and comfortable.

These dynamic factors help to with migraines, tension and stress related headaches and muscle spasms. Indeed, many healthcare professionals now recommend a buckwheat hull pillow to patients suffering from such conditions as migraines, snoring, insomnia and menopausal night sweats.

You can get yourself a Buckwheat hull pillow from Amazon

We should discuss how you can boost your immune system and help your body get strong, so it can meet autumn and winter ubiquitous influenza virus and other catarrhal diseases. Of course – vitamins and minerals. Most important for the immune system are vitamins A, B5, C, D, F, PP; minerals selenium, zinc, calcium, iron, iodine, manganese.

Useful physical exercises to boost your immune system are gymnastics, aerobics, fitness, running, walking, shaping, using fitness equipment also boost your immune system. But you cannot take a fancy from this! It is proved that excessive load damages immunity. Meals should be regular. Diet – preferably with a small amount of fat, parabenzoates and cholesterol. Rather beneficial is kefir – it contains bifidobacteria, increasing the activity of the immune response.

Food supplements can also boost your immune system. Among vegetable we can name – echinacea, garlic, liquorice, Eleutherococcus, magnolia vine. From the additives on the animal basis: propolis, breeding milk, shellfish hydrolysates and crustaceans modified chitin.

It is important to determine factors in time, which has a negative effect on the immune system and try to remove them before they do any harm. Even such things as insufficient lighting in the room, can in conjunction with other harming factors cause complications.

There are also some wrong beliefs regarding the immune system. For example, that all diseases come from weakened immunity. Naturally, the immune system plays a huge role in the life of every person and it is one of the most important systems. To some extent this will correspond to reality, but usually for the development of the disease there must be several factors, one of them may be weakened immunity. However there are some diseases that develop regardless of the immune system, but in the future this will lead to weakening of immune system (example – diabetes).

With infectious diseases immunity can handle itself. This myth is also partly based on real facts – with many viruses and bacteria the immune system manages itself. But unfortunately, even very good immunity is often unable to resist a massive attack by the viruses and bacteria, or to resist powerful stimulus such as dysentery, typhoid, cholera, etc. If the micro-organisms overcome the protective barrier then the immune system will need help and immediate disease treatment. The decision about how to act, you need to take according to the situation. Sometimes, to help and boost the immune system eliminate harmful pathogens some general-strengthening methods is enough, such as vitamins. Sometimes, it is necessary to use antibacterial products or immunity correcting therapy.

It is necessary to take medicines in order to boost your immune system is another misconception. According to experts, strengthening the immunity of a healthy person using drugs is virtually impossible. The reason for this is that drugs are designed to strengthen the immunity of sick patients and helps only with combination with drugs for a specific disease. You cannot store health, but it can cause harm. Intake of such drugs may cause significant harm to human health. The chemical balance of the body – is rather fragile, incorrect and untimely stimulation of the immune system can cause autoimmune diseases.

It is false that all drugs designed from immune system boost the immune system. The point is that in addition to drugs that boost the immune system, there are drugs that are immune, but using them suppresses the immune system. Medicine uses them in cases of organ transplantation to ensure that the organism does not reject alien object. Also they are prescribed in cases of autoimmune diseases to suppress it.

From all the drugs only immune ones can affect immunity. This opinion is wrong. All the chemical substances have an impact on immunity. Regardless of the effect, suppressing or stimulating it will have on the immune system- some changes in its work will appear. And it is necessary to take into consideration that most drugs with long-term use can cause weakening of immunity; it is good to take preventive measures to maintain the body’s defense forces and to use general boosting drugs for support.

What is the immune system? The immune system – is a natural defense mechanism of our body. Immunity maintains stability of internal environment, eliminates the foreign influence of infectious pathogens, chemicals, abnormal cells, etc.

The term “immunity” appeared because of a Russian scientist I.I. Mechnikov and a French microbiologist Louis Pasteur. Initially, immunity was understood as body’s insensitivity to infectious diseases. The immune system – is the body’s ability to resist and get free (translated from Latin) from many adverse factors that are affecting the body and causing various diseases. Get free from substances bearing alien genetic information.

Immune system is directly involved in bringing harmful chemicals out of the body. These protective features are provided by the properties of the skin and mucous membranes, immune system cells, the coordination of physiological and biochemical processes.

Human immune system includes organs that can produce or accumulate lymphocytes and produce antibodies. These organs are lymph nodes, red bone marrow, thymus gland, lymphoid tissue colon and appendix, palatine tonsils, spleen.

The main objective of antibodies and lymphocytes is an immediate response to organism infection. Before the infection can multiply and cause diseases, they must find and eliminate it.

Thus, the immune system is a natural protective reaction of the organism, protecting it from any harmful alien micro-organisms and cells. This reaction raises the immunity to diseases. The immune system fights with the alien organisms – bacteria and its toxins, viruses, protozoa, parasites, donor tissue, mutated own cells (for example, cancer) and etc.

Boosting the immune system is a complex of preventive and therapeutic activities aimed at strengthening the immune system and the body and for restoring normal functioning of the immune system.

There can be two types of immunity: congenital and acquired. Congenital (specific) – is insensitivity associated with biological (hereditarily fixed) features of the organism. Acquired immunity is immunity to infectious disease that originates during life. Duration of protection of the organism after suffering diseases is different.

There is natural and artificial acquired immunity. Both forms may be active when the body itself produces antibodies after an illness or active immunization. Passive – antibodies are artificially introduced during the passive immunization, for example, when introducing antidiphtheritic serum or with transferring to the fetus from the mother through the placenta, or to the child through breast milk.

Active immune system is stronger and more long-lasting. For some diseases (like smallpox), it is active all your life. For others (measles, scarlet fever, etc.) – stays for many years, but is not inherited. Passive immunity begins working in a few hours after the antibodies were injected and continues to operate from 2-3 weeks to several months.

The main objective of the immune system is to distinguish between “friendly” and “hostile”. All the “hostile” cells are to be destroyed; thus “friendly” cell well-being is ensured. But, in reality, everything is much more difficult. When the effects of certain disease-causing agent start harming, the body examines it and produces a specific form of immune defense. But not only it produces, but also remembers the effect of the so-called idiotypes. The body remembers even dozens of others similar by the effect, preparing for the upcoming battles for human health. Due to this, the body is forming a huge network of idiotypes, immune radicals or groups.

Idiotypes – this is the impression of the organism for the external enemies, so the content and coherence of interaction of idiotypes determines the effectiveness of the immune system. In addition, due to violations the immune or autoimmune diseases may occur. Then the immune system may perceive the “hostile” as “friendly” (this happens in the development of cancer). Or rather, “friendly” as “hostile”

And if during the immunodeficiency the body cannot resist hostile – alien agents, then as a result of autoimmune disease the immune system due to violations takes their own cells, proteins, tissues for the hostile – alien cells and begins destroying them. Such diseases include, for example, rheumatoid arthritis (joint and connective tissue destruction), multiple sclerosis (destruction of nerve fibers) and psoriasis (destruction of skin). However, immune diseases, due to the fact that it has no clearly defined forms of expression, are more complicated to spot.

More often the steep decline of immunity arises during stress and heavy loads. In high risk group there are people whose professions in some ways connected with this.

The scientists estimated that the loss of a close relative or a loved one reduces by ten times the possibility of killing cancer cells that appears in the body or removing toxic substances and fighting the bacteria. Usually these people are described as: “He has aged within two days.” It is worth noting the violation of the immune system during the surgical operations. This is stressful for everyone; the body is already weakened and in the period after the operation the immune system more than ever needs help and support, thus immune system boost is required.

Immunity in newborns and infants is very imperfect, so a big role in protecting a child aged 6 to 12 months plays breast-feeding and prevention of dysbacteriosis. Older people also are at risk.

Under the threat are also people who are in connection with the specifics of their work cannot maintain the sleep, food intake and physical activity schedule.

Bad habits such as smoking, alcohol abuse can also (and quite significantly) affect the immune system.
The main signs of damage of the immune system are frequent relapses of chronic or catarrhal diseases, which cannot be treated. But this is not enough to suspect immune deficiency. Immunological tests are needed to be held when all these troubles occur despite appropriate and timely treatment.

Garlic – say no to infections!

Garlic contains substances that kill disease causing microbes, and has been used for a long time in the treatment of many diseases. It is believed that it helps with hypertension, arteriosclerosis, headaches and lung infections. It has a diuretic effect and is used as an antitoxic, expectorant and antifebrile remedy. Some studies confirm the ability of garlic to enhance the immune system.

Studies have shown that garlic is an effective complement to the diet, lowers cholesterol, or substitute other cholesterol reducing drugs. Two sulfur compounds found in garlic – sulfide Diallo and Sally cysteine are used to prevent the development of cancer in laboratory tests on animals.