dr-joseph-ahrens

What is Glutathione - Collagen - L-Carnitine - Vitamin C

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 07:31:35 GMT

What are they, and what are their health benefits?

Glutathione - Collagen - L-Carnitine - Vitamin C

Four ingredients when taken alone can certainly support the body and provide added benefits. However, combined them together and you definitely will have the opportunity to not only feel, but see improvements.

Glutathione

Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant that has gained a lot of attention for its purported health benefits. But what is glutathione, and does it actually affect the body?

Glutathione is a peptide found in plants and animals. It is a powerful antioxidant produced by the liver to protect the body against free radicals, peroxides, and heavy metals.

Glutathione also eliminates poisons such as drugs and pollutants from our bodies.

Glutathione is essential for the immune system’s proper functioning and is vital in building and repairing tissue.

Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant found in every cell in the body. It is made of three types of molecules known as amino acids.

Amino acids combine in different patterns to make all of the proteins in the body.

One unique thing about glutathione is that the body is able to make it in the liver, which is not true of most antioxidants.

Glutathione has many important functions, including:

making DNA, the building blocks of proteins and cells
supporting immune function
forming sperm cells
breaking down some free radicals
helping certain enzymes function
regenerating vitamins C and E
transporting mercury out of the brain
helping the liver and gallbladder deal with fats
assisting regular cell death (a process known as apoptosis)

Another option is to take supplements that activate the natural glutathione production in the body. These supplements include:

milk thistle
N-acetyl cysteine
superoxide dismutase

Reducing toxin exposure and increasing intake of healthful foods are also excellent ways to naturally increase glutathione levels.

Although it has many uses, glutathione also has amazing anti-aging properties to help you maintain a brighter, more even complexion.

Although it has many medical uses, this powerful compound can work magic on your skin. Glutathione is present during vital bodily functions like tissue building, producing proteins and chemicals, and boosting the immune system. These processes are not only good for your body, but you’ll see a difference in your skin, too.

What are the health benefits of glutathione?

Glutathione reduces oxidative stress in the body to improve your overall complexion. With glutathione treatments, you can see:

Overall lighter, brighter skin tone
Even skin tone with reduced dark spots
Reduced blemishes
Diminished acne scars

Glutathione is known for giving you a youthful glow and smooth, even skin. Our high-quality treatments can also be combined with other services to enhance your look.

What is collagen, and why do people use it?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, found in the bones, muscles, skin, and tendons.

It is the substance that holds the body together. Collagen forms a scaffold to provide strength and structure.

Collagen is a hard, insoluble, and fibrous protein that makes up one-third of the protein in the human body.

In most collagens, the molecules are packed together to form long, thin fibrils.

These act as supporting structures and anchor cells to each other. They give the skin strength and elasticity.

Collagen is resorbable. This means it can be broken down, converted, and absorbed back into the body. It can also be formed into compacted solids or lattice-like gels.

Its diverse range of functions and the fact that it is naturally occurring make it clinically versatile and suitable for various medical purposes.

Collagen for medical use can originate from humans, cows, pigs, or sheep.

Collagen can help heal wounds by attracting new skin cells to the wound site. It promotes healing and provides a platform for new tissue growth.

Collagen dressings can help heal:

chronic wounds that do not respond to other treatment
wounds that expel bodily fluids such as urine or sweat
granulating wounds, on which different tissue grows
necrotic or rotting wounds
partial and full-thickness wounds
second-degree burns
sites of skin donation and skin grafts

Collagen dressings are not recommended for third-degree burns, wounds covered in dry eschar, or for patients who may be sensitive to products sourced from cows.

A healthful diet can help the body produce collagen.

Nutrients that may support collagen formation include:

Proline: In egg whites, meat, cheese, soy, and cabbage.
Anthocyanidins: In blackberries, blueberries, cherries, and raspberries.
Vitamin C: In oranges, strawberries, peppers, and broccoli.
Copper: In shellfish, nuts, red meat, and some drinking water.
Vitamin A: Occurring in animal-derived foods and in plant foods as beta-carotene.

WHAT IS L-CARNITINE?

Although many people call L-carnitine an amino acid, it’s actually more of a vitamin-like substance that plays a number of roles in your body. It’s formed in your liver and kidneys and made from two essential amino acids (lysine and methionine). Some medical professionals prescribe L-carnitine in supplement form to help support those with heart conditions, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, and other health conditions. But because of its role in fat metabolism, it’s best known for its ability to aid in weight loss, particularly when combined with a healthy diet and exercise routine.

L-carnitine plays an essential role in the transportation of fats to the mitochondria, where they’re converted to energy. There’s a whole lot of science to it, of course, but to keep it simple, we’ll put it this way: L-carnitine could very well be the answer to your weight loss dreams. Take a look below at some benefits of L-carnitine weight loss supplement and how it can help you shed pounds both directly and indirectly.

BURNS FAT

With higher levels of L-carnitine, your body becomes more efficient at burning fat. Not only does this decrease the amount of fat that your body stores, but it also helps reduce visceral belly fat, the kind that surrounds your vital organs and potentially leads to fatty liver disease and other serious health conditions.

MORE ENERGY DURING AND AFTER A WORKOUT

As your body’s capacity for fat-burning rises, so does your energy level. L-carnitine not only helps you increase the amount of fat burned with every workout, but you also get more energy for better workouts and an active lifestyle.

BOOSTS YOUR METABOLISM TO HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT

Taking that energy increase into your exercise routine will allow you to perform with more intensity, providing a boost to your metabolism. A more efficient metabolism significantly aids your weight loss program because you’ll increase the amount of calories you’re able to burn—even at rest.

ENHANCED RECOVERY FROM AN L-CARNITINE INJECTION

L-carnitine helps reduce the buildup of lactic acid in your muscles. Muscle lactate buildup is responsible for pain and muscle fatigue after an intense workout. L-carnitine helps clear out the lactate so you recover more quickly and can get back to that fat-melting exercise that’s so central to your weight loss program.

AIDS THE BODY'S IMMUNE SYSTEM

In addition to the fat-burning and weight loss benefits of L-carnitine, it also aids the body’s immune system and functions as an effective antioxidant as well. How does this connect to your weight loss program? Easy: The better you feel, the more likely you are to put on your gym clothes on and get your body moving.

It’s important to note that L-carnitine will not help you burn fat or lose weight if you don’t combine it with a healthy diet and exercise routine.

Vitamin C Benefits

Vitamin C is an essential vitamin, meaning your body can’t produce it. Yet, it has many roles and has been linked to impressive health benefits.

It’s water-soluble and found in many fruits and vegetables, including oranges, strawberries, kiwi fruit, bell peppers, broccoli, kale, and spinach.

The recommended daily intake for vitamin C is 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men.

While it’s commonly advised to get your vitamin C intake from foods, many people turn to supplements to meet their needs.

Here are 7 benefits of taking a vitamin C supplement.

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can strengthen your body’s natural defenses.

Antioxidants are molecules that boost the immune system. They do so by protecting cells from harmful molecules called free radicals.

When free radicals accumulate, they can promote a state known as oxidative stress, which has been linked to many chronic diseases.

It has been noted that consuming more vitamin C can increase your blood antioxidant levels by up to 30%. This helps the body’s natural defenses fight inflammation.

Note:

Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant that can boost your blood antioxidant levels. This may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease.

Vitamin C supplements have been found to lower blood pressure in both healthy adults and those with high blood pressure.

Vitamin C supplements have been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease. These supplements may lower heart disease risk factors, including high blood levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides.

Vitamin-C-rich foods and supplements have been linked to reduced blood uric acid levels and lower risk of gout.

Vitamin C can improve the absorption of iron that is poorly absorbed, such as iron from meat-free sources. It may also reduce the risk of iron deficiency.

Vitamin C may boost immunity by helping white blood cells function more effectively, strengthening your skin’s defense system, and helping wounds heal faster.

Low vitamin C levels have been linked to an increased risk of memory and thinking disorders like dementia, while a high intake of vitamin C from foods and supplements has been shown to have a protective effect.

Although vitamin C has many proven benefits, it has not been shown to prevent the common cold, reduce cancer risk, protect against eye diseases, or treat lead toxicity.

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that must be obtained from the diet or supplements.

It has been linked to many impressive health benefits, such as boosting antioxidant levels, lowering blood pressure, protecting against gout attacks, improving iron absorption, boosting immunity, and reducing heart disease and dementia risk.

Overall, vitamin C supplements are a great and simple way to boost your vitamin C intake if you struggle to get enough from your diet.

Knowledge is like adding another book to your library.

“People Helping People in Health and Wellness”

Why Detoxing is Beneficial.

Sun, 09 Jan 2022 05:17:19 GMT

Ways to Rejuvenate Your Body Via Detoxing

Detoxification — or detox — is a popular buzzword.

It typically implies following a specific diet or using special products that claim to rid your body of toxins, thereby improving health and promoting weight loss.

Fortunately, your body is well-equipped to eliminate toxins and doesn’t require special diets or expensive supplements to do so.

That said, you can enhance your body’s natural detoxification system.

This explains some common misconceptions about detoxing along with nine evidenced-based ways to rejuvenate your body’s detoxification system.

Common Misconceptions About Detoxing

Detox diets are said to eliminate toxins from your body, improve health, and promote weight loss.

They often involve the use of laxatives, diuretics, vitamins, minerals, teas, and other foods thought to have detoxing properties.

The term “toxin” in the context of detox diets is loosely defined. It typically includes pollutants, synthetic chemicals, heavy metals, and processed foods — which all negatively affect health.

However, popular detox diets rarely identify the specific toxins they aim to remove or the mechanism by which they supposedly eliminate them.

Moreover, no evidence supports the use of these diets for toxin elimination or sustainable weight loss.

Your body has a sophisticated way of eliminating toxins that involves the liver, kidneys, digestive system, skin, and lungs.

Still, only when these organs are healthy, can they effectively eliminate unwanted substances.

So, while detoxing diets don’t do anything that your body can’t naturally do on its own, you can optimize your body’s natural detoxification system.

1. Limit Alcohol

More than 90% of alcohol is metabolized in your liver.

Liver enzymes metabolize alcohol to acetaldehyde, a known cancer-causing chemical.

Recognizing acetaldehyde as a toxin, your liver converts it to a harmless substance called acetate, which is later eliminated from your body.

It has been shown low-to-moderate alcohol consumption beneficial for heart health, excessive drinking can cause many health problems.

Excessive drinking can severely damage your liver function by causing fat buildup, inflammation, and scarring.

When this happens, your liver cannot function adequately and perform its necessary tasks — including filtering waste and other toxins from your body.

As such, limiting or abstaining entirely from alcohol is one of the best ways to keep your body’s detoxification system running strong.

Drinking too much alcohol reduces your liver’s ability to carry out its normal functions, such as detoxifying.

2. Focus on Sleep

Ensuring adequate and quality sleep each night is a must to support your body’s health and natural detoxification system.

Sleeping allows your brain to reorganize and recharge itself, as well as remove toxic waste byproducts that have accumulated throughout the day.

With sleep deprivation, your body does not have time to perform those functions, so toxins can build up and affect several aspects of health.

Poor sleep has been linked to short- and long-term health consequences, such as stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.

You should sleep seven to nine hours per night on a regular basis to promote good health.

If you have difficulty in falling asleep at night, lifestyle changes like sticking to a sleep schedule and limiting blue light — emitted from mobile devices and computer screens — prior to bed are useful for improving sleep.

Adequate sleep allows your brain to reorganize, recharge, and eliminate toxins that accumulate throughout the day.

3. Drink More Water

Water does so much more than quench your thirst. It regulates your body temperature, lubricates joints, aids digestion and nutrient absorption, and detoxifies your body by removing waste products.

Your body’s cells must continuously be repaired to function optimally and break down nutrients for your body to use as energy.

However, these processes release wastes — in the form of urea and carbon dioxide — which cause harm if allowed to build up in your blood.

Water transports these waste products, efficiently removing them through urination, breathing, or sweating. So staying properly hydrated is important for detoxification.

In addition to its many roles in your body, water allows your body’s detoxification system to remove waste products from your blood.

4. Reduce Your Intake of Sugar and Processed Foods

Sugar and processed foods are thought to be at the root of today’s public health crises.

High consumption of sugary and highly processed foods has been linked to obesity and other chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

These diseases hinder your body’s ability to naturally detoxify itself by harming organs that play an important role, such as your liver and kidneys.

For example, high consumption of sugar beverages can cause fatty liver, a condition that negatively impacts liver function.

By consuming less junk food, you can keep your body’s detoxification system healthy.

You can limit junk food by leaving it on the store shelf. Not having it in your kitchen takes away the temptation altogether.

Replacing junk food with healthier choices like fruits and vegetables is also a healthy way to reduce consumption.

Excess junk food consumption is linked to chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes. These conditions can cause harm to organs important to detoxifying, such as your liver and kidneys.

5. Eat Antioxidant-Rich Foods

Antioxidants protect your cells against damage caused by molecules called free radicals. Oxidative stress is a condition caused by excessive production of free radicals.

Your body naturally produces these molecules for cellular processes, such as digestion. However, alcohol, tobacco smoke, a poor diet, and exposure to pollutants can produce excessive free radicals.

By causing damage to your body’s cells, these molecules have been implicated in a number of conditions, such as dementia, heart disease, liver disease, asthma, and certain types of cancer.

Eating a diet rich in anti-oxidants can help your body fight oxidative stress caused by excess free radicals and other toxins that increase your risk of disease.

Focus on getting antioxidants from food and not supplements, which may, in fact, increase your risk of certain diseases when taken in large amounts.

Examples of antioxidants include vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.

Berries, fruits, nuts, cocoa, vegetables, spices, and beverages like coffee and green tea have some of the highest amounts of antioxidants.

Consuming a diet rich in antioxidants helps your body reduce damage caused by free radicals and may lower your risk of diseases that can impact detoxification.

6. Eat Foods High in Probiotics

Gut health is important for keeping your detoxification system healthy. Your intestinal cells have a detoxification and excretion system that protects your gut and body from harmful toxins, such as chemicals.

Good gut health starts with probiotics, a type of fiber that feeds the good bacteria in your gut called probiotics. With prebiotics, your good bacteria are able to produce nutrients called short-chain fatty acids that are beneficial for health.

The good bacteria in your gut can become unbalanced with bad bacteria from use of antibiotics, poor dental hygiene, and diet quality.

Consequently, this unhealthy shift in bacteria can weaken your immune and detoxification systems and increase your risk of disease and inflammation.

Eating foods rich in prebiotics can keep your immune and detoxification systems healthy. Good food sources of prebiotics include tomatoes, artichokes, bananas, asparagus, onions, garlic, and oats.

Eating a diet rich in prebiotics keeps your digestive system healthy, which is important for proper detoxification and immune health.

7. Decrease Your Salt Intake

For some people, detoxing is a means of eliminating excess water.

Consuming too much salt can cause your body to retain excess fluid, especially if you have a condition that affects your kidneys or liver — or if you don’t drink enough water.

This excess fluid buildup can cause bloating and make clothing uncomfortable. If you find yourself consuming too much salt, you can detox yourself of the extra water weight.

While it may sound counterintuitive, increasing your water intake is one of the best ways to eliminate excess water weight from consuming too much salt.

That’s because when you consume too much salt and not enough water, your body releases an antidiuretic hormone that prevents you from urinating — and therefore detoxifying.

By increasing your water intake, your body reduces the secretion of the antidiuretic hormone and increases urination, eliminating more water and waste products.

Increasing your intake of potassium-rich foods — which counterbalances some of sodium’s effects — also helps. Foods rich in potassium include potatoes, squash, kidney beans, bananas, and spinach.

Consuming too much salt can increase water retention. You can eliminate excess water — and waste — by increasing your intake of water and potassium-rich foods.

8. Get Active

Regular exercise — regardless of body weight — is associated with a longer life and a reduced risk of many conditions and diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and certain cancers.

While there are several mechanisms behind the health benefits of exercise, reduced inflammation is a key point.

While some inflammation is necessary for recovering from infection or healing wounds, too much of it weakens your body’s systems and promotes disease.

By reducing inflammation, exercise can help your body’s systems — including its detoxification system — function properly and protect against disease.

Regular physical activity lowers inflammation and allows your body’s detoxification system to work properly.

The Bottom Line

Detox diets are said to eliminate toxins, in turn improving health and promoting weight management.

But these diets — while seductive — aren’t needed as your body has its own, highly efficient detoxification system.

That said, you can enhance your body’s natural detoxification system and improve your overall health by staying hydrated, consuming less salt, getting active, and following an antioxidant-rich diet.

Although no current evidence supports the use of detox diets for removing toxins from your body, certain dietary changes and lifestyle practices may help reduce toxin load and support your body’s detoxification system.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Reasons Why Too Much Sugar Is Bad for You

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 05:33:07 GMT

Do You Know How Much is Enough?

From marinara sauce to peanut butter, added sugar can be found in even the most unexpected products.

Many people rely on quick, processed foods for meals and snacks. Since these products often contain added sugar, it makes up a large proportion of their daily calorie intake.

In the US, added sugars account for up to 17% of the total calorie intake of adults and up to 14% for children.

Dietary guidelines suggest limiting calories from added sugar to less than 10% per day.

It is believed that sugar consumption is a major cause of obesity and many chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes.

Here are some reasons why eating too much sugar is bad for your health.

1. Can Cause Weight Gain

Rates of obesity are rising worldwide and added sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened beverages, is thought to be one of the main culprits.

Sugar-sweetened drinks like sodas, juices and sweet teas are loaded with fructose, a type of simple sugar.

Consuming fructose increases your hunger and desire for food more than glucose, the main type of sugar found in starchy foods.

Additionally, excessive fructose consumption may cause resistance to leptin, an important hormone that regulates hunger and tells your body to stop eating.

In other words, sugary beverages don’t curb your hunger, making it easy to quickly consume a high number of liquid calories. This can lead to weight gain.

It has been consistently shown that people who drink sugary beverages, such as soda and juice, weigh more than people who don’t.

Also, drinking a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages is linked to an increased amount of visceral fat, a kind of deep belly fat associated with conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

Note: Consuming too much added sugar, especially from sugary beverages, increases your risk of weight gain and can lead to visceral fat accumulation.

2. May Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease

High-sugar diets have been associated with an increased risk of many diseases, including heart disease, the number one cause of death worldwide.

It has been suggested that high-sugar diets can lead to obesity, inflammation and high triglyceride, blood sugar and blood pressure levels — all risk factors for heart disease.

Additionally, consuming too much sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened drinks, has been linked to atherosclerosis, a disease characterized by fatty, artery-clogging deposits.

A study in over 30,000 people found that those who consumed 17–21% of calories from added sugar had a 38% greater risk of dying from heart disease, compared to those consuming only 8% of calories from added sugar.

Just one 16-ounce (473-ml) can of soda contains 52 grams of sugar, which equates to more than 10% of your daily calorie consumption, based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

This means that one sugary drink a day can already put you over the recommended daily limit for added sugar.

NOTE: Consuming too much added sugar increases heart disease risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure and inflammation. High-sugar diets have been linked to an increased risk of dying from heart disease.

3. Has Been Linked to Acne

A diet high in refined carbs, including sugary foods and drinks, has been associated with a higher risk of developing acne.

Foods with a high glycemic index, such as processed sweets, raise your blood sugar more rapidly than foods with a lower glycemic index.

Sugary foods quickly spike blood sugar and insulin levels, causing increased androgen secretion, oil production and inflammation, all of which play a role in acne development.

It has been shown that low-glycemic diets are associated with a reduced acne risk, while high-glycemic diets are linked to a greater risk.

For example, a study in 2,300 teens demonstrated that those who frequently consumed added sugar had a 30% greater risk of developing acne.

Also, many population studies have shown that rural communities that consume traditional, non-processed foods have almost non-existent rates of acne, compared to more urban, high-income areas.

These findings coincide with the theory that diets high in processed, sugar-laden foods contribute to the development of acne.

NOTE: High-sugar diets can increase androgen secretion, oil production and inflammation, all of which can raise your risk of developing acne.

4. Increases Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

The worldwide prevalence of diabetes has more than doubled over the past 30 years.

Though there are many reasons for this, there is a clear link between excessive sugar consumption and diabetes risk.

Obesity, which is often caused by consuming too much sugar, is considered the strongest risk factor for diabetes.

What’s more, prolonged high-sugar consumption drives resistance to insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels.

Insulin resistance causes blood sugar levels to rise and strongly increases your risk of diabetes.

NOTE: A high-sugar diet may lead to obesity and insulin resistance, both of which are risk factors for type 2 diabetes.

5. May Increase Your Risk of Cancer

Eating excessive amounts of sugar may increase your risk of developing certain cancers.

First, a diet rich in sugary foods and beverages can lead to obesity, which significantly raises your risk of cancer.

Furthermore, diets high in sugar increase inflammation in your body and may cause insulin resistance, both of which increase cancer risk.

It has been shown in over 430,000 people found that added sugar consumption was positively associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer, pleural cancer and cancer of the small intestine.

It has been shown that women who consumed sweet buns and cookies more than three times per week were 1.42 times more likely to develop endometrial cancer than women who consumed these foods less than 0.5 times per week.

The link between added sugar intake and cancer is ongoing, and more studies are needed to fully understand this complex relationship.

NOTE: Too much sugar can lead to obesity, insulin resistance and inflammation, all of which are risk factors for cancer.

6. May Increase Your Risk of Depression

While a healthy diet can help improve your mood, a diet high in added sugar and processed foods may increase your chances of developing depression.

Consuming a lot of processed foods, including high-sugar products such as cakes and sugary drinks, has been associated with a higher risk of depression.

Researchers believe that blood sugar swings, neurotransmitter dysregulation and inflammation may all be reasons for sugar’s detrimental impact on mental health.

A study following 8,000 people for 22 years showed that men who consumed 67 grams or more of sugar per day were 23% more likely to develop depression than men who ate less than 40 grams per day.

It has been shown in over 69,000 women demonstrated that those with the highest intakes of added sugars had a significantly greater risk of depression, compared to those with the lowest intakes

NOTE: A diet rich in added sugar and processed foods may increase depression risk in both men and women.

7. May Accelerate the Skin Aging Process

Wrinkles are a natural sign of aging. They appear eventually, regardless of your health.

However, poor food choices can worsen wrinkles and speed the skin aging process.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are compounds formed by reactions between sugar and protein in your body. They are suspected to play a key role in skin aging.

Consuming a diet high in refined carbs and sugar leads to the production of AGEs, which may cause your skin to age prematurely.

AGEs damage collagen and elastin, which are proteins that help the skin stretch and keep its youthful appearance.

When collagen and elastin become damaged, the skin loses its firmness and begins to sag.

NOTE: Sugary foods can increase the production of AGEs, which can accelerate skin aging and wrinkle formation.

8. Can Increase Cellular Aging

Telomeres are structures found at the end of chromosomes, which are molecules that hold part or all of your genetic information.

Telomeres act as protective caps, preventing chromosomes from deteriorating or fusing together.

As you grow older, telomeres naturally shorten, which causes cells to age and malfunction.

Although the shortening of telomeres is a normal part of aging, unhealthy lifestyle choices can speed up the process.

Consuming high amounts of sugar has been shown to accelerate telomere shortening, which increases cellular aging.

It has been shown in 5,309 adults that regularly drinking sugar-sweetened beverages was associated with shorter telomere length and premature cellular aging.

In fact, each daily 20-ounce (591-ml) serving of sugar-sweetened soda equated to 4.6 additional years of aging, independent of other variables

NOTE: Eating too much sugar can accelerate the shortening of telomeres, which increases cellular aging.

9. Drains Your Energy

Foods high in added sugar quickly spike blood sugar and insulin levels, leading to increased energy.

However, this rise in energy levels is fleeting.

Products that are loaded with sugar but lacking in protein, fiber or fat lead to a brief energy boost that’s quickly followed by a sharp drop in blood sugar, often referred to as a crash.

Having constant blood sugar swings can lead to major fluctuations in energy levels.

To avoid this energy draining cycle, choose carb sources that are low in added sugar and rich in fiber.

Pairing carbs with protein or fat is another great way to keep your blood sugar and energy levels stable.

For example, eating an apple along with a small handful of almonds is an excellent snack for prolonged, consistent energy levels.

NOTE: High-sugar foods can negatively impact your energy levels by causing a spike in blood sugar followed by a crash.

10. Can Lead to Fatty Liver

A high intake of fructose has been consistently linked to an increased risk of fatty liver.

Unlike glucose and other types of sugar, which are taken up by many cells throughout the body, fructose is almost exclusively broken down by the liver.

In the liver, fructose is converted into energy or stored as glycogen.

However, the liver can only store so much glycogen before excess amounts are turned into fat.

Large amounts of added sugar in the form of fructose overload your liver, leading to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition characterized by excessive fat buildup in the liver.

It has been shown in over 5,900 adults that people who drank sugar-sweetened beverages daily had a 56% higher risk of developing NAFLD, compared to people who did not.

NOTE: Eating too much sugar may lead to NAFLD, a condition in which excessive fat builds up in the liver.

11. Other Health Risks

Aside from the risks listed above, sugar can harm your body in countless other ways.

Increase kidney disease risk: Having consistently high blood sugar levels can cause damage to the delicate blood vessels in your kidneys. This can lead to an increased risk of kidney disease.

Negatively impact dental health: Eating too much sugar can cause cavities. Bacteria in your mouth feed on sugar and release acid byproducts, which cause tooth demineralization.

Increase the risk of developing gout: Gout is an inflammatory condition characterized by pain in the joints. Added sugars raise uric acid levels in the blood, increasing the risk of developing or worsening gout.

Accelerate cognitive decline: High-sugar diets can lead to impaired memory and have been linked to an increased risk of dementia

NOTE: Consuming too much sugar may worsen cognitive decline, increase gout risk, harm your kidneys and cause cavities.

How to Reduce Your Sugar Intake

Excessive added sugar has many negative health effects.

Although consuming small amounts now and then is perfectly healthy, you should try to cut back on sugar whenever possible.

Fortunately, simply focusing on eating whole, unprocessed foods automatically decreases the amount of sugar in your diet.

Here are some tips on how to reduce your intake of added sugars:

Swap sodas, energy drinks, juices and sweetened teas for water or unsweetened seltzer.
Drink your coffee black or use Stevia for a zero-calorie, natural sweetener.
Sweeten plain yogurt with fresh or frozen berries instead of buying flavored, sugar-loaded yogurt.
Consume whole fruits instead of sugar-sweetened fruit smoothies.
Replace candy with a homemade trail mix of fruit, nuts and a few dark chocolate chips.
Use olive oil and vinegar in place of sweet salad dressings like honey mustard.
Choose marinades, nut butters, ketchup and marinara sauce with zero added sugars.
Look for cereals, granolas and granola bars with under 4 grams of sugar per serving.
Swap your morning cereal for a bowl of rolled oats topped with nut butter and fresh berries, or an omelet made with fresh greens.
Instead of jelly, slice fresh bananas onto your peanut butter sandwich.
Use natural nut butters in place of sweet spreads like Nutella.
Avoid alcoholic beverages that are sweetened with soda, juice, honey, sugar or agave.
Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, focusing on fresh, whole ingredients.

In addition, keeping a food diary is an excellent way of becoming more aware of the main sources of sugar in your diet.

The best way to limit your added sugar intake is to prepare your own healthy meals at home and avoid buying foods and drinks that are high in added sugar.

NOTE: Focusing on preparing healthy meals and limiting your intake of foods that contain added sweeteners can help you cut back on the amount of sugar in your diet.

Summary Overview

Eating too much added sugar can have many negative health effects.

An excess of sweetened foods and beverages can lead to weight gain, blood sugar problems and an increased risk of heart disease, among other dangerous conditions.

For these reasons, added sugar should be kept to a minimum whenever possible, which is easy when you follow a healthy diet based on whole foods.

If you need to cut added sugar from your diet, try some of the small changes listed above.

Before you know it, your sugar habit will be a thing of the past.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Why is mobility so important? You should really be asking, why is moving freely so important.

Mon, 22 Nov 2021 03:51:44 GMT

What Is Mobility?

We often think about fitness and physical activity as encompassing muscle strength, flexibility, and endurance. However, mobility is another component of not only staying physically fit and at the top of your game, but also overall optimal health.

Whether you’re an athlete, weekend warrior, just beginning, or looking to stay physically active; whether you’re young, in the prime years of your life, or heading into older age, muscle, strength, endurance, and movement are probably what you think about most. If you’re a young athlete, your priority is building or maintaining a fitness level for high performance. If you’re in your twilight years, you may be looking to just remain independent and move freely without pain. Regardless of what stage you’re at in life, physical activity and fitness boil down to one important component – mobility.

You may have heard the term spoken before at the gym, from a coach or personal trainer, or in passing. You may even think that it’s just a new fitness fad. However, mobility is one of the single most important aspects of fitness and being physically active. Even if you’re not looking to run a marathon and only looking to be able to walk to the end of the driveway, mobility is something you should be concerned enough with to focus on as part of your overall health. If you want to move better, freely and efficiently while protecting yourself from injuries, then mobility should be part of your physical fitness, regardless of fitness level and goals.

What Is Mobility?

It may be a new buzzword in many fitness circles, but mobility is far from a fad. In fact, physical therapists have been behind the whole movement (pun intended) to focus on mobility as part of injury rehabilitation and prevention as well as elevating quality of life for many patients.

In essence, mobility refers to how well you can move, and how freely and efficiently.

IT’S JUST THAT: MOBILITY IS THE ABILITY TO MOVE YOUR ENTIRE BODY FREELY AND NORMALLY.

It encompasses muscle strength, range of motion, and endurance capacity. If you have great mobility, you’re able to move functionally and efficiently with little to no restrictions or difficulty. It means having optimal range of motion. This doesn’t mean, however, greater flexibility, although flexibility is certainly an aspect of efficient mobility.

Mobility the cornerstone of fitness, which allows the body to move correctly. Without mobility, postural stability becomes compromised and so your body begins to move improperly, increasing your risk of pain and injury.

Here are two definitions: joint mobility and joint stability, both of which are essential for proper movement.

Joint Mobility is the range of uninhibited movement around a joint.
Joint Stability is the ability to maintain or control joint movement or position.

What Causes Bad Mobility?

If you can’t move efficiently or utilize the full functionality of your muscles and joints, then you have bad mobility. Bad mobility not only means a higher injury risk, but it also means lower and inefficient performance levels during physical activity. This affects activities as light as walking to the mailbox to as intense as Ironman competitions. Bad mobility can even affect daily activities, such as cleaning, driving, and even showering if it’s serious enough.

There are many causes of bad mobility and the inability to move freely and without pain.

Muscle imbalances;
Muscle weakness;
Tightness;
Improper alignment and posture;
An injury that is currently in rehabilitation or was not fully or properly rehabilitated.

Increasing Mobility

To increase and/or improve your mobility, you first need to figure out what is causing your immobility and what’s being affected by it. Because decreased mobility is caused by many factors, it’s something that should be diagnosed and looked at by a trained professional, such as a physical therapist.

Physical therapists have the training and education necessary to find the underlying cause of your decreased mobility. They will then put a plan into action to help you increase how well you move. Depending on where you’re experiencing the problem – whether it’s pain and inflammation or inability to move a certain area – they’ll look at the problem area and discuss possible outcomes and goals.

Athletic trainers and some certified personal trainers and coaches are also educated about mobility and can recommend exercises that will help increase your range of motion.

We often think about fitness and physical activity as encompassing muscle strengthening, flexibility, and endurance. However, mobility is another component of not only staying physically fit and at the top of your game but also for beating back many problems associated with age. I t has been shown that exercising improves mobility, which helps older adults maintain independence, and decrease disability.

Why Is Mobility So Important?

Really, the question should be:

Why is moving freely so important?

The answer seems obvious when that question is asked. To be more mobile means to move more freely. It means being more stable and stronger. It means decreasing your risk of injury and increasing your ability to move with less effort.

Mobility work and exercising should be included in your overall training program. It means choosing exercises that focus on increasing your range of motion, stabilization, and muscle control. It also means attacking weaknesses and muscle imbalances, which can help protect you against injuries. Ultimately, the goal of mobility is to help you move better and more controlled without compromise or restrictions.

Mobility Training Benefits: Why You Need Mobility In Your Workout.

Mobility training benefits any type of workout but is often neglected. So many people miss out on the benefits of it. With more mobility, you will be less likely to develop chronic injuries or hit plateaus. Mobility also remedies existing injuries and benefits form and performance. In this post, we look at how to get the best out of your workout with mobility training.

Before we delve into the many ways mobility training benefits your workout, let’s take a look at what mobility actually means.

Most people know what flexibility is. But often, people confuse this with mobility. There is a difference between the two. Flexibility refers to the ability of your joints to move pain-free and without stiffness through a range of motion. For example, flexibility is when you are able to lift your leg further with the assistance of your arms.

However, with mobility, you are able to control the whole range of motion with just the muscles. Mobility refers to the strength of the muscle in this range of motion. For example, you would be able to control the entire movement of the leg with just the leg muscles. Unlike flexibility, there is no requirement for any assistance to perform the move.

Now we’ve covered what it is, let’s look at how mobility training benefits your workout.

Mobility is essential because it prepares our bodies for the stress of training. It is a vital contributor to reducing the risk of injuries as well as improving technique and range of movement. It is important to note that strength alone isn’t enough to have good mobility.

Many go straight to the weights without considering mobility training.

Commonly, an individual will walk into the gym, go straight to the resistance area and begin lifting. At best, they may do a quick 5 minute warm-up on an exercise bike or elliptical trainer. The warm-should not be neglected. This being said, it is the bit in between that warm up and hitting the weights room that is important. This is where mobility training comes in. We will now discuss the mobility training benefits that all gym users should take advantage of.

How Mobility Training Benefits Your Workout

1. A More Effective Warmup

Mobility training benefits your workout in ways that a quick warm-up cannot. During mobility training, blood is being moved to the surrounding tissues. Synovial fluid, the fluid in our joints that helps them to glide freely, is carried into the working joints. An example of this would be to perform hip circles to warm up the hips. The blood is transported to the hip flexors, glutes and external rotators, which are the muscles that move the leg. Synovial fluid lubricates the hip in preparation for exercise.

2. Reduced Risk of Injury

One of the biggest mobility training benefits is the reduced risk of injury. If there is any restriction to a moving joint, then there is a high risk of injury, especially if you like to lift heavy.

3. Improved Technique and Range of Movement

Mobility training benefits your form. When muscles and joints are more flexible, we get an increased range of motion. This allows us to perform exercises with better technique. For example, if we have tight leg muscles, then we will struggle to lower in a squat or perform a deadlift with correct posture.

Static Stretching Versus Dynamic Mobility Stretching

Stretching prevents injury, decrease soreness, and improve performance. Many people incorporate static stretching into their routine. However, dynamic stretches – part of mobility training – are not so widely used.

This being said, research shows that dynamic stretching, or stretching while moving, appears to be more effective than static stretching as part of your warm-up. Below we discuss the mobility training benefits of dynamic stretching in comparison to static.

Static Stretches

Static stretching usually consists of holding positions with no movement. They tend to only focus on the main muscle groups, such as quads, hamstrings, calf and arm muscles. While they are useful in increasing range of motion if performed correctly and for long enough, they can, in fact, be detrimental as part of a warm-up. For example, static stretches are linked to a decrease in leg press performance and knee extensor concentric torque.

Dynamic Stretches

Dynamic stretches, on the other hand, are often a static stretch performed with movement. Doing these results in many mobility training benefits. For example, dynamic stretches keep your heart rate higher than static ones. This is important during and after a warm-up, and better suited to sports that require running or jumping. An example of a dynamic stretch would be a set of walking lunges, instead of a static lunge forward. This being said, you need to ensure that you perform enough dynamic stretches, with the right quality.

Now we have discussed the numerous ways mobility training benefits you, let’s look at how to do it.

Types of Mobility Training Exercise

There are many ways to reap the mobility training benefits above. Mobility exercises take many forms. For example, some require only your bodyweight, whereas others use various types of equipment. This can include resistance bands, foam rollers, barbells or poles.

Body Weight

There are many different exercises that can be used to increase mobility. Using your bodyweight is a wise place to start. Most exercises have regressions for those just beginning. There are also progressions if you are more advanced. If you’re just beginning, these mobility drills will get easier with practice and patience.

Foam Rolling

Many mobility training benefits can come from foam rolling. However, some people shy away from foam rolling because it can hurt. Unfortunately, if it is painful, this is probably a sign that you need to do more of it. Also, it is common to spend too little time foam rolling. The foam roller needs to move slowly over the muscles, while you use as much of your body weight as possible to increase the tension.

Resistance Bands, Poles and Barbells

Resistance bands, as well as poles and barbells, are a fantastic way to get the mobility training benefits that bodyweight stretching cannot achieve. If performed correctly, this equipment will allow you to take the muscles to a much greater stretch.

As mentioned, for those just starting out, try bodyweight drills first. Below are some exercises to get you started.

Body Weight Mobility Exercises

Below are some bodyweight and floor drills that are easily performed, in a gym or at home.

1. Thoracic Spine Windmills

The thoracic spin runs from the base of your neck to the area between your shoulder blades. Good mobility in this area allows you to move your arms freely over your head and turn side to side. If you have reduced mobility you can get shoulder problems and pain, develop poor posture and upper back pain.

To perform the windmills, first, lie on your side, and bend your knees and hips to just past 90 degrees. Rest your knees beside you on the floor. Then, straighten the bottom leg and rest the top leg on a foam roller or towel. Extend both arms together straight out in front of you, keeping your palms together. Lift and rotate your top arm away from you, opening up your chest to the ceiling. Hold for about 3 seconds and then slowly return it to the starting position. Repeat a few times on each side.

2. Shoulder Pass Throughs

If you are a sufferer of poor posture, you are likely to be tight through your chest and the front of your shoulders.
To perform the shoulder pass through, hold a broomstick or pipe in the overhand grip, as wide as you need to. Maintain straight arms and begin to lift the stick in front of you to above your head. Avoid hyperextending your back. Once you have taken it as far back as possible, hold in the end position for a couple of seconds before returning to the start position. Then repeat a few more times.

3. Hip Openers

It’s vital to warm up the hip joints as they contribute significantly to balance and stability. Hip mobility training benefits all types of workout.

To perform the hip openers, lift one knee up to your chest and make a circle with your knee. Bring the knee across your body and then out to the side. Repeat on the other side. You can perform these static or walking.

4. Spiderman Walks

One of the best exercises for mobility training benefits is the Spiderman walk. This is because it hits multiple joints. To perform the Spiderman walk, start with a forward lunge with an extended range of motion to stretch out the hip flexor. Stay there for a few seconds and push the hips down to increase the stretch. From there, bring your pelvis back, straightening the front leg and stretching the back of your hamstring. After this, return to the starting lunge and take your hand closest to your forward foot and twist it to the sky, with your head following your hand. Swap sides, and repeat a few times.

5. Deep Squat

This exercise as part of mobility training benefits the hips and ankles. To perform the deep squat, start with your feet shoulder width apart. From there, lower your hips down towards your ankles. Ensure that your feet stay flat on the ground. If this is difficult, work your way up to where you can sit with your chest up for several minutes. Feel free to support yourself a little at first to allow you to get lower.

Conclusion

There are numerous benefits of mobility training in both the gym and broader life. Mobility exercises as part of your warm-up reduce your risk of injury and increase strength and power. As well as this, better mobility results in better technique. Dedicating 5-10 minutes at the beginning of your session to mobility training is all it takes to reap these benefits.

It’s important to note the difference between static stretching and dynamic mobility training. Static stretches ate vital at improving flexibility, but reduce performance when done during a warm-up. So save static stretching for the cool-down after a workout.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Passport Ideas to Living Life Better, Longer, and Happier.

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 07:20:23 GMT

Midlife Can Make You Miserable...Get Mobile and Experience Life Better.

Midlife Can Make You Miserable, and Depression Can Affect You in Many Ways.

Feel like middle age is closing in on you? You're not alone. People may learn to adapt to their strengths and weaknesses and value life more, let's aim to provide some information that may be beneficial to add to your library of knowledge.

Depression Trigger: Overload

Squeezed between the demands of children, aging parents, marriage, and your job? Feeling sad, worthless, and guilty? Women tend to shoulder more of the "sandwich generation" burdens -- and up to half become depressed as a result.

Solution: Make sure you're caring for yourself, too. Exercise, get enough rest, eat healthy, see friends, and get help -- for caregiving demands and depression -- if you need it.

Trigger: Low Vitamin B12

If you're feeling lethargic or depressed, too little vitamin B12 may be to blame. If you're older, you're more at risk for the B12 blues because you may not have enough stomach acid to release B12 from food.

Solution: Ask your doctor to measure levels of B12 in your blood. If it's low, talk to your doctor about diet, oral supplements, or an injection to see what might be right for you.

Trigger: Changes in Sex Drive

As men age, their bodies produce less of the important sex hormone testosterone. Low testosterone levels can cause depression, as well as erectile dysfunction (ED) -- trouble getting or keeping an erection -- and a decreased interest in sex.

Solutions: Ask your doctor to test the levels of testosterone in your blood. If it is low, ask your doctor about replacement therapy and other treatment options.

Trigger: Thyroid Disorders

Depression can be one symptom of an underactive or occasionally overactive thyroid. And if you are older, it may be the only symptom. Or it may appear with a subtle symptom. In the case of overactive thyroid, it could be accompanied by heart flutters, tremors, or fatigue. An underactive thyroid can cause constipation or fatigue. That's why this very treatable problem is often mistaken for bowel or nervous system disorders in older people.

Solution: See your doctor, especially if a close relative has thyroid disease.

Trigger: Achy Joints

Living with a condition that causes chronic pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis, increases the chance of having depression. In fact, people with chronic pain are three times as likely to have depression or an anxiety disorder. And depression can make pain worse.

Solution: Exercise, meditate, or listen to music. An hour of classical music a day has been shown to ease arthritis pain and depression. If the depression or pain doesn't lift, talk to your doctor.

Trigger: Perimenopause and Menopause

Hormone fluctuations, hot flashes, and life changes related to perimenopause and menopause can make your mood plummet. If you have trouble sleeping, a history of depression, or PMS, mood swings or depression may worsen during this transitional period.

Solutions: For mild depression, try self-calming skills such as yoga or deep breathing. Do things that make you feel better, such as exercise or going out with friends, or find a creative outlet. For more serious, long-lasting symptoms of depression, prescription medication or talk therapy can help.

Trigger: The Empty Nest

If your child has left home, an "empty nest" can make you feel empty. Going through menopause or retirement at the same time may make it harder.

Solutions: Try to see it as an opportunity. Reconnect with your spouse, other family members, and friends. Pursue hobbies and interests you didn't have time for before. Give yourself time to adjust. If your mood doesn't lift in a few months, talk to your doctor.

Trigger: Type 2 Diabetes

Do you feel too listless to check your blood sugar regularly? Are unpredictable blood sugar levels making you feel out of control? Depression is a common and dangerous complication of many chronic conditions, including diabetes. Depression also may keep you from taking good care of your diabetes.

Solution: Talk to your doctor if you've been depressed for more than two weeks. Talk therapy, medication, and better diabetes control can help you manage both conditions. Depression is serious and if left untreated can be life threatening.

Trigger: Drinking

About 1 in 4 older people who drink heavily has major depression. Some older people start drinking more because of stressful events, such as retirement or a spouse's death. Yet alcohol problems are often mistaken for other age-related issues.

Solutions: A combination of medications can treat both alcohol dependence and depression. Individual or group therapy can also help deal with issues that may trigger drinking.

Trigger: Poor Sleep

Insomnia and other sleep disruptions, which are common as we age, are closely related to depression. Insomnia can be a sign that you are depressed, and if you have insomnia but aren’t depressed, you’re at higher risk of developing mood changes. Obstructive sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome also have been linked to depression.

Solutions: Talk to your doctor about possible reasons for your sleep problems and get treatment for them. Learn good sleep hygiene habits, such as regular bedtime hours. Exercise early regularly and avoid caffeine, alcohol, or nicotine, which interfere with sleep. Prescription medication may also help.

Trigger: Retirement

If you were forced into retirement -- because of poor health or other reasons -- you might very well be depressed. Factors such as financial insecurity or lack of social support can also make retirement a downer.

Solutions: Busy retirees tend to be happier retirees. Learn new skills, take classes, get exercise. Be flexible: For example, if your health makes activities like travel difficult, take in museums and foreign films.

Trigger: Heart Problems

It's common to feel depressed after a diagnosis of heart disease or having a heart attack or cardiac surgery. But many people with heart disease go on to experience severe, long-term depression. And that can worsen heart health.

Solutions: A healthy diet and sleep, mild exercise, relaxation techniques, and joining a support group can help you get through the blues. If depression lasts, antidepressants or talk therapy can help.

Trigger: Blood Pressure Pills

Could the drugs you take for high blood pressure or other health problems also be bringing you down? Some blood pressure medicines -- as well as certain antibiotics, antiarrhythmics, acne products, and steroids, among other drugs -- may be associated with depression or other mood changes.

Solutions: Be sure to ask your doctor if any new medications you may be taking could be linked with changes in mood. If it is, you may be able to switch to another drug.

Trigger: Loneliness

Social support can help prevent or ease depression. But some kinds of social support may be better than others. A study of people in a retirement community found that those who stayed connected with friends living elsewhere had less depression. Support from within the community didn't affect mood.

Solution: Maintain ties with close friends and family members. Explore Internet technology that can give you virtual face-time with distant friends.

Health Hurdles

Any chronic or serious condition -- such as Parkinson's disease or a stroke -- can lead to depression. A stroke can also affect the areas of the brain that control mood.

Solution: Be realistic but positive. Learn how to cope with physical effects of your illness. Don't let them get in the way of taking care of yourself and having fun. If you have symptoms of depression, don't wait -- get help right away.

Trigger: Senior Moments

Feeling foggy and forgetful? It could be depression or dementia, a condition marked by memory loss. The signs and symptoms can be similar. Or it could be both -- depression is more common in older people who have dementia, especially Alzheimer's.

Solutions: If you don't know what's causing your symptoms, see your doctor so you can get the right treatment, if necessary.

Trigger: Grief

It's normal to grieve after losing a spouse or other loved one. But grief can grow into depression. Memory problems, confusion, and social withdrawal can be symptoms of depression in older people. Both grief and depression raise the risk for heart-related deaths.

Solutions: Let yourself grieve. Express your feelings to friends, in a support group, or to a grief counselor. For depression, medication and talk therapy can help.

Any-Age Mood Booster: Pets

To keep your mood up, it helps to have good emotional and social support. But who says social support needs to be human? Studies show that pets can help people have less depression and loneliness and more self-esteem and happiness. Pets are friends with other benefits, too. Walking a dog, for example, is good exercise and a great way to meet people.

Any-Age Mood Booster: Laughter

A good laugh can relax muscles, reduce stress, and relieve pain. And research suggests that a good sense of humor can take the bite out of depression. For humor on demand, create a laugh library of funny books, cartoons, and DVDs. Or try laughter yoga, which uses playful activities and breathing exercises to provoke giggles.

Any-Age Mood Booster: Volunteer

Helping others can help you forget your own problems. Volunteering feels good at any age, but it may hold special benefits for older people. If retirement has you adrift, for example, it can give your life a new sense of purpose and satisfaction. Recent research suggests that it may even prevent frailty in older people. Find a cause that has special importance to you and get involved.

Myth: Hard Work Beats Depression

Depression affects nearly one in six people at some point in their lives, so folk remedies and half-truths about this common illness abound. One such idea: throw yourself into work and you'll feel better. For a mild case of the blues, this may indeed help, but depression is a different animal. Overworking can actually be a sign of clinical depression, especially in men.

Myth: It's Not a Real Illness

Depression is a serious medical condition -- and the top cause of disability in American adults. But it's still confused with ordinary sadness. Biological evidence of the illness comes from studies of genetics, hormones, nerve cell receptors, and brain functioning. Nerve circuits in brain areas that regulate mood appear to function abnormally in depression.

Fact: Men Fly Under the Radar

A depressed man, their loved ones, and even their doctor may not recognize depression. That's because men are less likely than women to talk about their feelings -- and some depressed men don't appear sad or down. Instead, men may be irritable, angry, or restless. They may even lash out at others. Some men try to cope with depression through reckless behavior, drinking, or drugs.

Myth: Depression Is Just Self-Pity

Our culture admires will power and mental toughness and is quick to label anyone who falls back as a whiner. But people who have clinical depression are not lazy or simply feeling sorry for themselves. Nor can they "will" depression to go away. Depression is a medical illness -- a health problem related to changes in the brain. Like other illnesses, it usually improves with appropriate treatment.

Fact: Anyone Can Get Depressed

Poet or linebacker, shy or outgoing, anyone from any ethnic background can develop depression. The illness is twice as common in women as in men, but it may be that women are more likely to seek help. It's often first noticed in the late teens or 20s, but an episode can develop at any age. Tough personal experiences can sometimes trigger depression in people who are at risk for the illness. Or it may develop out of the blue.

Fact: It Can Sneak Up Slowly

Depression can creep up gradually, which makes it harder to identify than a sudden illness. A bad day turns into a rut and you start skipping work, school, or social occasions. One type, called dysthymia, can last for years as a chronic, low-level illness – a malaise that silently undermines your career and relationships. Or depression can become a severe, disabling condition. With treatment, many feel substantial relief in 4-6 weeks.

Myth: Help Means Drugs for Life

Despite the buzz about a "Prozac Nation," medication is only one of the tools used to lift depression. Asking for help doesn't necessarily mean your doctor will advise medications, although medicines can often be very helpful for significant forms of depression. Studies suggest, though, that "talk" therapy works as well as drugs for mild to moderate depression. Even if you do use antidepressants, it probably won’t be for life. Your doctor will help you determine the right time to stop your medication.

Myth: Depressed People Cry a Lot

Not always. Some people don't cry or even act terribly sad when they're depressed. Instead they are emotionally "blank" and may feel worthless or useless. Even without dramatic symptoms, untreated depression prevents people from living life to its fullest -- and takes a toll on families.

Fact: Family History Is Not Destiny

If depression appears in your family tree, you're more likely to get it too. But chances are you won't. People with a family history can watch for early symptoms of depression and take positive action promptly -- whether that means reducing stress, getting more exercise, counseling, or other professional treatment.

Myth: Depression Is Part of Aging

Most people navigate the challenges of aging without becoming depressed. But when it does occur, it may be overlooked. Older people may hide their sadness or have different, vague symptoms: food just doesn't taste good anymore, aches and pains worsen, or sleep patterns change. Medical problems can trigger depression in seniors -- and depression can slow recovery from a heart attack or surgery.

Fact: Depression Imitates Dementia

In seniors, depression can be the root cause of memory problems, confusion, and in some cases, delusions. Caregivers and doctors may mistake these problems for signs of dementia, or an age-related decline in memory. Getting treatment lifts the cloud for the majority of older people with depression. Psychotherapy can also be a useful part of treatment for older adults with depression who may be coping with loss, medical illnesses, or other life changes.

Myth: Talking Makes Things Worse

People were once advised not to "dwell on" problems by talking about them. Today, there's evidence that guided discussions with a professional can make things much better. Different types of psychotherapy help treat depression by addressing negative thought patterns, unconscious feelings, or relationship troubles. The first step is to talk to a mental health professional.

Fact: Positive Thinking May Help

The old advice to "accentuate the positive" has advanced into a practice that can ease depression. It’s called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). People learn new ways of thinking and behaving. Distorted negative self-talk and behavior is identified and replaced with more accurate and balanced ways of thinking about yourself and the world. Used alone or with medication, CBT works for many people.

Myth: Teens Are Unhappy by Nature

Although many teens are moody, argumentative, and intrigued by "the dark side," prolonged sadness or irritability is not normal for teens. When unhappiness lasts more than two weeks, it may be a sign of depression -- which develops in about one in 11 teens. Other signs a teen may need help include: being constantly sad or irritable even with friends, taking no pleasure in favorite activities, or a sudden drop in grades.

Fact: Exercise Is Good Medicine

Very good studies now show that regular, moderately intense exercise can improve symptoms of depression and work as well as some medicines for people with mild to moderate depression. Exercising with a group or a good friend adds social support, another mood booster.

Myth: Depression Is Tough to Treat

The reality is most people who take action to lift their depression do get better. In a large study by the National Institute of Mental Health, 70% of people became symptom-free through medications -- though not always with the first medicine. Studies show that the best treatment is often a combination of medication and talk therapy.

Fact: It's Not Always Depression

Some life events cause sadness or disappointment, but do not become clinical depression. Grief is normal after a death, divorce, loss of a job, or diagnosis with a serious health problem. One clue of a need for treatment: the sadness is constant every day, most of the day. When people are weathering difficult times appropriately, they can usually be distracted or cheered up for short periods of time.

Fact: Hope for Better Days Is Real

In the depths of depression, people may think there's no hope for a better life. This hopelessness is part of the illness, not a reality. With treatment, positive thinking gradually replaces negative thoughts. Sleep and appetite improve as the depressed mood lifts. And people who've seen a counselor for talk therapy are equipped with better coping skills to deal with the stresses in life that can get you down.

Get your passport to living life better sorted out ASAP. Fill each page with a stamp as you experience places with people you have been dreaming of going to.

Lifestyle choices certainly do a make a difference to how your body functions and feels by what you eat, exercising regularly, and get adequate rest, recovery, and sleep.

The information provided above is to give you ideas that may assist you to look at what you currently are doing, and maybe a few changes in your choices just may make a difference for your well-being.

May you enjoy living each day with a love of life with mobility and experience each day making memories with your friends and families.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Facts to Consider About Recovery.

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 06:34:07 GMT

"HOW TO AIM TO GET BETTER FASTER"

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU ALLOWED YOURSELF TO RECOVER PROPERLY AFTER FEELING ILL?

HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE TIME, AS WELL AS WHAT TO EAT AND HOW TO WORK OUT ONCE YOU’VE LEFT YOUR SICK BED.

Recovery: we’re terrible at it, aren’t we? Just take a look around you on your way to work each morning for the proof; it’s worse in winter, of course, but without a doubt there’s always more than one person trying to sneeze as discreetly as possible or sniffling into a tissue. You know it’s peak illness season when there’s synchronised coughing echoing around the carriage and your office - and that catching it is just a matter of time as we plough on through the germs.

When people talk about recovery from illness, they usually refer to being fully healed and getting back to normal life. But in reality, regaining your former health and resuming your activities isn’t always possible. Some of us suffer from health problems that cannot be cured, no matter how hard you try. Others keep experiencing residue symptoms, such as lasting fatigue after cancer or mobility issues as a result of severe bone fractures.

The conventional definition of ‘recovery’ is too limiting for these people: it implies a fixed final destination at the end of the road – one that many of us may never reach.

So what if we stop thinking of recovery as an all-or-nothing deal, but rather as a continuum with many more stages, variations and dimensions than simply “being better”?

‘Recovery’ can mean anything you want it to be: (small) physical or mental improvements, a better quality of life or being able to do something you couldn’t do before. Meaningful examples of this new version of recovery could be being able to walk to the shops again, becoming more independent, picking up your favorite hobby again or getting back to work part-time.

Healing is not a linear process. Unlike the stories you see in the media, recovery is not a simple uphill battle. There are many ups and downs along the way. Depending on your illness – whether it’s curable or chronic, relatively stable or progressive – this process of setbacks and personal victories can repeat itself multiple times.

That’s because ‘being healthy’ isn’t as black-and-white as it’s usually portrayed. Most of us find ourselves in the huge grey area between optimally fit and terminally ill. Even a healthy person’s immune system can be working overtime to (successfully) fight off a nasty virus, and even a chronically ill person can have a relatively good week. Your health fluctuates every day for as long as you will live, constantly trying to find that illusive equilibrium.

What’s more, restoration doesn’t happen over night. Even a shallow cut takes a few days to heal.

So don’t give up too soon if you don’t notice any improvements straight away. Recovery is a marathon, not a sprint.

Living with serious illness or injury can feel a lot like starring in your own action hero movie. Just like the on-screen stars, you’re faced with seemingly impossible challenges when you have serious health problems. Everyday living can seem like a quest, demanding extraordinary willpower to complete simple tasks and to achieve your goals.

But when your struggle to rebuild your health feels like a never-ending story, where do you draw the line? When, if ever, do you say: “I don’t want to fight any more, I’m giving up my attempts to get better“?

Contrary to what you might think, it is possible to accept your current limitations and keep fighting for your recovery at the same time. Because facing today’s reality doesn’t mean you give up hope for tomorrow. It just means you make the best of the given situation in this moment, instead of forcefully trying to change something that cannot be changed right now. It’s saying: “Apparently, this is all my body and mind are capable of doing right now, and I will live life the best way I know how despite of my illness.”

At the same time, you can still take smalls steps every day towards a better health, just without the constant struggle and disappointment of not being able to live up (your) expectations.

Focus on what you can control or improve, how ever little that might be today, and find ways to accept the things you cannot change.

Despite what Descartes believed, you can’t strictly separate the body from the mind. It’s all connected: the thoughts and feelings you have trigger a cascade of neuropsychological responses in your brain, which then sends neurotransmitters and hormones to all parts of your body to adequately act upon the situation at hand.

Conversely, your body also strongly influences your thoughts and mood; not just emotionally, but also physiologically. For example, an imbalance of bacteria living in your gut may play a role in depression, anxiety and impaired thinking, just like chronic inflammation in your body could contribute to mental health disorders.

That’s why recovery should cover the entire spectrum of the healing process: your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, as well as the state of your social and physical surroundings. Health programs shouldn’t just focus on eating healthy and moving your body, but also go into often overlooked aspects such as getting high-quality rest and improving your attention span.

Your health encompasses so much more than just your physical state.

Managing your symptoms and working on your recovery can be a full-time job – especially when you already have limited energy and mobility. Following a strict diet, intense exercise program or (complimentary) therapy protocol can take up a lot of your time and resources, leaving little room for anything else.

Now of course you’d do anything to get better. But when rebuilding your strength and fitness takes longer than a few manageable months, it might get harder and harder to stick to your healthy routines if you constantly miss out on meeting up with friends, spontaneous dinners or other happy moments because it interferes with your treatment.

Without joy and love in your life, it’s harder to cope with hardship and to stay motivated during the long process of setbacks and recovery. In the long run, having moments of happiness, an optimistic outlook and a peaceful mind are just as important as a fit and strong body – maybe even more so. And yet, in the end, you still need a certain level of energy and mobility to do what you want in life.

Because recovery can be such a long process with its ups and downs, focusing on adding good things to your daily routine instead of cutting out bad things helps you stick to your healthy habits in the long run. You still get the same results but you won’t feel like you’re denying yourself anything.

The idea of nourishing your body with health-boosting nutrients that taste good too is a lot more exciting than ‘going on a diet’ and giving up your beloved pizza and cookies for good.

So instead of begrudgingly chewing on carrot and celery sticks, eat healthy snacks you love. Make healthier versions of your favourite comfort food. Have a glass of green juice on busy mornings to set the tone for a vibrant day and soak up the extra vitamins, whatever the rest of the day might bring food wise.

The concept of crowding out applies to other aspects of a healthy lifestyle as well. Stop ‘working out’ and do activities you actually enjoy: go for a walk on the beach, take a dance class, ride your bike. Create a meditation practice that feels like a peaceful moment in your day, not another item on your to-do list. Practice self-care in the broadest sense of the word.

Recovery can be an ongoing effort with its fair share of setbacks and achievements along the way. But sometimes, no matter how hard you try, your body and mind just can’t (fully) heal themselves.

If there’s no victory, is it even worth the struggle?

Only you can decide that. It’s not just the destination that matters, it’s the journey – basically, your life – as well.

What will you have done along the way? How much joy did you experience? Were you able to achieve some of your dreams by striving? Did you have less pain and symptoms – and therefore a better quality of life – thanks to your recovery efforts?

AVOID ILLNESS IN THE FIRST PLACE

A psychologist specialising in health research says: “There can be an almost competitive culture in the workplace with regards to coming into work when we’re ill. This isn’t only damaging to the person that has a cough or cold, but can also spread these illnesses. This cutthroat workplace culture has also led us not to take all our annual leave. However, by not convalescing and taking regular holidays, we are more susceptible to the negative effects of stress and burnout. The world will not end if you take a sick day. It may feel more trouble than it’s worth to miss work, but if you go back before fully recovered, your ability to work effectively is reduced. Take the time you need to recover and don’t check your work emails, or try to work from home. You’ll recover more quickly if you switch off properly. Yes, you are important, but everyone can cope without you for a short space of time.”

DON’T BE INPATIENT

If you have the flu or norovirus, it’s really important to rest and stay at home.

For flu you should ideally stay at home for at least a week to give your body the chance to recuperate. Both viruses are also highly contagious, so returning to work too soon while you’re still experiencing symptoms is likely to spread germs and make your colleagues poorly, which won’t make you very popular in the office! Once you’re starting to feel better you can consider going back to work but, if you’re still experiencing symptoms like a chesty cough, vomiting or diarrhoea, you should remain at home as you could still be contagious.

SET REALISTIC GOALS

When you’re ready to return, be realistic in what you can achieve in the first few days and don’t try to fit too much in or work long hours as this may tip you back into bed.

If you’ve been off for a lengthy period of time, speak to your manager to make sure that your workload is appropriately paced. If you’re self-employed be disciplined and set yourself realistic goals – writing these down can help.

LOOK AFTER YOUR GUT

We are learning more and more about the important role gut bacteria play in our health and that includes immunity.

Prolonged bouts of diarrhoea from gastrointestinal illness can affect the diversity of your gut bacteria as can antibiotics that destroy these beneficial bugs. Try incorporating probiotics into your recovery regime to help re build your gut microbiome. Supplements are the most effective way to replace good bacteria in the gut and you should look for well researched strains - such as bifidobacterium and lactobacillus. Look for a supplement that offers at least 10 billion bacteria per capsule and avoid taking with hot drinks to maximise the number that reach the gut.

RE-TRAIN YOUR APPETITE

Whether you’ve had a sick bug or the world’s worst cold, knowing what to eat next is tricky. Being ill can impact on your normal eating patterns and diminish appetite. Team this with the body’s increased requirement for nutrition to help fight infection and this can lead to low energy levels and the possibility of nutrient insufficiencies.

When recovering from illness, try and regain normality by eating three meals daily to re-establish a healthy appetite and nourish the body.

EAT PLENTY OF PROTEIN

During illness protein helps with wound healing and the maintenance of tissues in the body. This nutrient is also required for the formation of antibodies that help to protect the body from infection, illness and disease. Make sure you have plenty of protein in your diet during and when recovering from illness. Eating enough food to meet your energy needs is important too – to make sure protein is available to perform its role and not used to bridge the calorie gap.

SLEEP IS IMPORTANT

We all know sleep is important when we’re sick, but it bears repeating. Getting plenty of rest is arguably the most important strategy when it comes to bouncing back from an illness. Aim to add at least an extra hour to your normal sleep time whenever you feel illness creeping in, either by going to bed earlier or sleeping in later (or ideally both). If possible, sneak in a few small naps during the day to give your body a break and provide it with additional opportunities for rejuvenation.

If you’re sick on a workday, call in sick if possible. This is important for two reasons: It will allow your body to rest and recover without having to undertake the stressors and demands that entail going to work. And it will reduce the chances that your coworkers catch whatever you have—which would not only be unfair to them, it would also increase the likelihood of the illness circulating through the office and making it back to you when you’re in the vulnerable early stages of recovery.

No matter when you sleep, set yourself up for quality sleep with the following strategies:

If you’re congested, sleep with your head elevated (by, for example, using a second pillow) to help keep your nasal passages open and increase the likelihood that you’ll be able to fall and stay asleep.

Keep the curtains drawn in order to create a dark environment, which is ideal for sleep quality.

If your family members or roommates are around, ask them to keep volume to a minimum so your sleep environment remains quiet—this is also essential for quality sleep.

Make sure you’re prepared with plenty of layers on the bed, since your body temperature is likely to fluctuate wildly when you’re sick.

EAT WELL TO RECOVER

When our bodies are fighting off illness, they need all the help they can get. Much of that help can come in the form of what we put into our bodies (or withhold from our bodies) in the way of nutrition. To that end, it’s helpful to keep the following pointers in mind:

Cutting back on sugar is a great idea when you’re sick (and all the time). That’s true for two reasons: First, because sugar provokes inflammation in the body, which is the last thing your body needs when it’s already combatting inflammation in the form of infection. Second, there’s some evidence that sugar consumption may actually inhibit white blood cells’ ability to effectively fight off infection.
Spicy foods (such as those containing chili peppers or cayenne) have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, which make them ideal for when you’re sick. As an added bonus, these spices can help clear out sinus congestion.
In addition to spices, certain vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients may promise an extra boost for a struggling immune system. These include zinc, selenium, vitamin D, vitamin C, echinacea, ginger, turmeric, garlic, and probiotics.
Those old wives were onto something: Chicken soup really is good for you when you’re sick. That’s because cooked chicken contains an amino acid called cysteine that helps calm inflamed sinuses and thins mucous. Chicken soup may also clear up congestion, soothe a cough, and reduce inflammation in the body.
Even if you lose your appetite when you’re sick, it’s important to eat. Consuming plenty of nutrients is essential for providing your body with the fuel it needs to effectively fight off illness. If you can’t stomach the idea of chicken soup or spicy curry, consider drinking your nutrients in the form of green juices or smoothies.

If you’re suffering from upset stomach, the classic BRAT diet is a solid option. The acronym stands for “bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast”—all of which are easy on an unsettled belly. If you fall into this camp, consider avoiding dairy, greasy foods, high-fiber foods, and salty foods, as these can all be difficult for the stomach to digest.

What to eat to recover from illness.

When recovering from illness, your body is working extra hard to repair and rebuild itself. Any type of illness can cause low energy and a loss of appetite, leading to depleted nutrients and weight loss. So choosing foods that give you the right nutrients and building blocks for healing is essential for returning to good health. Here’s my guide to the foods that will help you come back fighting fit.

Probiotics for good bacteria

If your doctor has prescribed you a dose of antibiotics to beat a nasty bacterial infection, you may experience digestive after effects such as diarrhoea and/or bloating. This occurs because antibiotics also destroy the ‘friendly’ bacteria in your gut, which aid digestion and help prevent the overgrowth of harmful bacteria.

As 80 percent of our immune cells are located in our gut we need to make sure our friendly bacteria is replenished. We can do this using by eating probiotics, which are healthy bacteria found in certain foods. Foods containing the healthy bacteria L bulgaricus, L casei and S thermophiles help reduce the incidence of antibiotic-related digestive disorders.

Protein

Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues. We also use protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. For this reason, you require sufficient protein in your daily diet. It is recommended that getting at least 46 to 56 grams of protein every day is beneficial. You may need slightly higher amounts after an illness.

Best found in: Lean meats, spinach, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is vital antioxidant to help your cells’ recovery after battling an illness. Also known as ascorbic acid this water-soluble vitamin helps stimulate white blood cells which help attack and destroy any invading pathogens.

Best found in: Papayas, bell peppers, broccoli, strawberries and kiwi fruit.

Hydration

Keeping yourself hydrated is very important during an illness. Dehydration can lead to fatigue, weakness, light-headedness and nausea. You may lose fluids due to a loss of appetite or through diarrhoea and vomiting. Along with water you can keep yourself hydrated through herbal teas. Dandelion tea is especially good as its chemical compounds may help clear toxins from your body, thereby enhancing your immune system's ability to destroy infection-causing agents.

Best found in: Water and herbal teas – especially dandelion.

With a virus such as the flu, your immune system kicks in - so all you need to do is keep hydrated with plenty of fluids as you rest - but stick to water and herbal tea. Whilst you’re fighting a winter illness, it’s best to avoid alcohol. You rely on your immune system to help you get better, and drinking too much alcohol causes changes in your immune system. This can slow down your ability fight infections.

Recovery has no time limit. Each individual will undertake a journey which can be a sprint, but also there can be a marathon too.

In any journey undertaken with the recovery process you will benefit from healthy lifestyle choices with food, hydration, rest, and exercise that is appropriate.

The above information provided is simply an overview of aspects of recovery to consider.

Please look after yourself and do not hesitate to seek medical advice from your physician if you feel unwell.

Thank you for your support. We appreciate it immensely and thank you for sharing with others.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

The Importance of Maintaining Structured Routine with Courage

Wed, 28 Jul 2021 04:11:47 GMT

"The Benefits of Being Courageous with a Routine"

Some people love to have a solid daily routine, while others shudder at the thought of having a predictable schedule. During times of great stress, however, maintaining structure and routine can help you feel more organized and in control.

Having a routine can be helpful at any time, particularly if you are trying to establish healthy habits, but these routines can be particularly important when aspects of your life feel uncertain.

The disruptions caused by the current global challenges have dramatically altered many people’s normal routines, which makes it that much harder to cope with the stress that people are feeling.

A Sudden Lack of Structure

Many people are either working from home or faced with the prospect of an unknown period of unemployment. Those working at home may quickly discover that the constant isolation and lack of a normal schedule can be mentally taxing.

When people don't have a routine or structure to their day it can cause increased stress and anxiety, as well as overwhelming feelings, lack of concentration, and focus.

A lack of structure and routine can actually exacerbate feelings of distress and make you pay more attention to the source of your problems.

“If people don't have structure and are sitting around with less to focus on, then they also probably will find themselves thinking about the stressful situation more, which can also lead to additional stress and anxiety."

One way to get out of this cycle that promotes ruminating over the source of your stress is to maintain some structure and routine throughout your day.

The Benefits of Having a Routine

Routines can play an important role in mental health.

Having a regular routine can help you:

Lower stress levels
Form good daily habits
Take better care of your health
Feel more productive
Feel more focused

Getting necessary tasks out of the way can also help you find more time for healthy behaviors like exercise and leave you more time to enjoy fun activities and hobbies.

Focus on Things You Can Control

Managing your own behaviors can help you feel more in control of the situation.

A good place to start with creating a new routine is to set wake-up and bedtimes, as well as meal and activity times.

The key is to create a routine that adds structure and a sense of predictability to your day. Of course, your schedule may change somewhat depending on the day of the week, but sticking to a basic structure for when you will wake, eat, work, do activities, and sleep can help you feel less stressed out and more organized.

Structuring your day also ensures that you accomplish those basic tasks that must be done, which will leave you with the time to schedule in other things that you want or need to accomplish.

You’ll feel more organized and productive with a regular routine, which will help you feel more proactive and in control in the face of a stressful situation.

Follow a Routine That Supports Your Health

There are some things that you can make a part of your daily routine to help manage stress levels.

These include:

Staying active and getting regular daily exercise
Making sure that you are well-rested
Eating healthy meals on a regular schedule
Setting realistic goals
Trying to stay positive
Preparing for challenges but not ruminating on things you can't control
Staying in touch with friends and family members
Setting aside time for activities that you enjoy

It’s important to find things to fill your time so you don’t end up engaging in unhelpful or unhealthy behaviors.

Make Your List

One helpful activity is to make a list of the things that you normally do during the day. Include everything from work to meal preparation to household chores. Once you have an idea of the basic tasks you need to accomplish, you can start creating a general outline for what you might need to accomplish each day to stay on track.

Stress can make it hard to concentrate, so outlining these daily activities can help you better focus on what’s important.

While its important to get the essentials done, be sure to find things that you can look forward to, whether it’s watching a favorite television show or calling up a friend. Making these little rewards a part of your routine can help you stay upbeat and focused when you are working on a task that you might not enjoy as much.

Find What Works for You

Is it better to have a structured daily schedule or just a general to-do list for the day? Some people might thrive with a highly structured daily schedule that outlines activities in specific blocks of time, while others might do well with a loose list of things they need to get done in the day.

How do you decide which approach is right for you? Consider your motivations as well as what you need to get done. “If it is something that is of high importance and needs to get done on a specific day, then scheduling it into your routine and carving out that time may be necessary to make sure it gets accomplished.

In other words, deliberately schedule a specific time to take care of those high priority tasks. Knowing that you have that time set aside for those tasks will leave you free to focus on using the rest of your time effectively.

When we don’t feel motivated to do things, it is very easy to procrastinate doing them and they will continue to get pushed for the next day and the next day.

Knowing that you need to do those tasks at a certain time on a certain day will help keep you on track and hopefully overcome the urge to just keep putting them off.

Remember It Takes Time and Practice

Just like trying to create a new habit, starting and sticking to a new routine takes some time and effort. You know yourself best, so if something doesn't seem to be working, try tweaking your schedule to make it work for your needs.

"If you feel like each day you feel unmotivated and lethargic at a certain time, then that is a sign that you may need a mental break at that time."

When you find yourself in those moments, think about what you might need to feel better and get motivated. That might mean that you need to take a break, go for a walk, have a snack, or spend some time working on a hobby.

Structure your day to make the most of the natural ebb and flow of your energy levels. You'll get more done and ensure that you're getting what you need in terms of rest and relaxation.

“Plans don’t always go as planned, though, so remember to be kind to yourself.”

“This is not the time to put extra pressure and expectations on yourself. It's not easy to create new routines, or add structure to a day, when our lives feel completely disrupted and turned upside down, so it may take some time to get used to this "new" routine and be able to feel accomplished.”

So, Try to Feel More Courageous

If you're like most people, you probably equate courage with fearlessness, but that's a faulty interpretation. In fact, courage is taking action in spite of the fear you feel. Courage is the willingness to respond fearlessly despite the anxiety and worry that might be tugging at you.

In fact, one of the best ways to be courageous is to understand what you're afraid of and then refuse to allow that fear to paralyze you. Because if you let it, fear has the power to stop you from moving forward, taking risks, and making the most of opportunities. Meanwhile, being courageous allows you to take chances, pursue your dreams, and get what you want out of life.

If you've been struggling with fear and want to feel more courageous in your life, there are a number of ways you can exercise your courage muscles and make the most out of every situation.

Benefits of Courage

Being more courageous in your life will help you respond appropriately to risks and accomplish positive things in your life. But it takes work to move beyond your fears. In fact, being courageous is about thinking things through, examining the risks and rewards, and acting in spite of the fear that inevitably sets in.

What's more, courage gives you the power to chase after things that are important to you. It also bolsters your self-confidence and allows you to believe in your abilities. Likewise, it's important that you realize that courage is not the absence of fear.

In fact, feeling fearful is healthy because it causes you to slow down and evaluate risks properly. Never beat yourself up or assume you are not courageous if you feel fearful. To be courageous means that you are able to act in spite of feeling fearful. Additionally, the more you are able to face your fears, the more you will replace your fear-based response with a courageous one. Here are some other benefits of courage:

Being courageous in the midst of fear can build your self-confidence.
Embracing courage allows you to see the world from a different perspective.
Making courage a part of your life equips you with the ability to empower others to do the same.
Choosing to step out of your comfort zone and be more courageous makes you a more well-rounded person and broadens the experiences you have in your life.
Being courageous makes you a more successful person because you're more likely to pursue your dreams and seize opportunities as they present themselves.
Embracing courage and incorporating it into your life will increase your sense of happiness.

How to Feel More Courageous

Being fearful is a powerful force that can lead to stagnation. In fact, if fear is not viewed correctly it can prevent you from achieving your goals and pursuing opportunities. Consequently, many people allow fear to keep them stuck in their comfort zone rather than flexing their courage muscles and trying something new in spite of the risks.

Maintain a Healthy Perspective

Too many times, people assume that you are either born courageous or you're not. And while it is true that some people could be more predisposed to displaying courage, that doesn't mean that all is lost for you. In fact, it's best to view courage as a muscle. And while some people might be born with more defined muscles than others, everyone has the ability to improve their courage muscles with the right training and practice.

Likewise, it's important to recognize that fear is not a bad thing. In fact, in some ways fear is healthy. For instance, fear triggers your nervous system and your survival instincts that are designed to keep you safe. For this reason, you might feel fearful when approached by a stranger in a dark alley or you might feel fearful during a tornado.

Instead of assuming that being fearful is a bad thing, look at it as an opportunity to learn more about who you are and why you might be afraid or less than thrilled about stepping out of your comfort zone. You might find that if you take the time to name your fear and understand why it's there, that you will uncover a better idea of how to overcome it or be courageous in spite of it.

In fact, research shows that putting your feelings into words helps curb your negative responses to fear. Plus, voicing your fears doesn't make you weak. Instead, it makes you brave. After all, it is not easy to acknowledge where you are vulnerable. So, if you are able to acknowledge your fears, you're one step closer to being courageous.

Consequently, rather than minimizing your fear or denying that it exists, recognize what is holding you back. By acknowledging your fear—either by writing it down or by sharing it with a supportive person—you are empowering yourself to be courageous in spite of feeling fearful.

Identify Your Strengths

When it comes to living a life filled with courage, it helps to begin by identifying what you're good at as well as where you have been successful. In fact, research shows that people who recognize and develop their strengths not only feel happier and less depressed but are also more resilient.

Additionally, knowing what you're good at helps boost your confidence, which makes it more likely you will take risks and be courageous. Likewise, when you're confident in your abilities, you're much more willing to go all-in when an opportunity presents itself.

What's more, when you are struggling with fear and want to incorporate more courage in your life, it's natural to focus on your shortcomings and your weaknesses. But, doing this just makes it less likely that you will feel courageous. For this reason, it's important to think about what you're good at as a way of building your confidence and your courage.

Examine Different Scenarios

When it comes to being courageous, it's helpful to imagine not only the worst thing that could happen if you take a risk but also what would happen if you didn't act at all. Many times, comparing the two extremes is all you need to move beyond your fears because most of the time, the worst thing that could happen is often minimal in comparison to what you could gain by acting. If you regularly use comparisons like these, you will build an immunity to letting your fears control you over time.

Practice Leaving Your Comfort Zone

When you let fear keep you from doing something fun, going after something you want, or expressing who you are at your core, it can result in a life that is not truly lived. And if you want to change that aspect of your life, it's going to take being intentional about your life.

Building your courage muscles requires that you push yourself to step outside of your comfort zone. Consequently, choose some scenarios that make you uncomfortable, but where the stakes are not as high.

In other words, practice being courageous by overcoming little fears like meeting new people or eating alone in a restaurant before you tackle something like taking the lead on a project or heading up your community's toy drive. By starting small, you can get used to being courageous without a lot of risks at first. Eventually, you will get to the point where you can take bigger risks.

Reduce Your Stress

Sometimes people experience fear or feel like they lack courage simply because they are exhausted and the thought of doing anything more just seems too overwhelming. If you find that you're feeling overwhelmed, frazzled, or bogged down, look for ways to relieve stress. It's hard to feel courageous when you are stressed out.

Consequently, look for ways to reduce the stress in your life. In addition to taking care of yourself, look for ways to unwind and decompress. In some instances, that might mean taking a short vacation or some much-needed time off work. Everyone needs a break now and then. So, if you feel too overwhelmed with the thought of trying to be more courageous, it could be that you first need to reduce the stress in your life.

Celebrate Courageous Actions

Every courageous act should be celebrated—especially if living courageously is something new for you. So, don't fail to acknowledge the times when you acted with courage despite feeling fearful. It's important to pat yourself on the back and recognize the effort it took to overcome your fear. In fact, experts acknowledge that those who celebrate small wins tend to be more successful in the long run.

Of course, you don't have to shout it from the rooftops or blast it on social media, but make a mental note of what you accomplished and allow yourself to feel good about that. You may even want to keep a journal of these little acknowledgments to reflect on at times when you're feeling discouraged or like your life lacks courage. Doing so will keep you from engaging in negative thoughts or assuming that you will never be courageous.

Welcome Failure

Most people are afraid of failure, which often keeps them stagnate or stuck in the same place. In fact, the fear of failure can lead people to develop rigid standards and become perfectionistic in an effort not to experience embarrassment or shame that comes with failure.

But failure is an experience that should be embraced. Remind yourself that failure is not a bad thing, especially if you took risks or stepped outside of your comfort zone.

After all, failure is an opportunity to grow as a person. It allows you to learn something new, change directions, and see what you're made of. And if viewed as a welcome experience instead of a worst-case scenario, it stretches you to try new things in spite of the risks involved.

When it comes to courage, it's never too late to start living a courageous life. In fact, courage is simply another trait that can be developed with intentional effort and practice. All it takes is the determination to recognize your fears and the willingness to choose to act in spite of them.

And when you identify your fears and take a proactive approach to work through them in order to achieve your goals, you will not only build your self-confidence but you'll also be more successful overall. Look at your fears as an opportunity to build your courage muscles and before long, you will be able to push through your discomfort and live the kind of life you have always wanted.

Thank you for your support. We appreciate it immensely and thank you for sharing with others.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Nurturing Your Mindset

Tue, 29 Jun 2021 11:31:30 GMT

How a "growth mindset" can change your path to wellness

Wellness begins in your mind. In fact, wellness begins with your mindset. Your mindset is the ideas and attitudes with which you view and feel good concept approach the world. In order to truly be healthy, you must begin with a healthy mindset.

Is a fixed mindset holding you back? Cultivating a healthier "growth mindset" can help you improve wellness. Here's how.

Is your mindset getting in the way of making positive changes in your life?

A growth mindset is a belief that we can develop our talents even further. We can "grow" our abilities through hard work, a willingness to learn and an openness to feedback.

Consider to nurture a healthy mindset

So, what can you do to strengthen your growth mindset?

Welcome feedback, criticism and suggestions for improvement.

Criticism can feel threatening or demeaning. That triggers insecurity and defensiveness. But, criticism can also be very helpful. Stay open to the idea that feedback can help you build a new path forward.

Look for opportunities, not roadblocks.

A co-worker got the promotion you wanted? You can choose to see that as an obstacle to your own success or choose instead to learn from that co-worker. How did she get there? Can you do that, too? Stay open-minded to new ways of doing familiar jobs.

Build a support network.

Working with a health and wellness coach can help shift your perspective, but you can also turn to like-minded friends to help motivate and support your wellness goals. Those friends can remind you: There're opportunities inside every disappointment.

Priming the mind can be a powerful tool. Remember those students who improved their math scores after hearing the message that everyone can learn, change and grow? Delivering that same message to yourself can help you begin to cultivate a growth mindset in order to achieve your wellness goals.

You are in Control of Your Health and Wellness

Generally speaking, most people have given up control of their health and wellness. Our society tends to rely on pills to make problems better when they occur rather than look for and address the underlying cause. Most people also take a passive role in their wellness only thinking about their health when something goes wrong. Many folks feel helpless, like their fate is beyond their control.

Even if you are struggling with a chronic illness, your fate is not predetermined by your genetics. Chronic illnesses result from a misalignment between our genes, our environment, and our lifestyle. While you may not be able to cure your chronic illness or get new genes, you can alter your environment and your lifestyle so that you can better manage your condition, and in some cases, even turn off those genes that are expressing themselves in a negative way.

Eat Healthy to be Healthy

Eating is about nourishing your body. We often associate so many emotions with food. Unfortunately, this isn’t always a healthy thing to do. Many women have an unhealthy love-hate relationship with food; either eating large amounts of unhealthy “comfort foods” or restricting foods due to poor self-image. Instead of using food as a coping mechanism, use it to empower your body and make it stronger. When you eat a healthful diet you will be healthier, mentally, physically, and spiritually.

Love Yourself First

When you really love someone, you would do anything in your power to care for that person. True wellness requires you to love yourself unconditionally. When you love yourself, you will do what it takes to nurture yourself and stay healthy and well.

Wellness is Personal

When it comes to wellness, one size does not fit all. Wellness is highly individualized. It starts from the inside out. What is good and healthy for someone may be bad and unhealthy for another person. In order to be truly healthy and happy your life must be in alignment with your personal vision of wellness. This requires a lot of awareness, listening to your body, and nurturing yourself based on what you know to be good and healthy for you specifically.

Each Part of our life effects all areas within our lives

Wellness is multidimensional and encompasses every aspect of your life including, your physical health, mental health, diet, physical activity, relationships, work, home environment, social life, finances, recreation, etc. If any one area is weak it will weaken another area. The key is to strengthen each area to your satisfaction in order to achieve your vision of wellness.

Each Part of our Bodies affects all Parts of our Body

The human body is made up of several different systems and mechanisms working together in order to maintain homeostasis and your overall health and well-being. If any part of your body is struggling to do it’s job, it will affect other parts of your body. In western society, we have a tendency to compartmentalized health. True health and well-being requires a more holistic, integrated approach.

Wellness is about Lifestyle, not Quick Fixes

We all want instant gratification and quick fixes but that just isn’t reality. Ever wonder why crash diets never work? It’s because sustainable change happens over time. Wellness is an on-going process not a one-time event. Achieving wellness takes commitment and enthusiasm for living well.

Wellness is about living your best life

Gratitude is key to living well too...

People who focus on and show gratitude for the things that really matter to them are the healthiest and happiest people. A generous 40% of our happiness relies on intentional activities related to mindfulness and gratitude.

Importance of a Positive Mindset

A positive mindset is an attitude someone has who “expects” good and desired results. The power of positivity is immense, and it can help you convert that energy into reality. By expectation, I don’t mean it to be a sense of entitlement.

Having a positive mindset can help you avoid stress. Even out of the most challenging and devastating situations we can find a silver lining.

With a positive mindset you can avoid many physical and mental diseases as well. If you don’t give weight to negative thoughts, you won’t cause your body discomfort from stress, anxiety, worry, and frustration.

Half of life’s battles can be won if you practice being confident in your abilities. A positive mindset cultivates confidence in your personality, allowing you to perform at your best because of a boosted self-esteem. You can make the right decisions at the right time with confidence.

A positive mindset doesn’t just benefit your professional life, it is also essential for a successful and lovable personal life. Since positivity is rooted in gratitude, you feel thankful for many blessings in your life, especially the people who add happiness to your life. By expressing gratitude and appreciation, the bonds become stronger, giving you access to a satisfying personal life.

How to Build a Positive Mindset

Having a positive mindset when everything is going well is easy to practice. It becomes almost impossible to think positively in difficult times.

Entering into a day with something positive is crucial. Start your day with expressions of gratitude. Everyday kick off your day by being thankful for something you already have. It could be as simple as waking up and making a mindful statement that you are grateful to be awake. It could follow with being grateful for your family, your home, your health, your life.

Another step towards crafting a “positive you” is to start any project or task with the goal of learning from it. Keep in mind, whether you complete your goal, and accomplish it or not, the journey will definitely add knowledge and experience in your life. If you start a task or goal with the intention to learn from it, you will never be disappointed. That is how you develop wisdom.

Another recommended way to attain a positive mindset is to identify the negativities in your life and remove them like a bad cancer. The more you ruminate negative thoughts the more you feed them.

When you find yourself being overtaken by negative thoughts, stop doing what you are doing and write them down. This way you will slow down the momentum of that negative thought in the first place.

Secondly, read what you have written down and evaluate if it is indeed factual. More than half of your negative thoughts will be dismissed if you simply follow this step, because you’ll discover that more than half of them are fictitious, having no connection to facts or reality.

Most of the time, negativity comes from bad experiences in the past or the haunting fears of the future. If you learn to live in the present moment, negativity will fade out of your mind.

Memories of unfavorable experiences, defensive nature towards calamities, negative people you may be holding on to, can be a cause of constant negativity in your life. You have to intentionally create positive energy around you.

Everything we experience in life is a result of our intentions, aware of them consciously or not. If you want to experience positivity during difficult times, you have to intentionally do the work to practice gratitude and invite positive people into your life.

There is no magic pill, elixir, or short cut towards having a positively charged life, except for one, and that is to practice unlimited gratitude.

Thank you for your support. We appreciate it immensely and thank you for sharing with others.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Healthy Heart Ideas

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 11:20:25 GMT

Steps to prevent heart disease

Although you might know that eating certain foods can increase your heart disease risk, changing your eating habits is often tough. Whether you have years of unhealthy eating under your belt or you simply want to fine-tune your diet, here are some heart-healthy diet tips. Once you know which foods to eat more of and which foods to limit, you'll be on your way toward a heart-healthy diet.

1. Control your portion size

How much you eat is just as important as what you eat. Overloading your plate, taking seconds and eating until you feel stuffed can lead to eating more calories than you should. Portions served in restaurants are often more than anyone needs.

Following a few simple tips to control food portion size can help you shape up your diet as well as your heart and waistline:

Use a small plate or bowl to help control your portions.

Eat more low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables

Eat smaller amounts of high-calorie, high-sodium foods, such as refined, processed or fast foods.

It's also important to keep track of the number of servings you eat.

A serving size is a specific amount of food, defined by common measurements such as cups, ounces or pieces. For example, one serving of pasta is about 1/3 to 1/2 cup, or about the size of a hockey puck. A serving of meat, fish or chicken is about 2 to 3 ounces, or about the size and thickness of a deck of cards.

The recommended number of servings per food group may vary depending on the specific diet or guidelines you're following.

Judging serving size is a learned skill. You may need to use measuring cups and spoons or a scale until you're comfortable with your judgment.

2. Eat more vegetables and fruits

Vegetables and fruits are good sources of vitamins and minerals. Vegetables and fruits are also low in calories and rich in dietary fiber. Vegetables and fruits, like other plants or plant-based foods, contain substances that may help prevent cardiovascular disease. Eating more fruits and vegetables may help you cut back on higher calorie foods, such as meat, cheese and snack foods.

Featuring vegetables and fruits in your diet can be easy. Keep vegetables washed and cut in your refrigerator for quick snacks. Keep fruit in a bowl in your kitchen so that you'll remember to eat it. Choose recipes that have vegetables or fruits as the main ingredients, such as vegetable stir-fry or fresh fruit mixed into salads.

3. Select whole grains

Whole grains are good sources of fiber and other nutrients that play a role in regulating blood pressure and heart health. You can increase the amount of whole grains in a heart-healthy diet by making simple substitutions for refined grain products. Or be adventuresome and try a new whole grain, such as whole-grain farro, quinoa or barley.

4. Limit unhealthy fats

Limiting how much saturated and trans fats you eat is an important step to reduce your blood cholesterol and lower your risk of coronary artery disease. A high blood cholesterol level can lead to a buildup of plaques in your arteries, called atherosclerosis, which can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.

There are simple ways to cut back on saturated and trans fats:

Trim fat off your meat or choose lean meats with less than 10% fat.

Use less butter, margarine and shortening when cooking and serving.

Use low-fat substitutions when possible for a heart-healthy diet. For example, top your baked potato with low-sodium salsa or low-fat yogurt rather than butter, or use sliced whole fruit or low-sugar fruit spread on your toast instead of margarine.

Check the food labels of cookies, cakes, frostings, crackers and chips. Not only are these foods low in nutritional value, some — even those labeled reduced fat — may contain trans fats. Trans fats are no longer allowed to be added to foods, but older products may still contain them. Trans fats may be listed as partially hydrogenated oil on the ingredient label.

When you do use fats, choose monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil or canola oil. Polyunsaturated fats, found in certain fish, avocados, nuts and seeds, also are good choices for a heart-healthy diet. When used in place of saturated fat, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats may help lower your total blood cholesterol. But moderation is essential. All types of fat are high in calories.

An easy way to add healthy fat (and fiber) to your diet is to use ground flaxseed. Flaxseeds are small brown seeds that are high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. It has been shown that flaxseed lowers unhealthy cholesterol levels in some people. You can grind the flaxseeds in a coffee grinder or food processor and stir a teaspoon of them into yogurt, applesauce or hot cereal.

5. Choose low-fat protein sources

Lean meat, poultry and fish, low-fat dairy products, and eggs are some of your best sources of protein. Choose lower fat options, such as skinless chicken breasts rather than fried chicken patties and skim milk rather than whole milk.

Fish is a good alternative to high-fat meats. Certain types of fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower blood fats called triglycerides. You'll find the highest amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in cold-water fish, such as salmon, mackerel and herring. Other sources are flaxseed, walnuts, soybeans and canola oil.

Legumes — beans, peas and lentils — also are good, low-fat sources of protein and contain no cholesterol, making them good substitutes for meat. Substituting plant protein for animal protein — for example, a soy or bean burger for a hamburger — will reduce your fat and cholesterol intake and increase your fiber intake.

6. Reduce the salt (sodium) in your food

Eating too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease. Limiting salt (sodium) is an important part of a heart-healthy diet.

Healthy adults have no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day (about a teaspoon of salt)

Most adults ideally have no more than 1,500 mg of sodium a day

Although reducing the amount of salt you add to food at the table or while cooking is a good first step, much of the salt you eat comes from canned or processed foods, such as soups, baked goods and frozen dinners. Eating fresh foods and making your own soups and stews can reduce the amount of salt you eat.

If you like the convenience of canned soups and prepared meals, look for ones with no added salt or reduced sodium. Be wary of foods that claim to be lower in sodium because they are seasoned with sea salt instead of regular table salt — sea salt has the same nutritional value as regular salt.

Another way to reduce the amount of salt you eat is to choose your condiments carefully. Many condiments are available in reduced-sodium versions, and salt substitutes can add flavor to your food with less sodium.

7. Plan ahead: Create daily menus

You know what foods to feature in your heart-healthy diet and which ones to limit. Now it's time to put your plans into action.

Create daily menus using the six strategies listed above. When selecting foods for each meal and snack, emphasize vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Choose lean protein sources and healthy fats, and limit salty foods. Watch your portion sizes and add variety to your menu choices.

For example, if you have grilled salmon one evening, try a black bean burger the next night. This helps ensure that you'll get all of the nutrients your body needs. Variety also makes your meals and snacks more interesting.

8. Allow yourself an occasional treat

Allow yourself an indulgence every now and then. A candy bar or handful of potato chips won't derail your heart-healthy diet. But don't let it turn into an excuse for giving up on your healthy-eating plan. If overindulgence is the exception, rather than the rule, you'll balance things out over the long term. What's important is that you eat healthy foods most of the time.

Incorporate these eight tips into your life, and you'll find that heart-healthy eating is both doable and enjoyable. With planning and a few simple substitutions, you can eat with your heart in mind.

The Best Foods for Your Heart

Your heart is a finely tuned machine. To keep it running in top form you need to give it heart healthy fuel. And that means you should choose a healthy diet. Some foods offer great heart benefits, but how do you choose?

Picking the right healthy foods can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease which can lead to heart attack and stroke.

Salmon

Salmon is chock full of omega-3 fatty acids, which can decrease the risk of abnormal heartbeats (arrhythmias), lower triglyceride levels, slow the growth of plaque in your arteries, and slightly lower blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends two servings of omega-3 rich foods like salmon each week. A serving size is 3.5 ounces of cooked fish.

Salmon is a versatile food. Grill it with a rub or marinade, chop some and add it to a pasta dish with fat free marinara sauce, or add it to your salads for a protein punch.

Farmed Vs. Wild Salmon

Does the way your salmon was raised influence its omega-3 contents? Many grocery stores now carry both farm-raised and wild-caught salmon. It turns out that farm-raised salmon tends to have more omega-3 fat, but also more total fat. Even though farmed salmon has more saturated fat, it is still about half the amount found in the same portion of flank steak.

Flaxseed (ground)

Ground flaxseed also has omega-3's, along with both soluble and insoluble fiber. It has one of the highest available sources of lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities.

Ground flaxseed is easy to incorporate into your diet and can be mixed into just about anything you normally eat. Sprinkle it on your breakfast cereal, on top of low fat yogurt, mix into muffins, or combine into your smoothies.

What About Flaxseed Oil?

Flaxseed oil is loaded with omega-3s, but they are the less effective type known as ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). ALA needs special enzymes to be converted to omega-3, and these enzymes are found in your body in limited supply. This means that at most, you can expect about 15% of your flaxseed oil omega-3s to be converted into its most useful forms.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a tasty breakfast food, and another good source of those omega-3 fatty acids. And it is a fiber superstar, offering 4 grams in every one-cup serving. It also has nutrients like magnesium, potassium, and iron.

Oatmeal is a filling breakfast, and you can top it with fresh berries for an even more heart-healthy meal. Try fat free oatmeal cookies, oat bread, or mix whole rolled oats into a turkey burger meatloaf.

Black or Kidney Beans

You know the schoolyard chant: “Beans, beans, good for your heart.” Turns out it's true! Beans have lots of soluble fiber, B-complex vitamins, niacin, folate, magnesium, calcium, and, you guessed it, omega-3 fatty acids.

Beans are so versatile. You can include them in soups, stews, or salads. Or make a meal out of them.

Try black beans on a whole-grain pita tostada with avocado, or combine them with corn kernels and onions to make stuffed bell peppers. Add canned kidney beans to a salad of cucumber, fresh corn, onions, and peppers, then toss with olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Or bring black beans and kidney beans together for a delicious, nutritious vegetarian chili.

Almonds

Nuts have been shown to lower blood cholesterol. And for a heart-healthy nut, almonds make a great choice. They contain plant omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, magnesium, calcium, fiber, and heart-favorable monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Almonds are so easy to eat – you can top your yogurt or salad with almond slivers, or snack on a healthy trail mix. You can also try them in cooking. Sprinkle them on a rice or quinoa dish, or spread them across some salmon for a nice crunch. Choose unsalted almonds for additional cardiac protection.

Just be sure your almonds are raw or dry roasted (rather than oil roasted), and keep portion sizes in mind. Though they are heart-healthy they are also high in fat, some of which is saturated fat. Like other nuts, almonds are dense with calories, and a little can go a long way. They are best eaten in moderation.

Walnuts

Walnuts provide a lot of the same health protection as almonds and other tree nuts. They contain plant omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, magnesium, folate, fiber, heart-favorable monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and phytosterols.

Also like almonds, walnuts give salads a hearty crunch. They taste great added to muffins and breakfast pancakes.

Though they are heart-healthy, they are also high in fat and calories and should be eaten in moderation. As with all nuts, keep walnut portion sizes in mind. One serving of walnuts should fit neatly in the palm of your hand, a portion that provides about 200 calories.

Red Wine

Red wine contains types of flavonoids called catechins, as well as the antioxidant resveratrol. Flavonoids can help maintain the health of your blood vessels, and may help prevent blood clots. Resveratrol has been shown in the lab to have heart-protecting benefits.

Have a glass of wine with dinner, or make a wine spritzer – mix wine with sparking water – to cut calories while still getting many of the benefits. Remember moderation is best.

Tuna

Tuna contains omega-3 fatty acids. Although not as high in omega-3s as salmon, tuna does provide a moderately good amount. One serving of tuna also provides about half of your daily requirement of niacin, a nutrient that may improve survival odds for those who have had a heart attack.

Tuna salad (light on the mayo) is an easy lunch snack that will keep you full. Tuna makes a great salad topping, and can also be grilled for a tasty dinner.

Some tuna comes in oil, and some comes in water. Tuna in water contains significantly more omega 3 fat. That's because plenty of that omega 3 fat is lost along with any oil you drain from the can.

Tofu

Tofu is a great source of protein. It's vegetarian. And it's full of heart-healthy nutrients including niacin, folate, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

Tofu is sometimes called "bean curd" because it is made from pressed soybean curd. It's easy to prepare and can be part of almost any meal.

Thinly slice firm tofu, marinate for several hours and grill or add to your favorite veggie stir-fry. Make a tofu, lettuce, and tomato sandwich on whole grain bread, use instead of meats in pasta dishes, and add in slices or cubes to salads for added protein.

Soy Milk

Soy milk contains isoflavones (a flavonoid), and brings lots of nutrition into your diet. Nutrients include B-complex vitamins, folate, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phytoestrogens. The protein found in soy milk, versus the protein found in animal milks, can help lower blood cholesterol levels and may provide other cardiovascular benefits.

Blueberries

Berries are good for your heart, along with the rest of your body. Blueberries are packed with nutrients that are part of a healthy diet, including beta-carotene and lutein (carotenoids), anthocyanin (a flavonoid), ellagic acid (a polyphenol), vitamin C, folate, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and fiber.

Berries are easy to eat as a healthy snack by themselves, or on top of your cereal or pancakes, or blend into a smoothie, top off your low-fat yogurt, or have some on a salad.

Carrots

Carrots are probably best known as a great source of carotenes. They have lots of the well-known nutrient beta-carotene, but carrots are also a good source of both alpha and gamma carotenes (carotenoids). Studies have associated higher levels of beta carotene with a lower risk of heart disease and stroke.

Baby carrots make a great snack. Chopped up they add crunch to salads, and you can even sneak shredded carrots into many recipes including tomato sauce, muffins, and pasta.

Spinach

Spinach packs a heart-healthy punch with beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, potassium, folate, calcium, and fiber.

Spinach makes a great base for salads and can be used on sandwiches in lieu of lettuce. You can also sneak some into a fruit smoothie, add it to your pizza, or mix into an egg white omelet. Or add it to your pasta dish for a health bonus.

Fresh Spinach or Frozen?

It depends on how long it's been sitting. Frozen spinach contains less folate than freshly harvested spinach, and some studies say folate might lower your risk of heart disease. However, there's a catch—fresh spinach's folate degrades over time. So, if your fresh spinach has been driven long distances before it reaches your table, or if you leave it in the fridge for a week, frozen spinach may actually be more nutritious.

Broccoli

Broccoli is a powerhouse vegetable with beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, potassium, folate, calcium, and fiber.

Broccoli tastes great added to soups, mixed in with veggie dips, added to salads, or mixed with a brown rice dish. Adding more broccoli to your diet is a sure way to improve the health of your heart.

Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamins. You will find vitamin A and C inside them, and sweet potatoes are a rare low-fat source of vitamin E. They also have potassium, folate, calcium, and fiber—and you get even more fiber when you eat their skins.

You can prepare a sweet potato almost any way you want and it will be tasty! Bake it whole and top with veggies. Cut it into slices and bake until crisp for healthy fries. Use a food processor and puree sweet potato for a creamy-tasting soup. They also make a great side dish mashed up.

Sweet potatoes are not the same as yams. Yams are healthy too, but sweet potatoes pack more nutrients and fiber.

Asparagus

Asparagus is a healthy veggie that contains beta-carotene and lutein (both carotenoids), B-complex vitamins, folate, and fiber.

Asparagus makes an excellent heart-healthy side dish. Grill or steam lightly and sprinkle with some balsamic vinaigrette. Add to salads, stews, or casseroles for added health benefit.

Oranges

Oranges are a perfect totable snack. They're juicy and filled with nutrients such as the antioxidant beta-cryptoxanthin, carotenoids like beta- and alpha-carotene and lutein, as well as flavones (flavonoids), vitamin C, potassium, folate, and fiber.

The whole fruit is best, and tasty to eat on its own. You can also add orange slices to salads, yogurt, or even chicken dishes.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a versatile heart-healthy food with beta- and alpha-carotene, lycopene, lutein (carotenoids), vitamin C, potassium, folate, and fiber. Lycopene in particular has been studied a possible protection from cardiovascular disease, though studies remain inconclusive.

Acorn Squash

Acorn squash is another heart-healthy food with beta-carotene and lutein (carotenoids), B-complex and C vitamins, folate, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and fiber.

Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe is a summertime favorite that also contains heart-healthy nutrients such as alpha- and beta-carotene and lutein (carotenoids), B-complex and C vitamins, folate, potassium, and fiber.

Papaya

Papaya contains the carotenoids beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and lutein. It adds vitamins A and C to your diet, along with folate, calcium, and potassium.

Dark Chocolate

Good news! Chocolate contains heart-healthy resveratrol and cocoa phenols (flavonoids), which can lower blood pressure.

Stick to dark chocolate with 70% or higher cocoa content to reap the benefits, and remember moderation is key because chocolate is high in calories, fat, and sugar. Only one serving is needed.

Tea

Like red wine, tea contains catechins and flavanols, which can help maintain the health of your blood vessels, and may keep blood clots from forming. Green tea in particular has been touted for its antioxidant properties.

Simple Ways to Lower Cholesterol

When you have high cholesterol level, it can help to change your diet and lifestyle to reduce your cholesterol range. Lowering cholesterol has been shown to decrease the risk of heart disease. Even if you are taking a medication to lower your cholesterol levels, diet and exercise in addition can lead to optimal heart and blood vessel health.

NOTE: No claims to fix, heal, and or cure are being made.

Thank you for your support in reading and sharing this and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Gut Health Wellness

Sat, 22 May 2021 06:09:26 GMT

How Gut Health Affects You!

Diet and gut health are very closely linked. Avoiding processed foods, high-fat foods, and foods high in refined sugars is extremely important to maintaining a healthy microbiome, as these foods destroy good bacteria and promote the growth of damaging bacteria. There are also a number of foods you can eat that actively promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, contributing to your overall health.

The gut microbiome.

The incredible complexity of the gut and its importance to our overall health is a topic of increasing research in the medical community. There are links between gut health and the immune system, mood, mental health, autoimmune diseases, endocrine disorders, skin conditions, and cancer.

At one time, our digestive system was considered a relatively “simple” body system, comprised essentially of one long tube for our food to pass through, be absorbed, and then excreted.

The term “gut microbiome” refers specifically to the microorganisms living in your intestines. A person has about 300 to 500 different species of bacteria in their digestive tract. While some microorganisms are harmful to our health, many are incredibly beneficial and even necessary to a healthy body.

Many facets of modern life such as high stress levels, too little sleep, eating processed and high-sugar foods, and taking antibiotics can all damage our gut microbiome. This in turn may affect other aspects of our health, such as the brain, heart, immune system, skin, weight, hormone levels, ability to absorb nutrients, and even the development of cancer.

There are a number of ways an unhealthy gut might manifest itself. Here are seven of the most common signs:

1. Upset stomach

Stomach disturbances like gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and heartburn can all be signs of an unhealthy gut. A balanced gut will have less difficulty processing food and eliminating waste.

2. A high-sugar diet

A diet high in processed foods and added sugars can decrease the amount of good bacteria in your gut. This imbalance can cause increased sugar cravings, which can damage your gut still further. High amounts of refined sugars, particularly high-fructose corn syrup, have been linked to increased inflammation in the body. Inflammation can be the precursor to a number of diseases and even cancers.

3. Unintentional weight changes

Gaining or losing weight without making changes to your diet or exercise habits may be a sign of an unhealthy gut. An imbalanced gut can impair your body’s ability to absorb nutrients, regulate blood sugar, and store fat. Weight loss may be caused by small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), while weight gain may be caused by insulin resistance or the urge to overeat due to decreased nutrient absorption.

4. Sleep disturbances or constant fatigue

An unhealthy gut may contribute to sleep disturbances such as insomnia or poor sleep, and therefore lead to chronic fatigue. The majority of the body’s serotonin, a hormone that affects mood and sleep, is produced in the gut. So gut damage can impair your ability to sleep well. Some sleep disturbances have also been linked to risk for fibromyalgia.

5. Skin irritation

Skin conditions like eczema may be related to a damaged gut. Inflammation in the gut caused by a poor diet or food allergies may cause increased “leaking” of certain proteins out into the body, which can in turn irritate the skin and cause conditions such as eczema.

6. Autoimmune conditions

Medical researchers are continually finding new evidence of the impact of the gut on the immune. It’s thought that an unhealthy gut may increase systemic inflammation and alter the proper functioning of the immune system. This can lead to autoimmune diseases, where the body attacks itself rather than harmful invaders.

7. Food intolerances

Food intolerances are the result of difficulty digesting certain foods (this is different than a food allergy, which is caused by an immune system reaction to certain foods). It’s thought that food intolerances may be caused by poor quality of bacteria in the gut. This can lead to difficulty digesting the trigger foods and unpleasant symptoms such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea. There is some evidence that food allergies may also be related to gut health.

Things you can do for your gut health

1. Lower your stress levels

Chronic high levels of stress are hard on your whole body, including your gut. Some ways to lower stress may include meditation, walking, getting a massage, spending time with friends or family, diffusing essential oils, decreasing caffeine intake, laughing, yoga, or having a pet. Here are 10 ways to reduce feeling stressed.

2. Get enough sleep

Not getting enough or sufficient quality of sleep can have serious impacts on your gut health, which can in turn contribute to more sleep issues. Try to prioritize getting at least 7–8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. Your doctor may be able to help if you have trouble sleeping.

3. Eat slowly

Chewing your food thoroughly and eating your meals more slowly can help promote full digestion and absorption of nutrients. This may help you reduce digestive discomfort and maintain a healthy gut.

4. Stay hydrated

Drinking plenty of water has been shown to have a beneficial effect on the mucosal lining of the intestines, as well as on the balance of good bacteria in the gut. Staying hydrated is a simple way to promote a healthy gut.

5. Take a prebiotic or probiotic

Adding a prebiotic or probiotic supplement to your diet may be a great way to improve your gut health. Prebiotics provide “food” meant to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut, while probiotics are live good bacteria. People with bacterial overgrowth, such as SIBO, should not take probiotics. Not all probiotic supplements are high quality or will actually provide benefit. It’s best to consult your healthcare provider when choosing a probiotic or prebiotic supplement to ensure the best health benefit.

6. Check for food intolerances

If you have symptoms such as cramping, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, rashes, nausea, fatigue, and acid reflux, you may be suffering from a food intolerance. You can try eliminating common trigger foods to see if your symptoms improve. If you are able to identify a food or foods that are contributing to your symptoms, you may see a positive change in your digestive health by changing your eating habits.

7. Change your diet

Reducing the amount of processed, high-sugar, and high-fat foods that you eat can contribute to better gut health. Additionally, eating plenty of plant-based foods and lean protein can positively impact your gut. A diet high in fiber has been shown to contribute tremendously to a healthy gut microbiome.

Ways to Improve Your Gut Bacteria

There are around 40 trillion bacteria in your body, most of which are in your intestines.

Collectively, they are known as your gut microbiota, and they are hugely important for your health. However, certain types of bacteria in your intestines can also contribute to many diseases.

Interestingly, the food that you eat greatly affects the types of bacteria that live inside you.

Eat a Diverse Range of Foods

There are hundreds of species of bacteria in your intestines. Each species plays a different role in your health and requires different nutrients for growth.

Generally speaking, a diverse microbiota is considered to be a healthy one. This is because the more species of bacteria you have, the greater number of health benefits they may be able to contribute to.

A diet consisting of different food types can lead to a diverse microbiota.

Unfortunately, the Western diet is not very diverse and is rich in fat and sugar. In fact, it is estimated that 75% of the world’s food is produced from only 12 plant and 5 animal species.

However, diets in certain rural regions are more diverse and rich in different plant sources.

Eat Lots of Vegetables, Legumes, Beans and Fruit

Fruits and vegetables are the best sources of nutrients for a healthy microbiota.

They are high in fiber, which can’t be digested by your body. However, fiber can be digested by certain bacteria in your gut, which stimulates their growth.

Beans and legumes also contain very high amounts of fiber.

Some high-fiber foods that are good for your gut bacteria include:

Raspberries
Artichokes
Green peas
Broccoli
Chickpeas
Lentils
Beans (kidney, pinto and white)
Whole grains

Apples, artichokes, blueberries, almonds and pistachios have all been shown to increase Bifidobacteria in humans.

Bifidobacteria are considered beneficial bacteria, as they can help prevent intestinal inflammation and enhance gut health.

Many fruits and vegetables are high in fiber. Fiber promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, including Bifidobacteria.

Eat Fermented Foods

Fermented foods are foods altered by microbes.

The process of fermenting usually involves bacteria or yeasts converting the sugars in food to organic acids or alcohol. Examples of fermented foods include:

Yogurt
Kimchi
Sauerkraut
Kefir
Kombucha
Tempeh

Many of these foods are rich in lactobacilli, a type of bacteria that can benefit your health.

People who eat a lot of yogurt appear to have more lactobacilli in their intestines. These people also have fewer Enterobacteriaceae, a bacteria associated with inflammation and a number of chronic diseases.

Certain yogurt products may also reduce the abundance of certain disease-causing bacteria in people with irritable bowel syndrome.

However, it is important to note that many yogurts, especially flavored yogurts, contain high levels of sugar.

Therefore, the best yogurt to consume is plain, natural yogurt. This kind of yogurt is made only of milk and bacteria mixtures, which are sometimes referred to as “starter cultures.”

Furthermore, fermented soybean milk may promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, such as Bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, while decreasing quantities of some other disease-causing bacteria. Kimchi may also benefit the gut flora.

Fermented foods, particularly plain, natural yogurt, can benefit the microbiota by enhancing its function and reducing the abundance of disease-causing bacteria in the intestines.

Don’t Eat Too Many Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are widely used as replacements for sugar. However, it has been shown that they can negatively affect the gut microbiota.

Artificial sweeteners may negatively affect blood sugar levels due to their effects on the gut microbiota.

Eat Prebiotic Foods

Prebiotics are foods that promote the growth of beneficial microbes in the gut.

They are mainly fiber or complex carbs that can’t be digested by human cells. Instead, certain species of bacteria break them down and use them for fuel.

Many fruits, vegetables and whole grains contain prebiotics, but they can also be found on their own.

Resistant starch can also be prebiotic. This type of starch is not absorbed in the small intestine. Rather, it passes into the large intestine where it is broken down by the microbiota.

It has been shown that prebiotics can promote the growth of many healthy bacteria, including Bifidobacteria.

Prebiotics promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, especially Bifidobacteria. This may help reduce symptoms of metabolic syndrome in obese people.

Eat Whole Grains

Whole grains contain lots of fiber and non-digestible carbs, such as beta-glucan.

These carbs are not absorbed in the small intestine and instead make their way to the large intestine.

In the large intestine, they are broken down by the microbiota and promote the growth of certain beneficial bacteria.

Whole grains can promote the growth of Bifidobacteria, lactobacilli and Bacteroidetes in humans.

Whole grains may also increase feelings of fullness and reduce inflammation and heart disease risk factors.

Whole grains contain non-digestible carbs that can promote the growth of beneficial bacteria within the gut microbiota. These changes to the gut flora may improve certain aspects of metabolic health.

Eat a Plant-Based Diet

Diets containing animal-based foods promote the growth of different types of intestinal bacteria than plant-based diets do.

It has been shown that vegetarian diets may benefit the gut microbiota. This may be due to their higher fiber contents.

It has been found that a vegetarian diet led to reduced levels of disease-causing bacteria in obese people, as well as reduced weight, inflammation and cholesterol levels.

Also, that a vegetarian diet significantly decreased disease-causing bacteria, such as E. coli.

However, it is unclear if the benefits of a vegetarian diet on the gut microbiota are simply due to a lack of meat intake. Also, vegetarians tend to lead healthier lifestyles than omnivores.

Vegetarian and vegan diets may improve the microbiota. However, it is unclear if the positive effects associated with these diets can be attributed to a lack of meat intake.

Eat Foods Rich in Polyphenols

Polyphenols are plant compounds that have many health benefits, including reductions in blood pressure, inflammation, cholesterol levels and oxidative stress.

Polyphenols can’t always be digested by human cells. Given that they aren’t absorbed efficiently, most make their way to the colon, where they can be digested by gut bacteria.

Good sources of polyphenols include:

Cocoa and dark chocolate
Red wine
Grape skins
Green tea
Almonds
Onions
Blueberries
Broccoli

Polyphenols from cocoa can increase the quantity of Bifidobacteria and lactobacilli in humans, as well as reduce the quantity of Clostridia.

Furthermore, these changes in the microbiota are associated with lower levels of triglycerides and C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation. The polyphenols in red wine have similar effects.

Polyphenols can’t be digested efficiently by human cells, but they are efficiently broken down by the gut microbiota. They may improve health outcomes related to heart disease and inflammation.

Take a Probiotic Supplement

Probiotics are live microorganisms, usually bacteria, which exert a specific health benefit when consumed.

Probiotics don’t permanently colonize the intestines in most cases. However, they may benefit your health by changing the overall composition of the microbiota and supporting your metabolism.

Probiotics do not significantly alter the composition of the microbiota in healthy people. However, in sick people, they may improve microbiota function and help restore the microbiota to good health.

Your gut bacteria are extremely important for many aspects of health.

The best way to maintain a healthy microbiota is to eat a range of fresh, whole foods, mainly from plant sources like fruits, veggies, legumes, beans and whole grains.

Eat, sleep, and be healthy

The human gut is more complex than previously thought and has a huge impact on whole-body health. A healthy gut contributes to a strong immune system, heart health, brain health, improved mood, healthy sleep, and effective digestion, and it may help prevent some cancers and autoimmune diseases. There are a number of lifestyle changes you can make to positively affect your gut health and your overall health as a result.

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The Basics of Chlorogenic Acid

Wed, 12 May 2021 11:21:51 GMT

Chlorogenic Acids: What Are They?

Chlorogenic acid is a natural compound found in coffee beans that reduces the risk of diseases such as diabetes and cancer. It can also stimulate weight loss, reduce blood pressure, and improve mood.

Chlorogenic acid is most commonly supplemented in the form of green coffee extract.

Coffee can be an abundant source of antioxidants, but one particular antioxidant known as chlorogenic acid (CGA), is the key to many of coffee's health benefits! This powerful compound helps fight the damage caused by free radicals, which can reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, and even give your skin a youthful boost.

Chlorogenic Acids are the main antioxidant linked to coffee’s powerful health benefits. Technically speaking, Chlorogenic Acid is the ester of caffeic acid and quinic acid. In its plural form, Chlorogenic Acids, refers to a related family of esters including hydroxycinnamic acids and quinic acid. Chlorogenic Acids are responsible for making your coffee taste more or less acidic, and as an antioxidant, Chlorogenic Acids fall into the broader category of polyphenol.

Antioxidants are critical to health because they inhibit the oxidation caused by free radicals in our bodies. Although we need oxygen to live, as part of free radical compounds, oxygen can actually damage our cells and the genetic material inside them, which can ultimately lead to cancer, high blood pressure, and systemic inflammation. That’s why we want more antioxidants like Chlorogenic Acids in our diet – to combat this process!

Chlorogenic Acids are found in a variety of fruits and vegetables like apples, pears, carrots, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes, but it's most abundant in beverages like tea and coffee!

Green Coffee & Chlorogenic Acids (CGAs)

Believe it or not, before your coffee beans were roasted, they once were raw seeds, more like a green colored cranberry than the brown nut-like bean you are familiar with. That raw bean is green coffee.

Green coffee has a higher amount of Chlorogenic Acids than roasted coffee beans because the roasting process breaks down the chlorogenic acid.

So why not just drink green coffee? The roasting process is what gives coffee its amazing aroma and flavor you know and love, and because of that, green coffee has a very different taste. In fact, it's so different that green coffee is usually sold as an extract or in capsule form, instead of by the mug full.

Chlorogenic acid may also work by:

Inhibiting 11-βHSD1, an enzyme involved in making hormones that raises blood pressure
Activating the GABAa receptor by binding to the benzodiazepine site, resulting in reduced levels of anxiety
Increasing Glucagon-like peptide 1, a hormone that increases blood insulin levels and lowers glucose.
Activating Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor alpha (PPAR-alpha), leading to increased heat production and body fat loss.
Lowering body fat content by reducing levels of triglycerides, LDL–cholesterol, and VLDL
Preventing the absorption of fats, the production of fats (inhibition of fatty acid synthase), and increasing beta-oxidation, leading to the breakdown of fats.
Inhibiting HMG-CoA, the enzyme responsible for the production of cholesterol and the main target of statin drugs
Improving the survival of dopaminergic neurons through the inhibition of microglial activation
Inhibiting acetylcholinesterase, resulting in improved cognition and memory

Chlorogenic Acid (CGA) Benefits

Chlorogenic acids, particularly in coffee, pack a list of impressive health and wellness benefits:

Disease Prevention: By combatting free radicals the oxidation process, Chlorogenic Acid's may help prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.

Anti-Inflammatory: Chlorogenic Acid's can help lower inflammation and over the long-term, may prevent chronic disease.

Weight Loss: Chlorogenic Acid's can regulate glucose levels, which can be helpful to weight loss and maintenance while reducing your risk of diabetes.

Lower Blood Pressure: It has been shown that Chlorogenic Acids lower blood pressure significantly during the ingestion period.

Chlorogenic Acid May Improve Mood: D ecaffeinated coffee enriched with chlorogenic acid may improve mood and attention.

Chlorogenic Acid Is Antimicrobial: Chlorogenic acid may prevent the harmful effects of the bacteria and reduce bacterial numbers.

Chlorogenic Acid May Reduce Cancer Growth: Chlorogenic acid may also reduce the growth of human cancer cells by inhibiting the pathways involved in tumor progression (AP-1, NF-kappaB, MAPK).

Chlorogenic Acid Has Neuroprotective Effects: Chlorogenic acid can improve brain function and neurodegenerative disorders.

May Protect Against Heart Disease and Atherosclerosis: Importantly, our overall lifestyle can either positively or negatively affect the risk factors involved in developing the disease.

How to Maximize Your Intake

The amount of Chlorogenic Acids in most plants is trivial. Foods like apples, pears, carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and eggplant have more Chlorogenic Acids than most plants. But coffee, tea, blueberries, and sunflower seeds, contain enough Chlorogenic Acids to have a discernable physiological impact.

Because the roasting process plays such a paramount roll in coffee's Chlorogenic Acid levels, it's important to choose high-quality coffee beans that have been specifically roasted to ensure Chlorogenic Acid's preservation. A good starting place is to look for lighter roasts and organically-sourced beans.

As can be seen, it appears that chlorogenic acid may slightly assist in weight loss efforts, but the potential effects shouldn’t be exaggerated.

For optimal weight loss and overall health, diet and lifestyle always come first.

How Much Chlorogenic Acid is in Coffee?

The amount of chlorogenic acid in coffee significantly varies depending on the roasting time.

For example, 104 samples of espresso coffee from cafes in Scotland, Italy, and Spain found that the chlorogenic acid content varied from 6 mg to 188 mg per serving (3).

With such a substantial variation, here’s a breakdown of the chlorogenic acid content in espresso by country;

Italy: 20 – 81 mg
Scotland: 6 – 157 mg
Spain: 92 – 188 mg

This shows that Spanish coffee contains far higher amounts of chlorogenic acid than Italian coffee.

Significantly, this is because Spanish coffee shops tend to utilize lightly roasted coffee beans. On the other hand, Italians enjoy longer dark roasts of coffee.

For higher concentrations of chlorogenic acid, we should opt for lighter coffee roasts, since the compound breaks down during the roasting process.

In other words; green coffee beans are the most concentrated, followed by light roast, medium roast, and lastly dark roast coffee.

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Benefits of Myricetin

Tue, 04 May 2021 10:36:42 GMT

The Flavonoid That Supports Your Body And So Much More...

Myricetin, also known as myricetol, is a naturally occurring compound that belongs to the group of chemicals known as flavonoids. Flavonoids are known for their antioxidant properties. Myricetin stands out in this group as a particularly strong antioxidant.

A variant of myricetin (dihydromyricetin or ampelopsin) likely gives the oriental raisin tree its “anti-hangover” properties. The oriental raisin tree has been used as a hangover cure, as it reduces the alcohol levels in the blood.

Myricetin is also attached to many sugar storing molecules in plants (glycosides). Glycosides in flowers of Roselle are beneficial for patients with high blood pressure, as they reduce blood pressure.

A single compound with the ability to improve the well-being of everything from your bones to your brain is worth knowing more about– including how to get more of it into your diet.

This compound was first isolated more than 100 years ago from the bark of a small Indian tree belonging to the genus Myrica (hence the name myricetin). At the time, interest in the light yellow-colored crystals was for their use as a dye.

The benefits of this flavonoid are far-reaching, due in part to the multiplicity of ways in which myricetin interacts in the body. It’s an antioxidant, disarming dangerous free radicals. It also disrupts cellular pathways, interacting with enzymes to inhibit their activities.

Protection From Free Radicals: Myricetin possesses spare electrons that it can safely offer to free radicals, preventing them from destroying healthy molecules by stealing their electrons, turning them into free radicals too. It’s antioxidation effects exceed that of Vitamin E, acting twice as fast on oxygen-centered galvinoxyl radicals. Antioxidants improve bone health by protecting the molecules that contribute to the bone remodeling process.

Anti-Platelet Aggregation – myricetin may prevent human platelets from clotting, which reduces inflammation. This is likely due to myricetin inhibiting thromboxane formation.

Anti-Inflammatory – It also may inhibit the signaling pathways the body uses to produce inflammation. It has been shown activity against the Porphyromonas gingivalis-induced inflammatory response, suggesting that myricetin is a therapeutic agent for the treatment of periodontitis.

Arthritis Relief – Myricetin may inhibit cell death and induces the differentiation of osteoblast-like cells to reduce the effects of arthritis.

Anti-Allergy – Mast cell-mediated allergic inflammation is significantly reduced by exposure to myricetin, through the inhibition of histamine release in cells, meaning this compound is a must for anyone trying to manage allergies.

Skin Care – Myricetin has anti-photoaging action on the skin. It eliminates the free radicals in the skin that cause aging when exposed to UVB rays. This also extends to protection from skin cancer. It has been shown to have examined both topical application and the effects of the polyphenol in vitro.

Anti-Cancer – Myricetin has been shown to be cytotoxic towards a variety of human cancer cell lines, including hepatic, uterine, skin, pancreatic, prostate, lung, and colon cancer cells. It’s enzyme-inhibiting activities also interrupt the initiation and progression of cancer, meaning it both works to prevent and fight cancer cells.

Blood Pressure – myricetin can effectively reduce hypertension along with oxidative stress in rats. Oral application of the compound reduced systolic blood pressure, changed vascular reactivity and reversed an induced increase in heart rate.

Pain Relief – Myricetin produces an analgesic effect, reducing pain from physical stimuli and internal inflammation. This makes myricetin a natural alternative to dangerous painkillers including opioids.

Parkinson’s Disease – Myricetin mitigates neurodegenerative diseases, often through its interaction with specific brain receptors. This results in protective effects against the progression of Parkinson’s disease.

Alzheimer’s Disease – The same process that protects against Parkinson’s also helps to protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease. This may be due to the compound’s disruption of tau proteins, which are abundant in the neurons of the central nervous system, or the blocking of damaging β-amyloid fibril formation.

Liver Protection – It has been shown that myricetin protects the liver by restoring hepatic function and the balance of serum enzymes. It also reduces DNA damage in the liver. As Savers know, a healthy liver is essential to keeping the body’s pH in balance, protecting the bones from mineral redistribution.

Heart Health – Myricetin has a vasculoprotective effect. It alters vascular disease-related genes. Oral administration has been shown in mice to reduce heart rate and the levels of cardiac marker enzymes. It works to prevent atherosclerosis, and protect the heart in the presence of cardiovascular diseases.

Eye Protection – Because it is a strong aldose reductase inhibitor, myricetin exhibits anticataract activity. It has been shown that myricetin delayed both the onset and progression of cataract development in the the eyes. It lowers intraocular pressure, and thus is useful for the treatment of glaucoma. Good vision is incredibly important for fracture prevention, since it reduces the incidence of falls and other accidents.

Anti-Diabetic – Myricetin is useful for the management of non-insulin-dependent diabetes by stimulating the uptake of glucose without functional insulin receptors.

Anti-Obesity – By decreasing the intracellular accumulation of triglycerides, myricetin may combat obesity. Obese rats treated with myricetin experienced weight loss and lower plasma lipid levels.

Antibacterial & Antiviral – Myricetin has been shown to act against several bacterial and viral organisms. This includes the inhibition of E.coli through a disruption of an enzyme that replicates and elongates its DNA. It also has been shown to produce significant zones of inhibition in a large number of other bacteria, including K. pneumonia, S. dysenteriae and Corynebacterium diphtheria. It has also been found to be a strong inhibitor of reverse transcriptase from Rauscher murine leukemia virus (RLV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Immune Boost – It has been shown that myricetin modifies the immune response or the functioning of the immune system by stimulating the formation of antibodies, or inhibiting the activity of white blood cells. This makes myricetin an extra powerful tool during cold and flu season.

Clearly, myricetin benefits the health of your bones via many channels, from its antioxidant qualities to the eyesight protection it offers, to the reduction of inflammation and pain. But the bone benefits of myricetin get even more direct.

Myricetin Helps Build Bone

Myricetin remarkably triggers a chain of events in the body that leads to an increase in bone mass. The compound increases Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 (BMP-2) synthesis, resulting in osteoblast maturation and differentiation, and a subsequent increase of bone mass.

Myricetin is directly involved in the production of elements necessary for building new bone, making it an essential polyphenol for anyone trying to increase the density and strength of their bones.

Foods That Contain Myricetin

Fortunately, all of these benefits are available through a multitude of delicious foods that are easy to incorporate into your diet. You probably already eat many of them, but now that you’re aware of the extra power they pack, you can prioritize them in your meal planning.

Apples
Bananas
Beer
Black Currants
Blueberries
Bok Choi
Broccoli
Carrots
Cherries
Cranberries
Dill
Fava Beans
Fennel
Garlic
Ginger
Grapes
Green Chilis
Green Tea
Guava
Honey
Lemons
Oranges
Oregano
Parsley
Plums
Prunes
Raisins
Raspberries
Red and white wine
Red Cabbage
Red Onions
Rutabaga
Strawberries
Swiss Chard
Tomato
Turmeric
Yellow Peppers

Just another amazing natural plant-based extract that has the possibilities of supporting and assisting the body towards a healthy immune system, and a healthier you.

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NO CLAIMS being made to Heal, Cure, and or Fix any condition with the information provided above.

Benefits of Quercetin

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 09:49:15 GMT

A Type of Antioxidant Found in Plant Foods

Have you ever wondered what makes a “superfood” super? Or what top superfoods like red wine, green tea, kale, and blueberries all have in common? The answer is quercetin, a natural compound tied to longevity, heart health, endurance, immunity, and more.

Considered one of the most abundant flavonoid antioxidants in the human diet, quercetin plays an important role in fighting free radical damage, the effects of aging, and inflammation.

Quercetin is a natural pigment found in several fruits and vegetables. It ranks high among the most important antioxidants needed for human health.

Quercetin is a flavonoid that has biological properties that may promote mental and physical performance. It exhibits anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, antiviral, antioxidant, and psychostimulant properties.

Quercetin happens to the most abundant flavonoid in the human diet. Its most important use is as an antioxidant, where it fights free radicals and helps prevent disease.

It has a role to play in the support in prevention of cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative issues, cancer, ulcers and other gastric problems, allergies, and microbial ailments.

May Fight Inflammation

Quercetin inhibits the secretion and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are compounds that promote inflammation in the human body. It may also protect the body’s cells involved in allergic inflammation.

Flavonoids (aka bioflavonoids) including quercetin, are key anti-inflammatories that act as antioxidants, which means they fight the natural process of oxidation that takes place over time as we age. Quercetin can help stop damaging particles in the body known as free radicals, which negatively impact how cells work. It can also reduce expression of inflammatory genes such as interleukin.

Quercetin also has a role to play in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. It preserves the basement membranes of the cartilage and even prevents its damage.

Inflammation is the root of most diseases, including heart disease, cancer, cognitive decline, some mental disorders, and autoimmune disorders. A variety of conditions related to inflammation:

“Hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis)
High cholesterol
Heart disease and circulation problems
Insulin resistance and diabetes
Eye-related disorders, including cataracts
Allergies, asthma, and hay fever
Stomach ulcers
Cognitive impairment
Gout
Cancer
Viral infections
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Inflammation of the prostate, bladder, and ovaries
Chronic infections of the prostate
Skin disorders, including dermatitis and hives

Fights Allergies

Some consider quercetin to be a natural antihistamine and an anti-inflammatory, possibly making it effective for lowering the effects of seasonal and food allergies, plus asthma and skin reactions. However, most research to date has been conducted on animals and not humans.

Histamines are chemicals that are released when the immune system detects an allergy or sensitivity. Quercetin can help stabilize their release from certain immune cells, which results in decreased symptoms such as coughs, watery eyes, runny noses, hives, swollen lips or tongue, and indigestion.

Quercetin has long been used in ancient Chinese herbal formulas to block allergies to certain foods (such as peanuts).

May Promote Heart Health

Quercetin was found to lower blood pressure levels.

Quercetin could also lower the levels of triglycerides and total cholesterol.

Flavonoids, in general, can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. They achieve this by promoting the functioning of the blood vessels and reducing platelet activity (resulting in fewer blood clots, which may otherwise lead to stroke).

LDL (the bad cholesterol), when oxidized, can lead to plaque formation in the blood vessels. Quercetin may fight this by preventing the oxidation of LDL.

The anti-hypertensive properties of quercetin can also prevent heart damage, as per reports. This effect was observed to be far greater in smokers and those with metabolic syndrome.

May Help Fight Infections And Pain

The antibacterial properties of quercetin may help fight infections. The compound was found to be especially effective against Staphylococcus aureus. In combination with other antibiotics, quercetin showed enhanced antibacterial activity.

Quercetin may also help treat allergies. It fights viruses by stimulating the immune system. It is also efficient in suppressing inflammatory mediators.

Quercetin may have a role to play in asthma treatment as well. It may help treat the condition by relaxing the airway smooth muscles. The anti-inflammatory properties of quercetin may also aid asthma treatment.

Quercetin also acts as a natural antihistamine (histamine is a compound released during inflammation or an allergic reaction). This way, it aids the treatment of other respiratory infections, like bronchitis.

The flavonoid may also have a role to play in relieving pain. It achieves this by inhibiting oxidative stress and the production of cytokines (compounds that contribute to inflammation).

May Aid Diabetes Treatment

Treatment with quercetin and resveratrol can have beneficial effects on diabetes. The antioxidant helps lower plasma glucose levels and improves other parameters related to diabetes. It achieves this by restoring the glucose-regulating enzymes in the liver.

Quercetin can be a promising component in managing the symptoms of type 2 diabetes. The antioxidant activates multiple therapeutic agents in the body, thereby aiding the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Dietary quercetin was also found to improve the health of the pancreas and the liver. This may help ameliorate diabetes symptoms since those are the two important organs responsible for preventing the disease.

Quercetin was also found to treat liver inflammation. It has been identified as a novel compound in the treatment of fibrotic liver disease.

Quercetin may also protect the liver from injury. It achieves this by scavenging free radicals and combating oxidative stress.

May Improve Energy and Endurance

Quercetin is added to some athletic supplements because it’s believed to help increase athletic performance and endurance, likely because of its positive effects on blood flow. It has been noted that “quercetin provides a significant benefit in human endurance exercise capacity (VO2 max) and endurance exercise performance.”

Quercetin may help increase immune function and prevent susceptibility to illnesses that can occur when someone trains intensely and experiences exhaustion. Taking a dosage of 500 mg of quercetin twice daily may help protect cyclers from exercise-induced respiratory infections.

Because it can boost energy, quercetin could affect sleep patterns. It may alter the sleep-wake cycle partly through activation of GABA receptors. However, insomnia is generally not believed to be a common side effect of taking quercetin.

May Help Fight Cancer

Quercetin induces apoptosis (cancer cell death) and prevents the proliferation of malignant cells. The compound also may have synergistic effects when combined with chemotherapy.

Quercetin may inhibit cancer of the breast, lung, prostate, colon, and the cervix. The potent antioxidant properties of quercetin play a role here. They fight free radicals, which are among the major contributors to cancer.

A high intake of foods rich in quercetin, including most fruits and vegetables, has been associated with a reduced risk of intestinal cancer. Similar food groups have also been linked to lower incidences of renal cancer.

May Cut Obesity Risk

There is limited evidence here. A supplement with quercetin as the primary ingredient caused reduced lipid accumulation in obese rats.

Quercetin also can increase energy expenditure, and this may help reduce the risk of obesity.

May Enhance Vision Health

Quercetin was found to treat corneal inflammation, thus promoting long-term vision health. When human conjunctival and corneal cell lines were tested, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the compound seemed to help with the treatment of a few ocular diseases.

Quercetin may also reduce the risk of cataracts. It achieves this by fighting oxidative stress.

May Promote Kidney Health

It has been noted, quercetin improved renal function and protected the kidneys from further harm. Its ability to fight oxidative stress and inflammation could be attributed to this benefit.

May Boost Brain Health

Quercetin fights oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, thereby helping prevent brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Quercetin was found to prevent spatial memory impairment in mice. It achieves this by increasing brain antioxidant capacity (26). This way, the flavonoid may potentially slow down brain aging.

Also, it is suggested that apples, which are rich in quercetin, can help prevent brain damage that may otherwise trigger Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Quercetin can also help treat stress and anxiety. Individuals dealing with chronic stress may experience improvements in memory following the intake of quercetin.

May Promote Sexual Function

Flavonoids, in general, could be associated with improved sexual function.

Quercetin may also help treat erectile dysfunction as it helps combat oxidative stress (a common cause of the issue).

May Help Treat Leaky Gut

Leaky gut, also known as intestinal permeability, is a condition in which the lining of the small intestine becomes damaged. This causes the toxic wastes in the small intestine to leak into the bloodstream, causing issues.

Quercetin may boost the intestinal barrier function, which may help in treating leaky gut.

Quercetin may also have other gastroprotective effects. The compound can increase gastric mucus production, thereby aiding the treatment of ulcers.

May Help Delay Aging

Quercetin has been found to extend cellular lifespan and survival, thereby possibly delaying the signs of aging. It was also found to rejuvenate fibroblasts.

Quercetin also happens to be one of the popular ingredients in most anti-aging skin care creams.

When we talk about antioxidants, quercetin tops the list, for sure.

Quercetin is among the common antioxidants available in the human diet. In the following section, we will look at the top food sources of the flavonoid.

What Are The Food Sources Of Quercetin?

The top food sources of quercetin include the following:

Apples
Grapes
Licorice
Oregano
Capers
Onions
Peppers
Tomatoes
Cherries
Asparagus
Green tea

In addition to treating inflammation and cancer, quercetin also offers a host of other health benefits. Ensure you include it in your diet.

Eat more of the foods that contain quercetin. Including an additional quercetin supplement can also help.

EMULIN has quercetin in it's formula.

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Probiotics and Enzymes - What are they?

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 06:22:56 GMT

Benefits of Probiotics and Enzymes.

Benefits of Probiotics.

Probiotics are live microorganisms that can be consumed through fermented foods or supplements.

More and more studies show that the balance or imbalance of bacteria in your digestive system is linked to overall health and disease.

Probiotics promote a healthy balance of gut bacteria and have been linked to a wide range of health benefits.

These include benefits for weight loss, digestive health, immune function and more.

Probiotics Help Balance The Friendly Bacteria in Your Digestive System

Probiotics include “good” bacteria. These are live microorganisms that can provide health benefits when consumed.
These benefits are thought to result from the ability of probiotics to restore the natural balance of gut bacteria.
An imbalance means there are too many bad bacteria and not enough good bacteria. It can happen due to illness, medication such as antibiotics, poor diet and more.
Consequences can include digestive issues, allergies, mental health problems, obesity and more.
Probiotics are usually found in fermented foods or taken as supplements. What’s more, they appear to be safe for most people.
Probiotics are live microorganisms. When taken in sufficient amounts, they can help restore the natural balance of gut bacteria. As a result, health benefits may follow.

Probiotics Can Help Prevent and Treat Diarrhea

Probiotics are widely known for their ability to prevent diarrhea or reduce its severity.
Diarrhea is a common side effect of taking antibiotics. It occurs because antibiotics can negatively affect the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut.
Probiotics can also help with other forms of diarrhea not associated with antibiotics.
Effectiveness varies, depending on the type and dose of the probiotic taken.
Probiotics can reduce the risk and severity of diarrhea from a number of different causes.

Probiotic Supplements Improve Some Mental Health Conditions

An increasing number of studies link gut health to mood and mental health.
Taking probiotics may help improve symptoms of mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, stress and memory, among others.

Certain Probiotic Strains Can Help Keep Your Heart Healthy

Probiotics may help keep your heart healthy by lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and blood pressure.
Certain lactic acid-producing bacteria may reduce cholesterol by breaking down bile in the gut .
Bile, a naturally occurring fluid mostly made of cholesterol, helps digestion.
By breaking down bile, probiotics can prevent it from being reabsorbed in the gut, where it can enter the blood as cholesterol.
Consuming probiotics may also lower blood pressure.
Probiotics may help protect the heart by reducing “bad” LDL cholesterol levels and modestly lowering blood pressure.

Probiotics May Reduce the Severity of Certain Allergies and Eczema

Certain probiotic strains may reduce the severity of eczema in children and infants
Some probiotics may also reduce inflammatory responses in people with milk or dairy allergies. and
Probiotics may reduce the risk and severity of certain allergies, such as eczema in infants.

Probiotics Can Help Reduce Symptoms of Certain Digestive Disorders

Over one million people in the US suffer from inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
Certain types of probiotics from the Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus strains have improved symptoms in people with mild ulcerative colitis.
Probiotics may have benefits for other bowel disorders. They may help with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
They have also been shown to reduce the risk of severe necrotizing enterocolitis by 50%. This is a fatal bowel condition that occurs in premature infants.
Probiotics may help reduce the symptoms of bowel disorders like ulcerative colitis, IBS and necrotizing enterocolitis.

Probiotics May Help Boost Your Immune System

Probiotics may help give your immune system a boost and inhibit the growth of harmful gut bacteria.
Also, some probiotics have been shown to promote the production of natural antibodies in the body. They may also boost immune cells like the IgA-producing cells, T lymphocytes and natural killer cells.
The probiotic Lactobacillus crispatus has also been shown to reduce the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women by 50%.
Probiotics may help boost your immune system and protect against infections.

Probiotics May Help You Lose Weight and Belly Fat

Probiotics may help with weight loss through a number of different mechanisms.
Some probiotics prevent the absorption of dietary fat in the intestine.
The fat is then excreted through feces rather than stored in the body.
Probiotics may also help you feel fuller for longer, burn more calories and store less fat. This is partly caused by increasing levels of certain hormones, such as GLP-1.
They may also help with weight loss directly.
However, it’s important to be aware that not all probiotics aid in weight loss.
Certain probiotics may help you lose weight and belly fat. However, other strains have been linked to weight gain.

The Best Way to Benefit From Probiotics

You can get probiotics from a variety of foods or supplements.
Live probiotic cultures are often found in fermented dairy products such as yogurts and milk drinks. Fermented foods like pickled vegetables, tempeh, miso, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut and soy products may also contain some lactic acid bacteria.
You can also take probiotics as tablets, capsules and powders that contain the bacteria in dried form.
However, be aware that some probiotics can be destroyed by stomach acid before they even reach the gut — meaning that you get none of the intended benefits.
If you want to experience any of the health benefits discussed above, it’s important that you consume adequate amounts.

Why Are Enzymes Important?

An enzyme is a type of protein found within a cell. Enzymes create chemical reactions in the body. They actually speed up the rate of a chemical reaction to help support life.

The enzymes in your body help to perform very important tasks. These include building muscle, destroying toxins, and breaking down food particles during digestion.

An enzyme’s shape is tied to its function. Heat, disease, or harsh chemical conditions can damage enzymes and change their shape. When this happens, an enzyme doesn’t work anymore. This affects the body processes the enzyme helped support.

Enzymes are produced naturally in the body.

For example, enzymes are required for proper digestive system function. Digestive enzymes are mostly produced in the pancreas, stomach, and small intestine. But even your salivary glands produce digestive enzymes to start breaking down food molecules while you’re still chewing. You can also take enzymes in pill form if you’re having certain digestive problems.

Types of enzymes

There are three main types of digestive enzymes. They’re categorized based on the reactions they help catalyze:

Amylase breaks down starches and carbohydrates into sugars.
Protease breaks down proteins into amino acids.
Lipase breaks down lipids, which are fats and oils, into glycerol and fatty acids.

Why are enzymes important for digestion?

Enzymes are essential for healthy digestion and a healthy body. They work with other chemicals in the body, such as stomach acid and bile, to help break down food into molecules for a wide range of bodily functions.

Carbohydrates, for instance, are needed for energy, while protein is necessary to build and repair muscle, among other functions. But they must be converted into forms that can be absorbed and utilized by your body.

How enzymes work in your digestive system

Amylase is produced in the salivary glands, pancreas, and small intestine. One type of amylase, called ptyalin, is made in the salivary glands and starts to act on starches while food is still in your mouth. It remains active even after you swallow.

Pancreatic amylase is made in the pancreas and delivered to the small intestine. Here it continues to break down starch molecules to sugars, which are ultimately digested into glucose by other enzymes. This is then absorbed into the body’s blood circulation through the wall of the small intestine.

Protease is produced in the stomach, pancreas, and small intestine. Most of the chemical reactions occur in the stomach and small intestine. In the stomach, pepsin is the main digestive enzyme attacking proteins. Several other pancreatic enzymes go to work when protein molecules reach the small intestine.

Lipase is produced in the pancreas and small intestine. A type of lipase is also found in breast milk to help a baby more easily digest fat molecules when nursing. Lipids play many roles, including long-term energy storage and supporting cellular health.

What affects enzymes?

Enzymes work best at your normal body temperature. The average body temperature is 98.6°F (37°C), but normal body temperatures can range from 97°F to 99°F (36.1°C to 37.2°C).
If you run a fever and your temperature increases too much, the structure of enzymes breaks down. They no longer function properly. Restoring your body temperature to its optimal range will help restore enzyme health.
Certain health conditions, such as pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas, hurts your pancreas and can also reduce the number and effectiveness of certain digestive enzymes.
The pH level of your stomach or intestines can also affect enzyme activity.
A low pH means something is very acidic. A high pH means it’s basic, also known as alkaline. Enzymes work best in a fairly narrow pH range. If the environment surrounding an enzyme becomes too acidic or too basic, the enzyme’s shape and function will suffer.
Chemicals called inhibitors can also interfere with an enzyme’s ability to cause a chemical reaction.
Inhibitors can occur naturally. They can also be manufactured and produced as medications. Antibiotics are a good example. They inhibit or prevent certain enzymes from helping bacterial infections spread.
Your diet can also influence your body’s enzyme activity. That’s because many foods contain digestive enzymes that help share the burden of the naturally occurring enzymes in your body.
For example, bananas contain amylase. So even though a banana is packed with carbs, it also comes with amylase to help you digest it so you can use those carbs for energy later.
Eating enzyme-rich foods can boost enzyme activity in your body. Just keep in mind the calories and other nutritional information about the foods in your diet.
In addition to your diet habits, your body’s overall state of health will also affect how well it produces, stores, and releases enzymes and how efficiently its enzymes function. This will vary from one person to the next.
Eating a nutritious diet in moderation on a regular basis and staying in good health will help your body’s enzyme activity to stay more regular. Otherwise, for example, if you intermittently binge on a large meal here or there, you may have untoward effects like indigestion, nausea, or even diarrhea if you don’t have enough enzymes readily available to aid in digestion.

When are enzyme supplements needed?

Problems with your pancreas, such as pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, or pancreatic cancer, can reduce the number of important enzymes your body produces. As a result, you may not get enough enzymes to thoroughly digest your food and obtain all the nutritional value from what you eat.
If you have these conditions — or others in which your enzyme levels are below a normal or healthy range — talk with your doctor about treatment options.
Dietary enzymes are available in pill form as supplements. If your doctor recommends trying these supplements, make sure you get pancreatic enzyme products (PEPs) that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
You may also need enzyme supplementation if you’re exposed to various chemicals or pesticides, or if your foods are always cooked at high temperatures. Heating foods can destroy any naturally occurring enzymes in them.
Some people may have stomach irritation or other unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects with enzyme supplements. Be sure to talk with your doctor about any potential risks or complications with dietary enzymes.

Overview.

Enzymes are crucial for good health. Your body produces them. You can also get them in fruits, vegetables, and other foods. They’re also available in supplements.

But if you’re in good health, follow a healthy plant-based diet, and your doctor says your enzyme levels are healthy, don’t start taking enzyme supplements simply hoping to get even healthier. They can affect your metabolism in negative ways.

If you have a chronic disease such as cancer or if your doctor has told you that you’re lacking in certain nutrients, then be sure to discuss whether to take supplements and what kind you should take. Changes in the color and consistency of your stool may indicate nutritional deficiencies.

Taking dietary enzymes can make a positive impact on your health, but only if you really need them.

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"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

NUTS - "Why are they so good for us."

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 04:05:57 GMT

Some of the Health Benefits of Nuts

Nuts are a very popular food. Nuts are edible, high-fat seed kernels enclosed by a hard shell. They’re widely eaten as a snack food or used in cooking.

They’re tasty, convenient, and can be enjoyed on all kinds of diets — from keto to vegan.

Despite being high in fat, they have a number of impressive health and weight benefits.

Here are some of the health benefits of eating nuts.

What Are Nuts?

Nuts are seed kernels that are widely used in cooking or eaten on their own as a snack. They’re high in fat and calories.

They contain a hard, inedible outer shell that usually needs to be cracked open to release the kernel inside.

Fortunately, you can buy most nuts from the store already shelled and ready to eat.

Here are some of the most commonly consumed nuts:

Almonds
Brazil nuts
Cashews
Hazelnuts
Macadamia nuts
Pecans
Pine nuts
Pistachios
Walnuts

Though peanuts are technically legumes like peas and beans, they’re usually referred to as nuts due to their similar nutrition profile and characteristics.

A Great Source of Many Nutrients

Nuts are highly nutritious. One ounce (28 grams) of mixed nuts contains (1):

Calories: 173
Protein: 5 grams
Fat: 16 grams, including 9 grams of monounsaturated fat
Carbs: 6 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Vitamin E: 12% of the RDI
Magnesium: 16% of the RDI
Phosphorus: 13% of the RDI
Copper: 23% of the RDI
Manganese: 26% of the RDI
Selenium: 56% of the RDI
Some nuts are higher in certain nutrients than others. For instance, just one Brazil nut provides more than 100% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for selenium (2).

The carb content of nuts is highly variable. Hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, and Brazil nuts have fewer than 2 grams of digestible carbs per serving, while cashews have almost 8 digestible carbs per serving.

That being said, nuts are generally an excellent food to eat on a low-carb diet.

Nuts are high in fat, low in carbs, and a great source of several nutrients, including vitamin E, magnesium, and selenium.

Loaded With Antioxidants

Nuts are antioxidant powerhouses.

Antioxidants, including the polyphenols in nuts, can combat oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals — unstable molecules that may cause cell damage and increase disease risk.

It has been found that walnuts have a greater capacity to fight free radicals than fish.

It has been shown that the antioxidants in walnuts and almonds can protect the delicate fats in your cells from being damaged by oxidation.

It has been shown that eating walnuts or almonds increased polyphenol levels and significantly reduced oxidative damage, compared to a control meal.

Also, that 2–8 hours after consuming whole pecans, participants experienced a 26–33% drop in their levels of oxidized “bad” LDL cholesterol — a major risk factor for heart disease.

However, in older people and individuals with metabolic syndrome found that walnuts and cashews didn’t have a big impact on antioxidant capacity, though some other markers improved.

Nuts contain antioxidants known as polyphenols, which may protect your cells and “bad” LDL cholesterol from damage caused by free radicals.

May Aid Weight Loss

Though they’re considered a high-calorie food, research suggests that nuts may help you lose weight.

The effects of the Mediterranean diet found that people assigned to eat nuts lost an average of 2 inches (5 cm) from their waists — significantly more than those given olive oil.

Almonds have consistently been shown to promote weight loss rather than weight gain. Some suggest that pistachios aid weight loss as well.

In overweight women, those eating almonds may lose up to nearly three times as much weight and may experience a significantly greater decrease in waist size.

What’s more, even though nuts are quite high in calories, it has been shown that your body doesn’t absorb all of them, as a portion of fat stays trapped within the nut’s fibrous wall during digestion.

For instance, while the nutrition facts on a package of almonds may indicate that a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving has 160–170 calories, your body only absorbs about 129 of these calories.

Similarly, your body absorbs about 21% and 5% fewer calories from walnuts and pistachios, respectively.

Nuts have been shown to promote weight loss rather than contribute to weight gain. It has been indicated that your body doesn’t absorb all of the calories in nuts.

May Lower Cholesterol and Triglycerides

Nuts have impressive effects on cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Pistachios have been shown to lower triglycerides in people who are obese and those with diabetes.

The cholesterol-lowering power of nuts may be due to their high content of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Almonds and hazelnuts appear to raise “good” HDL cholesterol while reducing total and “bad” LDL cholesterol.

It has been noted that in women with metabolic syndrome observed that eating a 1-ounce (30-gram) mix of walnuts, peanuts, and pine nuts per day for 6 weeks significantly lowered all types of cholesterol — except “good” HDL.

The macadamia nut may lower cholesterol levels as well.

Nuts may help lower total and “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while boosting levels of “good” HDL cholesterol.

Beneficial for Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome

Type 2 diabetes is a common disease affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

Metabolic syndrome refers to a group of risk factors that may increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Interestingly, nuts may be one of the best foods for people with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

First off, they’re low in carbs and don’t raise blood sugar levels much. Thus, substituting nuts for higher-carb foods should lead to reduced blood sugar levels.

It has been suggested that eating nuts may also lower oxidative stress, blood pressure, and other health markers in people with diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

It has been shown that blood sugar, blood pressure, and other health markers improve when people with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome include nuts in their diet.

May Reduce Inflammation

Nuts have strong anti-inflammatory properties.

Inflammation is your body’s way of defending itself from injury, bacteria, and other potentially harmful pathogens.

However, chronic, long-term inflammation can cause damage to organs and increase disease risk. It has been suggested that eating nuts may reduce inflammation and promote healthy aging.

In a study on the Mediterranean diet, people whose diets were supplemented with nuts experienced a 35% and 90% decrease in the inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin 6 (IL-6).

Similarly, some nuts — including pistachios, Brazil nuts, walnuts, and almonds — have been found to fight inflammation in healthy people and those with serious conditions like diabetes and kidney disease.

It has been suggested that nuts may reduce inflammation, especially in people with diabetes, kidney disease, and other serious health conditions.

High in Beneficial Fiber

Fiber provides many health benefits.

While your body can’t digest fiber, the bacteria that live in your colon can.

Many types of fiber function as prebiotics or food for your healthy gut bacteria.

Your gut bacteria then ferment the fiber and turn it into beneficial short-chain fatty acids.

These SCFAs have powerful benefits, including improving gut health and reducing your risk of diabetes and obesity.

Plus, fiber helps you feel full and reduces the number of calories you absorb from meals. It has been that increasing fiber intake from 18 to 36 grams daily may result in up to 130 fewer calories absorbed.

Here are the nuts with the highest fiber content per 1-ounce (28-gram) serving:

Almonds: 3.5 grams
Pistachios: 2.9 grams
Hazelnuts: 2.9 grams
Pecans: 2.9 grams
Peanuts: 2.6 grams
Macadamias: 2.4 grams
Brazil nuts: 2.1 grams

Many nuts are high in fiber, which can reduce disease risk, help keep you full, decrease calorie absorption, and improve gut health.

May Reduce Your Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

Nuts are extremely good for your heart.

It has been suggested that nuts help lower heart disease and stroke risk due to their benefits for cholesterol levels, “bad” LDL particle size, artery function, and inflammation.

It has been found that small, dense LDL particles may increase heart disease risk more than larger LDL particles.

Interestingly, the Mediterranean diet found that people who ate nuts had a significant decline in small LDL particles and an increase in large LDL particles, as well as “good” HDL cholesterol levels.

Nuts may significantly lower your risk of heart attack and stroke. Eating nuts increases “bad” LDL particle size, raises “good” HDL cholesterol, improves artery function, and has various other benefits.

Delicious, Versatile, and Widely Available

Nuts can be enjoyed whole, as nut butters, or chopped up and sprinkled on food.

They’re widely available in grocery stores and online and come in a wide variety of options, including salted, unsalted, seasoned, plain, raw, or roasted.

In general, it’s healthiest to eat nuts raw or toast them in the oven at a temperature below 350°F (175°C). Dry-roasted nuts are the next-best option, but try to avoid nuts roasted in vegetable and seed oils.

Nuts can be kept at room temperature, which makes them ideal for on-the-go snacks and traveling. However, if you’re going to be storing them for long, a refrigerator or freezer will keep them fresher.

Nuts can be enjoyed whole, as nut butters, or chopped up on food. They’re healthiest raw or toasted. Store them at room temperature or put them in the fridge or freezer to keep them fresher for longer.

Eating nuts on a regular basis may improve your health in many ways, such as by reducing diabetes and heart disease risk, as well as cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

This nutritious high-fiber treat may even aid weight loss — despite its high calorie count.

As long as you eat them in moderation, nuts make for a tasty addition to a healthy, balanced diet.

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Vegetables - Overview of their Health Benefits

Sat, 20 Mar 2021 06:50:33 GMT

Eating plenty of vegetables may be one of the simplest ways to improve health and well-being.

Vegetable is a broad term that refers to the edible parts of plants, which are usually their leaves, roots, fruits, or seeds. Vegetables are a staple food across the world and are a fundamental part of modern agriculture.

Since they’re low in calories but high in nutrients, most health experts recommend that you consume vegetables daily. There’s a scientific consensus that a balanced, rotating diet of different varieties of vegetables is one of the best ways to source nutrients from your food starting at a young age.

Some Health Benefits

Vegetables are full of essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that provide many important health benefits to your body. For instance, carrots are known for being very high in vitamin A, which plays an important role in eye health, as you grow older.

Vegetables also offer many other health benefits like:

Improved Digestive Health

Vegetables are a good source of dietary fiber, a type of carbohydrate that helps pass food through your digestive system. Studies show that fiber may also improve vitamin and mineral absorption in the body, which could potentially raise your daily energy levels.

Lower Blood Pressure

Many green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, and chard contain potassium. Potassium helps your kidneys filter sodium out of your body more efficiently, which can reduce your blood pressure.

Lower Risk of Heart Disease

Green leafy vegetables also contain vitamin K, which is believed to prevent calcium from building up in your arteries. This can lower your risk of arterial damage and help prevent many heart health complications in the future.

Diabetes Control

Vegetables are particularly high in fiber, which is needed for optimal digestion. They have a low glycemic index, so your blood sugar won’t rise quickly after a meal. The American Diabetes Association recommends at least 3 to 5 servings per day of non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, carrots, or cauliflower.

Nutrition

Vegetables are a rich source of folate, a B vitamin that helps your body make new red blood cells. Folate is especially important for children’s health and may also reduce the risk of cancer and depression.

Vegetables are also great sources of essential minerals like:

Copper
Magnesium
Zinc
Phosphorous
Selenium
Nutrients per Serving

The nutritional content of vegetables naturally depends on which kind you’re eating. For instance, calories range from 6.5 calories per celery stalk to 67 calories per 1/2 cup of peas.

Portion Sizes

While portion sizes also vary depending on the specific vegetables, the USDA recommends that adults eat between one and three cups of vegetables per day.

How to Prepare Vegetables

Many varieties of vegetables can be found in grocery and health food stores across the country. They can be bought in both organic and conventionally grown varieties. Experts recommend eating a varied diet of vegetables regularly to maximize their nutrient potential.

Vegetables are a versatile food that can be steamed, roasted, mixed into stir-fry, and more. They’re an essential part of cuisines all around the world that are served as either a main dish or a side dish in countless recipes.

Here are some easy ways to incorporate vegetables in your diet:

Try a mixed salad with kale, cabbage, and brussels sprouts
Cook onions, peppers, and zucchini together for a vegetable kabob meal
Roast your tomatoes in the oven with olive oil, parmesan cheese, and basil
Create a fresh Mediterranean garden salad with lettuce, sweet peas, peppers, and cherry tomatoes
Fry vegetables with oil in a wok with chicken or tofu to create a delicious stir-fry
Create a vegetable melt by adding asparagus, mushrooms, and peppers to toasted cheese bread

What are the most healthful vegetables?

Eating plenty of vegetables may be one of the simplest ways to improve health and well-being.

All vegetables contain healthful vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber — but some stand out for their exceptional benefits.

Specific vegetables may offer more health advantages to certain people, depending on their diets, overall health, and nutritional needs.

Let us look at an (A to O) of the most healthful vegetables and suggest ways to enjoy them as part of a balanced diet.

A. Spinach

Spinach is a leafy green vegetable and a great source of calcium, vitamins, iron, and antioxidants.

Due to its iron and calcium content, spinach is a great addition to any meat- or dairy-free diet.

One cup of raw spinach is mostly made up of water and contains only 7 calories. It also provides:

an adult’s full daily requirement of vitamin K
high amounts of vitamin A
vitamin C
magnesium
folate
iron
calcium
antioxidants

Vitamin K is essential for a healthy body — especially for strong bones, as it improves the absorption of calcium.

Spinach also provides a good amount of iron for energy and healthy blood, and a high level of magnesium for muscle and nerve function.

It is also rich in antioxidants, and research suggests that spinach leaves may lower blood pressure and benefit heart health.

If a person is taking blood thinners, such as warfarin (Coumadin), they should use caution when increasing their intake of dark leafy greens. Doctors recommend maintaining a consistent vitamin K intake over time for people taking these medications.

How to eat spinach

People enjoy spinach raw in salads, sandwiches, and smoothies. Cooked spinach also has significant health benefits and is a great addition to pasta dishes and soups.

B. Kale

Kale is a very popular leafy green vegetable with several health benefits. It provides around 7 calories per cup of raw leaves and good amounts of vitamins A, C, and K.

Kale may benefit people with high cholesterol. It has been noted that males with high cholesterol who drink 150 milliliters of kale juice each day for 12 weeks experienced a 10% reduction in low-density lipoprotein, or “bad,” cholesterol and a 27% increase in high-density lipoprotein, or “good,” cholesterol.

It has been suggested that kale juice can reduce blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.

How to eat kale

People use baby kale in pasta dishes, salads, and sandwiches. A person may also enjoy kale chips or juice.

C. Broccoli

Broccoli is an incredibly healthful vegetable that belongs to the same family as cabbage, kale, and cauliflower. These are all cruciferous vegetables.

Each cup of chopped and boiled broccoli contains:

around 31 calories
the full daily requirement of vitamin K
twice the daily recommended amount of vitamin C

It has been noted that certain chemicals, called indoles and isothiocyanates, in cruciferous vegetables may inhibit the development of cancer in several organs, including the bladder, breasts, liver, and stomach.

These compounds may protect cells from DNA damage, inactivate cancer-causing agents, and have anti-inflammatory effects. However, research in humans has been mixed.

How to eat broccoli

Broccoli is very versatile. People can roast it, steam it, fry it, blend it into soups, or enjoy it warm in salads.

D. Peas

Peas are a sweet, starchy vegetable. They contain 134 calories per cooked cup, and they are rich in:

fiber, providing 9 grams (g) per serving
protein, providing 9 g per serving
vitamins A, C, and K
certain B vitamins

Green peas are a good source of plant-based protein, which may be especially beneficial for people with vegetarian or vegan diets.

Peas and other legumes contain fiber, which supports good bacteria in the gut and helps ensure regular bowel movements and a healthy digestive tract.

They are also rich in saponins, plant compounds that may help protect against oxidative stress and cancer.

How to eat peas

It might be handy to keep a bag of peas in the freezer and gradually use them to boost the nutritional profiles of pasta dishes, risottos, and curries. A person might also enjoy a refreshing pea and mint soup.

E. Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are root vegetables. Baked in its skin, a medium sweet potato provides 103 calories and 0.17 g of fat.

Each sweet potato also contains:

much more than an adult’s daily requirement of vitamin A
25% of their vitamin C and B6 requirements
12% of their potassium requirement
beta carotene, which may improve eye health and help immune strength

Sweet potatoes may be a good option for people with diabetes. This is because they are low on the glycemic index and rich in fiber, so they may help regulate blood sugar.

How to eat sweet potatoes

For a simple meal, bake a sweet potato in its skin and serve it with a source of protein, such as fish or tofu.

F. Beets

One cup of raw beets contains:

58.5 calories
442 milligrams (mg) of potassium
148 micrograms of folate

Beets and beet juice are great for improving heart health, as the vegetable is rich in heart-healthy nitrates. A small 2012 study reports that drinking 500 g of beet juice significantly lowered blood pressure in healthy people.

These vegetables may also benefit people with diabetes. Beets contain an antioxidant called alpha-lipoic acid, which might be helpful for people with diabetes-related nerve problems, called diabetic neuropathy.

How to eat beets

Roasting beets brings out their natural sweetness, but they also taste great raw in juices, salads, and sandwiches.

G. Carrots

Each cup of chopped carrots contains 52 calories and over four times an adult’s daily recommended intake of vitamin A, in the form of beta carotene.

Vitamin A is vital for healthy eyesight, and getting enough of this nutrient may help prevent vision loss.

How to eat carrots

Carrots are extremely versatile. They work well in casseroles and soups, and they provide great health benefits when eaten raw, possibly with a dip such as hummus.

H. Fermented Vegetables

Fermented vegetables provide all the nutrients of their unfermented counterparts as well as healthful doses of probiotics.

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that are present in the body and in some foods and supplements. Some researchers believe that they can improve gut health.

Probiotics may help with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. They may also prevent infection- or antibiotic-induced diarrhea.

Some good vegetables for fermentation include:

cabbage, as sauerkraut
cucumbers, as pickles
carrots
cauliflower

How to eat fermented vegetables

People eat fermented vegetables in salads, sandwiches, or as a side dish.

I. Tomatoes

Although tomatoes are technically a fruit, most people treat them like vegetables and use them in savory dishes. Each cup of chopped, raw tomatoes contains:

32 calories
427 mg of potassium
24.7 mg of vitamin C

Tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. It has been noted that lycopene may help prevent prostate cancer, and the beta carotene in tomatoes also helps combat cancer.

Meanwhile, other potent antioxidants in tomatoes, such as lutein and zeaxanthin, may protect vision.

It has been noted that people who have high dietary intakes of these substances have a 25% reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration.

How to eat tomatoes

People enjoy tomatoes raw or cooked, and cooking them releases more lycopene.

J. Garlic

People have long used garlic in cooking and medicine. Each garlic clove contains just 4 calories and is low in vitamins and minerals.

However, garlic is a natural antibiotic. For example, people have used garlic for purposes similar to those of antibiotics since the 16th century.

Allium, a component of garlic, may be the source of its health benefits. Confirming this will require more research.

How to eat garlic

Heating garlic reduces its health benefits, so it is best to eat garlic raw, in bruschetta or dips, for example.

K. Onions

Each cup of chopped onions can provide:

64 calories
vitamin C
vitamin B6
manganese

Onions and other allium vegetables, including garlic, contain sulfur compounds. It has been suggested that these compounds may help boost the immune system.

How to eat onions

It can be easy to incorporate onions into soups, stews, stir-fries, and curries. To get the most from their antioxidants, eat them raw — in sandwiches, salads, and dips such as guacamole.

L. Alfalfa sprouts

Each cup of alfalfa sprouts contains only 8 calories and a good amount of vitamin K.

These sprouts also boast several compounds that contribute to good health, including:

saponins, a type of bitter compound with health benefits
flavonoids, a type of polyphenol known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects
phytoestrogens, plant compounds that are similar to natural estrogens

Traditionally, some have used alfalfa sprouts to treat a range of health conditions, such as arthritis and kidney problems. However, very few scientific investigations have explored these uses.

Alfalfa sprouts contain antioxidants, which are compounds that may help fight diseases.

Eating sprouted legumes such as these may have other benefits. Suggested that sprouting, or germinating, seeds increases their protein and amino acid contents.

Germination may also improve the digestibility of alfalfa and other seeds and increase their dietary fiber content.

How to eat alfalfa sprouts

People enjoy alfalfa sprouts in salads and sandwiches.

M. Bell peppers

Sweet bell peppers may be red, yellow, or orange. Unripe, green bell peppers are also popular, though they taste less sweet.

A cup of chopped red bell pepper provides:

39 calories
190 mg of vitamin C
0.434 mg of vitamin B6
folate
beta carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A

Antioxidants and bioactive chemicals present in bell peppers include:

ascorbic acid
carotenoids
vitamin C
beta carotene
flavonoids, such as quercetin and kaempferol

How to eat bell peppers

Bell peppers are extremely versatile and can be easy to incorporate into pasta, scrambled eggs, or a salad. A person might also enjoy them sliced with a side of guacamole or hummus.

N. Cauliflower

One cup of chopped cauliflower contains:

27 calories
plenty of vitamin C
vitamin K
fiber

The American Heart Association recommend eating 25 g of dietary fiber each day to promote heart and gut health.

Also, cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables contain an antioxidant called indole-3-carbinol.

And like broccoli, cauliflower contains another compound that may help the immune system: sulforaphane.

How to eat cauliflower

A person can pulse raw cauliflower in a blender to make cauliflower rice or turn it into a pizza base for a low-calorie, comforting treat. People may also enjoy cauliflower in curries or baked with olive oil and garlic.

15. Seaweed

Seaweed, also known as sea vegetables, are versatile and nutritious plants that provide several health benefits. Common types of seaweed include:

kelp
nori
sea lettuce
spirulina
wakame

Seaweed is one of the few plant-based sources of the omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid. These are essential for health and are mostly present in meat and dairy.

Each type of seaweed has a slightly different nutritional profile, but they are typically rich in iodine, which is an essential nutrient for thyroid function.

Eating a variety of sea vegetables can provide the body with several important antioxidants to reduce cellular damage.

Also, many types of seaweed contain chlorophyll, which is a plant pigment that has anti-inflammatory properties.

Brown sea vegetables, such as kelp and wakame, contain another potent antioxidant called fucoxanthin. Suggested that this has 13.5 times the antioxidant power of vitamin E.

How to eat seaweed

When possible, choose organic seaweed and eat small amounts to avoid introducing too much iodine into the diet. People enjoy sea vegetables in sushi, miso soups, and as a seasoning for other dishes.

Overview

Eating vegetables every day is important for health. They provide essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, such as antioxidants and fiber.

It has been noted that people who eat at least 5 servings of vegetables a day have the lowest risk of many diseases, including cancer and heart disease.

Enjoy a range of vegetables daily to reap as many health benefits as possible.

NOTE: There are no references to claiming any information provided will heal, cure, and or, fix an individual's condition, and or symptoms.

Thank you for your support. Hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

A Closer Look at Healthy Fruits

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 08:52:35 GMT

Which fruits are good for our body?

Eating fruit on a regular basis can boost health.

However, not all fruits are created equal. Some of them provide unique health benefits.

Here is an A to T look at some of the healthiest fruits on earth.

A. Grapefruit

Grapefruit is one of the healthiest citrus fruits.

Besides being a good source of vitamins and minerals, it is known for its ability to aid weight loss and reduce insulin resistance.

It has been noted, those who ate half a fresh grapefruit before meals lost 2.9 pounds (1.3 kg) more weight than those who didn’t.

The grapefruit group can have a significant reduction in insulin levels and reduced insulin resistance.

Also, eating grapefruit has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels and help prevent kidney stones.

Overall: Grapefruit is highly nutritious. Eating it may reduce insulin resistance, cholesterol and help prevent kidney stones. Grapefruit may also be useful for weight loss.

B. Pineapple

Among the tropical fruits, pineapple is a nutrition superstar. One cup (237 ml) of pineapple provides 131% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for vitamin C and 76% of the RDI for manganese.

Pineapple also contains bromelain, a mixture of enzymes known for its anti-inflammatory properties and ability to digest protein.

Overall: Pineapple is rich in vitamin C and manganese. Its bromelain content may fight inflammation and reduce the risk of cancer.

C. Avocado

Avocado is different from most other fruits.

Most fruits are high in carbs, while avocado is low in carbs and comprised mainly of healthy fats.

The majority of the fat in avocado is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat linked to reduced inflammation and better heart health.

In addition to healthy fats, avocados are loaded with potassium, fiber and magnesium.

One whole avocado provides 28% of the RDI for potassium. Adequate potassium intake is associated with reduced blood pressure and a lower risk of stroke.

Overall: Avocados are rich in healthy fats and potassium, both of which are well known for their role in promoting heart health.

D. Blueberries

Blueberries have powerful health benefits.

They have an impressive nutrition profile, being particularly high in fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese.

Blueberries are also exceptionally high in antioxidants.

In fact, they are believed to contain the highest antioxidant content of the most commonly consumed fruits.

The antioxidants in blueberries may reduce the risk of chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

Blueberries are also known for their powerful effects on the immune system.

It has been found that eating blueberries regularly may increase natural killer cells in the body. These help defend you against oxidative stress and viral infections.

Additionally, the antioxidants in blueberries may have a protective effect on your brain. For example, eating blueberries has been shown to improve memory in older adults.

Overall: Blueberries are rich in a few important nutrients. They have a high antioxidant capacity and immune-enhancing properties, which may protect the body from illness.

E. Apples

Apples are among the most popular fruits, and also happen to be incredibly nutritious.

They contain a high amount of fiber, vitamin C, potassium and vitamin K. They also provide some B vitamins.

It has been suggested that the antioxidants in apples can promote heart health and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s.

The antioxidant activity in apples has also been linked with increased bone density.

Another notable health benefit of apples is their pectin content.

Pectin is a prebiotic fiber that feeds the good bacteria in your gut and helps improve digestion and metabolic health.

Overall: Apples are very nutritious. Their nutrients, antioxidants and fiber may reduce the risk of disease and improve digestion.

F. Pomegranate

Pomegranates are among the healthiest fruits you can eat.

Not only are they nutrient dense, they also contain powerful plant compounds that are responsible for most of their health benefits.

The antioxidant levels in pomegranate have been shown to be three times higher than those of green tea and red wine.

It has been shown that pomegranates have anti-inflammatory effects and may help reduce the risk of cancer.

Overall: Pomegranates have wide-ranging health benefits. They are incredibly high in antioxidants and other plant compounds that can help reduce inflammation and prevent disease.

G. Mango

Mangoes are an excellent source of vitamin C.

They also contain soluble fiber, which can provide many health benefits.

Additionally, mangoes have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may help reduce the risk of disease.

The plant compounds in mangoes have been shown to protect against diabetes.

Overall: Mangoes contain vitamin C and soluble fiber. They also contain plant compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

H. Strawberries

Strawberries are highly nutritious.

Their vitamin C, manganese, folate and potassium contents are where they really shine.

Compared to other fruits, strawberries have a relatively low glycemic index. Eating them shouldn’t cause a big blood sugar spike.

Similarly to other berries, strawberries have a high antioxidant capacity, which may reduce your risk of chronic disease.

Overall: Strawberries are rich in several nutrients and antioxidants. Eating them may help control your blood sugar levels and reduce your risk of some diseases.

I. Cranberries

Cranberries have impressive health benefits.

They have an excellent nutrition profile, being rich in vitamin C, manganese, vitamin E, vitamin K1 and copper.

They also contain a significant amount of antioxidants called flavanol polyphenols, which can improve health.

What makes cranberries unique from other fruits is that their juices and extracts help prevent urinary tract infections.

A-Type proanthocyanidins are the compounds thought to be responsible for this effect, as they can prevent bacteria from attaching to the lining of the bladder and urinary tract.

Overall: Cranberries are rich in several nutrients and antioxidants. They also contain beneficial plant compounds that help prevent

urinary tract infections.

J. Lemons

Lemons are a very healthy citrus fruit known for their high vitamin C content.

They may be particularly helpful in promoting heart health due to their potential to lower blood lipids and blood pressure.

It has been proposed that the plant compounds in lemons can help prevent weight gain.

It has been known that citric acid in lemon juice has the ability to treat kidney stones.

Overall: Lemons are rich in vitamin C and other plant compounds that may promote heart health, boost weight loss and help prevent kidney stones.

K. Durian

Durian is nicknamed the “king of fruits.”

One cup (237 ml) of durian provides 80% of the RDI for vitamin C.

It is also rich in manganese, B vitamins, copper, folate and magnesium.

Furthermore, durian contains several healthy plant compounds that function as antioxidants.

Overall: Durian is rich in nutrients and plant compounds that can provide some promising health benefits.

L. Watermelon

Watermelon is high in vitamins A and C. It’s also rich in some important antioxidants, including lycopene, carotenoids and cucurbitacin E.

Some of watermelon’s antioxidants have been studied for their anti-cancer effects.

Lycopene intake is linked with a reduced risk of cancers of the digestive system, while cucurbitacin E may inhibit tumor growth.

Consuming lycopene-rich foods can also promote heart health because of their ability to reduce cholesterol and blood pressure.

Of all the fruits, watermelon is one of the most hydrating. It is made up of 92% water, which can help you feel more full.

Overall: Watermelon is high in water, nutrients and antioxidants. It is also particularly high in a powerful antioxidant called lycopene.

M. Olives

Olives are a good source of vitamin E, iron, copper and calcium.

They also provide a lot of antioxidants, which may help prevent heart disease and liver damage, as well as have anti-inflammatory effects.

Similarly to avocados, olives contain oleic acid, which may provide several benefits for heart health and cancer prevention.

Additionally, some of the plant compounds in olives can assist towards a reduced risk of osteoporosis.

Overall: Olives provide a variety of vitamins, minerals and

antioxidants. These may reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and

osteoporosis.

N. Blackberries

Blackberries are another incredibly healthy fruit, packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.

They provide an impressive amount of vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese.

One cup (237 ml) of blackberries provides a whopping 8 grams of fiber.

Also, the antioxidants in blackberries have been shown to reduce inflammation and aging of the arteries. Both effects may protect against chronic illness.

Overall: Blackberries are a good source of many nutrients and beneficial plant compounds. Their antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties may lower the risk of chronic disease.

O. Oranges

Oranges are one of the most popular and nutritious fruits in the world.

Eating one medium orange will provide a significant amount of vitamin C and potassium. They’re also a good source of B vitamins, such as thiamine and folate.

The plant compounds in oranges are responsible for most of their health benefits. These include flavonoids, carotenoids and citric acid.

For example, citric acid may reduce the risk of kidney stones.

Oranges are similar to lemons with their impressive amounts of vitamin C and citric acid, which help increase iron absorption and may prevent anemia.

Overall: Oranges contain some important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. These may reduce the risk of several conditions such as kidney stones and anemia.

P. Bananas

Bananas are rich in vitamins and minerals and have quite a few health benefits to offer.

They are well known for being high in potassium. One medium banana provides 12% of the RDI for this mineral.

One unique property of bananas is their carb makeup.

The carbs in green, unripe bananas consist largely of resistant starch, which may improve blood sugar control and make you feel full.

Bananas also contain pectin, which may improve blood sugar control and digestive health.

It has shown that the high carb and mineral content of bananas makes them a great source of fuel before exercise.

Overall: Bananas provide several nutrients and plant compounds, including resistant starch and pectin. Bananas can have benefits for exercise, blood sugar control and digestive health.

Q. Red and Purple Grapes

Grapes are very healthy. Their high antioxidant content is what makes them stand out.

The anthocyanins and resveratrol in grapes have both been shown to reduce inflammation.

Also, the plant compounds in grapes may help protect your heart, eyes, joints and brain.

Overall: Red and purple grapes are rich in nutrients and other plant compounds that can decrease inflammation and lower your risk of disease.

R. Guava

Guava has a remarkable nutrition profile.

Eating just one ounce (28 grams) of guava will give you 107% of the RDI for vitamin C.

Guava is also rich in fiber, folate, vitamin A, potassium, copper and manganese.

The antioxidants in guava have been known to protect cells from oxidative damage, indicating that they may help reduce the risk of chronic disease.

Guava is another great source of pectin, which benefits digestion and may help prevent colon cancer.

Overall: Guava is high in vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. It may reduce inflammation and help prevent certain cancers.

S. Papaya

Papaya is a very healthy fruit that is high in vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium and folate.

It is also rich in the anti-cancer antioxidant lycopene.

What’s more, the body may absorb lycopene better from papaya than from other lycopene-rich fruits and vegetables.

It has been known that papaya may improve digestion. It contains papain, an enzyme that makes protein easier to digest.

Overall: Papaya is nutrient dense and rich in antioxidants. Eating it may reduce your risk of cancer and improve digestion.

T. Cherries

Cherries are rich in nutrients, especially potassium, fiber and vitamin C.

They contain antioxidants, including anthocyanins and carotenoids, which reduce inflammation and may help prevent several diseases.

Another impressive health benefit of cherries is their melatonin content.

Melatonin is a hormone that signals your brain when it’s time to sleep. It may help treat insomnia and other sleep disorders.

It has been known that the melatonin content in tart cherry juice enhanced sleep duration and quality.

Overall: Cherries are rich in nutrients and antioxidants. They also contain melatonin, which may improve the quality of your sleep.

A to T Overview on the above mentioned fruits to assist and support your body towards feeling great.

All fruits are healthy, but some are even healthier than others.

Try eating a variety of fruits from the list above to boost your health.

Thank you for your support. Hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Interesting facts about SALT.

Sat, 13 Mar 2021 02:41:08 GMT

Are You Consuming Too Much Salt?

The body uses sodium to regulate the amount of bodily fluid and to help the nervous and muscular systems function properly. Eating salt, either as a manufacturing additive in processed foods or through the standard salt shaker on most dining tables, is one of the primary ways we get essential sodium in our diets. However, problems can arise when the human body takes too much salt.

1. You'll Get Thirsty A Lot

Most people consuming too much sodium will find they are more thirsty than usual. The body needs extra fluids to help flush out the excess amount of sodium and restore its natural balance. As more salt is consumed, the thirstier you will become until the excess sodium is washed out of your body.

2. Excessive Bathroom Breaks

If excess salt makes you thirsty, it should come as no surprise that you'll likely spend more time in the bathroom, urinating. Sodium makes the body retain water, which causes the kidneys to become more active in trying to eliminate the excess to keep the body's fluids in balance. As kidney function increases, the bladder fills up with urine and causes frequent urges to run to the toilet.

3. You Will Start To Swell Up

Excess sodium interferes with the kidneys' ability to function. As a result, they cannot flush the fluid out of the body as efficiently as before. Some of the excess fluid gets squeezed into the spaces between cells when it cannot be discharged from the body. This is edema and has side effects such as large bags under the eyes and swelling in the feet.

4. Food Becomes Less Appealing

Some people build up a tolerance to the taste-related effects of sodium, and over time, foods start to taste bland not only when they have no salt, but even after a few sprinkles of the salt shaker. This blandness causes people to increase their use of salt when dining, which compounds the problem.

5. You May Start to Get Headaches

Too much salt leads to dehydration in the body and this can lead to headaches. The problem is that dehydration can shrink the brain and cause it to shift away from the skull. This can induce pain until the brain swells back up to normal size once you drink enough fluids to rehydrate.

6. Cravings for Salty Foods

Salt cravings are typically the result of a calcium shortage in the blood. Eating salt reduces the shortage because it draws calcium out of the bones and the body sees this as correcting the deficiency. However, when the bones lose calcium, the body reacts to this shortage, instead and will begin to crave salt in addition to a host of calcium deficiency symptoms.

7. Health Issues

Two key health issues can arise from consuming too much salt:

Kidney Stones: An excess amount of salt often leads to excess protein, which can increase the amount of uric acid in the blood. Too much uric acid can lead to kidney stones.
High Blood Pressure: Sodium increases the amount of fluid in the body, which puts a strain on the cardiovascular system tasked with moving blood and other fluids. The increased strain can cause raised blood pressure.

8. Do You Need Any Salt?

Yes, the human body needs a certain amount of salt to function properly. The exact amount is up for debate since consumption varies in different areas of the world. The rule of thumb in the United States is under 2,300 milligrams per day. This is equal to about a half teaspoon and includes salt from all the sources in your diet.

9. Sources of Excess Salt

Most people know processed food manufacturing and commercial kitchens use a lot of salt. Because we do not see how much the makers add to these foods, it's easy to forget how much is there and consume excessive amounts. Almost 80% of the sodium in an American diet comes from foods such as deli meats, baked goods, cheese, condiments, sodas, and frozen meals.

10. How to Reduce Salt

Reading food labels carefully enables you to keep track of how much salt a product contains and either factor that into consumption or find an alternative. Making food from scratch, from fresh or natural ingredients with no added salt, lets you control exactly how much salt you're consuming. Many nutrition professionals recommend increasing fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats in the diet in order to reduce salt intake. Adding other seasonings, such as herbs and acid-based dressings (homemade, not store-bought, which contain added salt) can bring out the tastes in foods in a healthier manner.

The 12 Different Types of Salt + How to Use Each

In the kitchen, there's no ingredient more important than salt. Aside from being one of the five basic tastes (salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami), salt has properties that release food molecules into the air, giving the food an aroma - an integral part of taste. If you've ever eaten your favorite food while suffering a cold, you'll know just how important smell is. That's why the different types of salt are important to distinguish between.

Salt also highlights and suppresses the different flavors we perceive in our food. In small amounts, salt curbs bitterness, but enhances sweet, sour and umami, giving sweet and sour dishes a more two-dimensional taste. At higher concentrations, it reduces sweetness and enhances umami, making it perfect for savory and meat dishes.

Salt makes food taste good, and that's that. Simple. Right? Well...

Any trip to a gourmet spice aisle will tell you differently. Finely ground powders and coarse, irregular chunks in rainbow hues - deep, crystalline black, iron red, rose pink, fire red and sea grey - await you. Surprising as it may be, there's good reason to keep these varieties around in the kitchen. Let's take a look at 12 different types of salt and what they're best for.

1. TABLE SALT

Table salt - the most common - is harvested from salt deposits found underground. It's highly refined and finely ground, with impurities and trace minerals removed in the process. It's also treated with an anti-caking agent to keep from clumping.

Most table salt is iodized, meaning iodine has been added to prevent iodine deficiency, which can (and does, in much of the world) cause hypothyroidism and other maladies.

2. KOSHER SALT

Koshering salt - or kosher salt, in the U.S. - is flakier and coarser-grained than regular table salt. Its large grain size makes it perfect for sprinkling on top of meat, where it releases a surprising blast of flavor. Kosher salt also dissolves quickly, making it a perfect all-purpose cooking salt.

However, most kosher salt does not contain any added iodine, and only rarely any anti-caking agents. Despite the name, all kosher salt is not certified kosher. Rather, it's used in the koshering process, when surface fluids are removed from meat through desiccation.

3. SEA SALT

Harvested from evaporated seawater, sea salt is usually unrefined and coarser-grained than table salt. It also contains some of the minerals from where it was harvested - zinc, potassium, and iron among them - which give sea salt a more complex flavor profile.

"Sea salt" is a pretty broad term, as it includes some of the specialty salts described below. Sprinkle it on top of foods for a different mouth feel and bigger burst of flavor than table salt.

4. HIMALAYAN PINK SALT

Of the different types of salt, Himalayan salt is the purest form of salt in the world and is harvested by hand from Khewra Salt Mine in the Himalayan Mountains of Pakistan. Its color ranges from off-white to deep pink. Rich in minerals - it contains the 84 natural minerals and elements found in the human body - Himalayan salt is used in spa treatments, as well as the kitchen.

Its mineral content gives it a bolder flavor than many other salts, so use it as a cooking and finishing salt - or to add a bit of flair to a salt-rimmed margarita! Slabs of the stuff are used for cooking and serving (Himalayan salt retains temperature for hours), and unfinished pieces often appear in shops as lamps.

5. CELTIC SEA SALT

Also known as sel gris (French for "grey salt"), Celtic sea salt is harvested from the bottom of tidal ponds off the coast of France. The salt crystals are raked out after sinking; this, plus the mineral-rich seawater its extracted from, gives Celtic salt its moist, chunky grains, grey hue and briny taste.

It's great on fish and meat as both a cooking and finishing salt, as well as for baking.

6. FLEUR DE SEL

Literally "flower of salt," fluer de sel is a sea salt hand-harvested from tidal pools off the coast of Brittany, France. Paper-thin salt crystals are delicately drawn from the water's surface, much like cream is taken from milk. This can only be done on sunny, dry days with a slight breeze, and only with traditional wooden rakes. Because of its scarcity and labor-intensive harvesting, fleur de sel is the most expensive salt (five pounds will run you a cool $80), earning it the nickname "the caviar of salts."

It retains moisture, and has blue-grey tint, from its high mineral content and oceanic beginnings. If you can afford it, use fleur de sel as a finishing salt to add an impressive dash of flavor to meat, seafood, vegetables, even sweets like chocolate and caramel.

7. KALA NAMAK

Kala namak ("black salt" in Nepalese) is Himalayan salt that's been packed in a jar with charcoal, herbs, seeds and bark, then fired in a furnace for a full 24 hours before it's cooled, stored and aged.

This process gives kala namak its reddish-black color, its pungent, salty taste and a faint, sulfurous aroma of eggs. It's often used in vegan and vegetarian dishes to give egg-free dishes the taste of egg.

8. FLAKE SALT

Harvested from salt water through evaporation, boiling or other means, flake salt is thin and irregularly shaped with a bright, salty taste and very low mineral content.

This shapes means the crunchy flake salt dissolves quickly, resulting in a "pop" of flavor. Of the different types of salt, use it as a finishing salt, especially on meats.

9. BLACK HAWAIIAN SALT

Also known as black lava salt, black Hawaiian salt is a sea salt harvested from - you guessed it - the volcanic islands of Hawaii. It gets its deep, black color from the addition of activated charcoal.

Coarse-grained and crunchy, black Hawaiian salt is great for finishing pork and seafood.

10. RED HAWAIIAN SALT

Also called alaea salt, this unrefined, red Hawaiian salt gets its name and color from the reddish, iron-rich volcanic clay alaea.

Used for centuries in ceremonial ways for cleansing, purification and the blessing of tools, red Hawaiian salt is also great in the kitchen, adding an attractive finish and robust flavor to seafood and meat, as well as traditional island dishes like poke and pipikaula, a Hawaiian jerky.

11. SMOKED SALT

Slow-smoked up to two weeks over a wood fire (usually hickory, mesquite, apple, oak or alder wood), smoked salt adds an intense and, yes, smoky flavor to dishes.

Depending on the time smoked and the wood used, tastes will vary from brand to brand. Smoked salt is the best of the different types of salt to use for flavoring meats and heartier vegetables, like potatoes.

12. PICKLING SALT

Used for pickling and brining, pickling salt does not contain any added iodine or anti-caking agents, nor many of the trace minerals of sea salt, which can cause ugly discoloration of the preserved food.

Thank you for your support in listening and sharing this and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Inflammation and Athletes: Daily part of an athlete’s program to monitor and manage.

Thu, 04 Mar 2021 07:12:52 GMT

The Potential Issues for Athletes.

Inflammation and Athletes: This is part of an athlete’s program to monitor and manage.

Inflammation is bad, and you have to eat anti-inflammatory foods. I am sure you have heard this statement before. It may not seem like an immediate issue but ignoring inflammation can derail your ability to train and play your best.

What Is Inflammation?

Your experience with inflammation is likely due to an acute injury, such as a sprained ankle. Almost immediately, your ankle swells up and your range of motion is limited. And it hurts.

"After trauma, the body's small blood vessels are damaged. As a result, plasma, fluid, and blood cells leak out into the space outside of the blood vessels. This creates swelling, redness and warmth that most people equate with inflammation."

You cannot begin to recover from an injury until the inflammation subsides. The Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation method (RICE) is designed to counter subsequent inflammation.

This type of inflammation is immediately apparent. But sometimes, even when you suffer no acute injury and experience no swelling, redness, and warmth, you still might have inflammation.

When you perform an intense or prolonged workout, small micro-tears occur in your muscles. Your body repairs this damage after you are finished. Consider these micro-tears as small injuries, which cause an inflammatory response.

Preventing Inflammation

The easiest way to prevent inflammation—and even reduce it—is to follow a progressive training program that starts slow and gradually increases in difficulty. This method challenges your muscles and promotes strength and size gains without overly stressing your body.

Also, a properly structured training program lets your body recover. A typical program comprises no more than four workouts per week, with rest days between them. You can train more frequently, but make sure to wait 48 hours before reworking a muscle group.

The strength and size gain you experience help fend off acute inflammation-causing injuries. "Reducing inflammation usually means preventing injury."

The Potential Issues for Athletes

Chronic inflammation can lead to serious health issues later in life, but it is predominantly present in people who have unhealthy habits. If you are an active athlete, you are probably fit and have some sense of what constitutes a healthy diet, so this is not a pressing concern.

Normal inflammation caused by a workout is OK. It is a necessary part of the recovery process, and it only affects the muscles you target during your workouts. However, you can run into problems when you push your body too hard. Too much inflammation, and you will reverse your strength and size gains.

The most obvious side effect is delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). DOMS typically occurs when you start a new training program or switch exercise types, like from bodyweight to resistance. Inflammation within your muscles causes a pain response between 24 and 72 hours after your workout.

It is no fun at all, especially if you have to practice or play in a game.

To make matters worse, consistently overtraining with super intense workouts without sufficient recovery leads to chronic inflammation. You experience more aches and pains, your muscles may break down, and you may be more susceptible to illness or injury.

REDUCING INFLAMMATION AND PROMOTING RECOVERY IN ATHLETES

Did you know that inflammation is a normal part of training? After a hard bout of exercise training, inflammation naturally occurs to help athletes’ muscles heal, so athletes can recover and adapt to more difficult workouts as training goes on.

Too much inflammation, though, can become a problem that results from too many hard workouts with not enough focus on recovery nutrition, adequate sleep, and unhealthy diets, and can negatively impact sports performance and compromise immunity, which may lead to days missed from practice or competition. Some athletes may turn to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, to decrease inflammation and prevent or reduce pain, but these drugs have been associated with gut damage and may actually impair training adaptations that help athletes recover and get stronger.

Soreness is a part of daily training, but instead of popping NSAIDs, place a bigger emphasis on recovery and fighting inflammation with the following good nutrition and rest tactics:

Make sleep a priority! Muscles are resting and recovering during sleep, and poor sleep can increase inflammation in the body. Increasing sleep to at least 8 hours and/or napping may improve performance, mood, decrease fatigue, and improve reaction times and focus.

Avoid refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and white rice, soda, French fries, and other fried and processed foods such as crispy/fried chicken, pizza, chips, and packaged dessert cakes, which can increase inflammation.

Add extra produce to your plate by eating more fruits and vegetables, which contain antioxidants and phytochemicals that fight inflammation. Include anti-inflammatory foods, such as tart cherry juice, turmeric, and fish oil to your daily diet, especially during heavy training periods.

Increase your consumption of healthy fats by snacking on walnuts, almonds, peanuts, flax seeds, using olive oil on your salads as dressing, and choosing fatty fish such as salmon and tuna for your protein at several meals a week to reduce inflammation.

Limit or avoid alcohol – over-consumption of alcohol can promote inflammation and disrupts sleep, which together can be detrimental to performance over time.

Eat enough calories to account for your physical activity and make sure you are getting the appropriate amounts of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats (macronutrients). Not eating enough calories may increase stress hormones and leaves athletes without the energy they need to fight off inflammation and recover properly after a hard workout.

Take your rest days seriously! Rest days after hard practices are an integral part of a training plan that help athletes recover and come into the next practice or competition even stronger. Athletes who are feeling run down, feel like they just cannot recover from their last practice/competition or do not see improvements in their performance should talk to their coach about their training and take a look at their diet and lifestyle choices to see where they can improve.

A sports dietitian can work with your training schedule and current diet to help you meet your performance goals this season by developing a nutrition plan that will help you get stronger, perform better, and stay healthy throughout the season.

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Thank you for your support in reading this and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Health Benefits of Turmeric

Wed, 10 Feb 2021 04:40:24 GMT

Why ls Turmeric Good for Me?

What Is Turmeric

There is nothing more spectacular than the bright yellow hue of turmeric, a spice steeped in ancient Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian food, society and medicinal history.

While you may have tried turmeric in curry or yellow mustard (turmeric adds the lovely color there), it’s time to consider expanding your food choices.

A tablespoon of ground turmeric offers 29 calories, nearly a gram of protein, 2 grams of fiber and 6 grams of carbohydrates. It contains minerals such as manganese, phosphorus and potassium. Turmeric also contains magical nutrients -- the kind that practically cast spells to keep you strong and healthy.

Turmeric is used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat inflammation -- both inside and out. Uses include cancer prevention and treatment as well as treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and infections.

Curcumin, a substance in turmeric, is being researched for cancer prevention and treatment, and has shown promise in animal studies. Stick to fresh or dried and powdered versions until more research is conducted and we better understand the use of supplements.

In the Western world, turmeric was first embraced as a fabric dye. Late to adopt, we are just now studying turmeric for its role in assisting in prevention, management and treatment of cystic fibrosis and various cardiovascular and neurological diseases (such as Alzheimer's).

Turmeric may be one of the most effective nutritional supplement in existence.

Many high-quality studies show that it has major benefits for your body and brain.

Here are some health benefits of turmeric.

Turmeric Contains Bioactive Compounds With Powerful Medicinal Properties

Turmeric is the spice that gives curry its yellow color.
It has been used in India for thousands of years as a spice and medicinal herb.
Recently, science has started to back up what Indians have known for a long time — it really does contain compounds with medicinal properties.
These compounds are called curcuminoids, the most important of which is curcumin.
Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant.
However, the curcumin content of turmeric is not that high. It’s around 3%, by weight.
Most of the studies on this herb are using turmeric extracts that contain mostly curcumin itself, with dosages usually exceeding 1 gram per day.
It would be very difficult to reach these levels just using the turmeric spice in your foods.
Therefore, if you want to experience the full effects, you need to take a supplement that contains significant amounts of curcumin.
Unfortunately, curcumin is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream. It helps to consume black pepper with it, which contains piperine, a natural substance that enhances the absorption of curcumin by 2,000%.
The best curcumin supplements contain piperine, substantially increasing their effectiveness.
Curcumin is also fat soluble, so it may be a good idea to take it with a fatty meal.

Curcumin Is a Natural Anti-Inflammatory Compound

Inflammation is incredibly important.
It helps your body fight foreign invaders and also has a role in repairing damage.
Without inflammation, pathogens like bacteria could easily take over your body and kill you.
Although acute, short-term inflammation is beneficial, it can become a major problem when it becomes chronic and inappropriately attacks your body’s own tissues.
Scientists now believe that chronic, low-level inflammation plays a major role in almost every chronic, Western disease. This includes heart disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer’s and various degenerative conditions .
Therefore, anything that can help fight chronic inflammation is of potential importance in preventing and even treating these diseases.
Curcumin is strongly anti-inflammatory. In fact, it’s so powerful that it matches the effectiveness of some anti-inflammatory drugs, without the side effects.
It blocks NF-kB, a molecule that travels into the nuclei of your cells and turns on genes related to inflammation. NF-kB is believed to play a major role in many chronic diseases.
Without getting into the details (inflammation is extremely complicated), the key takeaway is that curcumin is a bioactive substance that fights inflammation at the molecular level.

Turmeric Dramatically Increases the Antioxidant Capacity of the Body

Oxidative damage is believed to be one of the mechanisms behind aging and many diseases.
It involves free radicals, highly reactive molecules with unpaired electrons.
Free radicals tend to react with important organic substances, such as fatty acids, proteins or DNA.
The main reason antioxidants are so beneficial is that they protect your body from free radicals.
Curcumin is a potent antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals due to its chemical structure.
In addition, curcumin boosts the activity of your body’s own antioxidant enzymes.
In that way, curcumin delivers a one-two punch against free radicals. It blocks them directly, then stimulates your body’s own antioxidant defenses.

Curcumin Boosts Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Linked to Improved Brain Function and a Lower Risk of Brain Diseases

Back in the day, it was believed that neurons weren’t able to divide and multiply after early childhood.

However, it’s now known that this does happen.

Neurons are capable of forming new connections, but in certain areas of the brain they can also multiply and increase in number.

One of the main drivers of this process is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is a type of growth hormone that functions in your brain.

Many common brain disorders have been linked to decreased levels of this hormone, including depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

Interestingly, curcumin can increase brain levels of BDNF.

By doing this, it may be effective in delaying or even reversing many brain diseases and age-related decreases in brain function.

It may also improve memory and make you smarter, which seems logical given its effects on BDNF levels. However, controlled studies in people are needed to confirm this.

Curcumin Should Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease

Heart disease is the number 1 cause of death in the world.

Researchers have studied it for many decades and learned a lot about why it happens.

Unsurprisingly, heart disease is incredibly complicated and various things contribute to it.

Curcumin may help reverse many steps in the heart disease process.

Perhaps the main benefit of curcumin when it comes to heart disease is improving the function of the endothelium, which is the lining of your blood vessels.

It’s well known that endothelial dysfunction is a major driver of heart disease and involves an inability of your endothelium to regulate blood pressure, blood clotting and various other factors.

Several studies suggest that curcumin leads to improvements in endothelial function. One study found that it’s as effective as exercise while another shows that it works as well as the drug Atorvastatin.

In addition, curcumin reduces inflammation and oxidation (as discussed above), which play a role in heart disease as well.

Turmeric may assist in the symptoms of Cancer.

Cancer is a terrible disease, characterized by uncontrolled cell growth.

There are many different forms of cancer, which still have several things in common. Some of them appear to be affected by curcumin supplements.

Curcumin has been studied as a beneficial herb in cancer treatment and been found to affect cancer growth, development and spread at the molecular level.

Studies have shown that it can contribute to the death of cancerous cells and reduce angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels in tumors) and metastasis.

Multiple studies indicate that curcumin can reduce the growth of cancerous cells in the laboratory and inhibit the growth of tumors in test animals.

Whether high-dose curcumin (preferably with an absorption enhancer like piperine) can help treat cancer in humans has yet to be studied properly.

However, there is evidence that it may prevent cancer from occurring in the first place, especially cancers of the digestive system like colorectal cancer.

Curcumin May Be Useful in Preventing and Supporting symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the world and a leading cause of dementia.
There may be good news on the horizon because curcumin has been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier.
It’s known that inflammation and oxidative damage play a role in Alzheimer’s disease, and curcumin has beneficial effects on both.
In addition, a key feature of Alzheimer’s disease is a buildup of protein tangles called amyloid plaques.
Whether curcumin can really slow down or even reverse the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in people is currently unknown and needs to be studied properly.

Arthritis Patients Respond Very Well to Curcumin Supplements

Arthritis is a common problem in Western countries.
There are several different types, most of which involve inflammation in the joints.
Given that curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory compound, it makes sense that it may help with arthritis.
Many studies have looked at the effects of curcumin on arthritis and noted improvements in various symptoms

It has been Shown That Curcumin Has Incredible Benefits Against Depression

Curcumin has shown some promise in treating depression.
In a controlled trial, 60 people with depression were randomized into three groups.
One group took Prozac, another group one gram of curcumin and the third group both Prozac and curcumin.
After 6 weeks, curcumin had led to improvements that were similar to Prozac. The group that took both Prozac and curcumin fared best.
According to this small study, curcumin is as effective as an antidepressant.
Depression is also linked to reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and a shrinking hippocampus, a brain area with a role in learning and memory.
Curcumin boosts BDNF levels, potentially reversing some of these changes.
There is also some evidence that curcumin can boost the brain neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine.

Curcumin May Help Delay Aging and Fight Age-Related Chronic Diseases

If curcumin can really help prevent heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s, it would have obvious benefits for longevity.
For this reason, curcumin has become very popular as an anti-aging supplement.
But given that oxidation and inflammation are believed to play a role in aging, curcumin may have effects that go way beyond just preventing disease.

Thank you for your support in reading and sharing this and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

How Positive Thinking Can Improve Your Health

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 06:15:53 GMT

POSITIVE THINKING - MIND - BODY - SOUL

Positive thinking: Stop negative self-talk to reduce stress

Is your glass half-empty or half-full? How you answer this age-old question about positive thinking may reflect your outlook on life, your attitude toward yourself, and whether you're optimistic or pessimistic — and it may even affect your health.

The positive thinking that usually comes with optimism is a key part of effective stress management. And effective stress management is associated with many health benefits. If you tend to be pessimistic, don't despair — you can learn positive thinking skills.

Understanding positive thinking and self-talk

Positive thinking doesn't mean that you keep your head in the sand and ignore life's less pleasant situations. Positive thinking just means that you approach unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. You think the best is going to happen, not the worst.

Positive thinking often starts with self-talk. Self-talk is the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. Other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you create because of lack of information.

If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life is more likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly positive, you're likely an optimist — someone who practices positive thinking.

The health benefits of positive thinking

Explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:

Increased life span
Lower rates of depression
Lower levels of distress
Greater resistance to the common cold
Better psychological and physical well-being
Better cardiovascular health and reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress
It's unclear why people who engage in positive thinking experience these health benefits. One theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body.

It's also thought that positive and optimistic people tend to live healthier lifestyles — they get more physical activity, follow a healthier diet, and don't smoke or drink alcohol in excess.

Identifying negative thinking

Not sure if your self-talk is positive or negative? Some common forms of negative self-talk include:

Filtering. You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out all of the positive ones. For example, you had a great day at work. You completed your tasks ahead of time and were complimented for doing a speedy and thorough job. That evening, you focus only on your plan to do even more tasks and forget about the compliments you received.

Personalizing. When something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself. For example, you hear that an evening out with friends is canceled, and you assume that the change in plans is because no one wanted to be around you.

Catastrophizing. You automatically anticipate the worst. The drive-through coffee shop gets your order wrong and you automatically think that the rest of your day will be a disaster.

Polarizing. You see things only as either good or bad. There is no middle ground. You feel that you have to be perfect or you're a total failure.

Focusing on positive thinking

You can learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. The process is simple, but it does take time and practice — you're creating a new habit, after all. Here are some ways to think and behave in a more positive and optimistic way:

Identify areas to change. If you want to become more optimistic and engage in more positive thinking, first identify areas of your life that you usually think negatively about, whether it's work, your daily commute or a relationship. You can start small by focusing on one area to approach in a more positive way.

Check yourself. Periodically during the day, stop and evaluate what you're thinking. If you find that your thoughts are mainly negative, try to find a way to put a positive spin on them.

Be open to humor. Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during difficult times. Seek humor in everyday happenings. When you can laugh at life, you feel less stressed.

Follow a healthy lifestyle. Aim to exercise for about 30 minutes on most days of the week. You can also break it up into 10-minute chunks of time during the day. Exercise can positively affect mood and reduce stress. Follow a healthy diet to fuel your mind and body. And learn techniques to manage stress.

Surround yourself with positive people. Make sure those in your life are positive, supportive people you can depend on to give helpful advice and feedback. Negative people may increase your stress level and make you doubt your ability to manage stress in healthy ways.

Practice positive self-talk. Start by following one simple rule: Don't say anything to yourself that you wouldn't say to anyone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations of what is good about you. Think about things you're thankful for in your life.

We’ve all heard the sayings about the power of positive thinking. But what many of us haven’t heard of is the power that those positive thoughts can have on our physical health and social environment. If more of us were aware of the benefits from a simple state of mind, imagine what a world we could live in.

Change your mind, change your life.

POSITIVE THINKING CAN IMPROVE PHYSICAL HEALTH:

CAN IMPROVE THE IMMUNE SYSTEM.

With recent events worldwide, current medical research has focused on ways the immune system functions and can be improved. In a similar effect, psychological studies show that people recover from illnesses such as flu and colds faster and are less symptomatic than compared with people who have a more negative thought process.

CAN DECREASE BLOOD PRESSURE.

By having more positive thinking, stress becomes less of a factor in your life. As a result, all of those negative side effects from stress also become irrelevant. Heart disease, high blood pressure, and other heart-related effects will become less significant if not eliminated completely. It’s not just a state of mind, but positive thinking can literally save your life.

CAN INCREASE RESILIENCE.

People who have positive thoughts also have better coping skills. As a result, they are better at healing after a medical setback. Not only is the immune system improved as mentioned, but healing after surgical procedures, fractures, and other acute injuries have been shown to be faster than negative counterparts.

CONTRIBUTES TO LONGEVITY.

On average, people with the power of positive thinking average a lifespan of 10 years longer than those with negative thoughts. This is due to a culmination of all of these physical benefits that allow you to enjoy improved health and physical function longer into your golden years.

CAN INCREASE PAIN TOLERANCE.

Nobody wants to have to tolerate pain, but there are times where you might not have a choice. Let’s say you overdo it on that new workout fad and you wake up barely able to move. With positive thinking, your mindset reduces the focus on pain and discomfort.

CAN IMPROVE SOCIAL HEALTH:

Social perception of people is so important in today’s world of social media where “image is everything”. If you are perceived as positive, society will place a higher value and level of respect on your decisions, opinions, and overall level of interaction. Whether you are working in a corporation or business for sales or you are an individual striving to make your mark on the world, here’s how positive thinking can help you do that:

CONTRIBUTES TO LEADERSHIP SKILLS.

People who have more positive thoughts are more likely to be hired for jobs in a leadership position. Similarly, people with more positive thoughts are more likely to be promoted to a leadership position. Studies show that positive people are more likely to be followed by employees. Another example is that salespeople who are positive have more sales than those who are perceived as negative.

POSITIVE THINKERS ENJOY LIFE MORE.

People who have more positive thoughts have an overall better love for life. They are often more socially outgoing, interacting with people and their community, and enjoying their environment and surroundings to the fullest.

INCREASES SELF-ESTEEM.

Self-esteem is a natural by-product of positive thinking. If you think positively, then you will have more confidence in yourself and in the situation you are in. And, again, people are attracted to people with a healthy dose of self-esteem. Just make sure to keep your self-esteem in check before it turns into arrogance and you lose those people you lead.

HELPS CREATE HEALTHIER RELATIONSHIPS.

Relationships are perhaps the most difficult thing in life for many people to master. But studies show that people with a positive outlook not only find their perfect partner but stay married longer. You can also put those interpersonal skills to good use in the workplace by forging positive relationships with coworkers and potential clients.

PRODUCES BETTER HABITS.

With positive thinking comes more social awareness and better-coping skills. People make better decisions with such things as drinking, exercising, and eating better. They are more socially aware of their actions and how they are perceived. They are less likely to give in to social pressures that aren’t good for them. Their decision-making skills are more detailed and objective and geared to a better overall outcome for everyone involved.

Practicing positive thinking every day

If you tend to have a negative outlook, don't expect to become an optimist overnight. But with practice, eventually your self-talk will contain less self-criticism and more self-acceptance. You may also become less critical of the world around you.

When your state of mind is generally optimistic, you're better able to handle everyday stress in a more constructive way. That ability may contribute to the widely observed health benefits of positive thinking.

Thank you for your support in reading and sharing this and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Reasons You May Feel Tired All the Time

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 05:03:00 GMT

Let us look at possible areas.

Are you always feeling tired? Do you feel like each day is an effort to manage to get through? Do you know why you are so tired consistently? Well, let us look at a few areas that you may relate too, and possibly may be able to alter your existing lifestyle choices to benefit gaining more energy back into each day.

Most people wouldn’t consider daytime sleepiness to be a big deal. A lot of the time, it isn’t. But if your sleepiness is ongoing and getting in the way of your everyday life, it may be time to see the doctor.

It’s possible you’re not getting enough sleep because of an underlying health issue. Your physician can help you figure out the cause of your tiredness and how to manage it.

Many factors can be contributing to your sleepiness.

Here are some possible reasons why you may feel tired all the time and they may actually surprise you.

Dietary Choices

If you have a tendency to skip meals, you may not be getting the calories you need to keep your energy up. Long gaps in between meals can cause your blood sugar to drop, decreasing your energy.

It’s important not to skip meals. In fact, you should also eat healthy energy-boosting snacks between meals, especially when you start to feel sluggish. Healthy snack options include bananas, peanut butter, whole-grain crackers, protein bars, dried fruit, and nuts.

Vitamin deficiency

Being tired all the time can also be a sign of vitamin deficiency. This could include low levels of vitamin D, vitamin B-12, iron, magnesium, or potassium. A routine blood test can help identify a deficiency.

Your doctor may recommend taking supplements. You can also increase your intake of certain foods to correct a deficiency naturally. For example, eating clams, beef, and liver may reverse a B-12 deficiency.

Poor sleep patterns

Late nights can take a toll on your energy level. Most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. If you get into a habit of staying up late, you’re putting yourself at risk for sleep deprivation.

Practice better sleep habits to boost your energy. Go to bed earlier and take steps to improve the quality of your sleep. Sleep in a dark, quiet, and comfortable room. Avoid stimulating activities before bed, like exercise and watching TV.

If your sleep doesn’t improve with self-care, talk to your doctor. You may need a prescription sleep aid or a sleep study.

Being overweight

Being overweight can also cause tiredness. The more weight you carry, the harder your body must work to complete everyday tasks like climbing stairs or cleaning.

Come up with a plan to lose weight and improve your energy level. Start with light activity such as walking or swimming, and gradually increase intensity as your stamina allows. Also, eat more fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Curb your intake of sugar, junk foods, and fatty foods.

Sedentary lifestyle

Physical activity can also boost your energy level. A sedentary lifestyle, on the other hand, can leave you feeling exhausted and sleepy.

It has been noted that how an inactive and sedentary lifestyle has influenced feelings of fatigue in general, so get moving with increased physical activity to contribute to more energy and vigor.

It can be difficult and overwhelming for some, however, start slowly as any activity daily is better than none. Start with 10 minutes twice daily and build up to 30-45 minutes daily of simply exercises that increase your heart rate like swimming, walking, and or riding a bike. Choose to level appropriate to your fitness level.

Stress

Chronic stress can cause headaches, muscle tension, stomach problems, and fatigue.

When under stress, your body goes into fight-or-flight mode. This causes an increase in cortisol and adrenaline, which prepares your body to deal with such situations. In small doses, this response is safe. In the case of chronic or ongoing stress, it takes a toll on your body’s resources, leaving you feeling exhausted.

Learning how to control stress may improve your energy level. Start by setting limitations, creating realistic goals, and practicing changes to your thought patterns. Deep breathing and meditation can also help you stay calm in stressful situations.

Depression

When you feel depressed, lack of energy and tiredness can follow. Depression can be overwhelming, embarrassing, and carries an unwanted judgement that actually can leave you feeling worse.

It is important to discuss with your family and friends what you are going through so they too can understand. People do care, it sometimes feel like they may not, however, it often can be due to lack of knowledge in understanding exactly what you are experiencing.

If you’re experiencing depression, talk to your doctor and discuss treatment options.

Your doctor may prescribe an antidepressant or an anti-anxiety medication. You might also benefit from mental health counseling. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a type of treatment that helps correct negative thought patterns that lead to a negative mood and depression.

Sleep disorders

A sleep disorder is sometimes the underlying cause of tiredness. If your energy level doesn’t improve after a few weeks, or after you make the right lifestyle modifications, speak with your physician. You may need to see a sleep specialist.

A sleep disorder like sleep apnea can be causing your tiredness. Sleep apnea is when your breathing pauses while you’re asleep. As a result, your brain and body don’t receive enough oxygen at night. This can lead to daytime fatigue.

Sleep apnea is a serious condition. It can cause high blood pressure, poor concentration, and lead to a stroke or heart attack. Treatment involves using a CPAP machine or an oral device to keep the upper airway open while you’re asleep.

Chronic fatigue syndrome

You may feel tired all the time if you have chronic fatigue syndrome. This condition causes extreme fatigue that doesn’t improve with sleep. Its cause is unknown.

There’s no test to confirm chronic fatigue. Your physician must rule out other health problems before making a diagnosis. Treatment involves learning how to live within your physical limitations or pacing yourself. Moderate exercise may also help you feel better and increase your energy.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia causes widespread muscle pain and tenderness. This condition affects the muscles and soft tissue, but it can also cause fatigue. Because of the pain, some people with the condition are unable to sleep at night. This can lead to daytime sleepiness and fatigue.

It has been noted that the dietary choices can have a positive, and negative impact on the symptoms of Fibromyalgia. Foods high in sugars, and or refined carbohydrates actually fuel inflammatory levels which can activate pain receptors. It can be beneficial to keep a food diary and make notes on what you eat, and drink, and how you are feeling.

We can have patterns occur depending on the fuel we give our body and it's response. So, it is worth keeping a daily record to isolate responses that you find beneficial to understand. If you know what is causing the responses then you can make changes in your dietary choices that possibly may make a favourable difference.

Taking an over-the-counter pain reliever can help improve pain and sleep. Also, some people have had positive results with an antidepressant, as well as physical therapy and exercise.

Medication

Sometimes, medication can cause you to feel tired all the time. Think back to when you first noticed daytime sleepiness. Was this around the time when you started a new medication?

Check medication labels to see if fatigue is a common side effect. If so, talk to your physician. They might be able to prescribe another medication, or reduce your dosage.

Diabetes

Feeling tired all the time can also be a symptom of diabetes. When you have diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin. This can cause high blood sugar, which can affect your concentration and leave you feeling fatigued and irritable.

See a physician for any unexplained fatigue that doesn’t improve. Keep in mind that fatigue can also be a symptom of other medical conditions like heart disease and cancer.

Note:

Some days are more tiring than others. It’s important to recognize ordinary sleepiness from excessive tiredness.

In most cases, excessive sleepiness can be fixed with some lifestyle changes. If you still feel worn out after trying to manage your fatigue on your own, talk to your physician. You may have a sleep disorder or another medical condition that needs attention.

Thank you for your support in reading and sharing this and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Getting back on track after the holidays.

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 06:02:05 GMT

Feeling lethargic? Have you been left feeling flat?

Ways to Get Back on Track and Reconnected to a Healthy Lifestyle .

Overindulge these holidays?

I don't know about you, but I love the holidays. All that festive cheer, time off work, yummy food, catching up with friends, and sleep-ins are simply wonderful. If you live in a country that enjoys Christmas in the warmer climate, that means beach time, pool time and sunshine. For those in a white Christmas in the colder climate, it is warm clothes, cozy fires, and plenty of warm meals.

But the holidays can be fraught with anxiety and danger. All that delicious food can seriously derail your good intentions, and fast.

If you've found yourself wondering where all your good work has gone over the holidays, never fear! My tried and tested steps for getting back on track after the holidays will have you feeling on top of things in no time.

Getting back on track ideas:

Leave The Holiday Vibe With The Holidays

You had a great time, got to relax, ate food you wouldn't normally eat, but now it's time to get back on track. Just because you let things slide a little during the holidays doesn't mean it needs to become your new normal. So thank the holidays for the fun they brought you and leave those holiday ways there... with the holidays.

Clear Out The Crap

Is your fridge bursting at the seams with leftover holiday food? Now is the time to pass it on to friends or throw it out. Those little treats will call your name loudly if you leave them where you see them (I know this all too well. Anyone else have chocolate call their name?!).

Plan Your Meals

The quickest way to get back on track is to plan meals. When you know what you will be eating for the week ahead, you are way more likely to stick to it and get back in control after a break. Map each week out with all the recipes, weekly shopping lists, so all you need to do is get the food and start cooking. When you let yourself get too hungry, it's all too easy to overeat. To avoid that, plan nutritious snacks into your day. When you're away from home, carry a "snack pack" filled with healthy options: things like dried and fresh fruits, baby carrots, nonfat yogurt, trail mix, whole-grain cereal, nuts, and baked chips.

Get Accountable

It has been found that people were 65% more likely to achieve their goals if they committed to someone that would do it. Find an accountability buddy and let them know what you want to achieve.

Remember Your WHY

It can be hard finding motivation to get back on track after the holidays. By focusing on why you want to feel better, you will re-direct your mind to the end goal. Perhaps you want to wake up feeling energized, healthy and happy. Ask yourself - is this meal, activity or lifestyle leading me towards or away from that goal?

Set Goals

Get clear on what it is you want to achieve. Write it down. Make it SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. What else will bring you satisfaction if you can achieve it? Your goals don't have to be huge goals to make them worthwhile. By achieving lots of little goals, your sense of achievement will grow with each one and your mindset will strengthen in the knowledge that you can achieve things you set your mind to.

Move Your Body

For many of us, the holidays can equal a more sedentary lifestyle. Coupled with extra food and possibly alcohol, our bodies can be crying out for some gentle movement. Things like yoga, walking, swimming and stretching can be really beneficial. Pick a movement that you love doing and start with that one. Even 5 minutes will be beneficial to your body. Don't stop moving. Even if you can't make it to the gym, duck out for a 20-minute walk. Exercise not only helps you burn the extra calories you took in while you were off your plan, but it also relieves boredom and stress that can trigger overeating.

Hydrate

When you are out of your routine, it is easy to forget to drink enough water. And when the weather is freezing or boiling hot, our body needs us to keep up the H2O more than ever. Getting your water intake back to what it should be is one of the easiest ways to support your return to health.

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff

So you let your hair down over the holidays. Did you have fun? Was it worth it? Yes? Then that's great! Focus on the fun you had, the lovely social interactions you got to enjoy and even the vacation from your regular food choices. What is done, is done and you can't change the past. Instead, look to the future and get organized for going forward. The only thing worrying about what you did will do is tie your gut up in knots. And no one wants that.

Don't turn the relapse into a moral issue.

You're not a bad person or destined to be fat just because you slipped up. Think of the setback as a way to develop coping skills. Going off your diet is a signal that your motivation has veered off track. So sit down and take stock: When you were following your program, how did you feel? What was motivating you then? Recreating those feelings can help you get your incentive back.

Learn from your experience.

If you don't recognize what led you to fall off the diet wagon, you'll probably react the same way the next time the situation arises. Write down a list of the situations that trigger you to overeat, and plan an alternative for each. For example, if parties are your downfall, have a healthy snack beforehand to keep your appetite in check. Don't try to make up for the slip with a punishing regime of diet and exercise. You may lose weight this way, but you're almost sure to gain it back. This will only set up an unhealthy pattern of gaining and losing, and create anxiety about your relationship with food.

Look at the big picture.

Realize that weight loss requires a decrease in calories over time, but it doesn't matter what the exact time period is. So consider your food intake a week or a month at a time instead of every day. Chances are you'll have good days and bad days, and slipping up once in a while isn't that big of a deal. You can always make up for it later in the week, or at the next meal.

Don't deprive yourself.

Cutting out all your favorite foods is a sure-fire way to trigger feelings of deprivation that can lead to a binge. Instead, choose healthier options: have a half-cup of low-fat frozen yogurt instead of a pint of ice cream, a bite-sized candy bar instead of a whole one.

Change your routine.

Use starting anew as an opportunity to try a new exercise class -- maybe belly dancing -- and add some new, healthy foods to your regime (visit your local farmer's market for inspiration). It will add spark to your routine and keep you from getting bored.

Check Your Sleep

How did you sleep over the holidays? Did you use it as a time to enjoy relaxing sleep-ins? Or did you find yourself going to bed later than normal and missing out on some much needed sleep? If you're the latter, now is the time to re-set your sleep rhythm. Aim to get to bed 15 minutes earlier each day. It can take a week to get back into my normal routine, but you may find it easier to slowly return to my regular bedtime schedule than to lie awake in bed for hours waiting for sleep to befall you. Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to start getting ready for bed. Turn off all electronic devices a few hours before bedtime, enjoy a warm shower or a soothing cup of herbal (non-caffeinated) tea. Whatever your bedtime routine, ensuring you are getting plenty of uninterrupted sleep each night will support you to achieve your health goals.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Why Is Water Important for our Health?

Sun, 13 Dec 2020 00:27:24 GMT

Reasons to Drink Up for Your Bodies Health.
Nearly all of the major systems in your body depend on water.

Water – a vital nutrient

The human body can last weeks without food, but only days without water. The body is made up of 50 to 75 per cent water. Water forms the basis of blood, digestive juices, urine and perspiration, and is contained in lean muscle, fat and bones.

As the body can’t store water, we need fresh supplies every day to make up for losses from the lungs, skin, urine and faeces (poo). The amount we need depends on our body size, metabolism, the weather, the food we eat and our activity levels.

Water is essential to most bodily functions.
The body has no way to store water and needs fresh supplies every day.
The best source of fluids is fresh tap water.
A child will need different amounts of fluid, depending on their age and gender.
Women should have about two litres (eight cups) of fluids a day, and men about 2.6 litres (10 cups).
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding need more fluid each day than other women.
Dehydration can happen when the body’s fluids are low. It can be life threatening, especially to babies, children and the elderly.

Water in our bodies

Some facts about our internal water supply include:

Body water content is higher in men than in women and falls in both with age.
Most mature adults lose about 2.5 to 3 litres of water per day. Water loss may increase in hot weather and with prolonged exercise.
Elderly people lose about two litres per day.
An air traveller can lose approximately 1.5 litres of water during a three-hour flight.
Water loss needs to be replaced.

Importance of water

Water is needed for most body functions, including to:

maintain the health and integrity of every cell in the body
keep the bloodstream liquid enough to flow through blood vessels
help eliminate the by-products of the body’s metabolism, excess electrolytes (for example, sodium and potassium), and urea, which is a waste product formed through the processing of dietary protein
regulate body temperature through sweating
moisten mucous membranes such as those of the lungs and mouth
lubricate and cushion joints
reduce the risk of cystitis by keeping the bladder clear of bacteria
aid digestion and prevent constipation
moisturize the skin to maintain its texture and appearance
carry nutrients and oxygen to cells
serve as a shock absorber inside the eyes, spinal cord and in the amniotic sac surrounding the foetus in pregnancy.

Water in our food

Most foods, even those that look hard and dry, contain water. The body can get about 20 per cent of its total water requirements from solid foods alone.
The process of digesting foods also produces a small amount of water as a by-product which can be used by the body. Water sourced this way can provide around 10 per cent of the body’s water requirements.
The remaining 70 per cent or so of water required by the body must come from fluids (liquids).

What’s the big deal?

It’s common to hear that water is essential for your health. But why?

This substance makes up a majority of your body weight and is involved in many important functions, including:

flushing out waste from your body
regulating body temperature
helping your brain function

You get most of your water from drinking beverages, but food also contributes a small amount to your daily water intake.

It helps create saliva

Water is a main component of saliva. Saliva also includes small amounts of electrolytes, mucus, and enzymes. It’s essential for breaking down solid food and keeping your mouth healthy.

Your body generally produces enough saliva with regular fluid intake. However, your saliva production may decrease as a result of age or certain medications or therapies.

It regulates your body temperature

Staying hydrated is crucial to maintaining your body temperature. Your body loses water through sweat during physical activity and in hot environments.
Your sweat keeps your body cool, but your body temperature will rise if you don’t replenish the water you lose. That’s because your body loses electrolytes and plasma when it’s dehydrated.
If you’re sweating more than usual, make sure you drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.

It protects your tissues, spinal cord, and joints

Water consumption helps lubricate and cushion your joints, spinal cord, and tissues. This will help you enjoy physical activity and lessen discomfort caused by conditions like arthritis.

It helps excrete waste through perspiration, urination, and defecation

Your body uses water to sweat, urinate, and have bowel movements.
Sweat regulates body temperature when you’re exercising or in warm temperatures. You need water to replenish the lost fluid from sweat.
You also need enough water in your system to have healthy stool and avoid constipation.
Your kidneys are also important for filtering out waste through urination. Adequate water intake helps your kidneys work more efficiently and helps to prevent kidney stones.

It helps maximize physical performance

Drinking plenty of water during physical activity is essential. Athletes may perspire up to 6 to 10 percent.
Hydration also affects your strength, power, and endurance.
You may be more susceptible to the effects of dehydration if you’re participating in endurance training or high-intensity sports such as basketball.
Negative effects of exercise in the heat without enough water can include serious medical conditions, like decreased blood pressure and hyperthermia. Extreme dehydration can cause seizures and even death.

It helps prevent constipation

Eating fiber isn’t the only way to prevent constipation. It’s also important to maintain your water intake so your bowel movements contain enough water.
If you don’t consume enough water, magnesium, and fiber, you may be more likely to experience constipation.
If you’re already constipated, you may find that drinking carbonated water as well as plain water can help ease your symptoms.

It aids in digestion

Contrary to what some believe, experts confirm drinking water before, during, and after a meal will help your body break down the food you eat more easily. This will help you digest food more effectively and get the most out of your meals.
The body adapts to changes in the consistency of food and stomach contents, whether more solid or more liquid.

It helps with nutrient absorption

In addition to helping with food breakdown, water also helps dissolve vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from your food. It then delivers these vitamin components to the rest of your body for use.

It helps you lose weight

It has been shown that body fat and weight loss with drinking water in both overweight girls and women. Drinking more water while dieting and exercising may just help you lose extra pounds.

It improves blood oxygen circulation

Water carries helpful nutrients and oxygen to your entire body. Reaching your daily water intake will improve your circulation and have a positive impact on your overall health.

It helps fight off illness

Drinking enough water can help prevent certain medical conditions. These include:

constipation
kidney stones
exercise-induced asthma
urinary tract infection
hypertension

Water also helps you absorb important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from your food, which will increase your chances of staying healthy.

It helps boost energy

Drinking water may activate your metabolism. A boost in metabolism has been associated with a positive impact on energy level.
It has been found that drinking 500 milliliters of water boosted the metabolic rate by 30 percent in both men and women. These effects appeared to last over an hour.

It aids in cognitive function

Proper hydration is key to staying in tip-top cognitive shape. It indicates that not drinking enough water can negatively impact your focus, alertness, and short-term memory.

It helps improve mood

Not getting enough water can also affect your mood. Dehydration may result in fatigue and confusion as well as anxiety.

It helps keep skin bright

Adequate water intake will help keep your skin hydrated and may promote collagen production. However, water intake alone isn’t enough to reduce the effects of aging. This process is also connected to your genes and overall sun protection.

It prevents overall dehydration

Dehydration is the result of your body not having enough water. And because water is imperative to so many bodily functions, dehydration can be very dangerous.

Severe dehydration can result in a number of severe complications, including:

swelling in your brain
kidney failure
seizures

Make sure you drink enough water to make up for what’s lost through sweat, urination, and bowel movements to avoid dehydration.

How much should you drink?

Being attentive to the amount of water you drink each day is important for optimal health. Most people drink when they’re thirsty, which helps regulate daily water intake.

General water intake (from all beverages and foods) that meet most people’s needs are:

about 15.5 cups of water (125 ounces) each day for men
about 11.5 cups (91 ounces) daily for women
People get about 20 percent of their daily water intake from food. The rest is dependent on drinking water and water-based beverages. So, ideally men would consume about 100 ounces (3.0 liters) of water from beverages, and women, about 73 ounces (2.12 liters) from beverages.

You’ll have to increase your water intake if you’re exercising or living in a hotter region to avoid dehydration.

Other ways to assess hydration include your thirst and the color of your urine. Feeling thirsty indicates your body is not receiving adequate hydration. Urine that is dark or colored indicates dehydration. Pale or non-colored urine typically indicates proper hydration.

How to get enough fluid in your diet

If the idea of having to drink lots of cups of water a day doesn’t appeal, don’t worry – fluids include fresh water and all other liquids, such as milk, coffee, tea, soup, juice and even soft drinks.

Fresh water is the best drink because it does not contain energy (kilojoules) and is best for hydrating the body. Water from the tap is also mostly free and generally available wherever you go.

However, milk is about 90 per cent water and is an important fluid, especially for children. Just remember to choose full-fat milk for children under two years old and low-fat and reduced-fat varieties for everyone else.

Tea can also be an important source of fluid. Tea can help you meet your daily fluid recommendations, and is a source of antioxidants and polyphenols, which appear to protect against heart disease and cancer.

If you prefer to get some of your fluids from fruit, aim to eat whole pieces of fresh fruit instead of having fruit juice – you’ll still get the delicious fruity juice (fluids) but you’ll also benefit from the bonus fibre and nutrients while avoiding the extra sugar found in fruit juice.

Tips for drinking more water

Add a squeeze or slice of lemon or lime, or some strawberries or mint leaves to plain water to add variety.
Keep a bottle or glass of water handy on your desk or in your bag.
Drink some water with each meal and snack.
Add ice cubes made from fresh fruit to a glass of water.

Avoid sugary and artificially sweetened drinks

Try to limit intake of drinks containing added sugar. This includes sugar-sweetened soft drinks and cordials, fruit drinks, vitamin-style waters, flavoured mineral waters, energy and sports drinks.

Having sugary drinks provides additional energy (kilojoules) to the diet, but no other essential nutrients. There is strong evidence of the association between having sugary dinks and excess weight gain in both children and adults, as well as reduced bone strength and tooth decay.

Artificially sweetened drinks add very little energy (kilojoules) to the diet and therefore do not contribute directly to weight gain. However, artificially sweetened drinks still maintain the ‘habit’ of drinking sweet drinks. They may also lead to decreased bone density (as people may drink less milk) and contribute to tooth decay due to their acidity.

Dehydration

Dehydration occurs when the water content of the body is too low. This is easily fixed by increasing fluid intake.

Symptoms of dehydration

Symptoms of dehydration include:

thirst
headaches
lethargy
mood changes and slow responses
dry nasal passages
dry or cracked lips
dark-coloured urine
weakness
tiredness
confusion and hallucinations.

If dehydration is not corrected by fluid intake, eventually urination stops, the kidneys fail, and the body can’t remove toxic waste products. In extreme cases, dehydration may result in death.

Causes of dehydration

There are several factors that can cause dehydration including:

not drinking enough water
increased sweating due to hot weather, humidity, exercise or fever
insufficient signalling mechanisms in the elderly – sometimes, older adults do not feel thirsty even though they may be dehydrated
increased output of urine due to a hormone deficiency, diabetes, kidney disease or medications
diarrhoea or vomiting
recovering from burns.

Getting the right balance of fluid intake

Not drinking enough water can increase the risk of kidney stones and, in women, urinary tract infections. It can also lower your physical and mental performance, and your salivary gland function, and lead to dehydration.

But did you know that it is possible to drink too much water and cause a condition called hyponatraemia (water intoxication)?

Water intoxication (hyponatraemia)

Drinking too much water can damage the body and cause hyponatraemia (water intoxication), although it is pretty rare in the general population.
Hyponatraemia occurs when sodium in the blood, which is needed for muscle contraction and sending nerve impulses, drops to a dangerously low level.
If large amounts of plain water are consumed in a short period of time, the kidneys cannot get rid of enough fluid through urine and the blood becomes diluted. Hyponatraemia can lead to headaches, blurred vision, cramps (and eventually convulsions), swelling of the brain, coma and possibly death.
For water to reach toxic levels, many litres of water would have to be consumed in a short period of time.
Hyponatraemia is most common in people with particular diseases or mental illnesses (for example, in some cases of schizophrenia), endurance athletes and in infants who are fed infant formula that is too diluted.

Fluid retention

Many people believe that drinking water causes fluid retention. In fact, the opposite is true. Drinking water helps the body rid itself of excess sodium, which results in less fluid retention.

The body will retain fluid if there is too little water in the cells. If the body receives enough water on a regular basis, there will be no need for it to hold onto water and this will reduce fluid retention.

The bottom line

Water is important to nearly every part of your body. Not only will hitting your daily recommended intake help you maintain your current state of being, it may even improve your overall health.

Here are some ideas for how you can be sure you drink enough:

Carry a water bottle with you wherever you go. This way you can drink whenever the need strikes.
Keep track of your intake. Aim to take in optimum amounts every day, a minimum of half your body weight in ounces.
Pace yourself to approach half of your recommended consumption by midday. You can always finish about an hour before you plan to sleep.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Reasons Why Good Sleep Is Important

Sat, 12 Dec 2020 23:03:41 GMT

A good night’s sleep is incredibly important for your health.

Why Sleep is Important

It is well known that sleep is an important biological function essential for life. While we sleep many important functions take place that help the body in physical recovery and repair, support brain development, cardiac function and body metabolism, as well as support learning, improving memory and mood. Sleep is especially important for children playing an important role in growth and overall health and babies and children need much more sleep than adults.

Without enough sleep we are more likely to have problems with thinking, concentration, memory, reaction times and mood, all of which make it harder to perform our daily tasks and increase the risks of mistakes and accidents. Regular insufficient or poor sleep contributes to long-term health problems such as;

Obesity
Type 2 diabetes
Cardiovascular disease
Poor mental health.

How Sleep Works

Sleep is a state of reduced consciousness, but one which we can be easily wakened. When we sleep our brains remain active, although activity levels vary throughout the course of sleep along with other physiological functions, such as body temperature, breathing and heart rate.

Sleep Drive and our Body Clock

Our sleep is controlled by two interacting systems:

Homeostatic sleep drive processes which balance out time awake with periods of sleep. In other words, when we have been awake for a long period, this process ensures we feel sleepy and helps us sleep long enough to make up for the time we are awake.

Body Clock is the name often used to refer to Circadian Rhythms. Circadian rhythms are created by our central nervous system and control a lot of our biological process such as sleep, as well as body temperature and hormone activity. Our circadian rhythms are also synchronized with the 24-hour cycle of light and dark resulting in our normal pattern of night-time sleep.

If our circadian rhythms are disrupted it can interfere with our sleep. For example, Jet Lag occurs when our circadian rhythms are disrupted by long-distance flying.

Sleep cycles

Sleep is divided into different periods of light and deep sleep across the night. These occur in cycles of about 90 minutes. Each cycle includes periods of non-REM sleep, ranging from light to deep sleep, and REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep when our brains are more active and dreams occur.

Sleep cycles are different for older and younger people. Sleep cycles can be affected by a number of things such as disruption to your body clock (circadian rhythms), too much day-time napping, stress, exercise or too much exposure to bright light prior to usual bed time.

A good night’s sleep is incredibly important for your health.

In fact, it’s just as important as eating healthy and exercising.

Unfortunately, there’s a lot that can interfere with natural sleep patterns.

People are now sleeping less than they did in the past, and sleep quality has decreased as well.

Poor sleep is linked to higher body weight.

Poor sleep is strongly linked to weight gain.
People with short sleep duration tend to weigh significantly more than those who get adequate sleep.
In fact, short sleep duration is one of the strongest risk factors for obesity.
In one extensive review study, children and adults with short sleep duration were 89% and 55% more likely to develop obesity, respectively.
The effect of sleep on weight gain is believed to be mediated by numerous factors, including hormones and motivation to exercise.
If you’re trying to lose weight, getting quality sleep is absolutely crucial.

SUMMARY

Short sleep duration is associated with an increased risk of weight gain and obesity in both children and adults.

Good sleepers tend to eat fewer calories

It has been shown that sleep-deprived individuals have a bigger appetite and tend to eat more calories.
Sleep deprivation disrupts the daily fluctuations in appetite hormones and is believed to cause poor appetite regulation.
This includes higher levels of ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates appetite, and reduced levels of leptin, the hormone that suppresses appetite.

SUMMARY

Poor sleep affects hormones that regulate appetite. Those who get adequate sleep tend to eat fewer calories than those who don’t.

Good sleep can improve concentration and productivity

Sleep is important for various aspects of brain function.
This includes cognition, concentration, productivity, and performance.
All of these are negatively affected by sleep deprivation.
People on a traditional schedule with extended work hours of more than 24 hours made 36% more serious medical errors than interns on a schedule that allowed more sleep.
It is known that short sleep can negatively impact some aspects of brain function to a similar degree as alcohol intoxication.
On the other hand, good sleep has been shown to improve problem-solving skills and enhance memory performance of both children and adults.

SUMMARY

Good sleep can maximize problem-solving skills and enhance memory. Poor sleep has been shown to impair brain function.

Good sleep can maximize athletic performance

Sleep has been shown to enhance athletic performance.
An example on basketball players, longer sleep was shown to significantly improve speed, accuracy, reaction times, and mental.
Less sleep duration has also been associated with poor exercise performance and functional limitation in older women.
It has been shown in over 2,800 women found that poor sleep was linked to slower walking, lower grip strength, and greater difficulty performing independent activities.

SUMMARY

Longer sleep has been shown to improve many aspects of athletic and physical performance.

Poor sleepers have a greater risk of heart disease and stroke

Sleep quality and duration can have a major effect on many health risk factors.
These are the factors believed to drive chronic diseases, including heart disease.
People who don’t get enough sleep are at far greater risk of heart disease or stroke than those who sleep 7–8 hours per night.

SUMMARY

Sleeping less than 7–8 hours per night is linked to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

Sleep affects glucose metabolism and type 2 diabetes risk

Experimental sleep restriction affects blood sugar and reduces insulin sensitivity.
It has been known that healthy young men, restricting sleep to 4 hours per night for 6 nights in a row caused symptoms of prediabetes.
These symptoms resolved after one week of increased sleep duration.
Poor sleep habits are also strongly linked to adverse effects on blood sugar in the general population.
Those sleeping less than 6 hours per night have repeatedly been shown to be at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

SUMMARY

Sleep deprivation can cause prediabetes in healthy adults in as little as 6 days. Many studies show a strong link between short sleep duration and type 2 diabetes.

Poor sleep is linked to depression

Mental health issues, such as depression, are strongly linked to poor sleep quality and sleeping disorders.
It’s been estimated that 90% of people with depression complain about sleep quality.
Poor sleep is even associated with an increased risk of death by suicide.
Those with sleeping disorders like insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea also report significantly higher rates of depression than those without.

SUMMARY

Poor sleeping patterns are strongly linked to depression, particularly for those with a sleeping disorder.

Sleep improves your immune function

Even a small loss of sleep has been shown to impair immune function.
Those who slept less than 7 hours are almost 3 times more likely to develop a cold than those who slept 8 hours or more.
If you often get colds, ensuring that you get at least 8 hours of sleep per night could be very helpful. Eating more garlic can help as well.

SUMMARY

Getting at least 8 hours of sleep can improve your immune function and help fight the common cold.

Poor sleep is linked to increased inflammation

Sleep can have a major effect on inflammation in your body.
In fact, sleep loss is known to activate undesirable markers of inflammation and cell damage.
Poor sleep has been known to be linked to long-term inflammation of the digestive tract, in disorders known as inflammatory bowel disease.
Sleep-deprived people with Crohn’s disease were twice as likely to relapse as people who slept well.

SUMMARY

Sleep affects your body’s inflammatory responses. Poor sleep is linked to inflammatory bowel diseases and can increase your risk of disease recurrence.

Effects of Sleep Deprivation

Conventional wisdom says that the average adult should aim to get about eight hours of sleep each night. Children need significantly more sleep time while older adults may manage with less. Before the invention of effective artificial lighting, the cycle of night and day regulated sleeping patterns. People worked during the daylight hours and when night fell they went to bed. The poor light cast by candles and oil lamps did not encourage them to stay up. Today electric light effectively obscures the difference between night and day. Work, social life, computers, and many other factors tempt us to cut down on much-needed sleep. Cutting out on too much sleep results in sleep deprivation.

Your body really needs that sleep

The fact that you become tired and need to sleep at times proves that this is vital to the body's functioning. Just as you need to eat and drink a certain amount and exercise to stay healthy the same applies to sleep. The optimum sleep time varies between individuals, but if an average person gets less than six hours of solid sleep each night, they are sleep deprived. Your body needs this rest to recoup energy expended during the day. A serious lack of sleep weakens the immune system to increase the likelihood of infection.

Lack of sleep leads to accidents

You often read in the news about fatal traffic accidents that occur because a driver fell asleep at the wheel. It is irresponsible to drive when you are too tired to react with the speed that fast moving traffic demands. It is just as foolish and immoral as driving under the influence of drink. The road is far from the only place where sleep deprivation often causes accidents. Someone who works on a machine in a factory, in the construction industry and many other working environments needs to be fully alert. If they become dozy at they can easily make mistakes and injure themselves and colleagues.

Damage to human relationships

Lack of sufficient sleep makes a person grumpy and irritable. It is easy to say or do things you later regret if overtiredness prevents you from thinking before speaking or acting. Consider how many business and social relationships disintegrate because one party says or does something without sufficient forethought. A good night's sleep ensures that you are much better equipped to respond well to the challenges that invariably come up in human dealings.

Increased danger of developing diabetes

While genetic and diet factors are key determinants of whether or not an individual is prone to develop diabetes, lack of sleep also plays a role. Getting sufficient sleep helps the body process glucose. If you usually sleep less than five hours per night, your body is unable to effectively perform this function and risks of developing type 2 diabetes increases.

More likely to put on weight

So many people look for ways to lose weight. They take on strict diets, enroll in gyms, and extreme cases even undergo operations. There could be an easier way to keep weight down that few seem to know about. It is suggested that those who sleep less than seven hours per night are more likely to put on weight than people who sleep longer. This relative lack of sleep is apparently sufficient to increase their appetite and make them less likely to feel satisfied with their normal food intake.

Could increase the risk of heart disease

Heart disease is one of the main killers in western countries. The connections to diet and lifestyle are well- publicized, but lack of sleep can also push up heart disease risks. A healthy heart requires you to get sufficient regular sleep. Cutting down on necessary sleep hours increases blood pressure, and makes the body more exposed to inflammation. The consequent increase in strains on the heart could do lasting damage.

Deterioration in skin quality

Anyone who cares about their complexion (and who does not want to have healthy skin?) should know that lack of sleep affects skin quality. The body utilizes sleeping time to produce hormones that repair damaged tissues. If you cut down too much on the amount of time you sleep, you deprive the body of these self-repair opportunities. This prevents the thickening of the skin and strengthening bone structure.

Makes it Harder to Have Children

Fertility problems are nothing new, but the introduction of new medical techniques offers new hopes to couples in this sad situation. However, few appreciate that lack of sleep might also be a factor preventing conception. Sleep deprivation reduces both male and female fertility because it lowers the amount of reproductive hormones the body produces. If there are no preexisting genetic or health problems that make it hard to conceive, it is worth trying to see if an extra hour's sleep could make a vital difference.

Impairing memory

As people get older, their memory might naturally weaken. Sometimes they find it easier to remember events that happened years ago when compared to where they put the car keys! Yet research shows that that lack of sleep also damages memory. The body uses sleep time to transfer information to the brain. Therefore, if you cut down on sleep, you deprive the body of these opportunities to boost memory functioning.

The better you sleep, the longer you live

It has been found that those who slept the least doubled their risks of death. This frightening thought should lead everyone who regularly deprives themselves of necessary sleep to seriously consider the risks they take.

Healthy Sleep Habits

Your behaviors during the day, and especially before bedtime, can have a major impact on your sleep. They can promote healthy sleep or contribute to sleeplessness.

Your daily routines – what you eat and drink, the medications you take, how you schedule your days and how you choose to spend your evenings – can significantly impact your quality of sleep. Even a few slight adjustments can, in some cases, mean the difference between sound sleep and a restless night. Completing a two-week sleep diary can help you understand how your routines affect your sleep.

Quick Sleep Tips

Follow these tips to establish healthy sleep habits:

Keep a consistent sleep schedule. Get up at the same time every day, even on weekends or during vacations.
Set a bedtime that is early enough for you to get at least 7 hours of sleep.
Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy.
If you don’t fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed.
Establish a relaxing bedtime routine.
Use your bed only for sleep and sex.
Make your bedroom quiet and relaxing. Keep the room at a comfortable, cool temperature.
Limit exposure to bright light in the evenings.
Turn off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
Don’t eat a large meal before bedtime. If you are hungry at night, eat a light, healthy snack.
Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet.
Avoid consuming caffeine in the late afternoon or evening.
Avoid consuming alcohol before bedtime.
Reduce your fluid intake before bedtime.

Good Sleep = Good Health

Sleeping well makes us feel better, more alert, energetic, and better able to concentrate and perform our daily tasks. Getting enough sleep each day is one of the most important things you can do for your health and wellbeing and to reduce your risk for ill-health.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Why is physical activity so important for health and wellbeing?

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 09:37:56 GMT

Exercise can help you live longer.

We know that staying active is one of the best ways to keep our bodies healthy. But did you know it can also improve your overall well-being and quality of life?

Here are just a few of the ways physical activity can help you feel better, look better and live better. Because, why not?

It’s a natural mood lifter.

Regular physical activity can relieve stress, anxiety, depression and, anger. Do you know what "feel good sensation" you get after doing something physical? Think of it as a happy pill with no side effects! Most people notice they feel better over time as physical activity becomes a regular part of their lives.

It keeps you physically fit and able.

Without regular activity, your body slowly loses its strength, stamina and ability to function properly. It’s like the old saying: you don’t stop moving from growing old, you grow old from stopping moving. Exercise increases muscle strength, which in turn increases your ability to do other physical activities.

It helps keep the doctor away.

Stand up when you eat your apple a day! Too much sitting and other sedentary activities can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. One study showed that adults who watch more than 4 hours of television a day had an 80% higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

Being more active can help you:

lower your blood pressure
boost your levels of good cholesterol
improve blood flow (circulation)
keep your weight under control
prevent bone loss that can lead to osteoporosis

All of this can add up to fewer medical expenses, interventions and medications later in life!

It can help you live longer.

It’s true, 70 is the new 60… but only if you’re healthy. People who are physically active and at a healthy weight live about seven years longer than those who are not active and are obese. And the important part is that those extra years are generally healthier years! Staying active helps delay or prevent chronic illnesses and diseases associated with aging. So active adults maintain their quality of life and independence longer as they age.

Here are some other benefits you may get with regular physical activity:

Helps you quit smoking and stay tobacco-free.
Boosts your energy level so you can get more done.
Helps you manage stress and tension.
Promotes a positive attitude and outlook.
Helps you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly.
Improves your self-image and self-confidence.
Helps you spend more time outdoors.

10 benefits of physical activity

Being physically active has been a huge ongoing campaign in Singapore for the past few years. State-wide challenges such as the National Steps Challenge reward us for being physically active but is there a bigger message at hand here? We all know exercise is good for our health, but a lot of us don’t know the full extent of the benefits.

The top 10 benefits of physical activity

1. Weight management

The most prominent benefit of exercising is that it helps with weight management. Exercising increases our caloric expenditure, which helps us lose weight or maintain our ideal weight. Regular exercise also helps to optimize your metabolic rate, which makes weight management a much simpler affair.

2. Bone and muscle health

Exercising makes your body physically stronger because it builds bone and muscle strength. Stronger bones contribute to better balance which means greater stability and less injuries, while stronger muscles contribute to general fitness in carrying out daily activities like climbing the stairs or carrying groceries. There's no need to be averse to actively building muscle; a bodybuilder's physique requires years of very specific training and nutrition. Instead, holistic strength training will ensure that your body's muscles remain functionally healthy in the years to come!

3. Relief from physical pains

Exercise provides rehabilitation for chronic pains such as lower back pain. The right kind of exercise can be a good form of physiotherapy for stubborn aches or long-term injuries. However, be sure to consult a specialist to recommend the ideal workout before you start exercising.

4. Protection against health conditions

Beyond making you physically stronger, exercise also keeps your body healthier by reducing the risk of developing chronic diseases. By helping with weight management, exercise also keeps obesity-related diseases like diabetes and heart disease at bay. Regular exercise also keeps your blood sugar and insulin levels at healthy levels.

5. Younger, healthier skin

The post-exercise glow is a real thing – exercise benefits your skin and makes it look more youthful by triggering the production of anti-oxidants. These anti-oxidants repair skin cell damage and stimulate blood flow, improving skin health.

6. Boosts mental health

There are several ways in which exercise is good for the brain. Firstly, exercise triggers the release of hormones that facilitate the growth of brain cells. Next, exercise also boosts blood flow to the brain, allowing it to get more oxygen to function better. Furthermore, oxygen also helps to improve memory by increasing the size of the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory. This slows down your brain’s ageing and also protects the brain against degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and mental disorders like schizophrenia.

7. Energy level boost

The rush of hormones from a good exercise session is a significant energy booster that helps you fight through fatigue and stay more focused. This energy boost is especially helpful for people suffering from chronic fatigue or health conditions that affect energy levels.

8. Improvements in mood

Along with making you feel more energized, exercise also makes you happier. Hormones like endorphins that are released during exercise evoke positive feelings and pushes away negative ones. This makes exercise a good form of therapy for people suffering from anxiety or depression.

9. More quality sleep

Exercise helps you sleep better at night and fights insomnia by making sure you are sufficiently tired come bedtime. Furthermore, the stress-relieving effect of exercise helps your mind and body relaxed so negative thoughts don’t keep you awake for hours at night. Exercise also helps to regulate your body’s circadian rhythm. The heating up of your core body temperature during exercise allows your body to cool down significantly by bedtime, promoting restful sleep.

10. Higher libido

Sleep isn’t the only bedtime activity that benefits from exercise; so does sex. Exercise facilitates blood circulation and flexibility, boosting one’s libido and enhances sexual performance and the overall experience as well. For older men, exercise helps to reduce symptoms of erectile dysfunction.

In short, physical activity is indispensable when you are striving for optimal physical and mental health. The most straightforward way to reap these benefits is to simply set aside time every week to exercise. Proper, dedicated workouts allow you to maximize the time you spend exercising to get the most benefits. Unsure how to plan an exercise routine? Start from the following three steps.

Planning your exercise routine

1. Set targets

Exercise, like any other project or plan, has to start from goal-setting (i.e. SMART goals). Be specific with what you want to achieve within a certain time frame. Is it for better stamina so you can run or swim for a longer duration? Or is it for greater strength in order to bench press a heavier weight? Whatever your goal is, set a specific target result that you can work towards. When setting goals, consider your current abilities and fitness levels and factor in any existing health problems or injuries so you can set out a plan that is feasible.

2. Plan workout duration and frequency

Before going into the types of exercise that you want to do, plan how many workout sessions you can fit in per week and how long each workout session will be. Most experts recommend exercising four to five days a week, varying the length and structure of your workouts with a mix of different activity types.

3. Workout structure

There are three types of activities to consider – aerobic, anaerobic and non-exercise. These exercises target different aspects of fitness and health, so it’s ideal to commit to at least one to two sessions of each activity every week.

Aerobic activities

Types of aerobic activities:

Moderate intensity: Brisk walking, leisure swimming, leisure cycling

High intensity: Running, swimming continuous laps, spinning

Aerobic exercises are essential for building your physical conditioning as they work your heart and lungs, allowing you to build a greater work capacity. It’s important to incorporate both exercises of both moderate and vigorous intensities into your routine to build a stronger aerobic base – aim for a total of 150 minutes of moderate activity and 60 minutes of vigorous activity every week. To make it easier, you can break your aerobic exercises down into manageable 10-minute blocks.

Anaerobic/strength training activities

Types of activities: Push-ups, pull-ups, squats, exercises involving resistance bands, weight-training

Strength training is important because it strengthens your muscles and bones for better health and resistance against injuries. Strength training also helps with weight-loss – as you gain muscle, your metabolism increases which allows you to better convert calories into energy.

Non-exercise physical activities

Types of activities: Casual walking, stair-climbing, frisbee

Non-exercise physical activities (NEPA)are not meant to be physically taxing, but they are considered a legitimate form of physical activity that does well in supporting an active lifestyle. Engaging in NEPA during your rest days prevents you from lapsing into a sedentary state and adds (slightly) to your overall caloric expenditure.

Apart from deciding what exercises to include in your workouts, it’s also necessary to ensure you have safety protocols in place. Catering for safe workouts start with the following steps.

Keeping your workouts safe

• Proper warm-ups and cool-downs

These should last for at least five to ten minutes. Stretches and slow jogs are common warm-up and cool-down exercises.

• Pay attention to signs of injury

When it comes to cardiovascular work or strength training, it’s important to stop at any signs of distress to prevent injury. Avoid intense exercises when you already have injuries such as stress fractures or sprains.

• Watch your form during strength training

Most injuries obtained during strength training are a result of poor form, so always pay attention to your form and never try to rush through your workouts.

• Stay hydrated

Heat injuries are some of the most common exercise-related injuries so always stay hydrated. Go for electrolyte-replenishing drinks after long aerobic sessions.

• Dress appropriately

Wearing the right shoes is of utmost importance to preventing injuries. The right clothing will also help you train comfortably and enjoy your workout more.

• Rest days

The most important safety tip is to always have rest days after intense exercise sessions. Giving your body enough time to repair itself helps to prevent overuse injuries and mental burnout.

Apart from exercise, there are other ways to squeeze in more physical activity into your daily life that don’t require as much time and planning. Here are some of the easiest ways.

Life hacks to sneak in more physical activity

• Take the stairs

Forget escalators and lifts, take the stairs whenever you can because stairs give your muscles a good opportunity for some resistance training. Just one minute of climbing stairs a day can be beneficial for your muscles and help to build up strength.

• Walk

Walking is one of the best ways to exercise because you can do it anytime and anywhere, without the need to change into sports attire or do some warm-up exercises. While you don’t burn as many calories from walking as you do from running, you are also less likely to binge eat after a good walking session.

• Stand up

The simple act of standing up does wonders for your body. Standing improves blood circulation, burns more calories, increases your metabolism and improves posture. You don’t have to go out of your way to stand up – opt to stand on public transport or take breaks from work to stand or walk around.

• Carry bags

Carrying your grocery bags by hand allows your arms to get some strength training in. The best way to get some benefits out of grocery bag lifting is to extend your arms all the way down and keep your back straight and shoulders back. This also engages your core and helps you work on your posture.

• Squat daily

A daily 30-second squat is something that's easily doable for everyone and helps to train what is considered the most fundamental aspect of human movement. Squatting helps to train your ankles, legs and hips and also improves stability throughout your entire body.

Even switching up your daily habits to get more exercise can help you get more of the numerous benefits of exercising. No matter what your age group and gender is, exercising provides a host of health benefits that you definitely should strive to unlock. Just make sure you plan your workouts with care and caution, and to always respect your body’s needs and ability.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Gut Health

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 06:33:55 GMT

How Your Gut Health Affects Your Whole Body

Gut Microbiome

This is home base for the bacteria in your digestive tract. Here, they help you break down food and turn nutrients into things your body can use. They stop growing when they run out of food, so you'll only have what you need.

Fighting the Good Fight

In the gut microbiome, the “good” bacteria do more than just help with digestion. They help keep your “bad” bacteria in check. They multiply so often that the unhealthy kind don't have space to grow. When you have a healthy balance of bacteria in your gut, it’s called equilibrium.

Unhealthy Balance

It has been found that if you have too much of a certain kind of bad bacteria in your gut microbiome, you're more likely to have:

Crohn’s disease
Ulcerative colitis
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Gut Bacteria and Your Heart

Some kinds of gut bacteria may be part of the link cholesterol has to heart disease. When you eat foods like red meat or eggs, those bacteria make a chemical that your liver turns into something called TMAO (trimethylamine-N-oxide). TMAO may help cholesterol build up in your blood vessels. Researchers are studying a natural substance called DMB that’s in olive and grapeseed oil. They think it might keep your bacteria from making TMAO.

Gut Bacteria and Your Kidneys

Too much TMAO also may lead to chronic kidney disease. People who have the disease don’t get rid of TMAO like they should. That surplus can lead to heart disease. Researchers think it’s possible that too much TMAO might make you more likely to have chronic kidney disease in the first place.

Gut Bacteria and Your Brain

Your brain sends messages all over your body. Researchers believe your gut may talk back. Studies show that the balance of bacteria in the gut microbiome may affect your emotions and the way your brain processes information from your senses, like sights, sounds, flavors, or textures.

Scientists suspect that changes in that balance may play a role in conditions like autism spectrum disorder, anxiety, and depression, as well as chronic pain.

Gut Bacteria and Obesity

An unhealthy balance in your gut microbiome may cause crossed signals from your brain when it comes to feeling hungry or full. Researchers think there may be a link to the pituitary gland, which makes hormones that help set your appetite. That gland can affect the balance of bacteria in your gut, too.

Can You Change Your Gut Bacteria?

You get your gut microbiome at birth, and the world around you affects it as you grow up. It’s also influenced by what you eat. That’s why it can be different depending on where you live -- and why you may be able to tilt the balance a bit.

Probiotics

Found in some foods, these are “good” bacteria like the ones already in your gut. They can add to the bacteria in your intestinal tract and help keep everything in balance. But they’re not all the same. Each type works in its own way and can have different effects on your body.

How Can Probiotics Help?

They can make your immune system stronger. They may boost gastrointestinal health, too, especially if you have something like irritable bowel syndrome. Some probiotics also may help ease allergy symptoms and help with lactose intolerance. But because our gut microbiomes are unique, if and how they work can be different for everyone.

Sources of Probiotics

You can find them in dairy products like yogurt and aged cheeses. Look on the ingredients list for live cultures of bacteria like bifidobacterial and lactobacilli. They're also in fermented vegetables, like kimchi and sauerkraut, and pickled vegetables, like onions and gherkins.

Prebiotics

Think of these as a food source for probiotics. They may help your body take in calcium better and boost the growth of helpful bacteria in your gut.

They’re found in fruits and vegetables, like:

Bananas
Onions
Garlic
Leeks
Asparagus
Artichokes
Soybeans

You can also get them in foods with whole wheat.

Synbiotics

Probiotics can boost the growth of good bacteria, and prebiotics are good for probiotics. When you combine the two, it’s a synbiotic. The idea behind them is to help probiotics live longer. You can make synbiotic combinations with things like bananas and yogurt or stir-fry asparagus with tempeh.

Other Ways to Change Gut Bacteria

There may be other ways to change your gut microbiome and treat things tied to its balance. For example, fecal transplants (exactly what it sounds like) change your gut bacteria to treat things like C. diff and ulcerative colitis. A device called deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) uses a coil put on the scalp to stimulate the brain and change gut bacteria. It shows promise for treating obesity.

7 Signs of an unhealthy gut

There are a number of ways an unhealthy gut might manifest itself. Here are seven of the most common signs:

1. Upset stomach

Stomach disturbances like gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and heartburn can all be signs of an unhealthy gut. A balanced gut will have less difficulty processing food and eliminating waste.

2. A high-sugar diet

3. Unintentional weight changes

4. Sleep disturbances or constant fatigue

5. Skin irritation

6. Autoimmune conditions

Medical researchers are continually finding new evidence of the impact of the gut on the immune systemTrusted Source. It’s thought that an unhealthy gut may increase systemic inflammation and alter the proper functioning of the immune system. This can lead to autoimmune diseases, where the body attacks itself rather than harmful invaders.

7. Food intolerances

7 Things you can do for your gut health

1. Lower your stress levels

2. Get enough sleep

3. Eat slowly

Chewing your food thoroughly and eating your meals more slowly can help promote full digestion and absorption of nutrients. This may help you reduce digestive discomfort and maintain a healthy gut.

4. Stay hydrated

5. Take a prebiotic or probiotic

6. Check for food intolerances

7. Change your diet

Eat, sleep, and be healthy

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Eliminate Sugar From Your Diet

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 04:45:02 GMT

How Much Sugar Do You Eat? Do You Know?

You may not be consuming lots of packages of cookies or bags of chips while guzzling cans of soda, but this does not mean artificial sugars are absent from your diet.

If anything, you’re probably consuming sugar throughout your day without even realizing it, as sugar is added to foods that are not even sweet, such as bread and sauces. A high-sugar diet boosts the odds of developing a variety of ailments including heart disease, diabetes, tooth decay, and weight gain. Discover how to gradually cut sugar from your diet as well as the harmful impact this empty calorie and nutrition based substance has on your overall health now.

Read Food Labels

Many may not realize how often sugar is added to the foods we consume, but many will realize the true amount once they read the ingredients list. Even foods individuals may believe are not sweet, such as tomato sauce, crackers, salad dressings, or sauces, are often packed with sugar.

This is why it is essential for individuals to read the labels of the food they are eating to know how much sugar, whether added or natural, is in their food. Ingredients are listed in the order of how much exists in the product, and therefore if sugar is one of the first listed, this indicates there is high sugar content in the food.

Plus, when reading food labels, be aware of how sneaky manufacturers can be! Individuals should look beyond the word ‘sugar,’ as sugar is also commonly listed as high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, dried cane syrup, invert sugar, molasses, brown rice syrup, honey, and maple syrup.

Even seemingly healthy foods, such as yogurt and cereal, can contain three or four different types of sweeteners. Patients should also look for the percentage of sugar in their food listed on the nutritional label as well, and try to choose foods with low or non-existent sugar levels.

Eliminate Processed Foods & Sugars

Although this may appear to be a no-brainer for many individuals, many still believe some of the ‘healthier’ options available at fast food restaurants are healthy, but in reality and more often than not, they are not!

Obviously, most foods we consume are processed in some way, from fruit being taken from trees to butter being separated from milk and churned. However, there is a major difference between mechanical processing and chemical processing. If it is a single ingredient food, such as an apple, with no added chemicals, then it is still considered real food.

However, foods that have been chemically processed or modified in some way, and produced from refined ingredients and artificial substances is processed food.

What’s the connection to sugar then? Well, processed foods are usually loaded with added sugar or high fructose corn syrup, and sugar, in general, is considered ‘empty’ calories and has no nutritional value.

Many studies also have proved sugar can have devastating effects on metabolism and can also lead to insulin resistance, high triglycerides, increased cholesterol, increased fat accumulation in the liver and abdominal area. Sugar consumption is also strongly associated with the development of critical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and certain cancers. Although you cannot just eliminate sugars overnight, gradually reducing your intake of processed foods, such as food at fast-food places, ice cream, cookies, sodas, and anything claiming to be ‘diet’ is a great way to begin reducing your intake of sugar and becoming healthier.

Focus On Proteins & Fats

Unhealthy foods and carbs loaded with sugar can result in the rapid increase in blood sugar levels and can plunge unexpectedly, causing an individual to become hungry again. People are encouraged to integrate protein, healthy fats, and fiber into their meal, to minimize a rapid rise and fall, which can decrease the release of blood sugar into the body and help to keep an individual feeling fuller for longer.

For instance, a person could add almonds to their oatmeal or pair eggs with toast for breakfast and eat peanut butter and apples for an afternoon snack. Fats are also a significant part of a diet, as they keep an individual feeling fuller for longer and help decrease the desire for sugar.

People should focus on healthy fats like avocados, nuts, seeds, and heart-healthy oils such as coconut, walnut, and olive oil.

Don’t Fake It Until You Make It

When reducing sugar consumption, many individuals may feel the need to switch to artificial sugars to satisfy their sweet tooth. However, patients should resist the temptation to reach for diet soda, sugar-free candy, and packs of artificial sweeteners into their coffee, as artificial sweeteners have been proven to interfere with the taste buds in identifying what is sweet.

For instance, when an individual indulges in something sweet, their body expects calories and nutrition, which artificial sugars do not provide the body with at all. It has been said that fake sugars have been associated with weight gain, not loss.

Essentially, do not substitute artificial sugars while trying to eliminate sugar from your diet, as although it might appear harmless, anything fake or processed will do your body more harm than good.

Add Flavor

There are numerous herbs and spices individuals can use to add flavor and keep sugar cravings at bay. For instance, vanilla bean and vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and citrus zest add just the right amount of sweetness to foods without having to use sugar, and all have zero calories.

Individuals can even add cocoa or vanilla powder to their coffee and cinnamon or nutmeg to oatmeal. Many of these spices and natural sugars also contain a variety of health benefits.

Fresh Obsessed

If one gives up sugar and refined foods then what is there to eat? Well, the simplest way to gradually cut sugar from a diet is to start implementing more fruits and vegetables into a healthy, balanced diet. Fresh fruits and vegetables loaded with natural sugars, iron, fiber, and antioxidants are not only healthy but have incredible health benefits as well. To keep the sweetness alive, individuals can eat more berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries, as well as bananas, oranges, and pineapple to take care of their sweet tooth. These fruits, along with many others, contain natural sugars the body can easily regulate, while the nutritional benefits are astronomical.

A balanced diet also consists of complex carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes, whole grains, and healthy fats and proteins. As previously mentioned, these are not only better food choices, but will also keep an individual fuller for longer and healthier in the long run. A healthy diet based on fresh produce is not only low in saturated fats and calories, but also reduces the risk of developing numerous cancers and life-threatening conditions, while nourishing and improving cardiovascular health, mental health, regulating blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugars, and boosting immunity. Remember fresh is in, artificial is out!

Although it is not the simplest thing to do, gradually over time, eliminating artificial or fake sugar from your diet can be done, by conquering one sweet tooth craving at a time!

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Young children’s health.

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 03:59:13 GMT

The First 1 - 5 Years of a Child's Life.

Many common childhood infections spread easily. One of the best ways to prevent spread is careful handwashing with soap and water. You can teach your child to wash hands before eating, after going to the toilet, and after touching animals or dirty things.

Common child health issues

Here’s a quick guide to some of the most common child health issues.

Allergies

Allergies happen when your child’s immune system reacts to substances in the environment that are harmless to most people – for example, foods, insect stings, dust mites, animals or pollen. See your GP if you think your child has an allergy.

Asthma

If your child has asthma she might have a whistling wheeze when breathing, be short of breath either during physical activity or while she’s resting, or have a persistent dry cough or cough during physical activity or at night. If you think your child has asthma, see your GP.

Colds

Children can get colds as often as once a month. The best treatment is usually fluids, comfort and rest. Antibiotics won’t help. If you’re worried that it’s something more serious than a cold, see your GP.

Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis is an infection of the lining of the eyeball and eyelids. Symptoms include red, puffy, sticky and sore eyes. Bacterial and viral conjunctivitis are very contagious, but allergic conjunctivitis isn’t contagious. Take your child to the GP to check which kind of conjunctivitis your child has and how to treat it.

Food intolerances

Food intolerances are a reaction to a food you’ve eaten. Symptoms include bloating, diarrhea and stomach pain, which usually clear up by themselves. Talk to your GP if you think your child has a food intolerance.

Gastroenteritis

Lots of children get gastroenteritis (‘gastro’). Symptoms include diarrhoea, loss of appetite, vomiting and nausea, stomach cramps and fever. Most cases of gastroenteritis in children aren’t serious, but it’s important to make sure that your child gets enough fluid.

Hand, foot and mouth disease

Hand, foot and mouth disease causes small blisters inside the mouth and on the hands and feet. These aren’t itchy. It’s a mild and harmless infection.

Impetigo

Impetigo or school sores usually starts as flat, red spots or small blisters anywhere on your child’s body. The spots might fill up with yellow or green pus, burst or crust over. The blisters are very itchy. If you think your child has impetigo, take her to the GP, because she needs antibiotics. Impetigo is highly contagious.

Lice or nits

These insects attach themselves to children’s hair, lay eggs (often called nits) and cause lots of scratching and itching. You can remove lice by combing wet hair with conditioner or using anti-lice products.

Warts

A wart is a small, flesh-coloured, raised growth. You mostly see them on children’s arms, hands and legs. Warts are usually painless. See your GP if the wart is on your child’s face, feet or genitals, or if the wart looks red, hot and painful.

Worms

Symptoms of worms include an itchy or red bottom. Worms aren’t usually dangerous. They’re easy to treat with antiparasitic tablets that you can buy over the counter from your local pharmacy. You should treat everyone in the family at the same time. It’s very common for infections to come back, particularly in children at child care, preschool or school.

Child health tips

Make sure immunisations are up to date. (This is personal choice for each family. We are not stating you must do so)

Immunisation protects your child and your community against diseases like measles and diphtheria, which are potentially serious and even life threatening. Your child can be immunised by your GP or at a community or local council health clinic.

Use medications only as recommended or prescribed

Give your child medication only when recommended by a pharmacist or prescribed by a doctor. Check the dosage instruction on the label to make sure that you give your child the right dose for his weight or age.

Keep your child’s air clean

Second-hand and third-hand smoke can cause serious health risks to children. The best way to protect your child is to quit smoking. If someone in your house smokes, make sure they always smoke outside. And never smoke in a car that carries children.

Also avoid using chemical household sprays, like insect repellent or cleaning products, when your child is in the room.

Hygiene

Daily personal hygiene is important for children and anyone taking care of children. It’s one of the most effective ways we have to protect ourselves – and others – from illness.

Slip, slop, slap, seek and slide

Keep your child safe in the sun and prevent sunburn by:

slipping on protective clothing
slopping on SPF 30 or higher broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen
slapping on a broad-brimmed hat
seeking shade
sliding on wraparound sunglasses.

Brush twice a day

Good dental health is vital to your child’s general health. It’s also key to avoiding tooth decay.

Brush your child’s teeth twice a day – morning and night. Just use water on the toothbrush until your child is 18 months old (unless a dentist tells you otherwise). At 18 months, you can start using a pea-sized amount of low-fluoride toothpaste.

Vitamins and Supplements

Our food simply is missing the good nutritional value it possessed 20 - 30 years ago.

Fresh food is a priority but at times the easier option of 'Fast Food' is becoming more common. Fast Food is economically cheaper, many families are choosing this due to affordability. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of quality nutritional goodness.

Refined carbohydrates and sugar fueled foods can lead to a child experiencing poor health.

Eating nourishing food can often be an expensive and unattainable for some families.

Vitamins and supplements can boost a child's immune system.

Strengthen a Childs immune system with healthy food choices, plenty of exercises that are age-appropriate, and adequate sleep.

A child with a healthy strong immune system has a better opportunity to fight off illness such as a cold.

A child with a strong immune system is more likely to be able to recover more quickly from illnesses such as a cold.

This article is providing information with no judgement for personal choices.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Heart Disease

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 06:45:32 GMT

The term "heart disease" is often used interchangeably with the term "cardiovascular disease."

OVERVIEW

Heart disease describes a range of conditions that affect your heart. Diseases under the heart disease umbrella include blood vessel diseases, such as coronary artery disease; heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias); and heart defects you are born with (congenital heart defects), among others.

The term "heart disease" is often used interchangeably with the term "cardiovascular disease." Cardiovascular disease generally refers to conditions that involve narrowed or blocked blood vessels that can lead to a heart attack, chest pain (angina) or stroke. Other heart conditions, such as those that affect your heart's muscle, valves, or rhythm, also are considered forms of heart disease.

Many forms of heart disease can be prevented or treated with healthy lifestyle choices.

Symptoms

Heart disease symptoms depend on what type of heart disease you have.

Symptoms of heart disease in your blood vessels (atherosclerotic disease)

Cardiovascular disease symptoms may be different for men and women. For instance, men are more likely to have chest pain; women are more likely to have other symptoms along with chest discomfort, such as shortness of breath, nausea, and extreme fatigue.

Symptoms can include:

Chest pain, chest tightness, chest pressure and chest discomfort (angina)

• Shortness of breath

• Pain, numbness, weakness or coldness in your legs or arms if the blood vessels in those parts of your body are narrowed

• Pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper abdomen or back

You might not be diagnosed with cardiovascular disease until you have a heart attack, angina, stroke, or heart failure. It is important to watch for cardiovascular symptoms and discuss concerns with your doctor. Cardiovascular disease can sometimes be found early with regular evaluations.

Heart disease symptoms caused by abnormal heartbeats (heart arrhythmias)

A heart arrhythmia is an abnormal heartbeat. Your heart may beat too quickly, too slowly or irregularly. Heart arrhythmia symptoms can include:

• Fluttering in your chest

• Racing heartbeat (tachycardia)

• Slow heartbeat (bradycardia)

• Chest pain or discomfort

• Shortness of breath

• Light-headedness

• Dizziness

• Fainting (syncope) or near fainting

Heart disease symptoms caused by heart defects

Serious congenital heart defects — defects you are born with — usually become evident soon after birth. Heart defect symptoms in children could include:

• Pale Gray or blue skin color (cyanosis)

• Swelling in the legs, abdomen, or areas around the eyes

• In an infant, shortness of breath during feedings, leading to poor weight gain

Less serious congenital heart defects are often not diagnosed until later in childhood or during adulthood. Signs and symptoms of congenital heart defects that usually are not immediately life-threatening include:

• Easily getting short of breath during exercise or activity

• Easily tiring during exercise or activity

• Swelling in the hands, ankles, or feet

Heart disease symptoms caused by weak heart muscle (dilated cardiomyopathy)

In early stages of cardiomyopathy, you may have no symptoms. As the condition worsens, symptoms may include:

• Breathlessness with exertion or at rest

• Swelling of the legs, ankles, and feet

• Fatigue

• Irregular heartbeats that feel rapid, pounding or fluttering

• Dizziness, light-headedness, and fainting

Heart disease symptoms caused by heart infections

Endocarditis is an infection that affects the inner membrane that separates the chambers and valves of the heart (endocardium). Heart infection symptoms can include:

• Fever

• Shortness of breath

• Weakness or fatigue

• Swelling in your legs or abdomen

• Changes in your heart rhythm

• Dry or persistent cough

• Skin rashes or unusual spots

Heart disease symptoms caused by valvular heart disease

The heart has four valves — the aortic, mitral, pulmonary, and tricuspid valves — that open and close to direct blood flow through your heart. Valves may be damaged by a variety of conditions leading to narrowing (stenosis), leaking (regurgitation or insufficiency) or improper closing (prolapse).

Depending on which valve is not working properly, valvular heart disease symptoms generally include:

• Fatigue

• Shortness of breath

• Irregular heartbeat

• Swollen feet or ankles

• Chest pain

• Fainting (syncope)

When to see a doctor

Seek emergency medical care if you have these heart disease symptoms:

• Chest pain

• Shortness of breath

• Fainting

Heart disease is easier to treat when detected early, so talk to your doctor about your concerns regarding your heart health. If you are concerned about developing heart disease, talk to your doctor about steps you can take to reduce your heart disease risk. This is especially important if you have a family history of heart disease.

If you think you may have heart disease, based on new signs or symptoms you are having, make an appointment to see your doctor.

How the heart works

Chambers and valves of the heart pictured above.

• Your heart is a pump. It is a muscular organ about the size of your fist, situated slightly left of center in your chest. Your heart is divided into the right and the left side. The division prevents oxygen-rich blood from mixing with oxygen-poor blood. Oxygen-poor blood returns to the heart after circulating through your body.

• The right side of the heart, comprising the right atrium and ventricle, collects and pumps blood to the lungs through the pulmonary arteries.

• The lungs refresh the blood with a new supply of oxygen. The lungs also breathe out carbon dioxide, a waste product.

• Oxygen-rich blood then enters the left side of the heart, comprising the left atrium and ventricle.

• The left side of the heart pumps blood through the aorta to supply tissues throughout the body with oxygen and nutrients.

Heart valves

Four valves within your heart keep your blood moving the right way by opening only one way and only when they need to. To function properly, the valve must be formed properly, must open all the way, and must close tightly so there is no leakage. The four valves are:

• Tricuspid

• Mitral

• Pulmonary

• Aortic

Heartbeats

A beating heart contracts and relaxes in a continuous cycle.

During contraction (systole), your ventricles contract, forcing blood into the vessels to your lungs and body.

During relaxation (diastole), the ventricles are filled with blood coming from the upper chambers (left and right atria).

Electrical system

Your heart's electrical wiring keeps it beating, which controls the continuous exchange of oxygen-rich blood with oxygen-poor blood. This exchange keeps you alive.

Electrical impulses begin high in the right atrium and travel through specialized pathways to the ventricles, delivering the signal for the heart to pump.

The conduction system keeps your heart beating in a coordinated and normal rhythm, which keeps blood circulating.

Various heart disease causes

The causes of heart disease vary by type of heart disease.

While cardiovascular disease can refer to different heart or blood vessel problems, the term is often used to mean damage to your heart or blood vessels by atherosclerosis (ath-ur-o-skluh-ROE-sis), a build-up of fatty plaques in your arteries. Plaque build-up thickens and stiffens artery walls, which can inhibit blood flow through your arteries to your organs and tissues.

Atherosclerosis is also the most common cause of cardiovascular disease. It can be caused by correctable problems, such as an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, being overweight and smoking.

Development of atherosclerosis

Causes of heart arrhythmia

Common causes of abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) or conditions that can lead to arrhythmias include:

· Heart defects you are born with (congenital heart defects)

· Coronary artery disease

· High blood pressure

· Diabetes

· Smoking

· Excessive use of alcohol or caffeine

· Drug abuse

· Stress

· Some over-the-counter medications, prescription medications, dietary supplements and herbal remedies

· Valvular heart disease

In a healthy person with a normal, healthy heart, it is unlikely for a fatal arrhythmia to develop without some outside trigger, such as an electrical shock or the use of illegal drugs. That is primarily because a healthy person's heart is free from any abnormal conditions that cause an arrhythmia, such as an area of scarred tissue.

However, in a heart that is diseased or deformed, the heart's electrical impulses may not properly start or travel through the heart, making arrhythmias more likely to develop.

Causes of congenital heart defects

Congenital heart defects usually develop while a baby is in the womb. Heart defects can develop as the heart develops, about a month after conception, changing the flow of blood in the heart. Some medical conditions, medications and genes may play a role in causing heart defects.

Heart defects can also develop in adults. As you age, your heart's structure can change, causing a heart defect.

Causes of cardiomyopathy

The cause of cardiomyopathy, a thickening or enlarging of the heart muscle, may depend on the type:

Dilated cardiomyopathy. The cause of this most common type of cardiomyopathy often is unknown. It may be caused by reduced blood flow to the heart (ischemic heart disease) resulting from damage after a heart attack, infections, toxins, and certain drugs. It may also be inherited from a parent. It usually enlarges (dilates) the left ventricle.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This type, in which the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick, usually is inherited. It can also develop over time because of high blood pressure or aging.
Restrictive cardiomyopathy. This least common type of cardiomyopathy, which causes the heart muscle to become rigid and less elastic, can occur for no known reason. Or it may be caused by diseases, such as connective tissue disorders, excessive iron build-up in your body (hemochromatosis), the build-up of abnormal proteins (amyloidosis) or by some cancer treatments.

Causes of heart infection

A heart infection, such as endocarditis, is caused when an irritant, such as a bacterium, virus or chemical, reaches your heart muscle. The most common causes of heart infection include:

· Bacteria

· Viruses

· Parasites

Causes of valvular heart disease

There are many causes of diseases of your heart valves. You may be born with valvular disease, or the valves may be damaged by conditions such as:

· Rheumatic fever

· Infections (infectious endocarditis)

· Connective tissue disorders

Risk factors

Risk factors for developing heart disease include:

Age. Aging increases your risk of damaged and narrowed arteries and weakened or thickened heart muscle.

Sex. Men are generally at greater risk of heart disease. However, women's risk increases after menopause.

Family history. A family history of heart disease increases your risk of coronary artery disease, especially if a parent developed it at an early age (before age 55 for a male relative, such as your brother or father, and 65 for a female relative, such as your mother or sister).

Smoking. Nicotine constricts your blood vessels, and carbon monoxide can damage their inner lining, making them more susceptible to atherosclerosis. Heart attacks are more common in smokers than in non-smokers.

Certain chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy for cancer. Some chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapies may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Poor diet. A diet that is high in fat, salt, sugar, and cholesterol can contribute to the development of heart disease.

High blood pressure. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can result in hardening and thickening of your arteries, narrowing the vessels through which blood flows.

High blood cholesterol levels. High levels of cholesterol in your blood can increase the risk of formation of plaques and atherosclerosis.

Diabetes. Increases your risk of heart disease. Both conditions share similar risk factors, such as obesity and high blood pressure.

Obesity. Excess weight typically worsens other risk factors.

Physical inactivity. Lack of exercise also is associated with many forms of heart disease and some of its other risk factors, as well.

Stress. Unrelieved stress may damage your arteries and worsen other risk factors for heart disease.

Poor hygiene. Not regularly washing your hands and not establishing other habits that can help prevent viral or bacterial infections can put you at risk of heart infections, especially if you already have an underlying heart condition. Poor dental health also may contribute to heart disease.

Complications

Complications of heart disease include:

Heart failure. One of the most common complications of heart disease, heart failure occurs when your heart cannot pump enough blood to meet your body's needs. Heart failure can result from many forms of heart disease, including heart defects, cardiovascular disease, valvular heart disease, heart infections or cardiomyopathy.

Heart attack. A blood clot blocking the blood flow through a blood vessel that feeds the heart causes a heart attack, possibly damaging or destroying a part of the heart muscle. Atherosclerosis can cause a heart attack.

Stroke. The risk factors that lead to cardiovascular disease also can lead to an ischemic stroke, which happens when the arteries to your brain are narrowed or blocked so that too little blood reaches your brain. A stroke is a medical emergency — brain tissue begins to die within just a few minutes of a stroke.

Aneurysm. A serious complication that can occur anywhere in your body, an aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of your artery. If an aneurysm bursts, you may face life-threatening internal bleeding.

Peripheral artery disease. Atherosclerosis also can lead to peripheral artery disease. When you develop peripheral artery disease, your extremities — usually your legs — do not receive enough blood flow. This causes symptoms, most notably leg pain when walking (claudication).

Sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest is the sudden, unexpected loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness, often caused by an arrhythmia. Sudden cardiac arrest is a medical emergency. If not treated immediately, it is fatal, resulting in sudden cardiac death.

Prevention

Certain types of heart disease, such as heart defects, cannot be prevented. However, you can help prevent many other types of heart disease by making the same lifestyle changes that can improve your heart disease, such as:

· Quit smoking

· Control other health conditions, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes

· Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week

· Eat a diet that is low in salt and saturated fat

· Maintain a healthy weight

· Reduce and manage stress

· Practice good hygiene

Treatment

Heart disease treatments vary by condition. For instance, if you have a heart infection, you will likely be given antibiotics. In general, treatment for heart disease usually includes:

Lifestyle changes. These include eating a low-fat and low-sodium diet, getting at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise on most days of the week, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol intake.

Medications. If lifestyle changes alone are not enough, your doctor may prescribe medications to control your heart disease. The type of medication will depend on the type of heart disease.

Medical procedures or surgery. If medications are not enough, it is possible your doctor will recommend specific procedures or surgery. The type of procedure will depend on the type of heart disease and the extent of the damage to your heart.

Lifestyle and home remedies

Heart disease can be improved — or even prevented — by making certain lifestyle changes. The following changes can help anyone who wants to improve heart health:

Stop smoking. Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease, especially atherosclerosis. Quitting is the best way to reduce your risk of heart disease and its complications.

Control your blood pressure. Ask your doctor for a blood pressure measurement at least every two years. He or she may recommend more frequent measurements if your blood pressure is higher than normal or you have a history of heart disease. Optimal blood pressure is less than 120 systolic and 80 diastolic, as measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).

Check your cholesterol. Ask your doctor for a baseline cholesterol test when you are in your 20s and then at least every five years. You may need to start testing earlier if high cholesterol is in your family. If your test results are not within desirable ranges, your doctor may recommend more frequent measurements.

Most people should aim for an LDL level below 130 milligrams per decilitre (mg/dL), or 3.4 millimoles per litre (mmol/L). If you have other risk factors for heart disease, you should aim for an LDL below 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L). If you are at extremely high risk of heart disease — if you've already had a heart attack or have diabetes, for example — aim for an even lower LDL level — below 70 mg/dL (1.8 mmol/L).

Keep diabetes under control. If you have diabetes, tight blood sugar control can help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Move. Exercise helps you achieve and maintain a healthy weight and control diabetes, elevated cholesterol, and high blood pressure — all risk factors for heart disease. If you have a heart arrhythmia or heart defect, there may be some restrictions on the activities you can do, so talk to your doctor.

With your doctor's OK, aim for 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week.

Eat healthy foods. A heart-healthy diet based on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains — and low in saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and added sugar — can help you control your weight, blood pressure and cholesterol.

Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight increases your risk of heart disease. A BMI of less than 25 and a waist circumference of 35 inches (88.9 centimeters) or less is the goal for preventing and treating heart disease.

Manage stress. Reduce stress as much as possible. Practice techniques for managing stress, such as muscle relaxation and deep breathing.

Deal with depression. Being depressed can increase your risk of heart disease significantly. Talk to your doctor if you feel hopeless or uninterested in your life.

Practice good hygiene. Stay away from people with infectious diseases such as colds, get vaccinated against the flu, regularly wash your hands, and brush and floss your teeth regularly to keep yourself well.

Also, get regular medical check-ups. Early detection and treatment can set the stage for a lifetime of better heart health.

What you can do in the meantime? It is never too early to make healthy lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, eating healthy foods and becoming more physically active. These are primary lines of defense against heart disease and its complications.

What is the leading cause of death in the world?

Cardiovascular disease is the top cause of death globally. In the map we see death rates from cardiovascular diseases across the world.

How many people die per day from heart disease?
The age-adjusted death rate attributable to cardiovascular disease (CVD), based on 2017 data, is 219.4 per 100,000. On average, someone dies of CVD every 37 seconds in the U.S. There are 2,353 deaths from CVD each day, based on 2017 data. On average, someone in the U.S. has a stroke every 40 seconds. Jan 29, 2020
What percentage of the population has heart disease?
Nearly half (48 percent, 121.5 million in 2016) of all adults in the United States have some type of cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association's Heart and Stroke Statistics -- 2019 Update, published in the Association's journal Circulation. Jan 31, 2019
What is the most common age to get heart disease?
Your risk for heart disease increases with age, especially with people of color and for those who are over 65. While the average age for a heart attack is 64.5 for men, and 70.3 for women, nearly 20 percent of those who die of heart disease are under the age of 65.
Who is most affected by heart disease?
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. One person dies every 36 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease. About 655,000 Americans die from heart disease each year—that's 1 in every 4 deaths. Sept 8, 2020

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

What are Flavonoids?

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 06:11:32 GMT

Flavonoids are plant compounds that are found in almost all fruits and vegetables.

Flavonoids are one of the largest nutrient families known to scientists and include over 6,000 already-identified family members. Some of the best-known flavonoids include quercetin, kaempferol, catechins, and anthocyanidins.

This nutrient group is most famous for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory health benefits, as well as its contribution of vibrant color to the foods we eat. As an especially delicate group of nutrients with respect to cooking heats, flavonoids are often front and center in development of our cooking methods at WHFoods, where we always look for cooking methods best able to preserve nutrients.

Basic Description

The unique nutrient richness of every whole, natural food can be showcased in a variety of ways. But there is no better way to highlight the unique nutrient richness of foods than to focus on their flavonoid content! Flavonoids are a quite remarkable group of phytonutrients that fall into the chemical category of polyphenols. They are perhaps most famous for their rich diversity of color-providing pigments (including the deep blues of blueberries and rich reds of raspberries). The name of these phytonutrients actually derives from their color-related chemistry, with the Latin word flavus meaning "yellow." As a group, however, flavonoids are highly bioactive and play a wide variety of different roles in the health of plants, animals, and human health.

The flavonoid nutrient family is one of the largest nutrient families known to scientists. Over 6,000 unique flavonoids have been identified in research studies, and many of these flavonoids are found in plants that are routinely enjoyed in delicious cuisines throughout the world. In terms of nutrient richness, we get far more flavonoids from plant foods than from animal foods, and in particular, vegetables and fruits can be especially nutrient-rich in this type of phytonutrient.

Some of the most widely-studied flavonoids are nutrients you may already have heard about not in particular connection with any specific food—for example, the flavonoid quercetin. Other flavonoids you may have heard about due to their association with a particular food—for example, the catechins in green tea. Sometimes a flavonoid is actually easy to link up with its most nutrient-rich food sources— for example, the tangerine found in tangerines (as well as other citrus fruits).

Flavonoids are best known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory health benefits as well as the support of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. Because they also help support detoxification of potentially tissue-damaging molecules, their intake has often, although not always, been associated with decreased risk of certain types of cancers, including lung and breast cancer.

Antioxidant Benefits

Because many flavonoids—and especially those belonging to two flavonoid subgroups called flavanols and flavan-3-ols—can be effective in reducing free radical damage to cells and other components in body tissue, they provide antioxidant benefits. It is not clear, however, if we should be thinking about flavonoids as falling into the same category as more widely known antioxidant nutrients like vitamin C or vitamin E.

One reason for this is because their concentration in the bloodstream is so much lower. Another reason lies in the fact that many of the antioxidant functions of the flavonoids are not performed by the flavonoids themselves, but by forms of the flavonoids that have been altered by our metabolism. Even though we do not know all the details about the way flavonoids function as antioxidants, however, studies have documented better protection of certain cell types—for example, red blood cells—following consumption of flavonoid-rich foods. Blueberries, for example, have been repeatedly studied in this context for their flavonoid-related antioxidant benefits.

In this antioxidant context, it is also worth pointing out the potentially unique relationship between flavonoids and vitamin C. Recent studies have shown the ability of flavonoids to alter transport of vitamin C, as well as to alter function of an enzyme called ascorbate oxidase, which converts vitamin C into a non-vitamin form (monodehydroascorbate). While we do not yet know the full meaning of these relationships, it is clear that the transport and cycling of vitamin C is flavonoid related. This association makes sense to us, since so many foods high in vitamin C (such as our top five WHFoods for vitamin C are papaya, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and strawberries) are also high in flavonoids.

Anti-Inflammatory Benefits

Much of the research on flavonoids as anti-inflammatories has involved their ability to block the production of messaging molecules that promote inflammation. In metabolic terms, this activity of flavonoids involves the inhibition of cyclo-oxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) enzymes. Not only have specific flavonoids (for example, quercetin) been shown to provide these benefits but so also have flavonoid-containing extracts from a variety of foods, spices, and herbs. In addition to the metabolic activities described above, food flavonoids have also been shown to suppress inflammatory signaling in another metabolic pathway called the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kB) pathway.

Longevity

A large-scale, 25-year study, published in 1995 in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, looked at men across seven countries and found that flavonoid consumption was significantly associated with longevity. The researchers suggested flavonoid consumption could account for 25 percent of the observed difference in mortality rates from coronary heart disease and cancer.

Weight management

It was noted that flavonoids are also associated with inflammation and weight loss. “Flavonoid content can relieve inflammation and decrease the levels of an appetite-suppressing hormone, leptin,” he said. “We know for sure that leptin plays an important role in food consumption because mice with mutations in leptin or its receptor become obese, and these animals are used as models for studying diabetes and obesity.”

Cardiovascular disease

Because of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory behaviours, flavonoids are associated with cardiovascular disease prevention. According to the George Mateljan Foundation’s World’s Healthiest Foods website, flavonoids may lower the risk of atherosclerosis through protecting LDL cholesterol from free radical damage. They may also improve the quality of blood vessel walls.

Several studies have found an association between higher flavonoid intake levels and lowered cardiovascular disease risk across various groups, including postmenopausal women, male smokers and middle-age men and women. For example, a study of more than 10,000 men and women published in 2002 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that those with higher levels of quercetin had lower rates of ischemic heart disease and those with higher levels of kaempferol, naringenin and hesperetin had lower cerebrovascular disease rates.

Various flavonoids, including quercetin, have shown to be effective at preventing platelet aggregation, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Platelet aggregation is a known component in heart disease because it contributes to forming blood clots that can lead to strokes and other problems.

Cancer prevention

The research in this area has produced mixed results. Animal studies have shown positive results when it comes to lung, mouth, stomach, colon, skin and other cancers, according to the Linus Pauling Institute, but human studies have yet to show consistently similar results. More research is needed.

The most promising studies to date regard breast and stomach cancer. A large study published in 2003 in the British Journal of Cancer found that women with higher levels of flavone intake were at a lower risk for developing breast cancer, while a study in Cancer Causes & Control found a correlation between kaempferol intakes and reduced gastric cancer risk. On the other hand, another study, published in the same journal, did not associate reduced gastric cancer risk with kaempferol but flavanones.

Though flavonoids exhibit powerful antioxidant activity, they exist in a relatively low concentration in the bloodstream when compared to antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E, according to World’s Healthiest Foods. This may lower their overall antioxidant power, and thus lessen their cancer-fighting effects.

Support of the Nervous System

Protection of nerve cells from oxygen-based damage and help during the slow and demanding process of nerve regeneration (outside of the brain and spinal cord), are both demonstrated benefits of flavonoid intake for the nervous system. There is some preliminary evidence that the onset of certain chronic neurodegenerative diseases—including age-related dementia and Alzheimer's disease—may be delayed when long-term intake of flavonoids has been strong.

Because flavonoids may help to improve blood flow in the brain, there is also preliminary evidence to suggest the possibility of better brain functioning in some areas, including areas involving cognitive function.

Neurodegenerative disease prevention

Flavonoids’ anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects may help protect against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. In animal studies, flavonoid levels have been positively correlated with reduced risk of these diseases, but human studies have yielded inconclusive results. For example, a large-scale study published in 2000 in the European Journal of Epidemiology found that among elderly men and women, those with the highest levels of flavonoids had a 50 percent lower risk of developing dementia over the next five years than those with the lowest levels of flavonoid intake. On the other hand, a study published in 2002 in JAMA found that among men, the only group that saw a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s when increasing their flavonoid intake was smokers. The same results were seen in terms of Parkinson’s disease, according to a study published in 1997 in Archives of Neurology.

Flavonoids may also increase blood flow to the brain, improving cognitive function, according to World’s Healthiest Foods. A study published in 2007 in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that elderly men and women with higher flavonoid intake had better cognitive performance at the start of the study and significantly less age-related cognitive decline over the next 10 years than those with lower flavonoid intake.

Diabetes

A study published in 2013 in the journal Diabetic Medicine found that among men with type 2 diabetes, adding a flavonoid-rich spice mix to hamburger meat significantly improved their vascular function during subsequent hours. The spice mix included rosemary, garlic, ginger, black pepper and oregano — all spices that contain flavonoids. World’s Healthiest Foods notes that similar effects have been seen in studies of grape juice, chocolate, pomegranate juice and soy foods.

Other Health Benefits

In terms of their anti-cancer potential, research on flavonoids has been somewhat mixed. Due to their well-documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, flavonoids would be expected to lower risk of certain cancers since chronic oxidative stress and chronic unwanted inflammation can place cells at greater risk of becoming cancerous. Furthermore, because flavonoids are known to modify the body's detoxification pathways, it might be expected that flavonoids would help lower exposure to unwanted toxins that could pose increased cancer risk. In studies on animals and on isolated cell types, the above expectations seem to be fully met, with flavonoid intake improving detoxification, oxidative stress, unwanted inflammation, and initiation of cells into pre-cancerous states. However, in larger scale studies on humans and risk of human cancers, greater intake of flavonoids has not been consistently associated with decreased risk of cancer. To date, the strongest evidence appears to involve breast cancer and lung cancer where decreased risk is a more consistent finding.

We suspect that part of the mixed findings in this flavonoids-and-cancer area might involve the complex nature of flavonoids as a group. For example, it may be the case that certain subgroups of flavonoids are particularly helpful for lowering risk of certain types of cancer. It might also be the case that studies have had trouble accurately quantifying flavonoid intake. There are thousands and thousands of food flavonoids, and yet some studies have only focused on very select examples or limited types of foods.

Improved detoxification is a highly likely benefit that we get from strong flavonoid intake; yet like with the area of cancer risk, research here has been somewhat mixed. When the cells in our body detoxify unwanted contaminants, there are two key steps involved in the process. In a first step (called Phase 1), potentially damaging molecules are made more reactive so that they can be passed on to Phase 2. In this second, Phase 2 step, the activated molecules get neutralized by being combined with a second neutralizing molecule. Flavonoids can impact both steps in detoxification (Phase 1 and Phase 2). With Phase 2, these influences seem fairly consistent because they tend to promote the combining/neutralizing goal of Phase 2. However, with respect to Phase 1, the role of flavonoids is more complicated since they can switch Phase 1 either on or off. In other words, they can both facilitate and block this first step in detoxification. This complicated relationship between flavonoids and detoxification has resulted in some mixed research findings, although overall, most researchers have concluded that strong flavonoid intake modified detoxification in a helpful way and decreases our risk of problems from unwanted toxins.

A final potential health benefit we want to mention is better regulation of cell cycles. Most cells in our body go through stages of activity where they rest, divide, or go into a self-dismantling and self-recycling process called apoptosis. In the health of all our body systems, it is important for these cell cycle stages to stay in balance. Ample intake of food flavonoids appears to promote these cell cycle balances, most likely through regulation of signaling that takes place between cells and their surroundings.

Summary of Food Sources

Flavonoids are produced by plants, and plant foods are by far our greatest source of these health-supporting phytonutrients. Among all plant food groups, by far it's been fruits and vegetables that have been best studied and most analyzed for their flavonoid content. There is also flavonoid data on nuts and seeds, grains, beans and legumes, and select other foods and beverages (for example, green and black tea).

It is important to remember that flavon oids are an exceptionally large (more than 6,000 have been so far identified) and remarkably diverse group of phytonutrients. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Flavonoid Database actually breaks down its flavonoid analyses into five of the basic flavonoid chemical subgroups, and it analyzes the best food choices in each of these subgroups. We like this approach to understanding the flavonoid content of food, because it emphasizes the need to consume a wide variety of flavonoids that includes all of the different types. In keeping with this approach, the charts below will show you our top WHFoods in each of the flavonoid subcategories. The five subcategories shown in the charts below are: (1) flavanols (which include quercetin, kaempferol, myricetin, and isorhamnetin); (2) flavan-3-ols (which include catechins, epicatechins, gallocatechins, and theaflavins); (3) flavones (which include apigenin and luteolin); (4) flavanones (which include hesperetin, naringenin, and eriodictyol); and (5) anthocyanidins (which include cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, pelargonidin, peonidin, and petunidin).

WHFoods Best Sources of Flavonoids (Scroll down the list in the table below).

*It's important to note that in the U.S. the largest single source of flavonoids is black and green tea, and that over half of all flavonoid intake comes from the flavan-3-ol subgroup that is so concentrated in tea; this subgroup includes catechins, epicatechins, gallocatechins, and theaflavins.

As you can see, it takes a variety of foods from a variety of different food groups to give you a good cross-section of flavonoid subcategories. The USDA estimates that in the U.S., daily total flavonoid consumption by the average adult is approximately 250-275 milligrams, with about half of total consumption coming in the form of flavan-3-ols from black and green tea.

The colorful reds, blues, and purples in berries are provided by their anthocyanidins, and that is why you find so many of these fruits listed in the anthocyanidin column.

As a group of phytonutrients, flavonoids emphasize—in a way that is not as well emphasized by perhaps any other nutrient—how valuable fruits and vegetables are to our nourishment and everyday health.

Impact of Cooking, Storage and Processing

You will lose some flavonoids from plant foods during prolonged storage. For example, onions stored at room temperature will lose about one quarter to one third of their original flavonoid content over six months, with most of the loss occurring in the first two weeks.

As water-soluble nutrients, flavonoids can be lost through water contact, and in some cases, up to 80% of specific flavonoids can be lost into cooking water during the boiling of foods. Because many flavonoids provide visible colors in a food, loss of flavonoids during boiling can often be seen in a dulling of the food's colors. Color changes of this kind are one of the indicators we use for overcooking; if you boil or steam a food long enough to see its vibrant colors start to dull or disappear, you can be sure that you are losing too many valuable nutrients from the food, including its health-supportive flavonoids.

Flavonoids are susceptible to damage by heat, and as mentioned earlier, they are also susceptible to damage over prolonged periods of time. This issue of time brings us to the benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables, which are likely to be more flavonoid-rich the fresher they are at the time of purchase. The issue of heat is one of the reasons we caution against frying or lengthy cooking even in medium heats. (Our Healthy Sauté method, for example, typically calls for cooking times of 5-8 minutes or less.)

Finally, we would note that flavonoids are often concentrated in the skins and outer portions of fruits and vegetables, and that these portions of the foods are excellent to consume. Due to risk of contamination on these outermost surfaces, you always want to wash the foods and gently scrub them with a vegetable brush. Of course, you can also reduce risk of contamination by purchasing certified organic foods. When you are storing flavonoid-rich foods, it is best not to damage their skins prior to storage, for example, by pre-cutting, pre-slicing, or pre-peeling and then placing in the refrigerator. They are best kept in whole, natural form until you are ready to consume them or prepare them for inclusion in a recipe.

Risk of Dietary Deficiency

As mentioned earlier, average consumption of flavonoids in the U.S. is far less than 1 gram per day (at about 250-275 milligrams), with black and green tea serving as the number one source of these phytonutrients. While we would classify this level of intake to be inadequate from a health standpoint, we do not have a good standard to use in determining optimal flavonoid amounts.

There is no Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for flavonoids and no Daily Value (DV); in addition, nutrient databases do no provide anywhere close to comprehensive information about the overall flavonoid content of foods. All of these limitations make statements about dietary deficiency somewhat tentative. However, from a common-sense standpoint, let us say that a person consumed six vegetable and four fruit servings in a day, for a total of 10 vegetable-plus-fruit servings. Furthermore, let us say that all of these servings came from whole, natural foods. In this situation, a person's total flavonoid intake would be likely to fall somewhere near 1 gram (1,000 milligrams) or more. It is within this context that we consider average flavonoid intake in the U.S. to be inadequate.

In addition, since a disproportional amount of U.S. flavonoids come from a single flavonoid subgroup (flavan-3-ols provided from black and green tea), there is likely to be flavonoid deficiency from the other subgroups given the pattern of flavonoid consumption in the U.S.

Risk of dietary deficiency for flavonoids is basically synonymous with low dietary intake of whole, natural foods, and in particular, low intake of vegetables and fruits. By far your best way to ensure ample flavonoid intake is to maximize your intake of whole natural foods, including fresh, brightly coloured vegetables and fruits whose flavonoid pigments provide them with their vibrant colors. This approach sounds simple, and it is a great method for increasing your flavonoid intake.

Other Circumstances that Might Contribute to Deficiency

Most documented risks for flavonoid deficiency have already been discussed since they involve poor dietary intake. Overconsumption of processed foods, overcooking of foods, and under consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits are the primary circumstances related to deficiency. Problems with the chewing of fresh foods can increase a person's flavonoid deficiency risk, especially if these foods are avoided in a meal plan due to chewing problems. Lack of appetite can also put a person at risk of deficiency, simply due to overall low intake. In studies of the overall U.S. population, inadequate intake of nutrients—including flavonoids—can be associated with poverty and general lack of access to fresh foods.

Relationship with Other Nutrients

As described earlier, a unique relationship exists between flavonoids and vitamin C. Flavonoids affect the transport of vitamin C around the body, and they also help regulate the function of an enzyme called ascorbate oxidase, which converts vitamin C into a non-vitamin form (monodehydroascorbate). While we do not yet know the full meaning of these relationships, it is clear that these nutrients have a special and unique relationship. The uniqueness of their relationship makes sense to us since so many foods are high in both flavonoids and vitamin C. Our top five WHFoods for vitamin C—namely papaya, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and strawberries—are great examples since each of these foods is rich in flavonoids as well.

Risk of Dietary Toxicity

We are not aware of any evidence that dietary flavonoids can be directly toxic, even in meal plans that contain an abundance of fresh vegetables and fruits as well as an abundance of nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, and whole grains. When consumption of the foods above is extremely high, the total fibre content of the diet usually goes up dramatically. (In comparison to average fibre intake in the U.S., which averages about 16 grams per day, fibre intake in countries with high consumption of the foods above often exceeds 100 grams. (Even our Healthiest Way of Eating Plan averages over 50 grams of daily fibre.) So, we would expect high flavonoid intake from whole natural foods to accompany diets high in dietary fibre, and we just do not see toxicity risks being associated with this type of dietary intake.

In addition, since flavonoids are water-soluble, we would expect them to follow a pattern associated with other water-soluble nutrients. That pattern involves lower risk of toxicity than is associated with fat-soluble nutrients, and in many cases, a decision by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) not to establish a Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for water-soluble vitamins like vitamin B1 or vitamin B2 when obtained from food. We suspect that a similar decision might end up holding true for flavonoids as well, although it's important to remember that the NAS has yet to even establish flavonoids as a required human nutrient or to set Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) amounts for flavonoids as a group or for any specific flavonoid.

Disease Checklist

· Easy bruising

· Skin damage from sun

· Hay fever

· Prostatitis

· Osteoarthritis

· Rheumatoid arthritis

· Hot flashes

· Venous insufficiency

· Cardiovascular disease (prevention)

· Low immune function

· COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

The flavonoid family

Flavonoids are part of the polyphenol class of phytonutrients. Polyphenols have historically been used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, and they are associated with skin protection, brain function, blood sugar and blood pressure regulation, in addition to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.

There are several significant groups of flavonoids, including anthocyanidins, flavanols, flavones, flavanols, flavanones and isoflavones. Within the flavanol subgroup there are still more subgroups. Each of these subgroups and each type of flavonoid carries its own distinct set of actions, benefits and originating foods.

An overview of some flavonoid groups, where they can be found, and their benefits:

Flavones: These include luteolin and apigenin. Good sources of flavones are celery, parsley, various herbs and hot peppers. Flavones are associated with overall antioxidant benefits and delaying the metabolizing of drugs.

Anthocyanidins: These include malvidin, pelargonidin, peonidin and cyanidin. Good sources of anthocyanidins include red, purple and blue berries; pomegranates; plums; red wine; and red and purple grapes. Anthocyanidins are associated with heart health, antioxidant effects and helping with obesity and diabetes prevention.

Flavanones: These include hesperetin, eriodyctiol and naringenin. Flavonoids are found abundantly in citrus fruits. They are associated with cardiovascular health, relaxation and overall antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.

Isoflavones: This subgroup includes genistein, glycitein and daidzein. Isoflavones are highly concentrated in soybeans and soy products, as well as legumes. They are phytoestrogens, meaning that they are chemicals that act like the hormone estrogen. Scientists suspect they may be beneficial in lowering the risk of hormonal cancers, such as breast, endometrial and prostate cancers, though study results are currently mixed. In various studies, isoflavones have sometimes acted as antioxidants and sometimes as oxidants, so their effect on cancer is unclear. They are also being studied as a way to treat menopausal symptoms.

Flavanols: This widely distributed subgroup of flavonoids includes quercetin and kaempferol. They are found in onions, leeks, Brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli, tea, berries, beans and apples. Quercetin is an antihistamine associated with helping to relieve hay fever and hives. It is also known for its anti-inflammatory benefits. Kaempferol and other flavanols are associated with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities leading to chronic disease prevention.

Consuming flavonoids

Many types of flavonoids are available in supplement form. While these may be a good option for those struggling to get sufficient fruits and vegetables in their diet, the Linus Pauling Institute notes that quercetin supplements and tea extracts may cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting, tremors and dizziness. There are no side effects of consuming flavonoids through plant-based foods.

People who hope to consume flavonoids through plant-based foods should be aware that cooking and storing could change the flavonoid make up in fruits and vegetables. For example, onions stored at room temperature can lose up to one-third of their flavonoids in just two weeks. According to World’s Healthiest Foods, up to 80 percent of some flavonoids can be lost in the cooking process. A good way to tell if your food is losing nutrients is by its color; if its normally vivid colors start to fade while being boiled or cooked, your food is losing its phytonutrients.

It is noted that flavonoids are often concentrated in the skins and outer areas of fruits and vegetables. For that reason, it is better not to cut up fruit, which damages the skin, until you are ready to eat it.

Basically, we do not get enough Flavanols in general from our food, specifically we do not get enough Myricetin.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you may have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

What is Inflammation?

Sun, 04 Oct 2020 04:34:44 GMT

Diseases or medical conditions that cause inflammation often have a name ending in “-itis.”

What is an inflammation?

Inflammation is part of the body’s defense mechanism and plays a role in the healing process.

When the body detects an intruder, it launches a biological response to try to remove it.

The attacker could be a foreign body, such as a thorn, an irritant, or a pathogen. Pathogens include bacteria, viruses, and other organisms, which cause infections.

Sometimes, the body mistakenly perceives its own cells or tissues as harmful. This reaction can lead to autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes.

Experts believe inflammation may contribute to a wide range of chronic diseases. Examples of these are metabolic syndrome, which includes type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

People with these conditions often have higher levels of inflammatory markers in their bodies.

In this article, find out more about why inflammation happens, its symptoms, and ways to resolve it.

Diseases or medical conditions that cause inflammation often have a name ending in “-itis.” For example:

• Cystitis: an inflammation of the bladder

• Bronchitis: an inflammation of the bronchi

• Otitis media: an inflammation of the middle ear

• Dermatitis: a disease where the skin is inflamed

There are two main types of inflammation: acute and chronic.

Acute inflammation

An injury or illness can involve acute, or short-term, inflammation.

There are five key signs of acute inflammation:

• Pain: This may occur continuously or only when a person touches the affected area.

• Redness: This happens because of an increase in the blood supply to the capillaries in the area.

• Loss of function: There may be difficulty moving a joint, breathing, sensing smell, and so on.

• Swelling: A condition call edema can develop if fluid builds up.

• Heat: Increased blood flow may leave the affected area warm to the touch.

These signs are not always present. Sometimes inflammation is “silent,” without symptoms. A person may also feel tired, generally unwell, and have a fever.

Symptoms of acute inflammation last a few days. Subacute inflammation lasts 2–6 weeks.

Chronic inflammation can continue for months or years. It either has or may have links to various diseases, such as:

• diabetes

• cardiovascular disease (CVD)

• arthritis and other joint diseases

• allergies

• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

• psoriasis

• rheumatoid arthritis

The symptoms will depend on the disease, but they may include pain and fatigue.

Acute inflammation can result from:

• exposure to a substance, such as a bee sting or dust

• an injury

• an infection

When the body detects damage or pathogens, the immune system triggers a number of reactions:

• Tissues accumulate plasma proteins, leading to a buildup of fluid that results in swelling.

• The body releases neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, or leukocyte, which move toward the affected area. Leukocytes contain molecules that can help fight pathogens.

• Small blood vessels enlarge to enable leukocytes and plasma proteins to reach the injury site more easily.

Signs of acute inflammation can appear within hours or days, depending on the cause. In some cases, they can rapidly become severe. How they develop and how long they last will depend on the cause, which part of the body they affect, and individual factors.

Some factors and infections that can lead to acute inflammation include:

• acute bronchitis, appendicitis and other illnesses ending in “-itis”

• an ingrown toenail

• a sore throat from a cold or flu

• physical trauma or wound

Chronic inflammation

Chronic inflammation can develop if a person has:

Sensitivity: Inflammation happens when the body senses something that should not be there. Hypersensitivity to an external trigger can result in an allergy.

Exposure: Sometimes, long-term, low-level exposure to an irritant, such as an industrial chemical, can result in chronic inflammation.

Autoimmune disorders: The immune system mistakenly attacks normal healthy tissue, as in psoriasis.

Autoinflammatory diseases: A genetic factor affects the way the immune system works, as in Behçet’s disease.

Persistent acute inflammation: In some cases, a person may not fully recover from acute inflammation. Sometimes, this can lead to chronic inflammation.

Factors that may increase the risk of chronic inflammation include:

• older age

• obesity

• a diet that is rich in unhealthful fats and added sugar

• smoking

• low sex hormones

• stress

• sleep problems

Long-term diseases that doctors associate with inflammation include:

• asthma

• chronic peptic ulcer

• tuberculosis

• rheumatoid arthritis

• periodontitis

• ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease

• sinusitis

• active hepatitis

Inflammation plays a vital role in healing, but chronic inflammation may increase the risk of various diseases, including some cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, periodontitis, and hay fever.

Is inflammation painful?

Acute inflammation can cause pain of varying types and severity. Pain may be constant and steady, throbbing and pulsating, stabbing, or pinching.

Pain results when the buildup of fluid leads to swelling, and the swollen tissues push against sensitive nerve endings.

Other biochemical processes also occur during inflammation. They affect how nerves behave, and this can contribute to pain.

What happens when you have an inflammation?

When an inflammation occurs in your body, many different immune system cells may be involved. They release various substances, known as inflammatory mediators. These include the hormones bradykinin and histamine. They cause the small blood vessels in the tissue to become wider (dilate), allowing more blood to reach the injured tissue. For this reason, inflamed areas turn red and feel hot.

The increased blood flow also allows more immune system cells to be carried to the injured tissue, where they help with the healing process. What’s more, both of these hormones irritate nerves and cause pain signals to be sent to the brain. This has a protective function: If the inflammation hurts, you tend to protect the affected part of the body.

The inflammatory mediators have yet another function: They make it easier for immune system cells to pass out of the small blood vessels, so that more of them can enter the affected tissue. The immune system cells also cause more fluid to enter the inflamed tissue, which is why it often swells up. The swelling goes down again after a while, when this fluid is transported out of the tissue.

Mucous membranes also release more fluid when they are inflamed. For instance, this happens when you have a stuffy nose and the membranes lining your nose are inflamed. Then the extra fluid can help to quickly flush the viruses out of your body.

Signs of an inflammation

There are five symptoms that may be signs of an acute inflammation:

• Redness

• Heat

• Swelling

• Pain

• Loss of function

When a wound swells up, turns red and hurts, it may be a sign of inflammation. Very generally speaking, inflammation is the body’s immune system’s response to an irritant. The irritant might be a germ, but it could also be a foreign object, such as a splinter in your finger.

This means that an inflammation does not only start when, for instance, a wound has already been infected by bacteria, is oozing pus or healing poorly. It already starts when the body is trying to fight against the harmful irritant.

Examples of a loss of function include not being able to move an inflamed joint properly, having a worse sense of smell during a cold, or finding it more difficult to breathe when you have bronchitis.

Inflammations don’t always cause all five symptoms. Some inflammations occur “silently” and don’t cause any symptoms.

General responses in the body

If the inflammation is severe, it can cause general reactions in the body. These may include the following signs and symptoms:

• Generally feeling ill, exhaustion and fever. These are signs that the immune system is very active and needs a lot of energy, which may be lacking for other activities. If the rate of metabolism is higher due to a fever, more antibodies and cells of the immune system can be produced.

• Changes in the blood, such as an increased number of immune system cells.

A very rare but dangerous complication of an infection is called septicemia (blood poisoning). The possible signs of this complication include chills, feeling very ill, and a very high fever.

Septicemia may occur if bacteria multiply quickly in a certain part of the body and then a lot of them suddenly enter the bloodstream. This can happen if the body isn’t able to fight the infection locally, if the germs are very aggressive, or if the immune system is very weak. Septicemia is a medical emergency and needs to be treated by a doctor as soon as possible.

Inflammations can cause chronic diseases too

Inflammations don’t always help the body. In some diseases the immune system fights against the body’s own cells by mistake, causing harmful inflammations. These include, for example:

• Rheumatoid arthritis, where many joints throughout the body are permanently inflamed

• Psoriasis – a chronic skin disease

• Inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis

Collectively known as chronic inflammatory diseases, these diseases can last for years or even a lifetime. Their severity and level of activity varies.

Causes of an inflammation

Many different things can cause inflammations. These are the most common:

• Pathogens (germs) like bacteria, viruses or fungi

• External injuries like scrapes or damage through foreign objects (for example a thorn in your finger)

• Effects of chemicals or radiation

10 Causes of Inflammation

The immune system triggers inflammation in reaction to injury or infection. In this regard, it is a healthy part of natural recovery from an illness or injury. When inflammation develops for this reason, it indicates a correctly functioning system, but signs of inflammation that do not go away, or develop without a legitimate trigger, signify that the immune system is not working properly. The causes of chronic inflammation differ from person to person.

1. Digestive Troubles

Excessive alcohol consumption, GI tract conditions, certain medications, and vomiting can cause gastritis or inflammation of the stomach. Sometimes, gastritis becomes a chronic condition that damages the stomach lining. It is important to see a doctor and find out what is causing the symptoms. Depending on the cause, a doctor may recommend stopping medications that irritate the digestive tract and avoiding alcohol and smoking. They may also recommend dietary changes or medications.

2. Emotional Stress

Studies show psychological stress interferes with the body's ability to control inflammation, which heightens the risk of disease. Emotional stress triggers the production of cortisol, the flight-or-flight stress hormone that plays a role in inflammation. Excess cortisol also increases one's risk of contracting an infection. Many people make this connection themselves, noting they are more likely to develop a cold or other minor infection when stressed than when mentally healthy.

3. Physical Stress

Chronic physical stress can also result in excessive inflammation. For example, excessive exercise, such as running a marathon or going without sleep for a few days places substantial stress on the body and can trigger inflammation. However, regular exercise in moderation has an anti-inflammatory effect and may help keep inflammation in check.

4. Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance occurs when cells cannot take up glucose as efficiently as they should. This common health problem is linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance is more common in people who are overweight or obese, and it sometimes has a genetic component. Some studies link insulin resistance with chronic, low-grade inflammation, although more research is needed to clarify this link.

5. Hormone Imbalance

Inflammation could be a byproduct of an imbalance of hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Imbalance in these hormones can alter the level of cortisol, a hormone that helps keep the immune system balanced and inflammation in check. Chronic inflammation can affect women going through menopause, causing symptoms such as adult acne and osteoporosis. Studies suggest that inflammation naturally increases with age and may be a factor in many of the chronic health problems people develop later in life.

6. Synthetic Fibers

Fibers in plastics, latex, and other products can trigger inflammation in people who are sensitive to these fibers. Often, the inflammation will be seen and felt on the skin in the area into which the product came into contact. For instance, if one reacts to latex gloves, they may notice inflammation, a rash, and other signs of irritation on their hands and wrists. Some people are allergic to latex and can experience a life-threatening reaction if exposed to it in any form. Other people are not allergic to latex but develop skin irritation and inflammation when they come into contact with it. A portion of people who have skin irritation eventually develop an allergy.

7. Poor Diet

Diet plays a role in inflammation. Studies suggest that refined carbohydrates, foods made with white flour, processed meats, and sugar are linked with inflammation. In contrast, preliminary research finds other foods, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, olive oil, and fish are associated with reduced inflammation. This is one more reason to skip the junk food and choose more whole, unprocessed fare.

8. Food Allergies

Food allergies and inflammation are both overreactions of the immune system, but they differ in some respects. The symptoms of food allergies are brought about by IgE antibodies that form from previous exposure to an allergen. Allergies often show up early in life, although adults can develop them too. They often have a genetic component and are more likely to run in families. Nuts, fish, and milk are common allergens, and in some, contact or ingestion can cause a life-threatening reaction. But people can also be sensitive to certain foods or dietary components without having a true allergy. For example, people with Celiac disease mount an immune response to gluten and develop inflammation as a result, though this is not a true food allergy. A doctor or nutritionist can help patients determine to which foods they are allergic through allergy tests and elimination diets.

9. Chemicals

Chemicals are another common cause of inflammation, and people may come into contact with them either through the air, ingestion, or topically. The ingredients in some personal care and cleaning products can be absorbed and cause reactions either on or beneath the skin. The signs of skin inflammation include redness, itching, tenderness, and swelling. The medical term for skin inflammation is dermatitis. Even mild exposure to workplace chemicals or cleaning products can cause inflammation, as can pollutants in the air.

10. Trigger Foods

Although food allergies are more severe than food triggers, even people without allergies can react negatively to eating certain foods. Products high in linoleic acid -- found in safflower, corn, soy, and sunflower -- can prompt an inflammatory reaction, according to some research. In some cases, diets high in refined carbohydrates and highly processed foods trigger inflammation. In contrast, healthy, fiber-rich carbohydrate sources, like fruits and vegetables, may reduce inflammation. As with full-blown allergies, skin tests and dietary restrictions can help doctors diagnose, and people control, these intolerances.

10 Potential Causes of Chronic Inflammation

You may have a general idea of what inflammation feels or looks like when you experience it. But do you understand why a given body part gets inflamed or swollen in the first place? Inflammation occurs as part of the body's response to harmful stimuli with the purpose of eliminating whatever is causing cell injury. If the condition causing acute inflammation does not get resolved, chronic inflammation may ensue, resulting in much physical discomfort for the suffering individual. When you understand the potential causes of chronic inflammation, you may be able to help prevent its onset.

1. Obesity

Obesity is time and again linked with low-grade, chronic inflammation. When fat cells start to expand, you get fatter, leaving your body in a constantly swollen state. Your body doesn't like this extra stress, so white blood cells rush to help. Unfortunately, if you do not lose weight soon enough, healthy cells stop responding to the hormone that regulates blood sugar, and then the body may suffer from something a lot more dangerous than inflammation: diabetes. White blood cells that were there to help you now enter the bloodstream and start damaging your liver.

2. Stress And Anxiety

Sudden and unexpected unpleasant situations can cause stress and high anxiety. Emotional stress in the form of night sweats or a panic attack usually signals cortisol-prompted inflammation. Cortisol is a hormone that dilates the blood vessels when a threat is perceived. Inflammation spreads even faster when under stress because even if you do not feel any physical pain, your brain detects that your change in emotions and causes inflammation as a by-product of trying to protect you.

3. Pollution And Bad Air

Chronic inhalation of bad air has been associated with increased morbidity from ischemic cardiovascular events. Living in a polluted area means a higher chance of developing diabetes because bad air causes inflammation. Moreover, cigarette smoking exposes your lung function and airways to bad air, leaving the immune system to try to repair itself constantly, without any success.

4. Overeating

Red meat and sugar are very hard for the body to digest. It takes hours of hard work and a lot of stomach acid to properly deal with such meals. Inflammation can result if you don't eat foods your body can process more easily, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

5. Lack of Sleep

If you have insomnia, your body secretes inflammatory cytokines at a higher rate than those who do not experience insomnia. During sleep, the body regenerates, and the immune system calms down. Lack of restorative sleep is a major promoter of inflammation. People with rheumatoid arthritis or other autoimmune disorders experience this when lack of sleep due to pain associated with their condition promotes further flare-ups and more pain.

6. Food Allergies

Certain food can trigger allergies. For example, some people are allergic to casein, found in milk, or to gluten, found in wheat. If these ingredients cause an inflammatory response when you ingest them. The only thing you can do is avoid them. Some foods, including sunflower oils, soy or peanuts, can cause inflammation to anyone if used excessively.

7. Hormones

Imbalance of hormones — estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone — may cause inflammation. Menopausal women often gain weight quickly and become prone to conditions such as acne and osteoporosis, which is characterized by fragile bones, due to lack of calcium, because they often experience inflammation as their hormone balance shifts with age.

8. Clothing Fibers

Believe it or not, choosing your clothes carefully might be one of the biggest favors you could do for yourself. Some people who have especially sensitive skin may find problematic fibers can cause rashes, nausea, itching and in more extreme situations, even lung problems as a result of the inflammation they cause.

9. Chemicals

You're exposed to dozens of chemicals in your everyday life, from air fresheners, adhesives, cosmetics, and cleaning products to glues, heavy metals, and pesticides. A common cause of inflammation comes from the airborne irritants that we breathe in at work. If the air conditioning system in your home or workplace is not clean, everything spreads even faster.

10. Excessive Alcohol

Anything more than one drink a day is considered excessive, damaging your memory, reasoning, thinking, and teeth, and sometimes resulting in gastritis, which can lead to anemia and malnutrition. Combining alcohol with tobacco is an even worse decision, leading to esophagitis, or inflammation of the tube that carries food from mouth to stomach.

Does sugar cause inflammation in the body?

People with diets rich in refined sugar may be increasing their risk of chronic inflammation. Research suggests that when people eat and drink less sugar, inflammatory markers in their blood decrease.

A high sugar diet can have harmful effects on health, such as increasing the risk of chronic diseases, weight gain, and tooth decay. It can also result in chronic inflammation, where the body’s immune system activates, resulting in damage to healthy cells.

Inflammation resulting from lifestyle factors, such as obesity, smoking, and a sedentary existence can contribute to a range of diseases. These include heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer’s.

Natural ways to reduce inflammation

Studies have shown that eating less sugar can reduce inflammation, so people should aim to limit their sugar intake. The World Health Organization (WHO) strongly recommend a maximum sugar intake of less than 10% of daily energy intake.

Eating only 5% of daily calories from sugar may have added health benefits, the WHO say. For someone eating 2,000 calories per day, the maximum from sugar would be 100 to 200.

Ways to reduce inflammation in the body include:

• Getting enough sleep. Improving sleep hygiene and getting better sleep may decrease the risk of developing chronic inflammation.

• Quitting smoking. Smoking is a risk factor for many chronic diseases, including chronic inflammation.

• Following an anti-inflammatory diet. Read about foods that reduce inflammation here.

• Maintaining a healthful weight. Obesity is another risk factor for chronic inflammation. Excess fat tissue may increase inflammatory factors. The most effective strategy for reducing chronic inflammation is weight loss.

• Trying supplements. Read about supplements that could help with inflammation here.

Sex hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone, can slow down the production of inflammatory factors. For some people, testing and correcting hormonal imbalances could reduce chronic inflammation.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you may have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

"DEPRESSION THE SILENT THIEF OF HAPPINESS"

Sat, 03 Oct 2020 07:36:45 GMT

Let's dig into the dark to find the light together.... EMULIN supports this.

DEPRESSION

What causes depression?

While we don’t know exactly what causes depression, a number of things are often linked to its development. Depression usually results from a combination of recent events and other longer-term or personal factors, rather than one immediate issue or event.

Life events

Research suggests that continuing difficulties – long-term unemployment, living in an abusive or uncaring relationship, long-term isolation or loneliness, prolonged work stress – are more likely to cause depression than recent life stresses. However, recent events (such as losing your job) or a combination of events can ‘trigger' depression if you’re already at risk because of previous bad experiences or personal factors.

Personal factors

Family history – Depression can run in families and some people will be at an increased genetic risk. However, having a parent or close relative with depression doesn’t mean you’ll automatically have the same experience. Life circumstances and other personal factors are still likely to have an important influence.

Personality – Some people may be more at risk of depression because of their personality, particularly if they have a tendency to worry a lot, have low self-esteem, are perfectionists, are sensitive to personal criticism, or are self-critical and negative.

Serious medical illness – The stress and worry of coping with a serious illness can lead to depression, especially if you’re dealing with long-term management and/or chronic pain.

Drug and alcohol use – Drug and alcohol use can both lead to and result from depression. Many people with depression also have drug and alcohol problems. Over 500,000 Australians will experience depression and a substance use disorder at the same time, at some point in their lives.

Changes in the brain

Although there’s been a lot of research in this complex area, there’s still much we don’t know. Depression is not simply the result of a ‘chemical imbalance’, for example because you have too much or not enough of a particular brain chemical. It’s complicated, and there are multiple causes of major depression. Factors such as genetic vulnerability, severe life stressors, substances you may take (some medications, drugs and alcohol) and medical conditions can affect the way your brain regulates your moods.
Most modern antidepressants have an effect on your brain’s chemical transmitters (serotonin and noradrenaline), which relay messages between brain cells – this is thought to be how medications work for more severe depression. Psychological treatment can also help you to regulate your moods.
Effective treatment can stimulate the growth of new nerve cells in circuits that regulate your mood, which is thought to play a critical part in recovering from the most severe episodes of depression.

Remember...

Everyone’s different and it's often a combination of factors that can contribute to developing depression. It's important to remember that you can't always identify the cause of depression or change difficult circumstances. The most important thing is to recognize the signs and symptoms and seek support.

Signs and symptoms

You may be depressed if, for more than two weeks, you've felt sad, down or miserable most of the time, or have lost interest or pleasure in usual activities, and have also experienced several of the signs and symptoms across at least three of the categories below.

It’s important to remember that we all experience some of these symptoms from time to time, and it may not necessarily mean you're depressed. Equally, not everyone who is experiencing depression will have all of these symptoms.

Behaviour

not going out anymore
not getting things done at work/school
withdrawing from close family and friends
relying on alcohol and sedatives
not doing usual enjoyable activities
unable to concentrate

Types of depression

There are different types of depressive disorders. Symptoms can range from relatively minor (but still disabling) through to very severe, so it's helpful to be aware of the range of conditions and their specific symptoms.

Major depression

Major depression is sometimes called major depressive disorder, clinical depression, uni-polar depression or simply 'depression'. It involves low mood and/or loss of interest and pleasure in usual activities, as well as other symptoms. The symptoms are experienced most days and last for at least two weeks. Symptoms of depression interfere with all areas of a person's life, including work and social relationships. Depression can be described as mild, moderate or severe; melancholic or psychotic (see below).

Melancholia

This is the term used to describe a severe form of depression where many of the physical symptoms of depression are present. One of the major changes is that the person starts to move more slowly. They're also more likely to have a depressed mood that is characterized by complete loss of pleasure in everything, or almost everything.

Psychotic depression

Sometimes people with a depressive disorder can lose touch with reality and experience psychosis. This can involve hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren't there) or delusions (false beliefs that aren't shared by others), such as believing they are bad or evil, or that they're being watched or followed. They can also be paranoid, feeling as though everyone is against them or that they are the cause of illness or bad events occurring around them.

Feelings

overwhelmed
guilty
irritable
frustrated
lacking in confidence
unhappy
indecisive
disappointed
miserable
sad

Thoughts

'I’m a failure.'
'It’s my fault.'
'Nothing good ever happens to me.'
'I’m worthless.'
'Life’s not worth living.'
'People would be better off without me.'

Physical

tired all the time
sick and run down
headaches and muscle pains
churning gut
sleep problems
loss or change of appetite
significant weight loss or gain

If you think that you or someone you know may be experiencing depression, completing our checklist is a quick, easy and confidential way to give you more insight. The checklist won't provide a diagnosis – for that you'll need to see a health professional – but it can help to guide you and provide a better understanding of how you're feeling.

Antenatal and postnatal depression

Women are at an increased risk of depression during pregnancy (known as the antenatal or prenatal period) and in the year following childbirth (known as the postnatal period). You may also come across the term 'perinatal', which describes the period covered by pregnancy and the first year after the baby's birth.

Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder used to be known as 'manic depression' because the person experiences periods of depression and periods of mania, with periods of normal mood in between.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

SAD is a mood disorder that has a seasonal pattern. The cause of the disorder is unclear, but it's thought to be related to the variation in light exposure in different seasons. It's characterized by mood disturbances (either periods of depression or mania) that begin and end in a particular season. Depression which starts in winter and subsides when the season ends is the most common. It's usually diagnosed after the person has had the same symptoms during winter for a couple of years. People with SAD depression is more likely to experience a lack of energy, sleep too much, overeat, gain weight and crave for carbohydrates. SAD is very rare in Australia and more likely to be found in countries with shorter days and longer periods of darkness, such as in the cold climate areas of the Northern Hemisphere.

Remember, depression is treatable and effective treatments are available. The earlier you seek support, the better.

Treatments for depression

There's no one proven way that people recover from depression, and it's different for everyone. However, there are a range of effective treatments and health professionals who can help you on the road to recovery.

There are also plenty of things you can do for yourself to recover and stay well. The important thing is finding the right treatment and the right health professional for your needs.

Medical treatments for depression

The main medical treatment for depression is antidepressant medication. There's a lot of misinformation about antidepressant medication and while there is no simple explanation as to how it works, it can be very useful in the treatment of moderate to severe depression and some anxiety disorders.

If you're experiencing moderate to severe depression your doctor may prescribe antidepressant medication, along with psychological treatments. Antidepressants are sometimes prescribed when other treatments have not been successful or when psychological treatments aren't possible due to the severity of the condition or a lack of access to the treatment.

People with more severe forms of depression (bipolar disorder and psychosis) generally need to be treated with medication. This may include one or a combination of mood stabilizers, anti-psychotic drugs and antidepressants.

Men

Men are known for bottling things up. But when you’re feeling down, taking action to call in extra support is the responsible thing to do.

Trying to go it alone when you’re feeling down increases the risk of depression or anxiety going unrecognized and untreated. Depression is a high-risk factor for suicide, and plays a contributing role to the big difference in suicide rates for men and women.

Women

Women are known for putting others first. But when it comes to your health it is important to prioritize your own needs and speak up when you need support.

While good mental health is essential to the overall health of both men and women, women experience some mental health conditions at higher rates than men.

In fact, around 1 in 5 women in Australia will experience depression and 1 in 3 women will experience anxiety during their lifetime. Women also experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and eating disorders at higher rates than men.

Treatment for Depression

Up to 80% of those treated for depression show an improvement in their symptoms generally within four to six weeks of beginning medication, psychotherapy, attending support groups or a combination of these treatments.

Despite its high treatment success rate, nearly two out of three people suffering with depression do not actively seek nor receive proper treatment.

JUST REMEMBER THAT THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE, THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE WANTING TO HELP YOU. PLEASE, SPEAK UP AND ASK FOR HELP, IT'S OK...…..

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you may have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Obesity - We Eat Too Much

Sat, 03 Oct 2020 06:27:14 GMT

Facts about Obesity.

Obesity facts

Obesity means having excess body fat. For adults 35 and older, having a BMI greater than 30 is considered obese.
Obesity is not just a cosmetic consideration. It is a chronic medical disease that can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, gallstones, and other chronic illnesses.
Obesity has also been linked to increased risk for a number of cancers.
Obesity is difficult to treat and has a high relapse rate. Most people who lose weight regain the weight within five years.
Even though medications and diets can help, the treatment of obesity cannot be a short-term "fix" but has to be a lifelong commitment to proper diet habits, increased physical activity, and regular exercise.
The goal of treatment should be to achieve and maintain a "healthier weight," not necessarily an ideal weight.
Even a modest weight loss of 5%-10% of initial weight and the long-term maintenance of that weight loss can bring significant health benefits by lowering blood pressure and lowering the risks of diabetes and heart disease.
The chances of long-term successful weight loss are enhanced if the doctor works with a team of professionals, including dietitians, psychologists, and exercise professionals.

Weight Gain, Obesity & Cancer Risk

Excess weight is a known risk factor for many chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. Obesity can also be linked an increased risk for developing some cancers. To clarify the effects of weight gain on cancer risk, researchers in 2007 conducted an analysis of many studies reported in medical journals that describe 282,137 cases of cancer. The researchers wanted to see if weight gain had an effect on the risk for certain cancer types.

What is obesity?

The definition of obesity varies depending on what one reads. In general, overweight and obesity indicate a weight greater than what is considered healthy. Obesity is a chronic condition defined by an excess amount of body fat. A certain amount of body fat is necessary for storing energy, heat insulation, shock absorption, and other functions.
Obesity is best defined by using the body mass index. The body mass index is calculated using a person's height and weight. The body mass index (BMI) equals a person's weight in kilograms (kg) divided by their height in meters (m) squared. Since BMI describes body weight relative to height, it is strongly correlated with total body fat content in adults. An adult who has a BMI of 25-29.9 is considered overweight, and an adult who has a BMI over 30 is considered obese. A BMI of 18.5-24.9 is considered normal weight.

How common is obesity?

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Over two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese, and one in three Americans is obese. The prevalence of obesity in children has

increased markedly. Obesity has also been increasing rapidly throughout the world, and the incidence of obesity nearly doubled from 1991 to 1998.

What are the health risks associated with obesity?

Obesity is not just a cosmetic consideration; it is harmful to one's health. In the United States, roughly 112,000 deaths per year are directly related to obesity, and most of these deaths are in patients with a BMI over 30. For patients with a BMI over 40, life expectancy is reduced significantly. Obesity also increases the risk of developing a number of chronic diseases, including the following:

Insulin resistance. Insulin is necessary for the transport of blood glucose (sugar) into the cells of muscle and fat (which is then used for energy). By transporting glucose into cells, insulin keeps the blood glucose levels in the normal range. Insulin resistance (IR) is the condition whereby the effectiveness of insulin in transporting glucose (sugar) into cells is diminished. Fat cells are more insulin resistant than muscle cells; therefore, one important cause of insulin resistance is obesity. The pancreas initially responds to insulin resistance by producing more insulin. As long as the pancreas can produce enough insulin to overcome this resistance, blood glucose levels remain normal. This insulin resistance state (characterized by normal blood glucose levels and high insulin levels) can last for years. Once the pancreas can no longer keep up with producing high levels of insulin, blood glucose levels begin to rise, resulting in type 2 diabetes, thus insulin resistance is a pre-diabetes condition.

Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes. The risk of type 2 diabetes increases with the degree and duration of obesity. Type 2 diabetes is associated with central obesity; a person with central obesity has excess fat around his/her waist, so that the body is shaped like an apple.

High blood pressure (hypertension). Hypertension is common among obese adults. A Norwegian study showed that weight gain tended to increase blood pressure in women more significantly than in men.
High cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia)
Stroke (cerebrovascular accident or CVA)
Heart attack. A prospective study found that the risk of developing coronary artery disease increased three to four times in women who had a BMI greater than 29. A Finnish study showed that for every 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) increase in body weight, the risk of death from coronary artery disease increased by 1%. In patients who have already had a heart attack, obesity is associated with an increased likelihood of a second heart attack.
Congestive heart failure
Cancer. Obesity has been linked to cancer of the colon in men and women, cancer of the rectum and prostate in men, and cancer of the gallbladder and uterus in women. Obesity may also be associated with breast cancer, particularly in postmenopausal women. Fat tissue is important in the production of estrogen, and prolonged exposure to high levels of estrogen increases the risk of breast cancer.
Gallstones
Gout and gouty arthritis
Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) of the knees, hips, and the lower back
Sleep apnoea

What causes obesity?

The balance between calorie intake and energy expenditure determines a person's weight. If a person eats more calories than he or she burns (metabolizes), the person gains weight (the body will store the excess energy as fat). If a person eats fewer calories than he or she metabolizes, he or she will lose weight. Therefore, the most common causes of obesity are overeating and physical inactivity. Ultimately, body weight is the result of genetics, metabolism, environment, behaviour, and culture.

Genetics. A person is more likely to develop obesity if one or both parents are obese. Genetics also affect hormones involved in fat regulation. For example, one genetic cause of obesity is leptin deficiency. Leptin is a hormone produced in fat cells and also in the placenta. Leptin controls weight by signaling the brain to eat less when body fat stores are too high. If, for some reason, the body cannot produce enough leptin or leptin cannot signal the brain to eat less, this control is lost, and obesity occurs. The role of leptin replacement as a treatment for obesity is currently being explored.

Overeating. Overeating leads to weight gain, especially if the diet is high in fat. Foods high in fat or sugar (for example, fast food, fried food, and sweets) have high energy density (foods that have a lot of calories in a small amount of food). Epidemiologic studies have shown that diets high in fat contribute to weight gain.

A diet high in simple carbohydrates. The role of carbohydrates in weight gain is not clear. Carbohydrates increase blood glucose levels, which in turn stimulate insulin release by the pancreas, and insulin promotes the growth of fat tissue and can cause weight gain. Some scientists believe that simple carbohydrates (sugars, fructose, desserts, soft drinks, beer, wine, etc.) contribute to weight gain because they are more rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream than complex carbohydrates (pasta, brown rice, grains, vegetables, raw fruits, etc.) and thus cause a more pronounced insulin release after meals than complex carbohydrates. This higher insulin release, some scientists believe, contributes to weight gain.

Frequency of eating. The relationship between frequency of eating (how often you eat) and weight is somewhat controversial. There are many reports of overweight people eating less often than people with normal weight. Scientists have observed that people who eat small meals four or five times daily, have lower cholesterol levels and lower and/or more stable blood sugar levels than people who eat less frequently (two or three large meals daily). One possible explanation is that small frequent meals produce stable insulin levels, whereas large meals cause large spikes of insulin after meals.

Physical inactivity. Sedentary people burn fewer calories than people who are active. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) showed that physical inactivity was strongly correlated with weight gain in both sexes.

Medications. Medications associated with weight gain include certain antidepressants (medications used in treating depression), anticonvulsants (medications used in controlling seizures such as carbamazepine [Tegretol, Tegretol XR , Equetro, Carbatrol] and valproate [Depacon, Depakene]), some diabetes medications (medications used in lowering blood sugar such as insulin, sulfonylureas, and thiazolidinediones), certain hormones such as oral contraceptives, and most corticosteroids such as prednisone. Weight gain may also be seen with some high blood pressure medications and antihistamines. The reason for the weight gain with the medications differs for each medication. If this is a concern for you, you should discuss your medications with your physician rather than discontinuing the medication, as this could have serious effects.

Psychological factors. For some people, emotions influence eating habits. Many people eat excessively in response to emotions such as boredom, sadness, stress, or anger. While most overweight people have no more psychological disturbances than normal weight people, about 30% of the people who seek treatment for serious weight problems have difficulties with binge eating.

Diseases such as hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, polycystic ovary syndrome, and Cushing's syndrome are also contributors to obesity.

Social issues: A link between social issues and obesity has been established. Lack of money to purchase healthy foods or lack of safe places to walk or exercise can increase the risk of obesity.

What are other factors associated with obesity?

Ethnicity. Ethnicity factors may influence the age of onset and the rapidity of weight gain. African-American women and Hispanic women tend to experience weight gain earlier in life than Caucasians and Asians, and age-adjusted obesity rates are higher in these groups. Non-Hispanic black men and Hispanic men have a higher obesity rate then non-Hispanic white men, but the difference in prevalence is significantly less than in women.

Childhood weight. A person's weight during childhood, the teenage years, and early adulthood may also influence the development of adult obesity. For example, being mildly overweight in the early 20's was linked to a substantial incidence of obesity by age 35; being overweight during older childhood is highly predictive of adult obesity, especially if a parent is also obese; being overweight during the teenage years is even a greater predictor of adult obesity.

Hormones. Women tend to gain weight especially during certain events such as pregnancy, menopause, and in some cases, with the use of oral contraceptives. However, with the availability of the lower-dose estrogen pills, weight gain has not been as great a risk.

How is body fat measured?

BMI is a calculated value and approximates the body's fat percentage. Actually, measuring a person's body fat percentage is not easy and is often inaccurate if the methods are not monitored carefully. The following methods require special equipment, trained personnel, can be costly, and some are only available in certain research facilities.

Underwater weighing (hydrostatic weighing): This method weighs a person underwater and then calculates lean body mass (muscle) and body fat. This method is one of the most accurate ones; however, it is generally done in special research facilities, and the equipment is costly.

BOD POD: The BOD POD is a computerized, egg-shaped chamber. Using the same whole-body measurement principle as hydrostatic weighing, the BOD POD measures a subject's mass and volume, from which their whole-body density is determined. Using this data, body fat and lean muscle mass can then be calculated.

DEXA: Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is used to measure bone density. It uses X-rays to determine not only the percentage of body fat but also where and how much fat is located in the body.

What is the body mass index (BMI)?

The body mass index (BMI) is a now the measurement of choice for many physicians and researchers studying obesity.

The BMI uses a mathematical formula that accounts for both a person's weight and height.

The BMI measurement, however, poses some of the same problems as the weight-for-height tables. Not everyone agrees on the cutoff points for "healthy" versus "unhealthy" BMI ranges. BMI also does not provide information on a person's percentage of body fat. However, like the weight-for-height table, BMI is a useful general guideline and is a good estimator of body fat for most adults 19 and 70 years of age. However, it may not be an accurate measurement of body fat for bodybuilders, certain athletes, and pregnant women.

The BMI equals a person's weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared (BMI = kg/m2). To calculate the BMI using pounds, divide the weight in pounds by the height in inches squared and multiply the result by 703.

It is important to understand what "healthy weight" means. Healthy weight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 19 and less than 25 among all people 20 years of age or over. Generally, obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 30, which approximates 30 pounds of excess weight.

The World Health Organization uses a classification system using the BMI to define overweight and obesity.

A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is defined as a "pre-obese."
A BMI of 30 to 34.99 is defined as "obese class I."
A BMI of 35 to 39.99 is defined as "obese class II."
A BMI of or greater than 40.00 is defined as "obese class III."

Does it matter where body fat is located? (Is it worse to be an "apple" or a "pear"?)

Concern is directed not only at how much fat a person has but also where that fat is located on the body. The pattern of body fat distribution tends to differ in men and women.
In general, women collect fat in their hips and buttocks, giving their figures a "pear" shape. Men, on the other hand, usually collect fat around the belly, giving them more of an "apple" shape. (This is not a hard and fast rule; some men are pear-shaped and some women become apple-shaped, particularly after menopause.)
Apple-shaped people whose fat is concentrated mostly in the abdomen are more likely to develop many of the health problems associated with obesity. They are at increased health risk because of their fat distribution. While obesity of any kind is a health risk, it is better to be a pear than an apple.
In order to sort the types of fruit, doctors have developed a simple way to determine whether someone is an apple or a pear. The measurement is called waist-to-hip ratio. To find out a person's waist-to-hip ratio measure the waist at its narrowest point, and then measure the hips at the widest point; divide the waist measurement by the hip measurement. For example, a woman with a 35-inch waist and 46-inch hips would have a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.76 (35 divided by 46 = 0.76).
Women with waist-to-hip ratios of more than 0.8 and men with waist-to-hip ratios of more than 1.0 are "apples."
Another rough way of estimating the amount of a person's abdominal fat is by measuring the waist circumference. Men with a waist circumference of 40 inches or greater and women with a waist circumference of 35 inches or greater are considered to have increased health risks related to obesity.

What can be done about obesity?

All too often, obesity prompts a strenuous diet in the hopes of reaching the "ideal body weight." Some amount of weight loss may be accomplished, but the lost weight usually quickly returns. Most people who lose weight regain the weight within five years. It is clear that a more effective, long-lasting treatment for obesity must be found.

We need to learn more about the causes of obesity, and then we need to change the ways we treat it. When obesity is accepted as a chronic disease, it will be treated like other chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. The treatment of obesity cannot be a short-term "fix" but has to be an ongoing lifelong process.

Obesity treatment must acknowledge that even modest weight loss can be beneficial. For example, a modest weight loss of 5%-10% of the initial weight, and long-term maintenance of that weight loss can bring significant health gains, including:

• lowered blood pressure;

• reduced blood levels of cholesterol;

• reduced risk of type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes (In the Nurses Health Study, women who lost 5 kilograms [11 pounds] of weight reduced their risk of diabetes by 50% or more.);

• decreased chance of stroke;

• decreased complications of heart disease;

• decreased overall mortality.

It is not necessary to achieve an "ideal weight" to derive health benefits from obesity treatment. Instead, the goal of treatment should be to reach and hold to a "healthier weight." The emphasis of treatment should be to commit to the process of lifelong healthy living, including eating more wisely and increasing physical activity.

In sum, the goal in dealing with obesity is to achieve and maintain a "healthier weight."

What is the role of physical activity and exercise in obesity?

The National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES I) showed that people who engage in limited recreational activity were more likely to gain weight than more active people. Other studies have shown that people who engage in regular strenuous activity gain less weight than sedentary people.

Physical activity and exercise help burn calories. The number of calories burned depends on the type, duration, and intensity of the activity. It also depends on the weight of the person. A 200-pound person will burn more calories running 1 mile than a 120-pound person, because the work of carrying those extra 80 pounds must be factored in. But exercise as a treatment for obesity is most effective when combined with a diet and weight-loss program. Exercise alone without dietary changes will have a limited effect on weight because one has to exercise a lot to simply lose 1 pound. However regular exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle to maintain a healthy weight for the long term. Another advantage of regular exercise as part of a weight-loss program is a greater loss of body fat versus lean muscle compared to those who diet alone.

Other benefits of exercise include:

• improved blood sugar control and increased insulin sensitivity (decreased insulin resistance),

• reduced triglyceride levels and increased "good" HDL cholesterol levels,

• lowered blood pressure,

• a reduction in abdominal fat,

• reduced risk of heart disease,

• release of endorphins that make people feel good.

Remember, these health benefits can occur independently (with or without) achieving weight loss. Before starting an exercise program, talk to a doctor about the type and intensity of the exercise program.

General exercise recommendations

Perform 20-30 minutes of moderate exercise five to seven days a week, preferably daily. Types of exercise include stationary bicycling, walking or jogging on a treadmill, stair climbing machines, jogging, and swimming.

Exercise can be broken up into smaller 10-minute sessions.

Start slowly and progress gradually to avoid injury, excessive soreness, or fatigue. Over time, build up to 30-60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise every day.

People are never too old to start exercising. Even frail, elderly individuals (70-90 years of age) can improve their strength and balance.

Exercise precautions

The following people should consult a doctor before vigorous exercise:

• Men over age 40 or women over age 50

• Individuals with heart or lung disease, asthma, arthritis, or osteoporosis

• Individuals who experience chest pressure or pain with exertion, or who develop fatigue or shortness of breath easily

• Individuals with conditions or lifestyle factors that increase their risk of developing coronary heart disease, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cigarette smoking, high blood cholesterol, or having family members with early onset heart attacks and coronary heart disease

• A patient who is obese

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you may have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Spinal Pain Management

Sat, 03 Oct 2020 05:43:42 GMT

Spinal pain - a link to Inflammation.

What is Spinal Pain all about?

The back is divided into neck pain (cervical), middle back pain (thoracic), lower back pain (lumbar) or coccydynia (tailbone or sacral pain) based on the segment affected.

The lumbar area is the most common area affected.

Episodes of back pain may be acute, sub-acute, or chronic depending on the duration. The pain may be characterized as a dull ache, shooting or piercing pain, or a burning sensation. Discomfort can radiate into the arms and hands as well as the legs or feet, and may include numbness, or weakness in the legs and arms.

The majority of back pain is nonspecific with no identifiable causes. Common underlying mechanisms include degenerative or traumatic changes to the discs and facets joints, which can then cause secondary pain in the muscles, and nerves, and referred pain to the bones, joints and extremities. Diseases and inflammation of the gallbladder, pancreas, aorta, and kidneys may also cause referred pain in the back. Tumors of the vertebrae, neural tissues and adjacent structures can also manifest as back pain.

Back pain is common, with about nine out of ten adults experiencing it at some point in their life, and five out of ten working adults having it every year. Some estimate up to 95% of people will experience back pain at some point in their lifetime. It is the most common cause of chronic pain, and is a major contributor of missed work and disability. For most individuals, back pain is self-limiting. In most cases of herniated disks and stenosis, rest, injections or surgery have similar general pain resolution outcomes on average after one year. In the United States, acute low back pain is the fifth most common reason for physician visits and causes 40% of missed days off work. Additionally, it is the single leading cause of disability worldwide.

Classification

Spinal pain is classified in terms of duration of symptoms.

Acute back pain lasts <6 weeks
Sub-acute back pain lasts between 6 and 12 weeks.
Chronic back pain lasts for greater than 12 weeks.

Causes

Nonspecific

In as many as 90 percent of cases, no physiological causes or abnormalities on diagnostic tests can be found. Nonspecific back pain can be due to back strain/sprain. The cause is peripheral injury to muscle or ligaments. The patient may or may not recall the cause. The pain can present acutely but in some cases can persist, leading to chronic pain.

Chronic back pain in people with otherwise normal scans can result from central sensitization, where an initial injury causes a longer-lasting state of heightened sensitivity to pain. This persistent state maintains pain even after the initial injury has healed. Treatment of sensitization may involve low doses of anti-depressants and directed rehabilitation such as physical therapy.

Spinal disc disease

Spinal disk disease occurs when the nucleus pulposus, a gel-like material in the inner core of the vertebral disc, ruptures. Rupturing of the nucleus pulposus can lead to compression of nerve roots. Symptoms may be unilateral or bilateral, and correlate to the region of the spine affected. The most common region for spinal disk disease is at L4-L5 or L5-S1. The risk for lumbar disc disease is increased in overweight individuals due to the increased compressive force on the nucleus pulposus.

Severe spinal cord compression is considered a surgical emergency and requires decompression to preserve motor and sensory function. Cauda equina syndrome refers to severe compression of the cauda equina and presents initially with pain followed by motor and sensory. Bladder incontinence is seen in later stages of the cauda equina syndrome.

Degenerative disease

Spondylosis, or degenerative arthritis of the spine, occurs when the inter-vertebral disc undergoes degenerative changes, causing the disc to fail at cushioning the vertebrae. There is an association between inter-vertebral disc space narrowing and lumbar spine pain. The space between the vertebrae becomes more narrow, resulting in compression and irritation of the nerves.

Spondylolithesis is the anterior shift of one vertebra compared to the neighboring vertebra. It is associated with age-related degenerative changes as well as trauma and congenital anomalies.

Spinal stenosis can occur in cases of severe spondylosis, spondylotheisis and age associated thickening of the ligamentum flavum. Spinal stenosis involves narrowing of the spinal canal and typically presents in patients greater than 60 years of age. Neurogenic claudication can occur in cases of severe lumbar spinal stenosis and presents with symptoms of pain in the lower back, buttock or leg that is worsened by standing and relieved by sitting.

Vertebral compression fractures occurs in 4 percent of patients presenting to primary care with low back pain. Risk factors include age, female gender, history of osteoporosis, and chronic glucocorticoid use. Fractures can occur due to trauma but in many cases can be asymptomatic.

Infection

Common infectious causes of back pain include osteomyelitis, septic diskitis, paraspinal abscess, and epidural abscess. Infectious causes that lead to back pain involve various structures surrounding the spine.

Osteomyelitis is the bacterial infection of the bone. Vertebral osteomyelitis is most commonly caused by staphylococci. Risk factors include skin infection, urinary tract infection, IV catheter use, IV drug use, previous endocarditis, and lung disease.

Spinal epidural abscess is also commonly caused by severe infection with bacteremia. Risk factors include recent epidural, IV drug use, or recent infection.

Cancer

Spread of cancer to the bone or spinal cord can lead to back pain. Bone is one of the most common sites of metastatic lesions. Patients typically have a history of malignancy. Common types of cancer that present with back pain include multiple myeloma, lymphoma, leukemia, spinal cord tumors, primary vertebral tumors, and prostate cancer. Back pain is present in 29% of patients with systemic cancer. Unlike other causes of back pain which common affect the lumbar spine, the thoracic spine is most commonly affected. The pain can be associated with systemic symptoms such as weight loss, chills, fever, nausea and vomiting. Unlike other causes of back pain, neoplasm-associated back pain is constant, dull, poorly localized, and worst with rest. Metastasis to the bone also increases the risk of spinal cord compression or vertebral fractures which requires emergent surgical treatment.

Autoimmune

Back pain can be caused by the vertebrae compressing the intervertebral discs.

Inflammatory arthritides such as ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus can all cause varying levels of joint destruction. Among the inflammatory arthritides, ankylosing spondylitis is most closely associated with back pain due to the inflammatory destruction of the bony components of the spine. Ankylosing spondylitis is common in young men and presents with a range of possible symptoms such as uveitis, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Referred pain

Back pain can also be due to referred pain from another source. Referred pain occurs when pain is felt at a location different from the source of the pain. Disease processes that can present with back pain include pancreatitis, kidney stones, severe urinary tract infections, and abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Risk factors

Heavy lifting, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and lack of exercise can increase a person's risk of back pain. People who smoke are more likely to experience back pain than others. Poor posture and weight gain in pregnancy are also risk factors for back pain. In general, fatigue can worsen pain.

A few studies suggest that psychosocial factors such as on-the-job stress and dysfunctional family relationships may correlate more closely with back pain than structural abnormalities revealed in X-rays and other medical imaging scans.

Diagnosis

Diagnostic work-up for acute back pain.

Initial assessment of back pain consists of a history and physical examination. Important characterizing features of the back pain include location, duration, severity, history of prior back pain, and possible trauma. Other important components of the patient history include age, physical trauma, prior history of cancer, fever, weight loss, urinary incontinence, progressive weakness, or expanding sensory changes, which can elicit red flags indicating a medical urgent condition.

Physical examination of the back should assess for posture and deformities. Pain elicited by palpating certain structures may be helpful in localizing the affected area. A neurologic exam is needed to assess for changes in gait, sensation, and motor function.

Determining if there are radicular symptoms, such as pain, numbness, or weakness that radiates down limbs, is important for differentiating between central and peripheral causes of back pain. The straight leg test is a maneuver used to determine the presence of lumbosacral radiculopathy. Radiculopathy occurs when there is irritation in the nerve root, causing neurologic symptoms, such as numbness and tingling. Non-radicular back pain is most commonly caused by injury to the spinal muscles or ligaments, degenerative spinal disease, or a herniated disk. Disk herniation and foraminal stenosis are the most common causes of radiculopathy.

Imaging of the spine and laboratory tests is not recommended during the acute phase. This assumes that there is no reason to expect that the person has an underlying problem. In most cases, the pain goes away naturally after a few weeks. Typically, people who do seek diagnosis through imaging are not likely to have a better outcome than those who wait for the condition to resolve.

Red flags

Imaging is not typically needed in the initial diagnosis or treatment of back pain. However, if there are certain "red flag" symptoms present plain radiographs (x-ray), CT scan, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be recommended. These red flags include:

History of cancer
Unexplained weight loss
Immunosuppression
Urinary infection
Intravenous drug use
Prolonged use of corticosteroids
Back pain not improved with conservative management
History of significant trauma
Minor fall or heavy lift in a potentially osteoporotic or elderly individual
Acute onset of urinary retention, overflow incontinence, loss of anal sphincter tone, or faecal incontinence
Saddle anesthesia
Global or progressive motor weakness in the lower limbs

Prevention

There is moderate quality evidence that suggests the combination of education and exercise may reduce an individual's risk of developing an episode of low back pain. Lesser quality evidence points to exercise alone as a possible deterrent to the risk of the onset of this condition.

Dietary choices can have an impact on assisting and supporting the body to manage inflammatory levels which have an impact on symptoms and pain receptors.

Management

Nonspecific pain

Patients with uncomplicated back pain should be encouraged to remain active and return to normal activities.

The management goals when treating back pain are to achieve maximal reduction in pain intensity as rapidly as possible, to restore the individual's ability to function in everyday activities, to help the patient cope with residual pain, to assess for side-effects of therapy, and to facilitate the patient's passage through the legal and socioeconomic impediments to recovery. For many, the goal is to keep the pain to a manageable level to progress with rehabilitation, which then can lead to long-term pain relief. Also, for some people the goal is to use non-surgical therapies to manage the pain and avoid major surgery, while for others surgery may be the quickest way to feel better.

Not all treatments work for all conditions or for all individuals with the same condition, and many find that they need to try several treatment options to determine what works best for them. The present stage of the condition (acute or chronic) is also a determining factor in the choice of treatment. Only a minority of people with back pain (most estimates are 1% - 10%) require surgery.

Non medical

Back pain is generally treated with non-pharmacological therapy first, as it typically resolves without the use of medication. Superficial heat and massage, acupuncture, and spinal manipulation therapy may be recommended.

Heat therapy is useful for back spasms or other conditions. A review concluded that heat therapy can reduce symptoms of acute and sub-acute low-back pain.

Regular activity and gentle stretching exercises is encouraged in uncomplicated back pain, and is associated with better long-term outcomes. Physical therapy to strengthen the muscles in the abdomen and around the spine may also be recommended. These exercises are associated with better patient satisfaction, although it has not been shown to provide functional improvement. However, one review found that exercise is effective for chronic back pain, but not for acute pain. If used, they should be performed under supervision of a licensed health professional.

Massage therapy may give short-term pain relief, but not functional improvement, for those with acute lower back pain. It may also give short-term pain relief and functional improvement for those with long-term (chronic) and sub-acute lower pack pain, but this benefit does not appear to be sustained after 6 months of treatment. There does not appear to be any serious adverse effects associated with massage.

Acupuncture may provide some relief for back pain. However, further research with stronger evidence needs to be done.

Spinal manipulation appears similar to other recommended treatments.

"Back school" is an intervention that consists of both education and physical exercises. There is no strong evidence supporting the use of Back School for treating acute, sub-acute, or chronic non-specific back pain.

Insoles appear to be an ineffective treatment intervention.

While traction for back pain is often used in combination with other approaches there appears to be little or no impact on pain intensity, functional status, global improvement and return to work.

Medication

If non-pharmacological measures are not effective, medications may be tried.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are typically tried first. NSAIDs have been shown to be more effective than placebo, and are usually more effective than paracetamol (acetaminophen).

Long-term use of opioids has not been tested in order to determine if it is effective or safe for treating chronic lower back pain. For severe back pain not relieved by NSAIDs or acetaminophen, opioids may be used. Opioids may not be better than NSAIDs or antidepressants for chronic back pain with regards to pain relief and gain of function.

Skeletal muscle relaxers may also be used. Their short term use has been shown to be effective in the relief of acute back pain. However, the evidence of this effect has been disputed, and these medications do have negative side-effects.

In people with nerve root pain and acute radiculopathy, there is evidence that a single dose of steroids, such as dexamethasone, may provide pain relief.

Epidural corticosteroid injection (ESI) is a procedure in which steroid medications are injected into the epidural space. The steroid medications reduce inflammation and thus decrease pain and improve function. ESI has long been used to both diagnose and treat back pain, although recent studies have shown a lack of efficacy in treating low back pain.

Surgery

Surgery for back pain is typically used as a last resort, when serious neurological deficit is evident. A 2009 systematic review of back surgery studies found that, for certain diagnoses, surgery is moderately better than other common treatments, but the benefits of surgery often decline in the long term.

Surgery may sometimes be appropriate for people with severe myelopathy or cauda equina syndrome. Causes of neurological deficits can include spinal disc herniation, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, tumor, infection, and spinal hematomas, all of which can impinge on the nerve roots around the spinal cord. There are multiple surgical options to treat back pain, and these options vary depending on the cause of the pain.

When a herniated disc is compressing the nerve roots, hemi- or partial- laminectomy or discectomy may be performed, in which the material compressing on the nerve is removed. A mutli-level laminectomy can be done to widen the spinal canal in the case of spinal stenosis. A foraminotomy or foraminectomy may also be necessary, if the vertebrae are causing significant nerve root compression. A discectomy is performed when the intervertebral disc has herniated or torn. It involves removing the protruding disc, either a portion of it or all of it, that is placing pressure on the nerve root. Total disc replacement can also be performed, in which the source of the pain (the damaged disc) is removed and replaced, while maintaining spinal mobility. When an entire disc is removed (as in discectomy), or when the vertebrae are unstable, spinal fusion surgery may be performed. Spinal fusion is a procedure in which bone grafts and metal hardware is used to fix together two or more vertebrae, thus preventing the bones of the spinal column from compressing on the spinal cord or nerve roots.

If infection, such as a spinal epidural abscess, is the source of the back pain, surgery may be indicated when a trial of antibiotics is ineffective. Surgical evacuation of spinal hematoma can also be attempted, if the blood products fail to break down on their own.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

EMULIN - Why it's so life changing and what is in it.

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 04:09:03 GMT

EMULIN is the World’s FIRST “Carbohydrate Manager.” The actives in EMULIN help your body overcome the negative effects of carbs in natural and holistic ways.

What is Emulin?

EMULIN is the World’s FIRST “Carbohydrate Manager.” The actives in EMULIN help your body overcome the negative effects of carbs in natural and holistic ways.

It is an all-natural patented blend of 3 ingredients, Quercetin, Myricetin, and Chlorogenic Acid – skin of the grape, skin of the onion and green coffee (caffeine free) that work in synergy to significantly reduce the negative effects of carbohydrates, giving sustained energy throughout the day.

How Emulin Works – The Magic 7 Pathways.

1. Pathway: Starch to Sugar Conversion - Emulin+ goes to work when you eat. It buffers the enzymes that break starches down into glucose, which means less sugar is released from food.

2. Pathway: Glucose Absorption - When food is digested in the upper GI (gastrointestinal tract) Emulin+ buffers the absorption of glucose so less sugar reaches the bloodstream.

3. Pathway: Glucose Tissue Uptake - Once sugar is in the blood, Emulin+ helps move it into tissues, such as muscles, where it provides energy and muscle growth.

4. Pathway: Fat Formation - Emulin+ acts as a “traffic cop” directing sugar away from fat stores and into muscle tissue. It signals to increases metabolism to help burn even more fat.

5. Pathway: Glucose Homeostasis - Emulin+ helps maintain a healthy balance of blood sugar so it does not spike too high or dip too low.

6. Pathway: Insulin Release - Emulin+ encourages fast, healthy release of insulin when the body needs it. Insulin transports glucose across cell membranes and removes it from blood.

7. Pathway: Insulin Sensitivity -The better your body responds to insulin, the more insulin sensitive you are. Emulin+ promotes increased insulin sensitivity so you need less insulin to lower blood sugar.

What is Quercetin?

Quercetin is a flavanol, which is a sub-category of flavonoids.

Flavonoids are a particular chemical in plants, called phytonutrients, and have a wide range of health benefits.

Humans cannot make quercetin in their body, but many fruits, vegetables, and drinks contain it.

Foods and drinks that contain quercetin include:

• grapes

• berries

• cherries

• apples

• citrus fruits

• onions

• buckwheat

• broccoli

• kale

• tomatoes

• red wine

• black tea

Quercetin is also present in herbal remedies, such as ginkgo biloba and St John’s wort. People can also take quercetin as a supplement.

Quercetin is one of the most common and well-researched flavonoids.

8 benefits of Quercetin

Possible health benefits of quercetin include:

1. Fighting free radicals

2. Reducing inflammation

3. Reducing the risk of cancer

4. Preventing neurological diseases

5. Relieving allergy symptoms

6. Preventing infections

7. Reducing the risk of heart disease

8. Lowering high blood pressure

What is Myricetin

Myricetin is a flavonoid extracted from fruit, bark and leaves of Chinese bayberry and is used as flavour modifier in dairy products, snack foods and beverages. It is converted to myricetin by intestinal microflora that occurs in plants and consumed in vegetables, fruits and beverages. The ability of myricetin and myricetin was evaluated in apprehension of worldwide marketing of food products that contain myricetin.

Health Benefits of Myricetin

1. Antioxidant activity

2. Lower inflammation

3. Cancer prevention

4. Assist diabetes

5. Brain function

6. Healthy heart

7. Healthy weight

8. Anti-microbial activity

9. Skin protection

10. Healthy eyesight

11. Strong bones

12. Thyroid health

What Is Chlorogenic Acid?

• Chlorogenic acid is a polyphenol compound found in coffee beans and different types of coffee, including green coffee. It is also found in food sources such as apples, pears, eggplant, blueberries, tomatoes, strawberries, and potatoes. It holds promise in many aspects of health and cognition like bioflavonoids and shares some effects like caffeine but less potent.

• Chlorogenic acid is most supplemented in the form of green coffee extract.

• It has a variety of potential effects on health and is most notably used to reduce blood pressure and weight. However, recent studies have indicated that chlorogenic acid may also lower blood sugar levels, improve mood, and help with infections.

• Chlorogenic acid primarily exerts its effects by inhibiting the enzyme alpha-glucosidase, which is responsible for breaking down carbohydrates. By doing so, it reduces the uptake of carbohydrates and glucose during digestion.

Has shown to assist and support the following: -

• Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity

• May lower blood pressure

• May control blood sugar levels

• May help lose weight

• May improve mood and cognitive function

• May help with bacterial infections

Possibly Effective for:

1) Lowering Blood Pressure

Evidence suggests that chlorogenic acid may lower blood pressure and improve blood vessel function in both healthy and hypertensive people.

2) High Blood Sugar

Multiple studies show that chlorogenic acid may reduce fasting blood sugar levels and insulin and glucose spikes following a meal.

3) Weight Loss

Evidence suggests that chlorogenic acid may help lower blood fats and lose weight.

These 3 components combined work in synergy to assist and support the body to lower the symptoms of inflammation which is present in most medical conditions.

Inflammation – Both Carbohydrates and Sugars feed Inflammation

• Inflammation is the activation of the immunity in response to infection, irritation, or injury. Short term (acute) inflammation useful for the body.

• Long term (chronic) inflammation can cause other diseases. Some of them can be life threatening such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and more.

• Excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates can lead to inflammation.

The subject of Inflammation is far and wide, we would require 10 pages to do it justice. In short however, nearly 85-95% of health disorders are inflammation based, meaning they were likely triggered by inflammatory in balance.

Inflammation can be the beginning of cancer, diabetes, weight gain/loss, insomnia, depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia, heart disease, bowel disease, any skin disorders, ADD behaviour problems, chronic pain, sleep, fatigue, urinary tract infections, hormonal, the list goes on.

So why does this product differ to all the other anti-inflammation products on the market? Simple, it deals with the root cause and not just the symptoms thereof. There are currently no other products on the market of this nature, it is fully patented and clinical studies to prove its effectiveness.

Emulin supports and assists the body to manage carbohydrates more efficiently, and controls sugars so they are used as energy and not stored as fat.

Emulin can be used by anyone from “Womb to Tomb”. It is Essential for Everyone as a preventative support supplement that assists to lessen symptoms that many suffer with, but also boosts the immune system to help live life better. Even your pets can use Emulin.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you may have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

What is Pain? - Do You Have Pain?

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 10:30:42 GMT

What is pain, and how do you treat it?

What is Pain?

Pain is an unpleasant sensation and emotional experience that links to tissue damage. It allows the body to react and prevent further tissue damage.

Pain is an uncomfortable feeling in your body that warns you something is wrong. While this feeling is the body's way of alerting your brain that there is a problem, it can go on for weeks, months, or longer. Pain becomes a part of your very existence. At that point, pain becomes not only a symptom but the disease itself.

People feel pain when a signal travels through nerve fibers to the brain for interpretation. The experience of pain is different for every person, and there are various ways to feel and describe pain. This variation can, in some cases, make it challenging to define and treat pain.

Pain can be short- or long-term and stay in one place or spread around the body.

Causes

People feel pain when specific nerves called nociceptors detect tissue damage and transmit information about the damage along the spinal cord to the brain.

For example, touching a hot surface will send a message through a reflex arc in the spinal cord and cause an immediate contraction of the muscles. This contraction will pull the hand away from the hot surface, limiting further damage.

This reflex occurs so fast that the message has not even reached the brain. However, the pain message does continue to the brain. Once it arrives, it will cause an individual to feel an unpleasant sensation — pain.

The brain’s interpretation of these signals and the efficiency of the communication channel between the nociceptors and the brain dictate how an individual experiences pain.

The brain may also release feel-good chemicals, such as dopamine, to try to counter the unpleasant effects of pain.

In 2011, researchers estimated that pain costs the United States between $560 billion and $635 billion each year in treatment costs, lost wages, and missed days of work.

Types

Pain can be either acute or chronic.

Acute pain

This type of pain is generally intense and short-lived. It is how the body alerts a person to an injury or localized tissue damage. Treating the underlying injury usually resolves acute pain.

Acute pain triggers the body’s fight-or-flight mechanism, often resulting in faster heartbeats and breathing rates.

There are different types of acute pain:

• Somatic pain: A person feels this superficial pain on the skin or the soft tissues just below the skin.

• Visceral pain: This pain originates in the internal organs and the linings of cavities in the body.

• Referred pain: A person feels referred pain at a location other than the source of tissue damage. For example, people often experience shoulder pain during a heart attack.

Chronic pain

This type of pain lasts far longer than acute pain, and there is often no cure. Chronic pain can be mild or severe. It can also be either continuous, such as in arthritis, or intermittent, as with migraines. Intermittent pain occurs on repeated occasions but stops in between flares.

The fight-or-flight reactions eventually stop in people with chronic pain as the sympathetic nervous system that triggers these reactions adapts to the pain stimulus.

If enough cases of acute pain occur, they can create a build-up of electrical signals in the central nervous system (CNS) that overstimulate the nerve fibres.

This effect is known as “windup,” with this term comparing the build-up of electrical signals to a windup toy. Winding a toy with more intensity leads to the toy running faster for longer. Chronic pain works in the same way, which is why a person may feel pain long after the event that first caused it.

Describing pain

There are other, more specialized ways of describing pain.

These include:

• Neuropathic pain: This pain occurs following injury to the peripheral nerves that connect the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body. It can feel like electric shocks or cause tenderness, numbness, tingling, or discomfort.

• Phantom pain: Phantom pain occurs after the amputation of a limb and refers to painful sensations that feel as though they are coming from the missing limb.

• Central pain: This type of pain often occurs due to infarction, abscesses, tumors, degeneration, or bleeding in the brain and spinal cord. Central pain is ongoing, and it can range from mild to extremely painful. People with central pain report burning, aching, and pressing sensations.

Knowing how to describe pain can help a doctor provide a more specific diagnosis.

Diagnosis

An individual’s subjective description of the pain will help the doctor make a diagnosis. There is no objective scale for identifying the type of pain, so the doctor will take a pain history.

They will ask the individual to describe:

• the character of all pains, such as burning, stinging, or stabbing

• the site, quality, and radiation of pain, meaning where a person feels the pain, what it feels like, and how far it seems to have spread

• which factors aggravate and relieve the pain

• the times at which pain occurs throughout the day

• its effect on the person’s daily function and mood

• the person’s understanding of their pain

Several systems can identify and grade pain. However, the most important factor in getting an accurate diagnosis is for the individual and the doctor to communicate as clearly as possible.

Measuring pain

Some of the pain measures that doctors use are:

• Numerical rating scales: These measure pain on a scale of 0–10, where 0 means no pain at all, and 10 represents the worst pain imaginable. It is useful for gauging how pain levels change in response to treatment or a deteriorating condition.

• Verbal descriptor scale: This scale may help a doctor measure pain levels in children with cognitive impairments, older adults, autistic people, and those with dyslexia. Instead of using numbers, the doctor asks different descriptive questions to narrow down the type of pain.

• Faces scale: The doctor shows the person in pain a range of expressive faces, ranging from distressed to happy. Doctors mainly use this scale with children. The method has also shown effective responses in autistic people.

• Brief pain inventory: This more detailed written questionnaire can help doctors gauge the effect of a person’s pain on their mood, activity, sleep patterns, and interpersonal relationships. It also charts the timeline of the pain to detect any patterns.

• McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ): The MPQ encourages people to choose words from 20 word groups to get an in-depth understanding of how the pain feels. Group 6, for example, is “tugging, pulling, wrenching,” while group 9 is “dull, sore, hurting, aching, heavy.”

Other indicators of pain

When people with cognitive impairments cannot accurately describe their pain, there can still be clear indicators. These include:

• restlessness

• crying

• moaning and groaning

• grimacing

• resistance to care

• reduced social interactions

• increased wandering

• not eating

• sleeping problems

The doctor will either treat the underlying problem, if it is treatable, or prescribe pain-relieving treatment to manage the pain.

Treatment and management

Doctors will treat different types of pain in different ways. A treatment that is effective against one type of pain may not relieve another.

Acute pain treatment

Treating acute pain often involves taking medication.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs)

These are a type of analgesic, or pain reliever, that can reduce pain and help a person regain daily function. They are available over the counter (OTC) or on prescription at a range of strengths. They are suitable for minor acute pains, such as headaches, light sprains, and backaches.

NSAIDs can relieve localized inflammation and pain that is due to swelling. These drugs may have side effects relating to the digestive system, including bleeding. Therefore, a doctor will monitor a person taking a high dosage.

It is always important to read the packaging to find out what is in an analgesic before using it and to check the maximum dosage. People should never exceed the recommended dosage.

Opioids

Doctors prescribe these drugs for the most extreme acute pains, such as those that result from surgery, burns, cancer, and bone fractures. Opioids are highly addictive, cause withdrawal symptoms, and lose effectiveness over time. They require a prescription.

In situations involving severe trauma and pain, the doctor will carefully manage and administer the dosage, gradually reducing the amount to minimize withdrawal symptoms.

People should discuss all medication options carefully with a doctor and disclose any health conditions and current medications. Opioids may significantly affect the progression of several chronic diseases, including:

• chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD)

• kidney disease

• liver problems

• previous drug use disorder

• dementia

A doctor can often identify and treat an underlying disorder. For example, if an infection is causing a sore throat, antibiotics will remove the infection, and the pain will disappear.

Chronic pain treatment

A range of non drug therapies can help relieve pain. These alternatives to medication may be more suitable for people experiencing chronic pain.

These therapies include:

• Acupuncture: Inserting very fine needles at specific pressure points may reduce pain.

• Nerve blocks: These injections can numb a group of nerves that act as a source of pain for a specific limb or body part.

• Psychotherapy: This type of therapy can help with the emotional side of ongoing pain. Chronic pain can often affect a person’s enjoyment of everyday activities and reduce their ability to work. A psychotherapist can help a person enhance their understanding of pain and implement lifestyle changes to minimize the intensity of the pain and build coping skills.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS): TENS aims to stimulate the brain’s opioid and pain gate systems and thus provide relief.

• Surgery: Various surgeries on the nerves, brain, and spine are possible for treating chronic pain. These include rhizotomy, decompression, and electrical deep brain and spinal cord stimulation procedures.

• Biofeedback: Through this mind-body technique, a person can learn to control their organs and automatic processes, such as their heart rate, with their thoughts more effectively. Virtual reality may now play a role in the use of biofeedback in pain management, according to 2019 research.

• Relaxation therapies: These include a wide range of controlled relaxation techniques and exercises, mostly in the realm of alternative and complementary medicine. A person can try hypnosis, yoga, meditation, massage therapy, distraction techniques, tai chi, or a combination of these practices.

• Physical manipulation: A physiotherapist or chiropractor can sometimes help relieve pain by manipulating the tension from a person’s back.

• Heat and cold: Using hot and cold packs can help. People can alternate these or select them according to the type of injury or pain. Some topical medications have a warming effect when a person applies them to the affected area.

• Rest: If pain occurs due to an injury or overworking a part of the body, rest may be the best option.

With adequate pain management, it is possible to maintain daily activities, social engagement, and an active quality of life.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Weight Management 24/7 Night and Day

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 09:57:04 GMT

MAXIMISE YOUR BODY'S POTENTIAL TO BURN FAT AND LOSE WEIGHT AT OPTIMAL TIMES DURING THE DAY and NIGHT!

By creating two synergistic formulas (AM & PM), we have maximized the body's potential to burn fat and lose weight at optimal times during the 24 hour cycle. The revolutionary Prevail 24/7 Carb Burner Formula not only aids sleep to support weight loss but also supports a healthy metabolism on fat loss during sleep.

DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY TO PENETRATE THE WEIGHT MANAGEMENT MARKET

Similar products on the market, you'd take them and it stays in your system for 24 hours even though your body does not operate the same during the day than it does during the evening. This is the reason why we have formulated 24/7 AM/PM. During the day time 24/7 Carb Burner AM will burn help burn carbs and keep you alert while supporting a healthy appetite suppressing your appetite, During the evening 24/7 PM Carb Burner will burn carbs as well, but will also help promote sleep..

A majority of weight management products are stimulants which will cause your metabolism to run high and in turn effect your sleep, and getting a good nights sleep in key to weight management. 24/7 Carb Burner AM/PM is disruptive in that it is 2 distinctly different formulas that maximize your weight management whether it is day or night, without causing you to lose any sleep. 24/7 Carb Burner PM will help aid you in having a restful sleep while 24/7 Carb Burner AM will keep you alert during the day, and both will be burning carbs all day long.

Scientific research based upon 15 years Nobel nominated research
Advanced Disruptive Technology
2 x new proprietary formulas practically impossible to copy
Creates exciting & receptive promotions
Intelligent market penetration
Synergistic with current Valentus products
Targeted to support a healthy metabolism

INTERPLAY TECHNOLOGY TO PENETRATE THE WEIGHT MANAGEMENT MARKET

The benefits of the ingredients are optimized in several different ways.

1. Powerful, strong formulations, optimized for weight management

2. Split night and day capsules for optimized action

3. Support healthy weight loss

THE SKELETON KEY

15 years of research has led the scientists behind this formula to a far deeper understanding of how specific extracts of fruits and vegetables interact with each other to create far more powerful combination formulas.

Using this experience has led to a combination of ingredients that, by themselves would be far less effective if used in isolation. Together they battle the effects of carbohydrates on the body on many fronts, whilst burning fat at the same time.

24/7 CARB BURNER AM FORMULA

Source of Antioxidants
Helps (temporarily) to promote alertness and wakefulness, and to enhance cognitive performance
Helps (temporarily) to relieve fatigue, to promote endurance, and to enhance motor performance
Helps maintain healthy blood pressure levels
Helps support cardiovascular health
Helps (temporarily) to enhance (physical) energy
Aids in the prevention of carbs entering the body, which could otherwise form into new body fat
Provides nutritional support for your metabolism in order to burn up carbs that are already floating around in your body
Supports fat loss and formation
Supports a healthy appetite - reduces cravings for all food and reduces appetite 'satiety'
Supports mental alertness during the day

Dr. Joe Recommends: that you take 1 capsule at breakfast and 1 capsule at lunch. 24/7 Carb Burner AM can be taken with or without food.

24/7 CARB BURNER PM FORMULA

Source of Antioxidants
Helps maintain healthy blood pressure levels
Helps support cardiovascular health
Reduces starches from being broken down and entering the body which means less fat
Helps reduce inflammation and supports healthy sleep levels
Promotes melatonin, which aids in getting a full nights rest

Dr. Joe Recommends: that you take 2 capsules after dinner, but no later than 3 hours before you go to bed. 24/7 Carb Burner PM can be taken with or without food.

YOUR 24 HOUR WEIGHT MANAGEMENT SOLUTION BY DR. JOSEPH AHRENS.

Dr. Ahrens is a two time Nobel Prize nominee specializing in plant and animal physiology, currently renowned for his break through work in metabolic sciences. Dr. Ahrens has been involved in technically-oriented agribusiness and entrepreneurial projects for over 30 years. He is co-founder and general partner in ATM Metabolics, a start up entrepreneurial firm developing natural drugs based on phytochemical platforms.

DR. JOSEPH AHRENS

Dr. Ahrens previously served as Executive Director of Agriculture Enterprise Development and Technology for Alico, Inc., one of the world's largest ranching/farming operations whereby he conceived and developed business opportunities including key strategy toward integrated operations and vertical integration of business units.

Prior to Alico, Dr. Ahrens was Director of Research for the Florida Department of Citrus and Sr. Director of Engineering and Technical Services for Green Giant Fresh. Ahrens was a founding partner of Fresh consult Ges.mbH of Salzburg Austria, which became a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell in 1997.

During this period, Ahrens managed over 40 agribusiness projects in over 32 countries. Clients included most major agribusiness vendors and their subsidiaries and suppliers such as Chiquita, Del Monte, Dole, Marks and Spencer, and Safeway. Projects included plantation and shipping port development; harvesting/handling, processing and distribution, and export market development.

Previous to this assignment, Dr. Ahrens served on the faculty of the University of California at Davis, specializing in transport, distribution, and marketing systems of agricultural goods. Ahrens received his BS from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and an MS and PhD from the University of Florida, receiving the UF president’s outstanding

scholar and Savant award.

He has authored or served as the editor of numerous scientific and technical papers and book chapters, and holds several international patents in biology. Ahrens was twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, based on his work on viruses and metabolic diseases.

Questions and Answers about 24/7 Carb Burner with Dr. Joseph Ahrens.

Chris:

So Dr. Joe… when somebody says to you what is disruptive technology? What does

that mean… how do you explain that?

Dr. Joe:

Well… this is truly a disruptive technology because most of these types of products ) weight management, carb burners or whatever) you take them and they are in your

body 24 hours a day. But your body does not operate the same during the day as it does in the night, so we have formulated this product with 2 parts.. a day time AM

and an evening PM.

In the day time it burns carbs and keeps you alert, suppressing your appetite in particular. In the night time it’ll burn carbs as well, but it will also promote sleep.

You will find that a lot of weight management products are stimulants for instance and you take them and your metabolism runs high and you can’t sleep well. Getting

a good night’s sleep is key to weight management. So we are disruptive by having two distinctly different formulas that maximize your weight management whether it

is day or night, without causing you to lose any sleep; in fact, promoting sleep. Alert during the day, and restful during the night, all the while, in the background, burning carbs.

Chris:

So good sleep is a key for getting your weight management under control from your

standpoint.

Dr. Joe:

Yes, it is very important. You’d think that if you had a restless night that you’d be burning more carbs. That’s actually not true, because your metabolism is working

around the clock and it needs you to sleep because it processes carbs differently during awake time versus sleep time. That’s how it is programmed. You can end up

being nervous and high energy and not lose weight because your body is trying to process those carbs differently from your body in the daytime than from the

nighttime.

Chris:

So, this product is not a stimulant?

Dr. Joe:

No, it is not a stimulant. We don’t believe in stimulants. We increase the metabolism by working with these natural ingredients as nature intended without the

stimulant… not like dump a bunch of caffeine into your system and make it run faster. No, we actually work at the part where the carbs are actually burned and

increase that specific part of your metabolism without making you nervous and jumpy.

Chris:

I know on the disclaimer we had to make reference to that, but from your standpoint this product should work synergistically than with the Optimum Coffee I

would imagine because our coffee has half the caffeine of a normal cup of coffee so even our Optimum Coffee doesn’t stimulate like a normal caffeinated drink for sure,

but do you think there’s a good synergy between these products working together?

Dr. Joe:

There is a very good synergy of these products working with the Optimum Coffee product because we looked at the ingredients and how it works, then formulated the

product to fill the little gaps in there so that you have a much more robust weight management system.

Chris:

So… in other words this product will work on its own as a standalone, but when you combine it with another product inside the company’s portfolio you can maximize

your weight management as a result of filling the gaps of how each product might work more synergistically together. You would say, hey do it with our product alone

but if you want to use it with any of our other products you will have the best 1-2 punch you’ve seen to fill the gaps in your nutrition cycle to lose weight. Is that kind

of a way that you’d describe it?

Dr. Joe:

That is right, that is our task, to have a product that is synergistic with the Optimum Coffee product. But there are people, for one reason or another, who do not drink

coffee. So now they have an option: if they like coffee they can take it with that, it can be a great one-two punch; if they don’t take coffee they can take It on its own

and they’ll see a great effect also.

Chris:

Can you describe then what you would describe as the skeleton key?

Dr. Joe:

Yes, we have a formula inside these two day/night formulas that is a basic metabolic key that regulates specific parts of carbohydrates metabolism. It is unique that we

developed it exclusively for Valentus products. No one else has this product and is unlike any other products we’ve created. It is its own unique formula.

Chris:

So when we talk about 15 years of research has led to the science of a far deeper understanding of how specific extracts of fruits and vegetables interact with each

other to create a far more powerful combination formula…can you explain how the interplay technology will work to help weight management?

Dr. Joe:

Managing the sugar and fat in your body, these 3 ingredients… look at it as a door in which carbs enter and exit your cells. One of the ingredients knocks on the door and

says “hello”. Another of the ingredients opens the door. And the third ingredient escorts the fat and sugar through it. So they work together to have a single effect

and it is so much more optimized. Other ingredients that you’ll find in other products, they might have a weight loss/weight management aspect to them, but it

is liking trying to push that door open but the door is locked. They might get a little sugar and carbs through there, but very inefficiently. We actually know how to lock

and unlock the doorways throughout your body. Our team are not just chemists, we are physiologists and plant scientists. We understand human and mammal

metabolism, then we take that along with our plant science know how … we see what the body needs, and how these plant components help with that.

Humans were meant to live in this world and co-exist with plants for each of our benefit and so we think that the solutions to many of our health issues are found in

the plant world. That is, a lack of certain plant compounds in our diet. That is our mission: to bring these natural plant compounds to the market place so people can

take advantage of our knowledge, and get their bodies back on track.

Chris:

That’s amazing. I think that you just gave us a really good direction with this idea of a locked door. You know for the layperson, the average person. You know we try to

create in marketing a curiosity and sometimes science can keep you from actually understanding, approaching the topics, so I think let’s just try to go over that one

more time. Most weight loss products don’t know how to unlock a door, open it, and walk through it. That’s what you just said. I love that analogy. So, what this product does…

it has been created by a group of scientists that are plant scientists and physiologists, people who understand how things are put together and why they

work as well as they do. You’ve created a synergistic formula that actually covers the three steps completely which is opening the door to weight loss and burning

carbs, walking in that door because now it’s open, and continuing that journey while you are sleeping which is the last step. You open the door, you’ve got a locked door,

you find a way to open it, you walk through it, and it gets you to your bed and you go to sleep and you continue the journey. So it’s a cycle.

Dr. Joe:

Yes, that is true and the doors that you use in the day and the doors that your body uses at night are different. That is another key issue.

Chris:

When you’re sleeping you’re not closing the door in your day is what you are saying. So your body is still efficiently doing things, it’s rebuilding, it’s reclaiming cells… the

things that are going on while you are sleeping are just as important as while you are up and awake during the day.

Dr. Joe:

Surely so, if not more so. Because, you are not as active but your body is continually metabolizing to operate. A lot of people think that for instance fat, they think that it

just sits there until they need it for energy, or they get rid of it for weight loss. But that is not true.

Fat cells are constantly cycling fat and sugar throughout your body. Fat is entering your fat tissue and is leaving all the time. It’s in flux constantly so we manage that.

We don’t just you know scoop out fat from the fat cells, it’s a constant flow, we work with this normal system so that we have, we try to get more leaving than entering

and the net result is the loss in fat tissue.

Chris:

So when you talk about carb burner, that’s sugar to me, and starches eventually all turns to sugar, most carbohydrates turn to simple sugar and then those calories, you

have to burn them off, where’s the fat component of this product? Like when you think about somebody that does maybe have more of a fatty diet, that’s not a

carbohydrate, so how does this effect fat then, say fat that you have in your diet?

Dr. Joe:

Sugars (carbs) are stored as fat. So you take sugars and you burn them, you burn those carbs and those that aren’t burned, they are disassembled and put together in

just a little bit more of a compact form and that is what fat is, it’s triglycerides. So glucose and fat are almost like one form of the other. Fat is the storage type of

energy, so you take fat and it’s reassembled back into sugar and then it is burnt. Or if it is stored sugar it is taken apart and then reassembled into fat molecules. Fat is a

way to store high energy… it’s like 2 ½ times more energy in fat than there is in sugar, because it is a compact and compressed form of sugar.

Chris:

Okay, well that makes sense, you’ve laid it all together because we are talking about people saying I need to lose fat and then they look at their diet and it’s full of sugar

and so the addiction to sugar is part of what we are doing with this product is we’re starting to help them burn those carbs which is the excess sugar that they’ve had in

a form of carbohydrates that eventually turns into fat. So this cycle, we’re going to paint a picture… I think that the image that we’re putting together for our marketing

strategy is this door and closing door concept of 24 hours for 7 days a week … you’re walking through a door that was locked, to open it up to walk through it to

eventually close it and lock it so that you can get a good night’s sleep and this product synergistically using this disruptive technology works 24 hours a day to

help you break the skeleton key of what your body needs to make it work. There you go, I just gave you a marketing fun little pitch. To me, I think it works. What do you

think of that concept of painting that picture?

Dr. Joe:

I think that people will get that.

Chris:

They’ll get it for sure. Here’s a question… what is the term, because you say that it’s nutraceutical. So what does the term nutraceutical mean?

Dr. Joe:

Well, it is basically a supplement that is focused on your nutrition so it’s like not pharmaceutical not a prescription drug and not either is it a plain supplement, you

know like vitamins are a supplement. It is a supplement that has nutritional impact.

The term was coined a couple of decades ago… nutraceutical. And I don’t know if people will understand that or not, it is a very focused, very effective supplement…

instead of just like taking iron or taking any other vitamin like chondroitin for your joints. It’s more specifically formulated to be highly functional.

Chris:

So, if I’m taking a vitamin C tablet is that a nutraceutical?

Dr. Joe:

Chris:

OK, so it’s a supplement that’s very focused and is an effective supplement that is more nutritional in nature rather than just as a vitamin. So.. there is a difference

between vitamins and nutraceuticals then, is that what you are saying?

Dr. Joe:

Yes, vitamins are,… first of all vitamins are, they are a broad class not like a single compound not like elements like iron or calcium. Vitamin C is a ascorbic acid, is

quite a large molecule, it has 2 or 3 functions in the body, supports the immune system and I would say that a nutraceutical is a step above that as far as the

functionality end in helping with nutrition,… so you go like nutraceutical on top and then vitamins and then minerals in the order of their powerfulness, their

functionality and their target.

Chris:

So, our 24/7 Carb Burner is a nutraceutical and not a vitamin.

Dr. Joe:

Yes, it’s a nutraceutical.. it is not a vitamin.

Chris:

OK, so… are you familiar with our Prevail MAX product by the way?

Dr. Joe:

Yes

Chris:

SO, the Prevail MAX has trace minerals inside it. Do you think synergistically that these products will work really well with the Prevail MAX product?

Dr. Joe:

Yeah, I do, I’d say .. it doesn’t double but it increases 160% of the functionality. I mean, I applaud these trace minerals being in there.

Chris:

So, when we think about this from a member standpoint, we offer a loyalty program where we give members an option to buy 3 items in a month while building teams.

Do you think the SlimRoast Optimum Coffee, the 24/7 Carb Burner and the MAX will be a great threesome,?

Dr. Joe:

For sure! Yes,

Chris:

Right on, so if your goal is to get total control of your weight management and your health these products can give you a 24 hours a day 7 days a week system working

for you to get your health in check . I just love the synergy that we are talking about here.

Dr. Joe:

I like to look at products, develop products that are complete and work on your body’s system as it was meant to function, it’s one of the reasons I like to say weight

management rather than weight loss or fat loss. Weight Management to get your body optimized and you will lose weight if you are overweight. Let’s get your

metabolism optimized, which it should be. Some of these products, these components that we have in there, we just don’t get enough in our diet. It’s not like

this is a magic bullet, they are essential for your health and in another era before the 90’s these actually would have been classified as vitamins, these functional

compounds, and I like to look at this as a system. So I like to explain about how your body works in carbohydrate management, why are we over weight, why do we have

these issues, so that is why we are focusing on working with your metabolism and having your metabolism in your body balanced and the result in that you will lose

weight. So, you should take these even if you are not overweight.

Chris:

That is a great Segway to a great question ,… so I’ve reached my weight should I continue to take the product?

Dr. Joe:

You absolutely should because you reached your weight because your body became more balanced, your metabolism became more balanced and you need to stay in

balance, this product doesn’t just shed fat indiscriminately and it does it in a balanced method, it works with your body it manages several of the points in your

metabolism in balance and you need to stay in balance.

Also you can look at it as a vitamin, let’s say a bad case.. let’s say you had scurvy and you took vitamin C due to the scurvy. You don’t stop taking vitamin C once you’re

healed. You need to stay on that vitamin C to keep you in that good condition. So, this is like that with all of the products that we’ve come out with here. You need to

take them forever, you need them. They should be in your diet. You’re just not getting enough and that’s why you are taking a supplement: to supplement your diet.

Chris:

OK, so let’s go back and hit on this carb burner concept that you just talked about, I think your painting a picture there that is excellent. What does it mean burning

carbs?

Dr. Joe:

Well, I’ll tell you first that I don’t like the name Carb Burner because I think it’s a misleading picture, but people recognize that term and I get that, they can identify

with that. Your body takes excess sugar and it stores it as fat and that sounds like a really simple system. But as I explained earlier it’s a cycle. You’re cycling that fat to

sugar and sugar back to fat into the cells back out of the cells. It’s cycling constantly and we want to manage that, and we want to manage those when they become

sugar. The sugars that you need we want to push these sugar molecules into your brain where the brain can have free access to them. Your brain only lives on glucose

and nothing else. It lives on glucose, it needs glucose, it needs it in the right places at the right time. So by putting those in the brain, the brain is using those for energy

and that is part of the burning right there. The sugars are used up and the energy from those sugars goes into driving brain functions. Another thing that we do is we

take that sugar when the sugar is available we shove that into muscles, so your muscles use that sugar in the process to maintain your muscles to build new muscle

mass if you are working out and also helps with the repair of the muscles and that requires energy so… and there’re other systems like your kidneys working and that,

your liver, your thyroid gland these all need energy to operate. So we take this sugar and cause that sugar to go towards those directions by opening those certain

doors and closing others. We can cause that free flow of sugar and fat in your body to preferentially go to these other places where the energy is used and that’s what

we mean by “burn”. It’s not just burn like it makes a lot of heat and it evaporates into the air. We’re talking about extracting the energy out of sugar and using that energy

to operate your body. And we don’t want to, for instance, have your brain in the middle of the night, have your brain running at a hundred miles an hour. So again

we get back to the AM/PM formula that we have developed … stay away from putting sugars into your brain during the night and we have those sugars go to other

parts of your body where they are used to repair and manage your tissues.

Chris:

That’s amazing, how does digestion help with this overall picture … we often have leaders present to people that our company runs off of 4 platforms… good digestion,

good blood flow, good brain and mental clarity , and pain relief and the by product of that is a healthy lifestyle that lets people manage weight better.

Would you say this is in line with what you believe?

Dr. Joe:

Digestion is the process of the raw food being broken down to the usable components, you have to have good digestion in order to make these molecules

available for your body for use and in the right form. So digestion starts from chewing in your mouth and right in your mouth we manage that digestion right off

the bat because we don’t want sugars just rapidly flooding into your blood stream so we slow that digestion down, it starts in the mouth and continues to the gut, we

slow down the conversion of starches into simple sugars. Starch doesn’t cross over your gut into your blood stream, it’s broken first into sugars into glucose in

particular. Then once that glucose is available in your stomach and in your gut it has to be absorbed into your blood stream. We manage it there too, so at every point we

have an opportunity to manage, we do and the effect in this case is to ultimately lose fat, lose excess fat and have that burned up, by burn I mean use the energy in all

these different places through the body, so you need to have a nice smooth digestion and then behind that you have to manage where these sugars end up going.

Chris:

When you look at our whole lineup do you see yourself wanting to bring more products to Valentus?

Dr. Joe:

Yes, yeah absolutely. We are focused out of the gate, but I do see us formulating products to be synergistic with the entire lineup.

Chris:

I think that’s awesome.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Stress - Your Body Needs You to Take Action

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 01:00:23 GMT

The ill effects of stress can be extremely damaging to your mental and physical health.

What's is Stress!

In medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension. Stresses can be external (from the environment, psychological, or social situations) or internal (illness, or from a medical procedure). Stress can initiate the "fight or flight" response, a complex reaction of neurologic and endocrinologic systems.

Stress can cause or influence the course of many medical conditions including psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety. Medical problems can include poor healing, irritable bowel syndrome, high blood pressure, poorly controlled diabetes and many other conditions. Stress management is recognized as an effective treatment modality to include pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic components.

Stress Management Tips

People can learn to manage stress and lead happier, healthier lives. Here are some tips to help you keep stress at bay

Keep a positive attitude.
Accept that there are events that you cannot control.
Be assertive instead of aggressive. Assert your feelings, opinions, or beliefs instead of becoming angry, defensive, or passive.
Learn and practice relaxation techniques; try meditation, yoga, or tai-chi for stress management.
Exercise regularly. Your body can fight stress better when it is fit.
Eat healthy, well-balanced meals.
Learn to manage your time more effectively.
Set limits appropriately and learn to say no to requests that would create excessive stress in your life.
Make time for hobbies, interests, and relaxation.
Get enough rest and sleep. Your body needs time to recover from stressful events.
Don't rely on alcohol, drugs, or compulsive behaviors to reduce stress.
Seek out social support. Spend enough time with those you enjoy.
Seek treatment with a psychologist or other mental health professional trained in stress management or biofeedback techniques to learn healthy ways of dealing with the stress in your life.

Breathing Techniques for Stress Relief

Take a deep breath in. Now let it out. You may notice a difference in how you feel already. Your breath is a powerful tool to ease stress and make you feel less anxious. Some simple breathing exercises can make a big difference if you make them part of your regular routine.

Before you get started, keep these tips in mind:
Choose a place to do your breathing exercise. It could be in your bed, on your living room floor, or in a comfortable chair.
Don't force it. This can make you feel more stressed.
Try to do it at the same time once or twice a day.
Wear comfortable clothes.
Many breathing exercises take only a few minutes. When you have more time, you can do them for 10 minutes or more to get even greater benefits.

Deep Breathing

Most people take short, shallow breaths into their chest. It can make you feel anxious and zap your energy. With this technique, you'll learn how to take bigger breaths, all the way into your belly.

Get comfortable. You can lie on your back in bed or on the floor with a pillow under your head and knees. Or you can sit in a chair with your shoulders, head, and neck supported against the back of the chair.

Breathe in through your nose. Let your belly fill with air.
Breathe out through your nose.
Place one hand on your belly. Place the other hand on your chest.
As you breathe in, feel your belly rise. As you breathe out, feel your belly lower. The hand on your belly should move more than the one that's on your chest.
Take three more full, deep breaths. Breathe fully into your belly as it rises and falls with your breath.

Breath Focus

While you do deep breathing, use a picture in your mind and a word or phrase to help you feel more relaxed.
Close your eyes if they're open.
Take a few big, deep breaths.
Breathe in. As you do that, imagine that the air is filled with a sense of peace and calm. Try to feel it throughout your body.
Breathe out. While you're doing it, imagine that the air leaves with your stress and tension.
Now use a word or phrase with your breath. As you breathe in, say in your mind, "I breathe in peace and calm."
As you breathe out, say in your mind, "I breathe out stress and tension."
Continue for 10 to 20 minutes.

Effects of Stress on Your Skin

Stress can affect your whole body, including your hair, nails, and skin. Since stress is a part of life, what matters is how you handle it.

How Stress Affects Skin

Stress causes a chemical response in your body that makes skin more sensitive and reactive. It can also make it harder for skin problems to heal.

Have you ever noticed that you break out more when you’re stressed? This is because stress causes your body to make hormones like cortisol, which tells glands in your skin to make more oil. Oily skin is more prone to acne and other skin problems.

Stress can also:

Make skin problems worse. For example, stress can aggravate psoriasis, rosacea, and eczema. It can also cause hives and other types of skin rashes and trigger a flare-up of fever blisters.

Interfere with daily skin care. If you’re stressed, you might skimp on this part of your routine, which can aggravate skin issues.

It can also be stressful to have problems with your skin. Some people feel so bad about how it looks that they keep to themselves, which adds more stress.

If you have an issue that doesn't heal or keeps coming back, rethink how you handle stress.

8 Ways to Ease the Effects of Stress on Your Skin

You probably can’t avoid stress completely, but you can try ways to handle it better. Try these approaches:

Don't neglect your skin. Take care of it, even if you're tired or stressed.
Get regular exercise. It's good for your skin and the rest of your body.
Take time for yourself to do something you enjoy, even if you only have 10 minutes. Take a bath or read a book.
Take a walk around the block.
Practice stress management techniques, such as breathing exercises, yoga, meditation, or visual imagery.
Get enough sleep. Seven to 8 hours each night is ideal.
Say no. It's OK to set limits and boundaries to lower your stress.
Talk to someone. Seek support from a friend or a professional therapist.

Trying to cut down on the stress in your life? These tips can help.

See how many you can check off in the next 30 days on your way to a better life.

Set priorities. Focus on what’s important. Let the other stuff go.
Identify tasks that you can share or delegate, then ask for help.
Get organized. Disorder can make things confusing and hard to remember.
Set short-term goals you can reach. Reward yourself for meeting them!
Say no -- gracefully -- to taking on more obligations.
Focus on the positive. Choose to look for the good in others and yourself.
Laugh! Look for humor in your everyday life, or watch a funny video.
Listen to music. Choose tunes that relax or revive you.
Talk to a counselor or a friend.
Remember, things don't have to be perfect. Sometimes “good enough” is just fine.
Take a time-out for yoga, meditation, or some deep breaths.
Get regular exercise. Find something you like doing that you can work into your schedule.
Set aside some time, even 5 to 10 minutes, for yourself each day.

Take time to look after yourself. Try to schedule into the day much needed time-out for you to regather your thoughts and just breathe.

We live in an evolving door that never slows down called life!

Put your foot on the brake, slow down enough to feel and acknowledge each breath you take before your health takes over the wheel and you find yourself fighting a stress induced medical condition.

It is the little things we used to do as children and as teenagers we forget just how spectacular these years were. Whilst we thought that there were periods that we considered unbearable and stressful, it most likely isn't until we set goals and found ourselves committed to a hectic schedule that life truly became a bucket full of STRESS!

Try the above mentioned ideas to become aware and unwind a little OK. We cannot wind the clock of life backwards, but we can learn to actually appreciate and live every second well.

Life is a gift and it is often taken for granted. The wheel falls off and our journey becomes challenged, the navigation of each day all of a sudden is out of control. You are the driver, you have the steering wheel, you have the accelerator and the brake under your feet to control. It is your choice ultimately what speed you decide to travel through life. Choose wisely.

Invest time in your health before your health invests all your time.

Fuel your body with quality food, re-hydrate with enough water, and add natural vitamins that assist and support your body.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

ANXIETY - The Cage Within

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 07:31:20 GMT

Anxiety Attack Symptoms

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is defined as: A state of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear resulting from the anticipation of a real or imagined event, situation, or circumstance that we think might be threatening.
In other words, if we become concerned (afraid) that something could harm or endanger us in some way, this concern (fear) creates the state of being anxious.
When we’re anxious, the body produces a stress response. The stress response is designed to give us an extra ‘boost’ of awareness and energy when we think we could be in danger. The stress response causes a number of physiological, psychological, and emotional changes in the body that enhance the body’s ability to deal with a perceived threat – to either fight or flee, which is the reason the stress response is often referred to as the ‘fight or flight response.’
The degree of accompanying stress response and its physiological, psychological, and emotional changes are directly proportional to the degree of anxiety. For example, if you are only slightly concerned, such as being slightly nervous about meeting someone new, the body produces a small degree stress response. The small degree stress response can be so slight that you don’t even notice it.
If you are greatly afraid, however, such as being terrified that there is a burglar in your home that is about to harm you, the body produces a high degree stress response. We generally experience high degree stress responses as being anxiety attacks: where the changes are so profound they get our full attention. The greater the degree of anxiety and stress response, the more changes the body experiences.
Low degree anxiety will produce small fight or flight changes in the body. High degree anxiety will produce high degree fight or flight changes. Again, high degree fight or flight response changes are called anxiety attacks.
Anxiety attacks (panic attacks) are episodes of high degree stress responses either precipitated or accompanied by high degree anxiety.

Symptoms of an anxiety attack:

Anxiety attacks can feel awful, intense, and frightening. Because they can be powerful experiences, it can seem like anxiety attacks are out of our control.

Those who experience anxiety attacks quickly learn that they can be highly unpleasant experiences. Even so, anxiety attacks and their symptoms can be successfully addressed with the right information, help, and support. No one needs to suffer needlessly. More on this in a moment.

What do anxiety attack symptoms feel like?

Symptoms of an anxiety attack can include:

A feeling of overwhelming fear

Feeling of going crazy or losing control
Feeling you are in grave danger
Feeling you might pass out
A surge of doom and gloom
An urgency to escape
Dizziness
Heart Palpitations
Trembling
Sweating
Shortness of breath
Chest pressure or pain
Turning pale
Feeling detached from reality
Weak in the knees
Burning skin
Pins and needles
Hot and cold flushes
Numbness and tingling sensations

The above anxiety attack symptoms can be accompanied by:

Choking sensation, tightening throat, it feels like your throat is closing, it feels like something is stuck in your throat
Confusion
Depersonalization (feeling detached from reality, separate from one-self, separate from normal emotions)
Derealization (feeling unreal, in a dream-like state)
Dizziness, light headedness, unsteadiness
Emotional distress
Emotional upset
Inability to calm yourself down
Knot in the stomach, tight stomach
Nausea
Panicky feeling
Pounding, racing heart
Butterflies in the stomach
Sudden urge to go to the bathroom (urinate, defecate)
Vomiting
Feel like crying

This list is not exhaustive. As you can see, there are many physical, psychological, and emotional signs and symptoms of anxiety attacks. For a more comprehensive list of anxiety symptoms and descriptions of what they feel like, visit our anxiety symptoms list...

There is a long list of signs and symptoms of an anxiety attack. But because each body is somewhat chemically unique, anxiety attacks can affect each person differently. Consequently, anxiety attack symptoms can vary from person to person in type or kind, number, intensity, duration, and frequency. If your symptoms don’t exactly match this list, that doesn’t mean you don’t have anxiety attacks. It simply means that your body is responding to them slightly differently.
For example, one person may experience only a few minor signs and symptoms of an anxiety attack, while another person may experience all of them and to great severity. All combinations and variations are common.
Because there are many medical conditions that can cause anxiety attack signs and symptoms, such as the strong sensations and feelings associated with anxiety attacks, it’s wise to discuss them with your doctor. If your doctor has attributed your anxiety attacks to stress and anxiety, you can feel confident that your doctor’s diagnosis is correct. Anxiety attacks and their signs and symptoms are relatively easy to diagnose and aren’t easily confused with other medical conditions.

NOTE: The Symptoms Listing section in the Recovery Support area of our website contains detailed information about most of the symptoms commonly associated with anxiety and panic. This information includes the sensations commonly experienced, whether it is an anxiety symptom or not, what causes them to occur, and what you can do to treat them. Much of this information isn’t found elsewhere.

How long can anxiety attack symptoms last?

Anxiety attacks and their signs and symptoms can last from a few moments to many hours. The length of attack is generally determined by how frightened a person is and how they react to what it is they are afraid of and/or their anxiety attack. The greater the reaction, the longer the attack.

Are anxiety attack symptoms serious?

No. Even though the signs and symptoms of an anxiety attack can seem powerful and even out of control, they aren’t harmful. Anxiety attacks and their signs and symptoms are the same as panic attacks and their signs and symptoms.

What are anxiety attacks?

Anxiety attacks (panic attacks) and their signs and symptoms are episodes of high degree stress responses accompanied or precipitated by high degree fear and anxiety.

To gain a better understanding of anxiety attacks, a little background about anxiety is required.

What causes anxiety attacks?

There are two main causes of anxiety attacks (panic attacks):

1. High degree anxiety

The most common cause of anxiety attacks is thinking you are in grave danger. Believing you are in extreme danger causes the body to produce a high degree stress response. A high degree stress response can cause profound physiological, psychological, and emotional changes in the body, which can be unnerving to the unsuspecting person.

And once these changes are initiated, many anxious personalities react to them with more fear, which causes more stress responses, which can cause more physiological, psychological, and emotional changes, and so on.

So, the most common cause of anxiety attacks is overly anxious behaviour (the ways we think and act in overly apprehensive ways).

2. Chronically elevated stress

When the body’s stress is kept within a healthy range, the body functions normally. When we allow stress to build up with no relief, the body can cause an involuntary panic attack – an involuntary high degree stress response that wasn’t caused by behaviour.

When we experience an involuntary high degree stress response, the sensations can be so profound that we think we are having a medical emergency, which anxious personalities can react to with more fear. And when we become more afraid, the body is going to produce another stress response, which causes more changes, which we can react to with more fear, and so on.

Most people experience panic attacks when they’ve either become very afraid or due to unrecognized chronic stress.

You don’t have to be afraid of anxiety attacks

Even though anxiety attacks can cause a wide range of strong anxiety attack symptoms, you don’t have to be afraid of anxiety attacks since they are merely high degree stress responses that were either triggered by overly apprehensive behaviour or chronic stress.

Calming oneself down can end anxiety attacks, as well as can reducing the body’s stress. It may take time, however, for a once started anxiety attack to end, but it will…in time. All anxiety attacks end…eventually.

Behaving less anxiously and keeping your body’s stress in a healthy range can prevent anxiety attacks. Therefore, anxiety attacks needn’t be a cause of concern.

How can I get rid of anxiety attacks?

Anyone can learn how to stop and prevent anxiety attacks. It’s a matter of learning more about them and knowing how to control and prevent them. Most people struggle with problematic anxiety attacks because they don’t understand them, and therefore, fear them…which is a common catalyst into Panic Attack Disorder. The more you know, the better off you’ll be.

For now, here are some simple tips to help stop and prevent anxiety attacks and their symptoms:

Relax diaphragmatic breath (breathing with your abdomen). This will help bring an end to an anxiety attack.
Calm yourself down. Calming yourself down will also bring an end to an anxiety attack…in time.
Relax your body as much as you can. Relaxing causes your body to shut off the stress response, which will cause an anxiety attack to end…in time.
Go for a walk. Leisure walking can shut of the stress response.
Remember, anxiety attacks aren’t harmful. They are just strong reactions to worry and fear.
Remember, anxiety attacks ALWAYS end. The more you calm yourself down, the faster they end.
Reduce stress, increase rest, and give your body time to calm down. The more relaxed you are, the less likely it is you’ll have an anxiety attack.
The most important is learning to stop scaring yourself with worry. Worry is the number one cause of anxiety attacks. Containing your worry – which we explain in the Recovery Support area – is a great way to eliminate problematic worry and anxiety attacks.
Keep your stress in a healthy range can prevent involuntary anxiety attacks.
Keeping stress in a healthy range can also reduce your sensitivity and reactivity to danger, which can also prevent anxiety attacks.

Anxiety Attacks statistics and more information:

The National Institute of Mental Health categorizes anxiety attacks under the classification Panic Disorder. Anxiety attacks are often also referred to as Panic Attack Disorder or Anxiety Attack Disorder. Anxiety attack disorder is included in the overarching category of Anxiety Disorder.
Those who experience anxiety attack disorder are not alone. It’s estimated that 19 percent of the North American adult population (ages 18 to 54) experiences an anxiety disorder, and 3 percent of the North American adult population experiences anxiety attack disorder. We believe that number is much higher, since many conditions go un-diagnosed and unreported.
While everyone experiences brief episodes of intense anxiety from time to time, and a great many people experience one or two anxiety attacks over the course of their lifetime, anxiety attack disorder occurs when these attacks become frequent or persistent, begin interfering with or restricting normal lifestyle, or when the individual becomes afraid of them. Once established, anxiety attack disorder can be very debilitating.
Anxiety attack disorder generally starts with one unexplained attack that can include a number of intense anxiety attack symptoms, which causes the individual to become concerned. As other attacks occur, fear of having anxiety attacks, what they mean, what the associated symptoms mean, and where the attacks and symptoms may lead, increases. This escalation of fear is often the catalyst that brings on the attacks, causing the individual to be seemingly caught in a cycle of fear then panic, then more fear, then more panic, and so on.
An anxiety attack can be described as a sudden attack of fear, terror, or feelings of impending doom that strike without warning and for no apparent reason. This strong sensation or feeling can also be accompanied by a number of other symptoms, including pounding heart, rapid heart rate, sweating, light headedness, nausea, hot or cold flashes, chest pain, hands and feet may feel numb, tingly skin sensations, burning skin sensations, irrational thoughts, fear of losing control, and a number of other symptoms. (While other symptoms often do accompany anxiety attacks, they don’t necessarily have to.)
Anxiety attacks can last anywhere between a few moments to 30 or more minutes. It’s also common for subsequent anxiety attacks to follow, causing the overall anxiety attack experience to last much longer as one episode is followed by another. Even though anxiety attacks eventually end, it’s common for the symptoms and after effects of an anxiety attack to linger for hours or even days, depending upon the severity of the attack and the level of stress your body is under.
The highest incidence of the onset of anxiety attack disorder occurs in the 17 to 25 years of age range. But people from all age groups can experience anxiety attacks. Many people remember having them as children (anxiety attacks that occur in childhood are often misunderstood as feeling “sick” or the onset of the flu).
Women are thought to experience a higher prevalence of anxiety attacks than men, however, the statistics may be misleading because men are more reluctant to seek professional help.
Anxiety attacks are often misunderstood. Many sources claim that anxiety attacks are genetically or biologically caused, or both, because they commonly occur in families. But independent research and practical evidence has disproven these claims.
For example, based on our personal and professional experiences with anxiety, anxiety disorders, including anxiety attacks, we know that the factors that cause anxiety disorders are learned, and therefore, are behavioral and NOT genetically inherited or biologically caused.
Yes, anxiety disorders DO have a biological component, but the biological component is a RESULT of our behaviours and NOT the CAUSE of them.
And yes, it’s common for anxiety disorders to run in families. But this is due to learned and passed on behaviour, NOT due to genetic factors (children who grow up with anxious parents most often see, learn, and adopt their anxious behavioral style).
Anyone who has experienced anxiety attacks can tell you that anxiety attacks can be frightening and debilitating. But anxiety attacks can be stopped and prevented. Anyone can do it with the right information, help, and support.
Similar to anxiety disorder, Panic Attack Disorder is best treated early. Conditions allowed to persist often become more complicated, and consequently, require more time and effort to resolve.
Nonetheless, Panic Attack Disorder at ANY stage is fully resolvable. When the right information, help, and support are combined with effort and application, anyone can succeed.

Anxiety attack symptoms in men

While it may seem like men and women experience different anxiety attack symptoms, they don’t. Since each person is somewhat chemically unique, signs and symptoms of an anxiety attack can vary from person to person, and even from men to women.

Anxiety attack symptoms in teenagers

People of all ages can experience anxiety and panic attacks, including children, teenagers, and the elderly.

Anxiety attack symptoms vs heart attack

Anxiety attacks symptoms and heart attack symptoms can seem similar because their signs and symptoms can be similar. But most medical professionals can quickly tell the difference as heart attacks have distinct symptoms that aren’t anxiety-like. If you are unsure of which is an anxiety attack symptom and which is a heart attack symptom, seek immediate medical advice. If the doctor diagnoses your symptoms as anxiety attack symptoms, you can feel confident the doctor’s diagnosis is correct. Therefore, there is no need to worry about a heart attack.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Immune System

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 01:47:39 GMT

Immune System Support - What is it and why is it so important?

What is the Immune System?

The immune system is a complex network of cells and organs essential for human health. In essence, it protects the body from infectious micro-organisms like viruses, bacteria, and fungi. If these micro-organisms enter the body, the immune system combats them. The world we live in is alive with pathogens and parasites. Our immune system is our defense against them. Sometimes this system requires assistance from medication, but whether actively protecting us from germs or promoting recovery, it is one of the major health systems and is vital for survival.

1. White Blood Cells

Also known as leukocytes, white blood cells circulate all over the body via blood vessels and lymphatic vessels. The lymphatic vessels run parallel to the arteries and veins of the circulatory system. Leukocytes are continuously patrolling for potentially harmful pathogens. If they encounter a target like a virus or a bacterium, they start to multiply. As they multiply, they send out communicative signals to other types of cells involved in combating pathogens, encouraging them to multiply as well.

2. White Blood Cell Storage: Lymphoid Organs

The lymphoid organs are like storage centers for our white blood cells. These organs include the spleen, thymus, lymph nodes, and bone marrow. While these storage centers are vital for optimum immune system function, other tissues also play a role in storing and supporting immune system function. These include tonsils, the skin, and the membranes of the throat, nose, and genitals.

3. The Spleen

Of all the organs of the immune system, the spleen is the largest. It is located on the upper left-hand side of the abdomen, in front of the diaphragm and behind the stomach. The size of the spleen can vary considerably but is, on average, about the size of a fist. At any given time, the spleen contains a substantial amount of blood, which it filters as part of its immune system function. It is also, as mentioned, a storage center for leukocytes.

4. Thymus

Another lymphoid organ, the thymus is situated in the lower neck in front of the chest. This organ decreases in size with age, as it loses many of its active immune cells. The thymus is a storage center for white blood cells and plays a significant role in acquired immune system health. The thymus also features hormone-releasing cells that tell T-cells (lymphocytes) to grow.

5. Phagocytes

Phagocytes are cells that play a role in immune system function, surrounding pathogens and breaking them down by absorbing them. There are various types of phagocytes, the most common of which are called neutrophils. Their main function is to attack and combat bacteria. Macrophages are involved in patrolling for dangerous pathogens, but they also help remove dead or dying cells. Mast cells are involved in defending against pathogens and promote wound healing.

6. Lymphocytes

One of the unique features of the immune system is its ability to remember pathogens that it successfully combated; therefore people typically don’t get the same cold virus twice or suffer a repeat bout of chicken pox. Lymphocytes allow the body to remember former invaders. Should these pathogens attack again, the lymphocytes trigger an immediate response. There are two types of lymphocytes in the body: B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes. The former produce antibodies: the latter destroy damaged cells in the body.

7. The Immune System Response

The basis of immune response is the relationship between antibody and antigen. An antigen is essentially an invader. When the cells of the immune system recognize it as such, they begin to produce antibodies. Antibodies, a type of immunoglobulins, are proteins that then attach to specific antigens. Each kind of immunoglobulin is skilled at dealing with certain types of antigens such as bacteria and other microbes. After immune system cells are alerted to these invaders, the immune system can level a targeted attack against them to protect the body.

8. Innate Immunity vs. Acquired Immunity

Innate immunity is the type of immunity with which humans are born. Right from the start, the immune system functions to protect the body from what it deems dangerous pathogens. Acquired immunity refers to enhancements to the immune system. As we successfully combat specific viruses and develop protections against them, we refer to these developments as adaptive or acquired immunity.

9. Disorders of the Immune System

The immune system is not without its vulnerabilities. There are various ways harm can come to this complex organization. The immune system may fail to protect the body if it is damaged in some way. Excessive alcohol use and obesity are two conditions that can decrease the optimum function of our immunity. The disease known as AIDS can sabotage the immune system, causing life-threatening malfunctions. Autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis cause the immune system to mistake the body’s own tissues as invaders.

10. Supporting Health

The immune system's protection from disease-causing pathogens and infectious invaders is a vital part of life, so it’s important to support its optimum function. Chronic stress can decrease immunity. Malnutrition, over consumption of alcohol, tobacco smoke, and exposure to environmental toxins can tax the system. Following a nutritious diet that includes probiotics will help maintain your body's immunity

How your immune system works to protect you from infection

• We are constantly under threat – as we drink from a glass, walk outside with the dog or hug our children.

• During our daily lives, our bodies are bombarded by pathogens that can make us sick.

• Viruses, fungi and bacteria that want to get into our system and mess it up.

• Understanding how our immune systems work is central to staying healthy, so let us brush up on the basics.

What is your immune system?

• In short, your immune system is your body’s defense system.

• It is a physiological system that protects us from internal and external threats and plays a key role in helping us stay alive, for longer.

• The human immune system is made up of special organs, cells and chemicals that love to fight infections.

It also works like a logbook of disease.

• Humans are made up of trillions of micro-organisms, and it’s the job of our immune systems to rifle through every one of them, working out which are good, which are bad, and which are natural.

• When it’s doing its job properly, it ignores the good bacteria in our bodies and targets the bad.

• Then it remembers the bad ones, to help it recognize them quickly in the future.

• But because so many viruses have different strains, they can cause multiple illnesses in our lives.

• The common cold is a good example of this.

• With new viruses our bodies have no memory of it, making us vulnerable to catching the virus.

How does the immune system work?

It is complex. Our immune systems are made up of lots of parts, but the main ones are:

• White blood cells – key players, moving through your body to look for invaders

• Antibodies – help you fight microbes or the toxins they produce

• Complement system – made up of proteins that complement the work done by antibodies

• Lymphatic system – has a varied role, but can manage your fluid levels, deal with cancer cells, react to bacteria, and take out cell products that would otherwise turn bad

• Spleen – destroys old and damaged red blood cells

• Bone marrow – in charge of producing red blood cells needed to carry around the oxygen we breathe

• Thymus – produces white blood cells that fight off the bad bacteria.

When the immune system senses bad bacteria, B lymphocytes, which are specialized proteins, make antibodies that lock on to the nasty bacteria.

That way, if they ever get into our systems again, the antibodies are there to do their job.

But those antibodies can’t destroy it without help.

That is the job of T cells. They destroy antigens tagged by antibodies or cells that are infected or changed.

So, when your body notices it has been invaded by something bad, it can react in a variety of ways.

For example, a rise in body temperature, or a fever, is an immune response.

Your immune system heats up your body because it can kill some microbes and it triggers the body’s repair process.

Why do older people do worse than younger people when infected with aggressive viruses?

• Typically speaking, our immune systems peak during our reproductive years and then decline as we grow older.

• So, as we age, our immune system becomes more compromised and less able to do its job, which makes us more susceptible to getting infections.

• To put it bluntly, older immune systems are weaker.

• They have a harder time killing cells and a reduced ‘attention span’ so viruses can take advantage of it and overwhelm us.

• Some immune systems age faster than others, and although it is not fully understood our lifestyles – how much we exercise, what we eat, how stressed we are and if we get good sleep – have a lot to do with how quickly they age.

What threatens your immune system?

• Fighting pathogens is hard work.

• We can help make it easier, or we can make it difficult for our bodies.

• Drug use, drinking and smoking will all help shorten the life of our immune systems, and thus our lives.

• Smoking is the biggest most avoidable threat to your immune system.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Diabetes - Sugar Control

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 00:46:19 GMT

SUGAR - The Fuel ⛽️ for Diabetes.

As hunter-gatherers, we ate the equivalent of only 20 teaspoons of sugar a year. Today, we eat over 150 pounds per year per person, or half a pound a day. The average school kid eats 34 teaspoons of sugar a day.

Food manufacturers realize you know the usual suspects, so they’ve become savvier. Many supermarkets and health food stores now carry many sneaky sources of sugar, disguised in unrecognizable ingredients and so-called healthy foods that contain as much if not more sugar than their regular versions.

The Diabetes Epidemic

The number of people diagnosed with diabetes world-wide in the last 20 years has increased explosively and can now be considered as a diabetes "epidemic". Long considered a disease of minor significance to world health, it is now viewed as a major threat to human health in the 21st century. The global incidence of the disease is set to rise from the current estimation of 150 million, to 220 million by 2010, and to 300 million by 2025. In developed countries the number of people with Diabetes will increase by 42% by 2025, while the increase in lesser developed countries is expected to be 170%. Diabetes used to occur mainly in middle age people, but today it is becoming very common in children.

Diabetes occurs when refined sugars are eaten too often and too fast, causing large swings in blood sugar levels. Although you don’t necessarily "feel" poor glucose levels, Diabetes reduces your quality of life because it causes so many other conditions that make you feel bad. Diabetes can lead to heart attacks, kidney and eye problems, and possible amputation of feet and legs over time.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a serious complex condition which can affect the entire body. Diabetes requires daily self care and if complications develop, diabetes can have a significant impact on quality of life and can reduce life expectancy. While there is currently no cure for diabetes, you can live an enjoyable life by learning about the condition and effectively managing it.

There are different types of diabetes; all types are complex and serious. The three main types of diabetes are type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes.

How does diabetes affect the body?

When someone has diabetes, their body can’t maintain healthy levels of glucose in the blood. Glucose is a form of sugar which is the main source of energy for our bodies. Unhealthy levels of glucose in the blood can lead to long term and short term health complications.

For our bodies to work properly we need to convert glucose (sugar) from food into energy. A hormone called insulin is essential for the conversion of glucose into energy. In people with diabetes, insulin is no longer produced or not produced in sufficient amounts by the body. When people with diabetes eat glucose, which is in foods such as breads, cereals, fruit and starchy vegetables, legumes, milk, yoghurt and sweets, it can’t be converted into energy.

Instead of being turned into energy the glucose stays in the blood resulting in high blood glucose levels. After eating, the glucose is carried around your body in your blood. Your blood glucose level is called glycaemia. Blood glucose levels can be monitored and managed through self care and treatment.

Three things you need to know about diabetes:

It is not one condition- there are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes
All types of diabetes are complex and require daily care and management
Diabetes does not discriminate, anyone can develop diabetes

Diabetes is serious

Diabetes can be managed well but the potential complications are the same for type 1 and type 2 diabetes including heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, limb amputation, depression, anxiety and blindness.

We know diabetes:

Is the leading cause of blindness in working age adults
Is a leading cause of kidney failure and dialysis
Increases the risk of heart attacks and stroke by up to four times
Is a major cause of limb amputations
Affects mental health as well as physical health. Depression, anxiety and distress occur in more than 30% of all people with diabetes

Early diagnosis, optimal treatment and effective ongoing support and management reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications.

Why is diabetes increasing?

All types of diabetes are increasing in prevalence:

Type 1 diabetes accounts for 10% of all diabetes and is increasing
Type 2 diabetes accounts for 85% of all diabetes and is increasing
Gestational diabetes in pregnancy is increasing

Type 2 diabetes is increasing at the fastest rate. There are large numbers of people with silent, undiagnosed type 2 diabetes which may be damaging their bodies. An estimated 2 million Australians are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes and are already showing early signs of the condition.

Type 2 diabetes is one of the major consequences of the obesity epidemic. The combination of massive changes to diet and the food supply, combined with massive changes to physical activity with more sedentary work and less activity, means most populations are seeing more type 2 diabetes.

Genes also play a part with higher risk of type 2 diabetes in Chinese, South Asian, Indian, Pacific Islander and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.

Symptoms

In type 1 diabetes, symptoms are often sudden and can be life-threatening; therefore it is usually diagnosed quite quickly. In type 2 diabetes, many people have no symptoms at all, while other signs can go unnoticed being seen as part of ‘getting older’.

Therefore, by the time symptoms are noticed, complications of diabetes may already be present.

Common symptoms include:

Being more thirsty than usual
Passing more urine
Feeling tired and lethargic
Always feeling hungry
Having cuts that heal slowly
Itching, skin infections
Blurred vision
Unexplained weight loss (type 1)
Gradually putting on weight (type 2)
Mood swings
Headaches
Feeling dizzy
Leg cramps

Note: This information is of a general nature only and should not be substituted for medical advice or used to alter medical therapy. It does not replace consultations with qualified healthcare professionals to meet your individual medical needs.

Consider......

Emulin® is a naturally derived compound that has the unique ability to "buffer" and "quelch" the effects of glucose on the human metabolic pathway which will be instrumental in treating hyperglycemia and hopefully improve the lives of diabetics worldwide.
Emulin® is an incredible discovery. It is a whole new way of attacking the problems of diabetes and metabolic syndrome, the precursor of diabetes. Metabolic Syndrome is a disorder of aging which is made up of five symptoms which are often seen together and predict diabetes

These are;

Obesity – especially around the waist.
High blood pressure.
High cholesterol.
High triglycerides.
High fasting blood glucose levels.

These symptoms alert you to the fact that diabetes could be in your future if you don’t make some changes. Emulin® should be one of them.

Emulin® works by a combination approach to mitigate the damage cause by hyperglycemia from the diet by its insulinomimetic affects.

Emulin® can assist and support:

Reduce the dietary absorption of carbohydrates in the upper G.I.
Reduce Glucose Synthesis in the Liver.
Accelerate Glucose Uptake from the bloodstream.
Mobilize carbohydrates (glucose) from adipocytes.
Increase the sensitivity of Insulin receptors in the signaling pathways – this makes insulin more efficient.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

Arthritis - Types & Symptoms

Sat, 26 Sep 2020 08:58:55 GMT

You CAN live well with arthritis. Understanding the type of arthritis you have, and how it can be treated and managed is the first step.

Understanding arthritis

The most important step to living well with arthritis is to learn about your condition and its management. Whether you are looking for information about your type of arthritis, living with arthritis or its medical management, our website has a multitude of resources to help you: information sheets, booklets, videos and personal stories from people across Australia who are living well with arthritis.

What does ‘arthritis’ mean?

‘Arthritis’ is a name for a group of conditions affecting the joints. These conditions cause damage to the joints, usually resulting in pain and stiffness. Arthritis can affect many different parts of the joint and nearly every joint in the body.

Is rheumatism different to arthritis?

Not really. Rheumatism is just a more general word that was used in the past. It describes any pain in your bones, muscles and joints. Now we know more about problems with bones, muscles and joints, so we use words like back pain, tendinitis and arthritis to describe these conditions.

Are there different types of arthritis?

There are over 100 forms of arthritis. Each type of arthritis affects you and your joints in different ways. Some forms of arthritis can also involve other parts of the body such as the eyes. The most common forms of arthritis are:

Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Gout
Ankylosing spondylitis

Who gets arthritis?

Anyone can get arthritis, including children and young people. In Australia, one in six people have arthritis. Many people think arthritis is a normal part of getting older. This is not true. In fact, two out of every three people with arthritis are between 15 and 60 years old. Arthritis can affect people from all backgrounds, ages and lifestyles.

What are the symptoms?

Arthritis affects people in different ways but the most common symptoms are:

pain

stiffness or reduced movement of a joint
swelling in a joint
inflammation
redness and warmth in a joint
general symptoms, such as tiredness, weight loss or feeling unwell.

Is my sore joint arthritis?

There are many different reasons why your joints may be sore. Not all pain in muscles and joints is caused by arthritis. It could be from an injury or using your joints and muscles in an unusual way (for example, playing a new sport or lifting heavy boxes). Talk to your doctor if you have pain and stiffness that:

starts for no clear reason
lasts for more than a few days
comes on with swelling, redness and warmth of your joints.

How can I find out if I have arthritis?

See your doctor as soon as possible if you have symptoms of arthritis. Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and examine your joints. They may do some tests or x-rays, but these can be normal in the early stages of arthritis. It may take several visits before your doctor can tell what type of arthritis you have. This is because some types of arthritis can be hard to diagnose in the early stages. Your doctor may also send you to a rheumatologist, a doctor who specializes in arthritis, for more tests.

Is there a cure for arthritis?

Currently there is no cure for most forms of arthritis. While there are treatments that can effectively control symptoms, you should be wary of any products or treatments that claim to cure arthritis.

Can arthritis be treated?

Many types of arthritis can be easily and effectively controlled by modern treatment. Early diagnosis and the right treatment can ease symptoms and may even prevent damage to your joints. Research has led to great improvements in this area. Because arthritis affects people in different ways, treatment has to be tailored to the needs of each person. It is important to work with your healthcare team to find treatments that suit you.

What can I do?

The good news is that there are many simple things you can do to live well with arthritis:

find out what type of arthritis is affecting you and learn about your treatment options

stay active: keep your joints moving and your muscles strong
learn ways to manage pain: there are many things you can do to help you cope with pain
manage tiredness: learn to balance rest and your normal activities
keep to a healthy weight: there is no diet that can cure arthritis but a well balanced diet is best for your general health
look after and protect your joints: find out about equipment and gadgets that can make tasks easier
acknowledge your feelings and seek support: as there is currently no cure for arthritis it is natural to feel scared, frustrated, sad and sometimes angry. Be aware of these feelings and get help if they start affecting your daily life.

10 steps for living well with arthritis

By taking an active role in understanding and treating your conditions, you will experience less pain and stay more active than those who feel there is nothing they can do.

Here is our 10 steps checklist to help you live with arthritis.

1. Take control by knowing your disease

Spend the time to understand what type of arthritis you have and then discover the best ways to improve your condition.
Many people with arthritis say that learning about their arthritis and what they can do about it gives them back a feeling of control over their lives and their health.

2. Don’t delay, see your doctor

Because arthritis can get worse if left untreated, you need to see your doctor as early as possible to get a proper diagnosis. This will help you understand your arthritis and develop a plan for managing it. Early diagnosis and treatment can limit the effects of arthritis on your life and help you stay active and independent.

3. Work with your healthcare team and be an important part of it.

The best way to live well with arthritis is by working closely with your healthcare team. It may include a variety of healthcare specialists, such as doctors, pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, podiatrists, nurses, psychologists and complementary medicine practitioners. Your doctor may also refer you to a rheumatologist (a specialist in conditions that affect the joints and the structures around them).
Remember, you are the most important member of your healthcare team. Make sure you establish and maintain good communication with all the other members.

4. Know about your treatment options.

There are many treatments to relieve pain and stiffness and slow the development of your arthritis. Work with your healthcare team to find a combination of treatments that best suits your type of arthritis, the joints affected, the amount of pain or other symptoms you experience and your lifestyle.

5. Find new ways to stay active.

Research has found that regular exercise is one of the most effective treatments for arthritis. It also helps to improve your overall health.
Not all forms of exercise are appropriate for every kind of arthritis. Before you start to exercise, it is important to ask your doctor and healthcare team to help you develop a program that will suit your type of arthritis, general health and lifestyle.

6. Learn techniques to help manage your pain

There are many techniques you can use to cope with pain so you can go on living your life the way you want to. What works for one person may not work for another, so you may have to try different techniques until you find what works best for you. See Dealing with pain.

7. Acknowledge your feelings and seek support.

It is natural to feel frustrated, angry, scared and even depressed at the prospect of having arthritis. There are many people who can help you deal with the emotional side of arthritis, including family and friends, counselors or psychologists. Remember don’t try to go it alone, get some help.

8. Make food choices that count.

There are many myths about food and arthritis. However, no diet has been proven by research to cure arthritis and there is very little scientific evidence that specific foods have an effect on arthritis.

9. Balance your life.

When you have arthritis you need to find the right balance between work, activity and rest. Learn how to pace yourself to make the most of your energy and about equipment that can make daily tasks easier.

10. Call your local State/Territory Arthritis Office.

Learn about the regular information sessions and arthritis self-management courses run by your local Arthritis Office. These will introduce you to a wide ranges of skills and small changes you can make that can lessen the impact of arthritis on your life.

Finding out your child has arthritis

Finding out that your child has arthritis can be a confusing and anxious time.

Your child’s diagnosis may have come as a huge shock, or perhaps it has been a long, difficult journey to find out the cause of their symptoms. A child being diagnosed with arthritis was never part of a family’s plans. The condition not only impacts the child with arthritis, but also parents, siblings and extended family members.

You will undoubtedly have lots of questions about what this means for your child, your family and the future.

In Australia, the types of arthritis that affect children are commonly referred to as juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA for short).

A booklet Finding out your child has arthritis has been produced for parents, families and carers of children with JIA to answer some of the questions that other parents of children with JIA have struggled with, such as:

What JIA is, the different types and how your child may be affected
How JIA is diagnosed
Treatments for JIA
What you need to know about your child’s medicines
How to help your child manage pain
Keeping your child physically active
Staying healthy – sleep, rest, healthy eating
Managing school
Preparing for your child’s appointments
Helping your child to cope with the emotional impacts of arthritis
Teenagers and arthritis
Caring for the whole family.

With accurate early diagnosis and treatment, and advice from a supportive health care team, going to school, playing sport, being with friends, learning a musical instrument, and holidaying with the family should still be part of normal life for children with JIA.

Young adults with arthritis

Finding out you have arthritis when you are young can be confusing and frightening. You may have thought that only older people were affected by arthritis. Possibly, the only people you have known with arthritis are your grandparents and their friends, but there are different types of arthritis some of which can affect people of any age, even children and teenagers.

The good news is that arthritis doesn’t need to stop you from having an active social life, studying, working, travelling and having a family. With the right advice, and some adjustments, you can still live your life well, despite your arthritis.

So go ahead… and live your life well

Staying connected

Having friends, an active social life and fulfilling intimate relationships is an important part of life. However, starting and maintaining these connections can be challenging, especially as a young adult with a chronic (long-term) illness such as arthritis. If you live with pain, fatigue, stress and anxiety about the future, it can make it difficult to want to socialise and have the confidence and energy to start and sustain intimate relationships – but it is possible. And, in fact, research has shown that having secure, good-quality relationships can help you cope with the everyday challenges of arthritis.

If you are experiencing feelings such as loneliness, isolation, stress, depression or anxiety, it is important to seek help, so talk to your GP or a psychologist.

Staying active

Physical activity is important for everybody and we all should be regularly exercising. Research has shown that regular exercise is one of the most effective treatments for arthritis. It can strengthen the muscles around your affected joints, improve mobility and flexibility as well as help reduce pain and fatigue.

The key is to find out which exercises are best for you. Your GP or rheumatologist will also be able to help you with this. They may even suggest seeing a physiotherapist, or an appropriately experienced personal trainer or an exercise physiologist, to help design an exercise program tailored to your specific needs. With a doctor’s referral you may be able to see a physiotherapist funded by Medicare. Or if you want to contact a physiotherapist directly, contact the Australian Physiotherapy Association.

Healthy eating

The best diet for people living with arthritis is a healthy, balanced diet, one that helps maintain your general health and well being. No diet has been shown to cure arthritis, but the good news is researchers have identified certain foods that can help control inflammation. Many of them are found in the so-called Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fish, vegetables and olive oil.

Studies have shown that eating foods rich in omega-3, including oily fish such as sardines and salmon, ground linseed's and walnuts, can help reduce inflammation. Maintaining a healthy weight is also important as extra body weight increases the stresses on joints, especially the hips and knees.

Remember, eating well is one way you can help manage your arthritis, but a healthy diet is not a replacement for taking medicines to manage your arthritis. For more information see Healthy eating and arthritis.

Education and training

Trying to fit in study or training while managing your arthritis and the rest of your life may be a daunting prospect, but with the right support and approach you can successfully ‘hit the books’.

Depending on what you choose to study, there may be some options that make it easier for you to manage.

Workload. If you find fatigue or tiredness a problem, you could consider studying part-time.
Mode of study. Many universities and educational organisations offer online courses and other options which mean you don’t always have to go to the campus. These options many be good if you find it easier to study from home.
On-campus accommodation. If you are facing long days of classes and/or a lengthy commute, you may want to consider the option of living on campus.

Employment

When you have arthritis, work can sometimes feel a lot like hard work especially if your physical symptoms are affecting your ability to get your job done. You might be finding it challenging to stay in your current job, or are worried about finding new work because of your condition. The good news is that treatments for arthritis have significantly improved and, nowadays, many more people with arthritis can keep working despite their condition. In fact, more than 50% of people with rheumatoid arthritis continue to work for twenty years after their diagnosis. Staying in the workforce may require anything from a little support to a complete change of roles, but there are many services available to help you.

If your condition is making it difficult for you to perform your usual work, or find new work, it is important to understand that arthritis is a recognize disability. This means it attracts certain rights outlined in the Disability Discrimination Act and you may be eligible for additional support to help you stay in the workforce.

Travel

You may have always dreamed of hitting the open road…but then you discovered you have arthritis. There is no need to throw the suitcase away just yet; with careful planning you can still have the trip of a lifetime. You will need to consider things like medicines, travel insurance, planning ahead to be able to manage care/train/plane travel and how to pace yourself.

Starting a family

Starting a family is a big step for any couple; perhaps even more so if you have arthritis. You may be worried about whether you can cope with children, how pregnancy might affect your arthritis, and if your children will also develop arthritis. If you are thinking about having a baby, it is important to talk to your doctor before trying to conceive, so you understand what steps you need to take to prepare for pregnancy and parenthood.

It is important for both partners to be fully aware of the risks and challenges associated with pregnancy. Coping with a newborn baby, a toddler or a child requires love, time and commitment from both partners, especially when one has arthritis.

Dealing with pain

Living with pain can be one of the hardest parts of having arthritis. Understanding the pain cycle and learning techniques that may help you cope with pain are an important part of managing your arthritis.

What causes pain

Arthritis pain can be caused by:

inflammation, the process that causes heat and swelling in your joints
damage to the joints
muscle tension, from trying to protect joints from painful movements.

There may not be a cure for your pain but you can learn to manage it. Try different techniques to find what works best for you.

The pain cycle

Pain, stress, fatigue (tiredness) and depression all affect each other. For example, people who feel depressed or anxious have been found to be more sensitive to pain. This can make your pain feel worse, which can lead to a continuing cycle of fatigue and depression.

The good news is that this pain cycle can be broken by using some of the strategies described below.

What can I do to manage my pain?

Pain may limit some of the things you do, but it doesn’t have to control your life. Your mind plays an important role in how you feel pain. Thinking of pain as a signal to take positive action rather than being scared or worried about it can be helpful. Also you can learn ways to manage your pain. What works for one person may not work for another, so you may have to try different techniques until you find what works best for you.

Here are some things you can try:

Take medicines wisely. Many different types of medicines can help control the pain of arthritis. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you understand which medicines are right for you and how best to use them.
Exercise. Research has shown that regular appropriate physical activity can help reduce pain. It also keeps your joints moving, strengthens muscles to support your joints, reduces stress and improves sleep. A health professional (eg. a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist) or your doctor can help you work out a program suitable for you.
Use heat and cold. The benefits of heat and cold for arthritis are yet to be proven by research. However these treatments are soothing and safe when used carefully. Heat relaxes your muscles and stimulates blood circulation. You could try a warm bath, or place a heat pack or hot water bottle over the painful area for 15 minutes. Cold numbs the painful area and reduces swelling. Applying cold treatments, such as ice packs, to the painful area for 15 minutes may be especially useful for hot, swollen joints, such as during a ‘flare’. You can repeat heat or cold treatments throughout the day. Make sure the temperature of your skin has returned to normal before re-applying, to prevent any tissue damage. Ask your doctor or physiotherapist whether heat or cold is best for you.
Take care of your joints and save energy. Looking after your joints during your daily activities can help reduce pain, stress and tiredness. It involves simple habits such as: – avoiding activities that cause pain – asking for help when you need it – using special aids and gadgets to make tasks easier. See Fatigue and arthritis.
Massage. There are limited scientific studies that show massage may temporarily improve pain and mobility of joints and muscles. Make sure the massage therapist has experience working with people who have arthritis. You can find a qualified therapist by contacting the Australian Association of Massage Therapists, or the Institute of Registered Myotherapists of Australia.
Acupuncture. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese practice of putting small, thin needles into the skin at specific points on the body to block the pain signal. There are mixed results from studies of acupuncture for arthritis. However some people may find it useful alongside other proven treatments, such as medicines. The Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association can help you find an accredited practitioner.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). A TENS machine applies very mild electric pulses to block pain messages going from the painful area to your brain. TENS can be useful for longer-term pain but does not work for all people. See a physiotherapist to trial a TENS machine, and to learn how to use it correctly, before you buy one.
Mind techniques. A trained professional, such as a psychologist, can help you learn relaxation and pain coping skills so you can better manage your pain. Some of these techniques include:
Relaxation: Relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, guided imagery (mental pictures) and progressive muscle relaxation, can help you reduce stress and muscle tension. These techniques need to be practised and you may have to try several methods before you find one that works for you. You may find it helpful to use recordings, CDs and book to help you learn relaxation techniques.
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction: This is a structured program developed at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. It helps you become aware of thoughts that may be exaggerated or unhelpful and then how to respond to them.

Arthritis causes conditions in damage to the joints, usually resulting in pain and stiffness. Arthritis can affect many different parts of the joint and nearly every joint in the body.

One main contributing factor that is present and adds to the symptoms and pain of Arthritis is inflammation. If the management of inflammation can be reduced there is the possibility that the effects may be more manageable and bearable with periods of relief.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

The rise of ultra-processed foods and why they can be bad for our health.

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 07:39:14 GMT

Ultra-processed foods are harming our health

Humans (and our ancestors) have been processing food for at least 1.8 million years. Roasting, drying, grinding and other techniques made food more nutritious, durable and tasty. This helped our ancestors to colonize diverse habitats, and then develop settlements and civilisations.

Many traditional foods used in cooking today are processed in some way, such as grains, cheeses, dried fish and fermented vegetables. Processing itself is not the problem.

Only much more recently has a different type of food processing emerged: one that is more extensive and uses new chemical and physical techniques. This is called ultra-processing, and the resulting products ultra-processed foods.

To make these foods, cheap ingredients such as starches, vegetable oils and sugars, are combined with cosmetic additives like colours, flavours and emulsifiers. Think sugary drinks, confectionery, mass-produced breads, snack foods, sweetened dairy products and frozen desserts.

Unfortunately, these foods are terrible for our health. And we are eating more of them than ever before, partially because of aggressive marketing and lobbying by “Big Food”.

Ultra-processed foods are harming our health.

So concludes our recent literature review. We found that more ultra-processed foods in the diet associates with higher risks of obesity, heart disease and stroke, type-2 diabetes, cancer, frailty, depression and death.

These harms can be caused by the foods’ poor nutritional profile, as many are high in added sugars, salt and trans-fats. Also, if you tend to eat more ultra-processed foods, it means you probably eat fewer fresh and less-processed foods.

Industrial processing itself can also be harmful. For example, certain food additives can disrupt our gut bacteria and trigger inflammation, while plasticisers in packaging can interfere with our hormonal system.

Certain features of ultra-processed foods also promote over-consumption. Product flavours, aromas and mouthfeel are designed to make these foods ultra-tasty, and perhaps even addictive.

Ultra-processed foods also harm the environment. For example, food packaging generates much of the plastic waste that enters marine ecosystems.

And yet, we are eating more and more of them.

A latest study found ultra-processed food sales are booming nearly everywhere in the world.

Sales are highest in rich countries like Australia, the United States and Canada. They are rising rapidly in middle-income countries like China, South Africa and Brazil, which are highly populated. The scale of dietary change and harms to health are therefore likely immense.

‘Big Food’ is driving consumption.

We also asked: what explains the global rise in ultra-processed food sales? Growing incomes, more people living in cities, and working families seeking convenience are a few factors that contribute.

However, it is also clear “Big Food” corporations are driving ultra-processed food consumption globally — think Coca-Cola, Nestlé and McDonald’s. Sales growth is lower in countries where such corporations have a limited presence.

Globalization has allowed these corporations to make huge investments in their overseas operations. The Coca-Cola System, for example, now includes 900 bottling plants worldwide, distributing 2 billion servings every day.

As Big Food globalizes, their advertising and promotion becomes widespread. New digital technologies, such as gaming, are used to target children. By collecting large amounts of personal data online, companies can even target their advertising at us as individuals.

Supermarkets are now spreading throughout the developing world, provisioning ultra-processed foods at scale, and at low prices. Where supermarkets do not exist, other distribution strategies are used. For example, Nestlé uses its “door-to-door” Salesforce to reach thousands of poor households in Brazil’s urban slums.

Rising consumption also reflects Big Food’s political power to undermine public health policies. This includes lobbying policymakers, making political donations, funding favorable research, and partnerships with community organisations.

Here’s how things can change.

The evidence that ultra-processed foods are harming our health and the planet is clear. We must now consider using a variety of strategies to decrease consumption. This includes adopting new laws and regulations, for example by using taxation, marketing restrictions and removing these products from schools.

We cannot rely on industry-preferred responses such as product reformulation alone. After all, reformulated ultra-processed foods are usually still ultra-processed.

Further, simply telling individuals to “be more responsible” is unlikely to work, when Big Food spends billions every year marketing unhealthy products to undermine that responsibility.

Should dietary guidelines now strongly advise people to avoid ultra-processed foods? Brazil and other Latin American countries are already doing this.

And for us as individuals the advice is simple — avoid ultra-processed foods altogether.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"

The ten factors linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 06:36:06 GMT

Although there is still no cure, researchers are continuing to develop a better understanding of what increases a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. A recent study that looked at 396 studies has even been able to identify ten risk factors that are shown to increase the likelihood of developing the disease.

Here are the factors researchers identified – and why they are associated with a higher risk.

1. Education level

A lower education level is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Previous evidence shows the longer you spend in education, the lower your risk of developing dementia. Research looking at the brains of people from different educational backgrounds also showed that people who were more educated had heavier brains. As you lose one third of your brain weight because of dementia, a heavier brain may make you more resilient.

2. Cognitive activity

Evidence shows that keeping our brains active can also fight against dementia. Activities such as word puzzles stimulate your brain and can strengthen connectivity between brain cells. This connectivity is broken down in dementia.

This latest study shows that we need to continue keeping our brains active, even in older age. Other studies agree that challenging our brains does indeed reduce our chances of developing dementia.

3. Hypertension in mid-life

Healthy hearts have long been linked to a healthy brain. Here, the current study indicates that high blood pressure (hypertension) in middle age increases Alzheimer’s risk.

Higher incidence of heart disease in those suffering from high blood pressure impacts on the blood and nutrient supply to the brain. Interestingly, this association still exists even for those who have high blood pressure on its own. The bottom line is that reduced blood supply to the brain is linked with Alzheimer’s.

4. Orthostatic hypo-tension

The study also highlighted orthostatic hypo-tension as a risk factor. This is when someone experiences low blood pressure when standing after sitting or lying down.

Because the body is unable to maintain sufficient blood supply to the brain during posture changes, this can have a long-term debilitating influence on brain activity, as a result of lack of oxygen to the brain, which increases risk of dementia.

5. Diabetes

The study found diabetes was associated with higher incidence of Alzheimer’s. As diabetes makes our body unable to properly regulate insulin, this changes both the way our brain cells communicate and our memory function – both of which are disrupted in Alzheimer’s disease.

Insulin is essential, as it regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and protein by helping blood glucose absorb into the liver, fat and muscles. Alzheimer’s disease appears to disrupt the brain’s ability to react to insulin.

6. BMI

A higher body mass index (BMI) in under 65's is linked to increased risk of dementia. The study suggests a body mass index between 18.5 and 24.9 for those under 65 – a healthy weight, in other words – may lower dementia risk. However, being underweight in middle age and later life can increase dementia risk.

It is thought that a mixture of genetics, cardiovascular diseases and inflammation all contribute to this association between BMI and dementia.

7. Head trauma

Past head trauma is a risk factor – and there is clear evidence that head trauma, such as a concussion, can contribute to the development of dementia. This link was first observed in 1928.

However, it is uncertain whether single or repetitive head trauma is the contributing factor. It is clear that brain damage from head trauma is similar to that of dementia. This makes people more susceptible to further damage later from dementia.

8. Hyperhomocysteinaemia

High levels of the chemical homocysteine are a risk factor. Homocysteine is a naturally occurring amino acid involved in the production of our body’s defense mechanisms, including antioxidants that prevent cellular damage.

Elevated blood levels of homocysteine in people with dementia was first reported in 1998. Studies have since shown that reducing levels of homocysteine may protect against dementia.

Animal studies suggest elevated levels of homocysteine damage brain cells by interfering with their energy production. Consuming more folate and vitamin B12 can lower homocysteine levels – and may reduce dementia risk.

9. Depression

Those living with Alzheimer’s also often suffer from depression, though it’s uncertain if depression causes Alzheimer’s or is just a symptom of the disease. However, a wealth of evidence supports that depression is indeed a risk factor, as this latest study has found. Research has even indicated a link between the number of depressive episodes – especially ten years prior to dementia onset – and higher risk.

Depression increases levels of harmful chemicals in our brain. An imbalance in these chemicals can lead to loss of brain cells. This, coupled with the loss of brain cells in dementia, increases likelihood of Alzheimer’s.

10. Stress

Lastly, stress was identified as a risk factor. Long term stress targets our body’s immune cells, which are important in keeping dementia at bay. In particular, the hormone cortisol is shown to contribute to stress and can impact on memory. Aiming to reduce stress and cortisol levels can therefore reduce the chances of developing dementia.

This study offers a complex picture of how we can combat the onset of Alzheimer’s – as well as ten areas that scientists need to concentrate on researching in the future. Though the findings may seem bleak, there is some promise in that many of these risk factors can be managed or modified through lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise.

Thank you for your support in reading this article and hopefully, you have found it beneficial.

"Providing Better Health Through Knowledge"