In Health, Variety Is The Spice of Life - Literally
September 3, 2010
In Health, Variety Is The Spice of Life - Literally
by: Randy Rowles
Did you know that variety is the spice of life in many things, including your precious health? The new food guidelines issued by the United States government recommend that all Americans eat between five and nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day. That number may seem like a lot, but it is actually much easier than you think to eat that many servings of fruits and vegetables with your daily diet. For one thing, the produce department of your grocery store is fairly overflowing with fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition, fruits and vegetables are some of the least inexpensive, most nutritious, foods at the grocery store. With all these fruits and vegetables to choose from, it is very easy to make these healthy, delicious foods part of your daily meals and snacks.
When you take into account how much a serving really is, it is actually quite easy to get five to nine servings of vegetables and fruits per day. For instance, the recommended daily amount actually equates to two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables every day. When you consider the availability of fruits and vegetables, and how low the prices usually are, it is easy to see how attainable this daily requirement really is.
Clash of the Fats: Triglycerides Verses Essential Fatty Acids
September 1, 2010
Clash of the Fats: Triglycerides Verses Essential Fatty Acids
by: Greg Post
I confess that as a child I used to occasionally watch professional wrestling. For the true fan I suppose it is pronounced rasslin’. Once in a while my kids will find a match on television. I try to explain to them that all the hard work to which they apply themselves during the week to bolster their intelligence can be nearly eradicated in less than one hour by watching such theatrics. My ten year old simply responds by saying something in Latin that I don’t understand.
The intrigue, I presume, is that of battle. As boys we hoped that one day we would be like these titans. Not in their goofy shenanigans, but in their sheer power. As men most of us realize that we never were like them. We enjoy the battle from the sofa or in our minds. But we do enjoy it. We enjoy the indomitable spirit, the raw strength, the clash. It is part of the human condition. Man against man, champion against champion.
Public Health Agency of Canada recommendations for Avian Flu
September 1, 2010
Public Health Agency of Canada recommendations for Avian Flu
by: Eric Schmiedl
At least one Canadian group formed after SARS hit Toronto is working with the World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) and other organizations to help boost public safety.
That group is the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), which was formed in 2004. It acts independently but is responsible to Canada’s health minister. PHAC is in the midst of creating a pandemic plan for Canada, said Aggie Adamczyk, media relations officer with the agency.
The plan is not being formulated just for the Avian Flu but for any disease that could reach pandemic proportions, although PHAC is monitoring the Bird Flu situation. The agency recommends “good respiratory etiquette,” she said, which includes using a tissue or sleeve when a sneeze comes upon you. Plenty of hand washing is also a PHAC suggestion.
Where the regular Influenza A symptoms include aching muscles, sore nose, high fever and coughing, people wary of the Bird Flu should be on the watch for symptoms pinpointed in a 1997 Hong Kong outbreak. In that outbreak, people “developed symptoms of fever, sore throat, cough and, in several of the fatal cases, severe respiratory distress secondary to viral pneumonia. Previously healthy adults and children, and some with chronic medical conditions, were affected,” according to WHO Web information.
The Biggest Loser 2: A Tale Of 2 Losers!
August 31, 2010
The Biggest Loser 2: A Tale Of 2 Losers!
by: Ray Kelly
When it comes to losing weight, what do you think is the biggest contributing factor?
The food you eat?
The amount of exercise you do?
Genetics?
You just have to look at the latest series of The Biggest Loser to get your answer: It’s attitude!
I’ve worked with many ‘losers’ over the past 15 years and I can tell you from experience that if you don’t have the right attitude, you just won’t succeed. The way you think effects the way you feel, and the way you feel effects the amount of effort you put in.
So, back to The Biggest Loser. Remember Nick? He was the guy voted off in week 3. Boy, did he have an attitude! He’s got people around him, trying to push him, trying to get the best out of him so that he can succeed.
But what does he do? He fights them. The trainers are trying to help him but his ego won’t allow him to accept that help. He’s more concerned with ‘not getting pushed around’, than actually getting on with the job and losing weight. I mean, who are the experts here?
Modern Magnetic Therapy
August 30, 2010
Modern Magnetic Therapy
by: Juliette Pickup
Magnetic therapy is a form of therapy that has been used for many years for a variety of different purposes, including pain relief, prevention of aging and the relief of a range of symptoms from a range of ailments. The problems that the therapy helped to alleviate are still present in the modern world, therefore it is logical that the method used to ease these problems before can still be used today. There are many products available today which can perform this magnetic therapy. Each group of products has a different design and can help with diverse problems, normally in the area around the place where the product is worn. Magnetic therapy has general benefits that most products will provide you with in addition to the specialized benefits that are received from the therapy.
The general benefits of magnetic therapy include enlarging the blood vessels, thereby increasing the rate of circulation within your body; this in turn helps to increase the level of oxygen in your blood and also helps to flush out toxins that have accumulated. These are believed to be the root causes of the general pain relief that can occur once you start using these products.
Human Growth Hormone - Playing An Anabolic Role In The Body
August 28, 2010
Human Growth Hormone - Playing An Anabolic Role In The Body
by: Anthony Bedore
HGH or human growth hormone is a protein hormone of 190 amino acids, which is synthesized and secreted by the Somatotroph cells (hence called Somatotropin) in the anterior pituitary. The genes for human growth hormone are localized in the q22-24 region of chromosome 17. The structure of HGH includes four helices necessary for functional interaction with the GH receptor. Structurally, HGH is homologous to prolactin and chorionic somatomammotropin and it appears as if the three share some evolutionarily connection. The triad is known to promote growth and aid the lactogenic activity.
Human Growth Hormone Secretion
Synthesis and secretion of HGH is controlled by many factors such as exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress and sometimes even by growth hormone itself. The control, however, are wielded by two hypo-thalamic hormones (Growth hormone-releasing hormone or GHRH and Somatostatin or SS) and one hormone present in the stomach (Ghrelin).
Functions of HGH
Diet Pills Health Risks
August 27, 2010
Diet Pills Health Risks
by: Margie James
People who suffer from weight problems would like to believe that there is a simple, easy solution to their situation. A quick fix of some kind that will help them lose weight rapidly and without any effort. And there is a multi-billion dollar industry that revolves around getting people to believe promises of results that are qualified with fine print stating that the statements they are making haven’t been evaluated by the FDA (US Food & Drug Administration). One of the largest areas of the industry is diet pills. Not only can they cause harmful side effects, but they can become both physically and emotionally addictive.
One of the most dangerous aspects of diet pills is that they are not required by law to be tested by the FDA before they are released to the public. However, the FDA will act to remove a product from the market once it has been shown to be dangerous. This happened in 2003 when the FDA banned products containing ephedrine (ephedra) after they were suspected of being at least partly responsible for the death of a prominent athlete. Secondly, these pills can be purchased over the counter as well as by prescription. It’s up to the buyer to make sure he understands and uses the pills as they were intended. However, some people who are trying to “fix” themselves and their weight problems can be inclined to overdose on diet pills in order to try to speed up the weight loss process even more.
You Might Just Feel A Bit of a Prick…
August 27, 2010
You Might Just Feel A Bit of a Prick…
by: Ray Cunningham
But that sensation won’t last too long!
People are surprised to find that acupuncture is relatively painless. Whilst the needle is penetrating the skin, there could be in a slight sensation of pain, but this is not usual. Sometimes, but not often, there could be an electric, “shooting” sensation if a nerve is hit. Sometimes, a sharp sensation if the needle is in the vicinity of a vein, or artery. If this happens this is the possibility of a small bruise in that the adjacent area, but this is really of little consequence, compared with the many attributes and advantages of acupuncture.
I one of the reasons for lack of pain, is because our needles are very fine, only about twice the fitness of a human hair. Totally unlike the hypodermic needles used in conventional medicine to inject liquids or take a sample of blood. These are hollow and of course have a greater bore than acupuncture needles. Ours are solid, flexible and much, much thinner. Patients are often very surprised at how flexible the acupuncture needle is and wonder that it can penetrate the skin and underlying flesh in a straight line. Because of the tiny diameter of the needles and the skill of the acupuncturist, this is not difficult. It is possible to penetrate much harder material, than the human skin, with one of these needles, without bending it.
See Clearly with Eye Exercises - Myth or Reality?
August 25, 2010
See Clearly with Eye Exercises - Myth or Reality?
by: Ray Smith
Most of us have often come across advertisements about eye exercises that promise to offer improved vision and while the majority does not think this would work some of us definitely give it a try. When people are getting more and more dependent upon lasik surgery and contact lenses, it is surprisingly true, that eye exercises and natural therapies are increasingly gaining grounds as a proven method of vision improvement and to see clearly. Even the Yoga practitioners attach special importance to eye exercises.
How does eye exercise becomes an effective solution to see clearly? We will get the answer once we look into the reason for most of our eye problems. Most of the eye problems are due to loss of tone in the eye muscles. With time, these muscles become rigid and this loss of elasticity reduces the ability of the lens of the eyes to focus at different distances. Eventually the eyesight becomes weaker. Most of the eye exercises are targeted at toning up the eye muscles and keeping them elastic. This not only helps you to see clearly but also if you are already suffering from some eye problem, it helps you to improve your vision within a few months of regular exercise.
Think Zinc - An Essential Nutrient
August 24, 2010
Think Zinc - An Essential Nutrient
by: Eva Moffat
Zinc is found in practically every cell in your body. There are about two grams of zinc where it is highly concentrated in the skin, hair, nails, eyes and testes.
Sexually active men need one third more zinc than women. With the exception of breast-feeding women, because the infant will absorb larger amounts of its mother’s zinc supply than normal.
Zinc is a precious mineral. Although our need for this mineral may be small, it plays an enormous part in growth and well-being. This need starts before birth.
It is needed for healthy skin and hair, proper healing of wounds, successful pregnancies and male virility. It also guards against infection and diseases.
Zinc also helps to transport Vitamin A to the retina in the eye. It is a constituent of many enzymes involved in metabolism. There are 156 enzymes that require zinc to be able to function.
Growth and sexual maturity depend on zinc.
What Is An Enzyme?
Enzymes are a protein that helps to break down the nutrients we take into the body through the food we eat; this in turn helps our metabolism.
