Health Articles

Everyday, thousands of people are put on prescription medication for high blood pressure, high cholesterol or atherosclerosis because heart disease is the leading cause of death in Americans over the age of 45. The process seems to begin with an injury in an artery’s lining caused by high blood pressure, smoking or an amino acid called homocystein which is generated by the breakdown of protein in the body. Cholesterol and other fats get trapped at the damaged site and become oxidized or turn ‘rusty’ and attract an assortment of cells that turn to plaque. The problem with plaque is that it makes blood flow very difficult so it is important to feed your body with foods that can help prevent this oxidation process. Here are some foods to consider adding to your daily regimen:

1. Avocados – contain good fats and potassium that help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and help prevent cancer. You want to eat about 1/3 of an avocado per day or make some guacemole for a heart healthy snack.

2. Lentils – are loaded with all sorts of nutrients that protect the heart including folate and fiber. There are 9 grams of protein in 1/2 cup so they make a great substitute for meat.

3. Onions – contain sulfur compounds, also found in garlic, that thin your blood and lower blood pressure naturally. The most quercetin is found in red onions, followed by yellow and white onions, and help prevent oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol.

4. Sardines – contain Omega 3’s which decrease blood clotting, prevent heart arrhythmias and fight inflammation throughout the body.

5. Pumpkin Seeds – are high in Omega 3’s too and help clean up arteries and capillaries. Sprinkle them on salads or grind them up in a food processor and add to whole grain flour to coat chicken or fish for a delicious main course.

If none of these foods appeal to you, then consider taking an amino acid supplement L-Arginine which is great for men especially dealing with coronary artery disease or hypertension because it helps to open up blood vessels that lead to the heart, hence improving blood flow. Practice eating healthy for your heart!

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Signs of depression can be classified as either emotional or physical. Emotional symptoms include feeling sad, empty and hopeless. Loss of interest in the things you previously enjoyed is another symptom. You may lose interest in the hobbies that you used to love. You may also become disinterested in things such as sex. Irritability, anxiety and feeling guilty or worthless are other indicators. Having trouble in making decisions as well as thoughts and plans to hurt yourself are other signs. You may also develop thoughts of death and suicide.

There are also a number of physical symptoms. Headaches are common in people with this condition. If you suffer from migraine headaches, they may worsen when you become depressed. Back pain is another indicator. If you already experience such pains, they will worsen when you develop this condition. Other signs of depression are muscle aches, joint pains and chest pains.

There are also a number of physical symptoms. Headaches are common in people with this condition. If you suffer from migraine headaches, they may worsen when you become depressed. Back pain is another indicator. If you already experience such pains, they will worsen when you develop this condition. Other signs of depression are muscle aches, joint pains and chest pains. Exhaustion and fatigue is another symptom of this disorder. You will feel tired and worn out all the time. Getting out of bed in the morning may turn out to be hard if not impossible.

Other physical symptoms of this condition are sleeping problems and change in appetite and weight. You will have difficulties falling asleep while in other cases, you may sleep more than normal. You may lose appetite and weight. In some instances however, you may develop a craving for certain foods for example carbohydrates and this may make you to gain weight. Dizziness is also another sign of depression.

To try to diminish the bad feelings of being called fat or heavy, we tend to use lesser dreaded and insulting words such as “larger size” and “big” instead of plain “overweight” and “fat”. But it took just one comment from a buddy friend, a nurse in the community hospital, to bring back home a deep reality. She said, ” In my whole life working in this hospital, I have yet to see a fat oriental chinese lady”, referring to the patients she has seen seeking healing in the government hospital.

Of course, it is not true that there are no fat oriental chinese ladies in the world, since fat and heavy are universal issues touching all races and cultures, irrespective of skin and color. But is there a health secret coming from the Orient that makes the chinese lady usually slimer and slender?

Indeed, new discoveries in Japan showed that a type of chinese tea called the Okuma’s Wu Long tea jointly with a healthy diet and exercise revealed that persons who systematically consumed this tea experienced more than TWICE the calorie-burning results of individuals who drank the same amount of authentic Japanese green tea. Drinking this Wu Long tea 15 minutes previous to eating carbohydrates additionally helped moderate the increase in insulin that normally comes after eating food that contained a bunch of carbohydrates. As carbohydrates causes weight increase by increasing insulin levels, imbibing this tea helps to check weight gain.

Like other teas as well, Japan’s Shiga University of Medical Science found that imbibing Wu-Long tea also on a daily basis dramatically frees up skin eczema inside only one month, and helps in lessening free radicals, and decreasing the chance of infections such as the common cold.

Indeed, in the ancient chinese pharmaceutical book “Bencao Shiyi “(The Compendium of Materia Medica), it is thought that tea “will make one live long and stay in good shape.” Tea, particularly the oriental Wu-Long tea that comes from China’s Fujian Province has been used by hundreds of generations of women to help melt away body fat, increase energy and even clear the skin, and these recent scientific discoveries in Japan seem to indicate that it is feasible to drink away pounds of useless body fat and reduce inches from the waistline.

Teas are just a form of natural supplements to help in weight management and fat loss. Taking a supplement to help in weight loss is just one point in fighting weight and fat, but it is needed to have a healthy diet and to sustain a plan of exercise at the same time if we are to continue to keep the additional weight and fat off our bodies. Therefore, selection of a good supplement, having a balanced diet and having a fitness plan will go a long way to get your weight down.

Do you know which vitamins or minerals can help you curtail hair loss? If you want to recapture your lost hair, then you need to know what nutrients are necessary for healthy scalp to promote hair regrowth.

For those of you who want to see a healthy volume of hair on your head again, make sure you try to increase the intake of the following vitamins and minerals in your diet.

Vitamins

The first vitamin is Vitamin A. This fat soluble nutrient can be found in food sources such as sweet potato, carrot, broccoli, cheese, spinach or leafy vegetables. Vitamin A plays a key role.

Vitamin B are crucial for the support and maintenance of hair, skin and nails. It can promote and enhance your body immune system against bacteria and infections. Vitamin B7 or Biotin is helpful towards maintaining healthy hair follicles and growth. You can typically find biotin in food sources such as onions, cucumber, cabbage and eggs. A recommended daily intake for a normal adult age 19 to 70 years old is about 30 ug/day.

Minerals

There are many minerals that has been proven to aid hair regrowth. One of the reasons is because copper can facilitate blood circulation to the scalp area. It shows great effectiveness in stimulate the hair follicles to produce new hair cells. As a matter of fact, many pharmaceutical companies are adding copper elements to their hair loss products to help hair grow faster.

Another mineral you should watch out for is Zinc. This nutrient is able to inhibit hair losses by retarding the buildup of DHT. A deficiency of Zinc can cause a chemical enzyme called (Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha) to be released. This enzyme can cause damage to the body and hair. Hence, make sure you take enough load of zinc each day. You can find zinc in food sources such as oysters, meats or wheat germ.
And now, I want to share with you an all-natural, dermatologist-formulated solution to help slow thinning hair in both men and women. This wonderful hair loss remedy helps stop hair loss and stimulates healthy hair growth so you can grow new hair naturally.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that disables the body from utilizing digested food properly. More over, food is essential in that it is the main source for growth and energy for the body. This is why diabetes treatment diet must be implemented to ensure proper digestion and management.

A nutritional meal plan along with daily physical activity keeps the body flowing, blood sugar levels down, and weight under control. There are several major goals in the treatment of diabetes, each one having a significant role.

The main goal of diabetes diet plan is to obtain an ideal body weight. Obesity or being overweight is a significant contributing factor for developing diabetes. Loosing weight is recommended to lower elevated blood glucose levels; especially in type2 diabetics. There is 61% of the adult population that is obese or overweight, which enhances the number of diabetic patients.

A study conducted by experts of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute proves that the effect of weight loss on fasting blood glucose and fasting insulin levels is critical. Most obese patients have lower glucose tolerance due to abdominal fat. A decrease in abdominal fat will improve tolerance while simultaneously lowering blood glucose levels.

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes can be successfully managed through extensive and long term lifestyle therapy. Because food is the body’s main source for energy, you must digest meals that are nutritional and low in calories.

Type1 diabetes requires a diet that has approximately 16 calories per pound of body weight per day. Type 2 diabetics, however, are placed on a 1500-1800 calorie per day to promote weight loss. Upon diagnosis, healthcare professionals may suggest a dietician or nutritionist to assist you with your diabetes treatment diet.
How to Control Diabetes Diet
It is essential that individuals with either type of diabetes to comprehend the principles of carbohydrates counting. This is critical in that carbohydrates are broken down into sugar. The more carbohydrates you digest, the higher your sugar. Therefore, you will be aware of how to control blood glucose levels using a healthy diet plan.

A diabetes treatment diet, along with physical activity, and behavior therapy is recommended to improve overall health and effectively control diabetes. A diet is a relevant treatment strategy designed for weight loss and weight management. When planning a meal, you must consider choosing healthy foods, eating the right amount of food, and eating meals at the right time. For your convenience, a dietician or nutritionist will tailor your specific meals to accommodate your food habits and preferences.

There are several suggested causes of depression. This condition is sometimes classified under psychological diseases. In other cases however, it is classified under circumstance-related diseases. The reason it is difficult to classify this illness is because it is hard to define the exact causes of the condition. It is also said that many people who suffer from this illness do not really know the exact cause of their situation.

Although the real cause of this condition is yet to be identified, it is believed that the emotional and physical symptoms are as a result of chemical imbalances that exist in the brain. These chemicals normally ease communication between the brain cells. Causes of depression can be several different experiences from early childhood to later in life. The causes sometimes are usually just speculative.

Some risk factors for this illness include family history of the disorder and a significant loss or misfortune for example death or divorce. It is possible that this condition can be as a result of a major stressful situation. Financial, emotional and work problems can lead to the problem. If you don’t sort out these problems eventually, the condition can lower your immune system as well as worsen your mental and physical health.

Interpersonal conflicts and related emotions such as guilt as well as major life events such as losing a job can also trigger the situation. Other risk factors include physical, sexual or emotional abuse and serious illnesses such as HIV, cancer, heart disease or stroke. Isolation or exclusion from either family or friends can also be a cause of depression.
Mercy Maranga

It is possible that “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” but after a good night of partying your second day on vacation, your hangover may just prevent you from living it up for the rest of your weekend! Is it feasible to avoid one altogether? Some say yes. Most importantly, if you’re not a regular drinker, don’t think you can handle partying like a diva when you come to Vegas and not pay the price.

So what is the definition of a hangover? Many people would probably say they know it when they get one! Hangovers alter with each individual, and can range from a simple stomach ache to a feeling of “blah”. Actual hangover symptoms are headaches, redness of the eyes, increased sensitivity to light and sound, muscle aches, thirst and fatigue.
Types of headaches
In Truth, a hangover is a consequence of your body needing water, and even a small withdrawal from all of the alcohol in your blood stream.

This isn’t meant as medical advice because you should be familiar with your body enough to know your own limits. With that being said, here are some helpful suggestions to aid you in the future:

- Drink a small bottle of H2O in between every drink while you’re out. This works two-fold: Reduces your intake and dilutes what’s already in your system.

- Try a hangover cure. They really work just some might not work for you – try a couple out. Some I’ve heard of are: AH+, Chaser & Hangover Buster. Nearly all of them should be taken prior to going out to maximize effectiveness.

- Take two advil tablets before heading to bed. But, use this cure sparingly as it can lead to kidney damage when taken in huge doses over extended periods.

- Take a high potency B-vitamin supplement. This one will take slightly more preparation because it should be taken prior to going to sleep but taken immediately when you wake can also help as well. It works because B-vitamins are key in helping the carbohydrate (alcohol) metabolizing process and in enlarging blood vessels. This should help repair your energy level.

- Before you head to bed or after you wake up, down a drink containing electrolytes. Electrolytes will replenish what the kidneys have excreted during drinking which will made you feel much better. The most commonly known drinks are Gatorade or Powerade but don’t forget about the drink made for children – Pedialyte. Some think it’s even more effective than standard sports drinks.

- Exercising will help get rid of any hangover by aiding the body free itself of toxins. The increased circulation produces blood and oxygen to your oxygen-hungry brain. It May be the most unpleasant of all remedies but you can really get rid of your hangover through perspiration.

- Get a banana shake with a bit of honey – It might be a little hard to find while walking the strip but worth looking for. The banana helps settle the tummy, and with the honey, builds up the low blood sugar levels. The milk comforts the stomach and rehydrates your system. Also, bananas are rich in the important potassium, electrolytes and magnesium, which are seriously depleted during heavy drinking.

- Get a shot of wheatgrass. While a thick green drink may appear to be completely disgusting, this curing beverage can balance all the not-so-curing drinks you consumed the previous night. Found at your local natural foods shop, wheatgrass’ chlorophyll content and detoxifying effects are a surefire cure.

Almost any level of stress on the knee joint will affect the function of the kneecap (also known as the patella). Some tendons are more vulnerable than others to inflammation. The tendon that attaches to the kneecap often becomes inflamed as a result of repeated jumping in sports and related activities causing patella pain.

You may feel patella pain even while resting your knee. There may also be mild swelling in the affected area as well as stiffness and limitation of movement. Aerobic exercises will help you maintain a healthy weight taking pressure off your knee joints. The quadriceps is an important group of muscles that stretch along the front of your thigh and are connected to the kneecap through the patellar tendon.

When the kneecap slips slightly out of position you will probably feel pain or swelling and have difficulty in straightening your knee due to patella pain. This is a sharp sensation of pain which some describe as ’stabbing pain’.
Image results for kneecap
The tendons frequently become inflamed as a result of being put under repeated or excessive strain and you will experience pain around the kneecap particularly while exercising. When there is stress on the joint between the kneecap and thigh bone the cartilage between the bones softens. This is another cause of patella pain and stiffness. Sometimes this is accompanied by a clicking sensation when you bend or straighten your knee. Very often the pain resolves with rest.

If you experience patella pain while performing physical actions as a part of your work, an occupational therapist will work closely with you to evaluate your personal needs. The length of treatment varies but the course will begin with a thorough assessment of your movements at work. The therapist will try to find out the particular sets of movements that could cause pain and devise an alternate sequence of motions so that future issues could be avoided.

Rest and anti inflammatory drugs are generally recommended by medical practitioners to reduce patella pain. Physiotherapists also may recommend exercises to build up the strength of the quadriceps muscles so that recurrences of this kind of pain can be avoided. This should improve the balance and functioning of your kneecap.

Surgery may be recommended by the medical practitioner if other medical interventions fail to provide long term relief. The surgery will focus on repairing the tissues and providing support to the muscle groups so that the patient is free from patella pain.

If you or someone you love has food allergies, it can be very important for you to learn more about them. While there are nearly 4 million Americans with symptoms of allergies to food, it is actually not as common as you might think. Many people who think they have food allergies actually have food intolerance which is not the same thing. Food intolerance is more common and less severe.

True food allergies are more rare and can cause difficulty breathing, asthma, vomiting and in some extreme cases, even death. Food intolerance, however, will usually bring on different types of symptoms such as gas or bloating.

If you suspect you may have food allergies, it’s important to identify if it is true food allergy or just food intolerance. Only your doctor can tell you for certain but you can learn the signs and symptoms of each to help you get an idea for yourself.

It’s also important to have an understanding of the types of foods that cause allergies. While technically a person can be allergic to any type of food, there are some food types which are more commonly known to cause allergies.

For example, shellfish, peanuts, walnuts, eggs and other fish are common allergies. Children may also be allergic to wheat, milk, eggs and soy. While these are the most common, again, any food can cause an allergic reaction in a person.

Allergies to foods are so serious in some people that just smelling the food can cause a reaction and direct exposure can result in death. This is especially true for peanut and shellfish allergies. If you have a food allergy, it’s important to diagnose what foods and be sure to avoid them.