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December 7, 2007

Tea as a Treatment for Attention Deficit Disorder

            Several Studies have suggested that tea helps shield against strokes, heart attacks, diabetes, and possibly some cancers. Several Reports show that tea might also be a treatment for attention deficit disorder. John Foxe, a professor of neuroscience and an expert of mechanisms of attention at the City University of New York, says that tea makes people feel relaxed, but also seems to make them more alert. Research shows that the green and black tea contains antioxidants such as flavonols, catechins, and lignans that arm the body for disease. It is thought that they improve blood vessel dilation and lower the risk of aortic atherosclerosis. Studies show that the more tea a person consumes the stronger the cardiovascular protection will be. Some researchers say that the antioxidants inhibit damage to DNA therefore; they may also inhibit tumor growth. Neuroscientists are saying that the components in the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant can work wonders with the brain also. Foxe says that The amino acid theanine, which is found in black, green, and oolong teas, causes people to pay closer attention.
- Information by Matthew Shulman U.S. News World Report “A Soothing Sip of Focus”

November 25, 2007

How to boost your immunity and improve your overall health

            A well hydrated body’s immune system will function most efficiently. To have a healthy immune system you should focus on eating a well balanced diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamins and minerals. A good way to add fruit and vegetables to your diet is to eat at least one fruit or vegetable at breakfast or lunch. Eating a balanced diet will also reduce your chance of disease. The best way to improve your immune system is to exercise because your body starts to increase the number of cells that fight against bacteria and viruses. These cells have been found to remain elevated for up to three hours after a moderate amount of exercise. Mandy Conrad is a nutrition and fitness consultant.   You can visit her link at: http://www.reallivingnutrition.com/MandyConrad.aspx
- Information by: Mandy Conrad Starkville Daily News November 25, 2007.

 

Tips to get you ready for your bathing suit
         
            The average American eats twice as much salt as they are supposed to. The recommended daily dose is about 2,500 milligrams. Salt causes the body to retain water causing it to look bloated. Salt also increases the risk of high blood pressure. Many products have salt in them such as fast foods, potato chips, breakfast cereals, spices, and things that are preserved including many canned vegetables.

            You should eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and avoid eating things out of a can when possible. Also drinking lots of water helps you digestive systems, and helps you loose weight. Drink 8 eight-ounce glasses of water a day. When you do not drink enough water, your body combats dehydration, and holds in water, sometimes many pounds of it. Water helps flush toxins out of your body and is a natural appetite suppressant.

            Make sure exercise is a daily part of your routine. When combining cardio with muscle building exercise, it increases the body’s ability to burn off excess energy. To slim down quickly you need to do high energy sweat inducing cardio exercises. Another way to look thinner is to stand up straight. When you stand up straight with your stomach held in you are exercising your abs, and making yourself look much thinner.
-Information by Catherine Holahan St. Louis Post-Dispatch 5/29/06

Ways to prevent Type 2 diabetes
           
Eating right and exercising is important if you want to live a healthy life. Proper health and diet can prevent getting diabetes. Diabetes happens when the body is unable to turn blood sugar into energy for your body. Irena McClain of the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi says diabetes affects 346,500 Mississippians, and 115,000 of these people do not even know they have it.

Ninety-five percent of diabetics have Type 2 diabetes that can cause kidney failure, limb amputations, heart disease, stroke, and blindness in adults. Type 2 is most common in adults over 40, but is now being seen in teenagers and children. Type 2 is linked to obesity. Symptoms of diabetes include blurred vision, exhaustion, extreme thirst, slow healing from sores, and dry mouth and skin.

If you think you have diabetes contact a health care professional immediately. To prevent diabetes you should eat foods rich in fiber, which are low in fat and have many vitamins, minerals, and complex carbohydrates. Make sure you eat enough fruits and vegetables everyday. Eat lean meats and fish, whole grain breads and cereals, and low fat milk. If you already have diabetes you can take control of it by eating foods that keep your blood sugar low, and through exercising.
- Information by Linda N. Wilemon Starkville Daily News 3/18/07

 

 

Choosing the right sunglasses to protect you from harmful rays

UVB and UVA rays from the sun are very harmful to your skin and your eyes. Most people do not know that neither windows nor shade can fully protect you from the sun. Even most sunglasses do not have the proper protection for your eyes. Ordinary glass in buildings and homes filters out UVB rays, but they do not filter out UVA rays. Using tinted glass saves energy and blocks out many harmful rays. The best choices for glass windows are laminated glass and UV-blocking coated class. The latter has an invisible coating that blocks about ninety-eight percent of UV radiation while it transmits all visible light. Windows that have the mirror like effect block UV rays, but they also block visible light.

Laminated glass filters out most UV radiation while letting in visible light, and it also reduces sound transmission. Laminated glass is used in cars and public areas. Tinted windows can filter out UVA radiation, if your car did not come with tinted windows you can purchase them at an automotive supply store. They are easy to attach and remove. If you are about to purchase a new car ask for gray-tinted laminated glass on all side windows in the car.

Sunglasses not only look good, but they protect your retina from being damaged and prevent cataracts. Some polarized lenses do not protect your eyes from UV rays. When buying sunglasses look for these things: 100 percent UV protection, lenses that are big enough to cover up your eyes and eyelashes, lenses that are a neutral color such as grays or browns so they will not distort other colors such as traffic lights.  Choose a style that wraps around your temple to protect your eyes from light coming in on the sides. Very dark lenses can be more harmful than helpful; they cause yours eyes to open wider therefore letting in more harmful rays.
- Information by Jane Brody St. Louis Post-Dispatch 5/29/06

 

 

How to Cancer-Proof Your Body

          There are several ways to improve your health and make your body less susceptible to cancer. The most important ways to improve your health is eating healthy foods and exercising regularly. One very important food you should not leave out of your diet is pomegranates. They contain cancer fighting elements such as polyphenols, isoflavones, and ellagic acid. Pomegranates stabilize PSA levels in men who have been treated for prostate cancer, and they may also inhibit lung-cancer growth. If you smoke or are around people that do, pomegranate juice can boost your lung cancer defense. Another fruit with cancer fighting abilities is blueberries. Blueberries have a compound called pterostilbene that helps fight colon cancer. Blueberries also have high doses of vitamin C. Eating sushi can help prevent skin cancer because seaweed also has polyphenols that help fight cancer. There are several other ways to help fight cancer such as relaxing a little and spending more time outside. When you are out in the sun, your body produces healthy levels of vitamin D. Other ways to obtain vitamin D is eating food such as salmon, shiitake mushrooms, sardines, and reindeer meat.
- Information by Steve Mazzucchi, Men’s Health.

Health in Our Children’s Generation

            More children are being diagnosed with bipolar, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), asthma, and allergies than ever before. Some of this comes from improved diagnosing and over diagnosing, but “more children are getting sick because they are fragile and affected by an increasingly industrialized world”. Dr. Kenneth Bock co-founder of the Rhinebeck Health Center states “I do think we are in the midst of an epidemic of these child disorders”.

The best thing a parent can do is decrease the child’s exposure to toxins, such as eating pesticide free food or avoiding heavy metals and pollutants found in a myriad of products such as computers, toys, and clothing. The link between the environment and child illness is evident in conditions of allergies and asthma. ADHD is now the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder for children, and has increased over 400% in the last 25 years. Forty percent of all children now have allergies. Allergies have genetic tendencies, but they also are caused by the environment. Our bodies are supposed to be exposed to dirt and germs so our immune system can grow strong and fight them off, but if we are not exposed to them, our body cannot build a defense.
- Information provided by Jean Weiss MSN Health and Fitness “Are Our Kids the Sickest Generation”

 

Health Myths

          Health myths confuse people on what they should and should not eat, and they could be depriving themselves of healthy foods.

    1. You should eat your target body weight in grams of protein daily.
    2. Eating protein does increase your GFR (glomerular filtration rate, the amount of blood your kidneys are filtering per minute), but if you eat the right amounts of proteins it does not harm your kidneys.
    1. White potatoes are made into potato chips and French fries that can be bad for you, and sweet potatoes are usually eaten whole and can lower your glycemic index.
    2. White potatoes can be good for you too because they have essential nutrients, such as potassium, magnesium, and iron. Sweet potatoes have more fiber and vitamin A.
    1. No study has ever found a direct relationship of red-meat consumption and cancer.
    1. Scientists say that there is no reason for people with normal blood pressure to restrict their sodium intake, but if you have high cholesterol you can be “sodium sensitive”

- Information by: Alan Aragon Men’s Health

 

 

 


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