My Online Health Articles and Healthy Recipes

Health Article: Rejuvenate Yourself Naturally

Health Articles — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 12:35:36 +0000

Chances are you spend a lot of energy juggling career, family, household chores, social engagements, community involvement and any number of other day-to-day concerns. With so much to much to do, it wouldn’t be surprising if you were exhausted before the end of the day.

You might be tempted to have coffee or soda to give you a caffeine lift, but there are consequences that come with that kind of energy: caffeine can affect brain function, hormone balance and sleep patterns. And don’t go for the “sugar high” of a candy bar or cookies. Sweets raise your blood sugar level, which does provide a short burst of energy, but after about 20 minutes your glucose level will rapidly drop and you’ll be more tired than you were in the first place.

Instead of those questionable methods, try using natural rejuvenators instead. The following suggestions are safe and effective ways to give yourself an energy boost:

Breathe
Getting oxygen into your bloodstream is a great energy-booster that can make you feel more calm at the same time. Breathe in slowly until your chest is expanded to its full capacity; then exhale slowly. The more often you do this, the better you’ll feel.

Try peppermint
The aroma of peppermint may help release tension and alleviate fatigue. Sniff peppermint oil or drink a cup of caffeine-free peppermint tea.

Drink water
Dehydration drains your energy. Studies show that if your body has as little as 1/2 cup less water than it needs, your brain and your body start to lag. Try to drink eight glasses every day — more if it’s hot or you’re exercising — to make sure you are always well-hydrated.

Eat a starchy snack
A complex carbohydrate snack (e.g., a whole wheat bagel or toast, a banana) provides a sustainable source of energy. Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest and so the release of glucose into your bloodstream is gradual (rather than the quick burst that comes from a candy bar), which helps fight energy dips.

Give yourself acupressure
Sometimes considered as “acupuncture without needles,” acupressure uses gentle finger pressure in specific areas. Give yourself an energy boost by rubbing your ear lobes between your thumb and forefinger, or by pulling your second toe (the one adjacent to your big toe) and then vigorously rubbing it.

Get moving
Taking a brisk walk, performing stretching exercises or jogging in place is a good way to increase the oxygen content in your blood, which helps to rejuvenate you.

Take a bath
Fill the tub with warm water and add sea salts or essential oils. The scent of orange, rosemary or lavender extract is especially rejuvenating.

Use nutritional supplements
Certain supplements can improve your energy:

Bee pollen helps increase physical strength, stamina and energy. Ginkgo biloba improves blood and nutrient flow to the brain for enhanced alertness and mental clarity.
Co-Q10 provides an energy boost by increasing metabolic efficiency.
Ashwaganda, also known as Indian ginseng, improves energy and calms the response to stress.
Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) and Reishi mushrooms restore and enhance energy.

Take a shower
Stand under a warm shower for a couple minutes and then alternate the water temperature between warm and cool. This stimulates your circulation and is a refreshing pick-me-up. (Note: This technique is not advisable for anyone with high blood pressure or a heart disorder.)

Take a nap
Don’t overlook the obvious: A 20-minute snooze will revitalize both mind and body. Elevate your feet with pillows so they are higher than your heart. That way, extra blood will get to your brain and you won’t feel groggy when you wake up.

Photo by Sanja Gjenero

Healthy Recipes: Keep Anemia at Bay with Iron-rich Foods

Health Articles — Mon, 19 May 2008 17:10:16 +0000

Iron-rich foods that help keep anemia under control can taste good too! The Beetroot-Fruit Cocktail and Ham and Beans recipes below prove it.

Commercials for a famous tonic that addressed “iron-poor blood” started appearing in the mid-twentieth century. That tonic, Geritol, still exists today, which tells you that a lot of people must be having problems with anemia — a blood disorder attributed to the deficiency of iron, folic acid and vitamin B12.

No wonder people search out a tonic if they have anemia: The disease causes dizziness and fatigue, even during non-strenuous activities. Iron-deficient anemia is the most common type, and occurs when your body doesn’t have the required iron content to produce hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen to all parts of your body and provides energy for you to carry out your daily activities.

Iron is of two types – heme which is easily absorbed by the human body and non-heme which is not. While non-vegetarian foods like red meat and eggs are rich sources of the heme form, vegetarians have to augment their intake of iron from foods like beets (also known as beetroots), blackstrap molasses and green leafy vegetables. It’s important to also include foods rich in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, because they help in the absorption of non-heme iron.

Here are two recipes – one vegetarian and the other non-vegetarian – for dishes that are rich in iron and can help keep anemia at bay:

Beetroot-Fruit Cocktail
Serves 2

1 medium-sized beet
2 ripe pears
1 small lime
½ red bell pepper
1 handful of basil leaves

Wash the beet and the pears.
Peel them and then chop them into small pieces, and place them in a blender.
Squeeze the juice from the lime into the blender.
Wash, de-seed and chop the bell pepper, and place the pieces in the blender.
Wash and use a course chop on the basil leaves, and place them in the blender.
Run the blender until you get the consistency juice of juice you want. You can also use the same ingredients in a juicer.

The juice has to be consumed within an hour or so after preparation to ensure you get all the nutrients. It’s a good recipe for those prone to anemia because beet juice is rich in both iron and folic acid, and lime is rich in vitamin C, which is the catalyst that helps the body absorb iron from non-heme sources.

Ham and Beans
Serves 6

3 lbs smoked ham
2 lbs dried Great Northern beans
2 dried peppers
2 onions
4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp black pepper
½ cup blackstrap molasses
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup mustard

Rinse and dry the beans.
Fill a Dutch oven with the amount of water indicated on the package directions for the beans, and then add the beans. Cover and cook at the temperature indicated in the directions.
Add the ham and remaining ingredients when the beans are cooked half-way, based on the time in the package directions.
Cook for the remaining indicated time.

This dish contains both red meat (ham) and blackstrap molasses, both of which are rich in iron and help enrich the hemoglobin content in your blood.

And here are some quick concoctions that can also help prevent anemia or address it if you already have it:

Twice a day: eat a ripe banana dipped in 1 tbs. honey.
Once a day: drink a mixture of beet juice, apple juice and one tbs. honey.
Once a day: drink a mixture of apple juice and tomato juice.
Soak currants overnight, de-seed and eat in the morning.

This article is contributed by Sarah Scrafford, who regularly writes on the topic of
Care Plans. She invites your questions at her personal e-mail address:
sarah.scrafford25@gmail.com.

Beets image by Quadell

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Healthy Recipes: Blueberry Recipes Packed with Antioxidants

Health Articles — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 15:07:46 +0000

Image via WikipediaGetting your antioxidants doesn’t have to be boring! Our Blueberry Crumble and Berry Treasure recipes prove it.

Blueberries are a good source of fiber and vitamin C, but this little blue fruit’s main claim to fame is its antioxidant activity. Why is this important? Because antioxidants neutralize “free radicals” — those unstable oxygen molecules that attack your body and place you at risk for cancer, heart disease and premature aging. Blueberries are actually ranked No. 1 among common fruits and vegetables in antioxidant power. Acai and Goji berries are the only other fruits that rank higher, but they’re more exotic — and more expensive.

Try these quick and easy blueberry dessert recipes. They’re great ways to get your antioxidants.

Blueberry Crumble
Makes 4 to 6 servings

4 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup flour (preferably whole wheat, or try one of the gluten-free varieties)
3/4 cup uncooked oats
1/2 cup butter, melted

Spread blueberries in a 2-quart baking dish.
Combine the remaining ingredients and sprinkle over blueberries.
Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Berry Treasure
Makes 4 servings

1 cup fresh blueberries
1 (6 oz.) can frozen grape juice concentrate, undiluted
1-1/2 cups water
1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca
1 tsp. lemon juice

Combine grape juice concentrate, water and tapioca in a saucepan and let them stand in for 5 minutes.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
Simmer slowly, stirring often, until tapioca is clear and juice is thickened.
Remove from heat; add lemon juice and stir. Incorporate the blueberries once the mixture has cooled a little.

You can also add other fruit, such as bananas and raspberries, which can either be stirred in or layered.

Photo by Chrissi Nerantzi

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Health Article: Eye Exercises That Relieve Eye Strain

Health Articles — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 05:22:24 +0000

You’ve probably experienced it: Your eyes begin to water and twitch, and they burn when you close them. You’re suffering from a common condition — eye strain.

It happens when you stare at a road for a long time, work too long in front of the computer, watch too much television, or focus on any task that requires you to look up close for any length of time.

Fortunately, there are easy eye exercises that can relax and even strengthen the eyes. No exercise can cure an eye ailment, but doing the following exercises regularly can be beneficial if a weakness or imbalance of the eye muscles causes vision problems, especially eye strain:

Eye push-ups
This exercise trains your eyes to work together to aim at the same task, which can help prevent eyestrain.

Hold a pen in front of your face, about an arm’s length away. Move it toward your nose slowly, staring at the same place on the pen. Bring the pen as close as you can to the tip of your nose before you see a double image.

Change your focus
This exercise helps you cut down on eye fatigue.

Hold a book or newspaper as close to your eyes as you can without the print becoming blurred. Stare at the words for 15 seconds. Then, look at an object approximately 10 feet away and stare at that for 15 seconds. Repeat five times.

The eye roller coaster
This exercise improves the flow of blood and oxygen to your eyes.

Close your eyes and slowly roll them in a complete circle. Then, move them from right to left. Repeat three times.

Palming and cupping

This exercise relaxes your eyes.

If you wear contact lenses, remove them. Close your eyes and put the fleshy part of your palms over them. Press gently for a few seconds. Then, cup your hands over your open eyes. Keep your eyes open and look into your palms as you breathe slowly through your nose for 30 seconds.

Although it might seem simplistic, blinking and yawning are also beneficial because they produce tears that lubricate the eyes. And you can also help your eyes by taking nutritional supplements that contain bilberry, vitamin A and lutein. You might also want to try these healthy recipes that contain vitamins that help with eye problems.

Eye image by miamiamia

Health Article: Vitamin D Fact Sheet

Health Articles — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:07:03 +0000

Vitamin D is a term for several hormones that are stored mainly in the liver and in fat and muscle tissue. Vitamin D is essential for maintaining healthy bone structure because of its role in the absorption and metabolism of calcium. It is easily absorbed during digestion and is excreted from the body very slowly. It is manufactured in the body from a chemical reaction to the ultraviolet radiation in sunlight and is found in a few food sources, including vitamin D-fortified milk, fatty fish, egg yolk and liver. The AI (adequate intake) level is 200 IU (5 mcg) per day for children and most adults, 400 IU (10 mcg) for people over 50, and 600 IU (15 mcg) for those over 70 who do not have sufficient exposure to sunlight. Some experts believe that many people require supplements to achieve the recommended levels.

Deficiencies of Vitamin D
Deficiencies in vitamin D result in rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Both diseases are characterized by a softening of the bones caused by low amounts of calcium and phosphorous. Vitamin D deficiency also increases the risk for hip fractures in post-menopausal women, and is associated with a higher risk for breast cancer, especially in older women, and prostate cancer. There has been some concern that under-exposure to sunlight in older people, particularly if they live in northern regions, may put them at risk for low levels of vitamin D. A 1998 study suggests that vitamin D deficiency may be a significant problem in the general US population, even among younger adults. Experts note that adults may need higher daily amounts than the RDA suggests. Exposure to sunlight for about 15 to 20 minutes at mid-morning or mid-afternoon three times a week is also recommended for most people who live in temperate climates.

Toxicity of Vitamin D
Vitamin D is very toxic in high doses. Infants can be severely affected by daily amounts higher than 1000 IU, which can lead to mental and growth retardation, kidney failure and death. In children and adults, daily amounts over 50,000 IU can cause weakness, anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea and mental changes. Prolonged use of megadoses can cause calcification of soft tissue and life-threatening kidney failure. Low-calcium diets and withdrawal from the vitamin can usually reverse the side effects, except for kidney failure.

IMPORTANT NOTE: One of our readers disagreed with the content of this article. It’s important to be well-informed, so I agree with her suggestion that you should investigate this topic further at http://www.vitamindcouncil.org and any other source you deem appropriate. You should never accept just one source when it comes to your health. As a healthcare writer, I see varying opinions every day on a variety of important health-related topics. It’s up to you to do your own research and decide what’s right for your body.

Photo by Steve Woods

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