Include These 11 Herbs & Spices into Your Diet for Healthy Living

We all know that without our favorite herbs and spices, dishes like guacamole, meatballs, and casseroles wouldn’t taste half as good. But did you know that science found that herbs and spices also provide a wide range of health benefits? From treating infections to preventing cancer, there’s so much you can get from ingredients found in your kitchen cupboard. In case you were wondering which spices provide what health benefits, here are 11 examples you can include for a long and healthy life.

1. Parsley

Parsley is one of the most widely used herbs today that is native to the Mediterranean region. The versatile herb is used by diabetics in Turkey to reduce blood sugar levels. To see if this practice has any basis in reality, researchers conducted a study on rats to see how parsley affected their blood sugar and liver functioning. The study in question was published in Phytotherapy Research and found that diabetic rats given parsley showed significant improvement in their blood glucose levels. The study also found improvements in liver health in rats fed parsley suggesting that the traditional use of this herb was legitimate.

2. Turmeric

Turmeric is a golden spice with a long history of medical uses dating as far back as 4000 years ago. The plant has gained a lot of attention in the scientific community because the spice proved to fight a wide range of disease in clinical trials. Some of these health benefits include protection against cancer, cardiovascular disease, some types of arthritis, and diabetes. Turmeric was also found to especially benefit digestive health reducing the severity of symptoms in ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and many other inflammatory conditions. These benefits mostly come from curcumin, the yellow pigment found in turmeric.

3. Ginger

Ginger has a spicy aroma and a peppery taste. Studies on this herb found that plant compounds in ginger work as powerful anti-inflammatories making ginger a great natural alternative to painkillers. Other than that, adding ginger to your stir fries or drinking it as tea can help with stomach problems. Ginger was found to relieve treat nausea, heartburn, flatulence, diarrhea, and to boost poor appetite.

4. Sage

You’ve probably heard of sage tea being a great remedy for a sore throat. The bitter-tasting herb is a powerful antiseptic explaining this well-known benefit. But studies also show that Sage can help with many other conditions as well. A study published in Advances in Therapy found that sage helps with one of the most common symptoms of menopause – hot flashes. According to this study, sage eliminated hot flashes completely by the end of the 8-week trial.

5. Chili powder

Although chili powder is added in tiny amounts in most dishes, the spice is still able to have a strong effect on your health and metabolism. Chili powder is mostly recognized as a great weight-loss aid. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that chili lowers post-meal blood glucose levels and insulin release. Chili is also believed to function as a powerful appetite suppressant and metabolism enhancer making it a perfect choice for those struggling with excess weight.

6. Garlic

According to an article published in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine, garlic can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, fight infections, prevent cancer, and lower blood sugar. The bulbous plant known for its strong aroma was traditionally used to fight parasitic infections but today it is a popular candida remedy while some also say that eating it during the cold season prevents colds.

7. Cinnamon

Cinnamon is the wonderfully aromatic spice that is popularly used in dessert making. The spice is rich in volatile oils and antioxidant compounds some of which are believed to protect against diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, and cancer. As with most herbs and spices, the health-protecting benefits of cinnamon come mostly from the spice’s antioxidants. What makes cinnamon unique among the spices, however, is that it was found to even fight against neurological disorders like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

8. Black pepper

There was a time when pepper was as expensive as gold. Luckily, those times are over and now everyone gets to enjoy the many health-promoting benefits of pepper. The main active ingredient in black pepper called piperine was found to help scavenge free radicals and thus protect against tumor progression. Other than that, pepper was found to enhance cognitive functioning, absorption of other nutrients, and improve digestion.

9. Celery

The root and leaves of celery can both be eaten, and both help treats various diseases. An article published in Progress in Drug Research claims that celery reduces symptoms of arthritis, stomach ulcers and that it reduces microbe activity. Munching on a celery stalk could give you the same benefits as the stalk also contains the many antioxidants and phytochemicals found in other parts of this plant.

10. Cloves

Cloves are often added to winter desserts and mulled wine. The aromatic spice is also an integral part of Moroccan cuisine. According to an entry in the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of cloves is much higher than in most fruits, vegetables, and other spices making this spice one of the most potent natural remedies out there.

11. Cumin

If you suffer from frequent stomach problems, then adding cumin to your meals may help. However, be careful as the volatile oils in cumin seeds tend to exert a strong aroma which can completely take over your dishes. Cumin seeds were found to help with irritable bowel syndrome while cumin powder helps lower blood lipids.

Conclusion

The wide array of herbs and spices we have available today were also found to be beneficial for overall health. Most of them contain a range of plant compounds and antioxidants that scavenge free radicals or reduce inflammation. Some of them were even found to exert strong antimicrobial activity. Adding these spices to your meals or using them in treatment preparations can help you deal with a host of diseases.

Include These 11 Herbs & Spices into Your Diet for Healthy Living

8 Antibacterial Essential Oils To Keep You Healthy Naturally

8 Antibacterial Essential Oils To Keep You Healthy Naturally

7 Healthy Seeds You Should Eat Everyday

Seeds are super healthy, and most of us aren’t eating enough of them and Eating them as snacks can reduce your total daily calorie intake.! They are important additions to our daily food consumption. They may be tiny, but they’re nutritional powerhouses loaded with healthy fats, fiber, protein, and minerals.

A study showed that those who consumed seeds and nuts at least five times a week had half the rate of heart attack as those who seldom ate seeds and nuts. It also found those who ate nuts only once a week still had a 25 percent lower risk of heart disease than those that ate few nuts and seeds.

7 Healthy Seeds You Should Eat Everyday

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are rich in protein and B vitamins, such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, and folate. Eating regularly these seeds helps boost immunity, improve heart health, lower bad cholesterol, control diabetes, fight anxiety and depression, reduce arthritis pain and reduce the risk of developing some types of cancer.

Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds are a superfood with cancer and heart disease prevention properties. It is a great source of complete protein and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. They also contain phytosterols, plant-based compounds that help lower cholesterol levels. Eating hemp seeds will not give you the same effect as smoking marijuana.

Quinoa

Quinoa has a remarkably high protein content along with amino acids, and vitamin E. It also contains an antioxidant called quercetin. This seed can be substituted in grain dishes in place of rice or pasta. Quinoa also makes a healthy gluten-free breading and can be eaten for breakfast instead of oatmeal.

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are truly one of the most underrated foods on the planet. These tiny, mottled seeds are a great source of vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, and calcium, which benefits both your body and brain.

Sesame Seeds

It is a great source of manganese, copper, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, B vitamins, zinc, and fiber. These seeds can lower blood pressure and cholesterol, protect against liver damage and good for bone health. They can even prevent diseases like arthritis, asthma, migraine headaches, osteoporosis and certain cancers.

Wheat Germ

Wheat germ rich in protein, iron, and B vitamins such as folate. Due to high fiber content of this superseed, it helps prevent constipation and keeps your appetite in check. And wheat germ is low on the glycemic index, so it doesn’t spike your blood sugar.

Pine Nuts

Pine nuts contain all of the amino acids along with: vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin E, copper, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. They are also a good source of pinoleic acid, a fatty acid that acts as a natural appetite suppressant.

Sources:

–http://www.rd.com

–http://www.top10homeremedies.com

–https://www.nutriliving.com

–http://www.lifehack.org

Read:

7 Healthy Seeds You Should Eat Everyday

Healthy Living – Definition and How to Go About It

What is the exact definition of healthy living? Some people find the attempts to define the term as silly and wasting time. They say many people already know what healthy and living are.

Actually, many people are still unclear of what is healthy living all about. Healthy living is not just eating right and exercising, In fact, it’s how to live a healthy life by incorporating proper lifestyle elements into all aspects of your life.

Healthy Lifestyle

That said, it refers to living up your life holistically towards bringing about harmony and balance to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. In other words, healthy living is living your daily life by adopting a healthy lifestyle.

To live healthily, one small conscious effort at a time is all you need to begin the journey towards achieving your goal.

Since healthy living has to do with taking care of the entire you, taking responsibility and making smart health choices starting today and continue in the future may help you achieve the true wellness.

Here are some great simple tips to healthy living by which I hope to help those who want to get started.

Eat A Healthy Diet

Acquire basic diet/nutrition knowledge. Use your common sense to choose the right types of foods to eat.

Eating a diet of whole, nutritious foods rather than unhealthy processed foods is one of the most basic health principles and you should place it as a top priority – you are what you eat.

Moderation is a key towards achieving balanced physiological needs.

Avoid Sweetened Drinks

Many types of sweeteners are used to sweeten foods and drinks, including table sugar, artificial sweetener, and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Replace sweetened drinks with plenty of pure water such as spring water (In Asia it is known as mineral water).

Many processed and junk foods contain high grains and sugar levels, which have unhealthy calories that increase your insulin levels. Ultra-processed grains used in the making of these foods are high glycemic index food categories. They accelerate the aging process and increase your risk of chronic degenerative diseases such as obesity, coronary heart disease, and diabetes.

Avoid All Genetically Engineered Foods

Genetically engineered (GE) foods not only less nutritious than organically-grown foods, but they are also thought to pose many health risks. It is said that most processed foods you buy from the farmers market or groceries stores contain GE ingredients, which have not undergone long-term safety studies.

Many natural living advocates have voiced their concerns over the ‘unknown’ long-term effects of taking these foods.

Some of the GE foods that can be easily obtained from many grocery stores in the US, including, soy, corn, canola oil, cottonseed oil, alfalfa, Hawaiian papaya, sugar from sugar beets, some varieties of zucchini, and crookneck squash.

Note: It is understandable that this part is hard for some people to fulfill.

Optimize Guts Flora

Balanced guts flora or guts microbiota not only contributes benefits to the intestines but also imparts many benefits to other systems such as modulating the immune system and the brain and exerting some impacts on the liver function.

Eating well-balanced nutritious diets, avoiding processed foods, taking fermented foods, avoiding antibiotics and other modern drugs, doing regular physical activities, and managing stress may help keep microbiota diversity in proper balance.

Consume Healthy Fats

Polyunsaturated vegetable oils are processed seed oils such as soy oil, corn oil, and safflower (high linoleic) cotton seed oil are all easily oxidized when heated. They are also said to easily turn rancid during storage.

Consuming healthy fats such as butter, clarified butter, coconut oils, animal fats, palm oil, olive oil, eggs, avocados, and nuts are thought to help keep your lipid profile in balance and exert other health physiological benefits as well.

Avoid Smoking

Cigarettes are made of tobacco that contains nicotine, which is highly addictive. Not only that, smoking increases your risk of many diseases such as hypertension, lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Avoid smoking is the best way to get well-balanced health.

Eat plenty of Raw Foods: Fruits and Veggies

Fruits and veggies are loaded with many beneficial phytonutrients, including carotenoids, polyphenols, bioflavonoids, and stilbenes, all of which act as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer.  They are also loaded with both soluble and insoluble starches which are beneficial for efficient digestion and balanced microbiota diversity.

Exercise Regularly

Regular exercise is said to contribute many health benefits such as regulating healthy blood pressure, blood sugar, and lipid profile and maintain good physical and mental health.  Right types of exercise can even prevent (or low down) protein wasting.

Optimize Vitamin D Levels

Vitamin D, responsible for hundreds of epigenetic actions, is synthesized from cholesterol in the skin by the help of ultra-violet B from sunlight.

This antioxidant vitamin is popular for its role in calcium metabolism and bone health. Its newly discovered roles in recent decades, including roles in mental health, blood sugar regulation, the immune system, and cancer prevention.

In conclusion, getting an appropriate amount of sunshine, using natural therapies instead of taking statins, and eating modest amounts of healthy fats are thought to help achieve better vitamin D levels the body.

Limit Toxin Exposure

Living in modern days expose you to many types of toxins such as air pollution, cleaning chemicals, car exhaust, food preservatives, and second-hand cigarette smoke. Limit yourself from all these toxins by finding solutions/alternative to each source of toxins is a better way to live healthily.

Get Plenty of Sleep

Naturally, you are designed to sleep at night, during which time melatonin level are high. Getting 6-7 hours of sound sleep every night are thought to help maintain good health and reduces your risk of many diseases.

Manage Your Stress

Stress, especially chronic (long-term) stress is bad for your health. There are many things you can do to relief emotional stress such as doing exercise, deep breathing, and hypnosis. Going to a beach, gardening, tending pets and watching movies are some of the activities that might help reduce your stress.

New Beginning

The info I briefly discuss in the article is just the tip of the iceberg, an introduction to more info regarding preventive medicine and natural/holistic health and healings I would write in future.

Healthy Living – Definition and How to Go About It

Prevent Heart Disease With Healthy Lifestyle and Diet Choices

It’s vital for us to be informed on making good lifestyle and diet choices to prevent heart disease and help us live longer.

Globally, heart disease is the leading cause of death, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).  In the United States, 2,200 Americans die from heart disease each day.

Causes of Heart Disease

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) a poor diet, excessive alcohol use, physical inactivity, obesity, and diabetes are among the most influential lifestyle choices that put people at a higher risk for heart disease.  Plaque buildup in the coronary arteries is the most common type of heart disease.

A diet based on wholesome nutrition is a major factor in fighting plaque build-up in coronary arteries.   Additionally, health experts recommend limiting processed or fatty foods, highly processed or salty foods, sweets, solid fats, and “sugary drinks” in order to maintain a healthy diet to prevent heart disease.

Prevention

Health professionals — including the CDC and AHA — advise everyone to eat more vegetables and fruits.  They also recommend that we should consume less sugar and sodium.

Carleton Rivers, RDN, assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences in the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Health Professions is an expert on nutrition and dieting and nutrition.

Rivers highly recommends that eating fresh fruits and vegetables cooked using a low-fat method is a great way to prevent heart disease.

“Choose vegetables that have a rich color like dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes, squash, carrots and zucchini.  Just be sure not to substitute fresh fruits with 100 percent fruit juice or dried fruit.”

Dried fruit and fruit juice are high in sugar content.  And fruit juices lack the fiber needed to control blood sugar.

Carleton says protein and fiber are important, as well.

“Fiber is important for gastrointestinal motility, blood sugar control and lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.   Fiber is great for appetite control because it can fill you up and keep you feeling fuller for longer.”

Protein is needed to build and maintain muscles.  Protein is found in a variety of sources such as lean meats cooked using a low-fat method, like baking.

Prepare and Cook at Home

It’s much easier to eat a healthy and balanced diet if meals are prepared and cooked at home.  Most restaurants add salt and butter to dishes — increasing the calorie amount.

Here’s a list of superfoods to help prevent heart disease:

• Garlic — Reduces blood pressure and coronary plaque


• Oranges — Reduces cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and health failure


• Lentils — Reduces blood pressure


• Red Wine — Boosts HDL, reduces unwanted clotting


• Kale — Prevents atherosclerosis


• Pomegranates — Reduce atherosclerosis


• Almonds — Reduce LDL and fatal arrhythmias


• Dark Chocolate — Reduces blood pressure


• Sardines — Lower triglycerides, raise HDL

This list is only a start to a healthy diet.  A healthy diet includes a broad range of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and nuts — not just a select few.

So while you’re shopping for kale, also consider spinach, romaine, arugula, and Swiss chard.  Oranges are great, but so are bananas, apples, strawberries, and kiwifruit.

As much as the AHA and the CDC encourage a healthy diet to prevent heart disease, Rivers says it’s okay to have a “cheat day” every now and then.  A cheat day allows you to have a little bit of what you’re craving.  It also helps prevent you from quitting the diet all together.

Hippocrates understood the concept more than 2,000 years ago: “Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.”

Prevent Heart Disease With Healthy Lifestyle and Diet Choices

Co-Parenting: Tips to Ensure that Your Kids are Healthy and Happy

Separation or divorce is never easy on kids. Parents can improve their children’s mental and physical health by implementing simple routines that will keep kids healthy and happy.

Kids are frequently caught in the middle of their parent’s separation or divorce. Unfortunately, this can impact negatively on their mental and physical health. However, it doesn’t have to have to be this way. It is possible, albeit difficult, for both parents to sit down and decide on healthy eating, exercise, access to the internet, and bedtime routines amongst others.

Our children’s physical and mental health

We live in a consumerist, throwaway society that discourages healthy living. It’s far easier to sit in front of our electronic devices and order fast food than it is to cook our own food using healthy, natural ingredients.

It is also a well-known fact that kids need consistent structure and routine as “routines give them a sense of security and help them develop self-discipline… Children’s fear of the unknown includes everything from a suspicious new vegetable to a major change in their life.”

We can, therefore, conclude that co-parented children need both parents to implement the same structure and routines. Here are some simple tips to help you negotiate structure and routines that suit both parents:

Eating Healthily

We may or may not realize it, but kids do what their parents do; ergo, if we eat healthy, nutritious food, then our kids are more likely to follow a nutritious diet. However, if they see us eating take-outs, then they will be inclined to refuse to eat properly and insist on eating take-outs as well.

It might take a bit of effort in order to transition from purchasing fast foods to cooking your own food; however, the results are worth the effort.

Exercise and outdoor living

The whole family will benefit from spending time outdoors every day. There are many activities, such as hiking, camping, swimming, sailing, and walking on the beach, that the whole family can participate in together.

Limit time in front of electronic devices

Children love to play computer games and can spend hours in front of their gaming devices, living in the fantasy world that the game provides. The positive and negative effects of playing PC games are well documented. “Many scientists and psychologists find that video games can actually have many benefits – the main one is making kids smart.  Video games may actually teach kids high-level thinking skills that they will need in the future.”

On the other hand, the American Psychological Association “concluded that there is a consistent correlation between violent game use and aggression.” Spending too much time in front of an electronic device can also socially isolate kids – why must they deal with uncontrollable real world issues when they can disappear into a world that they can control?

Final words

These are just a few of the many issues both parents will have to negotiate shared rules over. Stumbling blocks will pop up along the way. Both parents might be loath to negotiate with the other parent. They might also have new families, and new friends, making it challenging to find common ground with each other. Finally, this begs the question: How important is my children’s wellbeing to me?

Author bio: The article on divorce has been written by Ignacio D. Pena who is a very active blogger and loves to write in the legal niche.

Co-Parenting: Tips to Ensure that Your Kids are Healthy and Happy

60 Healthy Foods That Can Block Inflammation and Ease Pain

As a part of the body’s immune response, inflammation can damage your body when it’s out of control, then you may have several health problems such as obesity, heart disease, arthritis, fatigue and even cancer. That’s why it’s necessary to reduce inflammation to reduce the pain and the risk of other illnesses.

Here are some foods with strong anti-inflammatory properties to help you block inflammation and reduce pain:

1.Fatty fish

Studies found that consuming fish high in omega-3 fatty acids may relieve back pain. Eat fish high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in mercury 2 times a week to reap the benefits, such as salmon, sardines, and herring.

2.Almonds

A small handful of almonds every day may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to studies. They are also a good source of monounsaturated fats and vitamins, so eat some regularly even they’re not so low in calories.

3.Olive oil

Just like almonds, olive oil is also rich in monounsaturated fats, which are good for your blood vessels. Olive oil improves health in many ways, including reducing inflammation, reducing bad cholesterol levels and preventing cancer.

4.Beets

Beets are rich in betalains, that has strong anti-inflammatory properties to battle inflammation-related diseases. Eat beets often can prevent obesity, heart disease, and even cancer.

5.Turmeric

Turmeric helps cure achy joints and arthritis due to the compound curcumin, which has good anti-inflammatory properties. It’s easy to add turmeric into your diet, while keeping in mind of that it has low bioavailability, so increase the bioavailability of turmeric in your body is also important.

6.Ginger

This spice is well known for its anti-inflammatory properties, it can relieve migraines, joint pain, arthritis and muscle aches effectively.

Know more about this spicy root: Ginger: An Amazing Spice That Promotes Healthy Life

Also take care don’t over-use it: Ginger is Healthy, But… Who Should Avoid This Spice

7.Garlic

Diallyl sulfide (DAS) and thiacremonone in garlic have anti-arthritic properties, it has also been proven to improve other inflammatory conditions.

8.Peppermint

Botanist James A. Duke, PhD, author of The Green Pharmacy Guide to Healing Foods, said that we could call peppermint as herbal aspirin, as the menthol in peppermint can help relieve muscle spasms and headaches.

More Natural Anti-inflammatory Foods to Prevent the Inflammation-related Chronic Diseases

1. Cinnamon


2. Rosemary


3. Goji berries


4. Papaya


5. Cruciferous vegetables


6. Spinach


7. Sweet potatoes


8. Cherries


9. Cranberries


10. Apples


11. Oranges


12. Kiwifruit


13. Rhubarb


14. Lemon


15. Limes


16. Avocados


17. Guavas


18. Bell peppers


19. Kale


20. Bok Choy


21. Salads


22. Chards


23. Green beans


24. Fennel bulb


25. Spring onions


26. Leeks


27. Cod


28. Tuna


29. Pineapple


30. Strawberries


31. Mulberries


32. Raspberries


33. Herring


34. Trout


35. Striped Bass


36. Oregano


37. Licorice


38. Walnuts


39. Halibut


40. Whitefish


41. Sardines


42. Blueberries


43. Snapper Fish


44. Oysters


45. Basil


46. Cloves


47. Thyme


48. Chili pepper


49. Parsley


50. Linseed


51. Hazelnuts


52. Sunflower seeds

Additional Sources: naturalantiinflammatory.org/

Related Reading:

Smart steps to increase the bioavailability of turmeric in your body

60 Healthy Foods That Can Block Inflammation and Ease Pain

Natural Health Freedom: 41 Proven Ways To Speed Up Your Transition To An Organically Healthy You

We live in the most toxic environment in history, so, if you want to live to a ripe old age, you’ve got take the proverbial broom to your insides sometimes.

There are many ways in which we are being poisoned every day. If we are going to get a handle on how to beat the toxins, we’ve got to identify the general areas of concern first. Our air, food, water and minds are being poisoned at an unprecedented rate. By focusing on each of these in turn, I am about to show you 41 ways in which you can start to protect you and your loved ones against the toxic chemical onslaught that is our modern life.

It’s a gradual process, over many years, that sees our bodies full of toxins. So the process of eliminating these built up toxins is usually a medium term project. Yes, you can fast, however, that isn’t for everyone. Choose a couple of methods of detoxing your body and get started!

Clean Air

1 – Air purifiers – Get multiple air purifiers if you can. When buying an air purifier, make sure to check it’s coverage against the space you want it to purify. Be sure to buy one that covers a larger area that the one you want purified, to achieve a good level of clean air saturation.

2 – Avoid the cities – This one is obvious; more cars = more pollution = cough cough. Not a good thing for our bodies. If you can’t avoid the city, keep reading because you are the one that needs the air purification methods the most.

3 – Buy gas masks – It might sound a bit wild, but have you seen the recent pictures coming out of places like China and Malaysia? They are two places where I would seriously consider wearing a gas mask outside. Those little white masks you see those people using, do little to protect the respiritory system of the body. Gas masks have charcoal filters that last for four hours. Plenty of time to get clear of any serious air pollution when required.

4 – Keep your smoke detectors clean and working – Most people that die in house fires do so from smoke inhalation, not burns.

5 – Shut your doors and windows in times of heavy pollution – Then crank up the air purifiers. This one might sound like common sense, but I do recall a serious blonde moment years ago, where I left the windows open during a dust storm. Yes, the house was full of the dust.

6 – Get a car air purifier – Protect yourself in your car. If you regularly sit in traffic for hours on end, I implore you to go buy a car purifier, right now. They are around 50 bucks and worth every penny in gridlock.

7 – Grow Plants – We breathe out the carbon dioxide that they breathe in. They breathe out our much needed, clean oxygen. Bring some plants inside to pump pure oxygen into your house.

8 – Use a sealed shade house if you can – This will protect your crops from pollutants in the air.

Clean Food

9 – Move towards eating only organic – look at labeling for goodness sake! And keep doing so. Early in my journey there was a memorable trip to the supermarket where I discovered that every single packet of those frozen french fries my daughter was still eating at the time, contained canola. It’s times like that that make me advocate for you to start reading labels. I’m positive what you find will shock you.

10 – Start replacing plastic with glass and polyester in your bed linen – Still be wary of claims of BPA free plastic because BPA (Bisphenol-A ) is just one molecule away from Bisphenol-S and that’s what they’re using now instead of the BPA. STILL an endocrine disrupter! When we use plastic for food storage containers, plastic is inevitably leeching into our foods and bodies. Plastic is everywhere. Use glass jars instead.

Look for ethical manufactures of natural, organic products like organic cotton sheets, especially baby’s sheets. Did you know you can even buy baby nappies in organic bamboo? Super soft!

11 – Read all labels – When you do buy processed products to put into or onto your body, please do read the label. I remember checking EVERY frozen chip packet at the supermarket one day, and EVERY one contained canola. Canola the G.M.O. product, no thanks!

12 – Examine what’s in your beverages – check labels there too.

13 – Avoid eating G.M.O. products – I call them ‘food products’ for they are a product of food, not actually food in my opinion.

14 – Grow your own organic food – Food is free! There’s nothing, zip, zero, zilch better than eating your own food. There are about 58,000 reasons why you should grow your own food.

15 – Grow your own organic real medicine – You will figure out which plants love you as you go along. Start with one or two herbs or natural healing plants, and work your way up to a full healing farm-acy as I like to call it.

16 – Swap with neighbors, friends and family – What better way to foster community spirit and friendships than by feeding each other?

17 – Start a community garden – Again with the community spirit building!

18 – Check out what’s in school lunches – There are often many undesirable choices lurking in the school canteens. Many choices that little Jenny or Johnny are making while you aren’t watching. All you can do with this one is educated your children and be their example.

19 – Keep the holy trinity of essential oils – Oregano, black seed and cannabis oils are your go-to oils that have been used for millennia to treat human ailments. Check with your local laws concerning cannabis because, after many decades of prohibition it’s illegal in a lot of places. Thank goodness we are now, slowly but surely, all around the world, being allowed access to this life saving plant.

Clean Water

20 – Stop drinking tap water NOW – Do you know the source of that water? Have you tracked down the company responsible for the safety of that water and viewed what additives are included? There WILL be some chemicals added, not least of which is chlorine. The worst can be lithium. No kidding!

21 – Only drink filtered rain water – If you have access to a spring or mountain water, definitely use that instead!

22 – Buy a ceramic water purifier – This was my first stop on my journey of natural living, and it should be your very next one. Our bodies are made of 80% water, so the water we put in, really does matter. Get it as clean as you can for drinking.

23 – Use clean water for cooking – Yes, your veges soak up a lot of water that you are putting inside you. Only take cooking water from your ceramic purifier.

24 – Use clean water for making ice cubes – This is something often overlooked when making the switch to clean water. Make sure you ice cubes are made of clean water too.

25 – Use clean water for your pets drinking water – Fido and Kitty want to live too!

26 – Get a pH test kit – This is to check what’s in your rain, mountain, spring and bath water.

27 – Iodine drops for cleaning water.

Clean Mind

28 – Switch off the signal! – include mainstream radio

29 – Stop reading newspapers – more mass media hype and propaganda.

30 – Start researching – You have a computer and the internet right there are your fingertips. It’s not just for loving funny cats pics!

31 – Start questioning everything – My favorite question is, “Why?” If you ask just that question, a couple of times on the one subject, you can often figure out exactly what is going on.

32 – Seek out some philosophy – Find words about life, love and health minds that resonate with you. Seek out the, “Ah ha!” moments. It’s amazing to me that, finding someone who makes emotional and spiritual sense to you, can turn one’s life around so quickly.

33 – Reject constantly negative people – If this sounds harsh to you, you are probably a person who needs to heed this advice more than most. Being exposed, constantly, to negativity is a sure fire way to bring you down. When you are negative, you are vibrating at a lower level and it’s hard to achieve anything in that state. Get with the positive, happy, smiley people.

34 – Practice yoga or tai chi – Both of these practices are excellent for achieving the much longed for by many, mindlessness, state of bliss. With so much going on in life, and at such breakneck speeds, it’s a mountain off our backs when we can find those precious few minutes each day to yoga or tai chi to get mindless. This is a beautific and blissful state to be in. All anxiety drops away because all thoughts are gone.

35 – Learn the art of turning negatives into positives – An art worth your learning.

36 – Walk in nature – Do this as often as you possibly can. The uplifting feeling of being among trees, fresh air and the

37 – Keep away from WiFi when you can – WiFi signals are a very new but are becoming known as toxic to human brains “Since use of mobile phones is associated with an increased risk for brain tumor after 10 years, a new biologically based guideline is warranted.

38 – Daydream – There is much science behind why daydreaming is a good flush of toxic thoughts for our brains.

39 – Pet an animal – You both get floods of oxytocin to the brain during the pleasurable act of petting an animal. Thanks puppy!

40 – Read books – Read as many books, across as many genres, as you can get your hands on.

41 – Do a little prepping for peace of mind – It’s always handy to have some extra water, food and medical supplies on hand

So, as you can see, there is no rational reason why you should run around screaming, “The sky is falling!” because there are a plethora of ways to combat this toxic world. Little bit by little bit we will take back our world and turn it into something wholesome, natural and beautiful once again.

Good luck on your natural health journey!

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19768389
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18242044
http://www.naturalnews.com/043070_cell_phone_radiation_breast_cancer_electromagnetic_fields.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19768389

Natural Health Freedom: 41 Proven Ways To Speed Up Your Transition To An Organically Healthy You

3 Ultra Healthy Superfoods That are Rich in Essential Vitamins and Minerals

There’s no question about it—getting your nutrition from whole, organic foods is widely considered to be the best and easiest way to improve your health. However, it is getting increasingly hard to do so due to depletion of soils from over-farming, erosion and excessive fertilizer and pesticide use.  While organic foods are certainly the way to go, even they can be grown in depleted soils as not all farmers practice proper crop rotation and soil replenishment techniques, organic or otherwise.

So what is a health-conscious person to do to make sure they still get all their nutritional needs met? Supplement with superfoods.

What You Need to Know About Superfoods

Often grown wildly or in remote areas with incredibly rich soils, superfoods are special herbs and plants that are rich in whole food nutrients and medicinal compounds. Although they have been around for thousands of years, the term Superfood is a 20^th-century phenomenon referring to a collection of ancient, nutrient-dense foods—especially phytonutrient- and flavonoid-rich fruits and vegetables—that are considered beneficial for health and well-being.

While a diet based on a variety of nutritious foods remains the best way to ensure a balanced nutrient intake for optimal health, there’s evidence that ultra-healthy superfoods, such as moringa, wheatgrass, and spirulina, can give a power-packed enhancement and upgrade.

Wherever you fall on the spectrum of making lifestyle changes to support better health, longevity and physical and mental fitness, there’s no doubt that what you ingest is integral to thriving. Even with this awareness, however, due to unknowingly eating foods from devitalized or not fully healthy soils, your best efforts to create radiant health and wellness can be sabotaged to varying degrees. Adding colorful and nutritious superfoods into your diet is a surefire way to fill in whatever gaps this may cause in your essential nutrient intake.

Not only are Superfoods a source of concentrated levels of much-needed vitamins and minerals, but they are also a rich source of antioxidants as well, essential substances that shield our bodies from cell damage and help prevent lifestyle diseases.

Antioxidants are molecules that protect cells in the body from harmful free radicals. Free radicals come from sources such as cigarette smoke and alcohol and are also produced naturally in the body during metabolism. Too many free radicals in the body results in oxidative stress, which activates inflammatory pathways. Chronic inflammation is linked to the cell damage that leads to cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

As you can see, including superfoods regularly is surefire way to fine tune and even supercharge your health, but of the hundreds that exist, which ones are ideal for this purpose?

In my opinion, some of the best are as follows:

Moringa

Never heard of moringa before? Moringa oleifera is known by over 100 names in different languages around the world where it is eaten daily as a staple food due to its extraordinarily high level of nutrients. This easy-to-grow tropical plant species contains over 90 protective compounds and is rich in essential vitamins and minerals.  It is known to have extraordinarily high levels of calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, a full spectrum of B vitamins and complete protein.  It’s also rich in antioxidants like quercetin, which have a number of beneficial effects in the body from fighting inflammation to protecting cells from degeneration.

No wonder it’s known as “The Miracle Tree”; just about every part of the moringa plant can be utilized in some way. Moringa’s medicinal benefits include supplying the body with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, balancing hormones and slowing the effects of aging, improving digestive health, balancing blood sugar levels and helping fight diabetes, protecting and nourishing the skin, and helping stabilize mood and protecting brain health.

Wheatgrass

Sold either as a juice or powder concentrate, wheatgrass is a superfood prepared from the cotyledons of the common wheat plant (Triticum aestivum), with benefits that include increasing energy levels, detoxing chemicals and heavy metals and improving overall health and wellness

Wheatgrass is one of the most nutritious foods on the planet, rightly earning its title as one of the top superfoods known to man, and is a power-packed source of chlorophyll, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and 98 different essential minerals found in soil, including phosphorus, calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium as well as essential enzymes and 19 amino acids. Wheatgrass is literally overflowing with nutrition and other more exotic and equally beneficial medicinal compounds like enzymes and antioxidants.

Wheatgrass is 70 percent chlorophyll by weight, the phytochemical that gives dark leafy greens their color. Chlorophyll is essentially the blood of plants; and in humans, it reverses aging, suppresses hunger, cleanses the blood, combats odor, and has been linked to the prevention of cancer. 

Spirulina

Spirulina is a natural algae that is incredibly high in protein and is a world class source of antioxidants, B-vitamins, minerals and other essential daily nutrients. It’s also rich in phycocyanin, a potent anti-inflammatory compound.

Believed to have been a staple in the ancient Aztec diet, recent UC Davis studies support that it may be the most-potent immune-boosting food for cellular balance. Spirulina is one of nature`s richest food sources of the hard to get Vitamin B-12 and also contains more iron than spinach or beef liver, both important supplements to a sometimes-deficient vegan diet.

Additionally, it is rich in Vitamin E, beta-carotene, calcium, and chlorophyll. Its oils are richer in Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) than evening primrose oil. Studies have indicated that GLA helps lower blood cholesterol and high blood pressure and eases such conditions as arthritis, premenstrual pain, eczema and other skin conditions.

Taken as a powder or in tablets, it’s a source of easily digestible protein, appealing to athletes for energy and endurance. Other known benefits are that it may reduce cravings and appetite as well as helps promote healthy cholesterol levels and cardiovascular function.

By simply adding a few scoops of these nutritious superfoods to a smoothie or glass of water each day, you can fill in the gaps you might be missing in your diet and be well on your way to a lifetime of health and wellness.

Sources

Moringa: http://www.consciouslifestylemag.com/moringa-benefits-miracle/
Wheatgrass: http://hippocratesinst.org/clinical-research-studies
Spirulina: http://www.algaeindustrymagazine.com/special-report-spirulina-part-4-scientific-research-reveals-health-benefits/

3 Ultra Healthy Superfoods That are Rich in Essential Vitamins and Minerals

Natural Ways to Keep Your Teeth Healthy

When it comes to health, there are many different routes people take to accomplish it, with many people finding the use of natural methods and products to be effective. The same rings true for oral hygiene, and there are many ways people use natural methods in their oral care routines. For some, they find them to be the most effective, some people choose to do so for social or eco reasons, but whatever the case, it’s easy to keep your teeth healthy by taking the natural route.

Drink Water: Essentially as pure and natural as can be, staying hydrated and drinking water keeps your whole body healthy, not just your mouth. Even better, many public water sources have fluoride in their water which helps to keep your teeth strong. Staying hydrated prevents dry mouth, and helps your saliva to wash away any mouth debris from leftover food. It’s also sugar-free, so the bacteria in your mouth have nothing to feast on. Drink up!

Drink Green Tea: While you’re hydrating, add green tea to the rotation. Green tea can control bacteria while lowering the acidity of saliva. These benefits can help to decrease tooth decay. Gum disease is also no match for green tea, due to the anti-inflammatory qualities of green tea. These all lead to improved breath, so when it comes to oral health, green tea is filled with goodness for your mouth.

Choose your Diet Wisely: Acidic foods can be detrimental to your oral hygiene, as it can negatively affect your risk for tooth decay. This is caused because the acid eats through the enamel and allows bacteria to get into the surface of the tooth. Choosing foods that are mineral rich are a great choice for overall health, and foods high in phosphorus and calcium are vital to keeping tooth enamel strong.

No Smoking: Tobacco can be natural, but that doesn’t make it healthy for you. Not using tobacco products is natural, too, and is much better for your oral hygiene. Aside from yellowing your teeth, tobacco products can lead to bad breath, inhibit the production of saliva, and lead to oral cancer. It also takes a toll on your whole body and circulation, so leaving it out of your lifestyle has more benefits than not.

Don’t Crunch on Non-Foods: It’s easy to crush ice with your teeth or chew on nails, or the end of your pen and many people do it absentmindedly. Doing so can cause damage to your enamel, so use your teeth for food only, and you’ll keep them stronger longer.

Natural Ways to Keep Your Teeth Healthy

Here’s the real recipe for healthy eating: a big fat serving of education | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

We’ve all done it, us serial dieters. Browsing the aisles, bored of our regimens of deprivation, we crave something sweet. And so we grab the low-fat yoghurt, or the 80-calorie chocolate mousse, or the can of diet cola, convincing ourselves that we can have a little bit of what we fancy and that it doesn’t matter, because sugar and fat, not artificial sweeteners, are the real enemies in our constant war against obesity.

But now, scientists think that artificial sweeteners might be fattening us up. Dr Chee Chia, a clinician scientist at the National Institute on Aging at the US Department of Health and Human Services, has conducted research that found that people who broadly ate the same diet – and the same number of calories – became fatter if they consumed low-calorie sweeteners. One possible explanation is that these sweeteners affect our metabolism, triggering it to lay down more abdominal fat. Research from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel suggests that sweeteners disrupt the body’s ability to regulate sugar. And a recent report by researchers at Imperial College London and two Brazilian universities argued that diet drinks might be no better for weight loss than their full-sugar counterparts.

If true, it doesn’t surprise me. Anecdotally, I have friends who have cut out their daily diet drink and have lost half a stone seemingly overnight. The science of nutrition is complex and conflicting – we are constantly being told to cut out whatever dietary scapegoat is currently held responsible for our thickening waistlines – fat, sugar, carbs, gluten, meat. But most of us know in our disobedient guts that eating as naturally as possible in combination with exercise is the healthiest way to stay slim. It’s just that we can’t resist sweetening the bitter pill with a quick artificial fix.

We have a terrible food culture in Britain, an addiction to sweet things and processed foodstuffs; harassed workers lunch “al desko”, slaves to office cake culture, and mainlining biscuits to overcome the 4pm slump; after-work boozehounds guzzle kebabs and chips as they stagger home from the pub; middle-class gout-magnets down red wine with their slices of pâté; and overworked parents feed their kids from Iceland’s freezer cabinet (not knowing they already stopped at the chicken takeaway on their way home).

To browse the supermarket with its aisles and aisles of processed rubbish is to conclude that it’s no wonder so many British people are fat (eight in 10 middle-aged Britons are overweight or exercise too little, according to Public Health England). It’s embarrassing, when you think about it. (I say this as someone who, having decided to get healthy this year, found herself at the weekend devouring an entire chocolate Santa.)

A decade of flat-sharing has taught me that, as humans, our eating habits are incredibly varied and personal. I have observed various flatmates’ diets at close range – the single lads who eat only tortellini, the strictly vegan girl with lists of ingredients as long as her arm, the American with a special pan for his grilled cheese, the friend whose freezer bags of cheap, bloody cuts of meat gave me the chills, the Ottolenghi addict, the Italian who cooked everything from scratch, and the guy whose kippers stank out the whole house. Not to mention my boyfriend, who was once caught in the act of consuming five, yes five, jacket potatoes. It’s sad, but many of my friends and flatmates have spent most of their 20s trying to re-educate themselves about healthy eating, having been taught bad habits at home as they were growing up.

While it’s important to note that junk food is full of crap that keeps us addicted to it, I’m afraid I’m also going to blame the parents. We are all products of our circumstances. I can cook, for example, because as a young carer, I had to, and I eat vegetables because I was raised vegetarian. Parents shape our attitudes to food in ways that we are not even conscious of. Some are overzealous, banning all additives or ruthlessly assessing their children’s weight. Others bring their offspring up on chicken nuggets.

Many fail to teach their children to cook, so that when they are released into the world they head straight to the ready meal aisle. None of these parents are bad people; but they are inadvertently passing on bad habits. It would be useful if health, cookery and nutrition was a fuller part of the school curriculum, but so much of the way we approach our diets begins at home. Yet parents are in denial. Last month the Health Survey for England found that 91% of mothers and 80% of fathers of obese children are blind to the fact their offspring have a weight problem.

The trick to maintaining a healthy weight, as Simon Stevens, the NHS chief, said last month, is simply to “eat less rubbish”. Education is key. The NHS has just announced plans to put 50,000 people at risk of diabetes on a diet. Lifestyle coaching and cookery classes are part of the initiative. But adults also have a duty to educate themselves, and to take a long, hard look at how their bad food habits are affecting their children’s health.

Here’s the real recipe for healthy eating: a big fat serving of education | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

How to be more healthy at work in 2017

Find ways to exercise in the office

A Lancet study from earlier this year found that people need to do at least an hour of physical activity a day to counter the negative health impacts of every eight hours spent sitting.

“The evidence suggests that if you are sitting for long periods of time without breaking it up, then any physical activity that you do is less beneficial for your health,” says Dr Fehmidah Munir, a health psychologist and reader at Loughborough University’s school of sport, exercise and health science.

If you are chained to your desk for hours on end, it is important to shoehorn in a bit of exercise. Cycling to work, getting off the tube or bus a stop earlier, taking the stairs, visiting colleagues in different parts of the office rather than emailing, are some of the many ways to do this, says Dr John Giles, an NHS consultant radiologist and medical director at Benenden. “Just half an hour of exercise a day can make a huge difference,” he says.

Take your lunch break

It is too easy to skip your lunch break and shovel in a sandwich while staring a computer screen. But taking time out in the middle of the working day is another way to cram in some exercise, even if it’s a short burst. “Just getting up and going for a walk after lunch is a brilliant idea as it helps to normalise blood sugar levels quicker so there’s no post-lunch slump,” says Jo Blood, managing director of Posture People, a commercial furniture consultancy.

Another way to make your lunch break more active is to exercise with a group of coworkers, says Julia Scodie, founder of Exercise in the City, a fitness group which runs office-based exercise classes. “You don’t need too much room, just move desks and chairs aside in a meeting room. Speak to your HR department about setting something up,” she says. If space is an issue, perhaps organise a group run or walk, she suggests.

Avoid neck and eye strain

As work becomes more sedentary we are spending more hours at a computer screen, which can cause eye strain and headaches. It is important, therefore, to take regular eye breaks. The 20:20:20 rule, where every 20 minutes you stare at something 20ft away for 20 seconds, helps. Set a timer or use an app such as Eyecare to prompt you.

To reduce eye and neck strain, adjust your seat height so your eyes line up with the top on the computer screen, says Blood. Consider the lighting. “Try experimenting with a lamp by your desk, or a different colour tint on the screen might help,” she says. Apps such as ScreenRule and f.lux change the colour of the screen to reduce straining blue light.

Walking around the office has an additional benefit, says Scodie. “Where you can, try to speak to colleagues face to face or call clients rather than sending emails. This can really help to reduce screen time.”

Dealing with stress at work

Workplace stress is a growing problem. As well as affecting the mental health of employees it can manifest itself physically, whether that’s back and neck pain, stomach aches or headaches.

Hotdesking can be brilliant and evil all at the same time

In stressful situations the fight or flight response can be activated, says Justin Eade, an active workplace consultant and digital health innovator at Glimpse, a gesture technology company. “When we experience this at less appropriate times it can be very distressing and upsetting,” he says.

Maintaining physical activity at work and removing yourself from the task or issue at hand can help, says Andy Magill, a vitality coach at the health insurer VitalityHealth. “This is where meditation and deep breathing can be beneficial, as they allow you to gain a clear mind before returning to address what needs to be done.”

Healthy hotdesking

Hotdesking, where employees do not have designated seats, is on the rise as employers look to reduce costs. “Hotdesking can be brilliant and evil all at the same time,” says Blood. While getting people to change places every day is thought to create a more collaborative work environment, the ergonomics of the different workspaces could cause health problems. “When ever you go to a new desk you’ve got to take the time to alter it to suit you,” says Blood. “Change the chair height, adjust the back angle, get the screen to the right height. If you can’t adjust things then your employer really needs to look at the hotdesking environment,” she says.

Dodging the snacks

To work in an office is to run a daily gauntlet of endless snacks, meeting-room sandwiches and pastries and cake-pushing colleagues. The combination of sitting at your desk all day and being surrounded by workplace Bake Off fans can have a negative impact on your health.

Healthy snacks do not have to be “boring or sensible and tasteless”, says Nicki Cresswell, a wellbeing coordinator at the Chartered Accountants’ Benevolent Association. “Cheese is a great snack in moderation as is dark chocolate,” she says.

Eating a good lunch will also help curb snacking. “Preparing food the night before can seem like a pain but it has great payback, literally,” says Cresswell. Lunches that must be eaten with a knife and fork have the added bonus of preventing you from using your keyboard or taking calls while eating. If it is too much work to prepare, then you can team up with colleagues and take it in turns to bring in a healthy lunch each day.

Giles has a simple technique for resisting the temptation to snack, which also helps you get up more and avoid headaches: drink more water. “Your brain often gets confused with thirst versus hunger messages,” he says.

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How to be more healthy at work in 2017

Practices to Keep Your Lungs Healthy

Our lungs are certainly essential parts of our system. Without it, the process of distributing oxygen throughout our bodies is hampered. While others are not shaken by the thought of consuming several sticks of cigarettes in a day, many are still very much concerned with their lung condition. This promising number of health-conscious people should keep you motivated to maintain a good relationship with your lungs as well.

Ways to improve the health of your lungs.

Having severe lung conditions instead of healthy lungs is certainly not a situation we want for ourselves, so if you want to change your lifestyle into a healthier one, here are some of the practices that you can do to keep your lungs healthy:

• Stop Smoking

As one of the most brutal means to destroy the lungs, smoking is certainly a sure way to send someone hospitalized if not immediately ceased. If done regularly, you might be sending yourself to your grave because this can cause lung cancer, bronchitis, emphysema, and the like. If you don’t smoke, you’re still at risk of secondhand smoking, so be wary by using face masks, handkerchiefs, or your hands to cover your nose or mouth every time someone smokes near you.

Don’t live in areas where air pollution is dense. If you can’t do away with it, find ways to minimize your exposure to it. You can close your windows, cover your nose when you’re outside, or apply air freshener that lessens pollution.

Exercising can greatly increase your endurance. In this way, your lungs become stronger and more efficient in taking in oxygen. The more fit you become, the easier it is for your lungs to supply the oxygen your body needs.

Eating right will not only benefit your lungs, but it will also benefit your whole system too. And there are certain food types that are specifically good for your lungs. Cruciferous vegetables like arugula, broccoli, cabbage, and kale are known to prevent lung cancer if eaten regularly.

• Test your place for Radon

Radon is a natural gas that can cause lung cancer, and it can seep through the cracks on your walls or the floor. It can’t be seen, smelled, or tasted, so before you settle into a house, get it tested first.

• Improve Indoor Atmosphere

Your home may look harmless to you and to your lungs right now, but doing the extra mile to keep it pollution-free gives you more protection. To improve your living space, at least have one or two houseplants inside. The plants will not only beautify your place, but it will also act as a natural air cleanser for you. You can use indoor plants like Aloe Vera, Bamboo Palm, Dracaena, English Ivy, Fern, Peace Lily, Spider Plant, and the like.

Final Words

These practices should not be ignored and should be taken with great consideration instead. It will only take these simple ways to keep your lungs healthy. Otherwise, you might end up doing more complicated and more extensive methods to keep your lungs in a good condition especially if problematic symptoms start to persist. Hence, don’t wait before your lungs get impaired and start living healthily now.

Author bio: The article on keeping healthy lungs has been written by Ignacio D. Pena who is a very active blogger and loves to write in the Health niche.

Practices to Keep Your Lungs Healthy

Three genes could explain why some people are obese but healthy, say scientists

Scientists have offered a genetic explanation for why some people are obese and healthy while others develop diabetes and heart disease as a result of their weight.

The study identified three genes, which appear to influence whether fat is compartmentalised and stored around the outside of the body or whether it spills into the circulatory system. Higher levels of fat in the blood supply increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and can lead to fatty deposits around the heart and liver.

Professor Haja Kadarmideen, a geneticist who led the work at the University of Copenhagen, said: “People who have the ability to store large amounts of fat are able to be fat, but not unhealthy.”

Previous studies have found that while being overweight or obese is a risk factor for diabetes, liver disease and heart disease, about 15-20% of those who are obese appear to suffer no health consequences.

Other research, involving more than 100,000 adults in Denmark, found that those with an “overweight” body mass index (or BMI) were more likely to live longer than those in the “healthy”, “underweight”, and “obese” categories, suggesting that the relationship between weight, health and lifespan is not straightforward.

“We wanted to ask what is it that allows some people to be overweight and remain healthy,” said Kadarmideen.

The findings suggest that an individual’s genetic makeup influences the weight threshold at which health problems begin to emerge – and for some people this will fall outside a “healthy” body mass index (BMI), as defined by public health guidelines. Conversely, a small proportion of people within the healthy BMI range are so-called TOFIs (thin on the outside, fat on the inside) and develop metabolic problems normally associated with obesity.

The study involved 60 men and women, all of whom were morbidly obese (average BMI of over 45), half of whom had metabolic disease and half of whom were healthy. The participants were all undergoing elective bariatric surgery.

The scientists scanned tens of thousands of genes for variations between the two groups. They identified three genes that showed very different profiles between the two groups, both in terms of the gene activity and the underlying genetic sequence. When the activity of the genes was examined more closely in fat and tissue samples, the scientists concluded that the genes played a significant role in regulating how fat is transported and stored in cells. The team are now hoping to replicate the findings in a larger population study.

In the future, it may be possible to give personalised estimates for a healthy BMI based on a person’s genetic profile and other biomarkers, the scientists said. “This paves the way for being able to diagnose, develop drugs and target treatment at the specific genes,” said Kadarmideen.

He added that the findings should not be interpreted as an excuse for abandoning guidelines for a balanced diet or forgoing exercise, because these lifestyle factors have an impact on health, regardless of a person’s weight.

The findings are published in the journal PLOS One.

Three genes could explain why some people are obese but healthy, say scientists

Healthy Eating New Year’s Resolutions for 2017

Congratulations, dear parents! You crossed yet another year of parenting and you, for sure, deserve a pat on your backs. Parenting is a completely different challenge altogether, especially when it comes to keeping your kids’ tummies full. Some don’t like milk; some run away from vegetables like they’re a contagious disease and some just sulk in front of their plates like somebody is making them sit through science lectures post lunch.

The deal is, children are picky eaters, and if you too happen to have strong likes and dislikes as far as eating habits go, then here’s a head’s up: ‘healthy’ eating has perched right next to impossible. There’s always a solution, though. This new year, you could make a list of resolutions that gently nudge you towards embracing eating habits that are healthier.

You might not realize how important this is. But, consider this for a moment: obesity is a reality we are dealing with right now. This stems a lot from unhealthy eating choices. Did you know that in the past 30, the number of obese children has doubled? In fact, by 2012, more than one-third of children and adolescents had obesity. The effects are scary. Studies have shown that 70% of obese youth were at risk of a cardiovascular disease.

Now that we have established the need to have a healthy eating routine let’s understand what will help us get there. Making new year resolutions to eat healthy is a great step. Here are some resolutions you could think of.

1. Pick out the least favorites and glorify them

Every house has a least favorite food. Ok, wait, more than one, to be honest. When I was a kid, my mother would ask me which dish I hated, and she’d go on to glorify it so much, that I’d end up tasting it. Most of the times, I’d like it, and my mom’s mission would be successful. Fruits, veggies or meat, tell your children, or yourself how beautiful it is and look at healthy eating fly back into your house!

2. Educate about the plate

There’s no point chomping the stuff that’s laid out on the plates. If you want to make eating fun, educational, and healthy at the same time, try breaking down the dish into nutritional value, scientific information and all of that. Once you and your children know the benefits of what you’re eating, it makes healthy eating a fun affair, and not a boring one.

3. Involve your children in cooking

When your little elves see how much effort and love goes into the preparation of a dish, they’ll appreciate the food, even if it’s not as appealing as the fries and burgers. Letting them help you with cooking will not just create a beautiful bonding time, but will also help them take to healthy eating habits better.

4. Try using local/organic produce

What’s better than half dead and sad looking veggies from the supermarket? Fresh local produce. Be it veggies, or meat, added preservatives are never a wise choice. It’s slightly more time consuming, but worth all the effort. Fresh and organic ingredients elevate the taste and health quotient of any dish, so this new year, you could give a big thumbs up to this habit.

5. Replace junk with healthier options

Your kids like chips? Go for crispy baked sweet potatoes. Don’t they like fruits? Blend them into oh-so-inviting smoothies. Replace aerated drinks with fresh fruit juices, include salads with interesting dressings as evening snacks and so on. Healthy eating isn’t about starving, you see.

6. Take a trip to the farm

It’s a lot of great things rolled into one. First, this is a perfect getaway during the weekends. Two, your children will see how beautiful food is, be it fruits or vegetables. Third, they get a chance to try a hand a plating a seed and in subsequent visits; they see it grow. This enriching experience is enough for them to fall in love with their plates. If a farm visit is difficult, you could try gardening at home.

7. Eat a rainbow

No, this doesn’t mean you pluck one of the skies. It simply means including seven different coloured food during the seven days of the week. Each color has a nutritional benefit to it, eating different colors will ensure that there is a balance and you will be on track as far as your healthy eating goals are concerned.

8. Blind tasting sessions

This is just like going on a blind date, except for that fact that you and your children will be dating food. Pick out foods that feature on the ‘no way’ list, blindfold members of your family, and make them taste it. Chances are because they don’t know what’s the dish, they’ll end up liking it. That’s how you own the healthy eating habit resolution.

9. Hop, skip and jump

Physical activities are essential. Couch potatoes munch on food not because they’re hungry. Hunger stems from physical activities, so, encourage your entire family to be active. Play, run and ditch the couch for sometime and look at how hungry you feel. And when you’re hungry, healthy food will be gobbled down in seconds.

10. Follow a schedule

Eat in time. This might sound like your grandmother, but eating at regular intervals and on time is important. Binge eating is the unhealthiest form of eating. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks should have a designated time, and make sure your entire family sticks to it. Also, never skip meals. Ever!

11. Wash your hands

Eating healthy is great, but when you touch those fries with germ-infested hands, all your healthy eating goes down the drain. People fall sick despite eating healthy, and dirty hands have been found to be the biggest cause. So, before you eat something, ensure that your hands are clean!

With so many resolutions, your health and eating habits will catapult to a new high. This new year, say hello to good health and smart eating choices. All the best!

Healthy Eating New Year’s Resolutions for 2017

5 Healthy Foods to Eat To Help You Fight Mesothelioma

Diagnosed with Mesothelioma? Add healthy food to your toolbox in order to help you fight off this rare form of cancer.

Cancer is a disease that is hard to battle; consequently, people with such disease are affected holistically – mentally, physically, emotionally, and socially. There are many types of cancers that can potentially afflict our bodies; however, the good news is that cancer is no longer the death knell it once was.

Recently, medical professionals have discovered a rare type of cancer known as Mesothelioma. It is a kind of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos and usually develops in the lining of the lungs or the abdomen and is caused by exposure to asbestos. If you have been inadvertently exposed to asbestos in the workplace, you can contact legal specialists in the asbestos exposure industry, and they will help you lay a claim against your employers.

We are what we eat

Unfortunately, Mesothelioma is very difficult to cure; nonetheless, there are ways that you can help your body negate the effects of this cancer.

They say that we are what we eat. If we eat unhealthily, we become unhealthy and prone to sickness; conversely if we eat healthily, we become healthy and fit; making us less inclined to being sick.

Eating the right kind of food will give your body the nutrients to fight off the start of this rare type of cancer; however, if you are already diagnosed to have this disease, stick to a healthy diet in order to help you regain your strength.

Here are the 5 top foods that help you fight mesothelioma:

1. Antioxidant-rich foods

Studies have proven that people who maintain an antioxidant–rich diet have lower risks of getting cancer as antioxidants help repair your body in order to fight off diseases; nonetheless, if you are undergoing chemotherapy, it is best to consult with your doctor what kind of diet is best for you as certain antioxidants might impede treatment. In the meantime, here is a list of the types of food that are good sources of antioxidants?

• Beans: red beans, kidney beans, pinto beans


• Whole grains: brown rice, quinoa, oats, barley


• Fruits and vegetables: blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, prunes, raspberries, strawberries, artichokes, russet potatoes, broccoli, spinach


• Nuts: pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts


• Foods rich in vitamins A, C and E


• Foods rich in selenium

2. Fat

In order to survive, our bodies need a certain amount of fat, as it is a good source of energy, but you need to be careful what fats you eat as there are good and bad fats.  In case you are asking what types of food are good sources of healthy fats, here is a list for you to peruse:

• Olive oil


• Nuts


• Avocado


• Seafood

3. Protein

Proteins play a vital role in helping your body boost it’s immune system and repair and build muscles; consequently, its important to incorporate healthy protein sources into your diet. Here is a list of healthy protein sources that you can eat as part of a healthy diet.

• Chicken


• Fish


• Lean meats


• Nuts and dried beans


• Dairy foods


• Lentils


• Peas

4. Carbohydrates

Our body needs carbohydrates as the source of energy; nonetheless, it is best to consult a dietician or your physician before you eat too many carbohydrates as they can be weight-gaining.  What types of food are good sources of carbohydrates? Here is a list of the best sources of carbohydrates:

• Whole-wheat bread


• Pasta


• Cereals


• Brown rice


• Corns


• Potatoes

5. Water

The most important of it all is to increase your water intake to avoid dehydration. Our cells need water to function optimally; therefore, it is recommended that you drink at least eight to ten glasses of water per day.

Conclusion

Proper nutrition is essential for people with cancer. If you are undergoing treatment for mesothelioma cancer, having the right nutrition plan can help your body stay healthy, maintain your energy and recover more quickly while fighting this disease.

Author bio: The article on the asbestos exposure industry has been written by Ignacio D. Pena who is a very active blogger and loves to write in the Legal niche.

5 Healthy Foods to Eat To Help You Fight Mesothelioma

5 Daily Brain Exercises For A Healthy Mind And Life

The improvement of health and life in general is achieved by regular exercise and a healthy diet. However, physical exercise tends to be far more emphasized and this leads to mental exercises being overlooked. Engaging in exercises that address each cognitive function of the brain is a good place to start when maintaining a healthy mind.

Memory

Memory loss is very noticeable. Trying to recall something and constantly forgetting is frustrating. Spending a few minute listening to an unfamiliar song and memorizing the lyrics is a good way to keep your brain occupied. Brushing your teeth in the morning with the non-dominant hand, dressing in the dark are also challenging activities that can be done as they help build new associations between different neuron connections of the brain.

Attention

Improving focus enables increased productivity. The brain gets distracted easily and loses focus especially if subjected to a constant routine. To stimulate the brain, change the morning routine and take different routes to work or school. This forces the brain to pay attention as the sequence of events is unfamiliar.

Language

Fluency, grammatical skills and vocabulary can be improved constantly. To challenge the brain, read material that differs from your normal area of interest. For example, reading the sports column instead of the usual business column exposes you to new words, and with the help of a dictionary, you can understand the context and practice in its use.

Visual-Spatial

Our interaction with the environment is largely through the eyes. To challenge the brain, take a mental note of where several items are located in a room and after leaving the room, recall where the objects were. After two hours, note down the objects and location to determine your retention level.

Executive function

Decision making is a fundamental skill. With video games, progression to the next level is wholly based on the real time decisions made. Play a video game and record your progress till you reach the end of the game.

Brain exercises cannot be used as a substitute to a healthy lifestyle but are a great complement, and with new dementia diagnoses every 4 seconds, all efforts must be put into keeping the brain healthy and sharp. It’s important to flex our brain power the older we get. As you implement these tips into your daily life, they will become habitual and second nature to you.

Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She loves being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise. Hydration and a healthy diet are essential to maintaining a healthy brain, as recommended by Billings Clinic. Meghan finds happiness in researching new topics that help to expand her horizons. You can often find her buried in a good book or out looking for an adventure.

5 Daily Brain Exercises For A Healthy Mind And Life

Healthy Eating For Depression

Healthy Eating For Depression

Tips for How to Stay Healthy During the Holidays

Holiday season is getting near and everyone is preparing for it. It is, certainly a season when food is just about everywhere and it is challenging to stay healthy. Those who are on a diet will have to work on their willpower to stick to it during the holidays. One may think that holidays are hard for those who want to eat healthy; many people don’t realize that even though they find themselves indulging in the most delicious food, they can still eat healthy. Here are some tips how to do that.

1. Can you have one cheat day a year?

If you are on a low-carb diet, allow yourself to have one or two cheat days during the season. Let it be Thanksgiving and Christmas. And follow your low-carb diet during the days in between. When you allow your body to indulge during these cheat days, it is easier to stay truthful to your diet plan during the rest of the days. You are satisfied with the food you’ve craved for long, and it there will be no temptation to continue overeating. If you have constant food cravings, you are more likely that you have emotional issues you need to address.

2. Use your free days to relax

Holiday season is when you have some rest days. It is much more easier to stay healthy when you are not in work mode because you can give all the necessary time for preparation of the healthiest food choices you’ve always wanted but you didn’t have time to prepare them. Furthermore, there is more time to workout, go for a walk, and spend some time resting. All these are healthy habits you can stick to when the holidays are over. Therefore, staying healthy during the holidays is not a difficult task.

3. Healthy Chrismas treats

Sometimes you need to give your body your favorite Christmas treat without counting calories and feeling guilty. Staying healthy is not only about restraining from your favorite food and becoming a strict dieter without taking care of your soul. If you don’t take proper care of it, your brain makes it hard to lose weight. You need to nourish your soul as well as your body. If you let yourself indulge once a year, it wouldn’t do much harm to your health as long as you don’t overeat. A homemade pie and a good puzzle can be your brain’s annual reboot. Plus, you can find many healthy recipes for your favorite Christmas treats using healthy sugars, such as honey or stevia. Thus, you can enjoy your Thanksgiving or Christmas and stay healthy and refreshed after the holidays are over.

4. Outdoor activities

This holiday season is an excellent time for winter activities when you can burn all the extra calories. Skiing and snowboarding are one of the sport activities that you can burn a lot of calories and strengthen your legs and core muscles. Therefore, make this season the healthy one by spending some time doing winter outdoor activities to relieve stress and stay healthy.

5. Healthy socializing

Don’t get carried away with the overdrinking, overeating and extra partying that comes with the holidays. It is unnecessary and unhealthy. Socialize with your family and friends in other ways, like singing, playing the guitar or the piano, dancing, playing outdoor games, puzzles, etc. It is a fun way to build healthy relationships with your closed ones. Thus, you will never lose your willpower to follow your principles and be disciplined during the holidays.

 

Sources:

Success.com

MensFitness.com

Greatist.com

Tips for How to Stay Healthy During the Holidays

How to Stay Healthy While Travelling the World: A Vegetarian Survival Guide

For backpackers, long-term travelers, or anyone who travels widely for work, sampling new local cuisines is one of the things to look forward to most. Who wouldn’t be enthusiastic about to trying traditional tacos in Mexico, sampling steaming-hot street food in Southeast Asia, or digging into a bowl of fresh spaghetti in Italy?

But if you don’t eat meat or fish, things can be trickier. Though the vegetarian movement is growing across the world, in many places meals still center on meat, and even the concept of vegetarianism can be met with a blank look. It isn’t easy for vegetarians to stay healthy on the road, particularly if you’re on a backpacker’s budget. Often, veggie-friendly restaurants hike their prices up, because they know vegetarian tourists will pay for a good meal.

But it doesn’t have to be so difficult. If you’re a committed vegetarian and avid traveler, here’s how to stay healthy while traveling the world.

CHOOSE YOUR DESTINATIONS WISELY

Admittedly, this isn’t always something you can control – if you travel for work you often don’t get a say where you’re sent. But if you’re traveling independently, you have the luxury of choosing destinations where Vegetarians are spoilt for choice – and sometimes these aren’t the countries you expect.

Take Belgium, for example. While it’s not exactly known for being a veggie-friendly country, it’s also home to the city with the largest number of vegetarians per capita: Ghent. This trailblazing town is also home to ‘Donderdag Veggiedag’ – Meat Free Thursdays, an initiative created to tackle growing obesity and greenhouse gas emissions. This soon spread throughout the city, and vegetarian street maps are handed out to visitors to Ghent.

Away from Europe, there are vegetarian hotspots across the globe. India is quite simply a vegetarian’s dream: around a third of people here are vegetarian, and most restaurants have clearly marked meat-free meals. In Southeast Asia, the Buddhist culture that pervades Thailand means vegetarian meals are plentiful, and because dairy is rarely used vegans will also be in their element. In the Middle East, Israel offers a mouth-watering array of vegetarian treats, from pita bread and hummus to falafel to baba ganoush.

Do your research before you go and consider what meat-free food options will be easily available. Bear in mind that some South American countries are notoriously bad for vegetarians.

DON’T BE SCARED TO SAMPLE STREET FOOD

Many vegetarians I’ve spoken to shun street food, believing that it’s usually meat-orientated and unhealthy. While this is often the case (particularly in the U.S.), in many countries the majority of street-food is in fact vegetarian by default. Meat is universally expensive, and the point of street food is usually that it’s quick and cheap.

Take Guatemala, for example. This country is the darling of backpackers across the globe and offers a wide-array of healthy and delicious vegetarian street food. This is starkly contrasted against its meat-loving neighbors – Mexican street food is infrequently vegetarian and in other Central American countries, meat makes an appearance at most street food stalls. In Guatemala, you can enjoy a whole array of vegetarian street food, from empanadas to rellenitos to salads and soups.

IF IN DOUBT, ASK

Though even the idea of vegetarian food is still alien in some cultures, most people will be happy to help you out if you ask.

The local diet in much of Central America is known to revolve around simple meals of meat or fish with rice, beans, and vegetables. Take Costa Rica, for example, where the traditional meal of ‘casado’ consists of rice, beans, plantains, salad and some meat. One vegetarian traveler described how, on explaining she was vegetarian (“soy vegetarian” in Spanish), the restaurant staff happily replaced the customary meat with grilled cheese. This is a great way to stay healthy in Central and South America, as due to their reliance on beans these meals provide vegetarians with enough protein.

Bear in mind that ‘vegetarian’ can mean something else in other countries: it can refer to someone who doesn’t eat red meat but does eat chicken and fish. In Thailand, the term “vegetarian food” often isn’t understood unless you’re in touristy hubs, and asking for just vegetables – “pak” – is sometimes inferred as asking for pork. If you’re unsure, refer to yourself as a Buddhist, and it’ll be instantly understood that you don’t eat any meat.

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, COOK

Cooking for yourself rather than eating out in a foreign country can seem like an admission of failure for vegetarians, especially if you’re someone who excitedly looks forward to trying new food. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Head to a local market and pick up some of the oft-used ingredients there, and make a vegetarian version of one of the national dishes.

For example, you don’t have to buy fish to make a delicious ceviche; vegetarian ceviche is becoming a thing, and the blend of fresh vegetables with citrus makes an exceptionally healthy as well as a delicious meal. If you’re in Asia, replace the meat or fish in dishes with extra veg or tofu; a few tweaks to the traditional Tom Yum recipe will result in a wonderful vegetarian alternative that’s packed with vitamins.

In addition to helping you find healthy, delicious and varied vegetarian meals, traversing vibrant and bustling local markets is one of the best ways to understand a new culture. Buying fresh fruit and vegetables will always be cheap and healthy, and whether you’re on a budget or not, is a great way of ensuring you’re getting your five-a-day.

Be brave and imaginative, and you may find yourself with a new understanding of a country’s culture – as well as a lasting appreciation of their cuisine.

How to Stay Healthy While Travelling the World: A Vegetarian Survival Guide