Did you know that tomatoes were once considered poison? It's true, the tomato is a member of the nightshade family, and was at one time considered to be toxic. Tomatoes were first eaten in the U.S. in the early 1800's, when a gentleman by the name of Robert Johnson shocked his hometown by eating a basket of tomatoes in the middle of town. When he didn't die, or even get sick from the tomatoes, they became a part of the American diet.
We now know that tomatoes are not toxic, and in fact are quite nutritious. First of all, tomatoes contain a lot of vitamin C, which is quite beneficial, as you've probably heard. Vitamin C helps the body to produce collagen, an important protein skin, scar tissue, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant, helping to prevent cell damage by free radicals.
Tomatoes also contain a powerful antioxidant called lycopene. Studies have shown that men consuming 10 servings of tomatoes a week cut the risk of prostate cancer by 45%. Lycopene also lower the risk of colorectal cancer and stomach cancer, and inhibits the growth of other types of cancer cells. Lycopene may also help older folks remain active.
Coumaric acid and chlorogenic acied are also found in tomatoes. These two compounds are thought to block the effects of nitrosamines, which are formed naturally in the body, but are also a strong carcinogen in tobacco smoke.
Tomatoes may also help to reduce the risk of heart disease. Tomatoes are a good source of potassium, niacin, vitamin B6, and folate. Niacin has been used for years to lower cholesterol. Potassium has been shown to lower high blood pressure. And vitamin B6 and folate are used by the body to convert a dangerous chemical called homocysteine into more benign compounds.
Vitamin K, found in tomatoes helps to maintain healthy bones. Vitamin K1 activates a protein in the bones called osteocalcin, which anchors calcium inside the bone. Without enough vitamin K, bone mineralization is impaired.
When you buy tomatoes, be sure to buy the ones with the brightest red color. This indicates high amounts of beta-carotene and lycopene. Lycopene is found in the cell walls of the tomato, so by cooking it in a bit of oil, more lycopene is fully released. Also, cooking the tomato in a bit of olive oil helps your body to absorb the lycopene. If all you can find are canned tomatoes, that's fine. Cooking and canning don't cause tomatoes to lose any of their nutritional value. So cooked and processed tomatoes are just as beneficial as fresh tomatoes.
So tomatoes, once thought to be deadly poison, are now a nutritious staple of our diet. They help to fight cancer, and they contain a good amount of vitamin C, and other vitamins and minerals. So go ahead and start adding tomatoes to your diet.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Health Benefits for Chai Drinkers
“Chai” actually means “tea” in Hindi, so calling “chai” “chai tea” is actually rather redundant. However, marketers in the western world thought that “chai tea” would help them sell the “new” product to the western market. Chai is actually centuries old, with its origins in India. Generally, it is a milky, spiced tea made with black tea, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, pepper, and various other spices. It is usually sweetened – most commonly with sugar, but some drinkers prefer honey. There is not a universal recipe for chai, as different drinkers like it different ways, so the spice list can change depending on who’s making it.
It is most likely this list of ingredients not often found in western beverages that makes chai seem “exotic” to westerners. But in India, chai is as common as tea is in Britain and coffee is in the United States. In fact, it’s so common that in many Indian households, the first thing a host offers a guest is a cup of chai.
Potential Health Benefits of Chai
Some tea companies tout the health benefits of drinking their chai product – but buyer beware. While chai is certainly better for the body than a drink such as coffee, because not all chai is made with the same ingredients, it’s not really possible to state that chai is universally beneficial. And it’s also more likely to benefit the drinker when the drinker has brewed his/her own chai, rather than buying boxed chai or chai in tea bag form. Why? Simply because the spices and herbs being used are much fresher. Here is a list of some of the benefits of the different ingredients in most chai recipes:
1) Cinnamon: In a recent study by the US Agricultural Research Service, cinnamon has been shown to benefit diabetics because the cells are less likely to let insulin in. In lab rats with Type 2 diabetes, cinnamon helped lower blood pressure and prevented cell damage. Cinnamon’s oils also help to stop the growth of certain bacteria and yeasts.
2) Ginger: In the Far East, ginger has been used for over two millennia to treat upset stomach, diarrhea, arthritis, and heart disease. Recent research by western scientists also suggests that ginger may help lower the risk of colon cancer.
3) Cardamom: Like ginger, cardamom is often used to soothe digestion problems. But it is also used to treat respiratory problems such as asthma or people suffering from other kinds of respiratory spasms. Further, in Saudi Arabia, animal studies have shown cardamom to have anti-inflammatory properties, reducing muscle spasms.
4) Cloves: Used in Ayurvedic medicine as an analgesic, cloves are most often used to soothe toothaches and remedy halitosis. It also has antiseptic qualities, and can be used to kill intestinal parasites, fungi, and bacteria. These latter qualities have also led cloves to be used for treating diarrhea and similar digestive ailments.
5) Pepper: Most chai recipes do not usually contain enough black pepper for it to be of significant benefit to its drinkers. However, black pepper does reduce intestinal gas and works as an antioxidant.
Just remember: The best way to ensure that your regular cup of chai provides you with the health benefits you’re looking for is to brew it yourself. Then you can select the herbs and spices that benefit your specific health condition.
It is most likely this list of ingredients not often found in western beverages that makes chai seem “exotic” to westerners. But in India, chai is as common as tea is in Britain and coffee is in the United States. In fact, it’s so common that in many Indian households, the first thing a host offers a guest is a cup of chai.
Potential Health Benefits of Chai
Some tea companies tout the health benefits of drinking their chai product – but buyer beware. While chai is certainly better for the body than a drink such as coffee, because not all chai is made with the same ingredients, it’s not really possible to state that chai is universally beneficial. And it’s also more likely to benefit the drinker when the drinker has brewed his/her own chai, rather than buying boxed chai or chai in tea bag form. Why? Simply because the spices and herbs being used are much fresher. Here is a list of some of the benefits of the different ingredients in most chai recipes:
1) Cinnamon: In a recent study by the US Agricultural Research Service, cinnamon has been shown to benefit diabetics because the cells are less likely to let insulin in. In lab rats with Type 2 diabetes, cinnamon helped lower blood pressure and prevented cell damage. Cinnamon’s oils also help to stop the growth of certain bacteria and yeasts.
2) Ginger: In the Far East, ginger has been used for over two millennia to treat upset stomach, diarrhea, arthritis, and heart disease. Recent research by western scientists also suggests that ginger may help lower the risk of colon cancer.
3) Cardamom: Like ginger, cardamom is often used to soothe digestion problems. But it is also used to treat respiratory problems such as asthma or people suffering from other kinds of respiratory spasms. Further, in Saudi Arabia, animal studies have shown cardamom to have anti-inflammatory properties, reducing muscle spasms.
4) Cloves: Used in Ayurvedic medicine as an analgesic, cloves are most often used to soothe toothaches and remedy halitosis. It also has antiseptic qualities, and can be used to kill intestinal parasites, fungi, and bacteria. These latter qualities have also led cloves to be used for treating diarrhea and similar digestive ailments.
5) Pepper: Most chai recipes do not usually contain enough black pepper for it to be of significant benefit to its drinkers. However, black pepper does reduce intestinal gas and works as an antioxidant.
Just remember: The best way to ensure that your regular cup of chai provides you with the health benefits you’re looking for is to brew it yourself. Then you can select the herbs and spices that benefit your specific health condition.
Restaurant Dining for the Health Conscious Eater
Here's food for thought! Did you know the average restaurant meal has over 1,000 calories? That's enough to blow any healthy eating plan. Fortunately, by following a few simple guidelines, you can dine out without having to sacrifice good taste and nutrition.
1. Avoid ordering an appetizer. It's a little known fact that some appetizers have more calories and fat than the main course. Plus, many appetizers are fried and served with heavy sauces which will add to your intake of saturated fat as well as trans fats and calories. It's not a healthy way to start your meal.
2. Say "yes" to salad. Salad is a healthy eater's best friend. Not only will it fill you up so you'll consume fewer calories overall, but it will also give you a hefty dose of antioxidants which are heart healthy. Be sure to ask your waitress to hold the croutons and cheese which will further reduce your caloric load. Also, choose your dressing wisely. Avoid cream based dressings and go for the vinegar based ones. You also have the option of using vinegar and olive oil which is heart healthy.
3. Make the right entree selection. Go for broiled and grilled rather than fried. Not only will you save calories and fat grams, you'll also avoid trans fats which are so prevalent in fried foods. Instead, consider asking for a doubles order of vegetables with your entree. Very few Americans are getting the 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables recommended for optimal health. Plus, by avoiding the starch, you'll be reducing your caloric and carbohydrate load. Also, stick to tomato based sauces rather than cream based and you'll enjoy a considerable calorie savings. Lastly, ask for the sauce to be served in a separate dish on the side so you can control the amount you eat.
4. Think about what you're drinking with your meal. By not ordering an alcoholic beverage, you've saved yourself a considerable number of calories. Try sipping iced tea sweetened with a noncaloric sweetener, a diet soft drink, or water with lemon. You'll be glad you did when you consider the calorie savings.
5. Indulge your sweet tooth wisely. Many of the chain restaurants now offer a low fat or low carbohydrate dessert selection such as a low carb cheesecake. These are wise choices for the health conscious eater and still allow you to end the meal on a sweet note. If a healthy dessert option isn't available, try a cup of coffee with skim milk to help satiate your desire for something sweet.
6. Learn to control your portions. Many restaurants are serving larger quantities of food than in the past. If this is the case, put aside a portion of your entree at the beginning of the meal to take home with you. If you remove it from your plate before you start eating, you'll be less tempted to overindulge.
By following these steps, you can make your dining experiences not only healthy, but enjoyable. Your heart will thank you!
1. Avoid ordering an appetizer. It's a little known fact that some appetizers have more calories and fat than the main course. Plus, many appetizers are fried and served with heavy sauces which will add to your intake of saturated fat as well as trans fats and calories. It's not a healthy way to start your meal.
2. Say "yes" to salad. Salad is a healthy eater's best friend. Not only will it fill you up so you'll consume fewer calories overall, but it will also give you a hefty dose of antioxidants which are heart healthy. Be sure to ask your waitress to hold the croutons and cheese which will further reduce your caloric load. Also, choose your dressing wisely. Avoid cream based dressings and go for the vinegar based ones. You also have the option of using vinegar and olive oil which is heart healthy.
3. Make the right entree selection. Go for broiled and grilled rather than fried. Not only will you save calories and fat grams, you'll also avoid trans fats which are so prevalent in fried foods. Instead, consider asking for a doubles order of vegetables with your entree. Very few Americans are getting the 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables recommended for optimal health. Plus, by avoiding the starch, you'll be reducing your caloric and carbohydrate load. Also, stick to tomato based sauces rather than cream based and you'll enjoy a considerable calorie savings. Lastly, ask for the sauce to be served in a separate dish on the side so you can control the amount you eat.
4. Think about what you're drinking with your meal. By not ordering an alcoholic beverage, you've saved yourself a considerable number of calories. Try sipping iced tea sweetened with a noncaloric sweetener, a diet soft drink, or water with lemon. You'll be glad you did when you consider the calorie savings.
5. Indulge your sweet tooth wisely. Many of the chain restaurants now offer a low fat or low carbohydrate dessert selection such as a low carb cheesecake. These are wise choices for the health conscious eater and still allow you to end the meal on a sweet note. If a healthy dessert option isn't available, try a cup of coffee with skim milk to help satiate your desire for something sweet.
6. Learn to control your portions. Many restaurants are serving larger quantities of food than in the past. If this is the case, put aside a portion of your entree at the beginning of the meal to take home with you. If you remove it from your plate before you start eating, you'll be less tempted to overindulge.
By following these steps, you can make your dining experiences not only healthy, but enjoyable. Your heart will thank you!
Health Risks Due To Long Hours At Your Computer
Did you know that spending long hours at your computer can put your health at serious risk? Most people does not even consider that possibility, but t does, Working at a desk is extremely hard on your body, and I would like to share this with you so maybe you can avoid some of the most common health risks. The most common of them all is back pain.
BACK PAIN: Its Types and Treatments
Are you fed up with taking all the treatments for your back pain which you feel do not work? Are you a constant patient of physical therapists, chiropractors? Is your back pain causing you distress and trouble because you can not do the activities you wish you could do? Have you been advised surgery to correct your back's structural abnormalities?
Back pain may be classified into two types: acute or short term, and chronic. It the low back pain is short-term, it is most probably due to lower back trauma. Certain disorders such as arthritis may also cause acute back pain. Trauma such as sports injury, vehicular injury, and injuries incurred around the house may also result to back pain.
Back pain may range from simple muscle ache to stabbing pain which results to limit in a person's flexibility and range of motion. The person suffering from back pain may also be unable to stand straight. If the back pain persists for over three months, the back pain is classified as chronic. It is usually progressive and the cause is normally difficult to pinpoint.
Surgery is not usually the mode of treatment for back pain. Over-the-counter pain relievers helps in the reduction of discomfort along with the intake of anti-inflammatory medications which helps reduce inflammation. Restoration of function is the main goal of treatment as well as restoration of the strength to the patient's back. The treatment also aims to stop recurrence of the back pain.
Back pain may be caused by various low back injuries. These injuries include muscle strain, muscle spasm, ligament sprain, problems with joint or slipped disk, and using your back muscles in doing new activities such as lifting heavy furniture or working on your garden. Slipped disk is caused by the nerves bulging or pressing between the bones, which usually occurs when lifting. Back pain is fairly common when caused by such activities.
Some people opt for the application of cold and hot compresses to relieve patients of back injury. These compresses are done because they may help reduce inflammation and relieve the patient of pain. Mobility is also significantly increased by certain exercises, and strengthen the muscles of the back and abdomen. These exercises can be found online, or may be recommended by your doctors and chiropractors. In extreme cases, surgery is recommended to help stop back pain and prevent serious muscle injuries. But surgery is done usually as a last resort, and if the cause of the back pain is anatomical. Some physicians say that back pain can also be merely psychological with some patients. It means that the patient perceives the back pain only when there is no structural abnormality present in the patient's body.
Individuals suffering from back pain should seek the help of a physician to evaluate the back pain if the pain persists for ore than 72 hours. The physician will also prescribe the appropriate medications to relieve the patient of the symptom, or may also advise the patient to undergo surgical procedures if need be. He may also recommend exercises that would be less straining to the back, and will help maintain proper posture while lifting objects. Heavy lifting, repetitive motion and improper posture may also cause back pain. A person's work might also predispose an individual to developing back pain. Furniture and tools that are designed to provide protection to the body against injury and help maintain a healthy back are available for use at home or at work.
It would be necessary to consult the help of a qualified physician promptly when you feel the pain extends to your leg on your knee area. Numbness of the leg, groin, rectal area, and foot is also a cause of concern and should be told to a doctor as well as development of nausea, vomiting, fever, and stomach pain. Loss of bladder/bowel control occurring with back pain is also warning problem that necessitates expert evaluation. Back pain that occurs right after injury or trauma should also be evaluated through physical examination as well as imaging and other diagnostic procedures, more so when the patient suffers from such intense pain that movement is severely hampered.
BACK PAIN: Its Types and Treatments
Are you fed up with taking all the treatments for your back pain which you feel do not work? Are you a constant patient of physical therapists, chiropractors? Is your back pain causing you distress and trouble because you can not do the activities you wish you could do? Have you been advised surgery to correct your back's structural abnormalities?
Back pain may be classified into two types: acute or short term, and chronic. It the low back pain is short-term, it is most probably due to lower back trauma. Certain disorders such as arthritis may also cause acute back pain. Trauma such as sports injury, vehicular injury, and injuries incurred around the house may also result to back pain.
Back pain may range from simple muscle ache to stabbing pain which results to limit in a person's flexibility and range of motion. The person suffering from back pain may also be unable to stand straight. If the back pain persists for over three months, the back pain is classified as chronic. It is usually progressive and the cause is normally difficult to pinpoint.
Surgery is not usually the mode of treatment for back pain. Over-the-counter pain relievers helps in the reduction of discomfort along with the intake of anti-inflammatory medications which helps reduce inflammation. Restoration of function is the main goal of treatment as well as restoration of the strength to the patient's back. The treatment also aims to stop recurrence of the back pain.
Back pain may be caused by various low back injuries. These injuries include muscle strain, muscle spasm, ligament sprain, problems with joint or slipped disk, and using your back muscles in doing new activities such as lifting heavy furniture or working on your garden. Slipped disk is caused by the nerves bulging or pressing between the bones, which usually occurs when lifting. Back pain is fairly common when caused by such activities.
Some people opt for the application of cold and hot compresses to relieve patients of back injury. These compresses are done because they may help reduce inflammation and relieve the patient of pain. Mobility is also significantly increased by certain exercises, and strengthen the muscles of the back and abdomen. These exercises can be found online, or may be recommended by your doctors and chiropractors. In extreme cases, surgery is recommended to help stop back pain and prevent serious muscle injuries. But surgery is done usually as a last resort, and if the cause of the back pain is anatomical. Some physicians say that back pain can also be merely psychological with some patients. It means that the patient perceives the back pain only when there is no structural abnormality present in the patient's body.
Individuals suffering from back pain should seek the help of a physician to evaluate the back pain if the pain persists for ore than 72 hours. The physician will also prescribe the appropriate medications to relieve the patient of the symptom, or may also advise the patient to undergo surgical procedures if need be. He may also recommend exercises that would be less straining to the back, and will help maintain proper posture while lifting objects. Heavy lifting, repetitive motion and improper posture may also cause back pain. A person's work might also predispose an individual to developing back pain. Furniture and tools that are designed to provide protection to the body against injury and help maintain a healthy back are available for use at home or at work.
It would be necessary to consult the help of a qualified physician promptly when you feel the pain extends to your leg on your knee area. Numbness of the leg, groin, rectal area, and foot is also a cause of concern and should be told to a doctor as well as development of nausea, vomiting, fever, and stomach pain. Loss of bladder/bowel control occurring with back pain is also warning problem that necessitates expert evaluation. Back pain that occurs right after injury or trauma should also be evaluated through physical examination as well as imaging and other diagnostic procedures, more so when the patient suffers from such intense pain that movement is severely hampered.
In Search of Optimal Cardiovascular Health
Inflammation is your body’s natural response and is how a healthy immune system reacts to stresses to your body from injuries, irritation, chemicals, free radicals, stress and many other factors. New studies help confirm emerging evidence that low-grade inflammation is a factor in the development of heart disease and diabetes.
Blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP)--a blood protein released by the body in response to infection and injury--increase in heart disease, according to a study of 643 women published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The authors found that higher levels of CRP were present in women who developed coronary heart disease than in those who developed cancer or didn't develop either condition during nearly five years of follow-up.
Research data published in Circulation suggest that physical fitness might have an anti-inflammatory effect that protects against heart attacks. Dr. Michael LaMonte and colleagues at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, found that women with low fitness status had significantly higher CRP levels than those in the moderate and high fitness categories. CRP was also elevated in women with the highest body mass index, an indirect measure that correlates with body fat in most people.
First, it is important to point out that inflammation is not in itself a disease. Rather, it is a response to tissue injury, such as bacterial infection; under such circumstances inflammation is generally beneficial to the host. In the case of bacterial infections, inflammation brings white blood cells to the area of infection, where they can engulf (phagocytose) and kill the invaders. Eventually the affected tissue is restored to normal. Nevertheless, inflammation can get out of hand, and many of the diseases that afflict us are inflammatory in origin.
Inflammation is often acute, of sudden origin. Many bacterial infections cause acute inflammation, but they may also cause a persistent, or chronic type of inflammation that can result in permanent tissue damage by laying down fibrous scar tissue.
Remember that your body is designed to fight off infection and disease. So then why are so many people developing heart disease and other diseases?
Our goal is to help you understand and comprehend why your body breaks down and why you get illness and disease.
There really are so many problems that contribute to the development of heart disease. Let’s start with discussing chemicals in our world. Water is so essential to your health and vitality, the main problem is people do not drink enough of it; most of the people in westernized countries drink water that has chemicals to treat the water. Remember chemicals and toxins contribute to poor health.
Our municipal water supplies have chlorine and fluoride both chemicals are incredibly toxic. Other studies have shown that the high use of pharmaceutical drugs by people in our world is getting back into our water tables. How? Well all chemicals are not food and anything that you consume that is not food is not absorbed by your body and is getting flushed down the toilet and recycled back into the water table after it is treated. The problem is that the filtration systems do not remove the pharmaceutical drugs and yes eventually this water gets recycled and back into your clean tap water and you end up consuming small amounts of various pharmaceuticals in addition to the chlorine and fluoride. Learn more about toxins and chemicals at http://www.diseaseeducation.com/science/Nugent-Toxin-Report.php
What does this mean, well all of these chemicals cause scarring of your arteries which in turn causes a dysfunction of your cell structure and causes inflammation. These scarred arteries also attract the LDL cholesterol and it attaches itself to your arteries causing arteriosclerosis. By not consuming enough water you tend to get dehydrated which contributes to all kinds of medical inflammation problems such as asthma, allergies, arthritis, stiffness, pain and many others. By not having enough water, your body’s cells do not have enough fluid and reduces your natural ability to remove toxins and chemicals in your body.
Having high cholesterol is obviously desirable and was thought to contribute to heart disease. Essentially having high cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease, you do want to find ways to lower your cholesterol and keep it within the recommended levels. Again the problems occur when this LDL cholesterol attaches itself to your arteries and this is what clogs and restricts optimal blood flow.
What really causes the cholesterol to attach to your artery? The simple answer is you have imbalances at the level of your cell.
The individual cells in your body are constantly dying and replacing themselves. On a cellular level your body requires specific raw materials to function at an optimal level, such as clean pure water, proteins, vitamins, trace minerals, antioxidants, glyconutrients, essential oils, phytonutrients and plant sterols.
If you are deficient in any of those nutrients and you have chemicals and toxins in your system then the result is dysfunction at the level of the cell and that is what causes altered cell structures which leads to inflammation that leads to LDL cholesterol attaching to your arteries which leads to arteriosclerosis.
Emerging science suggests that inflammation is one of the possible causes of coronary heart disease. There are specific natural non toxic science-based solutions to help reduce the risk of heart disease. Various studies have shown that those who consume omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants, glyconutrients, vitamin D, grape seed extract, selenium, plant sterols, pure clean water and food form vitamins and minerals have lower markers of inflammation than those who do not.
These essential nutrients supply your, cells, systems and heart with a unique combination of natural ingredients that help promote a healthy inflammatory response in your body.
Blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP)--a blood protein released by the body in response to infection and injury--increase in heart disease, according to a study of 643 women published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The authors found that higher levels of CRP were present in women who developed coronary heart disease than in those who developed cancer or didn't develop either condition during nearly five years of follow-up.
Research data published in Circulation suggest that physical fitness might have an anti-inflammatory effect that protects against heart attacks. Dr. Michael LaMonte and colleagues at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, found that women with low fitness status had significantly higher CRP levels than those in the moderate and high fitness categories. CRP was also elevated in women with the highest body mass index, an indirect measure that correlates with body fat in most people.
First, it is important to point out that inflammation is not in itself a disease. Rather, it is a response to tissue injury, such as bacterial infection; under such circumstances inflammation is generally beneficial to the host. In the case of bacterial infections, inflammation brings white blood cells to the area of infection, where they can engulf (phagocytose) and kill the invaders. Eventually the affected tissue is restored to normal. Nevertheless, inflammation can get out of hand, and many of the diseases that afflict us are inflammatory in origin.
Inflammation is often acute, of sudden origin. Many bacterial infections cause acute inflammation, but they may also cause a persistent, or chronic type of inflammation that can result in permanent tissue damage by laying down fibrous scar tissue.
Remember that your body is designed to fight off infection and disease. So then why are so many people developing heart disease and other diseases?
Our goal is to help you understand and comprehend why your body breaks down and why you get illness and disease.
There really are so many problems that contribute to the development of heart disease. Let’s start with discussing chemicals in our world. Water is so essential to your health and vitality, the main problem is people do not drink enough of it; most of the people in westernized countries drink water that has chemicals to treat the water. Remember chemicals and toxins contribute to poor health.
Our municipal water supplies have chlorine and fluoride both chemicals are incredibly toxic. Other studies have shown that the high use of pharmaceutical drugs by people in our world is getting back into our water tables. How? Well all chemicals are not food and anything that you consume that is not food is not absorbed by your body and is getting flushed down the toilet and recycled back into the water table after it is treated. The problem is that the filtration systems do not remove the pharmaceutical drugs and yes eventually this water gets recycled and back into your clean tap water and you end up consuming small amounts of various pharmaceuticals in addition to the chlorine and fluoride. Learn more about toxins and chemicals at http://www.diseaseeducation.com/science/Nugent-Toxin-Report.php
What does this mean, well all of these chemicals cause scarring of your arteries which in turn causes a dysfunction of your cell structure and causes inflammation. These scarred arteries also attract the LDL cholesterol and it attaches itself to your arteries causing arteriosclerosis. By not consuming enough water you tend to get dehydrated which contributes to all kinds of medical inflammation problems such as asthma, allergies, arthritis, stiffness, pain and many others. By not having enough water, your body’s cells do not have enough fluid and reduces your natural ability to remove toxins and chemicals in your body.
Having high cholesterol is obviously desirable and was thought to contribute to heart disease. Essentially having high cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease, you do want to find ways to lower your cholesterol and keep it within the recommended levels. Again the problems occur when this LDL cholesterol attaches itself to your arteries and this is what clogs and restricts optimal blood flow.
What really causes the cholesterol to attach to your artery? The simple answer is you have imbalances at the level of your cell.
The individual cells in your body are constantly dying and replacing themselves. On a cellular level your body requires specific raw materials to function at an optimal level, such as clean pure water, proteins, vitamins, trace minerals, antioxidants, glyconutrients, essential oils, phytonutrients and plant sterols.
If you are deficient in any of those nutrients and you have chemicals and toxins in your system then the result is dysfunction at the level of the cell and that is what causes altered cell structures which leads to inflammation that leads to LDL cholesterol attaching to your arteries which leads to arteriosclerosis.
Emerging science suggests that inflammation is one of the possible causes of coronary heart disease. There are specific natural non toxic science-based solutions to help reduce the risk of heart disease. Various studies have shown that those who consume omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants, glyconutrients, vitamin D, grape seed extract, selenium, plant sterols, pure clean water and food form vitamins and minerals have lower markers of inflammation than those who do not.
These essential nutrients supply your, cells, systems and heart with a unique combination of natural ingredients that help promote a healthy inflammatory response in your body.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Health Center Staff Take Lead Role
It sounds like the plot of the next blockbuster movie. A third of the world’s population is struck down by a deadly virus that spreads across the globe so rapidly that there is no time to develop a vaccine. Up to half of those infected – even young, healthy adults – die. But as health professionals know, this scenario is not just a flight of fancy. It could be the very real effects of the next pandemic flu outbreak, particularly if H5N1 (also known as highly pathogenic avian flu) is the virus in question, and it is this knowledge that is pushing not just federal and state government but organizations and businesses throughout the world to develop a strategy to tackle it.
Within colleges and universities, the burden of pandemic flu planning is likely to fall upon many student health directors, even at institutions with environmental health and safety departments. John Covely, a consultant on pandemic flu planning and the co-author of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s pandemic plan, explains why this is so.
“Traditionally, emergency planning originates from public safety, or environment health and safety, but a communicable disease poses the biggest threat to students in group quarters. Thus, student health directors are often leading the emergency planning effort for the whole university, because the entire plan - not just the student health component - could be the difference in life or death for their students.”
The importance of having a campus-wide plan that is ready – not just in the preliminary stages – when the pandemic strikes is all the more clear when you consider that, unlike seasonal flu, H5N1 has an increased risk for the typical student demographic of young, healthy adults. The startlingly high mortality rate of up to 60 percent is partly due to a protein, also found in the strain of virus responsible for the 1918 pandemic flu outbreak, which causes a response in a healthy immune system known as a “cytokine storm”, often leading to respiratory failure and death.
Planning for such a massive and yet unpredictable event may seem a formidable task, but Dr. Anita Barkin, chair of the American College Health Association’s pandemic planning committee, counsels that those universities and colleges that have yet to formulate a pandemic plan shouldn’t feel overwhelmed by the work that lies before them. “Pandemic planning is about good emergency preparedness. The things we do to prepare for any emergency are the things we would do to prepare for pandemic flu,” she explains.
Although the tragic Virginia Tech shootings this spring were a different kind of emergency, the issues are similar to the issues faced in the event of a pandemic flu outbreak. Coordinating resources, communicating with everyone on campus and deciding at what stage classes should be called off are questions that have to be answered in most emergency situations. Take your pandemic planning one step at a time, advises Barkin.
“The first step is to find out whether there is an existing emergency plan on campus,” she says. “If there is, who is in charge of it? Health providers on campus should then take charge and begin to formulate the plan.”
There are many unknown factors, but build the framework of the plan first with the elements you can be sure of. Form a committee with all key areas represented, including executive leadership. ACHA’s Guidelines for Pandemic Planning provides a list as an example that may help you collate this. Identify the functions that will be critical in the case of a pandemic and the personnel on campus responsible for each of these, making sure there are enough people representing each function that should some become sick, the plan is not compromised. Identify decision makers, a chain of command, and what channels of communication are to be used. Finally, decide on the role of student health services. Many campuses will have the student health director as the key decision maker in the event of a pandemic, but for some it will be more appropriate for the student health director to have an advisory role instead. In any case, college health professionals will be crucial to the success of every plan.
The biggest question that is central to every campus-wide pandemic plan: when is the right time to send students home? Covely warns that universities cannot necessarily wait for cues from state public health departments before they make their decisions. “The university has to have its own in-depth criteria in advance of a pandemic, and the student health director should be very involved in developing those criteria.”
Don't wait too long to send your students home. Nor should your trigger for this decision rely on the geographical proximity of the virus to your campus alone.
The factors that will determine how early you make the call to send students home will center on the composition of your student population. If your students are mostly from in-state, they will probably be traveling home by car and so you can wait slightly longer before canceling classes and closing the campus down. If many students live a long way away and are going to need to use mass transportation, you may have to act more quickly or risk being swamped with very ill students at a time when the local hospitals will not have the resources to help.
There are three main elements that will shape the logistics and the scale of your plan, and help you figure out the best trigger to send students home. Remember that, as Barkin comments, “The longer you wait, the higher the rate of infection, the less chance of being able to get students home and the less likely you can manage the burden of disease.”
Within colleges and universities, the burden of pandemic flu planning is likely to fall upon many student health directors, even at institutions with environmental health and safety departments. John Covely, a consultant on pandemic flu planning and the co-author of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s pandemic plan, explains why this is so.
“Traditionally, emergency planning originates from public safety, or environment health and safety, but a communicable disease poses the biggest threat to students in group quarters. Thus, student health directors are often leading the emergency planning effort for the whole university, because the entire plan - not just the student health component - could be the difference in life or death for their students.”
The importance of having a campus-wide plan that is ready – not just in the preliminary stages – when the pandemic strikes is all the more clear when you consider that, unlike seasonal flu, H5N1 has an increased risk for the typical student demographic of young, healthy adults. The startlingly high mortality rate of up to 60 percent is partly due to a protein, also found in the strain of virus responsible for the 1918 pandemic flu outbreak, which causes a response in a healthy immune system known as a “cytokine storm”, often leading to respiratory failure and death.
Planning for such a massive and yet unpredictable event may seem a formidable task, but Dr. Anita Barkin, chair of the American College Health Association’s pandemic planning committee, counsels that those universities and colleges that have yet to formulate a pandemic plan shouldn’t feel overwhelmed by the work that lies before them. “Pandemic planning is about good emergency preparedness. The things we do to prepare for any emergency are the things we would do to prepare for pandemic flu,” she explains.
Although the tragic Virginia Tech shootings this spring were a different kind of emergency, the issues are similar to the issues faced in the event of a pandemic flu outbreak. Coordinating resources, communicating with everyone on campus and deciding at what stage classes should be called off are questions that have to be answered in most emergency situations. Take your pandemic planning one step at a time, advises Barkin.
“The first step is to find out whether there is an existing emergency plan on campus,” she says. “If there is, who is in charge of it? Health providers on campus should then take charge and begin to formulate the plan.”
There are many unknown factors, but build the framework of the plan first with the elements you can be sure of. Form a committee with all key areas represented, including executive leadership. ACHA’s Guidelines for Pandemic Planning provides a list as an example that may help you collate this. Identify the functions that will be critical in the case of a pandemic and the personnel on campus responsible for each of these, making sure there are enough people representing each function that should some become sick, the plan is not compromised. Identify decision makers, a chain of command, and what channels of communication are to be used. Finally, decide on the role of student health services. Many campuses will have the student health director as the key decision maker in the event of a pandemic, but for some it will be more appropriate for the student health director to have an advisory role instead. In any case, college health professionals will be crucial to the success of every plan.
The biggest question that is central to every campus-wide pandemic plan: when is the right time to send students home? Covely warns that universities cannot necessarily wait for cues from state public health departments before they make their decisions. “The university has to have its own in-depth criteria in advance of a pandemic, and the student health director should be very involved in developing those criteria.”
Don't wait too long to send your students home. Nor should your trigger for this decision rely on the geographical proximity of the virus to your campus alone.
The factors that will determine how early you make the call to send students home will center on the composition of your student population. If your students are mostly from in-state, they will probably be traveling home by car and so you can wait slightly longer before canceling classes and closing the campus down. If many students live a long way away and are going to need to use mass transportation, you may have to act more quickly or risk being swamped with very ill students at a time when the local hospitals will not have the resources to help.
There are three main elements that will shape the logistics and the scale of your plan, and help you figure out the best trigger to send students home. Remember that, as Barkin comments, “The longer you wait, the higher the rate of infection, the less chance of being able to get students home and the less likely you can manage the burden of disease.”
Daily Health Tips
There is an Arabian proverb which says, he who has health has hope and he who has hope has it all. Contrary to the belief, living a healthy lifestyle is not complicated or time consuming.
Here are a few daily health tips to burn calories and stay fit while you work, play or even drive.
As you wake up sit up slowly. Do not use your hands. Straighten your legs and lean forward. You then feel a gentle stretch in your back and hamstrings. Hold; then using your abs, lower yourself flat. Rest and repeat a couple of times. This exercise strengthens the core.
This is a daily health tip which you can practice as you make your morning cup of coffee or tea. Stand sideways. Put one hand on your kitchen counter. Lift the outside leg straight out in front of you, keeping it extended. With your upper body straight, hold for a few seconds and move it to the side. Hold and extend it behind you. Repeat 5 to 10 times with each legs. This exercise tones up your outer thighs, hip flexors and quadriceps.
Use slim milk for your coffee and tea preparation. Opt for whole grain preparations and cereals rather than instant food. Have a protein heavy meal earlier in the day as you may eat less as the day progresses. Hard boiled egg is a good choice as it makes you feel full and you will not feel tempted to snack before lunch.
Every time you apply brake while driving, squeeze your derriere, holding it for 10 seconds. You will develop buns of steel.
Snack smart by grabbing an apple. It is packed with fiber and water. So the stomach will feel full and save you a few calories which you would otherwise gain by snacking on cookies.
Whenever you converse over the phone, stand up and pace around. Walk up to a colleague who is seated farthest from you and deliver the daily messages. Take the stairs whenever possible. Carry some weight when you go on grocery shopping or running errands.
Sit in your chair with your back straight and your feet on the floor, squeeze knees together and gently bring them toward your chest. Do it a couple of times. It will strengthen your abdominals.
Start with a clear soup for lunch or dinner. You fill feel fuller and subsequently eat less. After dinner, while still sitting at the table, extend your leg out; slowly bend it up and down. Squeeze and hold in the up position for at least 5 seconds. Repeat with the other leg. It sculpts the quadriceps.
Finally, before you tuck in, lie on your back on the floor with your legs up on the edge of the bed or chair. Slowly bend your knees, lifting your hips off the floor. Hold for five seconds, relax and repeat for a few times. It firms up hamstrings and core.
The above daily health tips will help you burn the calories throughout the day. You may not even realize it until you find yourself stronger, healthier, sharper, leaner, more energetic and feeling years younger in mind, body and spirit
Here are a few daily health tips to burn calories and stay fit while you work, play or even drive.
As you wake up sit up slowly. Do not use your hands. Straighten your legs and lean forward. You then feel a gentle stretch in your back and hamstrings. Hold; then using your abs, lower yourself flat. Rest and repeat a couple of times. This exercise strengthens the core.
This is a daily health tip which you can practice as you make your morning cup of coffee or tea. Stand sideways. Put one hand on your kitchen counter. Lift the outside leg straight out in front of you, keeping it extended. With your upper body straight, hold for a few seconds and move it to the side. Hold and extend it behind you. Repeat 5 to 10 times with each legs. This exercise tones up your outer thighs, hip flexors and quadriceps.
Use slim milk for your coffee and tea preparation. Opt for whole grain preparations and cereals rather than instant food. Have a protein heavy meal earlier in the day as you may eat less as the day progresses. Hard boiled egg is a good choice as it makes you feel full and you will not feel tempted to snack before lunch.
Every time you apply brake while driving, squeeze your derriere, holding it for 10 seconds. You will develop buns of steel.
Snack smart by grabbing an apple. It is packed with fiber and water. So the stomach will feel full and save you a few calories which you would otherwise gain by snacking on cookies.
Whenever you converse over the phone, stand up and pace around. Walk up to a colleague who is seated farthest from you and deliver the daily messages. Take the stairs whenever possible. Carry some weight when you go on grocery shopping or running errands.
Sit in your chair with your back straight and your feet on the floor, squeeze knees together and gently bring them toward your chest. Do it a couple of times. It will strengthen your abdominals.
Start with a clear soup for lunch or dinner. You fill feel fuller and subsequently eat less. After dinner, while still sitting at the table, extend your leg out; slowly bend it up and down. Squeeze and hold in the up position for at least 5 seconds. Repeat with the other leg. It sculpts the quadriceps.
Finally, before you tuck in, lie on your back on the floor with your legs up on the edge of the bed or chair. Slowly bend your knees, lifting your hips off the floor. Hold for five seconds, relax and repeat for a few times. It firms up hamstrings and core.
The above daily health tips will help you burn the calories throughout the day. You may not even realize it until you find yourself stronger, healthier, sharper, leaner, more energetic and feeling years younger in mind, body and spirit
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