Healthy Life

Archive for November, 2009

Aloe vera is a very useful plant. It is very often used as a medicine to treat skin conditions such as burns and eczema, where it can help to stop the pain and reduce swelling. It is also very pleasant and soothing in its smell, which is likely why you will have heard of it: it is very often used in soaps, shampoos, and similar products.

This is not the only way to buy aloe vera, however. It is also available in capsule and gel form, as well as in juices and drinks, creams and lotions.

However, scientists are not altogether in agreement on the effectiveness of aloe vera as a medicine. It is difficult to research the effects of aloe vera properly, because it is such a complicated herb. Aloe vera contains 75 different nutrients, including enzymes, vitamins, minerals, sugars and acids. Supposedly, it can help with muscle growth, be anti-bacterial, aid digestion, heal wounds, and much more – but then alternative medicine always tends to claim too much when it comes to its remedies. It is widely believed that aloe vera is effective against the common cold, although no medicine has ever been proved to cure it.

You should also be aware that aloe vera, although it is a traditional remedy, can have side effects. Reported side effects include liver dysfunction, burning sensations, allergic reactions, nausea, strangely-coloured urine, and dermatitis, although all of them are rare. Some studies have shown that, while the aloe vera does relieve pain, wounds treated with aloe vera can take longer to heal than usual, making it an undesirable treatment in many situations.

There are also many conditions you can have which mean that you shouldn’t take aloe vera. If you’re pregnant or breast-feeding, allergic to garlic or onions, or have kidney or heart disease, you should avoid aloe vera. It should never be given to children or animals, as it can be poisonous to them.

Have you lost the ability to smile, and to laugh and to be happy?

In the past several years, many people have a reason to smile and be happy because of their investments. With the roaring super bull rally on the cards in the stock markets, many investors worldwide have every reason to smile and be happy with the way their stock prices were going, because the only direction stock prices were heading was up. But once the sub prime mortgage lending market fell, and housing investors could not service their loans, many americans lost their ability to smile. Billions of dollars were wiped off the stock markets, the futures markets and forex markets. Instead of a smile, there was a spirit of heaviness, instead of laughter, there was a deep sense of doom and pain.

Have you lost the ability to smile and to laugh and to be happy?

It is a developing trend that in the pursuit of raising a family and in the pursuit of self achievement, most parents are working and are income earners. If you are a mother, you feel the tremendous pressure of trying to cope with work and with the demands of the little children at home and in school. In the hustle of bustle of daily living, have you lost that ability to smile, and to enjoy a good laugh?

Sometimes it is not circumstances alone that make us live through life without the ability to see things in a brighter light and to enjoy a moment of laughter.

Recently, I read in the newspapers that there is hardly a female television personality who would make it to the beauty program of any established television if she is over 50 years unless she has had botox to help her maintain a feeling of youthfulness….but which may stiffens her appearance, and making her unable to show a sense of natural smile and laughter. While I do not know how true that is, we can in our pursuit of a sense of beauty, lose our ability to smile and laugh naturally by choice.

Instead, I was struck by the power of laughter and gaiety every sunday when I observed a very old lady at the church who was seemingly imbued with the ability to smile and laugh. She would be having a laugh on her face, as she begins to dance around the pews of the church, waving her scraf in the air, oblivious to whatever is happenning – and enjoying herself. All that she displayed was a sense of gaiety and freedom – freedom from the cares of this world when she started to lose herself in a deep sense of worship and of laughter.

Do we need triggers to help us regain the ability to smile and to laugh? After all, it is not just food that is the spice of life, but laughter makes the burdens light.

Look around you everywhere as you go about your work today. See beauty and life in the things around you. See love in the events that occur around you, and remember to smile and to laugh. Did something odd and dreadful happened to day to make you sad? Look at the brighter side of things and smile. You will find the burdens lighter. Laugh and the whole world will laugh with you. Just start to learn to laugh by consciously watching comedy videos, and funny movies and by seeing the lighter side of things for every event that occurs in your life daily.

Toxins can include perfume, alcohol, cigarette smoke, pesticides, mercury, food additives, oral contraceptives, and cleaning supplies. Toxins are transformed chemically to less harmful compounds that can be excreted via stools or urine.

Is there anyone who should not try a detox diet?

Consult your primary care provider to find out if a detox diet is appropriate for you. A detox diet should not be used by pregnant or nursing women, children, or people with anemia, eating disorders, heart problems, lowered immunity, low blood pressure, ulcers, diabetes, epilepsy, cancer, ulcerative colitis, unless recommended and supervised by your primary care provider.

There are endless detox plans you can follow, so chose carefully. Some will advocate complete fasting or juice-only days, but beware of the health implications and never start such an extreme plan without consulting your doctor or a qualified nutritionist.

Detox Benefits

1. Improves symptoms of heartburn, constipation and gas and treats digestive disorders;
2. Boosts the immune system.

Allergies or sensitivies?

By and large, conventional health care only deals with masking the symptoms of allergies and food sensitivities, rather than attempting to resolve them. The first step that many alternative practitioners recommend is a change of diet that cuts out wheat and dairy foods, two common allergens. To do so is also the first step in “detoxing.” Higher levels of detoxing, as well as additional immune support through nutritional supplementation, have been known to help many allergy sufferers. Allergies are, however, almost by definition, a very individualized condition.

What happens after the detox?

Many of the foods that were eliminated during this diet can be allergenic. A natural health practitioner can help to systematically reintroduce food groups (wheat, dairy, gluten, corn) and note reactions to identify the food groups that may be aggravating health conditions such as sinus congestion, fatigue, skin conditions, arthritis and bloating and constipation. Flare-ups can occur, so supervision is recommended.

Are you overweight or tired all the time? Do you have headaches, other aches and pains, frequent colds and flus, constipation or digestive problems, high blood pressure, PMS, allergies or sensitivities. Do you often drink too much alcohol, drink caffeinated beverages, smoke cigarettes, use over-the-counter or recreational drugs, or eat fast, fried or refined foods?

What is a detox?

Our bodies have a natural in-built detox system (made up of the digestive tract, the urinary system and the liver) that helps to process all the chemicals modern life throws at it. These chemicals are called ‘toxins’ – they are basically poisons that have harmful effects on your body. It’s not just alcohol and tobacco that are loaded with toxins; pesticides and food additives, caffeine and pollution all play their part, too.

Benefits of a detox diet

1. Detox diets are thought to prevent chronic diseases, such as arthritis, heart disease, and cancer.

2. People who try a detox diet often find it can improve toxicity symptoms such as fatigue, joint pain, headache, pain, premenstrual syndrome, unhealthy skin, poor concentration, anxiety and irritability, frequent colds, heartburn, constipation, and gas.

3. Detox diets may be recommended as part of a supervised treatment plan for chronic disease such as autoimmune disease, multiple chemical sensitivity, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, digestive disorders, heart disease, and arthritis.

Detox Hot Tips

1. Clear the detox period in your diary of any pubs, clubs, restaurants and parties. See it as an opportunity to do all those things you never get round to, such as visiting museums and galleries – then you can feel doubly smug at the end when you’re not only healthier, but more cultured, too;

2. Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration;

3. Take milk thistle to optimise these benefits; it contains silymarin, which protects the liver from damage;

Mind-Body Detox:

Special chiropractic treatments for drug addicts have proven very successful in stabilizing those withdrawing from drugs and other addictive behavior. Mind Body Detox is being recognized by the scientific and medical professionals and their publications worldwide. Chiropractors using activator methods to treat poor health, pain, and even addiction are being sought by addicts wishing to overcome their addiction. The mind body detox process activates movement very gently, no bone popping, which stimulates the brain’s pleasure receptors and affects emotions in a positive way.

There are a lot of people who would give a lot to increase their metabolism. Having a high level of metabolism enables one to maintain burn fat and lose weight fast with the least amount of activity. Metabolism is the rate by which the body produces and consumes energy and calories to support life.

There are several factors that affect the metabolism of a person, such as the amount of muscle tissue, the frequency of the meals one consumes, genetics, stress levels, personal diet and activity levels. Metabolism slows done due to the following: loss of muscle because of not enough physical activity, the tendency of the body to cannibalize its own tissue because there is not enough food energy to sustain it, and the decrease of physical activity that comes naturally with old age.

Here are several ways to fire up one’s metabolism:

1. Build up on lean, mean body mass. It is only natural that metabolism decreases along with age, but it is possible to counter the effects. The amount of muscle a person has is a very strong determinant in the ability to burn calories and shed fat. So it goes without saying that exercise is essential. Build strength and resistance by working out at least twice a week, preferably with weights. Do easy exercises in between workouts. Simple tasks such as walking the dog and using the stairs in place of the elevator can already take off calories. The key is to match the amount of eating to the amount of activity one has. Here are some guidelines in getting the right exercise:

For strength training

-Increase the amount of repetitions of a particular exercise.
-Add the level of resistance
-Utilize advance exercise techniques if possible

For cardiovascular training

-Insert intervals between exercises
-Perform cross-training and combine the exercises
-Add up on resistance and speed

2. Eat breakfast. A lot of people are ignoring the fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Surprisingly, the ones who eat breakfast are thinner than the ones who do not. Metabolism can slow down considerably if breakfast is taken during mid-morning or if one waits until the afternoon to eat.

3. Avoid sugar. Sugar enables the body to store fat. It is recommended that a person consumes food that helps sustain an even level of blood-sugar. Additionally, progressive execerise 2-3 times a week should be in order to stabilize blood sugar.

4. Eat spicy foods. Hot cuisine with peppers can increase metabolism.

5. Sleep more. According to research, it is riskier for people who do not get enough sleep to gain weight. Also, muscles are regenerated during the last couple of hours of slumber.

6. Increase water intake. Water flushes out toxins that are produced whenever the body burns fat. Majority of bodily functions involves water, and lack of water causes the body system’s operations to decrease its speed, and produces unneeded stress as a result.

7. Eat smaller meals. It is advisable to consume 4 to 6 small meals that are timed 2 to 3 hours apart.

8. Never skip meals. People tend to skip meals in order to lose weight, which is a big mistake since it slows down metabolism.

9. Plan meals in detail. Always prepare the right amount of food to be consumed at the designated intervals. Do not commit the mistake of eating meals in sporadic patterns.

9. Ditch the stress! Stress, be it physical or emotional, triggers the release of a steroid called cortisol, which decreases metabolism. Also, people tend to eat excessively when stressed.

10. Guzzle up on green tea. It can be used as a substitute for coffee. Tea has the ability to stimulate metabolism, and unlike coffee, it has no undesirable side effects when too much is consumed.

11. Include more energy foods in the diet, such as fruits and vegetables, beans and whole grains.

Achieving the desired body weight is never impossible if one has the determination and patience needed to stabilize the metabolism level, which plays an important role in weight loss. A person needs to realize that eating right and working out is not just a passing fancy, but a way of life.

Many women nowadays are into resistance training. Many get into resistance training programs engaging into sports. Resistance training is important for women. It allows you to be active and have a healthy body. You may also gain the needed strength and physically built muscles.

Before you start lifting weights, you should know the proper ways on how to execute the exercise. Many women seriously encounter injuries when they incorrectly lift weights. It is important that you get rid first of the excess weight that you have by walking or jogging. You may also purchase weight loss equipment such as treadmills, cross bar platinum, and nutrition boo guides for a better health.

Women usually do not have the natural muscle structure that most men have. They may not also have the same strength to carry heavy loads or the same resistance that men have. What more if you get older? Your body may no longer have the same strength when you were still young. This happens because of the lifestyle you have or just because of aging process. Your resistance may have just decreased and your body tends to weaken.

You can benefit many things when you get into resistance training. Even if you are not an athlete or a body-building enthusiasts, you can get into resistance training programs. Having an active body and well-toned muscles can provide you the more strength and good resistance. You can do some workout outdoors like walking or jogging to get a better blood circulation.

You may also do some stretching and warm up exercises to allow the blood nutrients go to the muscles and joints of your body. Muscle stretching also helps in lessening the risks of injuries and muscle pains after the work out. Muscles tend to sore and get strained if you are not well warmed-up and do the proper stretching techniques before the work out.

In addition, muscle stretching also gives you more flexibility. You will be able to execute exercises comfortably and effectively. It is advisable that you do repetitive stretching and warm ups. Repetition of exercises makes your muscles and joints more enhanced and more adapted to the motion you are executing.

When you are ready to lift weights, you should first work on your larger muscles then the smaller ones. You may then finally go to the muscles that are isolated. You may execute push-ups that can enhance the upper muscles of the body. Before doing triceps extension exercises, you should first focus on the larger muscle groups such as the muscle found in your butt. You may execute exercises like repetitive squatting, box step-ups, and lunges.

You may also work on your quads which is the muscle found on the front thigh. You may perform repetitive squatting and lunges as well. You may also use the leg extension machine and the leg press machine for a well-executed exercise.

You should always remember that you work on the opposite muscles. Muscles tend to get imbalanced especially if the amounts of exercises you do are not equally distributed. When performing triceps extension, it is advised that you also do bicep exercises. If you work out on the chest and the stomach area like crunches, it is important that you do back extension exercises to get a balanced upper muscle toning.

Always take a rest after your resistance training work out. Allow your muscles to cool gradually so that you will not feel any sore or strained muscles. After the resistance training, you will see that you are more ready and physically fit for many kinds of sports.