Health Buzz Zone

Coughs, colds, and the flu can get in the way of our lives and cause us to miss work and miss out on fun. It is hard to feel attractive and motivated when our eyes are red, nose is running, and we are feeling under the whether.

Fortunately there are many things we can to to take control of our health and feel fabulous. Here are a few of the most beneficial ways to kick start out immune systems and prevent illness.

1. According to the world health organisation, the best immunization is a good diet. Pre-prepared, packaged foods that are filled with caffeine, sugar and preservatives fail to give the body any nutrients to defend with.

Furthermore, because the system has to defend against the toxins in these foods, they actually deplete the body of its resources. Fruits, vegetables, sprouts and superfoods give us the necessary weapons to fight our health battles. Freshly prepared foods from local sources have the highest nutritional content, especially if they are organic. It is best to eat a variety of different fruits and vegetable so that all of the necessary weapons are available for defence.

2. Zinc is an essential immune system booster. Foods high in zinc include spinach, oysters, lamb, dried pumpkin seeds, chicken, asparagus, and green peas.

3. Another mandatory ingredient for a solid fortress is vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and will play a key role in thwarting off any unwanted visitors. Some of the great vitamin C deliverers are red peppers, parsley, broccoli, strawberries, lemon, papaya, kiwi, and oranges.

4. Garlic, onions, shiitake and maitake mushrooms are fabulous health protectors, so using them in your cooking is a good idea.

5. Bee Pollen is one of the most popular superfoods, and well known for transforming the immune system into a transformer.

6. Staying active is another brilliant way to defend against illness. Thirty minutes of exercise that gets the heart rate up, such as swimming or cycling, has been proven to strengthen and increase the activity of the immune cells, which kill invading organisms.

7. Resting and relaxing keep the immune system strong. Getting plenty of sleep every night is insurance against ill health. Yoga, breath techniques, and taking hot baths are just some of the pleasurable ways to beat stress and improve sleep quality.

So get your immune systems energized and keep those bugs from taking hold of your health and your life. By making a few simple changes, we can begin to prevent illness.

http://www.defyagingnaturally.com

Sheryl Walters is an experienced holistic health expert.

Her blog combines the world’s most up to date scientific research on how to stay young naturally in both mind and body with a heartfelt, personal touch. When we have the right information and take some dedicated action, we can be in charge of our health and our aging process.

General Health, how to strengthen the immune system, ways to strengthen the immune system

Tags: General Health by admin
No Comments »

As parents with young children, we make sure they are growing at the appropriate pace, prepare healthy meals and take them for regular physical exams. As they grow older, we become more in tune with their dietary needs and watch their growth process, as well as keep track of their daily habits.

At some point children will begin to understand that as parents, we are concerned about their health, especially when they become ill. At what point do our children become interested in their own health? It’s hard to say. It depends on the child. If a child has a chronic illness, they will do whatever it takes to heal because the sadness in their parents’ eyes is too hard to bear.

Perhaps your child has a friend who is critically ill. Visiting that friend often will bring a realization to your child that people do become sick and sometimes die. They are confronted with their own mortality and begin to ask questions that often reflect a fear they will develop the same illness.

It is important, therefore, to talk to your kids about health issues. Be honest and above board (age appropriate, of course) in explaining a particular illness the child may be concerned about or heard about.

Kids who are chronically ill have an innate sense of how ill they really are. Most kids cope with illness better than adults. Their concern, more often than not, is not for themselves but for their parents. However, for those children who have never had the misfortune to become ill, it is important for them to understand that it does occur; that keeping in tune with their bodies is important in that it can alert them to any problems requiring medical attention.

This is not to say that parents have to constantly inform their kids of every illness that exists, leaving a child paranoid and afraid. A healthy conversation, especially with school-aged kids about the ramifications of smoking, drinking and drugs is important because it is part of our culture.

In addition, discussions about personal hygiene, including sex, should also be discussed and in a thoughtful and articulate manner. Children who are insecure or lack self-esteem may not care about their health. This is where parent intervention is needed. Helping a child cope with any health issue is a family matter and should be addressed with love and care.

Children Health, growing healthy children, growing healthy for kids, growing healthy kids, growing up healthy, healthy living for children, living healthy for kids

Tags: Children Health by admin
No Comments »

It’s easy to get caught up in the fervor of self-improvement and New Year’s resolutions.  Unfortunately, many people give up on their resolutions or completely forget about them, only days after they’ve been set.  Here are some tips to help you see your goals attained:

1.  Write down your goals.  You can’t forget a goal if it is written on a piece of paper in large bold print and taped to your bathroom mirror.

2.  Announce your goals.  Announcing your goals to your friends and family can be a great way to not only be held accountable for achieving them, but also to get offers of support.  For example, if you decide to cut processed sugars out of your diet, your family can help by not bringing candy, cookies and other sweets into your home.

3.  Plan it out.  Having a plan to achieve puts you in control of the steps.  Develop a plan and tape it to your bathroom mirror right under your goal.  Now you know each and every day what you need to do to be successful.

4.  Develop a positive outlook.  Smile.  You’re capable of achieving your goal.  If you’re having a bad day or you find a negative thought about your goal sneaking in, like Tinkerbell says, “Think happy thoughts.”  Find a happy trigger; maybe it is a memory, maybe it is a favorite song, maybe all you need to do is step outside and get some sunshine.

5.  Acknowledge your setbacks.  Setbacks happen.  Sometimes you just can’t help but eat that piece of chocolate cake or skip a workout.  Acknowledge the setback, don’t punish yourself for it, and look forward.  Determine why the setback happened, what you can do next time temptation arises to motivate yourself to stick to your resolution, and move on.  Learn from your setbacks, don’t judge yourself.  You’re making positive changes in your life and that is a great thing!

6.  Take small steps.  Which feels easier to attain, running 1 mile or running 26?  Running 2 miles or running 26?  Running 3 miles or running 26?  Of course the smaller goals are easier to attain.  It’s much easier to say, “I’m going to run 1 mile and I’m going to be able to do it in 2 weeks” than to say, “I’m going to run a marathon in July.”  Small steps make your goals feel much easier to  accomplish, and each small success will motivate you to continue succeeding.

7.  Visualize success.  Visualization is a powerful success tool.  Athletes use the tool to win races, speakers use the tool to practice giving speeches, and you can use it too.  When you know you’re going to succeed, when you can see it happen, it will actually happen.  Visualization is easy and you can practice it.  Close your eyes and visualize yourself achieving your goal.  If it helps, write down how you’re feeling, imagining that you’ve just attained success.  Describe how you’re feeling, what you look like, and how your friends are helping you celebrate.

8.  Bring along friends.  Friends motivate, they keep us laughing and they get us through the tough times.  Help your friend while they’re helping you.

healthy goals, Healthy Habits, healthy lifestyle goals, healthy living goals

Tags: Healthy Habits by admin
No Comments »

Keeping our pH levels in the right range is very important to our health. Even though certain parts of our bodies such as our stomachs produce acid, our blood pH should be slightly alkaline. If our blood pH levels are not alkaline enough, or if they are acidic, it is known as acidosis. Acidosis is associated with fatigue, and is often present alongside chronic diseases.

If our blood pH levels are too high, that can also cause problems. This condition is called alkalosis, and is often associated with dehydration. Here are some foods that can help lower our pH levels and promote good health when facing alkalosis:

Slightly Acidic Foods:
These foods are slightly acidic. It is usually best to start with foods that do not contain too much acid, because they will prevent us from ending up on the opposite end of the spectrum.

* Fresh Corn
* Honey
* Pork Chops
* Whole Wheat Bread
* Eggs
* Bacon
* Lamb Chops
* English Walnuts
* Wheat Bran
* White Bread
* Veal
* Barley
* Turkey
* Steak
* Salmon
* Brown Rice

Foods With Medium Acidity:
These foods are more acidic than the ones in the previous list. In the case of extreme alkalosis, they might provide faster relief.

* Wheat Germ
* Peanuts
* Chicken
* Peanut Butter
* Pasta
* Codfish
* Soda Crackers
* Haddock
* Shrimp
* Lobster
* Corned Beef
* Oatmeal

Highly Acidic Foods:
These foods have the highest acidity you can find in natural food sources. They can be helpful if your pH level is extremely high.

* Sardines
* Sausage
* Dried Lentils
* Oysters
* Scallops

If you are suffering from acidosis, the foods in the above lists may be best avoided until your blood pH is restored to healthier levels. There lots of healthy foods with higher alkaline content you can eat that will help raise your pH.

While it is possible to test your own pH levels at home, it is best to go to a doctor for the initial diagnosis. Home pH tests use less reliable fluids such as saliva and urine, while the doctor can give you a blood pH test. Your doctor may also want to test for other problems based on the results of your pH test.

Once your doctor has determined where your pH stands, you can use litmus strips to test your pH level yourself at home. The results will be more variable, but they can give you a general idea of which direction your pH is going. From there, you can determine whether you need to include acidic or alkaline foods in your diet.

Healthy Foods / Recipes, lower ph levels

Tags: Healthy Diets by admin
No Comments »

If you’re always bothered by stress, this article is for you. It will provide some practical tips to ease your stress.

Stress tend to affect different people in very different ways. But in general the long-term effects will have the same results. When stress is a constant issue in a person’s life, it can take its toll on a person in mind, body and spirit.

The physical effects of stress are enough to make many realize the importance of learning to relax and let go where it is possible. If long-term stress is an issue, many people will face health conditions as serious as heart disease and even stroke or cancer. The psychological and behavior impacts can add to the problems. In these two arenas, the effects of stress can include anger, mood swings, irritability, loss of sleep and more. It is even possible for the effects of stress to lead to severe over or under eating.

No matter how a person tries to crack it, the effects of stress are bad. Fortunately, there are many options to ward off stress. From the very basic to rather complex, there are many ways to reduce and even eliminate some causes of stress.

Some of the most easy to implement ways to ward off and ease the effects of stress include:

• Physical activity. This is considered one of the all-time greats for reducing or easing the effects of stress. While exercise will not remove stress, it can help relieve tension in the body caused by it. It can also get the blood pumping and the mind working in a more focused manner. The end result is that a person will be able to deal with the effects of stress better.
• Relaxation. Whether it’s meditation, hot bubble baths at the end of the day or even deep breathing and visualization exercises, getting the brain to relax and either think about nothing at all or something very positive can have a big impact on reducing and easing the effects of stress.
• Organizing a life. Getting rid of clutter, managing time better and even setting achievable goals and priorities can all help to ease stress. When people focus on what is important in life and try not to worry about what they cannot control, the effects of stress don’t tend to have as much of a hold over them.
• Having fun. One of the best ways to reduce and ease the effects of stress is to get out and have a good time, or stay in and do the same. Laughing, smiling and simply enjoying oneself can all be an incredible stress relievers.

It’s not always easy to ease stress in life. But taking small steps to counter stress can make a big difference. Don’t allow stress to consume your life, fight it!

For more information, visit this site: “Ease Stress Now!“.

ease the stress, how to ease anxiety, how to ease stress, Stress, ways to ease anxiety, ways to ease stress

Tags: Stress by admin
No Comments »

Vitamin C May Play Role in Stroke Prevention

By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter

(HealthDay News) — Having higher levels of vitamin C in your blood may reduce your risk of stroke, new research suggests.

People with the highest concentrations of vitamin C in their blood had a 42 percent lower risk of stroke than people with the lowest levels, according to the study, which is in the January issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

But, that doesn’t mean that popping mega-doses of vitamin C supplement can ward off a brain attack, health experts cautioned.

“In the study itself, the authors made a strong point that they couldn’t conclude that vitamin C directly lowers stroke risk,” said Dr. Keith Siller, medical director of New York University Medical Center’s Comprehensive Stroke Care Center. “It’s not necessarily the vitamin C itself. Vitamin C may be a marker of a general healthy lifestyle, and high levels of plasma vitamin C probably mean that you’re more health conscious.”

Dr. Mark Levine, chief of the molecular and clinical nutrition section at the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, agreed that vitamin C alone probably isn’t responsible for the stroke risk reduction.

“It’s just an association. It could be vitamin C, it could be vitamin C plus other nutrients, and it could be other things independent of vitamin C. People who eat lots of fruits and vegetables may be eating less fast food,” said Levine, who also co-authored an editorial in the same issue of the journal.

The real message, said Levine, is that people should be eating more fruits and vegetables to prevent stroke and other health problems. “Get five or more fruits and vegetables daily in a rainbow of colors,” he advised.

The new study included information from more than 20,000 people between the ages of 40 and 79 from the United Kingdom. All of the participants completed a health questionnaire, and one blood sample was analyzed for vitamin C levels for each study volunteer.

The average follow-up time was 9.5 years, and the final study included almost 200,000 person-years. During that time, 448 of the study participants had a stroke.

After compensating for other risk factors, such as gender, smoking history, body mass index, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, diabetes, alcohol consumption, physical activity and a history of heart disease, the researchers found that those with the highest levels of vitamin C in their blood had a 42 percent reduced risk of stroke compared to those with the lowest levels.

The difference between the vitamin C levels between the lowest and highest group roughly translates to about one extra fruit or vegetable daily, according to the study.

“The strong inverse association between plasma vitamin C and stroke suggests that plasma vitamin C is likely to be a good biomarker of whatever causal factors affect stroke risk, most plausibly the dietary intake of plant foods,” the study’s authors wrote.

“This study did not prove that vitamin C directly causes these benefits. It could be related to something else you do in your diet. We just don’t know what the mechanism is that reduces stroke risk,” said Siller, who added, “People should still go ahead with the American Dietetic Association recommendations to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into their diet. Don’t rush to the store to buy vitamin C supplements.”

“Many, many studies show a strong association between those who eat fruits and vegetables and a health benefit, and that benefit comes from eating foods, not supplements,” Levine added.

More information

To learn more about stroke prevention, visit the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

SOURCES: Mark Levine, M.D., chief, molecular and clinical nutrition section, U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.; Keith Siller, M.D., medical director, Comprehensive Stroke Care Center, New York University Medical Center, and assistant professor of neurology and psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York City; January 2008, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

News Flash, Vitamin C May Prevent Stroke

Tags: News Flash by admin
No Comments »

A healthy diet has many benefits. One that is often overlooked is the fact that it can boost your immune system. A diet rich in vitamins and minerals will give you more energy and help you ward off the cold, the flu and other infections.

What Foods Are Best for the Immune System?

One of the most important things in any diet is balance. You need to eat a variety of foods to keep your immune system in the best possible shape, not just a lot of one or two. Here are some foods that, when eaten as part of an overall healthy diet can improve immune function and help prevent colds and other health problems.

Fruits

Fruits contain a variety of substances that are good for your immune system. One of the most well known of these is vitamin C. Vitamin C increases production of white blood cells and interferon, an antibody that coats cell surfaces and prevents the entry of viruses. Citrus fruits have the most vitamin C but there are lots of other fruits that contain it.

Many fruits such as strawberries, cherries and blueberries are also rich in antioxidants. These nutrients help maintain healthy tissue and repair damage caused by a number of things, one of which is infection. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, as is vitamin E. Not all antioxidants are vitamins.

Vegetables

Most vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals. Spinach, parsley and carrots are good sources of vitamin A. Cauliflower and most green vegetables are rich in vitamin K. Turnip and mustard greens have lots of vitamins A and E. Collard greens and squash contain substantial amounts of zinc, which stimulates the immune system.

Carotenoids are also found in carrots and dark red, green and yellow vegetables. Beta carotene is the most recognizable of the carotenoids but there are many more. These work together to boost the creation of infection-fighting cells and are also antioxidants.

Whole Grains

Whole grains are an excellent source of fiber as well as vitamins and minerals. Fiber is important because it helps cleanse the body of toxins. This aids in immune function as well as overall health.

Protein

Protein is found in meats, beans and soy products. Protein boosts energy and optimizes the production of cells including those that fight off infection. Fish is a good choice because it is also rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which are also great for the immune system.

A healthy diet is one of the best ways to prevent illness including the common cold. Building up your immune system and taking other precautions such as washing your hands regularly could keep you from getting a cold in the first place. If you do get a cold, a healthy diet will give your body the nutrients it needs to fight it off quickly.

Click here for more information on how you can easily incorporate Healthy Living Habits in your Life.

benefits of eating healthy, guide to healthy eating, healthy eating habit, healthy eating ideas, healthy eating information, healthy eating tips, Healthy Habits, tips for eating healthy

Tags: Healthy Habits by admin
No Comments »

Cleansing or detoxification diets are becoming increasingly popular. The diets operate under the assumption that toxins from food preservatives, pesticides and our body’s own natural waste are stored in our bodies, and that the right combination of food or elimination of food can eliminate these toxins from our bodies to give us a clean start. Here are some of the pros and cons of cleansing diets.

Pros:

1. Cleansed palate. One of the most interesting but less thought of pros of a cleansing diet is the fact that when you don’t eat any processed foods for several days or weeks, you lose your taste for them. Many cleansing diets require you to only drink teas or juices. When you’ve finished with the diet, you no longer crave the processed foods you once did. Twinkies and fast food burgers are no longer appealing.

2. Cleaned out toxins. While this isn’t scientifically proven, many believe that toxins are indeed cleaned out of your body when you go on a cleansing diet. If this is true, then this is certainly a significant benefit to your overall health.

3. Temporary weight loss. Most cleansing diets result in weight loss. The weight loss varies by type of diet and duration; a two day fast will not result in as much weight loss as you might imagine. If you plan on incorporating very healthy eating habits after your cleansing diet is complete, then you may be able to maintain the weight loss. However, the majority of weight loss will not be permanent. Some people choose to go on a cleansing diet right before an important event where they want to look particularly good, like a class reunion.

4. More energy. The majority of people who are fans of cleansing diets will tell you that one of the major benefits of a cleansing diet is the increase in energy you feel. This increase in energy can occur both during the diet and after the diet is completed.

Cons:

1. Unpleasant symptoms. There are a number of unpleasant side effects people feel when on a cleansing diet. You may suffer from:

• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Feeling weak
• Headaches
• Digestive distress
• Feeling dizzy
• Feeling irritable

Proponents of cleansing diets will remind you that these side effects are only temporary and you’ll feel much better after.

2. Temporary weight loss. The weight loss you’re likely to see from a cleansing diet is most often temporary. As soon as your diet ends, the weight is put back on. The goal of these types of diets is not to lose weight but to eliminate toxins.

3. Difficult to do correctly. Cleansing diets can be difficult to do correctly and can be unsafe. It is recommended that you do a lot of research on your chosen diet and see a doctor before undertaking any extreme changes in your diet.

Cleansing diets can be a good thing if they’re handled correctly and you’re prepared for all of the potential side effects. Take the time to research, and visit your doctor before you make a decision.

Here is a book “Master Cleanse Secrets” I find very informative. It will teach you how to avoid all those unpleasant symptoms and help you to easily complete your cleansing diets process. If you’re considering cleansing diets, I strongly suggest you to read the “Master Cleanse Secrets” first.

body cleansing diet, cleansing diets, detox diets, detox weight loss, detoxification diets, lemon detox diet, Master Cleanse, master cleanse secrets, master cleansing diet

Tags: Master Cleanse by admin
No Comments »