(NaturalNews) Women who eat a typical Western diet high in junk food may increase their risk of suffering from mood disorders such as depression, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Melbourne and published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
Researchers gathered psychiatric evaluations of 925 women between the ages of 20 to 93 over the course of ten years, then compared them to data collected on the participants' diets. They found that women who ate a diet high in white bread, hamburgers, pizza, chips, beer, flavored dairy beverages and sugary foods were 50 percent more likely to suffer from depression or anxiety than women who did not eat such a diet.
In contrast, women who ate what the researchers classified as a traditional Australian diet, high in vegetables, fruit, beef, lamb, fish and whole grains, were 30 percent less likely to suffer from mood disorders than women who did not follow the Australian diet.
The connections between the diets and the risk of mood disorders remained strong even after researchers adjusted for potential confounding factors such as education, age, socioeconomic status, weight, physical activity, and alcohol and tobacco consumption.
Initially, the researchers found a lowered risk of mood disorders in women who consumed large quantities of salads, fruits, fish, tofu, beans, nuts, yogurt and red wine, but this association disappeared after they adjusted for confounding factors.
Although cautioning that there is no such thing as a "magic diet," researcher Felice Jacka noted that the evidence suggests that a healthy diet reduces your risk of mood disorders as well as improving your physical health.
Another recent study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, found that among 3,486 middle-aged women and men, those who ate a diet primarily composed of vegetables, fruits and fish were significantly less likely to be depressed than those who primarily ate refined ("white") grains, processed meats, fried food, sweetened desserts and high-fat dairy products.
Sources for this story include: www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-... www.naturalproductsmarketplace.com/....
Asyik memikirkan kemewahan hidup sahaja sehingga kita hampir terlupa kita hanya sementara di dunia, akhiratlah yang kekal abadi.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Home Remedies with Garlic Quickly Relieve Ear Aches and Ear Infections
(NaturalNews) Troublesome ear aches and ear infections can usually be relieved in short order with home remedies which include garlic. Garlic has a natural antibiotic called allicin and it is an essential ingredient in some of the most effective home remedies for ear infections and ear aches. Garlic can also be used alone and it can be taken orally to speed the recovery from ear and other infections.
One way to obtain garlic oil is to simply take garlic gel capsules and pierce the capsules to get the garlic oil out. You can also use the juice from freshly minced or crushed garlic and you can make your own fresh garlic based oil as follows:
Cut up three or four cloves of garlic. Place the garlic in a double boiler and cover with an inch of olive oil. Cover the pot, and warm the oil gently over low heat for one hour. Strain the oil through a piece of cheesecloth, and store it in a covered glass jar in the refrigerator.
One extremely effective remedy for ear aches and ear infections can be found in the combination of garlic, colloidal silver, tea tree oil, olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Mix together three drops of tea tree oil with two tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of colloidal silver and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Warm the mixture slightly and then lie on your side with your head on a towel (or paper towels) with the infected or aching ear facing up. Use an eyedropper to draw up the mixture and then slowly fill your ear to near the top. Continue to lie on your side for several minutes; then, take the towel, hold it to your ear, lie on your other side and let the mixture drain out of your ear onto the towel or paper towels. Repeat two to four times daily. You should experience immediate relief and complete resolution within 24-48 hours. Note: If you do not have all of the ingredients, any combination of the ingredients will likely be successful. Also, oil of oregano can be substituted for the tea tree oil.
You can also ease the pain and pressure of an ear infection with a blend of mullein (Verbascum densiflorum) and garlic infused oils. These oils kill pain and fight bacteria. Another garlic based remedy combination calls for garlic, apple cider vinegar and honey. Still another garlic remedy can be made by combining garlic oil or juice in combination with an extraction of juice from mango leaves. Mango leaf extract can also be used separately as a remedy for earaches and ear infections.
Notes:
Any remedy placed inside the ear should be warmed to a comfortable temperature first. One way to warm an ear remedy is to place a glass bottle containing the remedy mixture in a pan of hot water until it is comfortably warm. Alternatively, one can run hot water from the faucet over the bottle until the desired temperature is reached. Another warming method is to heat a small amount of the mixture in a steel or silver spoon over an open flame. A fourth method is to place a bottle with the mixture in your armpit for a few minutes.
People that get a lot of ear infections might actually be allergic to dairy products, egg whites, wheat, peanuts or soy. Or, their intake of fatty foods may be too high.
If you suspect a punctured or ruptured eardrum do not use home remedies. Instead see a qualified medical professional.
Sources included:
http://www.myhomeremedies.com/stati...
http://www.natural-homeremedies-for...
http://www.tbyil.com/Ear_Ache.htm
One way to obtain garlic oil is to simply take garlic gel capsules and pierce the capsules to get the garlic oil out. You can also use the juice from freshly minced or crushed garlic and you can make your own fresh garlic based oil as follows:
Cut up three or four cloves of garlic. Place the garlic in a double boiler and cover with an inch of olive oil. Cover the pot, and warm the oil gently over low heat for one hour. Strain the oil through a piece of cheesecloth, and store it in a covered glass jar in the refrigerator.
One extremely effective remedy for ear aches and ear infections can be found in the combination of garlic, colloidal silver, tea tree oil, olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Mix together three drops of tea tree oil with two tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of colloidal silver and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Warm the mixture slightly and then lie on your side with your head on a towel (or paper towels) with the infected or aching ear facing up. Use an eyedropper to draw up the mixture and then slowly fill your ear to near the top. Continue to lie on your side for several minutes; then, take the towel, hold it to your ear, lie on your other side and let the mixture drain out of your ear onto the towel or paper towels. Repeat two to four times daily. You should experience immediate relief and complete resolution within 24-48 hours. Note: If you do not have all of the ingredients, any combination of the ingredients will likely be successful. Also, oil of oregano can be substituted for the tea tree oil.
You can also ease the pain and pressure of an ear infection with a blend of mullein (Verbascum densiflorum) and garlic infused oils. These oils kill pain and fight bacteria. Another garlic based remedy combination calls for garlic, apple cider vinegar and honey. Still another garlic remedy can be made by combining garlic oil or juice in combination with an extraction of juice from mango leaves. Mango leaf extract can also be used separately as a remedy for earaches and ear infections.
Notes:
Any remedy placed inside the ear should be warmed to a comfortable temperature first. One way to warm an ear remedy is to place a glass bottle containing the remedy mixture in a pan of hot water until it is comfortably warm. Alternatively, one can run hot water from the faucet over the bottle until the desired temperature is reached. Another warming method is to heat a small amount of the mixture in a steel or silver spoon over an open flame. A fourth method is to place a bottle with the mixture in your armpit for a few minutes.
People that get a lot of ear infections might actually be allergic to dairy products, egg whites, wheat, peanuts or soy. Or, their intake of fatty foods may be too high.
If you suspect a punctured or ruptured eardrum do not use home remedies. Instead see a qualified medical professional.
Sources included:
http://www.myhomeremedies.com/stati...
http://www.natural-homeremedies-for...
http://www.tbyil.com/Ear_Ache.htm
Breast cancer cells destroyed by peach and plum extracts
(NaturalNews) Even the most aggressive types of breast cancer cells couldn't stand up to treatments with peach and plum extracts. That's the outcome of a natural fruit-derived treatment tested in the Texas AgriLife Research Lab which resulted in cancer cells dying while normal cells were not harmed at all.
"It was a differential effect which is what you're looking for because in current cancer treatment with chemotherapy, the substance kills all cells, so it is really tough on the body," Dr. David Byrne, an AgriLife Research plant breeder and scientist, said in a press statement. "Here, there is a five-fold difference in the toxic intensity. You can put it at a level where it will kill the cancer cells -- the very aggressive ones -- and not the normal ones."
So what could be in peaches and plums (fruits known as "stone" fruits because of their large, stone-like seeds) that zaps even the most deadly breast cancer cells? In their study, which was published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry , Dr. Byrne and fellow AgriLife food scientist Dr. Luis Cisneros-Zevallos concluded two phenolic compounds were responsible for the cancer cell deaths.
Phenols are organic compounds that occur in fruits. Slightly acidic, phenols are associated with the color, smell and taste of specific fruits. In a statement to the media, Dr. Cisneros-Zevallos explained that two specific phenolic acid components -- known as chlorogenic and neochlorogenic compounds -- were responsible for killing the breast cancer cells in the AgriLife study. Although very common in fruits, stone fruits such as plums and peaches are especially rich in these types of phenols.
In addition to their successful research showing the stone fruit phenols killed breast cancer cells, the research team also found that animal studies provided even more evidence that the fruit extracts have power anti-cancer properties. The compounds prevented cancer from growing in animals given the fruit treatments.
As NaturalNews has reported, researchers are zeroing in on how a host of phytonutrients in foods are potent breast cancer fighters. For example, University of Michigan (U-M) Comprehensive Cancer Center scientists recently discovered that a natural component of broccoli and broccoli sprouts has the remarkable ability to target cancer stem cells -- the specific cells responsible for fueling the growth of cancerous breast tumors (http://www.naturalnews.com/028822_b...). In addition, University of Missouri scientists have found that curcumin, a popular Indian spice derived from the turmeric root, could reduce the risk of breast cancer risk in women exposed to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (http://www.naturalnews.com/026674_c...).
"It was a differential effect which is what you're looking for because in current cancer treatment with chemotherapy, the substance kills all cells, so it is really tough on the body," Dr. David Byrne, an AgriLife Research plant breeder and scientist, said in a press statement. "Here, there is a five-fold difference in the toxic intensity. You can put it at a level where it will kill the cancer cells -- the very aggressive ones -- and not the normal ones."
So what could be in peaches and plums (fruits known as "stone" fruits because of their large, stone-like seeds) that zaps even the most deadly breast cancer cells? In their study, which was published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry , Dr. Byrne and fellow AgriLife food scientist Dr. Luis Cisneros-Zevallos concluded two phenolic compounds were responsible for the cancer cell deaths.
Phenols are organic compounds that occur in fruits. Slightly acidic, phenols are associated with the color, smell and taste of specific fruits. In a statement to the media, Dr. Cisneros-Zevallos explained that two specific phenolic acid components -- known as chlorogenic and neochlorogenic compounds -- were responsible for killing the breast cancer cells in the AgriLife study. Although very common in fruits, stone fruits such as plums and peaches are especially rich in these types of phenols.
In addition to their successful research showing the stone fruit phenols killed breast cancer cells, the research team also found that animal studies provided even more evidence that the fruit extracts have power anti-cancer properties. The compounds prevented cancer from growing in animals given the fruit treatments.
As NaturalNews has reported, researchers are zeroing in on how a host of phytonutrients in foods are potent breast cancer fighters. For example, University of Michigan (U-M) Comprehensive Cancer Center scientists recently discovered that a natural component of broccoli and broccoli sprouts has the remarkable ability to target cancer stem cells -- the specific cells responsible for fueling the growth of cancerous breast tumors (http://www.naturalnews.com/028822_b...). In addition, University of Missouri scientists have found that curcumin, a popular Indian spice derived from the turmeric root, could reduce the risk of breast cancer risk in women exposed to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (http://www.naturalnews.com/026674_c...).
Monday, May 10, 2010
Health & Fitness Health :Fact vs. Fiction
Your heart, your brain – your entire body – benefits from exercise. In this chapter, we’ll bust the exercise myths that hold you back and help you set goals.
The Basics
There’s no need for a grueling gym workout. Learn the benefits of dancing, gardening, and more.
Health experts advise 30-90 minutes exercise daily. Is that realistic for you? Find out if 30 is enough for you.
If you want more flexibility, we’ve got the tips. These 18 moves will stretch all major muscle groups
Your Body
Sure, exercise makes you sweat. But working out is worth the effort. Here are seven good reasons to just do it. Click here to get started.
Research shows: couch potatoes have more belly fat. What’s the cure? Read on.
She’s battling high blood pressure with the perfect program. See the secret to her success in this video.
With this quick tool, you get a body mass index (BMI) number – an indicator of your body fat. Are you overweight? Find out.
You may be toned and tight, but can you carry a 60-pound suitcase downstairs? Learn about functional fitness.
If you’ve got mummy tummy, we’ve got ideas on losing those post-pregnancy pounds.
Your Mind
Boost brainpower, melt stress, and more – all with 20 or 30 minutes of daily exercise.
Working out makes you smarter, happier, and sharper. Find out the brain benefits of exercise.
When the world’s gone mad and stress is bad – exercise! Click here for stress-easing tips.
You’ve heard of runners’ high? It’s the truth – exercise lifts your spirits. Read on to learn more.
Truths & Myths
We’ve all heard it – no pain, no gain. Learn what’s real -- and what’s not -- about exercise.
Most beginners are prone to mistakes. Don’t let them derail your efforts.
Starting your day with exercise sets the day’s pace -- in ways you might not expect.
Blaming your metabolism for weight gain? You might be right. Learn more about metabolism – and how to pump it up.
Starting to work out? Focus on getting fit, not reducing fatness, experts say.
When it comes to working out, guys and girls are from different planets. Read about the fitness attitudes of the sexes.
Six Tricks to Double Your Calorie Burn
A plateau is a lovely thing when you get to it after hiking all day. It's not, when describing your fitness efforts!
Plateauing means that despite dragging your body to the gym every day, it's gone into slacker mode. Your weight won't budge, your muscles go on hiatus. Bikini season is only three months away. This is no time for your workout to conk out.
Enter The Hollywood Trainer, Jeanette Jenkins, with jumper cables. "People get into an exercise rut," says Jenkins, whose students have included Queen Latifah and Christina Applegate. "You can go to the gym for 30 minutes and burn 300 calories. Or go and burn 600. You can literally double the amount."
Here, she shows six ways to do that——techniques she perfected for her new super fat-blaster DVD, "Bikini Boot Camp." "In my other DVDs, even I dilly dallied—I put down the weights, took a little breather. But on this one, there's not a moment to think about resting. It's boom, boom, boom, next, next, next. We maximized the calorie burn for the time spent. And you can definitely do that with your own workout."
1. Combine upper and lower body: For example, instead of standing there doing biceps curls with dumbbells, add simultaneous stationary lunges.
2. Shuffle with your walk: During a 30-minute power walk, include 5 intervals of side shuffles lasting 60 seconds to 2 minutes each.
3. Insert cardio blasts: Instead of resting or texting between sets on the weight machines, do 25 to 30 jumping jacks, alternating knee lifts, or front kicks.
4. Wear a weighted vest: This will double your burn while walking, hiking, running, or taking a cardio class.
5. Do drop sets: For weight training, start off each set with the heaviest amount you can lift for 10 to 15 reps; then drop the weight 50 percent and continue to 25 reps.
6. Bump up your weights. While taking a sculpting class, push yourself to use 2 to 3 pounds more than you normally would. "It will make an incredible difference," says Jeanette.
Plateauing means that despite dragging your body to the gym every day, it's gone into slacker mode. Your weight won't budge, your muscles go on hiatus. Bikini season is only three months away. This is no time for your workout to conk out.
Enter The Hollywood Trainer, Jeanette Jenkins, with jumper cables. "People get into an exercise rut," says Jenkins, whose students have included Queen Latifah and Christina Applegate. "You can go to the gym for 30 minutes and burn 300 calories. Or go and burn 600. You can literally double the amount."
Here, she shows six ways to do that——techniques she perfected for her new super fat-blaster DVD, "Bikini Boot Camp." "In my other DVDs, even I dilly dallied—I put down the weights, took a little breather. But on this one, there's not a moment to think about resting. It's boom, boom, boom, next, next, next. We maximized the calorie burn for the time spent. And you can definitely do that with your own workout."
1. Combine upper and lower body: For example, instead of standing there doing biceps curls with dumbbells, add simultaneous stationary lunges.
2. Shuffle with your walk: During a 30-minute power walk, include 5 intervals of side shuffles lasting 60 seconds to 2 minutes each.
3. Insert cardio blasts: Instead of resting or texting between sets on the weight machines, do 25 to 30 jumping jacks, alternating knee lifts, or front kicks.
4. Wear a weighted vest: This will double your burn while walking, hiking, running, or taking a cardio class.
5. Do drop sets: For weight training, start off each set with the heaviest amount you can lift for 10 to 15 reps; then drop the weight 50 percent and continue to 25 reps.
6. Bump up your weights. While taking a sculpting class, push yourself to use 2 to 3 pounds more than you normally would. "It will make an incredible difference," says Jeanette.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Expert-Tested Shortcuts to Relieve Tension
I think everyone needs these kinds of symbolic tokens (a Gumby to represent flexibility, a kaleidoscope to represent new vision, even a beautiful postcard) to remind us of all we dream of, and to take us to a calmer place. If collecting stones, shells or tchotchkes doesn't sound appealing, why not try these expert-tested shortcuts to serenity:
Get repetitive
Doing simple movements again and again—I like doing leg stretches—can help distract you and lull you into a calmer state.
Say cheese
When you're feeling frazzled, inspire a smile by holding a pen between your teeth, which tricks your brain into grinning mode. You'll instantly feel happier and more relaxed. (Sometimes it's OK to fake it till you make it.)
Picture this
Vividly imagine a soothing object or scene, including sounds, images and aromas. The more pleasant your picture, the more your tension will dissipate. (I like to imagine the view of the bay in front of my little house in Long Island.)
Stretch it out
I like to do this stress-relieving stretch after I've been hunched over my keyboard, furiously answering e-mail. Extend your arms forward at chest level, rotating your right arm to the left (so your palm faces out). Use your left hand to bend right fingers back. Hold for 10 seconds; switch hands and repeat.
Bad habits can age you by 12 years
Four common bad habits combined — smoking, drinking too much, inactivity and poor diet — can age you by 12 years, sobering new research suggests. The findings are from a study that tracked nearly 5,000 British adults for 20 years, and they highlight yet another reason to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
Overall, 314 people studied had all four unhealthy behaviors. Among them, 91 died during the study, or 29 percent. Among the 387 healthiest people with none of the four habits, only 32 died, or about 8 percent.
The risky behaviors were: smoking tobacco; downing more than three alcoholic drinks per day for men and more than two daily for women; getting less than two hours of physical activity per week; and eating fruits and vegetables fewer than three times daily.
These habits combined substantially increased the risk of death and made people who engaged in them seem 12 years older than people in the healthiest group, said lead researcher Elisabeth Kvaavik of the University of Oslo.
The study appears in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine.
The healthiest group included never-smokers and those who had quit; teetotalers, women who had fewer than two drinks daily and men who had fewer than three; those who got at least two hours of physical activity weekly; and those who ate fruits and vegetables at least three times daily.
"You don't need to be extreme" to be in the healthy category, Kvaavik said. "These behaviors add up, so together it's quite good. It should be possible for most people to manage to do it."
For example, one carrot, one apple and a glass of orange juice would suffice for the fruit and vegetable cutoffs in the study, Kvaavik said, noting that the amounts are pretty modest and less strict than many guidelines.
The U.S. government generally recommends at least 4 cups of fruits or vegetables daily for adults, depending on age and activity level; and about 2 1/2 hours of exercise weekly.
Study participants were 4,886 British adults aged 18 and older, or 44 years old on average. They were randomly selected from participants in a separate nationwide British health survey. Study subjects were asked about various lifestyle habits only once, a potential limitation, but Kvaavik said those habits tend to be fairly stable in adulthood.
Death certificates were checked for the next 20 years. The most common causes of death included heart disease and cancer, both related to unhealthy lifestyles.
Kvaavik said her results are applicable to other westernized nations including the United States.
June Stevens, a University of North Carolina public health researcher, said the results are in line with previous studies that examined the combined effects of health-related habits on longevity.
The findings don't mean that everyone who maintains a healthy lifestyle will live longer than those who don't, but it will increase the odds, Stevens said.
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