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Category: Nutrition

GET RID OF WATER SWELLING, NATURALLY

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From time to time, all of us have experienced  swelling in our feet, ankles, and hands. It is usually simple water retention. Pregnancy and injury are also causes of peripheral swelling or edema. Whether it is natural or another cause, it is uncomfortable and often unsightly.

Pregnancy will almost always produce some water swelling. In certain cases, even after giving birth, swelling or edema can occur. Most of the time, it isn’t serious, however, if it persists longer than a month, you should see your physician.

Injury, such as sprains from activities, can also cause swelling. This usually causes pain in addition to the swelling because of the inflammation caused by the injury. In these cases, prescribed or natural anti-inflammatories can bring a great deal of relief.

Water retention and edema can also be caused by lifestyle. Increased physical activity and dietary changes can help a great deal—whether for short-term relief, or to keep the condition from recurring. Some tips:
• Raise your feet above your heart as often as possible.
• Cranberry juice and dandelion tea have excellent diuretic effects.
• Reduce your sodium and caffeine intake.
• Reduce red meat and add fish three to five times a week and add or increase the fruits and vegetables in your meal plans.
• Carrots, asparagus, leafy greens, pineapple, and watermelon have particularly good diuretic effects and…
• Drink plenty of water.

If you are currently under a physician’s care for your condition, be sure to check with them before you add or replace your medical regime with a natural one. The company with whom I am associated provides many wellness solutions that can assist you in your switch to a less prescription based solution to your water retention and swelling in your extremities. Take the time to read the attached article from LiveStrong for some additional details and information.

Maturing Skin

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Usually, around the age of 50, we experience some significant changes in the character of our skin. Bruising occurs, usually on our hands and forearms, but many times on our feet, ankles and our calves. Our face and neck begin to lose volume as well. It is called aging.

There are some things you can do to slow down, arrest and even reverse this process. As the body ages, the ability of the body to produce collagen is reduced. There are some creams and serums that can help, sometimes significantly. The most effective way to reverse collagen loss is, not surprisingly, from within.

Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies, especially type 1 Collagen is found in our skin obviously, but it is also in the make up of our bones muscles, tendons, gut, blood vessels and even our teeth, But for this discussion, as collagen production is reduced, it leaves us with sagging skin, wrinkles, and joint pain.

As the available collagen in our skin is diminished, the skin thins. It tears more easily on the outside, causing wounds and on the inside causing sometimes unexplainable bruising that is ugly and many times enduring. Since collagen is so vital to the many inner-workings of our bodies, why not encourage your body to produce more collagen with some natural collagen boosters.

Your diet is one way. Foods like blueberries, dark leafy greens, garlic, eggs, mangoes, carrots, sweet potatoes and white tea, all stimulate the production of Collagen. In addition, take hydration seriously and drink plenty of water.

Vitamin supplementation with vitamin C and A, as well as B-12 and even amino acids, will aid your body in manufacturing more collagen. The attached bulletin from MEDILINE will tell you more. As you choose your supplementation regime, remember that the quality of your vitamins and other elements like the aminos, does make a difference. I’m associated with a company that has developed and manufactures some of the highest quality products on the market.

Red Wine Has Many Benefits

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That glass of red wine y at the end of your day or with your evening meal can provide more than just good taste. The article link below from Prevention explains the incredible benefits of drinking one (or even two) glasses of red wine every day.

Red wine is an important part of the “proven healthy” Mediterranean diet. Red wine contains resveratrol, which has been proven to produce many health benefits. It not only reduces LDL (bad) cholesterol, it increases HDL (good) cholesterol.

It protects your heart in other ways, too. The antioxidants in red wine can keep blood vessels flexible and reduce the risk of clotting. It is nearly as effective as an aspirin protocol without the risks of harm to your gut. Resveratrol also helps control blood sugar.

Resveratrol also can keep your memory sharp as you age. It inhibits the formation of beta-amyloid protein that causes plaque in the brain and has been connected with the onset of Alzheimer’s. If you hate getting sick, even things as minor as a cold can be guarded against by the antioxidants in red wine. The article also shares other benefits

The company I have partnered with has formulated several products that contain the good and science proven extracts of grapes so I am sure that I get enough resveratrol even if I don’t drink that glass of red wine. But who would pass that “life’s pleasure”? Cheers.

www.prevention.com/health/healthy-living/health-benefits-of-red-wine

http://makegreengogreen.com/article/red-wine-has-many-benefits?barbarahay

Sweet Potatoes

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400% of your daily vitamin A requirements are provided by one medium sweet potato. The article below from MedicalNewsToday tells us the health benefits don’t stop there. Along with that generous dose of Vitamin A, sweet potatoes contain loads of fiber and potassium.

The additional benefits of this magical “spud” include decreasing the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and overall mortality. Read on and you will be informed of how each of these risks as well as blood pressure, cancer, digestion, fertility, immunity, inflammation and even vision are affected by the nutritionally packed sweet potato.

Find ways in your daily diet to include this recognized “super food” and your health can and will be, improved. As you read on you will find additional ways that make it easy to adapt your daily food intake to include more sweet potatoes, more often.

Several of the supplemental products I use include sweet potato extracts, which helped me make these dietary transitions. They’re easy to use and very tasty and affordable. So the next time you reach for that white ”baker”, think a little bit sweeter and pop in a sweet and get some big advantages.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/281438.php

http://makegreengogreen.com/article/sweet-potatoes?barbarahay

CAPSAICIN. IT’S MORE THAN JUST A WEIGHT LOSS TOOL

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Capsaicin is a molecular compound found in spicy peppers. It contains no calories or additional nutrients. It is used by many as a weight-loss supplement, sometimes in the form of cayenne pepper. It is extremely effective at “cranking” up your metabolism. While capsaicin can be quite effective in the weight-loss regime, there are other reasons to make it part of your diet.

Capsaicin, various studies show, has many more additional benefits. It may be helpful in delaying the spread of prostate cancer, according to a study at the UCLA School of Medicine. It can also be helpful and effective against H. pylori induced gastritis, which is a precursor of gastric cancer.

It may also be useful in fighting breast cancer, the second most fatal cancer in women. It has the ability to induce apoptosis in specific breast cancer cells. Another study in South Korea found that capsaicin might also kill breast cancer stem cells, which can avoid the recurrence of new, additional cancer cells. There is also evidence that capsaicin has an impact on primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), a form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma associated with HIV. In general, research abounds regarding the cancer preventing dimensions of capsaicin.

Capsaicin can be used to diminish the suffering of cluster headaches. It is a proven pain reliever, especially in cream form for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and certain other joint pain. It is also can be used to relieve the dry itchy skin of psoriasis. It has been very useful in reducing the reactions of blood sugar and insulin

And, yes, it is very effective in speeding the metabolism associated with lower body weight. It also suppresses appetite and increases overall physical endurance and athletic performance, a necessary component of successful weight-loss.

This article by Dr. Axe in the bulletin: Food is Medicine. Will give you a lot more detail.

Some of the things I was looking for and found in a supplement containing capsaicin was that it also contains green tea complex and green coffee bean extract. So pepper up your diet and get all of the benefits of capsaicin.

 

 

http://saferhousehold.com/article/capsaicin-its-more-than-just-a-weight-loss-tool-705?barbarahay

PROPER HYDRATION IS MORE THAN QUENCHING THIRST

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We all know that when we are thirsty, we reach for a beverage. Eight glasses of water a day, they say. Most of us do not thirst for eight glasses a day but there are good reasons, beyond thirst, to consume that much or even more.

Since your brain is composed of 80% water by weight, being dehydrated will prevent you from thinking clearly. If you find yourself with “fuzzy” thinking or without an accurate short-term memory, dehydration may be the cause. Even a two percent shortfall, can evoke these effects.

Similarly, dehydration can cause mood swings because water is required to transport nutrients and hormones to your system. At the same time, water (or hydration) transports waste. When it doesn’t, the function falls to amino acids (tryptophan and tyrosine) two mood elevators that, when they are used up, can cause depression.

Joint lubrication is also a function of proper hydration. Stiffness and even “faux” hydration can be caused by the lack of proper hydration. This explains why people with vigorous exercise regimes pay careful attention to adequate hydration levels.

Asthma and allergies are also linked to dehydration. The body produces additional histamines that seek water in the body. Histamines also regulate the muscles in your bronchial tubes. Most important, increased water intake correlates with overall better health.

Several drinks like coffee and alcohol actually have diuretic effects, even though they are liquids and can increase dehydration levels. Sports drinks can help with dehydration because they not only contain water but electrolytes. I choose to hydrate with a drink mix that provides 4 electrolytes (calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium) and not just the two provided in traditional sports beverages. So drink up. It’s good for you…in a lot of ways.

 

 

http://saferhousehold.com/article/proper-hydration-is-more-than-quenching-thirst-1?barbarahay

New Research Discovers That Depression Is An Allergic Reaction To Inflammation

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New research is revealing that many cases of depression are caused by an allergic reaction to inflammation. It appears that people suffering from depression are loaded with cytokines, a class of proteins that facilitate intercellular communication. Inflammation is caused by obesity, high sugar diets, high quantities of trans fats, unhealthy diets in general, and other causes.

By treating the inflammatory symptoms of depression — rather than the neurological ones — researchers and doctors are opening up an exciting new dimension in the fight against what has become a global epidemic.   This  article in FeelGuide  explains the inflammation theory.

In the meantime, it may be a good idea to keep taking those nutritional supplements an antioxidants.  I have had tremendous results using products from a 30 year old company that develops and manufactures the most effective supplements available to consumers without prescription.

 

Probiotics & Digestion

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Gastrointestinal problems are more and more common in today’s stress-filled world.  This article from Naturally Savvy points out some of the symptoms like belching, diarrhea, constipation, and nausea among others.

Poor digestion symptoms like these indicate an imbalance in your intestinal microflora that can lead to more serious disease. There are foods you can eat that can help replenish these “good” bacteria, as this article explains, but in most cases where this is a serious problem, supplementation with a strong probiotic can be indicated.

If you think probiotics are just for your digestive health, you are mistaken. The health benefits of good bacteria are endless. Protection (and even reversal) of autoimmune disease, mental health (depression) are caused in the enteric nervous system, which regulates autonomic functions.

No yogurt is not enough. As you read on you will be amazed at the number of infirmities that are caused by bacterial imbalances in your gut, including cancer, skin health, cholesterol and osteoporosis.

If you are really concerned with a genuinely healthy body and mind, you should consider a probiotic regime. It is surprisingly easy and affordable.