Health

Tips on how to live a healthy lifestyle in a toxic environment.

Green Vegetables Increase Immunity

According to some leading Cambridge researchers, there really is a good reason why your daily diet should include healthy servings of fresh, green vegetables. Research studies conducted in England have shown that chemical compounds in green vegetables can boost the strength and efficiency of the immune system. Bok choy, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli are some of the cruciferous vegetables that are able to improve an individual’s natural defensive cells in a relatively short period of time.

It appears that there are some (intra-epithelial) lymphocytic cells that help protect the skin and the digestive tract. While there are many of these immune cells that are present in the body their numbers are quickly reduced by up to 80 percent when green vegetables are eliminated from the diet. This drop in cellular immunity occurs in as little time as 14-21 days.

A protein compound known as an Aryl Hydrocarbon receptor crucial to the proper functioning of these immune boosting cells. The AHr (aryl hydrocarbon receptors) are able to promote high numbers of these protective cells which in turn leads to maximum efficiency and strength of the immune system. Now that a direct link can be shown between the number of Aryl Hydrocarbon receptors and green vegetables it is easier to encourage people to add immunity boosting green veggies to their diet. While this does not mean that green vegetables are a ‘fountain of youth’ these foods may very well have a more important role to play in the human diet.

Getting Rid of Belly Fat

If you have had a child, chances are you’ve had belly fat at one point in your life. Many of us women gain belly fat before we get it anywhere else. And no matter how much we diet and exercise, it is often the last fat to go. Unfortunately, there are several health risks that come along with belly fat.

The Risk of Belly Fat

A recent study has found that belly fat can result in serious bone health issues, including an increase in bone marrow fat and a reduction in bone density. This increases your chances of developing osteoporosis later in life. It has been determined that belly fat compromises bone health more than fat on other parts of the body.

Many women with belly fat exercise less than those with firmer stomachs. Since exercise strengthens the bone, women who participate in regular exercise have healthier bones.

Women who have belly fat have a higher chance of experiencing heart attacks and strokes than women with fat elsewhere. If you have belly fat, your cells are more likely to be resistant to insulin, giving you a higher risk for developing high blood pressure, strokes, heart disease and premature death. Belly fat will also cause a calcium build up in your arteries.

How to Get Rid of Belly Fat

How do you get rid of belly fat? Of course eating right and following a regular exercise routine is the number one way to get rid of belly fat. Eat ground turkey rather than ground beef, eat whole wheat pasta rather than white and include plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet.

It is proven that if you follow a diet that is higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates and fat you will lose more weight than those who follow the pyramid diet. Furthermore, adding exercise that alternates between cardio and resistance training increases your chances of losing belly weight faster than those who stick to cardiovascular work only.

If you have a belly, don’t despair. You can get rid of it by changing your diet and starting an exercise plan that includes both cardio and strength training. You can do it!

5 Super Foods That Keep Your Heart Healthy

As you work to keep your diet healthy, you are probably thinking about heart health as well as weight loss. But what about arterial health? Clogged arteries are an invitation for high cholesterol and heart disease, so it is important to concentrate not only on your heart and waistline but on your arteries too.

There are five super foods you should include in your diet to keep your arteries healthy. These super foods have powerful disease fighting properties that will help to keep your arteries from becoming blocked.

Almonds: Nuts have fat, yes. But almonds contain monounsaturated fat which is considered to be a good fat. Monounsaturated fats can help to lower your cholesterol, keeping your arteries healthy. Almonds contain a healthy amount fiber and vitamin E as well. They help to control blood sugar and insulin levels. Try to eat two ounces of almonds at least five times during the week.

Salmon: Salmon is packed with Omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids stabilize your heart rate, lower your triglycerides (a blood fat) and slow down the growth of atheroscierotic plaque. Eat 12 ounces of fish weekly, as recommended by the FDA.

Broccoli: Steam broccoli lightly and enjoy its leafy, somewhat bitter taste because it is that slight bitterness that contains cancer-fighting chemicals. Broccoli is known for its cancer fighting properties, detoxifying harmful chemicals in your blood stream.

Green Tea: Green tea contains antioxidants called polyphenois. Some are thought to cause cancer cells to die, while it is known that green tea controls blood sugar and lowers cholesterol. Try some with a bit of organic honey and a sprig of mint. Delicious and healthy!

Blueberries: Blueberries are simply packed with healthy antioxidants. Try frozen blueberries in smoothies, eat them frozen as a snack or add them to healthy cereal and yogurt. Blueberries help to neutralize free radicals which can damage your DNA.

Mold Illness in Children, What to Know

Did you know that mold growing in your home may be more likely causing an allergic reaction rather than a toxic one? Could your children be having symptoms or possibly an allergic reaction? What can you do if your children have been or are being exposed to mold?

Many articles online focus more on the toxicity of the mold, rather than the daily allergic reaction you may be experiencing from the mold. Yes, mold can be toxic, but you are more likely to have a toxic reaction from ingesting food containing mold than inhaling it. The more probable reaction you have will be an allergic reaction from inhaling the mold.

Mold contains spores that are easily released into the air and inhaled, thereby causing an allergic reaction. You can find mold in dark, musty places such as closets, attics and basements. It is also found in bathrooms, kitchens, in areas filled with clutter, leaves and grass piles. There are 80 different types of molds that can cause respiratory symptoms or distress. Asthma is a common reaction to inhaling molds, as well as sneezing, itchy eyes and possible sinus infections.

If you think the mold in your home is toxic, bring in a professional to make that determination. There are also test kits you can order online that will tell you if your mold is toxic. Most likely, your mold is just ?plain old regular mold,? and can be causing you and your family allergic symptoms that are preventable. Clean your showers with a combination of bleach and water. Open your shower curtain or door and allow daylight to shine in from the window if at all possible. Remove clutter from your home ? especially in closets and tight spaces. If you find mold or mildew, wash it with a mild solution of bleach and water. Allow to air dry, and then spray some Lysol on it for good measure. Keep all areas well ventilated, clear and dry.

Soothe and Smooth Essential Oil Blend

I just ordered the new “Soothe and Smooth” essential oil blend from Eden’s Garden. After reading the wonderful reviews about how glorious this blend smells in addition to how much it improves skin conditions, I decided to place my order. My daughter suffers from Eczema and my dry skin needs some refreshing! All of the oils in this blend have healing properties, anti-aging properties and more.

The “Soothe and Smooth” blend has oils in it that I would blend together on my own but thankfully I don’t need to order 14-15 bottles of the various single oils to make it. Another thing that I love about Eden’s Garden is that they have a section on their website showing what oils are safe for kids. Love it!

Essential Oils in Soothe and Smooth Blend

Lavender
Seabuckthorn Berry
Rosehip
Marigold Flower
Pine

Evening Primrose
Geranium
Frankincense
E. Indian Sandalwood
Roman Chamomile

German Chamomile
Gurjun Balsam
Vanilla
Rose
Helichrysum

Reviews from some readers:

I don’t make money from sharing this, just so excited to order it today. I’ve been impressed with all the oils I’ve gotten from Eden’s Garden over the past two years and have no complaints. Pricing is so much better than the MLM brands. From my research, and they’ll argue with me about the quality and difference between the brands, I haven’t noticed anything different other than the smell and I’ve done a lot of research. All brands have their own individual smell depending on their source. One essential oil may be sourced from India and another brand of the same oil may come from Bosnia, yet they smell somehow different.

I plan to add this blend to some beeswax and cocoa butter for a body lotion and face serum. In addition, I’ll make a healing balm with it using the oils, coconut oil and beeswax. The different DIY products you can make from this is endless to help health minded folks like us move away from the toxic ingredients in many drugstore products. Let me know if you’ve tried it, yet.

You can use it in the body butter recipe and healing balm, I posted both here, Body Butter Recipe.

How to Avoid Migraine Triggers

As I sit here looking at my computer screen, I realize that I am not seeing the letters clearly, I think maybe I need new glasses. It’s been a couple years, yes it is time. Then I remember that this has occurred before and the computer screen is one of my migraine triggers. I should probably get off the computer.

As an at-home web developer, I am on my computer all day so when things are difficult to read, I know I need to take a break to avoid getting a migraine that can take me off-line for days. The lighting on my screen is a trigger for me. My work load is high right now, so that would not be a good thing. It’s better to take the rest of the day off and restart tomorrow well rested without having to deal with a headache that makes you put your head under a blanket because light and sound are almost impossible to bear.

For triggers that can set off a migraine, see below. Some I didn’t know but at this moment a few of these are apparent, lacking sleep, overly tired and so busy with work that I have forgotten to eat and probably haven’t had enough water. This is a terrible pattern I know but when a client has malware on their website and Google blacklists it, you may need to stay up all night to fix it. Not that I did that, no not at all!

I didn’t realize that exercise could trigger a migraine, good reason to not go to the gym, ever, lol. The last one looked like “Certain Smiles” so I think it’s time to turn off the computer and hope to avoid this headache. Bye for now. Things may be clearer tomorrow.

Common Migraine Triggers

Stress
Menstrual periods
Changes in your normal sleep pattern
Extreme fatigue
Certain foods and drinks
Too much caffeine or withdrawal from it
Skipping meals or fasting
Dehydration
Changes in the weather
Exercise
Smoking
Bright, flickering lights
Certain smells

How to Avoid Migraine Triggers

Eat regular meals and don’t skip any.
Reduce caffeine. Doing so too fast can cause a migraine in some people so slowly decrease it.
Get enough sleep and set up a good sleeping pattern.
Decrease your stress levels and spend more time with people you care about. Meditate or pray more and exercise, unless it is one of your triggers.
Drink more water!
Give up smoking. Again do so slowly.

Identifying your triggers is the first step. Writing down the foods you ate and what you were doing when your migraine began can be an important factor in avoiding them. Asking yourself questions like, have I gotten enough sleep, have I been stressed and so on. WebMD has some good suggestions to help treat migraines and is a good read.