30 Apr 2009

Breast Cancer Risks - Decrease Them

Despite progress of medical science, breast cancer continues its destructive effects in all social class, poor and rich, black and white. It is estimated that breast cancer will affects one woman in eight will develop cancer during their lifetime. With around 42 000 new cases each year, this disease is a real trouble in the feminine world; cancer is the most feared disease in the 21st century. However, if curing breast cancer is hypothetic, its prevention can be different; there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of its development or its reoccurrence (if you are already a victim):

Avoid Hormone therapy for menopause symptoms - menopause itself is not a disease, it is a natural hormonal change in your body that often occurs after age 45; but some hormonal treatment against the symptoms of menopause can have serious effects on your health. Long-term use of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) may lead to breast cancer. According to WHO (world Health Organization), MHT is a risk factor for breast cancer especially when taken for more than 5 years. In addition, Studies show that hormone therapy can also increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

Practice Prolonged Breastfeeding - it can sound old fashion, but studies have showed that prolonged breastfeeding reduces considerably the risk of developing breast cancer. Breastfeeding provides many benefits in the physical and mental development of the infant. By breastfeeding you increase the chance of your infant to be healthy, and decrease your risk of developing breast cancer. It’s not archaic to breastfeed; if times have changed, the causes leading to breast cancer remain the same, reduce your risk of breast cancer by breastfeeding your child.

Avoid contraceptive containing estrogen - as far as possible, use birth control (contraceptive) medications that do not contain synthetic estrogen hormones. In some women, estrogen tends to block the ovarian activity, and involves in the development of breast cancer or cancer of the uterus.

Treat Obesity – obesity (being overweight) increase the risk of breast cancer. Being overweight, especially after menopause, is associated with carcinogenesis of the normal cells of the breast. This risk is higher among women with high levels of estrogen (hormone). It is estimated that the fight against obesity could prevent more than 10,000 new cases of breast cancer per year. Therefore, eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly.

Practice regular physical exercise - physical inactivity may be relaxing, but its consequence is disease. Practicing 30 minutes of physical activity for at least 5 days a week can reduce 30% to 40% breast cancer risk. In addition, exercise fight against the signs of aging. Not only exercise can prevent formation of new cancer cells, but it can also kill cancer cells in their genesis. Whether you are a breast cancer victim, at risk or feel concerned, exercise is beneficial for you.

Avoid alcohol and tobacco use - The risk of breast cancer is higher with consumption of alcohol and tobacco. Even moderate consumption of alcohol and second hand smoking can increase the risk of breast cancer 20% to 30%. In addition to breast cancer, tobacco is the number one cause of oral and lung cancer.

Avoid Trans fat foods - Eat less fatty foods is important to be in good health. Many clinical studies have shown that trans fatty acids in the blood increase 50% the risk of breast cancer in women. Trans fatty acids are used in the food industry such as industrial rolls and biscuits, pastries, chips, pizza. The most common of trans fatty foods include french fries (8 grams in 1 medium piece), doughnuts (5 grams in 1), pound cake (4.5 grams in 1 slice), candy bar (40 grams in 1 bar), margarine (3 grams in 1 tablespoon), potato chips (43 grams in 1 bag), cookies (30 grams in 3), etc. Reduce these foods in your diet and increase your intake of omega-3, soybean products, fruits and cruciferous vegetables.

The Truths about Wine and Health

You may have heard many different rumors concerning red wine and how healthy it is for you. Some people, in fact, may go so far as to drink red wine for these supposed benefits even though they don?t actually like it! But it is really worth going out of your way to drink something you don?t like in an attempt to be more healthy?

Many studies, both older and more recent, have shown that drinking a moderate about of red wine can have several heath benefits, including heart benefits. In this case, ?moderate? is defined as a glass a day for women and two glasses a day for men. Many of these studies are focused on European countries, especially those near the Mediterranean. These studies are interesting because they show that even though most diets in the area are quite high in fat, the people living there have low LDL cholesterol levels and good HDL cholesterol levels (the bad and the good cholesterols, respectively). They also tend to have lower blood pressure. The one thing all of these people had in common was that they regularly drank a glass or two of red wine.

What is it about red wine that makes it so healthy? It comes from the antioxidants contains in the grapes used to make it. The seeds contain an antioxidant called resveratrol, while the skin contains flavonoids. The skin and the seeds are actually used in fermenting red wine, while they are not used in making white wine at all. This is why red wine has several health benefits while white wine does not. It is interesting to note, however, that several new studies involving white wine and other alcoholic drinks show that they may have some benefits as well. One study notes that white wine molecules are easier to absorb than those in red wine, for example.

While it is still being studied, many specialists believe resveratrol helps raise the HDL cholesterol levels in our body, which then helps to prevent blood from clotting. Flavonoids, likewise, also help prevent blood clots and can help prevent the formation of plaque in the arteries.

However, while there may be health benefits to drinking red wine, is it really worth the potential health risks of consuming alcohol? After all, we are taught that those who drink regularly may have a drinking problem. How safe is it to consume a glass of red wine daily? Actually, nutritionists have noted that the health benefits truly do outweigh any downsides, but they stress that red wine must be consumed in moderation. Drinking to excess is dangerous and will cause many more problems than benefits. Drinking too much can cause organ damage, obesity, and raise your blood pressure.

19 Apr 2009

Top 10 things you can do to have skin like a baby

Your outward appearance has quite a bit to do with just about every area of your life. In fact a person will decide if they like you in less than 30 seconds. So they end up using things like your clothes, speech, skin, hair and other subtle things to make this prejudgment. Unfortunately this is all the time that we have in many of the opportunities that come to us, whether they are financial or relationship opportunities. So your skin plays a major role in this process and it is one of the things that we have the least control over, or so you think. There are 10 things you can do to drastically enhance the appearance of your skin and give it the look of a 10 month old baby or at least better than what it currently is.

10. Wholesome, nutrient-rich diet. We'll start with the "duh" stuff first. Eat healthy foods, avoid candy and high in saturated fat products as well as yeast products. Skip the simple carbs and grab the whole wheat stuff instead. Avoiding tobacco and alcohol is very important. If you smoke you might as well skip the rest of the stuff mentioned here. It is the number one worst thing you can do for your skin. This of course includes avoiding drugs as well.

9. The phrase "beauty sleep" is actually 100% true. You need 8 hours of sleep each and EVERY night, no exceptions. Not much more to say here, just skip that late night tv show and get your sleep.

8. Drinking plenty of water. Almost all of the methods mentioned here are intended to create a more moisturized skin. This is obviously difficult to do if you're not getting enough water. The medical community recommends that women should drink 9 glasses of water per day, and men should drink 13 glasses of water each day. We say that the minimum is 8 glasses of some kind of liquid every day.

7. Minimize stress. This is one of those that's easier said than done. However when you know that in the next few days you have an important engagement, then try to avoid stressful situations such as slow down when you drive; wait to call your bank about the overdraft until after the engagement; try to resolve the argument you have with your significant other in a stress free way, etc. You can also do things to reduce that stress such as massages, aroma therapeutic teas and baths and I'm sure you have your own ways.

6. Sunscreen. This one is so easy to do and yet so many people don't do it. Sun rays or ultraviolet (UV) rays utterly destroy your skin so carry that sunscreen with you everywhere you go; not just to the beach. Pretty much anytime that you'll be outside for more than 30 minutes, that includes hiking, camping, fishing, etc, etc put that sunscreen on.

5. Lotion, Lotion, Lotion. Bath Lotion; use it right after the bath. Milk Bath Lotion; this one goes in the bath. Body Lotion; this one is for your body whenever your skin feels bit dry. Hand Lotion; same as body lotion except this is specifically for the hands. Look for lotions that have AHA in them as this is a wonderful restorative agent, especially if you have sun damaged skin.

4. SK-II. This little known product, that we have zero affiliation with, is impressive with its ability to restore youthful skin. Oddly enough it uses the same ingredients that are used to make the Japanese alcoholic drink, sake. Try it out for yourself and you may find, as we did, a new favorite among skin lotions.

3. HGH. For those of you in your 30's and older, one of the most beneficial things that you can do to improve your skin quality is an HGH supplement. Human growth hormones are naturally produced by your body and for some unknown reason your body creates less and less of these hormones as you get older. There is a significant amount of research done on HGH and most, if not all, results show that HGH therapy restored many of the functions that we had when we were young. We have yet to see someone who has taken HGH and has not seen an impressive difference in their skin quality. We also recommend that if you choose to take HGH that rather than using invasive products like shots, that you use a carefully researched all natural method, such as pills or sprays to restore HGH production.

2. Crazy mixtures. There are many of these that you can find. Some of the best ones include 1) Mix oats with honey, yogurt, and ground almonds then apply to skin for 20 minutes daily. 2) Mix a slice of pumpkin with egg yolk and milk then apply to skin for 20 minutes. 3) Mix milk and honey then apply to skin for 20 minutes. There are many recipes out there and they all claim that their method is the best. We like the results we get with these three. This is an experimental one where you should try all three or more (as you find more), and see which gives you the best results.

1. Crazy herbs. We believe that herbs are the number one best thing you can do to make your skin look absolutely amazing. Mix these herbal substances with either milk or honey and apply them for 20 minutes every day. Do not mix all of them together at first. In the beginning try one and see how your skin reacts to it. The next day try another. The 3rd day try mixing it with the one before. On the 4th day try a third herb. The 5th try mixing all of those; and so on until you get that mixture that yields that amazing skin that you've always wanted. In our opinion the best skin herbs are Turmeric, Tea Tree Oil, Sandal Wood, Neem, Rose Oil (or Rose Water), Basil, Saffron, Coconut Oil, Mint, and Betle Leaf.

Now that you know what you can do to drastically improve your skin appearance, do it and instead of dreading going in for that interview, business opportunity or on that dateArticle Search, start being excited about it.

Panic Disorder

Panic Disorder are sometimes attributed to tobacco smoking for long continuous periods. Cigarettes once smoked release smoke into the lungs. This smoke changes the environment inside the lungs through increased tar deposits. Such a situation triggers off a chain of reactions that leaves the smoker experiencing much anxiety. Inflammation of the respiratory system may also occur thus worsening the situation.

Alcohol once ingested immediately takes effect hence also contributing to panic disorders. Alcohol is most dangerous when a patient is trying to withdraw from its consumption. Alcohol interferes with normal brain functions. In its place the patient grows increasingly restless creating room for anxiety. This state serves to perpetuate panic attacks in the absence of anxiety medications.

The management of panic attacks can be tricky due to several reasons. Continued reliance on drugs will reverse any positive gains. Consistency in using medications is a requirement that many patients may find demanding. Antidepressants and anti anxiety drugs are some of the most common interventions. However medication for panic disorders must only be taken under prescription.

17 Apr 2009

Medicinal Values of Green Tea

Green tea is believed to be in use as a medicine for at least 4000 years in china. It is also believed that green tea lowers the cholesterol levels by increasing the good cholesterol and decreasing the bad cholesterol. Green tea is rich in antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) .It destroys cancer cells and also inhibits the growth of cancer cells. Even though the French people consume diet rich in fat, they are less prone to heart attack than the Americans. Similarly, even though 75 percent of the Japanese are smokers, they are less affected. This is because EGCG is more in green tea used by them. It acts as a protective agent against premature death from heart attack and cancer.

Green tea also destroys bacteria thus preventing tooth decay. Researchers have also found that green tea even helps dieters. The leaves of green tea can also be used for cooking. The leftover leaves can be used as manure for garden plants to grow better. The ingredient present in green tea is polyphenol. It is the most effective antioxidant. It is present in higher amount in green tea than in black tea.

The basic difference between green tea and other teas like oolong and black tea is that while the latter come from the leaves of camellia simens plant, green tea is processed in a different way. Green tea leaves are steamed which prevents the EGCG, a power antioxidant, from being oxidized. In contrast, black and oolong leaves are made from fermented leaves and so EGCG is converted into other compounds, which are effective in preventing and fighting various diseases.

Clinical trials indicate that green tea raises metabolic rates and speeds up fat oxidation. Green tea also raises thermo genesis (the rate at which calories are burnt) and hence increases energy expenditure. Green tea also increases endurance in exercise.

Drinking green tea has a whole lot of benefits like fighting against cancer, stabilizing diabetes, helping in weight loss, slowing the ageing process and helping digestion. Green tea also enhances immunity in our body. About four cups of green tea each day provides 300 to 400 mg of polyphenols, which help in antioxidant activity. These antioxidants help in slowing diseases. A research Institute in Tokyo found that drinking green tea is the best method to prevent cancer at present. All types of cancer like stomach, lungs, breast, liver, colon and rectal can be prevented by green tea.

Green tea prevents cholesterol from being absorbed by the digestive tract. This in effect means that even if the fat is taken, the body does not absorb it. Green tea also helps in preventing unhealthy clotting. Rinsing the mouth with green tea after meals helps in fighting bacteria and thus prevents cavities. One cup of tea with each meal acts as a metabolic stimulant. This helps in weight loss. The caffeine in the tea burns extra calories in the body and fat is digested by polyphenols. A recent study stated that EGCG found in green tea could help to boost one’s immune system thereby helping to prevent HIV.

And to top it all, green tea probably is the only substance in the world with so many medicinal values and without a single side effect!
 

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