Friday, December 27, 2013
7 tricks to keep your skin glowing
Feeling saggyskinned and tired within? Here are seven surprising tricks to keep your skin at the pink of its health
You may have heard how shunning the sun does wonders for your skin or how stress releases hormones that worsen acne, eczema and other skin conditions. But a round up of the latest research around the world tells you new ways to keep your skin radiant. Here are seven easyto-follow ways of retaining the shine on your face:
Revive your face
When your face feels dull and exhausted, rejuvenate it and brighten your face with this simple skin patting technique using the soft pads of your fingertips. As your eyes are likely to develop eye-bags due to fluid retention, start at the top of the cheek bones. Pat with your fingers quickly towards the nose, then back to the cheek bones in an upward motion, coming around to the temples and upward across the brows.
After that, apply some moisturiser using upward strokes, moving up the neck to the jawline. Purse your lips as you tap at the outer corners of the mouth and then on the cheeks. Soon, you will notice your skin turning into pink, which is essentially a rush of oxygen that's brightening and tightening your face.
Sleep straight
Your best bet for smoother, wrinkle-free skin is to sleep face up, on your back. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, sleeping in the same position can lead to wrinkles that don't disappear once you're up. Also, sleeping on your side increases wrinkles on the cheeks and chin, while sleeping face down gives you a furrowed brow.
Rub-a-dub-dub
Not only does it feel great, a facial massage can help stimulate your skin's fibroblasts (connective cells) to release collagen and restore some of the elasticity that gets lost with age. But don't pay someone to do it. Just five minutes a night, massaging in your favourite moisturiser, using tender, sweeping movements, will have just the same effect.
White bread dread
To avoid spots on your skin, keep away from white bread. Although doctors say diet has no bearing on acne, a recent Australian study showed that a L o w - G l y c e m i c Index Diet helped decrease spots. This means swapping white refined carbs such as bread, cereal and pasta for wholemeal varieties.
Sunscreen secret
Studies show that right-handed people put more sunscreen on the left side of their body than their right and vice-versa. This means important areas miss out on adequate sun protection. Try swapping hands during application to ensure more even coverage.
Red wine's fine
Grapes contain resveratrol, which is one of the most powerful anti-ageing antioxidants yet discovered. Studies suggest it can help maintain a youthful complexion by fighting damaging free radicals. A small glass of red wine every other day will boost your intake. Don't overdo it though, for obvious reasons.
Wish on a fish
At the end of it all, fat is what maintains healthy skin. In particular, getting more of the essential omega-3 fats found in salmon and other oily fish can help keep skin supple and ease conditions like eczema. US dermatologists even credit omega-3s with reducing skin inflammation that is responsible for sagging and wrinkles. One to two portions a week will boost your intake.
Working on weight loss? Then you probably want results -- fast.
Let me save you some time: skip the fad diets. Their results don't last. And you have healthier options you can start on -- today!
You can safely lose 3 or more pounds a week at home with a healthy diet and lots of exercise, says weight loss counselor Katherine Tallmadge, RD.
How to Lose Weight Fast
If you burn 500 more calories than you eat every day for a week, you should lose about 1-2 pounds.
If you want to lose weight faster, you'll need to eat less and exercise more.
For instance, if you take in 1,050 to 1,200 calories a day, and exercise for one hour per day, you could lose 3-5 pounds in the first week, or more if you weigh more than 250 pounds. It's very important not to cut calories any further -- that's dangerous.
Limiting salt and starches may also mean losing more weight at first -- but that's mostly fluids, not fat.
"When you reduce sodium and cut starches, you reduce fluids and fluid retention, which can result in up to 5 pounds of fluid loss when you get started," says Michael Dansinger, MD, of NBC's The Biggest Loser show.
Diets for Fast Weight Loss
Dansinger recommends eating a diet that minimizes starches, added sugars, and animal fat from meat and dairy foods. For rapid weight loss, he recommends focusing on fruits, veggies, egg whites, soy products, skinless poultry breasts, fish, shellfish, nonfat dairy foods, and 95% lean meat.
Here are more tips from Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, author of The Flexitarian Diet :
Eat vegetables to help you feel full.
Drink plenty of water.
Get tempting foods out of your home.
Stay busy -- you don't want to eat just because you're bored.
Eat only from a plate, while seated at a table. No grazing in front of the 'fridge.
Don't skip meals.
Keeping a food journal -- writing down everything you eat -- can also help you stay on track.
"Even if you write it down on a napkin and end up throwing it away, the act of writing it down is about being accountable to yourself and is a very effective tool for weight loss," says Bonnie Taub Dix, MA, RD, author of Read It Before You Eat It .
Besides jotting down what you ate, and when, you might also want to note how you were feeling right before you ate it. Were you angry, sad, or bored? We often focus so much on foods and calories, but our emotions are a huge part of our eating habits.
If you see a persistent pattern in your emotional eating, please consider talking to a counselor about it. They can be a big help in finding other ways to handle your feelings.
It's time to move more! Losing weight requires close to an hour a day of moderate exercise, one study shows.
Plan to do cardio and strength training.
"Cardio burns the most calories, so it is ideal for fast weight loss, but afterward you need to include a few hours a week of strength training," Dansinger says. To burn the most fat, try to break a sweat after your warm-up and keep sweating for the entire hour, Dansinger says.
If you're not exercising now, and you have a chronic condition or a lot of weight to lose, it's wise to check in with your health care provider first. They'll be rooting for you! And they'll make sure that you're ready to work out.
Pace yourself. Don't do too much, too soon -- work your way up to help prevent injury.
One way to step up the intensity is to do interval training -- brief bursts of high-intensity, followed by a more mellow pace, and repeating that pattern throughout your workout.
"Interval training allows people to work harder without having to spend the entire time at the higher level, and over time, the more you do it, the easier it becomes to burn more calories," Blatner says.
Fad Diets and Crash Diets
I know how tempting diet crazes can sound, especially if you have a lot of weight to lose. You hear about stars who did it and look incredible.
But remember, if a diet plan sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Also, please skip any programs that promote detoxification pills, laxatives, fasting, or potions, and any that promise weight loss faster than 2-3 pounds per week.
The truth is that cutting calories below 1,050-1,200 per day is counterproductive, because you need strong muscles to be able to exercise effectively.
"When you eat too few calories, you lose fat but also precious muscle, which is the worst thing you could do because it slows your metabolism and makes it more difficult to increase exercise intensity or duration," Dansinger says.
Fad diets also set you up for failure by depriving you of what you want. You can't eat like that for long, and it's too likely that you'll rebel and end up back where you started. You deserve better than that!
So by all means, attack your weight loss goal. Put it on the fast track. But please, do it right so you set yourself up for lasting success.
Diets for Fast Weight Loss
Dansinger recommends eating a diet that minimizes starches, added sugars, and animal fat from meat and dairy foods. For rapid weight loss, he recommends focusing on fruits, veggies, egg whites, soy products, skinless poultry breasts, fish, shellfish, nonfat dairy foods, and 95% lean meat.
Here are more tips from Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, author of The Flexitarian Diet :
Eat vegetables to help you feel full.
Drink plenty of water.
Get tempting foods out of your home.
Stay busy -- you don't want to eat just because you're bored.
Eat only from a plate, while seated at a table. No grazing in front of the 'fridge.
Don't skip meals.
Keeping a food journal -- writing down everything you eat -- can also help you stay on track.
"Even if you write it down on a napkin and end up throwing it away, the act of writing it down is about being accountable to yourself and is a very effective tool for weight loss," says Bonnie Taub Dix, MA, RD, author of Read It Before You Eat It .
Besides jotting down what you ate, and when, you might also want to note how you were feeling right before you ate it. Were you angry, sad, or bored? We often focus so much on foods and calories, but our emotions are a huge part of our eating habits.
If you see a persistent pattern in your emotional eating, please consider talking to a counselor about it. They can be a big help in finding other ways to handle your feelings.
It's time to move more! Losing weight requires close to an hour a day of moderate exercise, one study shows.
Plan to do cardio and strength training.
"Cardio burns the most calories, so it is ideal for fast weight loss, but afterward you need to include a few hours a week of strength training," Dansinger says. To burn the most fat, try to break a sweat after your warm-up and keep sweating for the entire hour, Dansinger says.
If you're not exercising now, and you have a chronic condition or a lot of weight to lose, it's wise to check in with your health care provider first. They'll be rooting for you! And they'll make sure that you're ready to work out.
Pace yourself. Don't do too much, too soon -- work your way up to help prevent injury.
One way to step up the intensity is to do interval training -- brief bursts of high-intensity, followed by a more mellow pace, and repeating that pattern throughout your workout.
"Interval training allows people to work harder without having to spend the entire time at the higher level, and over time, the more you do it, the easier it becomes to burn more calories," Blatner says.
Fad Diets and Crash Diets
I know how tempting diet crazes can sound, especially if you have a lot of weight to lose. You hear about stars who did it and look incredible.
But remember, if a diet plan sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Also, please skip any programs that promote detoxification pills, laxatives, fasting, or potions, and any that promise weight loss faster than 2-3 pounds per week.
The truth is that cutting calories below 1,050-1,200 per day is counterproductive, because you need strong muscles to be able to exercise effectively.
"When you eat too few calories, you lose fat but also precious muscle, which is the worst thing you could do because it slows your metabolism and makes it more difficult to increase exercise intensity or duration," Dansinger says.
Fad diets also set you up for failure by depriving you of what you want. You can't eat like that for long, and it's too likely that you'll rebel and end up back where you started. You deserve better than that!
So by all means, attack your weight loss goal. Put it on the fast track. But please, do it right so you set yourself up for lasting success.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
TEN TIPS FOR MAINTAINING A HEALTHY BRAIN FROM
Smoking represents a major risk factor for cancer, heart disease and stroke. These leading causes of death represent an ongoing concern for all Americans. Nonsmokers might consider taking an empathetic approach to smokers who are trying to quit, and parents might use a "tough love" approach with their children to make sure they don't even start.
Tip 2: Follow your physician's advice.
Your relationship with your physician is critical to your health. Remember, though, that as a consumer of health services your doctor is your employee, so establish a good working relationship based on the understanding that you are the boss of your body. We must develop a proactive attitude toward maintaining our health and take responsibility to change those aspects of our lifestyles that are minimizing our longevity potential. Our physicians can help guide this process.
Tip 3: Exercise regularly.
Exercise and physical activity continue to emerge as primary components of a healthy lifestyle at any age. Aerobic exercise, weight training and recreation are critical not just to our cardiovascular health but to our brain health, as well. Every time our heart beats, 25 percent of its output goes to our brains-quite a large market share! Clearly, maintaining efficient blood flow to our brains through regular exercise promotes health. If you don't exercise regularly, start by walking around the block tonight and build from there.
Tip 4: Reduce the overall calories you consume daily.
We Americans tend not to underconsume anything-including food. Yet the leading factor for longevity in animals is caloric restriction. This finding has yet to be demonstrated in humans. However, provided you get your daily nutritional needs from the USDA'S food pyramid, you should pay close attention to how much you eat. Follow the advice two physicians gave me: N ever go to bed stuffed, and eat only 80 percent of what you intend to consume at every meal.
Tip 5: Socialize and have fun.
We Americans specialize in stress, with little understanding of how to have fun. We need more time to socialize, celebrate and laugh! Some of us have walls around us that keep other people away. As humans, though, we need to be engaged and to be social. Kofi Annan, the secretary general of the United Nations, once stated that every time "we lose an elder from our village, we lose a library." If we begin to think of everyone as a library, it becomes clear that we can learn from others.
Tip 6: Develop your spirituality.
Evidence continues to emerge that prayer is a health-promoting behavior and that attendance at formalized places of worship may have more significance to our health than we understand. Meditation, yoga, relaxation procedures and prayer have neurophysiological bases. They help to alter our existing homeostasis for the better. Praying or meditating daily can help us combat the stresses of life and focus on the challenges ahead.
Tip 7: Engage in mentally stimulating activities.
"Mental stimulation" refers to the ways our brains respond to stimuli in the environment. Novel and complex stimuli are health-promoting for the brain. New learning translates to neurophysiological growth and to mental stimulation in the same way that aerobics translates to cardiovascular health. We can benefit from being challenged, from learning information and skills that we do not yet understand, and from engaging in pursuits that are initially hard for us!
Tip 8: Maintain your role and sense of purpose.
Retirement as it is presently envisioned in this country is not good for the human brain, which benefits from environments rich in novel and complex stimuli. Retirement by definition reinforces disengagement and passivity. Our nation might consider prioritizing social engagement across the lifespan-from a brain-health perspective. Although it is important to allow elders to choose more passive lifestyles, many may benefit from an understanding of the importance of actively participating in society and finding personally relevant roles and senses of purpose.
Tip 9: Seek financial stability.
Research clearly demonstrates that having some money late in life correlates with better health. Therefore, a practical tip for maintaining lifelong health is to hire a financial planner and begin a savings plan that will provide some money late in life. Financial planners do not consider themselves to be health promoters, but they are. We are never too young or too old to begin saving, and the less money we make the faster we need to get started!
Tip 10: Engage family and friends.
Developing and maintaining a social network of relationships is important from a health perspective. Our friends and family help us stay active and involved in the fabric of society. They can provide us with emotional support and can nurture trust. Our roles in life, from child to parent to grandparent, exist within the family; they provide much health and human enrichment across the lifespan. And intimacy, broadly defined, is itself a health-promoting behavior at any age.
10 reasons why you should drink green tea
Helps you lose weight
If you want to cut those extra inches around your tummy, switching to green tea could be a simpler way. A new study shows that green tea extract increases the rate of calorie burning by the body. It reduces blood fat, cholesterol, bloated ness, detoxifies the body and suppresses untimely food cravings. Enabled with diuretic properties, it also eliminates excess water and thereby reduces excess weight. So the best way to get rid of that paunch is to have green tea along with the right amount of bodily exercise.
Boosts exercise endurance
According to scientists, antioxidants present in green tea extracts increase body’s ability to burn fat as fuel which accounts for improved muscle endurance. It also enhances energy levels and boosts your metabolism.
Reduces the risk of heart attack
Drinking green tea rapidly improves the health of body cells lining the blood vessels and also helps in lowering one`s risk for heart disease.The flavonoids present in this tea protect the heart by relaxing the blood vessels so blood can flow more easily.So,protect your heart and have green tea on a regular basis.
Fights against various cancers
The antioxidants in tea helps protect against a shipload of cancers, including breast, colon, colorectal, skin, lung, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, pancreas, liver, ovarian, prostate and oral cancers. Green tea extract is reported to induce cancer cell death and starve tumours by curbing the growth of new blood vessels that feed them.
Hydration benefits
If you love drinking green tea then there is good news for you.Contrary to common belief that tea dehydrates,green tea provides hydration benefits similar to water.Tea not only rehydrates as well as water does, it also has many other health benefits.
Protection from harmful ultraviolet rays
The sun’s UV rays in summer act as a constant threat. Green tea is rich in antioxidants that scavenge harmful free radicals in the body according to researches. Also using green tea extracts along with your sunscreen could afford you the greatest level of sun protection.
Keeps Diabetes in check
Green tea can do wonders to a person suffering from diabetes.Green tea apparently helps regulate glucose levels slowing the rise of blood sugar. It also triggers and stimulates insulin production and activates the functioning of pancreas to some extent.Blood sugar level in the body is also normalized and regularized by the use of green tea.
Polyphenols in green tea may help maintain the parts of brain that regulate learning and memory. So, regular consumption of green tea could help in prevention of degenerative and neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson`s.
Anti- Ageing benefits
Antioxidants found in green tea fight free radicals thereby keeping a check on ageing and promoting longevity.Because it contains high levels of oligomeric proanthocyanidins one of the most powerful antioxidants, Green Tea is thought to help slow down the premature ageing process.
Boosts your immunity
Polyphenols and Flavonoids present in green tea boost the immune system to make the human body stronger in fighting various infections. Also, Vitamin C present in green tea keeps cold and flu away.
How to Take Care of Your Eyes
1-Eat lots of fruits and veggies! Carrots, loaded with beta carotene are especially helpful in maintaining healthy eyes. That's because beta carotene is an antioxidant that reduces the risk of macular degeneration
- Broccoli, bell peppers, and brussels sprouts are also great for your eyes, containing lots of vitamin C. Okay, they're not the greatest tasting vegetables in the world (or maybe you love them, in which case good for you!) so dip them in hummus or other yummy yogurt spreads to make them palatable.
- Wild salmon and sardines are also healthy options for your eyes. That's because they contain omega-3 fats, which are the good fats for your body. These omega-3s protect tiny blood vessels in the eyes.
- Sweet potatoes and spinach round out the healthy options for maintaining good eyes. Both contain beta carotene, and spinach contains lots of vitamin C, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Make the sweet spuds into home-fries with a bit of olive oil, and make spinach into a tasty side or a delectable dip.
- Never sleep with your contact lenses in unless specifically instructed to do so. Your eyes need regular supplies of oxygen, and lenses block the flow of oxygen to the eyes, especially during sleep. So doctors recommend a normal period of break for your eyes during the night.
- Avoid wearing your contact lenses when swimming. Your lenses could easily slip off your ideas when they come in contact with the surface area of the water. If you are wearing goggles, your contact lenses may be used while swimming.
3-Use allergen-reducing eye drops sparingly.
Using an allergen-reducing eye drop during allergy season to 'get the
red out' and sooth itchiness may help on a limited basis, but chronic
daily use can actually make the problem worse.
- Allergen-reducing eye drops work by constricting the blood flow to the cornea, thereby depriving it of oxygen. So while your eyes don't feel inflamed and itchy anymore, they're actually not getting any oxygen from blood. That's not ideal.
- Using redness-relieving eye drops chronically will cause more redness in your eyes. Your body gets so accustomed to the chemicals in the eye drops that they no longer work effectively.
- Read the labels of eye drops carefully; many drops cannot be used while wearing contacts
4-Use cucumber on your eyelids. Press cold cucumber slices gently against eyelids 10 minutes before going to sleep at night to prevent puffiness.
- Cucumbers contain asorbic acid and caffeic acid, which prevent water retention. These compounds help explain why cucumbers are used throughout the world to treat inflammation and dermatitis.
- Green tea bag may also help prevent puffiness if applied to the eyes. Soak the tea bag in cold water for a few minutes and place over eyes for 15-20 minutes. The tannins in the tea should help reduce inflammation.
5-Wear UV protective sunglasses. Get polarized lenses,
NOT just darker lenses. The lenses that only make the world darker will
just make your pupils dilate and don't do a thing to stop the UV rays.
- Prolonged exposure to UV rays can harm your eyesight, protection in youth can help prevent loss of eyesight in later years. Exposure to UV rays has been linked to cataracts, macular degeneration, pingueculae and pterygia, harmful conditions for the eyes.
- Since the damage to eyes from UV rays builds up over a lifetime, it's important to shield children from harmful rays. Make sure your children wear hats and protective glasses when they are out in the sunlight for prolonged periods.
- Be sure to wear sunglasses even if you're in the shade. Even though shade lessens UV and HEV exposure significantly, you're still exposing your eyes to UV rays reflected off of buildings and other structures.
6-Try not to spend so much time looking at your computer screen. (As a matter of fact, now would be a good time to give your eyes a break, since you're not doing anything too important.)
- While science hasn't yet proven that looking at computer screens causes permanent eye damage, it may cause eye strain and dry eyes. The glare from computer screens causes muscle fatigue in the eyes, either from being too bright or too dark.
- People blink less when they're looking at a screen, causing drier eyes. Make a conscious effort to blink every 30 seconds when you're sitting down and looking at your computer screen to combat dry eyes.
- Minimize the transmission of harmful particulate matter into eye region.
8-Exercise your eyes, and also be sure to relax them.
- Try focusing your eyes on objects that are near to you, then objects that are far away. Repeat this process multiple times.
- Sit down, place your elbows on your hips, close your eyes and bring your closed eyes down, resting them on your palms. Keep your palms covering your eyes for 10 seconds. Open your eyes and repeat as necessary.
- Stretch your arm out and place your thumb in the hitchhiker position. Focus your vision on your thumb while you slowly bring your outstretched arm closer to your body, until your thumb is about five inches from your face. Slowly zoom the thumb back to its original position, focusing on it with your eyes all the while.
10-Do not look at a bright light directly. Never focus your eyes on the sun directly, as it can damage your eyes.
What is Autism? What Causes Autism?
Autism is known as a complex developmental disability. Experts believe that Autism presents itself during the first three years of a person's life. The condition is the result of a neurological disorder that has an effect on normal brain function, affecting development of the person's communication and social interaction skills.
People with autism have issues with non-verbal communication, a wide range of social interactions, and activities that include an element of play and/or banter.
What is ASD?
ASD stands for Autism Spectrum Disorder and can sometimes be referred to as Autistic Spectrum Disorder. In this text Autism and ASD mean the same. ASDs are any developmental disabilities that have been caused by a brain abnormality. A person with an ASD typically has difficulty with social and communication skills.A person with ASD will typically also prefer to stick to a set of behaviors and will resist any major (and many minor) changes to daily activities. Several relatives and friends of people with ASDs have commented that if the person knows a change is coming in advance, and has time to prepare for it; the resistance to the change is either gone completely or is much lower.
Autism is a wide-spectrum disorder
Autism (or ASD) is a wide-spectrum disorder. This means that no two people with autism will have exactly the same symptoms. As well as experiencing varying combinations of symptoms, some people will have mild symptoms while others will have severe ones. Below is a list of the most commonly found characteristics identified among people with an ASD.Social skills
The way in which a person with an ASD interacts with another individual is quite different compared to how the rest of the population behaves. If the symptoms are not severe, the person with ASD may seem socially clumsy, sometimes offensive in his/her comments, or out of synch with everyone else. If the symptoms are more severe, the person may seem not to be interested in other people at all.It is common for relatives, friends and people who interact with someone with an ASD to comment that the ASD sufferer makes very little eye contact. However, as health care professionals, teachers and others are improving their ability to detect signs of autism at an earlier age than before, eye contact among people with autism is improving. In many cases, if the symptoms are not severe, the person can be taught that eye contact is important for most people and he/she will remember to look people in the eye.
A person with autism may often miss the cues we give each other when we want to catch somebody's attention. The person with ASD might not know that somebody is trying to talk to them. They may also be very interested in talking to a particular person or group of people, but does not have the same skills as others to become fully involved. To put it more simply, they lack the necessary playing and talking skills.
Empathy - Understanding and being aware of the feelings of others
A person with autism will find it much harder to understand the feelings of other people. His/her ability to instinctively empathize with others is much weaker than other people's. However, if they are frequently reminded of this, the ability to take other people's feelings into account improves tremendously. In some cases - as a result of frequent practice - empathy does improve, and some of it becomes natural rather than intellectual. Even so, empathy never comes as naturally for a person with autism as it does to others.Having a conversation with a person with autism may feel very much like a one-way trip. The person with ASD might give the impression that he is talking at people, rather than with or to them. He may love a theme, and talk about it a lot. However, there will be much less exchanging of ideas, thoughts, and feelings than there might be in a conversation with a person who does not have autism.
Almost everybody on this planet prefers to talk about himself/herself more than other people; it is human nature. The person with autism will usually do so even more.
Physical contact
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
16 Health Benefits of Lemons
1. Lemons are alkalizing for the body: Lemons are acidic to begin with but they are alkaline-forming on body fluids helping to restore balance to the body’s pH.
2. Lemons are rich in vitamin C and flavonoids that work against infections like the flu and colds.
3. Your liver loves lemons: “The lemon is a wonderful stimulant to the liver and is a dissolvent of uric acid and other poisons, liquefies the bile,” says Jethro Kloss in his book Back to Eden. Fresh lemon juice added to a large glass of water in the morning is a great liver detoxifier.
4. Cleans your bowels: Lemons increase peristalsis in the bowels, helping to create a bowel movement thus eliminating waste and helping with regularity. Add the juice of one lemon to warm water and drink first thing in the morning.
5. Scurvy is treated by giving one to two ounces of lemon juice diluted with water every two to four hours. In 1747, a naval surgeon named James Lind cured scurvy with fresh lemons. To this day, the British Navy requires ships to carry enough lemons so that every sailor could have one ounce of juice a day. In the past, lemons were replaced with limes; this is where the English got their nickname “limeys.” Watch this video: “Scurvy Pirates and the Lemon of Love”
6. The citric acid in lemon juice helps to dissolve gallstones, calcium deposits, and kidney stones.
7. Vitamin C in lemons helps to neutralize free radicals linked to aging and most types of disease.
8. The lemon peel contains the potent phytonutrient tangeretin, which has been proven to be effective for brain disorders like Parkinson’s disease.
9. In India, Ayurveda medicine values the lemon as a fruit and for its properties. It is sour, warm, promoter of gastric fire, light, good for vision, pungent and astringent.
10. It destroys intestinal worms.
11. When there is insufficient oxygen and difficulty in breathing (such as when mountain climbing) lemons are very helpful. The first man to reach the top of Mt. Everest, Edmund Hillary, said that his success on Mt. Everest was greatly due to lemons.
12. Lemons have powerful antibacterial properties; experiments have found the juice of lemons destroy the bacteria of malaria, cholera, diphtheria, typhoid and other deadly diseases.
13. Blood vessels are strengthened by the vitamin P (bioflavinoids) in lemon thus prevents internal hemorrhage. Also, making it useful in treating high blood pressure.
14. The symptoms of eye disorders, including diabetic retinopathy have been shown in research to improve due to the rutin, found in lemons.
15. Lemons contain 22 anti-cancer compounds, including naturally occurring limonene; oil which slows or halts the growth of cancer tumors in animals and flavonol glycosides which stop cell division in cancer cells.
16. According to The Reams Biological Ionization Theory (RBTI), the lemon is the ONLY food in the world that is anionic (an ion with a negative charge). All other foods are cationic (the ion has a positive charge.) This makes it extremely useful to health as it is the interaction between anions and cations that ultimately provides all cell energy.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Benefits of White Fruits and Vegetables
While there aren’t many types of white fruits and
vegetables, they may already be common in your diet, as onions,
potatoes, mushrooms, bananas, cauliflower, pears and garlic are all
included in this group. Since white colored plants are grouped by their
lack of pigment, rather than by a unifying color, they all have very
different advantages.
The Benefits of Garlic and Onions
Garlic contains allicin, which is the compound responsible for this root vegetable’s strong odor. Allicin has been shown to have some antioxidant activity, which means it can help prevent cancer and heart disease. Allicin may have other positive effects on heart disease, including lowering blood pressure, and reducing fat deposits in arteries. Garlic is good for helping to prevent colds and infections and may help to stabilize blood sugar levels. Drinking milk with garlic can help to reduce the bad breath it can produce.
Onions have not been as extensively studied, but are believed to be beneficial to women by helping to prevent osteoporosis. Onions also contain antioxidants, which means they have the potential to mop up free radicals. These cause cell damage that can lead to wrinkles as well as cancer and heart disease.
The Benefits of Potatoes and Parsnips
Potatoes are one of the most widely grown and eaten vegetables in the world. Unfortunately, they are often peeled, which deprives them of many nutrients. With the skin, a single potato provides you with almost half your daily vitamin C, as well as potassium, B vitamins and dietary fiber. Cooling potatoes before eating them produces more “resistant starch,” which is digested more slowly than ordinary starch, and has benefits similar to dietary fiber. Parsnips are related to carrots and can provide you with an excellent amount of potassium and dietary fiber.
The Benefits of Cauliflower
Cauliflower has many benefits. It is highly nutritious, with large amounts of fiber, vitamin C, folate and other nutrients. It also contains several anti-cancer compounds, which repair DNA and stop cancer from growing. It seems particularly effective on digestive and reproductive system cancers. Cauliflower is best stir-fried, sauteed or steamed, because boiling can reduce the amounts of beneficial compounds it contains.
The Benefits of White Fruits
Pears are a good source of vitamin C and their skins contain insoluble fiber, which means they can be used as a gentle laxative. They are mildly anti-inflammatory, and may also help to lower blood pressure. Peaches and nectarines are different cultivars of the same fruit. White fleshed peaches are low in acid, so you may be able to eat them even if you suffer from heartburn or stomach ulcers. They contain vitamin C and fiber.
Bananas are very high in potassium and are often recommended to people suffering from potassium deficiency. They are associated with lower risk for colon and breast cancer and also work as a natural antacid. Eating bananas can improve your body’s ability to absorb calcium, which can lead to stronger bones.
While white fruits and vegetables don’t have a common pigment with health benefits, they have many individual nutritious qualities. Eat a wide variety of white fruits and vegetables to benefit from all their unique advantages.
The Benefits of Garlic and Onions
Garlic contains allicin, which is the compound responsible for this root vegetable’s strong odor. Allicin has been shown to have some antioxidant activity, which means it can help prevent cancer and heart disease. Allicin may have other positive effects on heart disease, including lowering blood pressure, and reducing fat deposits in arteries. Garlic is good for helping to prevent colds and infections and may help to stabilize blood sugar levels. Drinking milk with garlic can help to reduce the bad breath it can produce.
Onions have not been as extensively studied, but are believed to be beneficial to women by helping to prevent osteoporosis. Onions also contain antioxidants, which means they have the potential to mop up free radicals. These cause cell damage that can lead to wrinkles as well as cancer and heart disease.
The Benefits of Potatoes and Parsnips
Potatoes are one of the most widely grown and eaten vegetables in the world. Unfortunately, they are often peeled, which deprives them of many nutrients. With the skin, a single potato provides you with almost half your daily vitamin C, as well as potassium, B vitamins and dietary fiber. Cooling potatoes before eating them produces more “resistant starch,” which is digested more slowly than ordinary starch, and has benefits similar to dietary fiber. Parsnips are related to carrots and can provide you with an excellent amount of potassium and dietary fiber.
The Benefits of Cauliflower
Cauliflower has many benefits. It is highly nutritious, with large amounts of fiber, vitamin C, folate and other nutrients. It also contains several anti-cancer compounds, which repair DNA and stop cancer from growing. It seems particularly effective on digestive and reproductive system cancers. Cauliflower is best stir-fried, sauteed or steamed, because boiling can reduce the amounts of beneficial compounds it contains.
The Benefits of White Fruits
Pears are a good source of vitamin C and their skins contain insoluble fiber, which means they can be used as a gentle laxative. They are mildly anti-inflammatory, and may also help to lower blood pressure. Peaches and nectarines are different cultivars of the same fruit. White fleshed peaches are low in acid, so you may be able to eat them even if you suffer from heartburn or stomach ulcers. They contain vitamin C and fiber.
Bananas are very high in potassium and are often recommended to people suffering from potassium deficiency. They are associated with lower risk for colon and breast cancer and also work as a natural antacid. Eating bananas can improve your body’s ability to absorb calcium, which can lead to stronger bones.
While white fruits and vegetables don’t have a common pigment with health benefits, they have many individual nutritious qualities. Eat a wide variety of white fruits and vegetables to benefit from all their unique advantages.
Amazing, Strange and Funny Eyes Facts
It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
Blinking helps to wash tears over our eyeballs. That keeps them clean and moist. Also, if something is about to hit our eye, we will blink automatically.
Our body has some natural protection for our eyes. Our eyelashes help to keep dirt out of our eyes. Our eyebrows are made to keep sweat from running into our eyes.
The shark cornea has been used in eye surgery, since its cornea is similar to a human cornea.
The number one cause of blindness in adults is diabetes.
The eyeball of a human weighs approximately 28 grams.
The eye of a human can distinguish 500 shades of the gray.
The cornea is the only living tissue in the human body that does not contain any blood vessels.
Sailors once thought that wearing a gold earring would improve their eyesight.
Research has indicated that a tie that is on too tight cam increase the risk of glaucoma in men.
People generally read 25% slower from a computer screen compared to paper.
Men are able to read fine print better than women can.
All babies are colour blind when they are born.
Babies' eyes do not produce tears until the baby is approximately six to eight weeks old.
The reason why your nose gets runny when you are crying is because the tears from the eyes drain into the nose.
The most common injury caused by cosmetics is to the eye by a mascara wand.
Some people start to sneeze if they are exposed to sunlight or have a light shined into their eye.
Around the pupil is a colored muscle called the "iris." Our eyes may be BLUE, BROWN, GREEN, GRAY OR BLACK, because that is the color of the iris.
Our eyes have many parts. The black part on the front of our eye is called the "pupil." It is really a little hole that opens into the back part of our eyes.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Health Effects of Fast Food
10 Negative Health Effects of Fast Food
#1 – Headaches
The processed meat used in fast food contain nitrates, nitrites, artificial sweeteners and monosodium glutamate which increase blood flow and can trigger a migraine attack. Additives are used to keep the meat fresh and to prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum the bacteria which causes food poisoning. The increased blood flow can cause excessive pressure to build up in the head and can lead to headaches or a feeling of a hangover.
#2 – Collection of Trans Fat
The processed food used in the fast food industry is loaded with trans fat, which not only increases the ‘bad cholesterol’ (Low Density Lipoprotein) levels but also reduces the ‘good cholesterol’ (High Density Lipoprotein) levels. Processed meat used by fast food industries can sometimes have 45% more trans fat than their natural counterparts.
#3 – Increased Cholesterol Levels
Consuming fast foods leads to an increased intake of cholesterol which is highly dangerous for humans. The cholesterol molecules attach themselves to the arteries which leads to their thickening or clogging. This can cause obstructed blood flow which can lead to high blood pressure. If cholesterol accumulates in one of the main arteries it can lead to a blockage, when an artery is completely blocked it can lead to heart attacks or complete heart failure.
#4 – Depression
Depression is one of the many negative effects of fast food. This emotional condition has been linked to regular consumption of fast foods by a study done by the University College of London. According to the study, people who indulge in fast foods regularly are 58% more likely to suffer from depression. Fast foods do not contain antioxidants, foliate and omega -3s which is necessary for good mental health. Fast foods contain preservatives, emulsifiers, thickeners, stabilizers and flavor enhancers which can affect the mental well being of the person.
#5 – Excessive Sodium Intake
Fast foods contain high amounts of sodium which can lead to hypertension and high blood pressure. Although small amounts of sodium is needed for bodily functions, consuming too much can lead to not just high blood pressure, but build up of fluids in people who are suffering from liver cirrhosis, congestive heart failures or kidney ailments.
#6 – Sexual Dysfunction
What we eat affects our physical, mental, and sexual health. Fatty acids found in fast foods are a major contributor to sexual dysfunction, not only does it cause weight gain but can trigger biochemical changes which effect libido, sperm count and female ovulation.
#7 – Food Poisoning
Even if we overlook the dangers posed by low fiber, trans fat and high calories, fast food pose another problem, food poisoning. The processed meat is many times contaminated with manure which contains Escherichia Coli and Salmonella. E.Coli is considered very difficult to treat and sometimes referred to as the worst sort of food poisoning. Even after antibiotics kill the bacteria, the toxins released by it can produce harmful effects. This disease is usually spread through undercooked hamburgers and is a leading cause of renal failure among American kids.
#8 – Addictive Nature of Fast Foods
According to the Science Daily, high levels of sugar and fat can cause blood sugar to spike and then crash suddenly. The patrons of fast food feel a sudden rush of euphoria when this happens making them dependent on the euphoric effects of insulin surges. Therefore one of the harmful effects of fast food consumption is the addiction or the incessant craving it causes among people.
#9 – PFCA Contamination
The wrappers used in the fast food industry are coated with perfluoroalkyls (PAC) which prevents the grease from leaving through. These have been proven to get inside the human body and change into more harmful forms which can lead to many health complications. The wrappings used in fast food industry are a significant and indirect source of PFCA contamination.
#10 – Weight Gain
Studies have found a direct link between fast food consumption and weight gain and increased Body Mass Index (BMI). The high levels of trans fat and calories present in fast foods leads to accumulation of abdominal fat and even insulin resistance which is an early indicator of diabetes. Obesity has been ranked the number one health threat for Americans; it is also the second leading cause of preventable death in United States which claims up to 400,000 lives a year. Obesity can lead to type 2 diabetes, heart problems, hyper tension, blocked arteries, increase in cholesterol levels, malnutrition, loss of muscle mass and depression.
Fast food addiction can lead to an unhealthy and depressive sedentary lifestyle, to prevent this it’s recommended to switch to a healthy and balanced diet along with regular exercise. Hopefully, this article on the health effects of fast food consumption has been informative. Remember the key to happiness is a healthy lifestyle.
Cool Drink Tins contain Rat Urine that can Spread Virus - Facts Analysis
Important and Should Read do not delete this message before Sharing to the other..
On Sunday a family picnic with a few drinks tin.Pada Monday, two family members admitted to hospital and placed in the Intensive Care Unit space. He died on Wednesday. Autopsy results concluded it hit Leptospirosis. The virus is stuck to the tin cans are drunk, without the use of glasses / cups. Test results showed that tin was infected mice that had dried urine (rat urine) containing Leptospira i. Because of this rat urine effect, highly recommended to rinse the parts evenly on all soda cans before drinking it. Cans are usually stored in the warehouse and delivered direct to retail stores without cleaning. A study shows that the top of all beverage cans more contaminated than public toilets (full of germs and bacteria.)
So, clean it with water before putting mouth in order to avoid all accidents total.
Hoax or Fact:
Mixture of hoax and facts.
Analysis:
This story has been circulating since 2002 in various forms. It claims that a person died because of a virus on the cool drink tins that was laid by rat urine. The story also talks about a study which claims that beverage cans are more contaminated than public toilets. However, the story is a hoax. There are no such incidents reported.
Leptospirosis, also called Weils disease, is indeed a potential deadly disease that is caused by a bacteria that generally spreads to humans in contact with urine from diseased animals such as rats, rabbits, snakes, frogs, dogs, cows, sheep, and certain marine mammals. Rats are the primary hosts of this bacteria, while the other animals act as secondary hosts. This bacteria usually lives in contaminated lakes and reservoirs. According to World Health Organization (WHO), up to 0.001% of world population is affected by this disease every year, depending on the atmospheric conditions. Leptospirosis, when discovered on time can be effectively treated with anti-biotics.
But it is also a fact that the manufacturers and suppliers use packaged cardboard boxes to store these cool drink tins and soda cans to safeguard them from any such harmful dirt like rat urine, and they also see that they reach the consumers at the earliest, while they are fresh. Moreover, there is no cited study saying that these beverage cans more contaminated than public toilets. Therefore, this story is a certain hoax.
A similar hoax talks about hantavirus spreading through rat urine on soda cans and grocery items. The story claimed that using such cans can cause a life-threatening disease called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). The Centers for disease control and prevention (CDC) called it a hoax. Refer
However, it is still a good idea to safely clean the tins before using them, just to wipe off any possible dirt formed due to human handling or anything.
References:
Leptospirosis - Wikipedia
Leptospirosis - WHO
Saturday, March 30, 2013
How to Treat a Scar With Honey & Lemon
The formation of a scar is a
result of the natural heeling process of the body. The skin is composed
of two main layers; the dermis which is the lower and thicker layer, and
the epidermis which is a thinner outer layer. The more damage which is
done to the dermis, the deeper and darker the scar will be, notes
ScarInfo.
Scars will generally fade and improve over the two years after the injury, or acne outbreak, as new collagen forms and blood vessels are repaired. However, the skin will always be marked to some degree as hair follicles and sweat glands will not return.
Scars will generally fade and improve over the two years after the injury, or acne outbreak, as new collagen forms and blood vessels are repaired. However, the skin will always be marked to some degree as hair follicles and sweat glands will not return.
Step 1
Make a paste of manuka honey and cinnamon in a bowl. 3 tbsp of manuka and 1 tbsp cinnamon.
From a fresh lemon, squeeze the juice into a small bowl or dish.
From a fresh lemon, squeeze the juice into a small bowl or dish.
advertisement
Step 2
Cleanse face with warm water and an over-the-counter cleanser lotion or tonic.
Step 3
Dab cotton ball in lemon juice
and apply to scarred area. Drench the area in juice and leave for 5 to
10 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.
Step 4
Aapply manuka honey paste in a thick layer to the scar, before bed. Allow this to dry before sleeping. Rinse off in morning.
Step 5
Apply moisturizer. If the
scarred area is on the face or another area of body exposed to sunlight,
use a moisturizer with a high SPF--sun protection factor.
Tips and Warnings
- The honey can be applied with no cinnamon content. To save on mess, it can also be applied to a dressing or bandage. The lemon juice can sting. To reduce the citric acidity it can be diluted in water. Lemon juice can also increase photo sensitivity in the scarred area and so the moisturizer with SPF is recommended.
- There is very little medical research evidence to support the effectiveness of home remedies like honey and lemon in treating scars. It is best to always consult a specialist before beginning any self-treatment. Both honey and lemon can create skin irritation in some sensitive skin types. If there is no improvement in the scar coloration after several weeks of use an over-the-counter product or a prescription medicine may be recommended by a specialist.
Things You'll Need
- Bowl
- Spoon
- Manuka honey
- Cinnamon powder
- Cleanser lotion
- Cotton wool balls
- Moisturizer
Health benefits of amla
The winters kick-start the season of the Indian gooseberry, better known as amla. Botanically, this extremely sour little fruit is known as Emblica Officinalis. Though you may not find its taste appealing, don't be quick to dismiss it — it's abundant in nutrients and packed with the power of Vitamin C. Here's a list of the other health benefits of amla:
-Winter brings along its share of colds and cough. To cure this, prepare a mixture of two tablespoons of amla with an equal amount of honey. Have this three to four times a day.
-People suffering from Vitamin C deficiency can greatly benefit by eating amlas, as it is one of its most potent sources. On the other hand, Vitamin C, taken in the form of supplements, is not easily absorbed by the body, unlike when taken in a natural form.
-Battling with constipation problems? Amla contains high fibre content and will ease your problem.
-Because they are also rich in antioxidants, which protect against the formation of free radicals in the body, amlas, when eaten frequently, help to prevent cancer.
-To seek relief from painful mouth ulcers, simply gargle with a mixture of water and amla juice.
-Are joint pains getting you down? Have amlas, as they contain anti-inflammatory properties which will help in reducing the swelling in the joints caused by arthritis.
-Struggling to get some sound sleep? Amlas are a great option to relieve stress and therefore, useful in treating sleep disorders like insomnia.
(Compiled by Lisa Antao)
11 Benefits of Drinking Water and How
- Lose weight: Drinking water helps you lose weight because it flushes down the by-products of fat breakdown. Drinking water reduces hunger, it’s an effective appetite suppressant so you’ll eat less. Plus, water has zero calories. Here are the further details on how to achieve fat loss by drinking water.
- Natural Remedy for Headache: Helps to relieve headache and back pains due to dehydration. Although many reasons contribute to headache, dehydration is the common one.
- Look Younger with Healthier Skin: You’ll look younger when your skin is properly hydrated. Water helps to replenish skin tissues, moisturizes skin and increases skin elasticity.
- Better Productivity at Work: Your brain is mostly made up of water, thus drinking water helps you think better, be more alert and more concentrated.
- Better Exercise: Drinking water regulates your body temperature. That means you’ll feel more energetic when doing exercises. Water also helps to fuel your muscle.
- Helps in Digestion and Constipation: Drinking water raises your metabolism because it helps in digestion. Fiber and water goes hand in hand so that you can have your daily bowel movement.
- Less Cramps and Sprains: Proper hydration helps keep your joints and muscles lubricated, so you’ll less likely get cramps and sprains.
- Less Likely to Get Sick and Feel Healthy: Drinking plenty of water helps fight against flu and other ailments like kidney stones and heart attack. Water adds with lemon is used for ailments like respiratory disease, intestinal problems, rheumatism and arthritis etc. In another words one of the benefits of drinking water is that it can improve your immune system. Follow this link for further information on how lemon water can improve your health.
- Relieves Fatigue: Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body. If your body lacks water, your heart, for instance, needs to work harder to pump out the oxygenated blood to all cells, so are the rest of the vital organs, your organs will be exhausted and so will you.
- Good Mood: Your body feels very good and that’s why you feel happy.
- Reduce the Risk of Cancer: Related to the digestive system, some studies show that drinking a healthy amount of water may reduce the risks of bladder cancer and colon cancer. Water dilutes the concentration of cancer-causing agents in the urine and shortens the time in which they are in contact with bladder lining.
Smoking and your health
How does smoking affect health?
Cigarette smoke contains about 4,000 different chemicals which can damage the cells and systems of the human body. These include at least 80 chemicals that can cause cancer (including tar, arsenic, benzene, cadmium and formaldehyde) nicotine (a highly addictive chemical which hooks a smoker into their habit) and hundreds of other poisons such as cyanide, carbon monoxide and ammonia.Every time a smoker inhales, these chemicals are drawn into the body where they interfere with cell function and cause problems ranging from cell death to genetic changes which lead to cancer.
This is why tobacco smoking is a known or probable cause of approximately 25 diseases. According to WHO figures, smoking is responsible for approximately five million deaths worldwide every year. However it also contributes to, or aggravates many other diseases and may play a part in many more deaths. Even the WHO says that its impact on world health isn’t fully assessed.
WHO says smoking is a greater cause of death and disability than any single disease. By 2020, the WHO expects the worldwide death toll to reach 10 million, causing 17.7 per cent of all deaths in developed countries.
There are believed to be 1.1 billion smokers in the world, 800 million of them in developing countries.
Risk factors of smoking
People take up smoking for a variety of reasons. Young people are especially vulnerable because of pressure from their peers and the image that smoking is clever, cool or 'grown-up'. Just trying a few cigarettes can be enough to become addicted.Many people say that smoking helps them to feel more relaxed or cope with stress but nicotine is a stimulant not a relaxant, so it doesn’t help stress. What people are describing is more likely to be relief from their craving or withdrawal symptoms.
Smoking damage
There are hundreds of examples and volumes of research showing how cigarette smoking damages the body. For example, UK studies show that smokers in their 30s and 40s are five times more likely to have a heart attack than non-smokers.Smoking contributes to coronary artery disease (atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries) where the heart’s blood supply becomes narrowed or blocked, starving the heart muscle of vital nutrients and oxygen, resulting in a heart attack. As a result smokers have a greatly increased risk of needing complex and risky heart bypass surgery. Smoking also increases the risk of having a stroke, because of damage to the heart and arteries to the brain.
If you smoke for a lifetime, there is a 50 per cent chance that your eventual death will be smoking-related - half of all these deaths will be in middle age
Smoking and lung problems
Smoking does enormous damage to the lungs, especially because these tissues are in the direct firing line for the poisons in smoke. As a result there is a huge increase in the risk of lung cancer, which kills more than 20,000 people in the UK every year.US studies have shown that men who smoke increase their chances of dying from the disease by more than 22 times.
Women who smoke increase this risk by nearly 12 times.
Lung cancer is a difficult cancer to treat - long term survival rates are poor. Smoking also increases the risk of the following cancers:
- Oral
- Uterine
- Liver
- Kidney
- Bladder
- Stomach
- Cervical
- Leukaemia
Harm to children from smoking
Smoking in pregnancy greatly increases the risk of miscarriage, is associated with lower birth weight babies, and inhibits child development. Smoking by parents following the birth is linked to sudden infant death syndrome, or cot death, and higher rates of infant respiratory illness, such as bronchitis, colds, and pneumonia.Smoking and young people
Smoking is particularly damaging in young people.Evidence shows people who start smoking in their youth - aged 11 to 15 - are three times more likely to die a premature death than someone who takes up smoking at the age of 20.
They are also more likely to be hooked for life. Nicotine, an ingredient of tobacco, is highly addictive – it takes on average on about six cigarettes before nicotine receptors in the brain are switched on, generating a craving for nicotine which may continue for the rest of the persons life. In less than one packet of cigarettes, a person’s brain can be changed forever from that of a non-smoker to a nicotine addicted smoker.
Although the health risks of smoking are cumulative, giving up can yield health benefits, regardless of the age of the patient, or the length of time they have been smoking.
If you join a proper smoking-cessation service, using all available help including medication and counselling, your chances of quitting may be as high as one in three (compared to just three per cent if you go it alone).
Friday, March 29, 2013
15 health benefits of eating apples
Many of us forget that sometimes, the simplest answers are the best. Better health could be as easy as reaching for the fruit bowl for some apples next time you need a snack
What makes apples so great?
In 2004, USDA scientists investigated over 100 foods to measure their antioxidant concentration per serving size. Two apples—Red Delicious and Granny Smith—ranked 12th and 13th respectively. Antioxidants are disease-fighting compounds. Scientists believe these compounds help prevent and repair oxidation damage that happens during normal cell activity. Apples are also full of a fibre called pectin—a medium-sized apple contains about 4 grams of fibre. Pectin is classed as a soluble, fermentable and viscous fibre, a combination that gives it a huge list of health benefits.1. Get whiter, healthier teeth
An apple won’t replace your toothbrush, but biting and chewing an apple stimulates the production of saliva in your mouth, reducing tooth decay by lowering the levels of bacteria.2. Avoid Alzheimer’s
A new study performed on mice shows that drinking apple juice could keep Alzheimer’s away and fight the effects of aging on the brain. Mice in the study that were fed an apple-enhanced diet showed higher levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and did better in maze tests than those on a regular diet.3. Protect against Parkinson’s
Research has shown that people who eat fruits and other high-fibre foods gain a certain amount of protection against Parkinson’s, a disease characterized by a breakdown of the brain’s dopamine-producing nerve cells. Scientists have linked this to the free radical-fighting power of the antioxidants contained therein.4. Curb all sorts of cancers
Scientists from the American Association for Cancer Research, among others, agree that the consumption of flavonol-rich apples could help reduce your risk of developing pancreatic cancer by up to 23 per cent. Researchers at Cornell University have identified several compounds—triterpenoids—in apple peel that have potent anti-growth activities against cancer cells in the liver, colon and breast. Their earlier research found that extracts from whole apples can reduce the number and size of mammary tumours in rats. Meanwhile, the National Cancer Institute in the U.S. has recommended a high fibre intake to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.5. Decrease your risk of diabetes
6. Reduce cholesterol
The soluble fibre found in apples binds with fats in the intestine, which translates into lower cholesterol levels and a healthier you.7. Get a healthier heart
An extensive body of research has linked high soluble fibre intake with a slower buildup of cholesterol-rich plaque in your arteries. The phenolic compound found in apple skins also prevents the cholesterol that gets into your system from solidifying on your artery walls. When plaque builds inside your arteries, it reduces blood flow to your heart, leading to coronary artery disease.8. Prevent gallstones
Gallstones form when there’s too much cholesterol in your bile for it to remain as a liquid, so it solidifies. They are particularly prevalent in the obese. To prevent gallstones, doctors recommend a diet high in fibre to help you control your weight and cholesterol levels.9. Beat diarrhea and constipation
Whether you can’t go to the bathroom or you just can’t stop, fibre found in apples can help. Fibre can either pull water out of your colon to keep things moving along when you’re backed up, or absorb excess water from your stool to slow your bowels down.10. Neutralize irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome is characterized by constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain and bloating. To control these symptoms doctors recommend staying away from dairy and fatty foods while including a high intake of fibre in your diet.11. Avert hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids are a swollen vein in the anal canal and while not life threatening, these veins can be very painful. They are caused by too much pressure in the pelvic and rectal areas. Part and parcel with controlling constipation, fibre can prevent you from straining too much when going to the bathroom and thereby help alleviate hemorrhoids.12. Control your weight
Many health problems are associated with being overweight, among them heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea. To manage your weight and improve your overall health, doctors recommend a diet rich in fibre. Foods high in fibre will fill you up without costing you too many calories.13. Detoxify your liver
We’re constantly consuming toxins, whether it is from drinks or food, and your liver is responsible for clearing these toxins out of your body. Many doctors are skeptical of fad detox diets, saying they have the potential to do more harm than good. Luckily, one of the best—and easiest—things you can eat to help detoxify your liver is fruits—like apples.14. Boost your immune system
Red apples contain an antioxidant called quercetin. Recent studies have found that quercetin can help boost and fortify your immune system, especially when you're stressed out.15. Prevent cataracts
Though past studies have been divided on the issue, recent long-term studies suggest that people who have a diet rich in fruits that contain antioxidants—like apples—are 10 to 15 per cent less likely to develop cataracts.
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