Approximately one in eight women in the U.S. “will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime,” reports breastcancer.org. Aside from lung cancer, breast cancer death rates are higher than any other cancer for women in the U.S. While many women with a family history are aware of their risk (and get screened), it’s important to point out that approximately 85% of cases occur in women with no family history.
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Okay men, raise your hands. Frequently you're known for not going to the doctor on a regular basis and putting off health issues until the last minute. Does that describe you? Yet, many men are usually focused on being fit and staying active during their younger years. Where does the switch happen and why? Regardless of those reasons, it's time to reverse those stereotypes and perspectives and get men of all ages interested in and focused on keeping themselves as healthy as they can for as long as they can.
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Arthritis is commonly regarded, rightfully, as an aging-adult’s disease, but the news becomes more sobering and even shocking with the realization that kids, too, also get arthritis. Per curearthritis.org, nearly 300,000 children 18 and under in America are afflicted with some form of arthritis. With July being Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month, what better time to hammer home the message that many children have painful, even stiff joints, which is why they and their parents, once there is a diagnosis, seek effective treatments and medications.
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Few things are worse for men, women, or children than having to go to the bathroom – in this case, No. 1 – only to get over or on the toilet and nothing comes out, except maybe a few drips or at least a very weak stream at best. Even worse is when attempts at urination are accompanied by pain or some other annoying or more worrisome symptoms that could be a sign of a larger health issue.
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Elite athletes, especially those competing in endurance sports such as biking, swimming, and running, seem to like cordyceps mushrooms for the powers they can bestow upon them in terms of improving respiratory health, increasing oxygen uptake, and boosting energy. There’s a lot to like there when your task is to cover a whole lot of yards or miles and your goal is to get to the finish line before anyone else does.
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Traditional medicine practitioners of ancient times, dating back 3,000 or more years, were really on to something. Their reliance on powerful herbs to successfully treat many of the maladies of their day was nothing short of ingenious, ahead of its time. Take boswellia, for instance. This herb, taken from the Boswellia serrata tree as a gummy resin, has been used to treat numerous medical conditions for centuries, and when it comes to weight loss and this century, it’s nothing short of a revelation.
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Suppose you are about to be stranded on a small island out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean – even if it’s totally inconceivable you’d actually get advance notice for that sort of thing – and you can take only one nutritional supplement with you. What would it be? Well, depending on your personal preferences and particular state of health, there are, arguably, several right answers. But the best answer? Let’s start (and end) with turmeric.
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For anyone who is overweight, afflicted with high blood pressure and looking to build muscle mass while also alleviating their symptoms of asthma, the herbal supplement forskolin might be just what the doctor ordered. Or at least it’s worth a discussion with your physician or other health-care professional, mindful of forskolin’s purported wide range of health benefits.
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Boron is a trace mineral naturally found in some foods, and it is an “equal opportunity” micronutrient at that – that is, it has some properties especially unique to women’s health and yet is also embraced by athletic men for how it can boost bone density and testosterone, making it helpful for male athletes such as power lifters and bodybuilders looking to develop muscle mass.
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Vitamin D is an essential vitamin for bone growth and bone health, among its other functions, but it is not something naturally produced by our bodies. We can get vitamin D from nutritional supplements, some foods, and from the sun’s rays, which is why it gets the nickname of “sunshine vitamin.”
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Many of us, and hopefully most (if not all) of us, are learning more and more each year about what to put in our mouths and what to leave just where it is. One of the hardest parts about all this, though, is knowing what to do about sugars and sweeteners. Everyone has a dietary weak point (or soft spot – take your pick), and for many of us that starts and ends with sweets. That ranges from taking your pick from among desserts on the buffet people to your preference for what to add to your next cup of coffee.
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Not everyone is a fan of fatty fish or any other kind of seafood, for that matter, but we all can benefit, especially heart health-wise, by sticking to a diet that includes ample omega-3s. The question then becomes: how can we get a good supply of omega-3s without eating fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, or sardines?
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Life isn’t always a bowl of cherries, as most of us well know, but a bowl of cherries is, well, a bowl of cherries. They enhance our health, no question. Cherries are a fruit that can provide us many health benefits, thanks to a potent makeup that includes plenty of fiber, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds, making the small, red fruits one of the healthiest foods around, even when topping a thick, delicious calories-laden milkshake.
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All of us experience physical pain of some sort at various times in our lives. There’s headache pain. Neck pain. Foot pain of various types. Pain in our knees. Pain in our wrists or hands. Pain in our fingers. Arthritis pain in general. Tennis elbow. Shin splints, Bruised shins. Occasional pain in our stomachs. Even pain in our butts, whether speaking figuratively or in a literal sense.
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Ashwagandha, also known as Indian ginseng and winter cherry, is a powerful herb that has been used for a very long time for various medicinal purposes. That’s “a very long time” on the order of 3-5,000 years, with ashwagandha a popular compound among practitioners of ancient Ayurvedic medicine – a practice of natural health with roots in India – cognizant of the herb’s rejuvenating and restorative benefits.
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It’s not by the skin of your teeth that resveratrol possesses the power to provide a variety of health benefits. It’s more like the skin of your grapes. Red grapes, that is. For it is from the skin of grapes, among other sources, that resveratrol is produced – a polyphenol that is believed to act like an antioxidant, protecting our body from the kind of damage that can make us susceptible to serious problems, such as heart disease.
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Lutein? The eyes have it, but if they don’t have enough of it, our vision, as well as our eye health, can suffer.
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There’s never a bad time to talk about sleep. When you’re sleeping well, you look forward to it and can enjoy telling others what works for you. If things aren’t going so well in the snooze department, talking it out with your doctor or another sleep expert can be the right remedy to make things well once your head hits the pillow – whether it’s my pillow or yours.
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A big part of maintaining good health is having a strong defense system, and the one we have inside our bodies is nothing to be trifled with. Still, we are under attack pretty much 24/7 from a variety of potentially harmful agents such as viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens that can make our life miserable if they break through our defense and land a proverbial punch.
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In one of our recent blogs, we reviewed the many health benefits that an apple a day – or even just a few a week, depending on your tastes – can provide us. In so doing, we learned about quercetin, found in the skin of an apple. Quercetin is what’s known as a flavonoid, a plant pigment that has been determined to be a powerful antioxidant and often the key component in the red and orange pigmentation found in various fruits and vegetables.
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Many of us grew up being force-fed, or to put it kindly, spoon-fed, when Mom was trying to heal us from a cold or fever or upset stomach or indeterminate pain somewhere that needed her attention in order for the whimpering to stop. In those days, the worst a remedy tasted, the more effective it was in treating the illness or infirmity. That didn’t make it any easier going down the hatch. Then came ginger.
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Over the years and several times on a weekly basis, we aim to fill your cup, mug, or bowl with a wealth of knowledge about health, nutrition, and supplements. There is a lot to cover, and research and trends are always broaching new subjects to be looked at. Over time we delve into hundreds of vitamins, minerals, herbs, adaptogens, nutrients, etc. and how they all relate to our general health and bodily functions. It all can be a bit overwhelming.
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It has long been said, mostly in jest, that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Let’s expand on that a bit, and get real about it. The way to a man’s or a woman’s heart, immune system, skin, brain – whatever bodily system or organ you wish to name – is through the stomach. That’s because of the vital role our gut bacteria play in affecting our overall health, and this is where probiotics and prebiotics go to work on our behalf.
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Apples are still the apple of many eyes, but let’s be real – apples don’t have the same pizzazz or panache of some of the more flamboyant fruits that are trending nowadays. Some of those more fascinatingly fashionable fruits that have nudged apples out of the dietary spotlight include blueberries, strawberries, papaya, avocados (yes, they’re fruits), and guavas.
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Trends are an ongoing thing in health and nutrition. One recent trend is the growing belief that our gut and digestive health play a central role in determining our overall health. How our gut goes, so goes the rest of our body. Think of your gut and digestive system as the core of your health processes, sort of like nuclear power plants with their nuclear cores.
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Subsisting on a diet of nothing but berries might seem a realllll stretch, and it is, as it’s doubtful that any nutritionist or other health expert would ever recommend it. But a closer look at the variety of berries and their benefits afforded us – not to mention what all the other fruits and vegetables of the world can do for us – tells us that there is a lot of good to come from a steady consumption of berries, even if just as a supplement to our main courses.
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Buying organic was once a grocery shopping choice left to a few, forward-thinking folks with a hankering for healthy food and a willingness to go against the grain. They skipped past traditional grocery stores and went straight to little-known health-food outlets to buy their food, getting a healthy head start on the rest of us.
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There are times that being a health-food nut is like being a kid in a candy store, and that’s all good (at times). Take licorice root, for instance. Also known as “sweet root,” licorice root has often been used over the years as a sweetener for some candies and beverages. Better yet, it has been used for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years as one of many adaptogens – herbs, or healing plants, that are a staple of natural medicine for their ability to balance, restore, and protect the body.
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With its rough prickly leaves, borage may not look like the kind of plant that’s going to make your life more comfortable. But this annual herb – when processed into a highly concentrated oil – has some incredibly powerful benefits that have been respected since before the first century.
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If your itchy dry scalp is still lingering, it’s time to take action and do something about it. There are many factors, in addition to cold air, that can cause dry scalp, including stress, certain shampoos and hair products, and dietary deficiencies.
In addition to switching up hair products, many people are turning to vitamins and supplements for dry scalp! Here are a few of the best vitamins for dry scalp.
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The Grapes of Wrath was a literary classic, but that’s not important in this context. What is important are the grapes of health, those small berries that come in an assortment of colors – including red, green (“white” grapes are actually green), black, yellow, pink, blue (Concord grapes) and purple – and which provide a wide variety of health benefits.
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Look closely enough and chances are you will see plants growing outside or near your home that have the sort of health benefits typically available at the local pharmacy or in the vitamins section of your local grocery store. Many plants are medicinal in nature, and many of those are growing right under your nose, maybe even in your backyard or in some wooded area a couple of blocks away.
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May is National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month. If you’re like most people, bone health isn’t high on your priorities list. After all, as long as your posture is good and you aren’t suffering fractures from minor falls, you’re fine… right?
Unfortunately, more adults are susceptible to injury resulting from osteoporosis than you might expect.
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If you have a vision problem… would you know it? That’s one of the questions the National Eye Institute is putting before the public this May for Healthy Vision Month. According to the National Eye Institute, “More than 23 million Americans age 18 and older have never had an eye exam.”
Why?
They don’t think they have an eye problem. It makes sense. If you feel like you see well – or “good enough” – why get your eyes checked? If nothing noticeable has changed, why schedule an extra appointment?
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Most of us have a good idea of what collagen is and what its expected best-known use is – smoothing out the wrinkles on our face. But research suggests there’s more to collagen than just taking years off our facial appearance.
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Over the last couple of months, we have been featuring in this space a series on the various B-complex vitamins. Now we come to what might be the most complex of the B vitamins when you consider all the significant roles it plays in maintaining and, as needed, improving our health.
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When it comes to damage control inside the human body, particularly with cells and tissue (like that found in the lungs), few nutrients or minerals can act with the healing power and relief that N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) brings to the table, or to the lungs, or to the liver, or to . . . well you get the idea.
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As we continue onto the next rung of the ladder in our intermittent series on B-complex vitamins, we now come to vitamin B7, otherwise known as biotin. This is a water-soluble vitamin that, among other things, acts as a catalyst for a variety of metabolic reactions programmed to extract energy in our bodies. Because vitamin B7 is water soluble, it is in constant need of replenishment, and that’s up to us.
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Going it alone without nutritional supplementation can be difficult for any man committed to a hard and/or heavy workout regimen – regardless of age, workout goals, or type of workout regimen. Many adolescent males and those in their 20s and some even into their 30 are virile, strong, and teeming with energy. Beyond that, though, things start to decline in terms of energy and muscle mass, among other factors.
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Many of today’s most reliable and effective compounds, herbs, and supplements have a promising future thanks to a history that dates back thousands of years to ancient medical practices. Boswellia, which is sourced from the gum resin of the Boswellia serrata tree (found in the dry, hilly areas of India), is one of those time-tested compounds that has been commonly used over the centuries in Ayurvedic medical practices. It is known especially for its anti-inflammatory properties.
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Mushrooms are fascinating plants, not just because of the myriad health benefits they provide as a “superfood” of sorts, but for the “starring” roles they have played in children’s literature (i.e., “Alice in Wonderland”) and in the expanded minds of hipsters from the psychedelic ‘60s and ‘70s drawn to “magic mushrooms” and their hallucinogenic properties from a substance known as psilocybin.
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Vitamin B6, with pyridoxine as its main ingredient, is a water-soluble vitamin known to be helpful in treating an assortment of health-related problems. These range from issues of the heart to those of the skin as well as those related to depression and the nervous system. Even then, that doesn’t account for all the good that B6 can do for us, or for that matter all the complications we could face if we don’t have enough of it in our bodies.
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An apple a day may (or may not) keep the doctor away, but the odds go up in your favor if you eat an assortment of healthy fruits daily. Start with a variety of berries, such as blueberries, strawberries, bilberries, and blackberries. Better yet, there are many fruit-based nutritional supplements worth getting your hands on, and that means not having to find berry bushes to pick from (although that can be fun, too.)
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Many Americans see the doctor every year for a physical. Lots of us also schedule regular visits to the dentist to get our teeth cleaned. But what about our eyes? The fact is, more than 23 million American adults have never had an eye exam.
Every Healthy Vision Month, the National Eye Institute (NEI) shares tips and resources to encourage people to take care of their vision — and inspire health professionals to help make eye health a priority.
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If you are constipated or have experienced it recently, maybe you can find small consolation in the fact that millions of Americans suffer from constipation. The shared misery of constipation includes dealing with typical symptoms such as straining while having a bowel movement, hard stools (accompanied by back or abdominal pain and bloating), a feeling of obstruction (or incomplete evacuation) and fewer than three bowel movements per week, per webmd.com.
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Women who work out regularly, as well as those who plan to get to that point soon, pretty much know what they need in hand before they head to the gym. For starters—proper apparel suitable for lots of sweating to go with all that stretching, twisting, lifting, and/or cardio, as well as a multi-function watch as well as a towel (if one not provided). More importantly, though, there is the matter of proper nutritional supplementation to help fuel the body as well as to aid in bodily recovery and repair.
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Sometimes the best way to describe a vitamin or other supplement is by explaining what happens when you don’t have enough of it in your body. All vitamins and supplements tout a variety of benefits, but what sets vitamin B5 apart from most other vitamins is how a B5 deficiency can produce a relatively uncommon and positively irritating symptom known as “burning foot” syndrome.
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April is Alcohol Awareness Month, making this week the perfect time to talk about a little known relationship: the relationship between vitamins and alcohol. It will come as news to no one that excessive drinking can have a negative impact on health. Excessive alcohol use is associated with a range of health problems, including:
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Eating “kosher” isn’t just a religious practice for Orthodox Jews, it also is practiced by many non-Jews looking to eat healthier and maybe even lose a few pounds along the way, as it involves a carefully prescribed means of choosing healthy foods and properly preparing them for consumption.
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Anyone who’s even half-serious about taking vitamins, to include knowing what’s in the multivitamin they (presumably) take daily, should be familiar with the “big three” of the Vitamin B complex family – vitamins B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), and B3 (niacin). Together, they comprise a powerful trio of nutrients covering a wide range of health benefits, ranging from addressing digestive issues (vitamin B1) to boosting energy (Vitamin B2) to bolstering brain function (Vitamin B3).
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If you have a job that keeps you on your feet much of the workday, you probably have an insider’s knowledge of discomfort in your feet – oh, heck, let’s just cut out the niceties and call it what it is – foot pain! Such pain can be any one (or more) of more than a dozen common foot problems, any of which can make being a school teacher, a dentist, a hair stylist, or a sales associate in a clothing store always on the lookout for the next foot remedy, or at least a nice foot massage.
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In recent years, multivitamins have surged in popularity, making their way into the daily routines of many health conscious consumers. As an increasing number of people become interested in the potential benefits of a daily multivitamin, many people have questions. Today, we’d like to take a moment to answer some of those top questions about multivitamins.
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For those of us who fly the friendly skies, whether as a frequent or occasional flyer, there are times the skies aren’t so friendly. Such as when we cross two or three – or more – time zones and find ourselves in a brain fog once we reach our destination. If lost luggage, delayed or canceled flights, and pockets of turbulence aren’t bad enough, then there’s the problem of trying to sleep (or stay awake) at the appropriate times after we touch down on that long-distance, out-of-town excursion.
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There's no denying that yoga is a fantastic way to get fit. Many people will be considering taking the practice up to improve their physical health. However, did you know that it's fantastic for your mental health too? Here are some of the ways it can help you stay healthy mentally, and bring in a calming new outlook on life this year for you.
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If you’ve ever read the fine print on a bottle of vitamins, then you may have noticed that there are often specific storage instructions. Unfortunately, many consumers make these five mistakes when it comes to storing their vitamins. Take a minute to double-check your practices!
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A word to the wise for anyone suffering with acne, especially teens trying to come to grips with (although best left untouched) those unsightly zits, pimples, and blackheads: Take it easy. Relax. Chill. Don’t sweat it. Do those things, and you might help clear up a lot of that acne yourself, without help of medications or topical applications such as creams or lotions.
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For many of us, especially those of us over the age of, say, 40, when we think of iodine, we remember getting scrapes and bruises as a kid, after which Mom would dab on iodine as an antiseptic. The idea was to keep us from getting an infection, so the healing process could begin unencumbered. But there’s so much more to iodine and the benefits it can provide – so much more.
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There are many supplements on the market that can do one or maybe even a couple of things well in benefiting our health. Then there are some that can apparently accomplish many things well. One of the latter is vitamin B3, also known as niacin, which is often recommended by personal physicians as an over-the-counter remedy when advising patients with high cholesterol and at risk eventually for heart disease.
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Our society has undergone a drastic change in the last several decades when it comes to sleep. It has become a 24/7, sometimes-chaotic jumble of life, relationships, careers, activities, and attempts at rest and relaxation. Days blend into one another and, for many, work has become such a predominant part of who we are that working late or haphazard hours has become commonplace. In such an environment, sleep is now seen as a necessary nuisance instead of the solid, regularly-scheduled, eight-hour reprieve it once was.
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In the aftermath of a hard workout, such as one associated with running, biking, or even a jaunty hike through the woods and over hills, pain isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Most likely, this is the presence of what is known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), a condition in which muscle pain develops a day or two after exercise, if not sooner.
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This March, in honor of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, we need to talk about a subject many adults would prefer to avoid. While you might not want to face it, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. among cancers that affect both men and women. Sadly, more than 50,000 Americans die from colorectal cancer each year. Many cases could be prevented through regular screening.
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Hormones don’t ride bikes around the insides of our bodies delivering envelopes that carry messages from sender to receiver, but they are messengers that do something even more important. They help keep us alive by carrying chemical messages as part of the endocrine system, traveling via the bloodstream, their destination tissues and organs while serving a role of regulating most of our body’s major systems.
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If you’re feeling low on energy these days (and maybe that’s the last thing you need with spring starting to sprout), then it could be your tank is running low on vitamin B2 (also known as riboflavin). Our bodies need a daily intake of vitamin B2, a water-soluble vitamin that has a significant role in energy production and is an essential nutrient in our diets.
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Many runners are familiar with it, as are some walkers (at least those who walk far and fast for exercise) and serious weight lifters (lots of strenuous bending at the elbows and knees), as well as anyone else who has had to deal with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. We can add to the list aging folks who simply have creaky joints.
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Vitamin B1, also known as thiamin, is considered an essential nutrient for our bodies because tissues need B1 to function properly. It is a water-soluble nutrient, and it plays a key role in helping our body turn consumed food into energy – that is, it metabolizes it, thus working to fuel our engine . . . to keep us running on down the road, so to speak.
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We can add gluten to the list of things “we didn’t know we were supposed to be afraid of,” thanks in part to media and marketing messages that have hammered home a clear-cut message: gluten is not good for us or our health. We see this on food packaging, cereal boxes, and TV commercials, warning us to steer clear of this protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and triticale.
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In recent days in this space we have discussed non-traditional medical practices, starting with homeopathy, then moving on to holistic medicine, and now we come around to naturopathy. This isn’t exactly coming full circle; it’s more just some zigzagging around in different directions, although there are similarities among these three types of practices.
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We recently discussed homeopathy and the basics behind how this alternative medical treatment works. We learned about how it eschews the use of prescription medicines and traditional American medical practices to help patients deal with a variety of health issues using various natural compounds and herbs, many of them quite practical when used.
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Just as the name implies, holistic medicine pretty much covers all the bases when it comes to a treatment system. There is traditional medicine with its various tweaks around the world, and there are a number of alternative modes of medical practice, and then there is holistic medicine. A holistic practitioner typically will use all types of health care, from conventional to alternative in treating a patient.
Read More![Chronic Kidney Disease [Infographic]](blog/images/chronic-kidney-disease-infographic.jpg "Chronic Kidney Disease [Infographic]")
March 8 is World Kidney Day and this infographic from the World Kidney Day organization provides a wealth of information about chronic kidney disease and how it can be a silent killer. World Kidney Day is a joint effort between the International Society of Nephrology and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations.
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It’s easy to take our feet for granted, or even to forget about them entirely. Most of the time we have them covered up in socks and shoes, and we can’t see them. The only time we really focus on them is when toweling off after a shower or when it’s time to trim our toenails – or when we trip, stumble, or fall and either stub a toe or sprain an ankle. Our feet are like football referees or baseball umpires – we don’t notice them until something goes wrong (for us or for our team).
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Curcumin’s reputation as a superfood continues to gain momentum among health researchers. The latest evidence bolsters the status of turmeric’s key ingredient as a possible deterrent to loss of cognitive ability in the elderly and others suffering from some form of dementia, namely Alzheimer’s disease.
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Just like there is more than one way to skin a cat or cook a quiche, there is more than one way to practice medicine and treat patients. In fact, the world is full of alternative medicines, some of them dating back thousands of years. One of those “other” spheres of medical practice is homeopathy, which has long been practiced throughout Europe and has in recent decades showed its head in America.
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As athletes – which many of us are in one respect or another, knock on wood – we learned in the early going the importance of staying hydrated, i.e. drinking plenty of water, which is especially important when performing activities that leave us soaked in sweat. Then came the realization that hydrating with just water might not be enough. Now, we’ve been told – and perhaps reluctantly we concur, we also need to stay replenished with electrolytes.
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As Kermit the Frog is so fond of saying, It’s not easy being green. But Kermie probably has never sipped from a nice, piping-hot cup of green tea. It not only tastes great and is less filling but also full of healthy properties that make it a great benefit to our health in numerous ways. Some experts – human ones, in fact – have gone as far as to describe green tea as the healthiest thing to drink, period.
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“Acid” might sound like a strange companion for healthy skin, but in the case of hyaluronic acid (HA), few things are better for dry, aging skin. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance that’s highly concentrated in your body’s eyes and joints. It’s produced in both the human body and animals. (In fact, the hyaluronic acid taken in supplement form is often derived from a rooster’s comb!)
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It has often been said that “What you don’t know won’t hurt you,” but we found it smarter, safer, and healthier to take the approach that “What you do know can help you.” That’s the case with polyphenols, about which we have been learning much more in the last decade or two, and that is polyphenols can help us, healthwise for sure, and in a variety of ways.
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From injections to patches to pills and more, there are many ways to get vitamins into your system. But when it comes to ease, cost, and a few other factors, it’s hard to beat sublingual delivery. Sublingual, which means “beneath the tongue,” is a popular way to take several vitamins and supplements – primarily Vitamin B12 and melatonin. When taking a sublingual tablet, you simply place the tablet beneath the tongue, where it dissolves and enters the bloodstream directly.
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About every 3,000 miles or so, we get the oil changed for our car or SUV, the idea being to keep our vehicles running clean and smoothly. We do what the instruction manual tells us to do, or we risk car problems. Our bodies beg for the same sort of treatment. This entails getting rid of routine waste as well as harmful toxins, and for that there has to be a will and a way.
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The choices people make in life often help define them. Paper or plastic? Winter Olympics or Summer Olympics? For guys, Ginger or Mary Ann? Then there’s coffee or tea? Regarding the latter, a handful of drinkers swear by both, but in most cases it’s one or the other, and, in terms of health, neither really is a bad choice (unless you abuse them). Most coffees have more caffeine than most teas do, but teas do a bang-up job when it comes to providing health benefits.
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Do you know what “SAD” stands for? If you guessed, “seasonal affective disorder,” you get a point. But today we’re looking at a different SAD… The Standard American Diet. SAD is far too common here in the U.S. where “three out of four Americans don’t eat a single piece of fruit in a given day, and nearly nine out of ten don’t reach the minimum recommended daily intake of vegetables”.
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Although you can’t see your colon, and hopefully you never will have to see it, be assured that it is working on your behalf pretty much 24 hours a day. Also known as the large intestine, the colon is about five or six feet in length and performs double duty inside your body. On the one hand, it is a powerful storage mechanism as well as a waste disposal site. It stores the waste from digested material (from food) until it’s time to be excreted.
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Polyphenols are plant-based compounds that occur naturally and can be found in an assortment of fruits and vegetables, as well as in some cereals and beverages. Per National Institutes of Health (NIH), fruits such as grapes, apples, and cherries (and count in blueberries as well) contain up to 200-300 milligrams of polyphenols per 100 grams of fresh weight.
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Regardless what kind of physical workout you are planning to do tonight, tomorrow, or next Tuesday, chances are you could use a little boost to help get you going – or to keep your motor running at optimal performance. Eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of rest at night are key to great workouts, but oftentimes you need more, and this is where nutritional supplements can help full in the dietary gaps. We all have them, even if we think we don’t.
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Bees can be chubby, hovering annoyances at backyard barbecues or Sunday afternoon picnics. Sometimes they can even be a real pain, as in “Be careful where you stick that stinger.” But there’s a good side to the bee story as well. You might even call these fuzzy, brown or black and yellow bugs health nuts in a roundabout way/ That’s in the sense that a variety of their by-products are known to provide health benefits for humans. Remember that next time you suffer or, better yet, ward off a bee sting.
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Over the years in this space, we have covered hundreds of topics related to nutrition and health, touching on many of the supplements and vitamins that address specific areas of what makes our bodies work and what we can do to optimize our health and keep our minds and bodies fine-tuned.
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February is here; before you know it, it will be March. That means spring isn’t far off. For many of us, that means another season of spring allergies, or hay fever, lurks. It soon will be time to say hello to itchy eyes, runny noses, sneezing, and occasional fatigue (probably related to poor sleep), although it usually takes several weeks before our immune system gets naturally recalibrated and we can say good-bye on the back end to all that icky stuff.
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Our body’s glands, small in stature but large in function, comprise the endocrine system. Their chief role is to produce and secrete chemical substances known as hormones that regulate our cells’ and organs’ activities. In a sense, the endocrine system acts as our body’s thermostat, as described by emedicinehealth.com, similar to how wall-mounted thermostats in the home control room temperature.
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This how it usually goes with probiotics – make mention of these living microorganisms and the conversation goes straight to how probiotics benefit digestive and gut health. You know the drill: probiotics consist of “good bacteria” that are consumed via fermented foods or supplements and act to restore or strengthen the natural balance of gut bacteria. This aids in proper digestion and helps ward off diseases (such as inflammatory bowel disease and ulcerative colitis) and even diarrhea, which can often be a side effect of antibiotic use.
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The more we know about how our bodies really work, the more amazing these wondrous human mechanisms make themselves out to be. Take digestion, for instance. There’s more to it than sticking food in our mouths, chewing it and then letting it fuel our bodies before what’s left over departs our bodies as waste.
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It’s amazing – perhaps “disappointing” or “shocking” might be a better word – the abuse many people inflict on their ears, and hearing, all for the sake of enhancing a listening experience. Such as putting on headphones or inserting earbuds and cranking up the music to skull-splitting proportions. Fact is, our ears – and, along with that, our hearing – need love, too, a fact that goes beyond just turning down the volume of your favorite heavy-metal band or hip-hop artist.
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You snooze, you lose, right? Actually, yes, and in a good way. At least it’s a good thing if you are trying to lose weight, or at least shed some of that beer belly. Research has shown that getting sufficient sleep – usually targeted at eight hours, give or take an hour – is a key factor in maintaining or even improving our health, which includes keeping off or shedding the pounds in many cases.
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Considering the amount, as well as the types, of food we put into our mouths over the course of a week, it’s almost shocking that many of us go months or even years without suffering from stomach ailments. Our stomachs are a great repository of all things good and bad that we consume, which means that some of the best work we can do on behalf of our health is finding the right supplements and vitamins to stick into our stomachs to support our health.
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Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the world. It is caused by high pressure inside the eyes which if left unchecked, damages the optic nerves leading to blindness. There are generally two types of glaucomas.
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Considering its many and varied health benefits, it’s no wonder that turmeric has generated ample media interest in recent years. As a nutritional supplement, it has even been labeled an apparent “superfood” (the Washington Post and Fox News) as well as an alleged “cure” for cancer in at least one instance (The Daily Mail). The “superfood” description, especially, is a tag that carries a lot of weight in a competitive world where herbs, vitamins, and supplements slug it out for market share.
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Looking out for and taking care of our health can be a complex chore with a multitude of factors, body parts, and organs to think about. However, it’s not too difficult to know where a good starting point is when it comes to health considerations – the heart. For the average person, the heart beats more than 85,000 times a day, pushing out blood through miles and miles of arteries, veins, and capillaries, supplying our body with what it needs to survive and, presumably, thrive.
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If you’re looking for a nutritional supplement that is the Baskin Robbins of the health food industry – you know, 98 flavors and all that stuff – you might consider turmeric, with its key ingredient curcumin. Turmeric/curcumin might just be the Jack or Jill of all trades among supplements because of the many ways it can contribute to our good health, from top to bottom and from side to side with our bodies.
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There are two main areas of concern when it comes to the desire to boost our brainpower. One is about making us smarter (or at least more alert) on the job or when taking tests or exams. On the other end of life’s timeline, it’s yearning to maintain cognitive function as we age, being ever mindful that even the slightest signs of forgetfulness or absent-mindedness could mean the dreaded onset of dementia.
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One of the most fascinating things about nutrition and health is the number of times that something old – something really old, even – is found to have new human health applications, or at least relatively new when it comes to medical and nutritional science in America. Case in point: berberine, a plant-based compound that has been used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medical practice dating back more than 1,000 years.
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Even though the urinary bladder, a muscular sac located in the pelvis, doesn’t actually do a lot in its primary role as a reservoir for urine, it has a way of grabbing our attention when it needs to be emptied or has been invaded by inflammation or an infection. It’s called pain, or at the very least discomfort.
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Our kidneys – we are born with two of them – play several key roles in helping us to maintain a healthy body. Not the least of these important functions is ridding our bodies of toxins and waste matter; they even play a role in regulating blood pressure. The kidneys are bean-shaped – you know, like the popular, backyard kidney-shaped swimming pools – and found near the posterior side of the abdomen.
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So, you’re sick and tired of making New Year’s resolutions year after year, only to break them long before January gives way to February? Or, maybe you’re just sick and tired, period, and in need of some easy-to-reach pick-me-ups that will leave you feeling fit, strong, and healthy for 2018. Here are eight resolution suggestions to grab onto and make a go of once you finish ringing in the New Year. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2018!
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The gallbladder is one of those body organs we don’t think about much, if at all, until it starts acting up, and then the pain can become unbearable. What is the gallbladder? It is a small pouch, or sac, situated just beneath the liver, which is its partner of sorts. The liver manufactures bile – an acidic-like substance that is stored in the gallbladder and then released into the small intestine to help in the digestion of fats.
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For something so small and hidden inside a male’s body, about the size of a walnut and tucked below the bladder and in front of the rectum, the prostate gland sure packs a big wallop. It is part of the male reproductive system and surrounds a portion of the urethra, which is the tube inside the penis that transports urine away form the bladder, per webmd.com.
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Choosing and eating the right foods is vital to the health of all parts of our bodies. In order to properly utilize what we ingest, we depend heavily on the inner workings of our intestines to help us properly digest and distribute the nutrients. Let’s not forget, though, that our intestines themselves deserve plenty of TLC as well; we need to take care of the part of us that plays such a key role in taking care of so many other things.
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There’s something about the holiday season that just primes us for heartwarming stories of kindness and charity, right? Well, a few weeks ago a first-time mom with just two months left in her pregnancy took to Reddit, where she asked for help in locating affordable prenatal vitamins and a breast pump.
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Even with Christmas almost here, New Year’s Eve is still another week or so away, meaning it’s time for holiday revelers (and carolers?) to get a second wind as the parties and celebrations continue, with football-watching parties about to hit high gear. After weeks of shopping, wrapping, driving, packing and whatever else, chances are your tank is about to hit empty. Perhaps it’s time for another jolt of energy, more wind for the sails, right? Riiiiiight.
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Or, you can at least make it a weight-neutral holiday season if actual weight loss seems too much of a holiday spirit-killing burden. First, though, put down that plate of steaming hot-out-of-the-oven pecan pie smothered in whipped cream and let’s talk about this.
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When it comes to the health of our eyes and vision, we have been told since childhood how much carrots bring to the (kitchen) table. Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene/vitamin A, which is believed to be a deterrent to such aging eye conditions as macular degeneration and cataracts.
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Have a holly jolly Christmas, it’s the best time of the year. Or not. Christmas and the holiday season should be one of joyful celebration for untold millions... and it is. Another reality, though, is that anxiety, stress, and depression are as much a traditional part of the holidays for some people as decorated trees, poinsettias, and 24/7 Christmas music are for others.
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This is the desire of every adult male who wishes to engage in sexual activity: that he always be at the peak of his sexual prowess without worry of lost stamina, erectile dysfunction, reduced libido, or any other condition that might lead to diminished performance in the bedroom. The good news for men is that they need not leave their sexual reproductive system to chance, that they can do something about it through good nutrition buoyed by the right vitamins and supplements.
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Every time we take a breath, which amounts to about six million times a year, our lungs are involved. Their most important function is to extract oxygen from the environment and transfer it to our bloodstream. No wonder the lungs are high on our list of health priorities, and why we should take care to keep them clean and healthy.
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More than 350 million people around the world suffer from moderate to severe hearing loss. The sources of such loss include loud noises, infectious diseases, aging, and the use of certain drugs. Not surprisingly, it has been estimated that about 50 percent of these hearing-loss cases were avoidable, per articles.mercola.com. Hearing-protective devices could have been worn, and in some cases dietary habits over time could have made a difference.
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Maintaining healthy blood pressure (BP) or lowering BP that is already elevated is a task that can be targeted by a variety of fruits and vegetables. One of the veggies earning a solid reputation in that regard is beetroot. Numerous studies are now showing that beetroot, like several other plant foods, appears to lower the risk of numerous conditions to include heart disease and obesity.
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The liver is our largest and heaviest (weighing in at three pounds) internal organ, as one might expect considering the vital functions it performs on our behalf. Its central role is to process whatever we consume – whether it be food or drink – either metabolizing it for our body to use or eliminating it as waste. Also, the liver stores vitamins and works 24/7 to help detoxify our body.
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Many of us take for granted the routineness of going to the bathroom simply to urinate. Most often we’re at home, at the office or in school and when we get the urge, we get up and go and don’t think much of it. After all, it’s nature calling. It’s a different story, though, for anyone with a urinary system problem – such as a urinary tract infection (UTI), which usually is accompanied by pain as well as other symptoms that tell us something is wrong.
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Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior, per the Alzheimer’s Association. It is a progressive disease that worsens over time, eventually advancing to the point where it interferes with daily activities, such as when it comes to swallowing food or getting lost while driving on a familiar route, such as from work to home.
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If you’re looking to build muscle, you’ve probably found no shortage of protein powder and creatine resources. But it can be a little more difficult to find the best vitamin and mineral supplements for weightlifting. Of course, having the right supplements is essential for building muscle, turning food into useful energy, and protecting your overall health.
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We need our protein. It is essential to our well-being because it is the building block of our muscles, skin, hormones, and enzymes, while also playing a key role in our body’s tissues. A protein deficiency can be the forerunner of numerous health issues, and not consuming enough protein in our diets can cause subtle, unwanted changes in our bodies over time.
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You’ve definitely heard of vitamin B12. And you may even know that Vitamin B12 is neither made by plants or animals, but comes from microorganisms in the soil! Today on the WonderLabs Blog, we’re excited to share with you four surprising truths about Vitamin B12 that most people have never heard.
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Regardless where or with whom you plan on consuming that great annual feast known as Thanksgiving dinner, surely you would like to savor your meal and enjoy your company without busting your pants or blowing up any healthy diet you’ve just started. Well, there might be a way to have your turkey and eat it, too (along with all the fixings) without stuffing your body with a week’s worth of calories in two hours or less.
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Twinkling lights, gifts under the tree, delicious food with friends and family… the holidays have a lot to offer…
…including an increased risk of getting sick. Dutch psychologists Ad Vingerhoets and Maaike van Huijgevoort have even given it a name: “leisure sickness.”
Could shifting out of our daily routine actually cause illness? While the theory hasn’t been proven, some patients surveyed by the Dutch duo self-identified with this pattern. When you think about it, there is something to the theory. After all, preparing for time off from work frequently means working extra hard in advance.
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When it comes to ownership of an endocrine system, humans have plenty of company. Also referred to as the hormone system, the endocrine system is found in all mammals as well as birds, fish and a variety of other types of living organisms, per epa.gov. It is a system that, in general terms, is made up of glands found throughout the body, gland-produced hormones sent into the bloodstream or into the fluid that around cells, and receptors distributed among organs and tissues, and “programmed” to respond to hormones.
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Maybe “fungus” isn’t the first word that comes to mind when you think of your health. However, many fungi available in your local grocery store have been found to boost the immune system, reduce inflammation, and help the body fight off viral infections.
It’s time to rethink mushrooms! Check out these four immune system-boosting mushrooms (including at least one you’ve heard of and maybe even incorporated into your own cooking: the shiitake mushroom).
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared diabetes an American epidemic, with more than 25 million Americans afflicted with diabetes. Another 80 million are classified prediabetic, per the American Diabetes Association. The numbers get even bigger when you put a dollar sign in front of them: As of 2012, $245 billion a year was being spent on diabetes in the U.S., including $176 billion in direct medical costs and the rest -- $69 billion – in lost productivity.
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Taking proper care of our skin is not necessarily just an act of vanity for beauty’s sake; it’s also a health issue – a serious one if we let it get out of hand. There’s the matter of accelerated aging of the skin if we eat too much food that is processed or low in nutrition, as well as other harmful factors such as stress and toxins. There’s also the specter of inflammation, cell damage, etc. as it relates to conditions and diseases of the skin ranging from cellulitis to shingles.
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Breathing is a way of life, something we do every few seconds, 24/7, whether we are awake or asleep, whether we are at rest with our feet kicked up or hard at work working out or involved in a strenuous activity that raises our heart rate and forces us to breathe harder and faster. This is our respiratory system at work, and like any other system or organ in our body, it needs to be properly fed with nutrients, and that can include vitamins and supplements.
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One in about every 10 women are affected by endometriosis, a disease that involves a woman’s reproductive system. It’s a condition in which endometrium-type tissue that normally grows in the uterus’s inner mucous membrane, somehow ends up outside the uterus and grows in other areas of the body, such as the ovaries, abdomen, and bowel.
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Just a few days removed from Halloween and the annual parade of costumes, many of which were scary, we have an image in our heads as to what a skeleton looks like – a human-shaped structure of bones that appears sinister and able to do some damage.
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Our nervous system is always on the job, 24/7, 365 days a year (or 366 days in a leap year). Every breath we take, every time our heart beats, every time a thought enters our head, our nervous system is hard at work and playing a role. It’s no wonder we can’t afford for our nervous system to ever take a day (or an hour or a minute) off, and with that goes the responsibility to keep our nervous system properly fueled. It needs TLC and a steady supply of healthy nutrients as well.
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This might come as a surprise to most people, but our bodies have more than one circulatory system. There’s the more-familiar one that transports blood to all body organs and parts that need it. Then there’s the less-familiar version that acts as our body’s drainage system, supporting our immune system by guarding against illness and disease-causing inflammation. That’s the lymphatic system, which also piggybacks a network of veins, arteries, and capillaries to carry out its job.
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On Thursday, October 26, President Donald Trump declared the growing opioid epidemic a national public health emergency, stating that day that “We can be the generation that ends the opioid epidemic.” This might take a while. The opioid crisis, which involves highly addictive narcotics used to manage pain, has been growing steadily for more than 20 years, with about 90 Americans dying daily from opioid overdoses, per a June 2017 Washington Post report, as cited at drugsbuse.gov.
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Be careful what you skimp on when you start a new diet or decide to reshape your current one. Cutting back on carbohydrates, protein and/or fats – whether purposely or unwittingly – can weaken your body’s performance and diminish your ability to burn unwanted fat. Cutting back on calories can also mean shortchanging the supply of vitamins and minerals needed by your muscles to function with efficiency.
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All headaches share two things in common: to varying degrees they are painful, and in almost all instances they are tremendously effective in disrupting your day. Occasionally, headaches can you unable to get any work done or to enjoy the finer things in life.
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We are happiest with our stomach and entire digestion system when we aren’t thinking about them. We aren’t thinking about our stomach or digestive tract because, normally, we feel fine down there, content to shovel food and drink down the hatch with no bloating, no tummy ache, no nausea, no sharp pains, no peptic ulcers, no bowel issues (that we know of), no heartburn, no diarrhea, and no constipation to give us pause. A healthy digestive system? Priceless.
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Keeping our heart strong and healthy should be an everyday goal that never goes away or gets covered up. It is predicated on how well we conduct our lives, how we eat, how we exercise, how devoted we are to submitting to a physical checkup with our physician every year to make sure all things cardiovascular are ticking and operating correctly. Having a good working knowledge of supplements can help in a big way, too.
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About 25 million Americans have asthma, and allergic asthma – which is triggered by allergens – is the most common type, per healthline.com. It is estimated that 50 percent of all adult asthmatics have the allergy-induced type, while 90 percent of child sufferers are linked to allergic asthma.
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Acid indigestion. It is a sensation many of us are familiar with. Its main symptom features a burning feeling, often accompanied by pressure or pain, as recently consumed food comes back up the throat and into the mouth, leaving a taste that is acidic or at least bitter. The question is, is it just a “simple” case of heartburn or something more involved, such as acid reflux or, worse yet, gastroesophageal reflux disease, better known as GERD?
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The status of cinnamon as a possible “superfood” is debatable, as is its potential for having a healing effect on diabetes, but one thing that really can’t be argued – cinnamon is not only a sweet, great-tasting spice that works well sprinkled on an assortment of food and drinks, it also is nice to have around in terms of contributing to good health in other ways.
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From year to year, we’re never sure how bad that year’s strain of flu will be or even if the latest version of a vaccine will be sufficiently effective. One thing we can count on, though: some form of influenza will hit our shores, and it will be largely up to us to protect ourselves from getting the flu. It is also our duty to take measures to keep it from spreading to others if we are unlucky enough for the flu to catch us (vs. our catching it).
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Eating bugs may be a way of life for castaways in survival mode or special-forces military types on extended-training exercises, but in normal everyday life it’s not for the squeamish. Or is it? The consumption of probiotics, available in food and supplement form, involves eating bugs (millions of them) in the form of bacteria that benefit our gut health, otherwise known as our digestive system.
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The largest organ in the body is quite possibly one you haven’t heard of before, at least when it’s called by its correct name. That’s the integumentary system, which weighs between six and 10 pounds, covers a total surface area of about 18-20 square feet for adults, and consists of our skin, hair, nails, glands, and nerve receptors. There you have it – the integumentary system – a name for several body features that, collectively, you didn’t even know had a name, let alone that they comprised a ‘system.’
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If you are properly brushing your teeth after every meal, or at least twice a day, and if you are regularly flossing – preferably daily – you have established a good foundation for caring for your teeth and gums. Even then, your work is never done if you want to avoid gum disease, prevent tooth decay and cavities, keep your gums healthy and strong, and keep all your teeth in place.
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The ketogenic diet is a low-carb diet often compared to the Atkins diet, as both are based on a drastic reduction in carbs consumption. Per webmd.com, the main premise of the ketogenic diet is to get more calories from protein and fat, and fewer from carbs – which means cutting out sugar, soda, pastries, and white bread, for starters.
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With the health and fitness industry being one of the fastest growing industries, and one of the most lucrative, it’s easy to be blindsided with myths, trends and hyped up versions of the truth when it comes to what’s really good for us. Today, everyone wants to be in the know with their health, with today’s generations more health-conscious than any generation before us.
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When our body goes into a state of ketosis, it’s not a bad thing. In fact, it’s something many of us choose to bring on ourselves to lose weight. The word ‘ketosis’ might sound like some sort of disease. It isn’t. It is a normal metabolic process in which our body, when short on glucose, instead starts burning stored fats for needed energy. It is a condition that people can initiate by starting a ketogenic diet that is low on carbohydrates and seeks to burn unwanted fat.
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Since 1985 October has become known as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month around the United States. WonderLabs is happy to announce that a percentage of all sales for the month of October will be collected and distributed to three local organizations active in the fight against breast cancer.
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Omega-3 fatty acids, usually found in fish oils, comprise one of the best go-to nutritional supplements when it comes to restoring, maintaining, or even improving our health. Name any well-known health condition that can be aided by particular types of diets, then put together a list of foods and supplements deemed highly suitable for such diets, and, finally, be amazed by how often omega-3’s appear on those lists.
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Ask anyone to name the body’s major organs, and the first few answers are easy: the heart, the brain, the kidneys, and the lungs come quickly to mind. A bit further down the list, and often not mentioned, is the liver. It might be the most underappreciated and even neglected major organ of our bodies, but the liver deserves more respect. It just may be the hardest-working organ in our bodies; if not, it ranks near the top, and may be the most versatile organ in our bodies.
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We’ve heard it said lately that the best way to lose weight, improve our cardiovascular health, fend off viruses, etc., is not so much through physical exercise as it is by making healthy changes to our diet. You know, emphasize foods with an abundance of antioxidants, fiber, and protein, and go easy on the sweets, fat, and calories.
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Acne, otherwise known as pimples, is one of the most common dermatological conditions, affecting millions of young adults worldwide – and a relative handful of older adults as well. Assumptions about a possible link between what we eat and the appearance of acne on young people’s faces, as well as other body locales such as the upper back, have long been bandied about, based on nothing much more than anecdotal hearsay.
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OK, truth be told, this post doesn’t offer much that involves putting sugar and good health in the same sentence, but it sounded nice in the title. When it comes to herbs and spices that can promote good health as well as add a nice touch to a three- or four-course dinner, much can be said without mention of sugar. Modern science is only now catching up to what some cultures have known for centuries, that many spices possess amazing health benefits.
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Leg cramps can be a real pain. They can crop up at any time during the day, turning a leisurely stroll through the park or a walk from the den to the fridge into exercise of agonizing futility, sending a scared sufferer to the floor wincing and wailing in pain. It’s a similar deal during the night, when an otherwise sound sleeper suddenly wakes up in bed, startled, grabbing his or her calf and wondering where this real-life nightmare just came from.
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A little inflammation, even a moderate amount, is a good thing. It is one of our body’s means of healing itself. When we suffer an injury or contract an illness, our immune system goes to work, sending millions of white blood cells via a heightened blood flow to the location where it is immediately needed. Inflammation results.
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In our never-ending quest to stay healthy (or get healthier), to lose weight, to get stronger, to become faster, to improve our endurance or to just overall enhance our appearance, it’s easy to get lost in the big picture and take for granted our body’s mechanisms and the parts that play a supporting role. Our joints, for instance. Be honest: how often do you think about your wrists, your hips, your knees, or your ankles – until you injure one of them and suddenly find yourself pretty much out of commission?
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It’s easy to think of our bones and bone structure as nothing but hard substance, out of sight (beneath our skin, of course) and able to take care of itself, only to be tended to when we suffer a fracture or break. The truth is, our bones, to include our teeth, are living tissue in need of our constant care through ingestion of proper nutrition. Any deficiency in such care or nutrition – think calcium and vitamin D, for starters – can mean development of osteoporosis.
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In some ways, anxiety and depression are like most any other illness or disorder – there are traditional ways of treating them that includes the option of conventional medicine, i.e. prescription drugs.
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Forgetfulness is a part of life for most of us. Forgot where you put the keys? Can’t find your wallet or purse? You arrived home last night, turned on the dome light inside your car while in the driveway, and then you forgot to turn it off when you went inside the house. It happens to all of us. But there is a difference between routine forgetfulness and actual memory loss – a significant difference, in fact.
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More than 600,000 Americans die from heart disease every year, making it the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. That works out to one in four deaths each year being related to heart disease, with cholesterol often a key factor. The most common type of heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is coronary artery disease, which can lead to heart attack.
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The next time you are in pain and tell someone about it, don’t be surprised if they try to brush it off by saying, “Oh, it’s only in your head.” Actually, they’re right; whatever the root cause of the pain is and wherever it is located, pain signals get transmitted to your brain, which is in your head. Chronic pain, though, is nothing to be brushed off or treated lightly. It can be a significant life changer, whereby managing the pain beyond medical procedures and medications can help bolster quality of life for sufferers.
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Arthritis can be a debilitating disease difficult to describe if you’ve never had it, but the numbers paint a picture that isn’t pretty. Arthritis is rated the No. 1 cause of disability in America, with about 50 percent of adults 65 and older reporting a doctor’s diagnosis of arthritis, per draxe.com.
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Our immune system is a thing of wondrous beauty, albeit unseen beauty. It is a complex yet well-ordered system consisting of many millions of cells, neatly organized into sets and subsets, passing information among one another while gathering like “clouds of bees swarming around a hive,” as vaccines.gov puts it.
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Heartburn is a condition that often leaves a bad taste in our mouths, and we don’t mean just in the figurative sense. It occurs most often after you’ve just consumed a large meal, especially one that goes heavy on fatty and greasy foods. As webmd.com puts it, foods high in fat sit around in the belly longer, triggering our stomach to produce more acid, which in turn irritates our digestive system.
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In a perfect world, parents get their school kids out of bed at the right time, make sure they are practicing the right hygiene, and feed them the right kind of breakfast to make/keep them healthy, alert, ready, and in the right frame of mind for the rigors of another school day. In an imperfect world, though, where most of us reside, additional help is needed. To the rescue come nutritional supplements, many of which can boost a student’s alertness, focus, and/or retention, among other mental faculties.
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If it’s not bad enough that we get spring allergies, now we have entered the annual hot zone when fall allergies rear their ugly heads, often disguised as weed pollens. It’s all in the pollen, mostly, per what health experts say, and it is the type of pollens, mainly, that differentiates spring allergies from fall allergies.
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Knowing what foods to eat and which supplements to take to optimize your health can be overwhelming. Let us help break down some of that for you. Here’s an alphabetized summary of 26 healthy foods and supplements to keep/put on your list. Let this be your guide to smarter grocery shopping and better health:
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Considering the wildly mixed bag of foods we cram into our mouths – almost anything goes, from spicy to fatty to sugary to all points in between – and, in many cases, the volume of some ingestions, it’s a wonder our stomach and gastrointestinal (GI) system don’t scream, punch, or kick back at us more than it does.
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A common realization among pregnant women – and perhaps also women planning to get pregnant – is that there are two mouths to feed, and that’s even before you start counting other human beings living in the same household.
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If you are looking to kickstart a weight-loss program with almost-guaranteed success right out the gate, and if you like chocolate and/or wine and/or coffee, and if you have three weeks to spare, then maybe there really is a diet program out there that might appeal to you. There really is such a diet, and it goes by the name of the Sirtfood Diet. Celebrities like singer Adele swear by it – or at least eat by it.
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There are two types of vitamins: water-soluble vitamins and fat-soluble vitamins, and they differ from one another. Whereas the water-soluble types of vitamins dissolve in water when ingested, fat-soluble vitamins – which are most plentiful in foods high in fats – are absorbed into our bloodstream when eaten with fat and are eventually stored in our bodies, primarily in the liver.
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It’s an old story but one that bears repeating if you want to grow old: high blood pressure, or hypertension, has been called the “silent killer” because its symptoms are rarely noticeable. However, that is not to say that hypertension is a death sentence. A variety of medications effective in lowering blood pressure (BP) are available. Better yet, there are natural alternatives that have proved useful in reducing BP to healthier levels.
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A great dietary plan isn’t just about what you eat, it’s also about when you eat. We all know the drill about not eating too late into the evening, as a full stomach can disrupt sleep patterns and throw our metabolism out of kilter. Then there’s the issue of timing our meals or snacks to optimize our workouts, whether it consists of cardio, weights, a combination of both, or Plan D.
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Inflammation on or inside our bodies is like almost anything else – too much of anything can be bad for us. Don’t be confused by that, especially if you’re thinking that any bodily inflammation is bad. It’s not; inflammation is usually our body’s healthy and immediate response to many types of unforeseen injuries and other afflictions that hit us.
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There are all kinds of supplements and other nutritional aids on the market, readily available to any of us looking to bolster or improve our overall health or to assist us in a particular area of need. And some of those needs are more urgent and unpredictable than others. Constipation or diarrhea come quickly to mind – and to “fruition” at the most inopportune times.
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A banana a day might not actually keep the doctor forever away – neither can an apple a day, for that matter, not really – but the potassium that ingesting bananas brings us goes a long way toward keeping us sound of body and mind. It’s not just the bananas, either; as recently illustrated in another blog that appeared here; potassium has many sources and it’s up to us to keep ourselves sufficiently supplied.
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If you have ever been prescribed and taken a pharmaceutical drug, it is likely you have at least brushed up against herbalism, also known as phytotherapy. Many, if not most, prescription drugs are derived from plants with medicinal properties, otherwise known as “herbs.”
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Potassium is one of the most abundant minerals in our body – organicfacts.net says it is the third most abundant, in fact. For those who have purposed to go looking for a supplemental source to help with, say, their cardiovascular health, the direction in which they are most often pointed are bananas. Bananas and lowering high blood pressure, for instance, go hand in hand, although potassium is readily available through many other sources, and its health benefits extend well beyond just the heart.
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Foods and blender concoctions packed with proteins were once thought to belong solely to the domain of bodybuilders and elite athletes. Not anymore/ All the rest of us are quickly finding out that foods high in protein can work wonders for the overall health of the common man and woman, as well. Food marketers and stores have caught on, and now the rest of us can go grocery shopping looking for and finding protein-packed consumables suitable for almost everyone.
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Previously in this space we published a blog touching on some key points specific to belly fat. Included in the discussion was a summary of what belly fat is, its potential perils to our health, and several the underlying factors that contribute to it. Knowing those factors gives you a head start on what you can do to avoid belly fat or trim away what already is there.
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With summer winding down, those of us who vowed to use the nicer weather to eat better and work out more to shed that “beer gut” and reveal that six-pack are running out of time to accomplish that mission – if we haven’t already succeeded. This isn’t just about looking better and buffer in a bathing suit, though. It’s also about our longevity – trimming the belly isn’t just about beach-time vanity, it’s also about our long-term health.
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Low testosterone in men is most closely associated with diminished sexual performance in the bedroom. That’s the first thing that gets talked about when the subject of low-T counts comes up, just as we discussed in a recent article about testosterone that appeared on this website. Other low-T symptoms can include muscle mass atrophy, fatigue, weight gain, changes in sleep habits, depression and hair loss.
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The name sounds like some sort of scary, weaponized biochemical compound, but in truth biotin is nothing more than a sweet and innocent water-soluble B vitamin. Its main task is to take the food we eat and transform it into energy. And that’s a good thing; something to enhance our health. Not only is biotin vital for the health of our skin, nails and hair, it also is important to have around for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
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The most health conscious among us have known for decades that consumption of omega-3 fatty acids is good for our health. Only in recent years, though, have experts begun to learn the full extension of the reasons why. At the center of this revelation is the newly identified fatty acid docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), which has been found in elevated levels in the diet of Greenland Intuits, whose incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is remarkably low, per naturalproductsinsider.com.
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There is plenty of truth to the old saying about “water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.” Our oceans are made up of saltwater, which we all (should) know isn’t potable, unless your fun idea of quenching your thirst is chugging down the salty stuff without regard to sanity or health. Yet there still is plenty to love about what our oceans offer in terms of nutrients and healthy foods that can benefit us in numerous ways.
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Men sometimes joke among one another on the topic of testosterone, but deep down it’s no laughing matter when a drop in the hormone is accompanied by a drop in sexual performance. The human body produces testosterone, for men mainly in their testicles, and it plays a key role in shaping a man’s appearance and sexual development, per healthline.com. It also assists in building muscle and bone mass.
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More than 100 million Americans, or nearly one in three, have high cholesterol. Cholesterol readings higher than 200 mg/dL are generally considered excessive, bringing with it an increased chance of clogged arteries that can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Numerous prescription medicines are on the market – and there likely are more coming through the pharmaceutical pipeline – aimed at lowering cholesterol.
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Whether you live life in the fast lane or operate in a slow cooker – or perhaps equal amounts of each – you likely are exposed to and at times rendered ineffective by waves of stress inducements. Chances are that fatigue (physical and mental) also accompanies your stress. Those are the times when you can certainly use a lift and some relief. Adaptogens are standing by to come to your rescue.
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If you’re looking for a “go-to” food worthy of being included in your weekly diet plan, you could do a lot worse than to make fatty fish – think salmon, mackerel and tuna – a part of your regular fare at the lunch or dinner table. In fact, consider it a requisite. A deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in such fish, is a leading preventable cause of death in the United States, per nutraceuticalbusinessreview.com.
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When it comes to reaping the benefits afforded us by the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, salmon earns a well-deserved spot on the conversation. One way of taking advantage of salmon’s omega-3 fatty acids is by buying, grilling and eating salmon; a healthy alternative is salmon oil that is offered in the form of a popular nutritional supplement.
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Hundreds of nutritional supplements are available in the marketplace; sometimes it’s nearly impossible to figure out what’s best for whatever health benefit(s) you seek. To cut down on any confusion, we’re here to present a partial solution that's easy to remember. When in doubt, go with these three M’s – magnesium, manganese and methylcobalamin. Each can do many things to preserve or benefit your health.
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The use of opioids such as hydrocodone, oxycodone and morphine have long been prescribed by doctors for the treatment of a variety of chronic pain conditions. Their use, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has long been considered an acceptable part of medical practice, although the use of opioids has become controversial.
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Vitamin D often has been referred to as the “sunshine vitamin.” Why? Because its chief natural source is sunshine. If you have a vitamin D deficiency, some added exposure to the sun’s rays can be helpful – as long as it’s not overdone, as in overcooked with a painfully pink sunburn to show for it.
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Without minerals, our cells wouldn’t be able to function properly, and without properly functioning cells, we would be in a world of hurt. Minerals are inorganic substances that naturally occur in water, rocks and soils, and work their way into plants and animals. Rocks and soils are not on our recommended daily consumption list, but we can get what we need by eating plant-based food and the meat from animals who likewise eat plants, as well as from water, per eatbalanced.com.
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There are many things to enjoy and appreciate about the plant-based herb turmeric. Let’s begin with the fact that it not only can nicely spice up a good meal, it also can provide a laundry list of health benefits that practically make it a medicine cabinet unto itself. Included among those health remedies is turmeric’s inherent ability to suppress a variety of viruses that attack our bodies, ranging from influenza to hepatitis to herpes simplex and beyond.
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Count berberine among the few compounds with antibacterial properties that offer an effective alternative to antibiotic medicines that are losing ground in the ongoing battle against “superbugs.” It gets even better, though. Berberine’s other pharmacological effects includes blood glucose-lowering capabilities that make it useful in helping to treat diabetics.
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Most essential oils are known for their usefulness in benefitting human health across several fronts, with some of the more versatile oils able to cover a whole lot of ground. Take, for instance, oil of oregano – which many people do. Oregano oil has established a reputation as not only an antioxidant, antibiotic and antibacterial, but also an antifungal, antiviral and anti-inflammatory.
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Many of us grew up seeing depictions of young children being force fed teaspoons brimming with cod liver oil, the kids’ faces squinched up as they dreaded the taste. Just hearing the name – “cod liver oil” – often elicited classic yukky faces among kids. Which seems ironic, considering the many health benefits that have been attributed to cod liver oil over the years. Maybe it doesn’t taste great, but this stuff really works.
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They are antibiotic-resistant microorganisms described as “nightmare bacteria” or “superbugs.” Resistant? Nightmare? Superbug? None of it sounds good when it comes to American public health. And it isn’t. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about two million people a year in America suffer serious infections with bacteria that turn out to be resistant to antibiotics designed to treat them, and 23,000 of those so afflicted end up dying.
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We keep our cars, trucks and SUVs running smoothly and efficiently with proper use of motor oil, presumably to include getting the oil changed at prescribed mileage intervals (or else!). Smart use of oils is a human thing to do as well. Americans increasingly are turning to oils - frequently referred to as 'essential oils' – to protect and improve our health in numerous ways; all to keep our bodies and minds running smoothly and efficiently.
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Vision and eye health are things many of us take for granted, until we suffer an impairment or accident that results in at least some loss of sight. Then we realize how vital our vision and eye health are to us. Proper eye care entails not only wearing protection, such as when mowing the lawn or being outdoors in bright sunlight, but also eating the right foods and using the right nutritional supplements as needed to bolster eye health.
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It happens to all of us at one time or another during the day, sometimes even more than once. Maybe it’s late morning with lunch more than an hour away. Or it’s mid-afternoon and the bluesy blahs are settling in, the needle on our energy gauge about to hit zero. These are the times we need a healthy snack to restore our zip, but the question then becomes, what? What’s a healthy, energy-boosting snack that will lift us up and carry us through to the next bell?
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A main course of mushrooms will never be found on many, if any, menus, but as a garnishment with assorted healthful benefits, mushrooms have few peers. Labeled as a “superfood” by nutrition experts, mushrooms are low in carbohydrates and calories and full of B vitamins, trace minerals, fiber and protein that make them a powerful anti-inflammatory food that also bolsters our immune system, among other health-inducing qualities.
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Coenzyme Q10, also known as CoQ10, is an antioxidant that cells need so they can function properly. What the coenzyme does is help cells manufacture the energy necessary to grow and thrive while also fighting against free radicals that can damage cell membranes. No wonder CoQ10 is so popular as a supplement; in fact, it has been touted by NASDAQ’s Globe Newswire, per chiroeco.com, as the supplement that will account for $849.5 million of the $36.7 billion supplement industry within three years.
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Poor diets and the cheap, low-quality (but tempting) foods that comprise them are often the source of diseases that befall us. Processed foods; foods coated with pesticides; foods loaded with sugar; foods packed with fat; foods high in calorie count and low in nutritional value – all these and more are often the culprit for what ails us. It only seems appropriate that if foods are the “bad guys” when it comes to sickness and disease, that we should turn to “good guy” foods to bail us out of disease prison.
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Anyone who grabs one of those energy drinks that typically come in a can pretty much knows what they are getting out of it – an hours-long jolt of energy, improved athletic performance and enhanced mental acuity. What you get out of it is not the question, though; it’s what goes into these energy drinks that remain somewhat of a mystery with some drink manufacturers, not to say the risk of possible side effects tied into the ingredients involved.
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Trying to lose weight is like trying to grip a wet and slippery bar of soap – the harder you squeeze, the faster it gets away from you. A lot of weight-loss plans or diets fail because of the instant-gratification conundrum: we want to lose X number of pounds now, even when we know in our heads that any viable plan or diet requires planning, patience and perseverance, yet many of us still won’t see immediate results and will abandon it faster than a New Year’s Resolution.
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It doesn’t take a lot of arm twisting to get most folks to eagerly reach for the cinnamon and sprinkle some on their food, or coffee or whatever. All you have to do is put it in front of them, at arm’s length, and cinnamon’s alluringly sweet taste and aroma take over. As a confection, cinnamon has few peers.
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When it comes to inducing healthy and effective weight loss, there are a lot of theories and gimmicks floating around. AMPK is no theory or gimmick, however. It’s the real deal. Short for adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, AMPK is an important enzyme that, when activated, is effective at cranking up our metabolism and burning fat.
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Summer is officially here, although warming temperatures beat the official start of summer to the punch in much of the country. The heat is here. If you haven’t done it already, it’s time to tweak your diets and menus to accommodate the heat and your body’s need for regular hydration to counter increased fluid loss through sweating. On top of that, most weight-conscious people see summertime as the right time to drop excess pounds, something to keep in mind when picking out what foods to eat.
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It doesn’t take a sweet tooth to know there are many artificial or alternative sweeteners that promise zero calories and maybe even weight loss. Also referred to as non-nutritive sweeteners – that’s right, they offer little or nothing in the way of nutrition – these substitute sweeteners carry a hopeful and carefully cultivated message of alleged health, yet in many cases they can cause unwanted symptoms ranging from headaches to weight gain to cardiovascular disease.
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Heavy metal might be music to the ears of some people, but in terms of human health it can mean bad news when too much of it shows up in our diets. Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements with a high atomic weight and a density five times or more that of water, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Their presence in our food supply often surpass safe limits, and human exposure to them can greatly harm our health.
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Our bodies need a regular and abundant influx of calcium in order to survive – it is vital for our bones and teeth, for one thing – and one of the best sources of calcium is coral calcium, also known as calcium carbonate. This is a compound found in limestone deposits that at one time were part of coral reefs and now are fossilized coral. Okinawa is recognized as the world’s best source of coral calcium, although it also is relatively plentiful in parts of Brazil.
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Omega-3 fatty acids, which can be found in fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel, have been shown to reduce or even eliminate blood vessel blockage by remove existing deposits and preventing new deposits from forming. Essentially, by thus improving blood flow within our bodies, omega-3 can bolster our overall health in several areas, to include possibly reducing the chances of our developing Alzheimer’s disease.
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Most women, even those in their 20s or 30s, have heard of menopause and have a general idea of what it entails; they’ve heard the “horror” stories. Still, when menopausal symptoms appear in their mid-40s to early 50s, they might not have a clue at first what is happening, or why. Perhaps their periods start changing, or they’re not sleeping well at night, or they experience “hot flashes” and notice some weight gain around the middle. All this, even though they haven’t changed their lifestyle or dietary habits. It can be scary.
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Probiotics and prebiotics sound a lot alike but they are not the same, and yet they can serve a complementary function in helping to keep us healthy. Got that? Or, better yet, gut that? Both probiotics and prebiotics are involved in maintaining good gut health, oftentimes combining forces on behalf of our gastrointestinal system by making sure there is a healthy balance of good bacteria to bad bacteria – preferably more of the former.
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What we think or feel can be determined by what we eat. Nutrition has been shown to be a key factor related to our thought processes and emotions. This is especially true as it relates to mental disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (ICD).
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Summertime is here – officially in about two weeks – the time of year when we’re supposed to be care-free when it comes to catching. After all, the occurrence of colds is usually confined to the late fall, winter and early-spring months. As some of us know all too well from experience, though, colds, and even flu, can also hit in June, July, August and September. That’s why it’s a good idea to keep virus-fighting zinc lozenges handy year-round, just in case.
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Vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin (the first such vitamin discovered, in 1913, per emedicine.medscape.com) that also is a potent antioxidant, is an essential part of our daily diet, in large part because it is not manufactured by the human body. Our body depends on us to supply it with Vitamin A through what we eat. Vitamin A is important for maintaining the health of our eyes and eyesight, healthy and clear skin, proper bone growth, facilitating cell differentiation and supporting our immune system against infections, especially in the mucous membranes for the digestive, respiratory and urinary tracts.
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It’s tempting to think of our bones as strong and nearly indestructible, but they need love, too, as well as plenty of good nutrition. Think of it this way, when we feed ourselves, we also are feeding our bones, and it takes more than just calcium to keep them healthy and structurally sound. And, no, our bones are not as strong as we might like to think. Anyone who has suffered a fracture knows that all too well.
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What little most of us know about the human body’s metabolism – without the help of a scientific manual – is that a fast metabolism is more conducive to losing weight than a slow metabolism is. That’s good to know for those of us looking to shed a few (or more than a few) pounds. The question is, how can we boost our metabolism without risk to our health, and perhaps even enhance our health in the process?
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Two-thirds of American adults are either obese or overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The obesity rate among women in their 40s and 50s has risen to 42 percent compared to 38 percent among middle-aged men. Across all adult age groups, in terms of obesity rate, women are at 38 percent compared to 34 percent of men – the obesity rate for women is on the rise, while it has plateaued for men.
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Minerals are inorganic materials found in rocks and soils, and our bodies wouldn’t be able to survive without them. Of the more than 100 known minerals in existence, at least 18 of them are essential to our good health. Seven of them are classified essential minerals, also known as “macro-minerals”: calcium, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, sodium and chloride.
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Something sweet to eat ordinarily is a no-no for diabetics, but cinnamon can be a delicious exception to the rule. Sprinkled onto your morning cup of joe or bowl of oatmeal, cinnamon adds a nice sugary, sugar-less freshness. It’s not only a great sugar substitute for what you eat or drink, cinnamon also may alleviate symptoms of diabetes, to include lowering elevated blood-sugar levels while still if long-sought sweet pop of flavor.
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‘Metabolism’ is one of those health-related words we often hear in discussions focused on diet, weight and exercise; but do we really know what it means? Metabolism typically is talked about in simplistic terms, as if it’s some sort of biomechanical device that runs our body like an engine powers a car, when all we need to do is fuel it three times a day so we can enjoy the ride. However, there’s more to metabolism than just something to keep revved up if we want to drop the pounds.
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The fact that the herb ginger can provide a variety of health benefits surely puts a smile on most people’s faces. In addition to being healthy for us in so many ways, ginger also is a tasty favorite when added to food and beverages. In terms of our health, ginger for centuries has earned a sterling reputation for its ability to relieve digestive problems such as nausea, loss of appetite, motion sickness and stomach ache. And that’s just for starters.
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In times of stress, sadness or anxiety, many of us will grab the first thing edible that looks good, and we eat it, giving ourselves a brief respite from what troubles us. “Comfort food” we call it, although it has no long-term benefit. Over time, though, our nutritional habits – what we eat – can affect our brain health, for better or for worse. This is what’s known as the “food-mood connection,” as familydoctor.org puts it.
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We humans and our bodies have a nifty reciprocal arrangement. We, of course, need our bodies to do the things we want and need to do in our lives, such as getting around, performing our jobs and skipping rope, just for starters. In turn our bodies need for us to take care of them by feeding them with nutrients that they are unable to produce for themselves. Those nutrients include the inorganic substances found in foods, known as minerals.
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One popular axiom of nutrition is that we are what we eat. That might not be truer than in how our food choices can determine the health and condition of our skin. What we include in our diets and therefore put into our mouths can play a direct role in maintaining healthy skin and steering us clear of problems such as dry skin, acne, wrinkles, sun damage, psoriasis and rosacea, among other conditions.
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The life expectancy of American women continues to rise because of factors such as better health care and nutrition, as well as self-awareness as women find out for themselves what they can do to enhance both. Women increasingly are living into their 80s and 90s, some even past the century mark. That presents new challenges, as older adults are often at greater risk of nutritional deficiencies, per The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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“Vitamins” and “supplements” often are used interchangeably in everyday speech when it comes to discussing health and dietary concerns, but the truth is they are not one and the same. The line between vitamins and supplements sometimes gets blurred; both are ingestibles involved in regulating or improving our overall health. It’s important to know, though, the difference between the two to ensure that you use them properly without going to excess.
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Aging is the process through which we journey to supposedly reach the “golden years.” But joining the ranks of the elderly can be anything but golden if we don’t pay strict attention to our diets and make sure our nutritional needs are properly met.
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Healthcare in America is often touted as the best in the world (at least Americans think so), and in terms of technological innovation it might be true. But when it comes to maternal care and health, the United States, in some respects, lags behind other nations. Birth-giving moms are having a tougher go at it, comparatively speaking, in areas such as maternal mortality rates, lack of prenatal care and inadequate postpartum care.
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Most people know without having to look it up that diabetes is an affliction that involves high levels of blood glucose in our body. Stay away from sugar in order to avoid developing diabetes, we are told. Some of us take that admonition seriously, many don’t. We are also told there are alternatives and natural remedies for your diabetes. It is true and some are listed below.
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Opioids, also known as opiates, are powerfully effective yet relatively inexpensive medications most often used in the management of pain. More than 100 million Americans contend with chronic pain, and for nearly 20 years physicians have routinely prescribed opioids such as morphine, hydrocodone, oxycodone and fentanyl to control pain symptoms in suffering patients.
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Pain’s arrival in our body always begs one question of us: How can I get rid of it? Physical pain has been the bane of man’s existence for thousands of years. That’s at least how long health providers tasked with treating pain have used painkillers to help suffering patients. Meanwhile, medical science keeps searching for or devising new, more effective painkillers, to include opioids, many of which have given rise to dependency and addiction.
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It’s on the wish list of just about anyone who takes his or her health seriously – a dietary supplement that can do the job of two or three (or more) supplements and thus save room in the medicine cabinet or the pantry. One such supplement is berberine, a yellow-colored alkaloid compound, which can perform the work of at least a half-dozen other supplements and vitamins that each target a specific area of health care.
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For years we’ve been told, “Eat more fiber.” Sound advice, so we do precisely that, and our bodies are healthier because of it. Why question it, right? Fiber, a plant-derived carbohydrate, enhances the movement of material through our digestive system, prevents or relieves constipation, helps us maintain a healthy weight and can even lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Still, we wonder, what exactly is fiber and how does it accomplish all these things? It’s not enough to know that fiber is good for us – we want to know the how and why as well.
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Chlorophyll may be green, but it is no novice or newcomer when it comes to providing numerous health benefits for humans. Like many green vegetables, chlorophyll is a great source of vitamins A, C, E and K, and its versatility includes the capacity to stimulate our immune systems, detoxify our blood and even rid our bodies of bad odors. So, we ask, what exactly is chlorophyll, and what makes it such a bountiful source of health benefits?
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Cinnamon is a popular sweet spice for sprinkling onto breakfast foods such as toast and oatmeal, and it’s a delicious exclamation point to that morning cup of joe. But what brings its versatility truly into play is cinnamon’s health-inducing qualities as a nutritional supplement, one that includes its potential benefits on glycemic control. In fact, research has shown cinnamon as a possible worthy complement to regular diabetes treatment for those who have type 2 diabetes.
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Muscle spasms and cramps might not be a big deal to someone who has never experienced them, but they can be extremely painful – sudden, without warning – and yet they can disappear just as fast without a trace (except a memory). It is at times like this that muscles seem to have a mind of their own, producing an involuntary tightness, hardness or bulging feeling in a muscle.
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Anyone who has suffered from arthritis, let alone something more fleeting such as a bruised elbow, hip or knee, can vouch for how much better life is when free of joint pain. It might last only for a few days or it can be more persistent, even chronic. Joint pain is fairly common, though, affecting millions of men and women all too familiar with how it can impair physical activity while being a 24/7 annoyance.
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Many myths exist about what sorts of food are “safe” for diabetics to eat and which ones they should stay away from at all costs. Such care and concern are understandable. People with diabetes are almost twice as likely to develop heart disease as nondiabetics, and they run a greater risk of someday developing mental health conditions. In this regard, it has long been assumed that diabetics must avoid sugar at all costs, but that isn’t necessarily true.
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Berberine is an alkaloid found in a variety of plants, most notably a group of shrubs known as Berberis. It is a compound with a prominent place in traditional Chinese medicine dating back centuries. Berberine’s many uses include regulating blood-sugar and cholesterol levels, reducing harmful inflammation throughout the body, and playing a healthy role in fighting heart disease. Berberine also is a proven success story when it comes to inducing weight loss, and it plays this role well through a variety of functions.
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As a spice that adds a delicious kick to almost any entrée, cayenne can be a food connoisseur’s best friend. As a medicinal herb with a history that dates back about 9,000 years, cayenne’s capacity to effect positive health change is nothing short of remarkable – it can be everyone’s best friend.
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No one is immune to an upset stomach, also known as nausea. Many things can make our stomach turn or give us that overall icky feeling, like we’re about to throw up. It could be something we ate, pregnancy, stomach flu, motion sickness like on a carnival ride, an aftermath of chemotherapy or having to deal with a stressful situation such as tax season. Whatever the cause, when we get hit with a wave (or waves) of nausea, our focus turns to alleviating the discomfort. Quickly and effectively.
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Many of us, perhaps even most of us, are vigilant and diligent when it comes to using vitamins and supplements to enhance our health and enjoyment of life. It’s also incumbent on us to exercise equal care in caring for our pets, especially those of us with dogs and/or cats. Dogs, as we all know, need love, too, and the same goes for supplements and vitamins – when needed.
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It’s a name of a nutrient we’ve heard of for years, but it’s somewhat of an unknown for anyone who hasn’t had it recommended to them by a doctor. It sounds like, but is not to be confused, with Anacin (although both can be useful treating headaches) and it’s not an abbreviated form of nitroglycerin (heart issues). Niacin, its true identity revealed, is also known as Vitamin B3, a water-soluble compound with a wide range of uses. It can benefit the digestive system, skin and nervous system, and is also used to lower cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.
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Get your motor running. Those were the opening lyrics of a 1960’s hit song by Steppenwolf and the message is just as relevant today. It’s especially true when it comes to burning calories and fat if you want to lose weight. The motor is your metabolism, and the goal is to take the right actions and consume the right foods and drinks to keep your metabolism humming at peak efficiency.
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It’s got a strange name, but one thing about St. John’s Wort is that it’s not an antidote for those skin bumps that, according to childhood myth, appear after you handle a toad. It is actually an herbal remedy – and a dietary supplement – that has had success treating mood disorders such as nervousness, although St. John’s Wort still is a bit of a mystery to many people who want to know exactly what it is and how it’s supposed to be taken.
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As much as an annoyance honeybees can be when buzzing around backyard barbecues, there’s no denying what they can bring to the lunch or dinner table. It’s not just the sweet honey, either, with its trace amounts of vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein. There are other health-inducing products that bees produce, and it’s good to know what those are.
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Mushrooms have been around a long time in the culinary world, and for good reason. They are tasty and go with about anything. In ancient times, they were reserved for royalty (in Egypt), and Romans were convinced that warriors gained strength from mushroom consumption. Thousands of years later, mushrooms have become an everyman’s delicacy, suitable for soups and salads as well as pizzas and entrees. More importantly, various types of mushrooms have proven to be effective in bolstering our immune system.
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As the school year hits the home stretch, high schoolers and college students focus on preparing for a final classroom push and end-of-semester exams. This is the time of year many students, ambitious ones at least, seek an extra edge to max out their mental acuity. That means being on the lookout for (healthy) ways to improve their memory and boost brain power while racing toward the finish line.
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Constipation is an aggravating, uncomfortable condition that can creep up on you. One day you’re feeling fine; a day or two later you are bloated and feeling abdominal discomfort or pain. It’s then you realize you haven’t had a regular bowel movement in several days. Whenever you are constipated, two questions hit you: What causes constipation, and what can I do to remedy this misery?
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Hives are a bit of a mystery in terms of knowing exactly what causes them and how best to treat them. But they aren't a total mystery to anyone who has had them and dealt with the incessant irritating itching and the unsightly, even embarrassing red welts that can appear all over the body, to include your face.
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Athletes looking for a legal boost in their performance have known for years about the benefits of creatine. There have always been questions about whether creatine is safe and if it is legal, and in most circumstances the answers are yes and yes. You don't have to be an Olympian or pro athlete to benefit from the use of creatine, but like any other supplement you are considering for usage, proper care and guidance are key.
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Just the thought of body fat makes most of us cringe, but there's another way of looking at it instead of just seeing that image of belly fat popping out and hanging over the beltline. Body fat can play a vital role in making sure we get the Vitamin D that we need. Vitamin D is one of the most versatile vitamins around, capable of helping to optimize our health in so many ways, and all it takes is a little bit of sunshine.
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Ayurvedic medicine is one of the world's oldest forms of holistic medical practices. It originated in India and dates back several thousand years. It is a form of alternative medicine based, per webmd.com, on the belief that a delicate balance between mind, body and spirit determines the state of our health and wellness. It is seen as a treatment system predicated on promoting good health vs. fighting disease, although practitioners might argue it can do both.
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Our bodies need plenty of calcium for us to maintain bone health, to include building stronger bones and warding off osteoporosis. Common food sources rich in calcium include dairy products such as milk, cheese and butter as well as other edibles such as kale, sardines and broccoli. Ingesting calcium is only half the battle, though, as it is equally important to make sure that calcium is properly absorbed, a process that requires the assistance of other substances for calcium absorption.
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Protein isn't just for body builders looking to pump up their muscle mass while sculpting their bodies. It also is an essential substance for everyone of all shapes, sizes, ages and physiques. Proteins serve as the human body's basic building blocks. They are comprised of amino acids whose job it is to build muscles, blood, skin, hair, nails and internal organs, as verywell.com puts it.
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Diabetics and prediabetics know that a key to managing their long-term health is managing their blood-sugar level. That usually entails discriminant consumption of sweets daily, among other healthful considerations such as exercise and medication. It is with some irony that one food item known for its sweet taste as a confection could be beneficial to people with high levels of blood sugar.
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Mobility is something most of us take for granted. We learned to walk when we were very young, and from that point on it's been pretty much full speed ahead. We get up out of bed in the morning and walk to the bathroom without a thought, or we climb the stairs, or maybe we even get on a bike for a short ride or workout. For many elderly, however, even the simplest of tasks or pleasures that involve some sort of mobility no longer are a snap.
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To go along with National Puppy Day, we thought we'd feature the experiences of a member of one of our unique groups of customers, owners of dogs identified with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency or EPI. Olesia Kennedy is the Executive President of the Epi4Dogs Foundation, Inc. and we asked her to share her story and experience with WonderLabs in the efforts of taking care of her own dogs with this disease.
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For those of you reading this article on a laptop, smartphone or other handheld device such as a tablet, this article was written especially for you. March is Save Your Vision Month, and this year the American Optometric Association (AOA) has pegged digital eyestrain as its focus in promoting regular, comprehensive eye exams.
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Maybe it's time to consider pouring a glass of red wine (or grape juice) and sitting down to enjoy a healthy snack of peanuts, grapes, dark chocolate, cranberries and blueberries along with a dash of cocoa. What do all these delectables have in common? They are sources of resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant that some experts have even touted as a potential fountain of youth.
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Growing old is not a particularly fun thing for most of us. One of the drawbacks to the aging process is what it does to our physical appearance, namely our skin. Wrinkled, spotty, sagging skin is the result of normal aging. There's nothing wrong, however, with trying to make ourselves look younger, and often that starts with rejuvenating the skin.
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Many of us have a low level of magnesium in our bodies, and we don't even know it. In fact, many of us don't even know that we are supposed to care. As a society, we are onboard with making sure we get enough calcium, Vitamin B12, potassium, etc., but let's admit it – we have overlooked magnesium at a time when studies show many of us are undersupplied with magnesium, termed the "master mineral" because it's a part of more than 300 metabolic processes in our bodies, per naturalsociety.com.
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There may be no better time than now to recognize our brains for the great work they do, and to thank sleep for making the other 16 hours or so of the day that much more bearable. The brain and sleep – it’s nearly impossible to have one at peak performance without the other hitting on all cylinders, so it only makes sense we pay them their due respects at the same time.
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Most of us, when we hear about detoxification, picture those fasts with icky-looking, yucky-tasting concoctions designed to clean out our digestive system. But that's not the type of detox we are talking about today. There's also the detoxification that involves ridding our bodies of excess free radicals, a mission greatly helped by our consumption of sources, namely healthy foods, rich in antioxidants.
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Being fatigued is no fun, no matter what time of day it hits. It's also true that there are different degrees of fatigue, such as what you feel when you've finished a truly grueling workout. Or you enjoyed a big lunch, and now it's 3 p.m. and you've hit a wall back at the office. Or you've been under sustained pressure and you wonder how much longer you can hold your head together. Or after just a couple hours of spring cleaning (or even spring break), you're ready to crawl back into bed.
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Every now and then it makes sense to push back from the dinner table and take a good, hard look at what you are eating. Is what you are putting into your mouth nutritious, and is it conducive to long-term good health? Just think of the benefits if we took such an inventory once a year; like, say, in March, and did something about it.
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If waxing cars ("Wax on, wax off") can be great training and exercise for learning martial arts, then it makes sense that gardening out in your yard can be a great exercise for overall personal fitness. Think of it. Rake for a while; dig for a while. Heavy work, then light work. Standing, then bending, then crouching or kneeling, then doing it all again, over and over and over – over the course of an hour or so, day after day.
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Most Americans have firsthand knowledge of acne, a certain level of expertise, in fact. That's because an estimated 85 percent of them have battled zits or pimples at one point in their lives. Acne is the most common skin condition experienced in the U.S., although separating fact from fiction can be tricky when it comes to identifying the causes of acne and proper treatments.
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When it comes to bone mass and strong and healthy bones, we hit our peaks around age 30. Up to that point, our bodies create new bone faster than existing bone breaks down, giving us a net gain. All is not lost after age 30, however. The good news is that we have it within our reach to stave off or at least delay bone loss, take care of our bones, and maybe even strengthen them.
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Spring with its sustained warmer weather might be just around the corner, but try telling that to anyone still feeling the ill effects of cold and flu season – such as a sore throat – that typically aligns itself with winter.
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What to do about spring allergies? Spring is officially three weeks away, but in some parts of the country it seems to be arriving earlier than usual this year. We know this not just from the unseasonably and extended warm periods we’ve had in some regions of the country, but also because spring allergies are starting to hit many of us. As always, allergies raise the same nagging questions: what causes allergies, how long do allergies last, and how do we get rid of them or at least make allergies a more tolerable companion?
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Information about eating disorders. How to deal with eating disorder. What causes eating disorders. How to help someone with an eating disorder. There are several myths and assumptions about eating disorders that have consumed health experts for years, and a few questions remain unanswered. For example, what is the root cause of eating disorders – there are several such illnesses – and how can eating disorders be treated if not cured?
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For anyone who has ever been unfortunate enough to suffer from heavy-metal poisoning—not to be confused with loud rock music, chelation therapy is an effective antidote. For anyone who has ever been unfortunate enough to suffer from heavy-metal poisoning—not to be confused with loud rock music, chelation therapy is an effective antidote. Chelation therapy involves the use of EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), a synthetic amino acid, which is injected into the bloodstream. Once there, and as it passes through the body, it binds to metals such as lead, mercury, copper, iron and arsenic, and then removes them through the bodily elimination of urine. Chelation therapy involves the use of EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), a synthetic amino acid, which is injected into the bloodstream. Once there, and as it passes through the body, it binds to metals such as lead, mercury, copper, iron and arsenic, and then removes them through the bodily elimination of urine.
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Superbugs are not superheroes; they are anything but. Superbugs are bacteria that can’t be killed even when multiple antibiotics are used. They have become resistant to antibiotics – infections once easily and effectively treated, such as strep throat or an ear infection – now are seen as potentially deadly.
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Leaky gut syndrome is not an official diagnosis you will hear spoken in many, if any, med schools. It remains somewhat of a mystery to practicing physicians and other healthcare professions, although they are aware of leaky gut’s potentially detrimental effects on our health. Sufferers with stomach or digestive issues wonder, Do I have a leaky gut? Second item of concern: they want to know what it takes to fix a leaky gut.
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What does it mean to detoxify your body, and how does detox work? Detox is all about cleansing the impurities out of your blood. That includes the blood in your liver, where toxins are processed for elimination. It also encompasses getting rid of the toxins through the lungs (via exhalation and expectoration), intestines (feces) and kidneys (urine), as well as the lymphatic system and even through the skin (sweat).
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It is a common health question people ask themselves, and that includes those who haven’t yet been diagnosed with a related problem: How can I control, or even lower, my cholesterol naturally? In fact, How exactly do I lower cholesterol without using prescription medicine? and How quickly can I lower those cholesterol levels?
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It happens each year around this time (between the holidays and March, mostly): people all around us—maybe ourselves included—get sick from the stomach bug, or what’s commonly referred to as “stomach flu.” It can be a miserable 24 to 48 hours or so. Symptoms typically include diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, abdominal pain or cramping and maybe even a smidgen of fever—accompanied by dehydration (tingling in the extremities anyone?) and loads of justifiable self-pity.
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Mention obesity in America, and many questions come to mind. How obese is America? How many people are overweight? Are Americans fat? Is obesity considered an epidemic in the U.S.? In short, the answers are, a lot, a bunch, yes and heck yes. We are as a society fat, overweight and obese--there's no other way to put it. The latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that 68 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, and that number is expected to rise to 75 percent by 2020. Wallethub has declared fat as the new normal in America.
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The National Institute of Health, the World Health Organization and others believe that people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes often lack adequate levels of many vitamins and minerals and that is a consequence of poor eating habits. Supplementation can correct some of these deficiencies and help restore normal blood sugar levels. They also complement a healthy diet and exercise. 7 supplements that have shown promising results for maintaining proper blood sugar levels: Berberine, chromium, resveratrol, alpha-lipoic acid, vitamin D, magnesium and silymarin milk thistle.
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Despite all the warnings and the gruesome photos that for decades have depicted a longtime smoker’s lungs, millions of Americans continue to smoke tobacco products – mostly in the form of cigarettes. The American Heart Association reports that as of 2015, 46 million Americans were smokers: 23.1 percent of men smoke; 18.3 percent of women. Nearly a half million deaths a year are the direct result of smoking cigarettes.
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Any time we get a chance to use a natural remedy sold over the counter in place of a prescribed pharmaceutical, and the former is as effective or nearly as effective as the latter, figure on the former as the preferred choice. Such is the case with berberine, a plant alkaloid that in supplement form packs a punch in fighting a fistful of risky health conditions.
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Being overweight and having high blood-sugar levels often go together like peas and carrots—if only we could make that connection in our real lives. Think of it: if we could stick to a diet that made more use of peas and carrots (as well as other vegetables as well as fruits), chances are we would be at much less risk of being obese and having type 2 diabetes, assuming we aren't in that danger zone already.
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We all want to be healthy and stay that way, manage our weight properly and keep our bodies operating with tiptop efficiency. In order to do that, we must stay hydrated. That means drinking plenty of water every day. How many times have we heard it: we should be sipping through at least eight glasses of water daily, no matter how tedious it can seem at times.
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If you are diabetic or just want to stay ahead of the game you have probably asked some of the following questions: Can I reverse diabetes naturally? How do you get diabetes? How to reverse diabetes permanently? Is diabetes hereditary? Does race play a role in getting diabetes? These are some of the questions and the following are terms most of us and especially diabetics will hear over and over. Overweight, obese, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetic, type 2 diabetes and a few others are names for problems that have reached epidemic proportions in just a 30 year span. There’s hardly a person who isn’t affected by these conditions, either directly or indirectly. Yet as common as these conditions are, few people understand how closely they’re related to one another.
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Although there is no known cure for cancer, we can still take an active role in increasing the awareness of cancer, collectively taking a stand worldwide to reach out and do whatever we can to reduce the global burden of cancer. That is the premise of World Cancer Day, which is being recognized February 4, this Saturday. This year’s theme is “We can. I can.”
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AMPK and the role berberine plays in activating this all important enzyme. In order to understand Berberine, and why it is now vying for a position as one of the most powerful supplements in the world, it's important to understand adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, or AMPK.
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What causes dry eyes? How do I treat dry eyes? How do you get rid of dry eyes?
Questions about dry eyes have one thing in common – they all refer to conditions in which tears are being produced, or at least implied, and that is a good thing to anyone who has ever experienced dry eye, or, more formally, dry eye syndrome
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Having trouble sleeping at night? Looking for another source of energy for the big race? Allergies got you down? That nagging cough won't go away? On and on that list goes, and as you might have guessed, there is one substance out there that can tackle all those issues, and more, even if it takes its sweet time getting the work done.
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With Valentine’s Day just two weeks away, chocolate is on the minds of millions of Americans. They can’t wait until it is in their mouths, too, when they get to celebrate love and romance with their loved ones by the traditional exchange of Valentine’s candy, much of it chocolate. Hey, it can be good for your health as well, in strict moderation, of course. But, it is safe to say chocolate has health benefits.
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High blood pressure. It is one of the most commonly mentioned health issues in America, and for good reason: nearly a third of all Americans have high blood pressure and, according to healthline.com, another third have what's known as prehypertension. That's where blood pressure (BP) is higher than what's considered normal (a reading most often cited as 120/80) yet not quite high enough to be categorized as hypertension.
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We hear a lot about lymph nodes these days, and often the context in which they are mentioned means bad news. How many times have we heard the dreaded phrase "The cancer has spread to the lymph nodes"? That's usually another way of saying that the afflicted person doesn't have long to live, or at the very least is facing another brutal regimen, maybe even a last-ditch effort, of chemotherapy.
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Proper toothcare is a lifelong endeavor. It starts from the time that baby teeth start sprouting, which is typically around the age of six to 12 months. That's when the central incisors, top and bottom, come in and babies start being able to chew at least some of their food.
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So, it's late January – how are things going with that New Year's resolution; you know, the one about losing X number of pounds in 2017? Add these 19 various actions into your daily routine to help you bust those pounds and lose the weight you've been wanting to recently.
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Throughout history, many different cultures have recognized the potential use of garlic for prevention and treatment of different diseases. Recent studies support the effects of garlic and its extracts in a wide range of applications. These studies raised the possibility of revival of garlic therapeutic values in different diseases. Different compounds in garlic are thought to reduce the risk for cardiovascular diseases, have anti-tumor and anti-microbial effects, and show benefit on high blood glucose concentration. However, the exact mechanism of all ingredients and their long-term effects are not fully understood. Further studies are needed to elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms of action of garlic as well as its efficacy and safety in treatment of various diseases.
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There is no such thing as a "magic bullet," a one-size-fits-all, for prescription medications, over-the-counter vitamins or dietary supplements, right? Not so fast.
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Vitamin K has been referred to as "the forgotten vitamin" because its major benefits tend to get ignored or not even acknowledged because other vitamins with "bigger names," such as Vitamins C and D, hog all the headlines and have gotten more press over the years. But if we take a closer look at all that Vitamin K – which has several forms – does for our body, it would be remiss to overlook it any further.
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Every year about 13,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer. The good news is that over the last 30 years, the number of women dying from cervical cancer has dropped by more than 50 percent, and that's according to the American Cancer Society. Chalk that up to the increased use of screening tests, which are designed to find changes in the cervix before cancer develops, or at least early enough, when it's small and easier to cure.
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It is small and shaped like a butterfly, but there's nothing trivial or flighty about the thyroid gland when it comes to our bodies. It has been called the body's engine, and from its location at the bottom front of our neck just below the Adam's apple, it plays a key role in producing a hormone that affects the function of numerous organs in our bodies, including the brain, heart, liver, kidneys and skin.
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Cold weather of the sub-freezing variety can be ideal for snowmen, snow angels and ice sculptures, as well as skiers, skaters and snowboarders, but for traditional fitness workouts and training purposes? Well, why not?
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There are about four million people in America (and 60 million worldwide, per glaucoma.org) who have glaucoma, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and about half of those that have it don't even know it. That could be you, which is why it's important to have your eyes thoroughly examined regularly by a properly certified healthcare professional, otherwise known as an eye doctor.
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A good night's sleep. It is something we all cherish, and yet it is something that proves elusive for millions of Americans. A consistent loss of sleep can hinder our productivity in the workplace, to say nothing of hindering our quality of life between the time we get up in the morning and when we go to bed at night (presumably at night).
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Radon gas is the classic example of something that you can neither see, taste, or smell, and yet it can kill you. It is estimated that one in about 15 homes in America has a potentially dangerous level of the radioactive gas, which emanates from the ground beneath a house. That proverbial monster hiding under the bed? Now you get the picture.
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Maintaining good working order of our bodies is about more than getting good cardio workouts, lifting weights to tone and build our muscles, caring for our skin and eating the right foods to properly feed our body's major organs. Let’s not forget that our joints also need our constant love and attention.
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Any sports-minded person who has grown up or otherwise lived a long time in a climate known for its abundance of snow and ice knows all about bundling up against the winter chill for months at a time as well as the rigors of shoveling an overnight dumping of snow on sidewalks and driveways. Yet such a life can provide a "winter wonderland" as well, where skiing, snowboarding, skating, ice hockey, sledding, tobogganing, snowmobiling, etc. can provide hours of sheer delight.
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As we start a new year, let’s take inventory of some common health-related questions that often pop up over the course of 12 months. Here is our first edition of “Three Solutions to Three Common Health Questions.”
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Quick! A show of hands for everyone who knows what folic acid is and what role(s) it plays in our health. Anyone?
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It's been going on since long before Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon set sail in the 16th century for what is now known as Florida. Legend has it, and a few historians still cling to the belief, that Ponce de Leon was determined to find the proverbial fountain of youth.
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Rarely does a week go by that we don’t see or hear something about which vitamin or vitamins is most important to our health or overall well-being. It’s easy to get lost in alphabet soup when it comes to touts of Vitamin A or Vitamin D, or if we need more of Vitamin E for the good of our heart or Vitamin C for the good of our fighting a cold. And what are we to make of this Vitamin K which has emerged as a trending vitamin?
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It’s like a leaky faucet—that runny nose that won’t stop, causing you to burn through boxes of tissues or rolls of soft, two-ply toilet paper especially handy when you are, well, on the run.
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Maintaining an active lifestyle and keeping track of where we stand healthwise involves a whole lot of numbers crunching. Talk to any primary-care physician about getting an annual physical, and often the conversation turns to "knowing your numbers."
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"Get out and get some sun" has long been a popular suggestion aimed at those we care about. Perhaps they have been cooped up inside the house too long or are letting their ornery side show through a bit too much.
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Even with 2017 and a New Year fast approaching, you still have time to finalize your list of New Year's Resolutions. Even if it’s a short list—one resolution is a great start!—picking resolutions can be a trying process long on vagueness and short on commitment.
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There's nothing like the discomfort and occasional embarrassment of gas and bloating to spoil the holidays, or any time of the year for that matter. At such times, most everyone loses: the sufferer might feel pain in the abdominal area in addition to general discomfort, and those in proximity stand a chance of suddenly being subject to scents of the distasteful variety.
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When choosing what you are going to eat every day, and how and when you are going to eat it, think of your digestive system as a sort of assembly line. You want to be sure that your eating choices and habits will keep that assembly line humming right along, and that what comes out the other end—yes, we are talking about bowel movements—is what you want to have coming out. If there are any glitches or hang-ups along the way, that's when things can get dicey for you, and uncomfortable.
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As if pain and discomfort that comes to us from "outside" sources, such as a fall on the pavement or back pain caused by heavy lifting, isn’t enough, there are times we must deal with the aches and pains of muscle tension, which can be the most troublesome of all. That’s because most muscle tension is self-induced—the physiological result of lingering stress we feel in the form of worry, anxiety, or fear.
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The ginkgo tree is truly a marvel of nature. It epitomizes brains and brawn. The brains part comes from the gingko leaf's many purported medical properties, one of which—in capsule, tablet or liquid extract form—is believed to help with cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and memory loss, especially in older people, according to webmd.com.
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No pain, no gain? Not so fast. Pain felt during exercise could be your body telling you to gear it down. If you try to push through sharp pains emanating from your joints or muscles, you might be risking injury. All exercise-related pain is not bad. There is good pain and there is bad pain, and if you can't figure out which is which, you should consider consulting with a fitness expert or your personal physician.
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Proteins are good, that much we know without much instruction needed. It's even a word that rolls nicely off the tongue—"PRO-teen." It has such a great sound of positivity to it. As it should.
We hear about protein and see it mentioned a lot in advertising across all media, and many of us, especially those of us who work out a lot (pumping iron, anyone?), associate it with those delightful-looking shakes we see hard-bodied guys and gals pouring down the hatch. The stuff practically sells itself. As it should.
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At first for the unwitting among us, it sounded like a fad cooked up to con masses of people into spending billions of dollars on a whole new category of food—gluten-free food that would be healthier and safer than anything else on the market. Healthier, that is, for anyone with celiac disease, whatever the heck that is, right? Well, yeah, except this has turned out to be no fad, and it addresses a disease with symptoms triggered when eating food with gluten in it.
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There's nothing like a headache to spoil what otherwise was shaping up to be a nice day. When a headache hits, most or all conscious thought and action turns to doing what is necessary to get rid of the pain, or at least alleviate the symptoms enough so we can return to functional status. It's best to know how to deal with one before we have to deal with one.
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Vitamin C's reputation as a popular weapon in the never-ending battle against the common cold dates back decades. What most of Vitamin's C loyalists and advocates might not realize, though, is that ascorbic acid—another name for C—has been a staunch fighter on our health's behalf going back centuries. That takes us back to the days when pirates and sailors had bigger fish to fry than a stuffy nose, sore throat and cough.
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For decades, it has been drilled into our heads that fruits and vegetables are key components of our daily diets, that we should never leave home without them, that they are indispensable to our health, happiness and ability to fight off viruses and diseases.
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To think there was a time when soft drinks were considered harmless; something cold, sweet, fizzy and nonalcoholic to be enjoyed in front of the TV or at a party, ballgame or movie theater without need for a designated driver. This was before we all wised up about what’s actually in these sweet, carbonated drinks and the possibly harmful effects lurking inside each can, cup or bottle.
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Sneezes are the funniest things, and not always of the humorous variety. Oh, sure, it can be funny when someone nearby tries unsuccessfully to stifle a sneeze, and the resulting gyrations and noise blast, even if muffled, elicit laughter all around. But it is no laughing matter when someone with a full sinus blasts out a sneeze—or a series of sneezes—without covering up. Shame on them.
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Anyone who has ever been diagnosed with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis doesn't need to be made aware of the diseases; they already know all about it and get to experience it almost every day, unless they are in remission or undergoing a treatment plan that is working well and capably controlling the symptoms.
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America is populated with millions of weekend warriors—aspiring, perspiring amateur athletes. They might have a bit of a paunch or some nagging aches and pains, or they just noticed a few more gray hairs when looking in the mirror this morning. Yet they still hold far-fetched fantasies of winning the next pickup game or tennis match, or lowering their PR in the next 10K. They want to be called 'athlete,' and crave any association with the word.
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How many times have you been in a public rest room and noticed others who depart after doing their business without stopping to wash their hands? Disgusting, isn't it? What’s even more disgusting if it's you that's the guilty culprit, in such a hurry to leave that you can't stop for 30 seconds to clean your hands. Maybe that turns out to be the one time that meant catching a cold or coming down with the flu through germs transference.
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It goes completely against the grain of self-preservation, if not conventional healthy-living wisdom: putting a spoonful of something containing billions of bacteria inside our mouths and swallowing it whole—wittingly and without hesitation.
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The holiday season is here in full throttle, putting us smack-dab into the festive time of year when we find ourselves eating more food than usual—some of it even good for us!
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Decades before writing books about chicken soup for the soul became a cottage industry, moms across America were, for real, serving up bowls of hot chicken soup to loved ones suffering from maladies of misery such as colds or the flu. It's an old wives' tale, passed down through generations (some reports say since the 12th century), that chicken soup is an elixir for what ails us, perhaps the closest thing there is to a cure for the common cold.
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We all have had it at one time or another to one degree or another. We might not be aware of it, although anyone within 10 feet notices it and is perhaps repulsed by it. Pieces of food (i.e. lettuce) stuck in our unbrushed teeth? An ugly tie? No and no. For the purpose of this article, the culprit is body odor, commonly referred to as B.O.
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November is Bladder Awareness Month, which is a good thing, but heightened awareness really isn’t necessary for anyone already suffering with incontinence or urinary tract infections (UTIs). They are already well aware they have a bladder, and nothing could be ‘badder’ than a bladder that isn’t functioning properly. It can be as embarrassing as it is painful.
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Those of us who have never experienced an anxiety disorder might find it difficult to empathize with those who have suffered, some for almost their entire lives. Perhaps the doubters don't believe such disorders are for real or that the sufferer should just "suck it up and get over it." To those cynical about the genuine existence of anxiety disorders, you really don't want to walk a mile in the shoes of someone who has been diagnosed with one.
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Thank goodness, Thanksgiving week is here. For many of us that’s our green light to pig out; after all, this is the one week of the year when many of us expect to stuff ourselves (without recrimination or stern lectures) in much the same way that Mom and/or Dad (or Grandma and Grandpa) stuff the turkey. So, you say you’re on a strict weight-loss diet? No excuses—all hands, and mouths, on deck.
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With winter fast approaching, and you happen to look down on your shoulders and upper chest and notice the white flakes. An early snowfall? Not likely, especially if you are indoors. What you are looking at is most likely dandruff that has fallen from your hair, or scalp. The good news is that it's more an annoyance or nuisance than it is an actual health issue. An embarrassing issue, perhaps, but not a harmful one.
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As the holidays approach and thoughts of Santa Claus dance in the heads of kids of all ages, three to 103, we think of the guy with the white beard and the big round belly that works better on him than it does on us.
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November is National Healthy Skin Month, which is a reminder to all of us that maintaining good health also means spending part of the day going only skin deep with some of that care. Keeping our skin fresh, hydrated, and healthy year-round takes a 365-day-a-year commitment, and it's not something women or men can ignore until they are in their 30s or 40s.
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You don't have to be a heavy smoker or a chewing-tobacco fanatic to be at risk for mouth cancer, otherwise known as oral cancer. While those are the two biggest risk factors for developing mouth/oral cancer, it is important to note that more than 25 percent of people who get mouth cancer do not smoke and if they drink alcohol, they do so only occasionally. Just something to keep in mind as we recognize November as Mouth Cancer Action Month.
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If getting a sore throat feels like a true annoyance, it could be worse – the next step up the ladder of illnesses is strep throat, which, unfortunately, is usually as bad as it sounds. More common in children than it is in adults, strep throat has all the markings of a sore throat – such as pain, itchiness or irritation of the throat leading to difficulty in swallowing, but strep throat ratchets it up a few notches.
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If the thought of someday developing dementia has you concerned, now is as good a time as any to add blueberries to your grocery list—if you haven’t already. Recent research has shown that regular snacking on blueberries, beginning in middle age or earlier, could prevent dementia from developing as you get older. This is what scientists reported in March 2016 at the National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), held in San Diego.
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We typically perceive inflammation anywhere in our body as a bad thing, that it’s time to pay a visit to the medicine cabinet to take measures to make the bad thing go away. But the great unknown about inflammation is that, in itself, it is a good thing, that it represents our body’s first-responder mechanism to protect, repair or heal itself from stimuli that are harmful, whether they be damaged cells, irritants or pathogens.
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Sometimes a topic for humor, menopause is likely no laughing matter for anyone who has ever been through it. And don’t be fooled by the “pause” portion of the word. The term “menopause” is derived from the Ancient Greek terms ‘mene’ (referring to ‘moon,’ think ‘month’) and ‘pauein’ (which means ‘stop,’ as opposed to pause). Menopause is a natural biological process that starts when a woman stops having menstrual periods and can therefore no longer bear children, typically occurring in her late 40s or early 50s.
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Your furry friend might need your help. Your own daily life can be stressful. You might worry about new projects at work, how your kids are doing in school, or whether or not you left the stove on at home. Stress is a normal part of our lives, but it isn’t limited to humans. Your pets also experience stress. Yes, man’s best friend has more in common with you than you might think.
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Dogs can’t fully be dogs unless they’re in motion. They want to run, jump, play, and wag their tails – it’s instinct, and it’s why we love them. But sometimes all this activity and the passage of time can prove too much for their joints. Arthritis in canines is actually one of the most prevalent health issues seen by veterinarians; whether it be rheumatoid or septic arthritis, abnormal joint cartilage development (osteochondritis dissecans or OCD), or spinal arthritis (spondylosis deformans).
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Naming and knowing about the organs inside our body can be a tough task for those of us who didn’t major in pre-med or biology in college. Let’s see . . . there’s the heart, the abdomen, the liver, the pancreas, the brain (of course), the kidneys, the spleen, the intestines . . . on and on and so on and so forth. Then there’s something called the gall bladder, a small, pear-shaped organ connected to the liver and intestines, and vital to (although not indispensable to) the digestion of our food.
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It’s an expression we’ve heard many times before: Open mouth, insert foot. Unfortunately for some people, every time they open their mouth, it smells like a stinky foot (with sock removed) has been there, even when it hasn’t. This is what’s known as bad breath—the clinical term is halitosis, and it’s been estimated that 25 to 30 percent of people have it.
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Psoriasis is one of those fairly common but strange physical conditions most people have heard of but know very little about, other than it presents itself as flaky skin and is a major, irritating nuisance for sufferers. It is somewhat of a mystery for healthcare professionals as well, because treating it remains on the hit-and-miss spectrum of strategies, and there is no known cure.
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Look around you. You’re off to a good start, if you can do that easily and without pain. Most likely that means your eyesight is working fine, that your eyes are uninjured and that neither eye is hurting, stinging or otherwise in pain. Let’s talk about trying to keep it that way.
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Hold on a sec and let’s get a grip . . . on that barbell or dumbbell. Here’s the skinny when it comes to fat and weight training: lifting weights can be a great way to lose weight and change the shape of your body in several places that will likely have you looking leaner.
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You don't have to be a sports person to understand that when it comes to taking care of our bodies, germs are on offense, we the people are on defense. This is a daily circumstance, and our immune system is on call 24/7. This offense/defense dynamic is a competitive rivalry that never ends and which dates back to the beginning of time, long before there was March Madness, the World Series or a Super Bowl. The best things we can do for ourselves in staying a step ahead of the microscopic posse are to get plenty of sleep, eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and know what we can do to boost our immunity system.
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Soon it will be Halloween, one of the few days of the year (think Valentine’s Day and Easter as well) when kids (and us kids at heart) can gorge on candy and other sweets and not worry about what others will think or say. Everyone’s doing it! It really is supposed to be a one-day thing, but between parties at school, trick or treating on October 31 and munching on store-bought candy in the days leading up and then properly ‘disposing’ of leftover sweets in the days that follow, well, it just turns into one long marathon sugar rush.
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Are you sitting down? Not for long after you read this. If you haven’t heard about it before, welcome to a relatively new affliction known as “sitting disease.” No, this is not some anti-exotic name given to a debilitating condition caused by a mosquito bite or too much lounging around in the sun; it’s about spending too much time . . . sitting, the physical results of which can be devastating.
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You've probably been hearing the buzz going on recently with more studies being released about the benefits of turmeric and curcumin being added to our daily diet and intake of vitamin, nutrients ands supplements. Read our post today to find out 6 of the key benefits of turmeric and curcumin in promoting your body's naturally ability to promote health and stay healthy.
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The good news about breast cancer is that in recent years the number of breast cancer-related deaths has been in decline, and the incidence rate in women 50 and over has been dropping as well. But that doesn’t change the sobering facts of breast cancer, which includes, among other stats according to nationalbreastcancer.org, that one in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer sometime in her life and that breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death among women.
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When we think about our lungs, we usually think about two things: what it takes to yell real loud, and how hard we are breathing during and immediately after strenuous activity, such as exercise, lifting or moving heavy objects, or performing yard work for an hour or more.
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Good morning! You wake up bright and refreshed, feeling great, ready to tackle another day. You jump out of bed and head to the bathroom to begin your basic business, and that's when you notice it. You're walking across the hardwood floor, or even the carpet, but you can't hear your footsteps. You turn and glance back toward your bed and your significant other is looking at you, his or her lips moving, but you can barely hear what they are saying. Huh?
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October is Dental Hygiene Month, meaning now is as good a time as any to dig out your toothbrush from whichever drawer you forgot you put it in. Next, find a tube of toothpaste with at least a smidgen of fluoride-laced toothpaste left in it. Then take a detour from your favorite social media page to go and Google 'flossing' so you can learn what it is and how it works.
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Is your pet the most optimistic member of your family, too? Why wouldn't he be? We care for their every need, much like our own children. We give them shelter, sustenance and affection. In return, they gift us with their own special brand of unconditional love.
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Autumn, especially early autumn, is a favorite time of year for many of us in many parts of the country. As we go deeper into October, we marvel at the colorful turning of the leaves, rake leaves into piles and jump into them, roam through pumpkin patches in search of the future jack-o'-lantern(s) to adorn the front porch, savor cooler temps at night that make for easier sleeping, and join friends for tailgaters or TV-watching parties with football in full swing.
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For many decades and for many ill-informed people devoid of empathy, public awareness of mental illness has been characterized by profound ignorance at its most primitive level. Words of ridicule such as "retard," "loon," "sicko," "psycho," and "nutcase" were mindlessly tossed around indiscriminately. (Sometimes they still are.) This often was accompanied by derisive laughter, aimed at anyone whose mannerisms or demonstrations of deficient mental faculties didn't jibe with our definition of "normal." Schoolyards and hallways could be especially cruel.
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For decades, it has been drilled into our heads that fruits and vegetables are key components of our daily diets, that we should never leave home without them, that they are indispensable to our health, happiness and ability to fight off viruses and diseases.
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Instead of reaching for energy drinks every couple of hours, many people are relying on 3 healthier standbys to get through their days — with enough energy to spare to finish up their evening routines. Better yet, these options could be easier on the budget.
Take a look at these healthier alternatives to energy drinks. They could provide the extra boost needed to handle busy schedules that come with work, managing households, family, and other day-to-day activities.
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Many people are already aware of the heart health benefits provided by Vitamin E. It has been attributed to lowering the risk of heart attacks, which afflicts 720,000 Americans every year, according to the Heart Foundation.
Based on those statistics alone, it’s clear that Vitamin E should be a priority for all Americans. However, there are other reasons for ensuring an adequate intake of the vitamin. Studies show that it encourages the growth of healthy hair as well.
Researchers believe it works for hair health the same way it does for the heart. It is believed to enable capillary growth aiding in preventing hair loss and assisting in hair growth. When consumed regularly, vitamin E’s positive side effects on hair have been evident in various studies.
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Just about everyone has heard that carrots are good for your eyes — an adage repeated by parents through the generations to get their children to eat up the orange vegetable.
There’s truth to that recommendation — and it lies in the fact that carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which the body converts into Vitamin A. And there are plenty of benefits to making sure you get plenty of Vitamin A.
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As a mineral, magnesium scores huge points for its essential role in helping the body function properly. Here are just a few things that make it an important part of a regular diet: It aids in regulating blood pressure, maintaining a steady heart rate, and promoting bone strength.
However, most Americans of all ages are not getting enough magnesium to meet average requirements, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Lack of magnesium can manifest itself in numerous ways, including feelings of exhaustion and muscle cramps.
A magnesium deficiency also can go undetected, with many people not experiencing symptoms yet experiencing the long-term effects.
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Expensive ointments, diets and other formulas designed to improve a woman’s appearance — and the way she feels — have generated a multi-billion dollar industry. However, the key to feeling and looking great could be as easy as regularly exercising, eating right and reaching for several important vitamins and nutrients.
Take a look at the nutrients women should be including in their daily routines, whether through foods or as a supplement.
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Sometimes feelings of fatigue can simply be chalked up to an incredibly busy lifestyle — whether it’s a result of juggling family schedules, work, household chores and myriad other responsibilities. However, some symptoms may point to an iron deficiency, which is more common than many people realize.
According to the World Health Organization, iron deficiency is one of the most common and widespread nutritional disorders in the world, affecting over 30 percent of the world’s population. Although it’s one of the most common conditions, an iron deficiency is easy to overlook. But left untreated, the symptoms can quickly worsen — leading to other complications.
Here are some symptoms that could point to an iron deficiency or anemia, according to the World Health Organization.
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The active ingredient in the plant turmeric, curcumin, is quickly gaining a reputation as a superfood, with some people even saying that it already has developed a cult-like following. But turmeric has been around for thousands of years — with cultures in Asia using it for seasoning and medicinal purposes on a daily basis.
Turmeric, the main spice used in curry dishes, is gaining a lot of attention because of the turmeric root’s active ingredient curcumin and the possible health benefits.
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If you’ve experienced leg cramps in the middle of the night, then you probably know what it means to have a restless, painful night.
Leg cramps usually come without warning and can last for what seems like hours. It can be very difficult to go about your day or fall asleep once you start having them, and relief can feel unattainable. In fact, even painkillers have been considered ineffective in providing relief for leg cramps because they don’t act fast enough or don’t treat the root of the problem.
Thankfully, there are ways to help prevent the onset of leg cramps that can help provide relief from sore and tormented muscles.
Before we dive into those practices, let’s clarify what causes leg cramps, who experiences them, and how they can affect your daily life.
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Scientists have been studying and researching turmeric for its ability to aid in relieving and preventing joint pain and many other ailments for some time. Studies are now being performed to see how the spice works at tackling disease.
Turmeric was initially used as a dye in Asia. After discovering that it had the ability to preserve the freshness and nutritional value in foods, people started using it in curries to aid in preserving it for later use and export. Turmeric played a very important part in South Asia’s sustainability. It was supposedly valued more than gold and gemstones.
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One billion. That’s the number of people worldwide who have a vitamin D deficiency, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. And a significant number of those people live in the United States. A study published in the Nutritional Journal put that number at 42 percent of American adults.
So what are the symptoms a person should look for to find out if they are included in this number or not? A blood test may be able to inform someone, but first here are some things to look out for when deciding whether or not to get a blood test or speak with a physician regarding
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The human body’s ability to defend itself against harmful bacteria and microorganisms is a thing to behold. With a healthy immune system, it can protect people from germs, illnesses, and viruses. However, unhealthy lifestyle habits can compromise a person’s ability to ward off an attack.
To ensure a healthy immune system, develop these healthy habits to help keep it working at optimal levels.
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Some people subscribe to the idea that 50 is the new 30. It’s no wonder. Many people over the age of 50 are running marathons, starting new careers, and engaging in active lifestyles — with no thoughts of retiring to a more sedentary lifestyle.
However, no matter how healthy and active a person may be, it’s important to check the personal intake of these five vitamins after turning 50.
Many people may be accustomed to taking a multivitamin. However, beyond 50, it’s essential to take another look at some vitamins that may insufficiently absorbed into the body. They include Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, magnesium, and calcium — especially for women. Take a look at these vitamins and their benefits.
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Sluggish, in the dumps, wiped out? While there are many ways to describe that lingering feeling of tiredness, there may be a need to take action beyond taking an invigorating cold shower, a few extra naps or numerous cups of caffeinated drinks.
When feelings of fatigue are persistent, it’s not necessarily a cause for alarm. The underlying cause could be attributed to one of the following three common issues.
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When a woman discovers that she is pregnant, it can be a wonderful — yet stressful — occasion. For many women, especially those who are experiencing pregnancy for the first time, there may be fears of issues or complications developing. While some of those concerns may be rooted in genetics, there are steps to take that will encourage a healthy pregnancy.
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Whether a person is a vegan or not, everyone should be aware of the possibility of nutrient deficiencies. For vegans, a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, grains, beans and some seeds or nuts can help with including the appropriate amount of vitamins and nutrients needed to maintain a healthy balance. However, many vegans still don’t get the recommended amounts of some important nutrients including calcium, vitamin B12 and vitamin D.
The University of Eastern Finland recently performed a study showing that vegans adhere to nutrition recommendations in varying degrees. The researchers say this evidence highlights the need of vegans to get nutrition guidance and to use recommended nutrient supplements. Moreover, closer attention should be paid to the intake of vitamin D and iodine among vegans.
The following are some of the nutrient supplements that may assist vegans in staying healthy.
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Lately, Vitamin B12 has been getting a lot of attention as one of the vitamins that are essential to the body’s ability to function properly. According to a recent article in the Los Angeles Times, people in California are lining up to get shots, supplements, or sprays that contain Vitamin B12.
There’s reason for the interest, said Dr. Zhaoping Li, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, who was quoted by the newspaper. "B12 is essential for everyone," he said. It also is known for boosting energy.
Here are six essential things everyone should know about Vitamin B12, including how to make sure it’s part of the daily diet.
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Everyone gets tired at some point. Or they may experience weakness, a loss of appetite, or constipation. While these could be symptoms of a hectic schedule or various sorts of illnesses, including a virus or flu, they also could be a sign of a Vitamin B12 deficiency that can be easily treated.
Recent news reports, including those featured in New York Times and History.com, First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln likely was among Americans who suffered from a severe form of Vitamin B12 deficiency — which, unfortunately, caused her to exhibit strange behavior, mood swings, and public outbursts. Only recently, decades after her death, have medical experts noted that she exhibited classic symptoms of pernicious anemia, a disease caused by a vitamin-B12 deficiency.
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As much as the summer months are eagerly anticipated, they can pave the way to more injuries, aches and pains for many people — especially as outdoor activities pick up, including gardening, boating, mowing and swimming.
A study performed by the University of Pittsburgh showed that women and men are more active in the summer than any other season. Statistics from the CDC also show that it’s the season when trips to the emergency room spike, from issues ranging from lawn mowing injuries to dehydration and aching feet.
That doesn’t mean people have to lessen active time in the summer. There are ways to better enjoy those extra hours of daylight without running into muscle pains, cramps, and more serious injuries.
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Pollen, smog, pets, dust… It doesn’t take much to get many of us sneezing, sniffling, coughing or rubbing our itchy, watery eyes. It turns out 55% of us in the U.S. test positive for one or more allergens according to WebMD, placing allergies among the top five chronic diseases in the nation.
A growing number of sufferers who once reached for conventional allergy meds — your standard Benadryls, Zyrtecs and Claritins — are now turning to relief alternatives without harmful medication effects like drowsiness, mood swings, nose bleeds and trouble sleeping.
Thankfully, natural allergy relief is within reach through easy tweaks to your home and habits.
But before we get to those tweaks, let’s clarify what causes allergies, and how to discern it from its look-alike, the common cold.
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While a new study was limited to 10 people, scientists are pointing to its results as evidence that people can see marked improvements in memory after following a lifestyle change protocol that includes exercise, a vitamin regimen, and a restricted diet.
In numerous recent publishings, including a FoxNews article that claimed "This therapy may help reverse memory loss in people with early stages of Alzheimer's" the so-called MEND therapy involves taking vitamins D3, K2, CO-Q, thiamine, and pantothenic acid, as well as 30 minutes to 60 minutes of daily exercise and reducing stress.
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Each day people come across a variety of bacteria, both good and bad. Human bodies are viewed as the perfect place to live and a great source of nutrients by these microorganisms. “Good” bacteria, found in the digestive system, in people’s mouths, and on skin, encourages healthy digestion and protection from “bad” bacteria. Contaminated foods, open sores, and everyday pollution allow bad bacteria into the human body.
In recent years, studies have indicated potential benefits from consuming good bacteria through probiotics. Just recently, new research by the University of Copenhagen revealed that imbalances in bacteria can lead to insulin resistance — and, as a result, type 2 diabetes. The research supports previous studies that a daily dose of probiotics can help in the fight against disease.
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Researchers at the John Hopkins School of Medicine are seeking participants for a study to determine if Vitamin D deficiencies could be a major contributor for falls among people 65 and older.
John Hopkins already has published a pilot study that shows Vitamin D supplements could assist people with multiple sclerosis by regulating the body’s hyperactive immune response.
According to some estimates, as many as 40 percent of Americans could have a Vitamin D deficiency, which John Hopkins linked to an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis.
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Migraines, one of the most prevalent illnesses in the world, could be caused by vitamin deficiencies, according to a study that was recently released at the 58th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Headache Society in San Diego.
Researchers who presented at the meeting said that frequent migraines seemed to be related to mildly lower levels of Vitamin D, riboflavin (Vitamin B-2) and CoEnzyme Q10 among the people who suffered from the disabling headaches.
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It's hard to enjoy life without a healthy heart.
EDTA, or Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, is a colorless, water-soluble solid that helps keep your heart healthy. At Wonder Labs, we call it "nature's plaque scrubber," an amino polycarboxylic acid that helps support healthy heart artery and blood vessel function. Additionally, it aids in:
In fact, since it can identify and remove certain unwanted metals, EDTA has been used to treat lead poisoning since the 1950s.
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For athletes, whether amateur or professional, performance is among the optimal goals for getting into the game. Being a winner can come down to pushing ahead for one or two seconds, or making an explosive move at just the right moment.
That’s why a new study that shows the benefits of vitamin D may be of interest to athletes and active youth and adults. The University of Tulsa recently revealed that athletes with low levels of vitamin D are more likely to see declined performance.
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There’s good news for Americans when it comes to life expectancy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average life expectancy is 78.8 years of age — a record high in this country. The report, which is based on 2012 records, also revealed that women have a higher life expectancy of 81.2 years compared to 76.4 years for men.
However, the causes of death remained unchanged from the previous year. The top 10 leading causes of death were heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, unintentional injuries, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, influenza and pneumonia, kidney disease and suicide. They accounted for 73.8 percent of all deaths.
To combat those type of diseases as well as engage in an improved quality of life, many Americans are managing their weight through a healthy diet and regular exercise. Also, supplements can assist those who are unable to get all their nutrients through diet. Here are four vitamins and supplements worth considering for the 40 and older crowd.
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Take them or not? That’s the question many Americans face when trying to decide whether to add an assortment of vitamins to their daily diet. The answer, as typical in these type of situations is, “It depends.”
Gaining all the recommended nutrients through a healthy diet is not necessarily impossible, but it can be challenging. Even the most disciplined people can find it difficult to receive the optimal levels of nutrients, like Vitamin D, which is not found in most foods Americans commonly eat. Unlike most nutrients, Vitamin D is most commonly obtained from skin exposure to the sun.
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At any given time, millions of Americans are reaching for a variety of products to combat hair loss — including minoxidil and finasteride (like Rogaine and Propecia, respectively). Some are taking it a step further, undergoing surgical procedures to get a full head of hair.
According to statistics, 35 million American men suffer from hair loss compared to 21 million American women. Also, the problem steadily increases as men age — with 40 percent of men age 35 suffering noticeable hair. That number shifts to 65 percent by the age of 60, 70 percent by the age of 80, and 80 percent by the age of 85.
Whether experiencing problems with hair loss, breakage or thinning hair, many people may find some benefits in consuming nutrients that have shown to lead to improvements. Here are some foods and supplements that could lead to healthier hair
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Many Americans are already familiar with the lifestyle habits that will keep them healthy, including exercising and eating a nutrient-rich diet without excessive fats and processed foods.
According to various studies, these 5 nutrients and foods also can contribute to a healthy brain.
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It’s that time of year again. The kids are getting restless, the weather is great, and spending time outdoors is a healthy way to bring the family together and learn about nature at the same time.
Not only does hiking give people a breath of fresh air, gorgeous scenery, and an amazing learning experience. It also encourages good blood circulation, healthy bones, and joints, and more. Hiking also promotes healthy weight management without being stuck at the gym on a treadmill.
Before getting going on a hike, people need to make sure they have the necessities for a positive and healthy trip.
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When it comes to essential basic cell function of the human body, Coenzyme Q10 is essential. It can be found naturally throughout the human body. That’s why researchers are finding that this antioxidant, which is regularly referred to as CoQ10, benefits the functioning of various parts of the body.
Also, research studies have shown some promising results in using it as a treatment for people with high blood pressure, heart conditions, diabetes, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, HIV/AIDS and muscular dystrophies. People with these conditions, as well as those who are aging, typically have been shown to have lower levels of CoQ10.
Other uses of CoQ10 as a supplement include asthma, chronic fatigue, high cholesterol and eye disease.
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There’s an increasing demand for glucosamine — a supplement that has contributed to alleviating joint pain and strengthening cartilage. Researchers are now predicting that the demand for the supplement is expected to reach $1.2 billion by 2022.
That demand has been attributed to a growing number of Americans who are dealing with arthritis, and other related conditions.
Here are some things that consumers should know about glucosamine.
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While the majority of American adults take dietary supplements, women outpace men. According to a survey conducted by the Council for Responsible Nutrition, 71 percent of U.S. adult women take dietary supplements compared to 65 percent of men. Here are five dietary supplements that can be beneficial for women.
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Keeping a healthy heart can require exercising, eating more fruits and vegetables, or sticking to a high-fiber diet. According to researchers, supplements also may help encourage heart health. It’s important to understand what they are and how they might contribute along with diet and exercise. Here are five supplements and vitamins that could help.
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According to the Arthritis Foundation, more than 50 million adults are living with doctor-diagnosed arthritis. That’s 1 in 5 people over the age of 18. The key word here is “living.” Life doesn’t have to end with an arthritis diagnosis. A few simple lifestyle changes can lessen arthritis-related pain, leading to a better quality of life. Consider adding these routines into your life to lessen your risks for arthritis.
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Although cholesterol is necessary for many functions within the body including hormone production, excess cholesterol in the bloodstream can lead to cardiovascular diseases and heart attacks.
While high-risk patients are likely to be prescribed medication to lower cholesterol, many people have found that simple dietary changes and exercise can lead to lower cholesterol without medication, according to health experts.
Here are some tips to lowering cholesterol through diet.
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Americans are spending a lot of time staring at screens — a smartphone screen, a tablet screen, a television screen, and mainly, a computer screen. According to Forbes magazine, teenagers are among the worst at these habits, spending a whopping 9 hours a day in front of one of those screens.
That’s why there’s no better time to focus on supporting healthy vision. All that reading and viewing, even if it includes small print in books, newspapers, paperwork, and instructions, can cause stress on the eyes.
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Sure… we all know that water is phenomenal, especially when in relation to our survival. After all, our bodies are made mostly of water (as if we don’t hear that fact enough). As humans, we need water to live. But did you ever take a deeper look into exactly why that is?
Yes, we need water, but for what reasons? What miraculous things does water do once it enters our body and why are these functions so vital?
Read More![Natural Ways to Overcome Sleeplessness, Stress, Back & Muscle Pain, and Other Nervous System Ailments [Infographic]](blog/images/natural-ways-to-overcome-sleeplessness-stress-back-muscle-pain-and-other-nervous-system-ailments-infographic.jpg "Natural Ways to Overcome Sleeplessness, Stress, Back & Muscle Pain, and Other Nervous System Ailments [Infographic]")
If you find yourself struggling to relax, low on energy, plagued with muscle aches and unable to sleep, chances are stress is the culprit.
Nervous system ailments are more common than you’d think, and can put a real damper on everyday life.
Stress is a natural reaction to certain situations, such as being startled during a horror movie. But constant exposure leaves you feeling trapped in a chronic stress cycle. And once you’re stuck in this state of regular stress, other symptoms — including depression, tense muscles, and inability to concentrate — can soon follow.
Set yourself free from stress, naturally, by practicing three simple habits.
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If you’ve ever struggled with insomnia, there’s a good chance you’ve heard about the natural supplement melatonin. People have been using the nutritional supplement melatonin for years to aid in a better full night’s sleep.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep. The CDC defines “enough sleep” as 7 hours each night.
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Magnesium plays many vital roles in the body. WebMD says that diseases such as osteoporosis, clogged arteries, diabetes, stroke, and high blood pressure have been linked to low magnesium levels.
A diet that includes foods such as fiber-rich vegetables is one way to get the recommended daily amount of magnesium. However, many people are not getting the proper amount of it daily. And that’s where magnesium supplements can help.
Here are 7 benefits of getting the proper amount of magnesium.
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If asked about how much water is required to stay healthy, most people would quickly respond with the answer, “8 glasses a day.” According to Aaron E. Carroll, a professor at Indiana University School of Medicine, that’s a myth … and it never seem to go away.
In a New York Times article, Carroll said the eight glasses a day mantra probably gets its roots from a 1945 Food and Nutrition Board recommendation that people consume about 2.5 liters of water daily. However, he pointed out, they likely failed to notice the important sentence that followed: “Most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods.”
While there are differing opinions on how much water is enough, it is important to note that water is essential to a properly functioning body. Here are three important facts to note about our need for water:
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Millions of Americans have problems getting a good night’s rest. In fact, there’s actually a day dedicated to raising awareness about insomnia. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, at least 30 percent of adults will experience brief symptoms of insomnia (the inability to sleep), while 10 percent have had a chronic insomnia disorder which can last for at least three months.
For those who are having problems sleeping, incorporating a few regular habits into the daily schedule can increase the likelihood of a good night’s rest. However, for chronic insomnia problems, a physician should be consulted.
Here are 5 ways to ensure that sleep will come more easily.
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Since 1962, Wonder Labs has been helping people live with wonder by offering natural nutritional products. Today, Wonder Labs is one of America’s top leaders in the nutritional field.
As part of our mission for providing natural supplements, we are also dedicated to powering our facilities by using as much natural and solar energy as possible. On Earth Day, we especially remember this mission because we know we are protecting where we call home: Earth.
What defines our company is not what we say, but what we actually do. It’s always been our belief that being in business means more than just selling nutrition. It also means taking care of the environment where we conduct our business. We are proud of what we have done so far to help achieve our goal of being 100% green.
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Beauty comes from within — at least that’s what mothers have been telling daughters for centuries. Of course, there’s plenty of truth to that adage. Maintaining a clear complexion, shiny hair and keeping wrinkles at bay is not just about genetics. It has plenty to do with drinking plenty of water and ingesting the vitamins and minerals that keep the body healthy.
When the diet fails to deliver, there’s always a line of vitamins, herbs, and minerals that can be stocked in the pantry to help keep skin, hair and nails looking healthy. Take a look at these five supplements that can help boost any daily beauty routine, as recommended by beauty expert and author Tracy Piper in Harper’s Bazaar.
In addition to taking a multivitamin with Vitamin B-complex, which helps the hair, skin and nails grow, she includes the following on her list.
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When folks in Los Angeles are up to something, that typically means the rest of the nation will follow suit. And one of the latest health trends spreading in the city of celebrities is the vast array of ways to ingest Vitamin B12 — from injections to sprays and vitamins, according to a recent article in the Los Angeles Times.
While the benefits of Vitamin B12 have been recognized by many Americans for some, it has been getting more attention recently. The number of companies releasing energy drinks with B12 and other vitamins has risen significantly, with some medical experts questioning whether the trend can be causing some people to consume too much Vitamin B12, as reported by the New York Times.
Here’s a breakdown of several common questions about this wonder vitamin and why it appears to be getting so much renewed attention in its many forms.
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Apparently, after years of bad news about the state of American’s health, things seem to be improving, according to a report by NBC News. The media outlet noted studies that revealed fewer Americans are smoking, new diabetes cases are on the decline, and people are drinking fewer sugary carbonated beverages.
"We are looking at some progress we have been making in America," said American Heart Association spokesperson Dr. Gerald Fletcher, who also is a physician for Mayo Clinic.
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While most people are familiar with the habits that lead to healthier lifestyles, it doesn’t hurt to keep reviewing them — and implementing them. According to medical researchers, people can reduce their risks for numerous diseases, as well as death, by taking the time to adopt a few healthy habits.
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A few years ago, when celiac disease became a frequent topic, many people did not initially grasp the facts. Some people of us assumed that celiac was nothing more than a wheat allergy. But actually, this genetic autoimmune disease can be very serious. If untreated, it may cause permanent damage to the small intestine while also depriving the body of necessary nutrients.
According to Beyond Celiac, 1 in 33 Americans of both genders, all ages, and all races, has this diagnosis. But here’s an even more disturbing fact: 83 percent of Americans who also have this disease are either undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.
With more than 300 symptoms which never appear the same in each patient, celiac disease is often a mystery. For example, the most common symptoms among children, such as stomach pain, diarrhea and vomiting can easily look like a bout with a stomach virus. Other symptoms, constipation, irritability, weight loss, dental issues, and ADHD can baffle even the most well-intentioned pediatrician.
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How unhealthy are we? According to a recent study, most of us — nearly 100 percent in fact — are failing when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle, according to an article in the Washington Post. Whatever happened to those new year’s resolutions we make every year — to live a healthier life in the coming year?
It’s true, many of us make resolutions that can only materialize with a side order of miracles. Some of us shoot for the moon, hoping to look like the younger Arnold Schwarzenegger before year’s end. Others have visions of becoming the next Martha Stewart.
If you’re among those, you have plenty of company, according to Statistic Brain. Their survey shows that 49 percent of us who make resolutions have infrequent success. Then there’s the 8 percent who actually make and refuse to break their goals.
New Year’s resolutions don’t have to be completely out of reach with a dose of realism. Here are some ways you can stick to your resolutions — or get back on track if you happened to abandon them somewhere along the way.
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That soreness and stiffness in your joints are not just signs that you may be getting up in years. Those types of arthritic symptoms, experienced by as many as 52.5 million Americans, can inflict children and adults alike, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
And as many as 67 million Americans, age 18 and older, could receive a diagnosis of some type of arthritis by 2030, the CDC reports.
The most commonly diagnosed arthritis is osteoarthritis, with symptoms ranging from mild to intense in various areas of the body. They can include swelling and pain in joints, grating sensation in the knees, pain and tenderness in fingers and toes, and swelling in ankles and feet.
At times, these types of symptoms can interfere with everyday life. Picking up a child or grandchild may become difficult. Simply opening an envelope or a can of food may be painful or difficult. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, here are some steps you can take to help manage the pain and improve flexibility.
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Does the prospect of selecting the right combination of vitamins and herbs fill you with a bit of dread? More than likely that’s the case if you’ve ever looked into a kitchen cabinet of one of your health-conscious friends — only to be faced with a dizzying array of bottles.
Figuring out what you should include as part of your daily vitamin routine can take some time. It can take time to understand the various symptoms you’re experiencing — sometimes requiring you to slow down enough to determine what’s normal and what’s abnormal. Do you have dry skin or low energy? Supplements could help.
But first things first. Let’s start with the building blocks of a vitamin regimen that gets you started with a solid foundation. Also, remember that it’s important to include more nutrient-rich foods in your diet as a natural source for vitamins and minerals.
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At some time or another, you may have heard someone suggest using probiotics to tame an upset stomach — or manage any number of digestive problems, such as constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. Or that they’re just good for overall health.
If you’re not fully familiar with them, take a look at these five interesting traits and uses of probiotics.
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Perhaps you’ve already heard about magnesium as a supplement; maybe a friend or a relative includes it in their daily regimen. But there’s a good chance that you should get even more familiar with magnesium. According to statistics, about 80 percent of Americans are considered deficient in magnesium, an essential mineral that assists in the function of our bodies.
To make sure you’re in the know about magnesium, take a look at these four things you should know about this important mineral.
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When it comes to supplements, Omega-3 often is considered among those with an array of benefits that far exceed its weight as a small tablet.
This essential fatty acid, which is ideally consumed through Omega-3 rich foods like fatty fish (think salmon, mackerel, sardines, albacore tuna and herring), has been recommended by the American Heart Association as a way to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Here are 5 other benefits of Omega-3.
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When Viagra, scientifically known as sildenafil, first made its appearance in the late ’90s, the prescription drug was widely hailed as among the first groundbreaking treatments for erectile dysfunction. Since then, other variations have hit the market, including Cialis.
However, for hundreds of years — thousands of years, actually — people have been using a natural herb called horny goat weed to treat those symptoms. Highly recommended by Chinese herbal practitioners, horny goat weed grows naturally throughout northern China as well as Korea.
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As you know, the simple things you do every single day can lead to a lifetime of benefits, especially when it comes to your health. Specifically your heart health. With heart disease being the No. 1 killer of American adults, it’s worth making every effort to adopt a few daily habits to boost your heart health.
It’s a matter of improving the way you eat, walk and breath. The basic stuff. Take a look at these 6 habits that can get you on the road to better living.
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For 4,000 years, Asians have been reaping the benefits of turmeric — a spice that’s known for its ability to turn basic dishes into flavorful cuisine. Thanks to Americans’ increasing enthusiasm for ethnic dishes as well as foods that promote natural healing, turmeric is now getting plenty of attention throughout the country.
So, what’s so great about turmeric? And why are well practitioners interested in the spice’s benefit toward a healthier lifestyle? Because of its strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory impact, turmeric has been shown to be a positive addition to a daily diet.
Take a look at these top 5 benefits of turmeric and its active ingredient curcumin, as revealed in recent studies. More than likely, you’ll be convinced to add it to your daily supplement routine in no time.
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In most cases, you already know what it takes to live a heart-healthy lifestyle. Chances are you’ll immediately think of exercising, eating more veggies and less processed foods, giving up smoking, and managing your stress as key things you can do to ensure you’re doing great things for your body.
But, as most Americans can attest, it can be difficult to stick to those healthy habits day after day — especially when you have a demanding work and home schedule, and you’re constantly bombarded by unhealthy foods in grocery aisles, restaurants, and well-meaning friends and relatives.
Indeed, you have your work cut out for you. But it’s so worth it. Here are a few tips to get you adopting healthy habits that actually stick. The main goal is to take it one day at a time. According to a study published by the British Journal of General Practice, it takes about 66 days for you to turn a certain behavior into a habit.
Now try these 4 additional tips for better heart health.
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Maybe your New Year’s resolutions have been long forgotten. If you already dropped the diet and haven’t spent much time in a workout facility, don’t despair. Maybe you were overthinking it.
Here are 2 bad habits to drop, and 3 really good ones to pick up to get on the path to a lifestyle that keeps your heart healthy. If you only tackle one at a time — whether it’s dropping a bad habit or picking up a new one, you’ll be one step closer to guarding yourself against heart disease — the No. 1 killer of American adults.
Let’s get started!
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When we talk about discovering the fountain of youth, too many of us immediately think of the potions that will reduce the appearance of wrinkles and other outward signs of aging. How about guarding yourself against the No. 1 killer of American adults — heart disease?
Fortunately, there is no discovery necessary to find the keys to a healthy heart. Study after study has revealed that we can do a lot to reduce the risks of heart disease by eating a healthy diet, keeping stress under control, and exercising regularly — taking great care of our bodies.
While these areas are essential in boosting heart health, research also shows that supplements can be beneficial in helping lower cholesterol and maintain a healthy blood pressure — areas that are related to preventing heart attacks and strokes.
Take a look at these 4 supplements that can boost heart health.
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If you were told that there was a secret to a longer life, there’s no question that you’d want to hear about it. Well, as it turns out, the secret is not so secret. Taking steps to boost your heart health is one of the keys to longevity. Reduce your risk of this No. 1 cause of death among American adults, and you’re off to a good start.
One of the most significant steps you can take is changing up your daily diet. Diet, along with exercise, tackles many of the issues that can cause heart disease and stroke, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Here are 5 ways that you can start eating your way to a healthier heart.
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It’s been more than 40 years since the first anti-smoking campaigns got underway, with studies clearly showing that the habit can lead to diseases like lung cancer. Along the way, research also showed the connection between smoking and heart disease.
In recent years, a new campaign has gotten underway to promote another bad habit that could lead to premature death. Unfortunately, it’s a habit that’s shared by millions of Americans — sitting. Whether you’re sitting behind a desk, in front of the television, or anywhere else, the simple act of sitting for hours on end could be shaving years off your life, according to research.
Numerous media outlets, including CNN, have been reporting on the deadly effects of sitting. According to a study published by the American Heart Association, people who don’t move enough and sit for five hours or more each day have double the risk of heart failure. And other studies show that the vast majority of Americans are sitting anywhere from 7 hours to 15 hours a day.
Take the test by JustStand.org to see how you measure up. Are you sitting way too much? Then it’s time for a change.
So, how do you get moving for better heart health? Try to break up your days of sitting by following these ten tips.
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Reducing your risk for heart disease — the No. 1 cause of death among both American men and women — doesn’t have to be a massive undertaking. By making changes in your daily routine, you can start eliminating the factors that lead to heart disease. While some changes may be more challenging than others, they all can be significant in contributing to your overall heart health — and your longevity.
Make a commitment to adopting these habits as part of your daily routine.
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No matter how many blogs, magazine articles and books you read about maintaining a healthy diet, it can take a lot of discipline to get all of your required vitamins and minerals on a day-to-day basis. Add to that the challenge of our hectic lifestyles, it’s no wonder many of us grab meals at a drive-through window.
That challenge is reflected in a study that showed that 87 percent of Americans aren’t eating the 2 to 3 servings of vegetables recommended by the federal government on a daily basis. And that fast food? According to one study by Do Something, one out of every four Americans is eating fast food every day.
Some of the nutrients your diet most likely are missing include calcium, magnesium, fiber, Vitamin D, iron, folic acid, Vitamin A and potassium.
So, what does a healthy diet look like?
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Never heard of turmeric? Chances are you may be more familiar with it than you realize. If you’ve ever had curry, the fragrant spice is one of the core ingredients that give the Indian dish its wonderful flavor. Or you probably added mustard to your hot dogs and hamburgers recently. If so, you’ve encountered curry … it’s the ingredient that gives the condiment its yellow color.
Yet, based on extensive research and studies, it turns out that turmeric, which is the dried root of the plant Curcuma longa, has many more benefits beyond its flavor. Turmeric has been found to be beneficial as a healing property for these health conditions.
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No matter when it hits, constipation can make our lives simply miserable. Unfortunately, it seems to attack many of us at the most inopportune times — vacations, professional events, and excursions. When it happens to us, all that seems to be at the top of our minds is getting relief. And fast.
When dealing with this uncomfortable condition, you’re faced with a number of symptoms — from difficulty with having a bowel movement and bloating to hard stools and abdominal pain. Not at all pleasant.
Here are 5 ways you can alleviate or prevent constipation issues.
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This essential mineral, which can be found in foods like dark leafy greens, sunflower seeds, cashews, fish, soybeans, avocados and bananas, helps our bodies convert food to fuel. Magnesium also keeps the liver functioning properly, as well as supports thyroid function, hair growth and bone structure. To put it simply, all of your organs — including your heart, kidneys and muscles — require magnesium. This wonder mineral also enables us to better adapt to stress.
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Headaches, back pain, tense muscles, lack of focus, restlessness … these symptoms all can be indicators of stress. And they all can be symptoms that you’re in need of more relaxation in your life. Whether your stress is brought on by a hectic work schedule or other factors, such as sleeplessness or stressful events, like a relocation or death in the family, you need to tackle the issue.
Stress, which can be brought on by anxiety, tension or anger, can wreak havoc on your body — causing an increase in blood pressure, shallow breathing, digestive problems and tense muscles.
When you have symptoms that are interfering with your ability to relax, take steps to overcome them. Here are 5 steps to a more relaxing lifestyle.
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Leg cramps in the middle of the night? When you’re dealing with one, there’s a good chance you will soon find yourself dealing with a sleepless night as well. Leg cramps, which typically occur in your calves and hamstrings, can feel like a spasm — the muscles contract on their own.
There can be a number of culprits behind leg cramps, from overworking or straining your muscles during exercise or other activities, dehydration, or inadequate levels of minerals which work by helping your muscles function. Leg cramps not caused by strenuous activity could be an indicator of other medical issues, including diabetes or hypothyroidism.
Here are 5 things you should know about managing leg cramps and, possibly, preventing them.
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What’s your body’s largest organ? If you’re guessing the heart, the stomach or the liver, you guessed wrong. Actually, it’s your skin — the largest by far. And, of course, it’s the most exposed.
When you’re good to your skin, you can step out with a more glowing complexion. It’s not that difficult. Besides keeping your skin clean, maintaining a healthy diet, and bypassing the cigarettes, try these 5 essential tips for keeping your skin healthy.
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If you’re fairly new to exploring the benefits of supplementing your diet with vitamins, the almighty Vitamin B may be one of the most confusing supplements you’ll navigate on your journey to better health.
At times, it may seem like Vitamin B is an alphabet soup assortment of options, with the likelihood of you running into everything from B-1 to B-12 as you determine the best choices for your needs.
To simplify things a bit, here are 9 things you should know about Vitamin B.
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Do you know how many muscles you have? According to scientists, that number comes in at around 650 to 700 — all enabling you to walk, run, jump, lift, reach, hug, and perform thousands of actions throughout the day. Pretty important stuff. Unfortunately, many of us will lose up to 30 percent of our muscle mass during our lifetime as a natural part of aging. However, there are steps we can take to slow that progression.
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When you think of cinnamon, do you immediately think about your favorite baked goods? Cinnamon rolls? A freshly baked pie? Snickerdoodle cookies? The properties of cinnamon bark have made it a mainstay in households around the world — but for much more than baking.
The oils from cinnamon bark have been used for centuries to ease the symptoms of numerous ailments, including spasms, gas (flatulence) and indigestion. It also is believed to stimulate the appetite, increase blow flood and, possibly, control cholesterol.
Here are 3 other things you should know about cinnamon bark.
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With the average American’s rushed schedule and inadequate diet, it’s no wonder that many of us are lacking many of the vitamins and nutrients considered essential to maintaining healthy bodies. In fact, most of us aren’t consuming enough vitamin D, vitamin C, calcium and iron, according to numerous studies. Even worse, we’re eating too much of the bad stuff — including saturated fat and sodium.
In many cases, our bodies are giving off signals to let us know when we’re deficient in certain vitamins. Here are 5 signs to help you detect whether you may have a vitamin deficiency.
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Depending upon how much you’ve studied about minerals and vitamins, your knowledge about the properties of magnesium may be inadequate — keeping you in the dark about how this mineral can contribute to your overall well-being and health. If you’re only familiar with milk of magnesia to treat an upset stomach or heartburn, read on.
Let’s start with the natural properties of magnesium. While magnesium is important for all your body’s functions, it’s particularly important in keeping your bones strong, normalizing your blood pressure, and keeping your heart rhythm steady. It also is beneficial in promoting relaxation and a restful sleep. Here are four answers to common questions to questions about magnesium.
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Heavy metal could be your choice of music, but it’s never okay to have too much of it running through your body. While heavy metals — such as copper, iron, zinc, chromium and manganese — are important to keep the body functionally properly, it becomes a problem when they reach toxic levels.
Many of us have heard about the dangers of lead, arsenic and mercury, including lead poisoning resulting from paint and pipe fittings that were frequently used in homes decades ago. Poisoning from heavy metals also can be result from exposure to toxins released from various industries into the environment.
Other sources of exposure to heavy metals can come from polluted water, pesticides, steel and other everyday sources. If these metals exceed small amounts, you can be exhibit various symptoms of toxicity — including fatigue, nausea, and vomiting, and more serious health complications.
Here are a few natural ways to detox the body of heavy metal toxins.
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In recent years, scientists, health gurus and plenty of regular people have been exploring the wonders of coconut oil. You could call it a wonder food, skin moisturizer hair care regimen, and all-around handy product. Keep it on your shelf. Chances are you’ll find plenty of more uses beyond the 5 listed here.
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Just about everywhere you turn, you’ll run into tips on how to maintain a healthy heart. With heart disease ranking as one of the leading causes of death, it’s understandable that this organ gets plenty of attention. However, taking care of your liver is also essential to having a quality productive life.
Liver disease kills nearly 40,000 Americans a year, yet it is one of the most avoidable diseases if you take care of this vital organ. First of all, it’s important to understand the function of the liver. It’s an essential part of your digestive system, processing the foods you eat, cleaning your blood and breaking down fat by creating a liquid called bile. All very important work when it comes to the proper functioning of your body. Much like a healthy lifestyle helps keep your heart healthy, so do the same habits keep your liver healthy and reduce the risks of cirrhosis and other liver diseases.
Here are some tips to keep in mind to keep your liver healthy. Hint: They’re all just simply good rules for living healthy.
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When you need a boost of energy, do you automatically refill your coffee cup? Or grab an energy-boosting shot or drink? Perhaps a chocolate bar gives you the sugar boost to help you make it through the rest of the day. However, these energy boosters can sometimes leave you crashing when the effects wear off.
Try boosting your energy naturally with these 3 tips.
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Vitamin B-12, B-6 with Folic Acid is a supplement that can help you maintain an energetic lifestyle. The primary ingredient, B-12, is essential in the formation of red blood cells, which play the important role of transporting oxygen throughout your body in exchange for carbon monoxide — which is then carried to and eliminated by the lungs. People who experience a deficiency in B-12 are at risk for anemia, which includes symptoms like tiredness and feeling cold.
Vitamin B-12 also has been used for decades to help promote memory and concentration, facilitate energy, and to enhance mood.
As a whole, the family of B vitamins (8 in all) helps promote healthy skin, eyes, hair and liver. Part of their function is to help the body convert carbohydrates into glucose — the fuel that helps us have energy. They also aid in metabolizing fats and protein, and help to keep our nervous systems functioning.
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Why You Should Consider Taking Valerin, a Natural. Homeopathic Relaxant
Feeling overworked? Stressed? Tense? Or just having difficulty relaxing? Instead of reaching for prescriptions or aspirin, consider taking a natural, homeopathic relaxant that can help you decompress and feel better.
Valerin, which consists of 6 parts Valerian Root, 3 parts Passiflora and 1 part Magnesium Carbonate, has been used by consumers for decades to help calm the nervous system and muscles, and help promote relaxation and rest. When taken as directed, it’s also 100% safe without the risk of nasty side effects.
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Feeling tired? Tense? Or just having difficulty relaxing and sleeping? If you’re regularly dealing with any of these issues, chances are stress is the culprit. And you’re definitely not alone.
According to a recent poll by Cosmopolitan magazine, about 71 percent of women said they have experienced an anxiety or panic attack. And 40 percent said that anxiety due to stress prompted them to seek medical help.
A survey by the American Psychological Association also revealed that 49 percent of women said they have lain awake at night in the previous month because of stress. It also showed that 39 percent of men were fatigued because of stress, as well as 41 percent of women.
While stress is a natural reaction to certain situations — such as being startled during a horror movie, other factors can lead to chronic stress and those feelings of fatigue, tension, and restlessness. Stress also can lead to other varied symptoms, including depression, tense muscles and an inability to concentrate.
When you’re feeling that stress is getting the best of you, tame your stress levels by following these 4 tips.
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There's nothing like a good night's sleep, uninterrupted and peaceful, to help us wake up the next morning refreshed and ready for the challenges of a new day. Regardless of how many hours a day you think you need, we all need our sleep and relish those nights where we can awaken the next day feeling better than we did the night before
There is, however, at least one other important factor in determining how good a night's sleep we had and what benefits those hours gave us. Something happened during that time of self-imposed unconsciousness, and they are called dreams. They are as much a part of life as eating breakfast or reading our e-mail, but dreams also comprise a universal mystery expressed in one of the great two-part questions of our time, What exactly are dreams, and why do we have them?
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Football season is here, and that means there is a lot of hitting going on. Hard hitting. The kind of hard hitting where strong, fast, muscular, highly-motivated young men, many weighing in excess of 200 pounds, crash into each other at high speeds. If an opposing player's thundering shiver arm to the noggin doesn't get you, the midair flip leading to a headfirst landing after your feet have been taken out from under you will.
In popular football parlance, this is what's known as getting your bell rung. Such high-impact drama often elicits roars from enthused crowds and a proud papa's friendly pokes to the ribs of fans seated next to him – fans more shocked than thrilled at what they just witnessed.
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Are you up for a simple blood test? If you are among the millions of Americans born between 1945 and 1965 (think Baby Boomers), or if you received a pre-1987 blood product designed for clotting problems, or if you got a body piercing or tattoo made with non-sterile equipment, but in any of those cases you don't have the time or inclination to bother with getting a certain blood test, you might want to think twice.
Listen up: if you belong to any of those groups of people listed above, you might be at increased risk of having been infected with hepatitis C. If that's the case, consider a hepatitis C blood test. Otherwise, ponder the possibilities of being infected with the virus and what that can lead to, mindful there is no known vaccine to prevent hepatitis C, although it can be treated, provided you know you have it. If the disease goes untreated for many years, webmd.com says, "It can damage your liver. It can also lead to liver cancer, liver failure or scarring of the liver (cirrhosis)."
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It is one of the great debates regarding female athletes, and yet it is one issue few people are willing to discuss in public. It is the question of whether a female athlete's menstrual cycle can affect – read hinder – her ability to compete at an optimal level depending on the time of the month.
Even if she knows related symptoms had a negative effect on her performance, perhaps in the form of headaches, joint and muscle pain, and/or low energy, how can a girl or woman athlete ever admit that in public without being accused of making excuses?
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And you thought charcoal was meant just for firing up the barbecue to grill some hotdogs, burgers, steaks and seasoned salmon to feed the famished. Now we get word that charcoal – or, more specifically activated charcoal, has become the latest detox rage, used by those convinced, or conned into, it as an effective means to clean out toxins of their bodies, as if our bodies were unable to do this on their own.
Also going by such names as animal charcoal, vegetable charcoal, gas black, medicinal charcoal and, for some added French panache, noir de lampe, activated charcoal, according to webmd.com, is common charcoal that is manufactured in "the presence of a gas that causes the charcoal to develop lots of internal spaces or 'pores.' These pores help activated charcoal 'trap' chemicals."
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If you want to talk shop with endurance athletes such as distance runners and triathletes, or for that matter football and soccer players giving it all in extreme heat, you need to know how to discuss electrolytes. As in, "Be sure you replenish your electrolytes when you start to become dehydrated; otherwise you risk wreaking havoc on your body."
In many sports that involve a whole lot of heavy sweating, it's all about "electrolytes this" and "electrolytes that." That would be all well and good, if anyone really knew what the heck they were talking about. Next time some smug, smart-aleck jock starts spouting off about electrolytes like they are some sort of health expert insider, look them straight in the eye and say something like, "Okay, pal, explain to me exactly what are those electrolytes you keep talking about and what is it they do in terms of keeping us healthy." Silence. There's a whole lot of talk going on about a subject that few people actually know well, other than the fact that your body needs them.
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Any time you can keep a straight face while working 'whale blubber' into the discussion, you know you might be on to something. And anyone who has ever reaped health benefits from the omega-3's present in fish oil realizes they might be on to something when it comes to choosing effective nutritional supplements off the shelf.
According to webmd.com, fish oil supplements are typically made from an assortment of fish types, including mackerel, herring, tuna, halibut, salmon, cod liver and, yes, whale blubber with some seal blubber thrown in. Don't take that to mean that taking a modest dose of fish oil a day means running a risk of excessively expanding that mass just above your beltline. This isn't about blubber, no sirrreee, but about ingesting what some health experts claim can be helpful to our well-being.
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For those of us who have ever suffered from a really bad stomach ache or worse (who hasn't?), the thought of intentionally ingesting bacteria for the sake of our health might itself sound like a stomach turner. Think again. Some types of bacteria are good for our gut, such as probiotics.
Probiotics are live bacteria, also known as friendly, good or helpful bacteria, that can promote good health, especially when it comes to our digestive system. Some are found naturally in our bodies; some are available in some foods and nutritional supplements.
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The name conjures up bizarre images of thin rectangular panels of asphalt, wood or slate hanging from your skin, looking as unsightly as they are painful. The truth, however, is that shingles in terms of a skin condition look nothing like a patch of the roof atop your house, but they are indeed unsightly and quite painful, even to the touch.
As described on mayoclinic.org, shingles is a viral infection accompanied by a distressing rash in the form of a strip of blisters that can pop up anywhere on your body, but most often on the left or right side of the torso. It can also show up around one eye or on one side of the neck or face.
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A day without stress or anxiety is, for many, the definition of true happiness, but is that what we really want in life? For those of us who have ever been saddled with chronic stress or stuck in a seemingly endless rut of high anxiety, a life without either or both can seem like a panacea, albeit a seemingly unreachable one when we are in the throes of a chronic condition.
Stress and anxiety are not one and the same, even though all of us experience one or the other at some point(s) in our lives. As defined by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), stress is a response to a threat in a given circumstance, while anxiety is a reaction to the stress.
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When it comes to the psychedelic world of 'mind expansion,' 'cosmic consciousness' and all that sort of stuff, certain mushrooms have long been a go-to choice among free spirits in search of hallucinogenic substances.
'Magic mushrooms,' as they are known, have their share of devoted consumers, whose main goal in life obviously isn't good nutrition. Don't lose heart about mushrooms, though. When it comes to healthy eating and health benefits, many species of mushrooms are available (and safe), with the choices in grocery stores and supermarkets now plentiful if you are willing to shop around some.
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At this time of year, with another school year blasting off across America, parents and students are scurrying around on a scavenger hunt for school supplies, shopping for new clothes, getting sports physicals and updating immunizations. Languishing in fifth place, or worse, on that list is a thorough eye examination, which is ironic, because without properly administered eye care, students can get lost in a visually-focused classroom.
School technology keeps changing in order to stay current with society, but the need for good eyesight free from lazy eye (amblyopia), crossed eyes (strabismus), color deficiency (color blindness) and refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism), as described by hap.org (Health Alliance Plan, Michigan) doesn't change.
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