Here are 3 easy ways to reduce your risk of serious illness. 5 of the biggest nasties in the UK and USA are Coronary Heart Disease, cancers, stroke, obesity and Alzheimer’s disease, but research suggests that all of these terrible diseases can be helped or avoided to a certain extent by upping our intake of antioxidants. Source your antioxidants from brightly coloured fresh fruit and vegetables. Here are 3 to try this week;

Lower your blood pressure by drinking pomegranate juice; an Israeli study by Dr Aviram showed a 20% decrease in blood pressure by a group drinking pomegranate juice daily. The group also experienced lowering of their unhealthy blood cholesterol and an improvement in the arteries of their heart. Healthy blood pressure reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke and other heart complaints. Team drinking and eating pomegranate with healthy activity and you will protect your heart and circulation. Pomegranates with dark skins and flesh are richer in fruit-chemicals. Make your own juice by rolling the fruit along your chopping board before slicing in two and using an orange juicer. Tesco now sell Pomegreat which also comes with added blueberries for an extra potent punch of antioxidants (see below).

Eating citrus fruits can lower your chances of stroke, cardiovascular disease, cataracts and cancers. Eat Oranges as a snack, drink freshly squeezed juice, keep some tangerines in your bag, juice pink grapefruit or add them to a salad, and squeeze lime and lemon juice over salads and into sparkling water. These fruits contain vitamin C, Folates, fiber, antioxidants, and other chemical goodies. Make sure you eat some citrus every day to reap their health benefits, but don’t be too fussy about the white bits and the rind; these are also packed with goodness. Try not to pick all of the white stuff off your tangerine, or buy some Kumquats which you eat with the skin on. Cook fish with grated lemon and lime rind, or add grated rinds to cakes, salad dressings and marinades.

Blueberries may fight Alzheimer’s disease; lab tests on rats at Tufts University Boston, showed that eating blueberries improved age-related brain degeneration, with aging ‘blueberry rats’ outperforming their younger counterparts who didn’t eat blueberries. Further research suggests that rats with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s, maintained memory function despite developing the disease; it seemed that the blueberries prevented expected memory loss. Many other tests on humans show many beneficial effects of eating blueberries and other dark coloured foods; maintain healthy youthful skin, and guard against heart disease, cancers, cataracts and macular degeneration (age-related sight loss). Buy fresh, frozen and dried blueberries and add them to juices, pies, crumbles, breakfast cereal, fruit puree to eat with yoghurt, and blueberry jam on whole meal toast, snack on a punnet for an ultra-low calorie mega-healthy. Buy a blueberry bush on-line at www.dorset-blueberry.com (in the UK) and grow them yourself!

So these are 3 fruity ways to a long and healthy life. Make sure that you try one of these wonder fruits this week, even the most reluctant fruit-eater must be able to force some blueberry jam down!

Happy eating,
Vikki

Do you have any friends and family who could benefit from getting fitter and feeling better? E-mail getfitter@yahoo.co.uk subject: newsletter request.

Vikki Scovell BA(hons) PG DIP is a fully qualified Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach. She is a qualified Nutrition Adviser and runs successful Community Exercise classes. Vikki is a consultant in Healthy Eating and Exercise initiatives to schools in the independent sector and publishes School and General Healthy Living newsletters.

Tags: antioxidant, cholesterol, Heart, memory loss, obesity, vitamin c

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Tags: antioxidant, cholesterol, Heart, memory loss, obesity, vitamin c

Insulin Resistance is of particular concern to women with weight worries because it disrupts fat metabolism, especially during menopause. When the cells won’t absorb the extra glucose in the bloodstream because of Insulin Resistance, the liver has to convert it into fat.

Ironically, while the Insulin-Resistant woman is gaining weight, her cells are actually “starved” for glucose, so she feels exhausted and tends to eat carbohydrate-heavy foods in search of energy.

A woman’s health can deteriorate rapidly during menopause with the decrease of estrogen stores in the body. And digestive issues that were once merely a hassle become an affliction when the body’s natural defenses against inflammation (estrogen being one) are depleted.

In addition, women approaching menopause are particularly prone to becoming Insulin Resistant due to metabolic changes related to fluctuations in adrenal and thyroid secretions. In fact, the decrease of certain hormones, like estradiol, may trigger a sensitivity to insulin in patients who never experienced it before.

Certain blood pressure medications can mask symptoms without treating the problem. Frequently, women unwittingly make their symptoms worse by fighting weight gain with low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets.

Insulin Resistance has many factors that contribute to its presence in the body. In essence, our environment and lifestyles have evolved too rapidly for our bodies to keep pace. We are still genetically “wired” to thrive on the entrenched habits of our ancestors who consumed different, nutrient-rich foods, a diet low in carbohydrates and also sustained greater levels of movement and exercise.

Some people may also have a genetic predisposition to Insulin Resistance. Others develop Insulin Resistance through unhealthy lifestyles.

Over time, the above factors have damaged the complex ability of our bodies’ cells to properly utilize insulin to convert glucose to energy. Unhealthy diets cause the pancreas to overproduce insulin that overwhelms the cell which, in turn, protects itself by reducing the number of receptor sites on its surface.

This results in devastating effects:

Insulin, which acts like a key in a lock, is less effective in opening up the cell and allowing glucose in to be converted to energy.
Without enough receptor sites, insulin bounces off the cell and enters the blood stream where it causes a variety of conditions including unbalanced hormones such as in PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) and Cardiovascular Disease.
Unable to enter the cell, glucose is converted to fat, leading to weight gain which can result in obesity.
Eventually many health-related functions fail and cause numerous serious diseases besides PCOS, such as Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X) and Pre-Diabetes leading to Type 2 Diabetes.

Dr. Shackelton is a founding partner of Insulite Laboratories. She directs research and development of the formulas comprising the four Insulite Systems and those in development. Her study of the biochemical and physiological reasons for weight gain led to her focus on Insulin Resistance – the abnormal response of insulin to glucose - and its growing number of related conditions.

pcos.insulitelabs.com pcos.insulitelabs.com

Tags: diet, menopause, obesity

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Ask a few well informed people over the age of fifty: What are they afraid of the most? Four out of five would answer: Sudden death due to heart attack. Heart attack is becoming a common cause of death after the age of fifty. Heart attach is preventable to a large extent and we know how to prevent it. We also know that by these measures people have already brought down death and ill-effects caused by it.

Heart receives blood for its own nourishment from coronary arteries, the two blood vessels that are the first to come off the aorta and lie embedded in the heart muscle itself.

The important factors that accelerate coronary artery narrowing are:

1. Excess of fats and cholesterol in the blood: Fats are made up of different fatty acids and glycerol. Cholesterol is a type of fat. Surplus of fats are stored as such in different parts of the body. A high level of cholesterol in the blood, particularly if it is held in combination in the form of LDL globules, leads to irs deposition in the walls of the blood vessels. Coronary artery disease, blood cholesterol level, and the amount of fat taken in the diet usually go hand in hand.

Must Read: Learn more on Good and Bad Cholesterol at weightloss-health.com/cholesterol_info.htm

2. High Blood Pressure (Hypertension): Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries through which it flows. With high blood pressure, blood vessels do not relax to receive the blood from heart. Hence, the heart has to work harder against this resistance. This strains the heart, so that it ultimately fails to perform its function of pumping the blood to all parts of the body.

Must Read: Steps to control your high/low Blood Pressure at weightloss-health.com/high low blood pressure treatment.htm

3. Over-Weight: A person starts gaining weight after the age of 25, unless he does something about the food he eats. The reason is that, beginning at this age, the body starts to need less food because the metabolism is slowing down. Obesity is a disorder closely associated with other potent risk factors, i.e. hyperlipidaemia, hyperglycemia and hypertension.

Must Visit: Lose weight right away. Free Diet Profile at weightloss-health.com/weight.htm

4. Diabetes Mellitus: Diabetes may be defined as high level of glucose in the blood, so that some of it overflows into the urine. Usually it is due to deficiency of insulin. Diabetes causes a lot of complications, an important one being the narrowing of the blood vessels called atherosclerosis. Coronary artery disease is common in diabetics. Also, heart attacks in diabetics occur at a younger age than they do in non-diabetics.

Must Read: Learn the prevention and treatment of Diabetes at weightloss-health.com/Diabetes2.htm.

5. Smoking: It has been suggested that Nicotine repeatedly over-stimulates the heart. The carbon monoxide absorbed into the blood takes the place of oxygen and hampers nourishment of the heart muscle and other tissues. The smoke damages the lining of the coronary arteries, allowing artery clogging cholesterol to build up and narrow the passage ways.

Must Read: Quit Smoking Tips, Motivation, Support and Program at weightloss-health.com/quit_smoking_ways.htm

Narrowing of the coronary arteries is caused by a process called atherosclerosis. In this, the inner lining of the medium-sized and large arteries raises, yellow or has pearly whites streaks or plaques.

The bitter truth is, Heart attacks do not respect time, place or circumstances. These can happen to anyone anytime. So get moving and work for it.

About the Author

Ashley Green: for weightloss-health.com/ weightloss-health.com/ your complete and most comprehensive family guide on Health.

To learn more about heart attack treatment and heart attack diet, visit weightloss-health.com/heart%20attack%20diet.htm Heart Attack Treatment and Heart Attack Diet

If you wish to reproduce the above article you are welcome to do so, provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this resource box and LIVE link to our website.

Tags: cholesterol, diabetic, diet, Heart, lose weight, low blood pressure, obesity, quit smoking, smoking

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Tags: cholesterol, diabetic, diet, Heart, lose weight, low blood pressure, obesity, quit smoking, smoking

Stretch Marks, known in the medical community as erythrocyanosis are a form of scarring that can occur when a person’s skin is overstretched.

The Two Main Stretch Mark Causes Are:

1) Pregnancy

2) Obesity

Appearance:

Stretch Marks have the initial appearance of purple or red looking lines. In time Stretch Marks can fade to a white or off white color.

Stretch Marks are a VERY common condition. Just think of all the people who are either pregnant or overweight!

Stretch Marks are not just confined to the female population either – few people realize that they are a common complaint of male body builders.

Three Possible Stretch Mark Solutions

Stretch Mark Treatments vary from out-and-out scams to some very smart and scientific remedies.

Three of the most common are:

1. DERMABRASION. This is a serious medical procedure that takes place under a general anesthetic. Dermabrasion is definitely not for the faint of heart.

In Dermabrasion the surface of the skin is literally removed by a process of sanding. The aim of dermabrasion is to remove (or at least lessen) the appearance of scars, damage from the sun or dark spots.

The procedure is obviously very painful (hence the general anesthetic) and the healing process can take several months. However, the results can be quite spectacular.

Dermabrasion works best when the scar or mark being treated is above the surface of the skin and is generally much less effective when used to treat sunken scars.

Be Warned: Having a general anesthetic is NOT something to be taken lightly; it carries inherent risks and can be life-threatening. Always seek a second medical opinion (speak to more than one doctor).

2. MICRODERMABRASION. Often referred to as ‘Microderm’ this is far less invasive procedure that has become very popular throughout the Day Spa and cosmetic industries.

In Microdermabrasion the surface layer of the skin is removed by using a special wand with a roughened surface that lightly sands the skin. The shed skin particles are removed via a suction device attached to the wand.

People like Microdermabrasion because it has a reputation of being a safe, painless procedure that does not require an anesthetic.

3. SKIN TREATMENT CREAMS. This is one of those areas where you are most likely to encounter ‘wild claims’ and the general ‘rule of thumb’ here is that if something sounds too good to be true – it probably is.

That said, there are literally tens of thousands of people who swear by such things as Vitamin A Cream, Cocoa Butter and a whole raft of different specially formulated cosmetic creams.

One thing you can do is ask the people trying to sell you any Stretch Mark Removal treatment to show you before and after photographs of their last 50 clients.

Also, ask for written testimonials.

Skin care experts also say that the correct diet, nutritional supplements, rest and common sense (avoiding excessive sun exposure) can have a big impact on the skin’s ability to heal and its general appearance.

About the Author:

Rob Roy McKenzie is a freelance writer for
Stretch-Mark-Solutions.com Stretch-Mark-Solutions.com Pop By
To Read Dozens of Interesting Skin Care Articles…

Tags: diet, Heart, obesity, scars

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Tags: diet, Heart, obesity, scars