Strength your immune system with ’superfoods’

Did you see the recent Larry King Live special with Maria Shriver? The special discussed Maria’s project to help people suffering with Alzheimer’s disease. It was really heart wrenching to watch those who suffered with the disease and the family members that were affected by it. And while it is great that there is an effort being made to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and other serious illnesses, there are those who are saying that eating a healthy diet might be the best way to prevent us from getting these diseases. These foods, known as Superfoods, have amazing healing powers, and are a great thing for the human body. Think of them as a more natural approach to medicine.

Superfoods help prevent causes of Alzheimer’s diseases, diabetes, hypertension, and some cancers. When eating Superfoods, you will enjoy a longer life and a healthier lifestyle. Additionally, your fitness level will be higher. So what are these Superfoods?

• Broccoli
• Galangal
• Pomegranate
• Ginger
• Cinnamon
• Spinach
• Ginseng
• Bilberry
• Kiwi
• Garlic

A lot of nutrients are said to have characteristics of Superfoods. Things like, the Acai Berry, Astragalus, Boswellia, Licoric, and Spirulina, and many others. Try implementing these foods in your diet and you will be healthy and happy.

Living long and healthy is easier than ever – here are some tips

Not that long ago, it seemed like a big deal if people lived past 50 years old. Today, 50 seems like a young age where there is still so much time left for a person to live and enjoy life. And it really is true, because life expectancy is rising each year. The average female lives until she is almost 80 and the average male lives until 75. However, when in comes to averages, we all know that there are those who fall above and those who fall way below. So how can you be sure you stay on par? What can you do to make sure you live a healthy long enjoyable life? Here are some ideas:

• Laugh. It is basically a tiny workout.
• Move to France. People in France live the longest.
• Go to bed later. If you are getting more than 8 hours of sleep, there’s a chance you are reducing your lifespan.
• Make your marriage work.
• Exercise.
• Have sex.
• Live in the country.
• Watch your weight. Being overweight is one of the major causes of many diseases.
• Have lots of children. Or grandchildren if it’s too late for children!
• Learn to play the piano. This improves brain skills.
• Be positive.
• Don’t smoke.
• Stay close to your mother.
• Go to the doctor.
• Chocolate!
• Be religious.
• Eat healthy.
• Don’t take work home.
• Relax.

Meditation: work on your mental health, too

Have you been to a yoga class lately? Or maybe hung out with the Dali Lama? In today’s fast paced society there seems to be so many obstacles that get in the way of efforts we make to slow down, relax, and maybe even smell the roses. We are often too busy getting everything done. And while this may be great is some respects, it can be harmful to our mental health if we are not careful. This is why some health professional advocate meditation as a tool to better your mental help.

What exactly does meditation mean? If you have read, Eat, Pray, Love then you will probably remember the hours that she meditated on her prayer journey. You are probably thinking, I do not have the time for that. Lucky for you, it does not have to be that long or complex. Meditation does not even have to last as long as a yoga class. It can simply be 20 minutes of your time. However, some say it is more beneficial if done twice a day. To properly meditate you should suspend from your normal thoughts. This will allow you to de-stress, alter your hormone levels and elevate your mood.

Lose weight for bathing suit season: tips and tricks to shed pounds safely

The sun is shining outside and the pool and/or beach is calling your name. There is nothing greater then relaxing in the sun for those perfect sunny summer months - except maybe when you feel self-conscious about your figure in a bathing suit. Instead of stressing about trying on more bathing suits than necessary, start with a healthy diet to shed those unwanted pounds just in time for the summer sun. You can lose a few extra pounds, look great, and feel great too if you follow some helpful tips listed below.

• Consult with your doctor about sensible weight loss goals. And eat accordingly.
• Exercise 30 minutes for the majority of days during the week - even if you just walk.
• Eat less fats and sugars. Doing so will help you to cut the calories in your diet.
• Vary the foods in your diet.
• Be aware of quick fix diets. An easy solution is not always the way to go.
• Be careful with diet pills, especially if they are not prescription.
• Ask questions before you sign up for a weight-loss program.

Follow the above advice when implementing your diet and exercise plan and you should be looking great for your new bathing suit in no time!

If you don’t go, you’ll never know: why that yearly checkup matters

For most people, the dentist is not a fun experience. The discomfort of having your teeth worked on and then at times drilled on is something that hardly anyone enjoys. Yet, despite how uncomfortable it may be, most people get their regular check ups every 6 months. However, some people think that if their teeth look and feel fine, there is no need for a regular checkup. Imagine one girl who thought this way and waited 3 years to go back to the dentist only to find she had 5 cavities. Maybe now she will understand the importance of a 6-month checkup. Just like the dentist, we all need to have yearly check-ups with the doctor.

Why are the yearly check-ups for things such as breast exams, pap tests, immunizations, and other basic check-ups so important? Most people think they are healthy and therefore exempt. What they do not realize is that these services are merely preventative in nature. The yearly check-up gives the doctor an opportunity to determine the patient’s risk for different health conditions. So if you are not going once a year, it is time to start. You would not want to end up like the person who skipped out on the dentist for 3 years and ended up with 5 cavities. Especially because a lot of the health concerns can be much more serious.

Keeping cholesterol in check: five foods to improve your numbers

There are so many different factors that we hear about when we talk about our overall health. Weight is always a big factor. And then of course there is your blood pressure to consider. What about cholesterol? Everyone talks a lot about it and how it is definitely not a good thing if it is high, so what do you do if you go to the doctor and he or she informs you that your cholesterol is too high? There is no magic wand to fix it, no magic wand that will improve it overnight. The trick is in what you eat. And sometimes, in today’s world of fast paced, fast food eating, eating right can be more difficult than it sounds.

The good news is that there are five foods that are known to lower your cholesterol! Hooray. Sounds simple. All you need to do is incorporate these foods in your diet, eat healthy, and your cholesterol will start to drop.

1. Oatmeal and oat bran.
2. Walnuts and almonds
3. Fish and omega-3 fatty acids
4. Olive Oil
5. Foods fortified with plant sterols or stanols (margarines, orange juice, yogurt drinks, etc.)

Start with a breakfast of oatmeal and orange juice and you’ll be on the right track. Maybe sprinkle some walnuts in your oatmeal for texture! Good luck.

Ten tips for a healthy heart

Do you have a top ten list? What is it? There are a lot out there, especially with the popularity of David Letterman and his late night talk show where he gives his own unique top ten lists every night. And while his lists are often light-hearted, funny, and sometimes irrelevant, here’s a list worth paying attention to. It’s the “Top Ten Tips for a Healthy Heart.” So here it goes.

1. Stop Smoking. Apparently this is the most important thing you can do to help your heart and at the same time live longer.
2. Stop eating so much salt. Salt increases your blood pressure, which increases the risk of developing heart disease.
3. Watch your diet. You might be nodding your head, thinking this one’s a no brainer. Just do not forget about it.
4. Monitor your alcohol. Too much of it will damage the heart muscle and can also increase blood pressure.
5. Watch your weight.
6. Exercise. Your heart muscle needs to stay fit so it can pump effectively.
7. Check your blood pressure and cholesterol regularly.
8. Manage your stress.
9. Check your family history. You are more at risk if there has been a problem in the family.
10. Recognize early warning signs. These signs include tightness or discomfort in chest, neck, arm, or stomach.

Keep this list with you and follow each one and your heart will be healthier.

Make your stomach happy – eat the right foods for optimal health

There is nothing worse then a stomachache - especially the ones that come from eating improperly. When those kinds of aches come you instantly regret making such poor choices in your consumption earlier. Because you know if you had made correct choices, you would be just fine. A lot of times our overall health is determined by our choices. So how do we keep our stomachs happy? We need to eat right.

Eating right is instrumental in establishing healthy bodies and at the same time reducing the risk of death, disability and disease. Often times, poor eating habits are picked up from childhood. We consume more fats, and not enough fruits and vegetables. Eating more fruits and vegetables gives our bodies the essential fiber and vitamins and minerals it needs to remain healthy. In addition to fruits and vegetables, we need to make sure we get enough calcium. We should also make sure to drink water and stay hydrated. It sounds simple and basic, but in doing so, we will definitely keep our bodies happy and healthy. When you eat the right foods, it can be extremely liberating for you and for your body. It is definitely a lifestyle to learn and implement.

Vegetarian and Vegan diets: are they really safe for everyone?

In today’s society many people are doing a lot of different things to get thin. A few years ago everyone seemed to be doing Atkin’s. They were eating excessive amounts of protein and dropping pounds. What most people found was that the Atkin’s diet was a difficult lifestyle and once the normalcy in the diet returned so did the pounds.

Atkin’s may have lost some of its popularity, but other diets have surfaced. And there has been a surprising amount of popularity these days with vegetarian and vegan diets. Why are they so popular? Probably because almost everyone you meet who is vegetarian or vegan is slender, skinnier, slim, or whatever you prefer to call it.

So the question regarding these diets is, are they healthy? If you have a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle is it healthy for you to pass on this type of diet to your children? Experts are saying yes. These diets are apparently an excellent source of nutrition at all stages of life. Studies show that a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle/diet helps you to be healthier and also allows you to live longer. However, one thing to be sure of is if you are going to implement this diet, make sure you plan properly.

Hearing loss and its causes – it could be very treatable

As people get older, a lot of them tend to start to lose their hearing. It's relatively normal. Sometimes there is a specific cause, but often there is no known reason. Regardless, though, if you're dealing with hearing loss you should know that there are many options. Most people get hearing aids when they can't hear as well as they used to, and how well these work depends on the degree of hearing loss.

For people who have lost almost all of their hearing in a particular ear, a hearing aid won't restore their hearing to the way it was when they were younger. It can, however, amplify the hearing in that ear so that they are better able to detect and distinguish sounds. For a lot of these people the problem is not only the lack of sound, but the fact that the sounds that they do hear are not that clear. They may struggle to hear the television and have trouble understanding what people say.

Hearing aids have come a long way, though, because technology is advancing very rapidly. They are much smaller than they were and they work better, so there is no reason to go another day without being able to hear well. Instead, take the time to have your hearing checked and your hearing loss treated. It's well worth the time and effort.

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