http://thechive.com/2012/08/17/a-few-simple-secrets-to-living-a-super-swell-life-22-photos/
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
10 Super Delicious Ways to Fight Cancer
Cancer is one of the most prevalent diseases in the US. It is the second-largest killer in the country. A lot of people are suffering from various kinds of cancer in the US. Scientists and bioengineers have fortunately found out ways to fight this deadly disease. There are various kinds of surgeries and other medical treatments that help treat cancer.
However, prevention is better than cure. It is better to avoid cancer by controlling your diet. You might find it hard to believe, but there are 10 super-delicious foods that help you fight cancer. Below is a list of organic foods that are free of toxic pesticides and can help shield you against cancer.
Kefir - It is full
of probiotics that help protect the immune system. This lacto-fermented
beverage protects the immune system by maintaining a healthy digestive system.
Pomegranates - This fruit is full of ellagitannins that control the growth of tumors and fight cancer cells. It is very useful in prostate and breast cancer.
Grapes - Grapes are delicious and loved by everyone. Now
you have one more reason to add it to your diet. Grapes contain resveratrol
that slows the growth of cancer cells.
Green Tea - Green tea promotes and maintains good health. It
has a lot of advantages. It also helps fight against cancer (especially lung
cancer) by preventing tumor growth and killing cancer cells. The presence of
antioxidants called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) makes it a natural enemy of
the cancer.
Flaxseed - Add flaxseed to your diet. This fiber-rich food
also has omega 3 fatty acids and alpha linolenic acid (ALA) that help the body
fight cancer.
Tomatoes - Tomatoes are used in salads and general cooking.
They have a very useful antioxidant, lycopene, which helps control prostate
cancer. You should eat it raw and also use tomato juice. It not only helps your
sandwich taste better, but also decreases chances of cancer.
Garlic - Garlic, the wonder herb, is a natural antibiotic.
It is a cure to dozen diseases, including cancer and is hidden inside it.
Thanks to the presence of allicin (an organic compound) it helps control
cholesterol and blood pressure. Add it to your diet to live a healthier life.
Berries - Everyone loves berries for their delicious taste.
The yummy fruit is a rich source of Vitamin C, and contains ellagic acid that
kills cancer cells. They have the highest amount of antioxidants among all the
berries.
Broccoli - A source of sulforaphane, this vegetable flushes
out cancer-causing chemicals and makes the body healthier and fitter.
Wild Alaskan Salmon - Salmon is not only a delicious food, but is also healthy. Fresh Alaskan salmon is your best option as it is rich with healthy omega 3 fatty acids that are very good for the body. They greatly reduce the risk of cancer. When buying salmon, Atlantic farmer salmon should be avoided as it is mostly treated with antibiotics.
Add these 10 delicious foods to
your meal and say good bye to cancer in the tastiest way possible.
Walnuts shown to boost sperm quality
For men hoping to become fathers, a new study
suggests adding walnuts to your diet. According to research published
Wednesday, eating a large handful of walnuts every day could boost the
quality of your sperm.
The study, funded partially by the California Walnut Commission, was published online in the journal Biology of Reproduction.
This study is part of a growing body of evidence that men's dietary and lifestyle choices can affect fertility. According to researcher Dr. Wendie Robbins, walnuts are the only nuts with appreciable levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to better sperm quality in prior research.
Additional studies have shown that fish oil supplements high in omega-3 fats have boosted fertility in men with poor sperm counts.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/walnuts-shown-boost-sperm-quality-091107085.html
Friday, August 17, 2012
7 Ways to Never Get Diabetes
These simple steps may be all it takes to stay healthy and stop worrying about sugar problems. This condition is growing at a scary rate, but it's also one of the most preventable diseases around.
1. Nudge the Scale
Shedding even 10 pounds can significantly slash your risk. Even extremely
overweight people were 70% less likely to develop diabetes when they lost just
5% of their weight-even if they didn't exercise. If you weigh 175 pounds,
that's a little less than 9 pounds! Use our calorie calculator to see how many
calories you consume-and how many you need to shave off your diet-if you want
to lose a little.
2. Pick the Right Appetizer
May we recommend the salad? Eating greens with vinaigrette before a starchy
entrée may help control your blood sugar levels. In an Arizona State University
study, people with type 2 diabetes or a precursor condition called insulin
resistance had lower blood sugar levels if they consumed about 2 tablespoons of
vinegar just before a high-carb meal. "Vinegar contains acetic acid, which
may inactivate certain starch-digesting enzymes, slowing carbohydrate
digestion," says lead researcher Carol Johnston, PhD. In fact, vinegar's
effects may be similar to those of the blood sugar-lowering medication acarbose
(Precose).
3. Ditch Your Car
Walk as much as you can every day. You'll be healthier-even if you don't lose
any weight. People in a Finnish study who exercised the most-up to 4 hours a
week, or about 35 minutes a day-dropped their risk of diabetes by 80%, even if
they didn't lose any weight. This pattern holds up in study after study: The
famed Nurses' Health Study, for example, found that women who worked up a sweat
more than once a week reduced their risk of developing diabetes by 30%. And Chinese
researchers determined that people with high blood sugar who engaged in
moderate exercise (and made other lifestyle changes) were 40% less likely to
develop full-blown diabetes. Why is walking so wonderful? Studies show that
exercise helps your body utilize the hormone insulin more efficiently by
increasing the number of insulin receptors on your cells.
4. Be a Cereal Connoisseur
Selecting the right cereal can help you slim down and steady blood sugar. A
higher whole grain intake is also linked to lower rates of breast cancer, type
2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke-and cereal is one of the best
sources of these lifesaving grains, if you know what to shop for. Some tips:
Look for the words high fiber on the box; that ensures at least 5 g per serving.
But don't stop there. Check the label; in some brands, the benefits of fiber
are overshadowed by the addition of refined grains, added sugar, or
cholesterol-raising fats. Decode the grains: Where that fiber comes from
matters too, so check the ingredient list to find out exactly what those flakes
or squares are made from. Millet, amaranth, quinoa, and oats are always whole
grain, but if you don't see whole in front of wheat, corn, barley, or rice,
these grains have been refined and aren't as healthy.
5. Indulge Your Coffee Cravings
If you're a coffee fan, keeps on sipping. The beverage may keep diabetes at
bay. After they studied 126,210 women and men, researchers at the Harvard
School of Public Health found that big-time coffee drinkers-those who downed
more than 6 daily cups-had a 29 to 54% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes
during the 18-year study. Sipping 4 to 5 cups cut risk about 29%; 1 to 3 cups
per day had little effect. Decaf coffee offered no protection. Caffeine in
other forms-tea, soda, chocolate-did. Researchers suspect that caffeine may
help by boosting metabolism. And coffee, the major caffeine source in the
study, also contains potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants that help cells
absorb sugar
6. Go Veggie More Often
Consider red meat a treat-not something to eat every day. Women who ate red
meat at least 5 times a week had a 29% higher risk of type 2 diabetes than
those who ate it less than once a week, found a 37,000-woman study at Brigham
and Women's Hospital. And eating processed meats such as bacon and hot dogs at
least 5 times a week raised type 2 diabetes risk by 43%, compared with eating
them less than once a week. The culprits? Scientists suspect the cholesterol in
red meat and the additives in processed meat are to blame.
7. Spice Up Your Life
Cinnamon may help rein in high blood sugar. German researchers studied 65
adults with type 2 diabetes who then took a capsule containing the equivalent
of 1 g of cinnamon powder or a placebo 3 times a day for 4 months. By the end,
cinnamon reduced blood sugar by about 10%; the placebo users improved by only
4%. Why? Compounds in cinnamon may activate enzymes that stimulate insulin
receptors. The sweet spice has also been shown to help lower cholesterol and
triglycerides, blood fats that may contribute to diabetes risk.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/photos/7-ways-never-diabetes-slideshow/-photo-2467048-035500759.html
Monday, August 13, 2012
Foods that Whiten Teeth Naturally
Coffee, tea, red wine and some
soda can all stain your teeth and darken your smile. But there are some common
foods that can actually help whiten your teeth over time. They're not as
thoroughly effective as professional teeth whitening products-but they are
cheap and natural. And that should leave you smiling.
1. Apples,
celery and carrots these healthy fruits and veggies act like natural stain
removers by increasing saliva production, which serves as the mouth's
self-cleaning agent. They also may kill bacteria that cause bad breath, and
their crunch factor works to scrub teeth clean.
2. Oranges
and pineapples eating tart fruits such as oranges and pineapples may cause the
mouth to produce more saliva, which washes teeth clean naturally. Beware of
using lemons directly on teeth, because too much acidity can damage teeth.
3. Baking
soda One 2008 study found toothpastes that contain baking soda - long considered
a tooth-whitening home remedy - do a better job of removing plaque than
toothpastes without the ingredient. To try it, your best bet is brushing with a
commercial paste that contains the mild abrasive. Or, once in a while, you can
just brush your teeth with baking soda straight from the box.
4. Yogurt, milk and cheese Dairy
products contain lactic acid, which may help protect teeth against decay. A
study in the journal Dentistry found kids who ate yogurt four times per week had
less tooth decay than kids who didn't eat yogurt. Researchers think proteins in
yogurt may bind to teeth and prevent them from attack by harmful acids that
cause cavities. Hard cheeses are best for whitening, since they help remove
food particles as well.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/photos/foods-whiten-teeth-naturally-slideshow/-photo-2464720-075500051.html
Sunday, August 5, 2012
How to increase your life expectancy
Life expectancy for both men and women has continued to rise. To ensure that you are one of those living longer we have prepared a list of 20 great tips to help put off the inevitability of death for as long as possible …
1. Laugh more
Research states that
laughter may be beneficial to health. Laughing appears to boost the blood flow
(by more than 20 per cent) and researchers say it may reduce the risk of
developing heart disease. Laughing has previously been found to help fight
infections, relieve hay fever, ease pain and help control diabetes.
The positive effect of laughing is thought to last around 30 to 45 minutes.
2. Adjust sleeping time
Life expectancy may be reduced by sleeping more than eight hours a night. A study found that people who get only six to seven hours sleep a night live longer than those who sleep eight hours or more, or less than four hours.
3. Eat more garlic
4. Boost your sex life
Having sex between three to four times a week is thought to reduce the risk of having a heart attack or stroke in half. During sex, the average person maintains their heart rate above 70 per cent of the maximum, making sex a wonderful CV workout! Sex reduces stress, leads to greater contentment and better sleep.
5. Drink tea
6. Drink red wine
Any excuse to drink more
has got to be good! Recent studies show that drinking around one glass
of red wine a day may have certain health benefits by protecting against
certain cancers and heart disease, and can have a positive effect on
cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Excessive or binge drinking,
however, unfortunately doesn’t produce the same benefits.
7. Regular self examination
For women this
means regularly examining their breasts, and while breast cancer is
not unknown among men, males should regularly check their testicles for
lumps. It is important to get to know how your body parts normally
feel and look, and report any changes, such as a lump, to your doctor. More
often than not, lumps prove to be benign, and these types of cancer are usually
curable if they're caught early enough.
8. Have regular smears/prostate tests
Women will usually be
called once every three years for a smear test, and should make sure they
attend when requested. Cervical screening probably prevents thousands
of deaths each year. Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms
of cancer in men and is second only to lung cancer as the biggest cancer
killer. There are varying viewpoints about how often men should have a test and
at what age. Testing should start at the age of 50, or at the age of 40
if in high-risk groups, such as black men or those with a father, brother or
son with the disease. However, if you have any concerns go and visit
your doctor.
9. Monitor your bowel habits
Any dramatic change
in bowel habits such as an increase in constipation, or passing blood
should be referred to a doctor immediately. It could prove be something as
simple as piles (haemorrhoids), or worse case scenario could be bowel cancer,
which is important to discover as early as possible.
10. Drink more water
Most people are unaware
that the recommendation is that the average person should drink around eight
glasses of water a day. The human body is made up of between 55 and 75
per cent water, and is in need of constant water replenishment. An increased
intake of water will greatly enhance digestion‚ nutrient absorption‚ skin
hydration‚ detoxification and virtually every aspect of better health.11. Get more friends
Research suggests that friends
help people live longer. Research in the Journal of Epidemiology and
Community Health says that socialising with friends is beneficial. Good
friends will promise to be there for you, and their presence can actually help
you live longer, researchers say. Australian scientists said having friends
around in old age can do more for life expectancy than having family members
around, and that friends may encourage people to look after their health,
and help reduce feelings of depression and anxiety at difficult times.
12. No smoking
Everyone is aware of the
potential catastrophic effect of smoking. It is better not to start at all, but
the sooner a smoker quits, the better. Because the damage caused by smoking is
cumulative, the longer a person smokes the greater the risk of developing a
smoking-related disease, such as lung cancer or heart disease. Quitting not
only saves money, but also has added health benefits. Within one year after
quitting, the risk of a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker,
and within 10 years, the risk of lung cancer falls to about half that of a
smoker.
13. Relax
Relaxation reduces blood
pressure and helps reduce stress-related conditions such as depression.
A relaxation technique such as yoga or meditation can help reduce stress
levels.
14. Get a pet
Owning a pet has a
surprising amount of health benefits for the owner, according to a series of
studies. Ownership of a pet, particularly a dog, means people are more active. Animals
are known to reduce anxiety both from the actual physical comfort from
stroking them, but also because they are a distraction and something pleasant
to focus on. They are also good friends to many and provide a source of
amusement, making us laugh.
15. Exercise more
Exercise is known to reduce
the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes and
obesity. It keeps joints, tendons and ligaments flexible, and
contributes to mental well-being by helping treat depression, relive
stress and anxiety. Exercise also aids better sleep. Even if you are
pushed for time, exercise could be gained simply by walking up stairs rather
than taking the elevator, or even try walking or cycling on shorter journeys
rather than taking the car.
16. Eat more fruit and vegetables
Eating plenty of fruits and
vegetables can help ward off heart disease and stroke, control blood
pressure and cholesterol, and prevent some types of cancer. It is
recommended to eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day.
17. Change job
Research suggests a strong
relationship between how long people live and the nature of their jobs.
According to UK Government statistics, for the period 1997-99, life expectancy
at birth in England and Wales for males in the professional group was 7.4 years
more than that for those in the unskilled manual groups. The gap between the
social classes was smaller for women than for men, at 5.7 years.
18. Have a happy marriage
Married people tend to have
better health than unmarried people. For instance, married individuals tend
to be able to have lower rates of alcoholism than their unmarried counterparts
because they tend to offer encouragement, support, and protection from daily
problems. They are also more able to handle stress better as a result. However,
studies suggest that divorcing then remarrying actually increases the risk of
dying prematurely.
19. Be optimistic
People with a positive outlook on life can actually live longer. Researchers found that optimistic people decreased their risk of early death by 50 per cent compared with those who leaned more towards pessimism.20. Eat chocolate
Chocolate contains flavanoids
and antioxidants which have positive health benefits. Flavanoids aid
cardiovascular health, while antioxidants are believed to prevent or delay
certain damage to the body’s cells and tissues. Dark chocolate is
considered best as it contains more than twice as many antioxidants as a bar of
milk chocolate, and has fewer calories.
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