10 Brain Damaging Habits
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Monday, 13 October 08 - 11:42 PM (GMT +08:00) By Ces Catubay in Health and Beauty |
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The brain is the center of our nervous system. It controls the body temperature, blood pressure, the heart, breathing, physical motion, thinking, emotions and basically everything that we do. All of the tasks are coordinated and regulated by the organ that is about the size of a small cauliflower – the brain.
Oftentimes, we are not aware that there are some activities that we do that can hurt our brain. It is important that we should be aware of the different habits that can damage our body’s big boss.
- No Breakfast - People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.
- Overeating - It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.
- Smoking - It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.
- High Sugar Consumption - Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.
- Air Pollution - The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.
- Sleep Deprivation - Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells.
- Head covered while sleeping - Sleeping with the head covered, increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.
- Working your brain during illness - Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.
- Lacking in stimulating thoughts - Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.
- Talking Rarely - Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain.
5 Easy Ways to a Beautiful Hair
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Saturday, 04 October 08 - 04:29 PM (GMT +08:00) By Ces Catubay in Health and Beauty |
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Ever wondered how shampoo commercial models got the hair you have always wanted? Did you ever spent thousands just to get a shiny hair? Have you tried all the treatments in the salon but still no luck?
Not all are gifted with the bouncing shiny hair that everybody dreamt of. In fact, 2 out of 10 women are fortunate to be satisfied with the way their hair looks. It is sometimes difficult for us to maintain our hair healthy especially nowadays that almost all things are in a rush.
Having a beautiful hair would not require you to spend all of your paycheck to achieve it. Sometimes, the ingredients are just there sitting in your kitchen – waiting for you to notice them.
Here are five easy ways on how to get the lovely hair you have always wanted.
- Shiny and beautiful hair requires a lot of water. A dry and frizzy hair can indicate that you don’t have enough water to fuel your system. Remember what health advisors always say? Drink 6-8 glasses of water every day. It is good for your body because water cleanses the toxics stored in our body.
- Blowers, hair irons and curlers are a big NO-NO. Hair blowers can extremely damage our hair making it dry and brittle. If a blow dry is really necessary, make sure that you skip a day on shampooing letting your hair to take a rest from a stressful activity. Experts say that you can use conditioners alone just to have the healthy smell.
- Eat a balance diet. Follow the food pyramid guide to make sure you are getting all the nutrients that your body need. If you are not getting any vitamins, then your hair don’t get them too.
- Trim your hair at least every three months. I know that getting a long hair is difficult to achieve – but hey, if you let those split ends live, you are just wasting your time waiting for your hair to grow. Split ends if not treated, will only go its way upwards, damaging your hair even longer.
- Lemon juice and coconut oil can substitute hair conditioners. After shampooing, squeeze a small lemon on a bucket of water and pour it on your hair to get a shiny hair. If you have a lot of time everyday, lather some coconut oil on your hair 30 minutes before taking a bath. It is believed that it moisturizes your hair just like what you can achieve from a hot oil treatment.
These are only few points that you can do to get a healthy hair. It sometimes require effort to get the hair you’ve always wanted. Before you undergo a hair treatment, make sure that it would not damage your hair. Do some searches and ask some friends who have tried it before taking the risk. Most importantly, a hundred brush strokes before getting to bed helps in releasing the natural oil of your hair.
Chocolates help cure coughs
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Friday, 19 September 08 - 06:22 PM (GMT +08:00) By Ces Catubay in Health and Beauty |
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Who would have ever thought that chocolates can help curing a cough? No doubt it tastes a lot better than cough medicines and it may be better to relive your whooping cough too. Cough that lasts for several days or weeks after a viral infection can be difficult to treat. Worry not, chocolate melts them away! A chemical compound found in cocoa known as theobromine has been proven to be more effective at stopping persistent cough. Theobromine suppresses vagus nerve activity that is responsible for coughing. In addition, theobromine contains no side effects unlike some traditional cough medicines.
I will start to nibble a bar of my favorite chocolate since I have been suffering severe cough for several days along with pharyngitis. Do you think I should consider chocolate as my modern medicine?
World's healthiest foods
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Friday, 29 August 08 - 10:41 AM (GMT +08:00) By Ces Catubay in Health and Beauty |
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We need food in order to survive. It provides energy and nutrients needed to support our body to perform tasks and be active. When does food help us live longer and when does it damage our body? The answer is eating a 'healthy diet'. Eating healthy ensures that our body is well taken care of and supplied with the proper nutrients needed.
Among the thousands of food available in the market, which among them are considered to be healthy? To guide us with the proper food we should take, The George Mateljan Foundation provided an A-Z list of the world's healthiest foods for us.
| Vegetables * Asparagus * Avocados * Beets * Bell peppers * Broccoli * Brussels sprouts * Cabbage * Carrots * Cauliflower * Celery * Collard greens * Cucumbers * Eggplant * Fennel * Garlic * Green beans * Green peas * Kale * Leeks * Mushrooms, crimini * Mushrooms, shiitake * Mustard greens * Olives * Onions * Potatoes * Romaine lettuce * Sea vegetables * Spinach * Squash, summer * Squash, winter * Sweet potatoes * Swiss chard * Tomatoes * Turnip greens * Yams Seafood * Cod * Halibut * Salmon * Scallops * Shrimp * Tuna Grains * Barley * Brown rice * Buckwheat * Corn * Millet * Oats * Quinoa * Rye * Spelt * Whole wheat |
Fruits * Apples * Apricots * Bananas * Blueberries * Cantaloupe * Cranberries * Figs * Grapefruit * Grapes * Kiwifruit * Lemon/Limes * Oranges * Papaya * Pears * Pineapple * Plums * Prunes * Raisins * Raspberries * Strawberries * Watermelon Beans & Legumes * Black beans * Dried peas * Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) * Kidney beans * Lentils * Lima beans * Miso * Navy beans * Pinto beans * Soybeans * Tempeh * Tofu Nuts & Seeds * Almonds * Cashews * Flaxseeds * Olive oil, extra virgin * Peanuts * Pumpkin seeds * Sesame seeds * Sunflower seeds * Walnuts |
Spices & Herbs * Basil * Black pepper * Cayenne pepper * Chili pepper, dried * Cilantro/Coriander seeds * Cinnamon, ground * Cloves * Cumin seeds * Dill * Ginger * Mustard seeds * Oregano * Parsley * Peppermint * Rosemary * Sage * Thyme * Turmeric Low-Fat Dairy * Cheese, low-fat * Eggs * Milk, 2%, cow's * Milk, goat * Yogurt Poultry & Lean Meats * Beef, lean organic * Calf's liver * Chicken * Lamb * Turkey * Venison Natural Sweeteners * Blackstrap molasses * Cane juice * Honey * Maple syrup Other * Green tea * Soy sauce (tamari) * Water |
Health Benefits of Banana
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Thursday, 10 July 08 - 04:33 PM (GMT +08:00) By Ces Catubay in Health and Beauty |
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After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.
Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.
Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.
But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit.
It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.
Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.
Smoking & Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
Strokes: According to research in 'The New England Journal of Medicine, 'eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!
Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!
So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A banana a day keeps the doctor away!'
3 Ways to Beat Sweet Cravings
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Wednesday, 09 July 08 - 02:27 PM (GMT +08:00) By Ces Catubay in Health and Beauty |
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Most of us experience cravings for sweets more often that we can ever imagine. We almost end up eating huge portions of our favorite 1/2 pound hershey's bar or king size nestle crunch. Who can ever resist the delight that melting chocolates in your mouth bring? Most of the time, I can't resist that too. In order to avoid the guilty feeling after eating sweets, here are some tips on how we can avoid our sweet cravings.
1. Eat small portions of your favorite sweets. Depriving them will only make your cravings last longer and end up eating much when you had given up. Let's say you crave for chocolates today. Instead of consuming the whole bar, cut it down to half and share the other with your friends or whoever is closer to you at the moment. Keeping the other half inside the fridge will only lure you to eat it later. You may also pick dark chocolates instead of milk or white chocos. Dark chocolates are believed to have health benefits in your heart and helps lower your high blood pressure.
2. Keep them away. Make sure that you are in control of the food in your house specially those sweet NO-NOs. Replace them with healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables. Instead of eating your favorite glazed donut, why not indulged yourself with a red apple. An apple a day makes the doctors away remember?
3. Make yourself busy. According to some researches, sweet cravings are usually triggered by anxiety or boredom. Turn on your radio or play some mp3s on you ipod or computer and dance into the moves. Play your favorite dance music and sway your hips like nobody's watching you. Get your bicycle and go to the nearby parks. This will help you burn fat and beat the sweet cravings you have.
5 Healthiest Anti-Aging Snacks
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Wednesday, 18 June 08 - 12:28 PM (GMT +08:00) By Ces Catubay in Health and Beauty |
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5 Healthiest Anti-Aging Snacks Dr. Maoshing Ni
I was browsing for some health topics on Yahoo! Health while this article caught my attention. Anti-aging snacks? Hmm, sounds interesting. I immediately scrolled the page to see the list and to my surprise, I don't eat most of them.
You might be interested to read them below.
1. Nuts and Seeds Keep You Young
Healthy and appetizing, nuts and seeds are absolutely the best snack of the bunch. Helping yourself to a handful of nuts and seeds every day can improve circulation and muscle tone.
And nuts and seeds are especially full of arginine, an amino acid that helps to combat heart disease, impotence, infertility, and high blood pressure, and it also facilitates the healing process. Additionally, arginine can stimulate the pituitary gland at the base of the brain.
The pituitary releases growth hormones, which begin to decline quickly in humans after age 35. This means that after 35, your hormones start to plunge and you experience some aging symptoms. The skin loses elasticity, the muscle loses mass and strength, the lean body tissue decreases, fertility and virility decrease, and other signs of aging start to set in.
Many nuts and seeds are rich sources of vitamin E, lignants and omega-3 fatty acids, which protect you from heart disease and also from the ravages of aging.
Almonds, pine nuts, sesame seeds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, peanuts, and pistachios: mix them in any combination and enjoy! Keep in mind that there are more nutrients in the raw form than roasted. Make sure that the nuts and seeds are fresh and not old and rancid.
2. An Apple a Day for Heart Health
There are many reasons to eat an apple - or two or three - every day. One study discovered that subjects who ate five apples or more a week had a healthier lung function than those who ate no apples.
And scientists have confirmed that apples also contribute to a healthy heart. Thanks to the fruit's rich pectin content, eating two to three apples per day leads to decreased cholesterol levels. Pectin also helps prevent colon cancer, one of the top causes of death in adults over age sixty.
3. Bring On the Berries
In season again, berries are bursting with antioxidants. The enticing red, purple, and blue skins of berries contain bioflavonoids, antioxidant compounds that reduce free radical damage.
These flavonoids are more potent antioxidants than vitamins C and E, and they also help to reduce inflammation - more effectively even than aspirin!
• Blueberries are your best pick because not only do they have the highest level of antioxidant activity, but they also possess powerful neuroprotective properties that shield brain cells from damage , helping to slow down the age-related onset of memory loss, Alzheimer's, and senility.
• Cherries also contain these beneficial anthocyanin compounds, which stimulate your pancreas to produce insulin. In fact, Chinese researchers have observed that cherries help keep diabetics healthy. These compounds also protect you against cancer, arthritis, and heart disease because they lower cholesterol.
4. Avocado: Packed with Nutrients
Among the many antioxidant nutrients, glutathione is known as the "master antioxidant." This naturally occurring compound, found in avocados (as well as asparagus, walnuts, and fish), is made up of the three amino acids glycine, glutamic acid, and cysteine. Glutathione regulates immune cells, protects against cancer, and assists in detoxifying.
A deficiency in glutathione can play a part in diabetes, liver disease, heart disease, low sperm count, and premature aging. Avocados are also a source of L-cysteine, which helps protect your body from the harmful effects of pollution, chemicals, radiation, alcohol, and smoke. L-cysteine may also help boost immunity, protect you from heart disease, and build muscle. It is also useful for combating inflammation and encouraging healthy hair and nail growth.
Pair your avocado with whole-grain crackers or whole-grain crisp breads for a fiber-rich tasty treat.
5. Apricots for Anti-Aging
One of the staple foods of the famously long-lived centenarians in the Hunza valley of the Himalayas is the apricot. Research has discovered that apricots have the highest levels and widest variety of carotenoids of any food.
On second thoughts, I might consider including them on my diet. Eating them few times a month won't hurt anyway. :)
[ Original article can be found on Yahoo! Health ]
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