A closer Look at Tea

Knowing that I don't recommend drinking coffee or sodas, people often ask me if I recommend anything other than water. I do. Drinking tea is a great and healthy habit, and if you are one of the many people who get bored drinking water, tea can be a tasty and healthy solution.

Here are some of the healthy benefits of drinking tea regularly:

- reduce heart attack risk or atherosclerosis.
- improve glucose control with the antioxidant EGCG.
- reduce inflammation and joint damage from rheumatoid arthritis
- slow the course of Alzheimer's disease, and may help improve mental alertness.



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Exercise In Adolescence for Stronger Bones

A recent research published at the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows that weight bearing exercise seems to be the best for maintaining bone strength in older life.

In this research, team is trying to learn the impact of exercise between the ages of 12 and 18 on preserving bone strength in adulthood. The participants were grouped according to what type of sporting activities they had done during their physically formative adolescent years.

the results show that those who had participated in weight bearing sports during their adolescent had greater bone mineral content than those who had not.

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What Makes Us Look Older?

What makes us look older? Genes play a very important role in our appearance: the color of our hair, our nose, hands and even feet. But as we grow older, our genes also play a crucial role on how well and how fast we age. We've all met or seen people who just seem to have the genes for "slow aging". However, our behavior is also a big factor. Habits such as smoking, drinking, bad eating have great influence on how early those aging signs come around.

According to the results of a recent study by Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, non-genetic factors are the villains for wrinkles, lines and blotches. Stress, jobs, or even family problems can also contribute to the lines in your forehead.

According to Richard Winer, MD, an Atlanta psychiatrist, "When people are depressed, there is a tendency not to take care of yourself, and maybe to smoke and drink more," he tells WebMD. "Generally speaking, when people are happier, they tend to look younger. Colleagues have noticed the same thing."

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Closer Look On HDL And LDL

Have you been wondering what HDL or LDL stands for? Or what is the relevance of those data to your health? This article will talk about the importance of the two and the effects to our bodies.

HDL is also known as the good cholesterol. Cholesterol is brought out to the arteries and to the liver for elimination. LDL however is the bad cholesterol because it goes together with other substances that can accumulate in the walls of the arteries and form "plaque". This plaque may build up over time and become a clot or possibly block the artery.

These two can be influenced by genes / heredity, exercise, weight, age, alcohol consumption and stress. According to new guidelines from the National Cholesterol Education Program, HDL levels of 60 mg/dl or above are classified as high and considered protective against heart disease, while levels below 40 mg/dl are classified as low and are associated with a higher risk of coronary heart disease. As far as your heart is concerned, low LDL is good - for people at risk for heart disease, an LDL level of under 100 is the current government recommendation.

However we should always remember that these cholesterol levels may be obscuring other underlyng heart conditions. It is always best to monitor health and manage you cholesterol levels.

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Teen Girls Who Smoke May Have Bigger Waistlines

A new study conducted in England found that teen girls smokers have increased possibility to be obese as adults.

Research shows that teen girls who smoke 10 cigarettes daily are at higher risk to have bigger waistlines. However, it is still a big question as to why this data isn't the same for men. For teen males smoking doesn't affect their weight.

This could be attributed to biological factors. It might be that gender specific hormones interact differently with girls and boys that affects fat distribution among men and women.

According to Sheryl Pagoto, assistant professor in clinical psychology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. “When people do quit smoking, one of the reasons they gain weight is that they increase their consumption of foods. They’ll start snacking at the times they used to smoke.”

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Women May Have A Hard Time Saying No To Food

According to a new brain research, it is more difficult for women to resist their favorite foods than men.

Research was conducted with 13 women and 10 men. Their favorite foods were presented to them, they were allowed to smell and taste the food but not eat. While this was being conducted, PET scans examined their brain activity.

The brain scans suggested that women's brain were still acting as if they were hungry even if they thought they weren't.

According to Dr. Gene-Jack Wang,a senior scientist, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, N.Y., "Some people cannot inhibit themselves, and we need to help those people."

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Dangers of Spray Tan

Spray Tan is gaining more and more popularity nowadays. Spray tan is an instant beauty treatment and a healthy alternative to sun bathing. However research shows that spray tan contain potentially dangerous chemicals that may harm your skin and your body.

I- Team from CBS 3 has went undercover to see the chemicals used for spray tanning. At Hollywood Tan on Haddonfield Road in Cherry Hill, CBS 3's undercover producer was comforted by an employee who said not to worry what they would be breathing in inside the enclosed booths. However, CBS 3 -I team found out that the spray tan solution contains mercury, arsenic and lead.

Toxicologist Dr. David Wade said "If the material is applied without protecting the eyes, nose and mouth, it's being applied incorrectly and could be harmful,"

Out of the 3 spray tanning salons that CBS 3 - I team visited only one salon encouraged them to wear protection for precaution.

Next time you pay a visit to a spray tanning salon, take precaution and protect yourself. Insist on wearing protectors. You never know what harmful chemicals might be in it.

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The Dangers of Drinking Soda

There are probably thousands if not millions of people around the world are addicted to drinking soda / soft drinks. This maybe because it is very affordable, convenient and tasty. But what can a can of soft drinks do to us?

Sodas account for more than 25% of all drinks consumed in the United States. Being addicted to soda is a hard habit to break.

Here are some reasons why you should start controlling your soda intake:
1. You will gain extra pounds - One can of soda is equivalent to 1 lb of weight gain per month. Every time you drink soft drinks, your risk for obesity increases 1.6 times.

2. Liver damage - Research shows that consumption of soda can lead to liver cirrhosis.

3. Tooth decay - The high amount of acid in sodas can cause tooth decay. The acid in soda is much more worse than candies.

4. Kidney Stones and chronic Kidney disease - Soft drinks contain high amounts of phosphoric acid which promotes formation of kidney stone. Research shows that drinking one quart (less than three 12-ounce cans) of soda per week may increase a person's risk of developing kidney stones by 15%.

5. Diabetes - Sodas have high amount of sugar which can eventually lead to diabetes.

Other negative side effects include impaired digestion, heart burn and heart disease. So next time you open that can of soft drinks, think and ask yourself. What can this soda do to my body?

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Effective Alternative To Anti-Depressants

Depression can be treated with medical prescription from the doctors. However for those who are looking for natural alternatives, here are some natural ways of treating depression.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
This is scientifically proven to be an effective way to treat depression. This kind of non-medical therapy aims to change how people think. The combination of cognitive therapy with medication, in some studies, increase the efficacy to 85%.

St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum)
This can be bought in tablet, capsule and liquid form at any supermarket or drugstore. It inhibits the reuptake of the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.

S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe)
It helps by transferring its methyl group to DNA, proteins, phospholipids and biogenic amines. Researches show that SAMe may be useful in the treatment of depression.

Light Therapy
Light therapy is used and is proven to effective in treating seasonal affective disorder, and it may reduce the symptoms of non-seasonal depression. Effectiveness of this kind of therapy also depends on the brightness of light, duration of light exposure and other factors.

Exercise
Exercise improves the overall physical function and alters serotonin levels in the brain leading to improved mood and well being.

So before you jump into purchasing over-the-counter anti-depressants try one of these methods. These natural alternatives may be more beneficial for you.

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Anti-Aging Benefits Strength Training

As our bodies grow older, our metabolism gets much slower, increasing our body fat. According to American Institute for Cancer Research, Winter 2000 newsletter, "the average 25 year old woman has 25% body fat, while the average 65 year old woman has 43% body fat."

Strength training is an important factor to our aging bodies. It helps keep us healthy and slows down the aging process. As the years go by, we tend to be less active, gain more weight and lose muscle mass. Therefore our body fat increases as we age.


Benefits of strength training include:

- A better body
- Tighter skin
- Increased functional strength for our daily activities and sports.
- Help relieve and manage arthritic symptoms by strengthening the supporting muscles that surround our joints.
- Increased bone density.

So, make sure to make time for strength training, for a healthier and a younger looking you!

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Is Recession Making You Fat?

We are now facing the biggest economic struggle since the great depression. Health professionals say that the economy will definitely impact Americans health as well. More and more Americans will definitely cut down their budget on food.

A lot of researche have previously linked obesity to low income. Families often cut down on purchasing healthy foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Because of financial problems, more families would go for lower priced junk foods than healthy foods.

Here are ways to help you save money on groceries:

Stick to your budget on fresh foods. Majority of your budget should be allotted for meat, dairy and other healthy products.

Avoid expensive processed foods. Refrain from buying cookies, chips and other junk foods.

Go for a discount grocery store. Now that you have limited budget, try visiting discount stores that sells items on discounted prices.

Visit farmer's market and ask for left over produce - you can ask for produce that are left overs. You can still get some good stuff out of it.

There are still more ways to eat and live a healthy lifestyle even during this time of financial crisis.

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Saw Palmetto: Men's Best Friend!

Saw Palmetto is the primary herb that helps men keep their prostate healthy. It has become very popular because of its ability to relieve symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a also known as the enlargement of the prostate.

Several studies have been conducted recently and determined that saw palmetto provides relief for short term urinary symptoms as well as inflammation of the prostate and cell proliferation.

Aside from that, researchers found that it also promotes hair growth in men, especially for those with thinning hair or baldness, with no side effects.

Saw palmetto is also known as Serenoa repens / sabal palm. It is a palm tree that grows in Florida, Georgia and Mississippi. The berries of the plant provide the therapeutic compound for prostate treatment. Overall, this prevents conversion of testosterone to DHT.

This also helps relieves symptoms for urinary hesitancy, weak stream, nocturia, incontinence and recurrent urinary tract infections.

Saw Palmetto may be the new "man's best friend"

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Survival Guide for Valentines Day

Valentine's Day is just behind the corner and for most of us, Valentine's Day is chocolate day! Whether you are in a relationship or single, thas is the one day of the year when it is very difficult to avoid sweets. Here are some tips on how to "break up" with chocolate.

If you are craving for chocolate it is better to eat it after a full meal rather than eating it with an empty stomach. Go for dark and rich chocolate instead. Dar and rich chocolate can help you take in another bar compared to sweet chocolate like Hershey kisses.

It is also suggested that you keep healthy snacks such as fruits when you are hungry. Control yourself to a number of sweets per day. This will help you reduce your calories.

When craving for an ice-cream, choose a low-fat frozen yogurt instead. This will help you reduce calories 50-70%.


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Less Sleep = More Colds

Getting at least 8 hours of sleep is essential for staying fit and healthy. In addition to that, not getting enough sleep may result to higher risks of acquiring diseases.

A new research shows that people who don't get enough sleep have a higher tendency of catching common cold after being exposed to a cold causing virus.
Aside from the quantity of sleep, it is also important to get quality sleep.

According to a post at Medicine.net, the research showed that those who slept an average of less than seven hours per night were nearly three times more likely to develop a common cold than those who reported eight or more hours per night in the weeks leading up to the experiment.

Research also proves that those who spent 92% of their time in bed asleep were five and a half times more likely to develop a common cold than those who spent 98% or more of their time in bed sleeping.

To help strengthen our immune system, make sure that you get complete 8 hours of good quality sleep each night and you will soon reap the benefits of a healthier you.

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How To Avoid Back Pains When Shoveling

Back pain is very common during the winter season. This may be due to the strenuous shoveling of snow in the driveway. Here are some tips that will help you avoid back pains while shoveling

- Choose the right kind of shovel. When purchasing a shovel, make sure that their handles are curved with plastic and lightweight blades. This will help you keep your back straight when lifting the snow off the ground.

- Wear appropriate clothing. When shoveling make sure you wear a hat and dress in layers that will help you stay warm.

- Do some stretching. Shoveling is a physical activity. Similar to exercise, before engaging into a physical activity, it is important to warm up and stretch that muscles.

Here are some tips and techniques when shoveling: Spacing your hands when lifting makes it easier. Space your feet shoulder-width apart. Avoid bending your waist but your knees instead. Tighten your abdominal muscles when lifting. Keep the shovel close to your body. Lessen the distance when carrying the snow.

These techniques will definitely lessen the probability of back pains. So next time you shovel that pile of snow in the driveway, make sure you remember these techniques.

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Gardening Benefits

We all know that physical activities are beneficial to our health regardless of age. But elderly people may not have the strength to engage to more physical activities. A great alternative to that is gardening.

A study was conducted to find out if gardening would meet the physical recommendation set by CDC, and to determine the average time spent in gardening on a weekly basis. Researchers found out that the elderly spend an average of 33 hours per week during the months of May but eventually decreases during June and July to 15 hours per week.

Researchers found that gardening makes a great alternative to meet the physical activity recommendations by CDC. However because gardening may be seasonal, it is advisable that elderly find another alternative during the months that gardening is not an option such as during the winter season.

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Do You Have Tinnitus?

Do you suffer from ringing in the ears? There are 12 million Americans who also suffer from Tinnitus. This condition is very difficult to deal with because it becomes annoying after some time.

This condition is caused by damaged microscopic endings of the hearing nerve found in the inner ear. This may be caused by allergy, tumor, diabetes, thyroid problems, hypertension or head / neck injury. Sedatives, anti-depressants or anti-inflammatory antibiotics can also trigger tinnitus.

Here are some things that you can do:
* Stay away from loud noises and sounds
* Reduce your salt intake as salt impairs blood circulation
* Avoid coffee, tea, cola and tobacco
* Exercise regularly
* Get enough rest; avoid become fatigued
* Sometimes using a fan or some other type of white noise when you sleep will help to drown out the ringing
* Practice breathing exercises or relaxation techniques such as meditation, as stress can worsen tinnitus

You can also try taking Ginkgo to help increase circulation of the blood in the head area and neck. Consult your doctor, it is better to have a licensed audiologist evaluate your condition.

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Getting Back to Exercise Habits

A lot of people find themselves falling out of their exercise habits. More often than not, once that happens it is much more difficult to get back on track. Aaron M. Potts, a personal development blogger shared some ways on how to get back into the exercise habit.

-Use it as a time for yourself. We easily get caught up with the business of life, work and family and we often tend to forget to give ourselves time. You can just allot at least 30 minutes of your time daily for exercise. Tell everyone that this is your time for yourself and that only extreme emergency situations can interfere you during your "alone time"

- Give your fat clothes away. Most of the time it is much easier for us to just lay back and revert back to our old eating habits if we have "fat clothes" available in our closets. Instead of giving away your "thin clothes" give away the "fat clothes". Your small clothes will serve as a motivation for you to loose weight and to drive you to keep going.

- Reward yourself. It can be a simple night out dinner or that very expensive gadget you've been eyeing on for months. Rewarding yourself everytime you shake off that extra pounds will help you keep going.

Loosing weight and staying focused on your goal requires discipline and hard work. Its not impossible to achieve this, you just have to stay motivated and focused on what your end result will be. Keep going, you can do it.

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