Positive Effects of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

As more and more women fight against the battle against cancer, more and more researchers strive hard to figure out and discover a way to combat it. Researchers from the Catalonian Institute of Oncology (ICO) in Girona and the University of Granada in Spain have discovered that extra virgin olive oil appears to be a powerful weapon against breast cancer.

Researches found that the phenolic compounds polyphenols - natural antioxidants found in abundance in extra virgin olive oil- are effective in fighting against the positive and negative breast cancer cells. Aside from this, extra virgin olive oil also offers other benefits such as lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis as well as several types of cancers), preventing oxidative damage, quelling inflammation, regulating platelet and cellular function, and fighting infections.


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Mindset and Losing Weight

If you are overweight, you may think that your diet is the only culprit. But there is one thing that may also cause added weight and that also deserves your attention: your mind!

A new study has been conducted at Brookhaven National Laboratory found that women, in particular, seem hard-wired to have emotional cravings for food. According to Tené Lewis of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago "Under stress, people conserve more fat, and we think that may be what's going on here,"

This research also shows that in women, the more bad things the women reported, the more weight they gained.

Achieving a long-term health improvement or diet involves more than just meticulously watching over your calories. It also involves behavior and self-acceptance.

It is important to become aware of our eating patterns. Look for the times when you take in the most food. It can be when you are stressed, happy or depressed. Another helpful habit is to keep yourself pre-occupied with other stuff rather than eating. Having hobbies and things you enjoy doing on your own time will help with that.

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Diet Soda Causes Type 2 Diabetes

Most people believe that because it donesn't contain sugar, diet soda is a safe alternative to regular soda when it comes to Diabetes. Unfortunatelly, that's not the case.

In a recent study published early this year, researchers found that
consumption of Diet soda plays a key role in the development of metabolic syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes.

Researchers found that those who consumed diet soda at least daily had a 36% greater risk for metabolic syndrome and a huge 67% greater risk for the development of Type 2 diabetes.

The authors conclude that "These results corroborate findings from the ARIC [Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities] and Framingham studies and show stronger adverse associations exist between diet soda and Type 2 diabetes. Diet soda consumption, either independently or in conjunction with other dietary and lifestyle behaviors, may lead to weight gain, impaired glucose control, and eventual diabetes."

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Alcohol More Risky for Women

A recent research shows that women react differently in terms of alcohol intake. Women's emotional, physical and mental states are easily affected by alcohol.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA):

* Drinking is more likely to damage a woman's health than a man's - even if she has been drinking less alcohol for a shorter time.
* Alcoholic women have death rates 50 percent to 100 percent higher than alcoholic men. These include deaths from suicide, brain diseases, alcohol-related accidents, heart disease, cancer, stroke and liver disease.
* Heavy drinking raises a woman's risk for being a victim of sexual assault and other acts of violence. Teenage girls who drink increase their risks for unplanned sex.
* Drinking while pregnant raises the risk for fetal alcohol syndrome. This birth defect can cause problems with learning, memory, attention and problem-solving in the growing child.

Research also proves that women who drink daily have higher probability of getting breast cancer. Women who drink more than seven drinks weekly may develop alcohol dependency.

It is recommended that women follow these guidelines:
* Don't drink if you're pregnant or have a medical condition that can be made worse by drinking.
* Never have more than one drink in an hour.
* Never drink two days in a row.
* Never have more than three drinks in a 24-hour period.

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Lose Weight While Sleeping

One of the most common misconceptions about sleeping is that sleeping makes us fat. Although sleeping too much can have several adverse effects (one of them being weight gain), lack of sleep has also been associated with weight gain. Recent study has been conducted by several medical experts to prove the theory.

If a person is tired or stressed, person tends to eat more. “When women are deprived of sleep, they have an increase in ghrelin -- what we call the ‘go’ hormone -- because it makes you want to go eat more,” says Breus, clinical director of the sleep division at Southwest Spine & Sport in Scottsdale, Arizona, and author of Beauty Sleep. “They also have a drop in leptin, the ‘stop’ hormone that tells you to stop when you’re full.”

Another important outcome of this research is the women who sleep more tends to store less fat. “During deep sleep, your brain secretes a large amount of growth hormone, which tells your body how to break down fat for fuel,” explains Breus. “Deprive your body of deep sleep, and when extra calories get stored as fat, there isn’t enough growth hormone to break it down. So your body takes a shortcut and packs it away in your butt, thighs, belly -- wherever you tend to put on weight.”

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Prevent Flu Through Massage

Flu can make a person very uncomfortable. The headaches, nasal congestion and sneezing is indeed very difficult to deal with. Most people would resort to getting a flu shot to prevent the disease. Since I recommend trying to avoid taking drugs and vaccines, there is another alternative that may be effective in preventing flu.

According to Peg Schoettlin, LMT, with the Seton Cove, an interfaith spirituality center, massage helps prevent flu by improving the blood flow inside the body which in turn reduces stress and boosts immune system.

Massage helps by limiting the amount of adrenaline and cortisol inside our body. To further reduce stress, deep breathing and relaxation associated with massage is effective in reducing anxiety, blood pressure and heart rate.Cranial-sacral massage on the other hand reduces the pain associated with sinusitis by helping in draining the sinus cavities.

The effectiveness of massage varies in each person. It also depends on the frequency of massage. According to Schoettlin, "Each client is different and what each person needs to support their health also differs. Requirements are different for different people and sometimes depend on other factors. But if I were going to guess, I'd say probably once a month is about the right timing."

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Childhood Stress and Its Effects

Children seems to live stress-free lives. As a child, all you care about is playtime, food and friends. However, if children experience stressful situations, those may have an impact on their health later on in life.

Stressful experiences can be caused by physical abuse, abandonment, or divorce. Recent study was conducted and research shows that impaired immune function in adolescents can be caused by early childhood stress. According to author Seth Pollak, a professor of psychology and pediatrics at UW-Madison, "Even though these children's environments have changed, physiologically they're still responding to stress. That can affect their learning and their behavior, and having a compromised immune system is going to affect these children's health,"

Results shows that children who went through stressful conditions during their childhood posses weaker immune system compared to normal happy children. Weaker immune system puts the children at risk to more health problems that may pose long-term threat. Pollak added " "It suggests that children's emotional environments are having widespread repercussions on their health."

The bottom line is, as adults and parents of our children, we should make sure that our younger generation and our children lives a stress-free life to avoid early stressors that may cause long term hard to their health. We all need to practice responsible parenting.

Happy children means healthier adults.

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Obesity Happens Before Birth

More and more younger generations are becoming obese at a very early age. Researchers believe that a way to resolve this problem is to focus on women who are at their child bearing age.

Women who are obese experience difficulty in conceiving. Aside from that, their babies are at a higher risk of getting health problems. According to Dr Eugene Oteng-Ntim, President of the RSM's Maternity & the Newborn Section "Women of reproductive age need to maintain a healthy weight if they want to have a healthy pregnancy and give birth to healthy children. Government obesity campaigns are not paying enough attention one of the most important groups in the population. Once an obese woman is pregnant, she and her baby already run a greater risk to their health. Obesity problems begin before conception and pregnancy is certainly not the time to start trying to lose weight."

Dr Anne Dornhorst, President of the Endocrinology & Diabetes Section commented, "It is staggering that this research found that BMI is still not being routinely recorded in women booking for obstetric services. Obesity in pregnancy is continuing to rise and, consequently, diabetes types 1 and 2 are also on the rise. As the CEMACH* report clearly showed, this means an increased risk of perinatal mortality, congenital anomalies and stillbirths. The next CEMACH report will provide us with further hard evidence of the risk factors associated with obesity in pregnancy but we already know more than enough to recognise the importance of targeting health messages at this important group."

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Acupuncture Gives Relief To Headache and Migraine

It is common among Americans to suffer from headaches and migraines which can be caused by daily stress and activities. We normally resort to over-the-counter drugs to counteract the pains. However, there is an alternative method to cure headaches and migraines.

Acupuncture has been used by the Chinese to relieve pain caused by headaches and migraines. Researchers found that it can actually provide long term treatment, and has helped increase the quality of life for chronic headache sufferers.

Headaches and migraines can be caused by different factors. Location of the pain may tell you different diagnosis. Knowing that will help your acupuncturist choose the suitable combination for your condition.

To make the procedure even more effective, the Chinese use a combination of herbs, massage and energetic exercises.

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Are We Really In Recession?

Do you feel you have been affected by the recession?

Are you afraid of the direction things are going?

Marshall Sylver, one of the greatest success coaches in the world has a very different take on things. And I share that vision with him.

I believe that now, more than ever, it is time to push forward, to invest, to grow, and to do your best.

House prices are lower than they have been in a long time, prices of goods in general are lower than they have been in a long time, and businesses are doing all they can to get YOUR business.

Most people are retreating right now. The champions are pushing forward. So if you push forward you will automatically join the champions in this world.

And when the recession is over you will be better than ever!

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How to Reduce Body Odor

Body odor can put a person under tremendous amount of stress because this can be humiliating. Here are some tips on how to handle body odor:

1. Put alcohol under your arms to reduce bacteria.
2. Body odor can be triggered by drugs, and caffeine. Reduce the intake of caffeine to avoid body odor.
3.Avoid the antiperspirant varieties - you can find better deodorant only products in health-food stores, such as those containing extracts of green tea, which is antibacterial.
4.If you buy "natural crystals," make sure they do not contain aluminum in any form.

Keeping our bodies healthy also means being hygienic. Knowing the right products is the first step to eliminating body odor.

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Physically Fit Children Are Better In School

We all know that healthier kids do better physically but will they be better at school?

A recent study conducted by Journal of School Health shows that kids who are more physically fit scored higher on standardized academic achievement test than less fit children.


That's great news for parents and great news for the kids! Let your children play out in the sun, run and get dirty. These physical activities are very important for the child's development, both physically and mentally.

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Eat Better Quality Foods

With all the food contamination news we keep hearing, now not only we have to be sure to eat healthy, but now we must pay attention that the healthy food we eat is of good quality.

Here are some tips on how to enhance the quality of food without worries.

1. Find out where your food comes from - it is still best if we grow our own food and raise our animals in our very own backyard. This is one of the best ways to know that your source of food is safe. But in reality, amidst our hectic schedules and location, it may be impossible for all of us to do so. The next best thing is to visit your local farmers market. Avoid purchasing foods that came from factories. Local veggies are less treated with herbicides or pesticides.

For meat, it is advisable to just buy from a nearby farm or get to know your butcher better. You can also ask the grocery store where the meat comes from.

2. Find out which vegetables have high and low amount of pesticides - Industrial farms uses a large amount of pesticides for their crops to avoid bugs infesting their products. However this may cause hard to our bodies. However there are some crops that don't need much protection and pesticides. You can also use produce washes or soak that are effective in eliminating excess pesticides from vegetables and fruits.

3. Choose fish low on the food chain - contaminants such as mercury and PCB's do enter our lakes and oceans which therefore causes contamination to our fishes. It is best to choose fish that is low on the food chain. Good seafood choices includes: farmed rainbow trout, anchovies, US pacific sardines, Atlantic mackerel, catfish, mussels, farmed oysters, wild Alaskan salmon. Avoid: Chilean sea bass, grouper, farmed Atlantic salmon, monk fish, orange roughy, and imported Swordfish.

4. Relax and Enjoy Your Meals - when eating, it is important that we relax and savor our meals and avoid rushing it. This will help lower your stress levels and allow your immune system to better serve and protect your body.


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Chemicals and Infertility

Infertility is very difficult to deal with. The agony and pain of waiting to conceive a baby can put the couple in a very depressing situation. In a recent study, researchers found out that your cookware and cleaning supplies may be one of the causes for a delay to have a baby!

According to the researchers of Human Reproduction, chemicals called perfluorinated compounds, or PFCs for short, might be linked to delays in getting pregnant.

According to one of the authors, Joseph K. McLaughlin, professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tenn. "We need to know more about these chemicals because they are long lasting and have had effects in animals."

You can find PFC in your kitchen or almost everywhere. PFC's can be found in shampoos, floor wax, food wrapping, carpet treatments and other cleaning products. Researchers found that for higher levels of PFCs in the blood, the odds of infertility increased from 70 to 134 percent for one kind of PFC called PFOS, while another PFC called PFOA was linked to a 60 to 154 percent increase in the chance of infertility.

Although the use of PFC isn't banned yet, it is important that we take extra precaution. Try to avoid using Teflon frying pans, and avoid using scotch guard that contains the compounds. As a precaution should think twice when using plastic to store food.


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How To Select A Gym

You probably receive a lot of invites, postcards and marketing materials from various gyms and spas, inviting you to join and use their facilities. It is important that you know how to properly select a gym that would fit your needs.

It is best if you compare various gyms as well as their facilities and their services. To help you choose the right gym, here are some questions that you should ask yourself before you decide:

• In the past, did you use one or two pieces of equipment or did you take advantage of everything that was available? If you use the club to ride the one stationary bike in the corner you may be subsidizing your fellow members if you don't use the other equipment.
  
  
• How are you motivated? If you are motivated by external objects or people (extrinsic motivation) you will need a club that provides trainers, classes and other members of your age to work out with.
  
  
• Ready to exercise and bathe in front of others? There are a few clubs where individual stalls are provided.
  
  
• How much per day are you willing to pay for a place to workout? What is the value to you?
  
  
• How do you feel? Think about before, during and after. All three emotional states are important factors to help you continue with the program. You should look forward to going to this place to workout. You should enjoy the people you meet there, even if all you do is say hello and goodbye. You should be in a relaxed state when you leave.
  
  
• Are you also using the club for social interaction? If not and you are the self-motivating type, you may do well with home exercising equipment. If so, there's no doubt that seeing others exercise is a great motivator and can reinforce the reason why you're there.

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Quick Weight Loss Programs and Its Effects

One of the top goals among Americans is to lose weight. And of course, as busy and impatient people, if we plan to lose weight, we want it NOW. The reality is, however, that it may take weeks or even months to get rid of that extra pounds. This is probably the reason why we patronize the ads that promises a quick turn around time.

Although reaching a healthy weight is generally considered healthy, there are unsafe ways to loose weight and we should be aware of those methods so we can avoid using them.

If you plan to loose a high amount of weight, it is always best that you seek professional help. Fast and extreme food restrictions can damage our health. Detox products can actually cause fatigue, cramping and dehydration.

There are a lot of detox products that contain harmful ingredients that may damage our health. Some of the detox supplements are not even tested by FDA or may even interact with other medications that you are taking which can cause negative side effects. It is safe to always consult your doctor first about the supplement that you plan to take to check and see if its advisable or suitable for you and your condition.

In weight loss, there is no quick and easy way. It takes time, effort, commitment and dedication to do so. Taking it slow and steady is one key to success of weight loss. Don't rush.

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Second Hand Smoking Could Be Bad For Your Brain

We already know the negative side effects of smoking. Now a new study has shown that second hand smoking could affect your brain.

According to the study conducted by advance online edition of BMJ (formerly called the British Medical Journal), cognitive impairment was more common among passive smokers. People who never smoked were found to be 70% more cognitively impaired than smokers.

Mark Eisner, MD, MPH, an associate professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, said that "This study raises the strong possibility that secondhand smoke causes cognitive decline, but further research is needed to establish a causal effect."

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If you like animals, this will sure make you smile

Feeling good is one of the most important things you can do for your health.
Whatever you are doing, take a little break for the next two minutes and watch this
heartwarming video about an unlikely friendship. Then you can go back to the real world...