Mistletoe
Mistletoe is a parasite, growing on trees such as apple, lime, poplar, hawthorn, and rowan, although some may regard the plant as a semiparasite because the leaves contain chlorophyll. Viscum album is found throughout...
Your Health. Your Lifestyle. Vitamins and Minerals
Milk Thistle, Mary Thistle
Milk thistle probably originated in the Mediterranean region, and is naturalized in much of Europe, North America, South America, and Australia, growing in abandoned fields, old pastures, and by roadsides. Ti has been cultivated...
Fish, Protein, Best Fish to Eat
When you are preparing for a competition, maximizing your weight loss or just getting some seafood, you need to know the best fish to eat. Fish high in the omeg-3 fats and that taste...
Insulin and Muscle Building
Before we jump to conclusions and assume all insulin is bad we need to take a step back. Insulin itself is not bad; it is insulin resistance that is the problem. Insulin is key...
Insulin and Fat Storage
Many people refer to insulin as the fat storing hormone, but it is important to understand where this comes from. Remember, insulin’s primary job is to lower blood sugar and get it into the...
Insulin Metabolism
Insulin is perhaps the most well-known of all hormones, and in the halls of health, fitness and fat loss it is mostly maligned and drastically misunderstood. As with many things in health and fitness...
No Excuses!
“I just don’t have the time.” “I’m too tired.” “I’ll look silly.” If you find yourself backing out of exercise with the same old lines, it’s time to get a new act. Try these...
Essential moves to relieve lower back pain
Most of us will have low back pain at some point. Yet low back pain is one of the least understood conditions. It’s so misunderstood that surgeons, chiropractors, pain doctors and osteopaths often disagree...
Break-fast
Everyone fasts when they sleep. The first meal you eat when you awake breaks your fast… hence the term breakfast. But breaking the fast doesn’t mean eating fast. Hurried eating can cause heartburn and...
Sports supplements
Protein supplements Various types of protein supplements are available. They are usually sold as a means of increasing muscle bulk, sometimes as protein powders alone, sometimes with added carbohydrate. Some research supports the anabolic...
Exercising Restraint
A little indulgence is okay. But overindulgence can lead to unhealthy habits, even addictions, and threaten to overtake your personal command. Self-control, especially when it comes to what you put into your body, is...
The Raw Truth
The premise behind the raw food diet rests on the notion that living cells require living nutrients (such as uncooked vegetables, fruits, grains, and nuts) as opposed to foods that have been heated —...
Ginkgo
Ginkgo is a member of the gymnosperms, plants with seeds that are exposed, rather than enclosed in fruits as in the angiosperms. The species is the sole survivor of a group of trees, which,...
Ginger
Ginger evolved in South-east Asia but is never found in the wild sate. It has been used as a spice and medicine in India and China since ancient times; it was known to the...
Health Bulletin
People are taking charge The percentage of Americans who have high blood pressure – about 30 percent – has been the same since 1999. But here’s some good news. According to data from a...
Blood Donation May Reduce Heart Attack Risk
Donating blood is a selfless act that helps 5 million people each year. In fact, in just about an hour, a pint of your blood can make a difference in as many as 3...
Organic or Conventional?
Cost can dictate whether or not you buy organic food. If you’re unsure what’s worth the extra money, follow some of these helpful hints. Avoid the conventional versions of the dirty dozen. When it...
Fish Oils
There are two different types of fish oils – those that come from the liver of “lean” fish such as cod, and those that are extracted from the flesh of fatty fish such as...
Nutritional Supplements
These are supplements, usually ready-made drinks or powders that can be added to milk to make a drink that will replace meals for those who are unable to eat. Some products are also available...
Selenium
Selenium is a trace element that acts as an antioxidant, protecting the polyunsaturated fats in cell membranes from damage by free radicals. Selenium is found in foods from both plants and animals. Selenium is...
Addiction to Sodium Causes Health Problems
First it was trans fats. Then it was calorie-laden fast foods. Now sodium is on the front line of the nutrition wars. Nine out 10 Americans eat too much it, according to the Centers...
Mineral and trace element supplements
As with vitamins, it is considered to be best to obtain our mineral requirements from food. As with vitamins, if you wish to take supplements it is best not to exceed the recommended nutrient...
Antioxidant Vitamins
Vitamins A (in the form of beta-carotene), C, and E are sometimes referred to as the “antioxidant vitamins” and may be sold together as such. Supplements of A, C, and E together with the...
Vitamin B6: Pyridoxine
Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin with functions in various body systems. The active metabolite is involved in the metabolism of several other vitamins and in the production of haemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying pigment in...
Kick the Soda Can
Soft drinks drain your body of essential nutrients. Most sodas contain phosphoric acid and caffeine, which can deplete your body’s calcium stores and natural fluids. Plus you’re likely to consume them in place of...
Vitamin Supplements
There is a huge range of vitamin and mineral supplements now available. These may take the form of individual vitamins or mixtures of several vitamins, with or without minerals added, designed for specific age...
Gloomy Apprehensions
Dreary weather got you down? You’re not alone. Many Americans experience melancholy days, especially during this time of year — when colder temperatures and less light dampen the mood. In fact, a Duke study...
Inflammation Nation
You’ve heard about the importance of keeping your cholesterol and blood pressure in check to avoid heart attack, and watching your weight and toxin exposure to lower your odds of getting cancer. But recent...
Non-Nutrient Substances in Foods
There are a whole range of biologically active substances in foods, especially plant foods and herbal remedies, apart from those accepted as nutrients. Some of these are harmful or affect the availability of nutrients...
Health Benefits of Walking
Extensive research promotes clobbering your couch potato tendencies and bumping up physical activity to ward off disease, strengthen your heart, keep you positive, and control your weight. But as you experience the advertised promises...