Health and Nutrition

The Health and Nutrition Industry has come about as peoples awareness of the damage they have done to their bodies over the years becomes more apparent, both physically and through scientific evidence. Whats more they want to do something about-now!!

My wife Cath and I decided to do something about it and sooner rather than later. Rather than talking about it, moaning about it, worrying about it, we chose to improve our health and our lifestyle through informed and better choices. We work from home now part time in the Health and Nutrition Industry having had our health improved with nutritional supplements and by adjusting our diets, so that we have both lost weight and feel great for it. Your health improves by first making a decision and then doing something about it.

It has been suggested that many of our ailments, sickness and diseases today, particularly in the west, can be attributed to poor nutrition in our diets. The fact that our diets are so poor due to the lifestyles we choose to live, with fast foods and rush, rush, rush, we are not allowing our bodies to rebuild itself, to repair itself properly, as it was designed to do.

I am not a scientist but I can tell you that by adding proven nutritional supplements to my diet and eating better and less, my health has improved and I have the energy to accomplish so much more in my day without the tiredness and exhaustion that were part of my life.

Obesity levels in the western world are simply staggering and if you do your own research, through various resources, you will have this confirmed in black and white.

Our bodies have been wonderfully made, by a master designer, and when we introduce a proper diet into our lifestyle, with the correct ammounts of vitamins and minerals it needs to function properly, your life can be changed dramatically. For those of you who already look after yourselves, athletes, footballers, basketballers, your lives can be improved too, your recovery rates lowered, your overall performances improved with a better diet and nutrition in your life.

Breathing For Perfect Health

Did you know, how you breathe could affect your health? It's true. In can also affect the success of your exercise program, your mood, blood pressure, even your quality of life. Consider this: As nursing infants we were born to inspire and expire through the nose. Prior to this, back in the comforting watery environment of the womb, mouth breathing wasn't an option (Douillard, 2001, p. 147). How did we learn then to breathe through our mouth? Frankly, stress. When blood pressure rises, we involuntarily open our mouths to obtain large gulps of air. This stimulates the "fight or flight" response and we begin to panic. Is there a better way to breathe for perfect health, you ask? Read on to discover the answer.

Before we discuss how you can learn to breathe more efficiently, it's best to note that there are two ways our body has become accustomed to breathing: in the chest/clavicle area and from the diaphragm. It makes sense that chest breathing is shallow and requires more work to supply oxygen to the body. Chest breathing requires a higher heart rate and when used alone, doesn't efficiently engage the lower lobes of the lungs (where the oxygen is taken into the blood). This is easy to do. And, if we don't know any better we may never graduate beyond shallow breathing.

What's the alternative? Enter the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a flat "parachute" muscle at the bottom of the lungs (Douillard, 2001, p. 148). It contracts as we inspire drawing air into the lower portion of the lungs (more efficiently transferring oxygen to the blood). Too, it's also in the lower lungs where carbon dioxide and other gasses are prepared for release. Give it a try: place your hand on your abdomen just below the ribcage. You should feel the diaphragm shrink as you inhale, expand as you exhale. Now alternate between mouth and nose breathing - can you tell which one more effectively engages the diaphragm?

While thinking about changing your habits: consider the nose is created for breathing and the mouth for eating (except in extreme circumstances when the airway is obstructed, of course). If nose breathing is efficient, it engages both chest/clavicle and diaphragm involuntarily getting them to work together in a seamless system. The key is to make this happen both during exercise and at rest. Ever felt dizzy? Then you know what it's like not to be breathing effectively. Mouth breathing allows too much oxygen to enter the system. This abundance of oxygen cannot be exchanged with carbon dioxide fast enough causing its build up in the blood. This can cause dizziness, even fainting.

Using Your Diet For Skin Health

That rosy, glowing, healthy complexion we all want may have nothing to do with the beauty products you use and much to do with the fruits and veggies you eat as part of your regular diet says a new study. According to researchers, over a 6 week period, the fluctuations in consumption of fruits and veggies was associated with an observable change in skin color. Not only did using your diet for skin health result in it looking healthier by the time the study ended, it was judged to be more attractive too.

Doctors know that the look of your skin reflects the state of your overall health. If your skin is healthier, it works better and helps your body as a whole stay healthier too. If you're healthy on the inside, your skin will be healthier looking as well.

Fruits and veggies are naturally full of good for you plant compounds that help keep skin healthy, strong and offer protection for the damage that can come from the sun.

For the study, the team examined the fruits and vegetable eating of 35 subjects for six weeks. They saw that the red and yellow tones in the skin went up with just two added servings of fruits and veggies likely because of the carotenoids (red/yellow pigments) in these foods being distributed to the surface of the skin.

The carotenoids examined in the study were beta-carotene and lycopene, well known and rather potent disease fighters. Good sources of beta-carotene are carrots, yams, spinach, pumpkins, peaches and apricots. Lycopene is in apricots as well as watermelon, tomatoes and pink grapefruit.

Based on the study findings, about three servings of fruits and veggies a day over a 6 week time frame is enough to bring noticeable improvements in the healthy and attractive look of the skin. That golden glow that people notice. Interesting that those who did not eat enough fruits and veggies looked paler, less healthy.

The researchers were not only surprised that even small improvements in fruit and vegetable intake brought visible benefits to the skin, the results came more quickly than anyone expected.

It would seem that the expression "You are what you eat" holds more than a grain of truth. There have been other studies that show a diet full of high antioxidant foods (nuts, olive oil, less red meat and dairy, increased fruits and veggies) helps the skin resist aging and may protect against dangerous, disfiguring skin cancer. Experts believe that only 25% to 30% of Americans get the recommended amount of fruits and veggies each day, though efforts to increase this consumption haven't been all that successful.

Improve Your Health With Exotic Fruit

Everyone knows that bananas are good for you. The potassium in this fruit has been known to lower blood pressure and improve heart health. However, recent studies have shown that there are certain other exotic fruits which pack an even bigger health punch than bananas. Fruit not only improves our health but it also provides our bodies with essential nutrients and weight loss properties.

Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are just some of the essential nutrients we gain from fruit consumption. However, recent studies show that certain exotic fruits can impact out heart health tremendously. Fresh figs are one of these fruits. This particular fruit has 891 mg of blood pressure lowering potassium in just one serving of six figs (that is nearly 20% of our daily requirement and double the amount you would find in a large banana). High potassium diets are linked with lower rates of heart related illnesses in healthy adults. Aside from its heart health benefits, fresh fig is also one of the best sources of calcium. Just one serving of figs has as much calcium as ½ a cup of fat-free milk. This is why fig is a great fruit when it comes down to health, weight loss, and healthy snacking.

Another exotic fruit which is known for its heart health benefits is Lychee. This particular fruit has the second highest level of polyphenols of all fruits tested (almost 15 % more than the amount found in grapes). These polyphenols repel foreign invaders from damaging our cells. Certain other studies have also confirmed that this exotic fruit also plays an important role in the prevention of degenerative diseases, such as cancer. So with all of these health benefits, why not try something new and exotic! Not only will consuming these fruit help you achieve better health but it will also help you lose weight and maintain a healthy nutrition.

Improve Your Health, Improving Your Kitchen

Your kitchen is one of the most important areas of your home to consider for promoting optimal health for you and your family. The kitchen is the center of nourishment in your home - if the energy in this area is not positive, your entire house will make you feel drained. This can lead to poor health for the occupants of your home.

Your kitchen can affect the health and energy of your houseguests, as well. After all, it is often the gathering place when you hold family get togethers and parties with friends.

First, make sure that your kitchen is kept clean and free of clutter. Taking just a few minutes each day to tidy up your kitchen will go a long way toward promoting positive energy. Make sure that appliances and countertops are kept clean at all times, and that spices, utensils, and other commonly used items are kept organized and put away.

Ideally, you should be able to see the entrance to the kitchen when you are standing at your stove cooking. In Feng Shui the stove is considered to be very important. It represents the preparation of food and therefore nourishment, health and well-being of the family. It also represents wealth and abundance. If you find yourself with your back to the entrance when you are standing at your stove, you can place a mirror at the back of the stove so that when you look into it you can see the door behind you. A microwave above the stove (although not technically good from a Feng Shui perspective) can actually help in this case if you can look in the glass door of the microwave and see the entrance to the kitchen behind you.

How To Beat a Drug Test

A how to beat a drug test is scientific examination of urine, hair, and other fluid samples like saliva or sweat from the body, which detects whether a person is taking drugs or not. Drug test are generally done at schools, work places, government offices, medical institutions, and more. However, nowadays even parents can decide whether their children are taking drugs or not with the help of simple home drug testing kits. Parents can conveniently get samples without awareness of their children and perform drug test. The common harmful drugs are THC (marijuana, weed, smoke, pot, hash), Cocaine (crack, skitz, snow), Methamphetamines/MDMA (ice, ecstasy, crank, crystal, glass), Opiates (heroin, horse, oxycontin vicodin, morphine, codeine, nicotine), Amphetamines (speed, uppers, go), and Benzodiazepines (bars, roofies, date rape drug, valium, librium, xanax). Different drugs have different consequences.
 Some drugs, like cocaine or methamphetamine, may create an intense "rush" (hurriedness) and create feelings of tremendous energy. Other drugs, like heroin, benzodiazepines or the prescription oxycontin, may create feelings of relaxation and calm. Most of the drugs have excess stimulation of the pleasure point of the brain in common. When used relevantly, prescription drugs will have good effects medically or psychologically. Prescription drugs in the opiate family, such as vicodin (hydrocodone) and oxycontin, are generally specified for chronic pain or recovery from surgery. Benzodiazapines, such as Valium or Xanax are prescribed to treat anxiety. If these drugs are used without prescription, then it gives rise to many health problems.

Improve Your Health by Improving Your Kitchen

Your kitchen is one of the most important areas of your home to consider for promoting optimal health for you and your family. The kitchen is the center of nourishment in your home - if the energy in this area is not positive, your entire house will make you feel drained. This can lead to poor health for the occupants of your home.

Your kitchen can affect the health and energy of your houseguests, as well. After all, it is often the gathering place when you hold family get togethers and parties with friends.

First, make sure that your kitchen is kept clean and free of clutter. Taking just a few minutes each day to tidy up your kitchen will go a long way toward promoting positive energy. Make sure that appliances and countertops are kept clean at all times, and that spices, utensils, and other commonly used items are kept organized and put away.

Ideally, you should be able to see the entrance to the kitchen when you are standing at your stove cooking. In Feng Shui the stove is considered to be very important. It represents the preparation of food and therefore nourishment, health and well-being of the family. It also represents wealth and abundance. If you find yourself with your back to the entrance when you are standing at your stove, you can place a mirror at the back of the stove so that when you look into it you can see the door behind you. A microwave above the stove (although not technically good from a Feng Shui perspective) can actually help in this case if you can look in the glass door of the microwave and see the entrance to the kitchen behind you.

When it comes to your health, there are some locations which are not considered good for a kitchen:

1. In the center of the house - think of your house as being like your second body, it is part of you. The center of your house represents the center of your body and because the kitchen is associated with the element of fire it symbolizes fire passing through the center of your body - energetically affecting all the organs that you have there (heart, stomach, intestines, etc.) Having a strong element of fire in this area can be too much.

Remedy: hang a round, multi-faceted crystal ball from the ceiling in the middle of the kitchen. Bring in the element of water to help to balance some of the fire (this can be done with a water feature, a picture that has water in it, the color black or a mirror).

2. Kitchen sharing a wall with a bathroom - the functions of these two rooms are totally different. The kitchen is associated with nourishment, preparation of food, the bathroom is associated with cleansing and elimination. There is also a lot of draining energy in the bathroom which can negatively impact the energy of the kitchen.

Remedy: keep the bathroom door closed and the toilet lid down. Hang a mirror on the outside of the bathroom door and also on each side of the shared wall. Hang a round, multi-faceted crystal ball in the bathroom.

Finally, if possible, avoid having ceiling beams in your kitchen. Ceiling beams create a heavy, oppressive energy that can counteract the positive energy you have worked to create. If you do have ceiling beams in your kitchen, paint them the same color as your ceiling, or cover them with a light colored cloth if you are not able to paint them.

Improving Digestive and Intestinal Health

When conferring with eastern medicinal beliefs; one would find a strong belief that all good health stems from the intestine. As western thinking beings, most Americans do not care for their intestine correctly or flat out abuse it!

Americans eat, on average, 150 lbs. of sugar a year (each person). Look at a pound of hamburger and you will get a devastating view of how much sugar that means! Eating a diet high in sugar and low in fiber is a disastrous combination for our intestines. The intestine is responsible for three things: digestion, absorption & elimination. Our stomach is just the forerunner to the digestive process; it softens things up, mixes it up with bile and sends it on it's way. The small intestine's job is to fully digest and absorb all the needed vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients our bodies need. This activity usually takes 3 to 10 hours to complete. Then the food is passed on to the large intestine or colon. The colon wrings out all the remaining nutrients, especially the B vitamins, absorbs the water, and eliminates the waste.

When we eat a diet high in sugar and low in fiber this process does not work properly. Instead we are often left with pockets of rotting, decaying food that is a perfect breeding ground for parasites. 85% of all Americans have some sort of parasite (an alarming number, you would think would come out of a third world country). Parasites gobble up the good nutrients, make digestions slow and incomplete, feed off of healthy bacteria, and excrete toxins that leave you feeling sick.

There is a strong link between an unhealthy colon and many illnesses: cancer, diabetes, diverticulitis, yeast overgrowth, and many more. One of the most important things you can do to improve your intestinal health is to cleanse. There are many supplements you can purchase to help you in your cleansing process; my favorite is the combination of colon booster, para cleanse, and indigest free. There are many cleansing products available so you can pick what works best for you. A slower, 30 day cleanse will work very effectively and with fewer side effects (extreme diarrhea, fatigue, stomach cramping, & bloating) than a week long cleanse (you should just take off work if you are going that route). Some important things to remember when cleansing - drink lots and lots of water!, more than the 8 glasses a day, make sure your food is high in nutrient value, and get lots of sleep. You will be amazed at what will come out of you (if you have the stomach to look).