Archive for January, 2009
Health Reform Video From The New England Journal Of Medicine
January 23rd, 2009
Thomas H. Lee, M.D., James J. Mongan, M.D., Jonathan Oberlander, Ph.D., and Meredith B. Rosenthal, Ph.D. engage in a round table discussion of the challenges to health care being caused by the recession.
Click to view the program (the video will open in a new window).
NEJM offers a transcript of the health care reform discussion.
Visit the New England Journal of Medicine here: http://content.nejm.org/ You’ll find a variety of resources including a free newsletter.
Posted in health care | 
Tags: health care and the recession, health care crisis, health care reform | 
No Comments »
Adaptogens: Nature’s Answer to Handling Stress
January 20th, 2009
Nutrients and Health:
|
Wouldn’t it be great if an herb could help you handle stress better and stimulate your body’s own ability to bring itself back into balance (instead of “forcing” it to do something the herb “makes” it do)?
Well, there IS an entire category of herbs that do just that – Adaptogens!
Adaptogens have been known in Chinese and Ayurvedic healing systems for thousands of years. But it was not until the second half of the 20th Century that adaptogenic herbs underwent major scientific scrutiny and began to become better-known in the Western World.
Do you remember the dominance of the Russian Olympic athletes in the 70’s and 80’s? Many believe that this was due, at least in part, to the application of a major research project led by a Russian scientist named Dr. Israel Brekhman. In a series of major experiments, adaptogenic herbs were shown to increase worker productivity, improve athletic performance, and normalize many body processes.
Russian athletes benefited from the use of these herbs, and went on to dominate many Olympic sports for a period of time.
Adaptogens have been shown to reduce the release of stress-related cortisol in humans. An excess release of cortisol has been associated with weight gain, hypertension, depression, many degenerative diseases, as well as accelerated aging.
Adaptogens help people:
- “adapt” to stress
- sleep deeply and more soundly
- balance body systems
- improve immune resistance
- focus and concentrate
- improve recovery time
- improve athletic performance
- decrease anxiety
- improve muscle tone
- increase strength
- increase energy and stamina
- improve feeling of overall well-being
An excellent adaptogenic formula I use in my private practice includes the following nine adaptogenic herbs: Ashwaganda, Schizandra, Tribulis terrestris, Siberian Golden Root, Siberian Ginseng, Rhododendron caucasicum, Shilajit, Maca, and Wolfberry.
Due to their balancing effect, adaptogens are usually very safe to take, even on a long-term basis. I have personally taken the formula mentioned above six days per week for the last 2 1/2 years. I wouldn’t leave home without it!
If you’d like to learn more about the health benefits of adaptogens, a highly-rated book for a general audience is Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief, by David Winston and Steven Maimes.
[Ed Note: David Kamnitzer, D.C. is an expert at helping people achieve high levels of health and well-being -- far beyond what is available simply through drugs and surgery alone. He combines his 20-year clinical experience and extensive knowledge in structural, nutritional, and energetic balancing to offer individuals cutting-edge approaches to healing. To learn more, click here.]
This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.
Posted in Natural Healing |
Tags: adaptogen, ayurvedic healing, herb, Increase Energy, natrual stress cure, sleep soundly, stress |
No Comments »
The Will Power Myth
January 16th, 2009
If you have been fighting the battle of the bulge for any length of time, you have undoubtedly been told to just suck it up and use a little bit of will power. If it were that easy, we wouldn’t have an obesity epidemic in this country. In this article, we’ll explore why using “will power” is usually so ineffective.
According to a fascinating experiment published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, “Just one act of self-control depletes your ability to have self-control in another unrelated area.”1For example, when subjects were told not to eat chocolates sitting right in front of them, their persistence in puzzle solving deteriorated.
This is not just related to food, When subjects were told to suppress an emotional reaction to a movie, they had problems solving an easy anagram. It turns out that you only have the conscious resources to exhibit willpower on one (or at the most two) fronts at one time. The research is overwhelming in this area.
This is why it is SO HARD to stay disciplined with eating and exercise. This is true for any form of will power, which is why we often don’t do the things we tell ourselves we are going to do.
In short, any self-regulatory strategy has costs with respect to depleting a person’s general resources for self regulation.2
To make it worse, according to research on information processing, your conscious mind is only able to process approximately 50 bits of information per second, while your unconscious mind processes approximately 11 million bits per second.3 This means your unconscious mind processes information about 220 THOUSAND TIMES FASTER than your conscious mind.
Going back to the willpower research, it makes more sense now. The part of your experience that you are aware of has very limited resources, while the part of you that you are NOT aware of, is extremely powerful.
Further evidence of this comes from the famous study done by Dr. George A. Miller of Princeton University. He proved that the conscious mind can only handle 7 (plus or minus 2) chunks of information at a time.4
So you can see what a drain it is trying to use willpower to follow a healthy diet, exercise regularly, etc. on a daily basis. This is also why when people try to quit smoking AND lose weight at the same, they are bound to fail!
Now you understand that the trick is to somehow get the part of you that you are not aware of (the unconscious mind) to make the changes for you.
So how do you get your unconscious mind to naturally desire healthy green foods, water, healthy portions, exercise, etc. without having to think about it consciously?
The trick is a combination of positive association, priming and ritual.
With positive association, think Pavlov and the dog (you remember how Dr. Pavlov was able to get dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell). You need to set up an environment where every time you take an action that leads to your goal, you will reward yourself. Your brain will quickly learn to create this behavior without you having to think about it.
With priming, you need to put in place cues that lead to your desired behaviors. The research is solid that environmental cues determine a great percentage of your behaviors. Every time you see a fast food advertisement, you are receiving a prime (in this case for a behavior you don’t want)!
So level the playing field by putting pictures of healthy foods in your home and office. Eat off of smaller plates so you are primed to eat smaller portions. Remove “bad” snacks from your sight as they call for you to eat them! The point is to set up your environment for success.
Finally, use the power of ritual. It takes 21 days to change a habit. Pick one ritual that you can easily do every day that will lead to your weight loss goals. One powerful, easy thing you can do is to change your morning ritual.
Prepare a healthy meal every night before you go to bed, and pick any 20-minute form of exercise you can do in the mornings. When you wake up, do 20 minutes of exercise (even if it is just walking), then eat your healthy meal. This is easy to do and because it is the first thing you do every day, the stresses of the day will not prevent it.
References
- Source: RE Baumeister et al. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 74, 1998.
- Moraven, M., et al. (1998). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74. 774-789.
- Zimmerman, M. (1989). In R. F. Schmidt & G. Thews (eds.), Human Physiology, pp. 166-173. Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag.
- Miller, G. A. (1956). Psychological Review, 63, 81-97.
[Ed. Note: Michael Lovitch, M.A., Founder of The Hypnosis Network, is a social science researcher and a connoisseur of effective psychologists. His company publishes the best selling hypnosis program for weight loss available today, independently verified to help 92% of those who use it. Find out how to put your weight loss on auto-pilot by clicking here.]
This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.
Do You Snore? Are There Cures For Snoring
January 15th, 2009
Are there cures for snoring? You probably already know that snoring possibly means you have sleep apnea and all of the dangerous things that may go with that — from just being tired all the time to high blood pressure, weight gain, and a host of things. It’s bad stuff.
Your doctor will send you for a sleep study that will cost you a lot even if you have good insurance and then it’s likely that you will get an expensive (even after your insurance pays their part) CPAP machine (continuous positive airway pressure).
Oxygen flow is reduced as your throat muscles relax and your airway is restricted. These machines help hold the airways open while you sleep by blowing air into your nose. They help some while others have wasted their money. Still others do not have access to CPAP due to the prohibitive costs.
Here is an anti-snoring program – remember some of the same issues cause snoring also cause sleep apnea, and snoring is a precursor to sleep apnea. This program uses exercise to strengthen muscles in the throat-neck, mouth, tongue, and nose to eliminate the problem. There are 24 exercises in the program to naturally and inexpensively solve the problem naturally by strengthening the air passages. Here is an example of one of the exercises:
Try out this jaw strengthening exercise
The best way to see how simple these exercises are is to try one out.
So here’s an exercise that helps to loosen your jaw – because tight or clenched jaws are considered one of the leading causes of snoring.
This exercise takes only a minute, but before you’re done, you should feel your jaw muscles strengthen and the back of your mouth opening up.
|
 |
|
 |
This is just one of the 24 exercises that have been developed to stop people from snoring. Each exercise is designed to strengthen a specific area – turning relaxed, weaker muscles that block your airways and flap like a flag into toned and well-controlled muscles.
We’ve explained what causes snoring, That there are cures for snoring and this is an inexpensive program that you owe it to yourself to tryout. Here is our affiliate link, the owners of this website will receive a commission if you order here.
You should always check with your doctor if you think you have sleep apnea. Have him work with you on the program.
Posted in Healthy Living, lose weight, positive living |
Tags: causes of snoring, cpap, cures for snoring, sleep apnea, snore, snoring, weight loss, what causes snoring |
No Comments »
Jack LaLanne – Physical Fitness Master
January 12th, 2009
We started this blog with a simple memory about Jack LaLanne (still going strong). Today I found some Jack LaLanne Clips on YouTube to share.
A great Jack Lalanne clip about the care of the Human machine.
Use it a half hour a day, use only the best fuel and it will take care of and repair itself. It will power you through life.
In this second clip Jack asks whether you are going up or down. How to reach to higher goals and a great life in tune with natures laws:
Nutrition, Exercise, and Positive Thinking will take you to your goals.
Jacks positive story about The Battlefield of Life.
Now you know how to win life’s battle.
Is Insomnia Making You Fat?
January 11th, 2009
If you’re not getting a good night’s sleep on a regular basis, it may be having a negative effect not only on your energy levels but also on your waistline.
In a study of more than 68,000 women over a period of 16 years, Harvard researchers found that those who got less sleep tended to gain more weight. In fact, women who slept five hours or less a night were 32 percent more likely to gain at least 33 pounds during the study period than those who slept seven to eight hours.
Here are some tips to help you get your full dose of rejuvenating (and slimming!) sleep:
• Reduce the caffeine in your diet, and don’t drink caffeinated beverages late in the afternoon or in the evening.
• Beware of excitotoxins that can rob you of sleep. Common excitotoxins include MSG and aspartame (which you should already be avoiding because of their other health-harming effects).
• Go easy on the alcohol. While booze initially makes you drowsy, it interrupts your sleep cycle later.
• Shut down. If you keep a computer and/or TV on in your bedroom, the light will keep your brain waves in the “awake” state.
• Get cozy. A relaxing cup of herbal tea with chamomile and valerian helps you ease into sleep.
• Try melatonin or L-tryptophan, natural supplements that promote deep, restful sleep.
[Ed. Note: You can get plenty of great techniques for losing weight and staying fit - for free. Just sign up for ETR's natural health newsletter, and you'll get a twice-weekly dose of healthful recipes, fat-burning strategies, and more.
The holidays may be over, but you can still enjoy your favorite holiday treats - without an ounce of guilt. Pick up nutrition expert Kelley Herring's e-book, Guilt-Free Desserts, and find 40 easy-to-make, mouthwateringly delicious, 100% healthy recipes you can make at home.]
This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.
We’ve explained some of the causes of and ideas for stopping insomnia. If you snore there are other forces at work there are ways to naturally treat this condition and it’s more serious cousin: sleep apnea. There are cures for snoring and this is a program that you owe it to yourself to look at. It discusses both the causes of snoring and the cures for snoring:
You should always check with your doctor if you think you have sleep apnea. Have him work with you on the program.
Quick Tips to Boost Your Metabolism
January 8th, 2009
Quick Tips to Boost Your Metabolism
There are a lot of people who would give a lot to increase their metabolism. Having a high level of metabolism enables one to maintain burn fat and lose weight fast with the least amount of activity. Metabolism is the rate by which the body produces and consumes energy and calories to support life.
There are several factors that affect the metabolism of a person, such as the amount of muscle tissue, the frequency of the meals one consumes, genetics, stress levels, personal diet and activity levels. Metabolism slows done due to the following: loss of muscle because of not enough physical activity, the tendency of the body to cannibalize its own tissue because there is not enough food energy to sustain it, and the decrease of physical activity that comes naturally with old age.
Here are several ways to fire up one’s metabolism:
1. Build up on lean, mean body mass. It is only natural that metabolism decreases along with age, but it is possible to counter the effects. The amount of muscle a person has is a very strong determinant in the ability to burn calories and shed fat. So it goes without saying that exercise is essential. Build strength and resistance by working out at least twice a week, preferably with weights. Do easy exercises in between workouts. Simple tasks such as walking the dog and using the stairs in place of the elevator can already take off calories. The key is to match the amount of eating to the amount of activity one has. Here are some guidelines in getting the right exercise:
For strength training
-Increase the amount of repetitions of a particular exercise.
-Add the level of resistance
-Utilize advance exercise techniques if possible
For cardiovascular training
-Insert intervals between exercises
-Perform cross-training and combine the exercises
-Add up on resistance and speed
2. Eat breakfast. A lot of people are ignoring the fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Surprisingly, the ones who eat breakfast are thinner than the ones who do not. Metabolism can slow down considerably if breakfast is taken during mid-morning or if one waits until the afternoon to eat.
3. Avoid sugar. Sugar enables the body to store fat. It is recommended that a person consumes food that helps sustain an even level of blood-sugar. Additionally, progressive execerise 2-3 times a week should be in order to stabilize blood sugar.
4. Eat spicy foods. Hot cuisine with peppers can increase metabolism.
5. Sleep more. According to research, it is riskier for people who do not get enough sleep to gain weight. Also, muscles are regenerated during the last couple of hours of slumber.
6. Increase water intake. Water flushes out toxins that are produced whenever the body burns fat. Majority of bodily functions involves water, and lack of water causes the body system’s operations to decrease its speed, and produces unneeded stress as a result.
7. Eat smaller meals. It is advisable to consume 4 to 6 small meals that are timed 2 to 3 hours apart.
8. Never skip meals. People tend to skip meals in order to lose weight, which is a big mistake since it slows down metabolism.
9. Plan meals in detail. Always prepare the right amount of food to be consumed at the designated intervals. Do not commit the mistake of eating meals in sporadic patterns.
9. Ditch the stress! Stress, be it physical or emotional, triggers the release of a steroid called cortisol, which decreases metabolism. Also, people tend to eat excessively when stressed.
10. Guzzle up on green tea. It can be used as a substitute for coffee. Tea has the ability to stimulate metabolism, and unlike coffee, it has no undesirable side effects when too much is consumed.
11. Include more energy foods in the diet, such as fruits and vegetables, beans and whole grains.
Achieving the desired body weight is never impossible if one has the determination and patience needed to stabilize the metabolism level, which plays an important role in weight loss. A person needs to realize that eating right and working out is not just a passing fancy, but a way of life.
Disclosure: Compensated Affiliate
Detox Body in 7 Days with Internal Cleansers
January 8th, 2009
Awareness is one key factor to be able to stay away from illnesses and diseases. With today’s medical costs soaring high, it is quite expensive to get sick. And for this reason, many people now are looking for ways to stay healthy. But the more important consideration is whether they are ready to make certain changes in their lives or not.
Staying healthy means that you should eat the right kinds of food at the right amount, avoiding harmful vices like smoking and excessive alcohol drinking, and most importantly, changing your life to the fullest. If you think you can keep up with all of these things, then you’re sure to live a healthy and illness-free lifestyle.
Your body is susceptible to many illnesses and diseases probably because of the things (like food and certain beverages) that you take in. Even the environment that you live in can affect the level of toxins inside the body. When the toxins are too much for the body’s natural detox process, the toxins build up. This build up can have certain harmful effects to the body which might cause a person to get sick.
The detox diet is very much popular nowadays, and the diet includes the use of different herbs and supplements. Other persons follow a certain diet which aids the body’s detox process. These foods help in the excretion of toxins through your skin, lungs, liver, intestines, and kidneys. The lymphatic system of the body also helps in eliminating toxins in the body.
But before starting any detox diet or program, it is best to consult first your doctor; just to be safe and for you to obtain a correct assessment of your present health condition.
There is also toxicity symptoms which you might be able to observe if you already have excessive toxin build up. And once you start to detox your body, these symptoms will usually get worse. But after a few more days, they will eventually pass. It is a good sign because the toxins inside your body are eliminated in big quantities.
If you’re still looking for an effective way to get rid of toxins in your body, why not try the detox body cleanser. It cleanses the internal parts of your body in just seven days. Yes, you’ve heard it right, seven days.
You can make use of this detox program for seven days, and eliminate those unwanted body toxins. The detox body cleanser usually comes in caplet forms, as well as in fiber packets. It consists of natural fiber and herbs. After seven days, you will feel detoxified, energized, and revitalized. There are even consumers who claim that they feel the great effects even on the first day.
Detox body cleansers are reasonably priced; in fact, you can get one at no more than $12. Price is not a very important consideration especially if you want to achieve healthy visible results.
Detox body cleansers are convenient to use, though it is made from herbs, these cleansers are usually great tasting which works naturally with the body’s digestion. The entire formula is geared towards complete internal body cleansing.
Detox body cleansers are not hard to find. You can find them in leading drugstores, and even in online stores. Cleanse your internal body for only seven days, try it now.
Thump Your Way to a Stronger Immune System
January 3rd, 2009
With cold and flu season here, your immune system needs extra TLC. Along with exercise and a low-glycemic, nutrient-rich diet, there’s something else you can do. Stimulate your thymus.
The thymus is a gland located just behind the sternum. And while it’s tiny (weighing no more than 30 grams and shrinking down to only 5 grams by the time you reach the age of 75), this immune organ has a big job: It cranks out T-cells. (The “T” stands for thymus.)
You can wake up your thymus with a simple and effective exercise that has been practiced for millennia. Here it is:
Make a loose fist (with either hand). Using the second row of knuckles, rhythmically tap on your breastbone with a heart-like beat – tap, tap, pause, tap, tap, pause. The tapping should be heavy enough to make a drumming sound, and you should feel a vibration (which is what stimulates the thymus).
Practice this immune-boosting exercise anytime – every day, if possible. (It is particularly beneficial when you feel like you’re getting sick.) Because the thymus is most active for 90 minutes after you fall asleep, doing this exercise just before bedtime is ideal. Aim for a minimum of 20 sets of 3 for a maximum of 5 minutes.
[Ed. Note: Improving your health doesn't have to be difficult or expensive. You can find more easy-to-follow health techniques - plus get recipes for plenty of wholesome, healthful meals and updates on the latest breakthroughs in health and fitness - in ETR's natural health newsletter. Sign up for free right here.
Survive the holidays with nutrition expert Kelley Herring's brand-new e-books, Guilt-Free Desserts and Healthy Holiday Hors d'Oeuvres. You'll find 60+ recipes you can easily make at home.]
This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.
