December 3, 2011
Imagine if your body did not have any cartilage. As you move, your bones, will just rub off against each other. That will cause inflammation, irritation, within your joints and bones which will cause various conditions such as arthritis. That must be really painful. That is how important your cartilage is.
Your cartilage is a connective tissue which acts like a cushion between your joints and bones. These are tough and rigid tissues but are softer than your bones. Apart from preventing your bones from rubbing off of each other like that of the cartilage on your knees, your cartilages are also responsible for holding some bones together like those cartilages at your ribs. Also, some cartilages, as you grow older, develop into bones. For example, when you are young, the bones on the end of your arms were just cartilage.
Your cartilage is considered as avascular. This means that the cartilages get the nutrients they need through the matrix and not through the blood vessels. These cartilages are made of cells referred to as, chondrocytes, collagen, and elastin.
There are three types of cartilages, the hyaline cartilage, elastic cartilage, and fibrocartilage. The hyaline cartilage is made up of collagen and contains no blood vessels or nerves. These cartilages are found in the trachea, ribs, larynx, and bronchi. On the other hand, the elastic cartilage which is also called yellow cartilage contains collagen fibers and fiber networks. It also contains a protein called elastin. This type of cartilage is found in the outer ear, epiglottis, and larynx. Lastly, the fibrocartilage contains varying levels of fibrous tissue and cartilaginous tissue which causes this type of cartilage to be flexible, tough, and elastic, respectively. This type of cartilage is found at your pubic symphysis, intervertebral discs, annulus fibrosis, and meniscus.
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November 30, 2011
After talking about body composition last week and how a high percentage of body fat can poorly influence overall health, I decided it was important to clarify the role of fat in the diet. If you’ve been confused about what type and how much fat to include in your diet, you’re not alone. Yet one thing is certain: after many years of being told to avoid fat because it will make you fat, we now realize that fat is absolutely necessary as part of a healthy diet, and if eaten sensibly, will help to keep you lean and looking and feeling good.
In general, our diets should include approximately 20 – 35% calories from fat. So for example, in a 2,000 calorie/day diet, this would amount to 400 – 700 calories. At 9 calories per gram, this converts to 44 – 78 grams of fat per day. If that sounds like a lot to you, consider why fat is so important in the diet:
It’s a source of concentrated energy
It is a major structural component of cell membranes
It’s a source of insulation
It’s necessary for healthy skin and nails
It slows down digestion
It’s needed to absorb fat-soluble vitamins and nutrients
It keeps our vision strong
It’s involved in cell signaling
It’s a major component of the central nervous system and necessary for proper brain function
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November 22, 2011
Gastritis is the inflammation of stomach due to various reasons associated with digestion. It causes irritation in the stomach and is very unpleasant. Gastritis is caused by alcohol, pain killers, improper food intake etc. Stress and other medical complications also can trigger gastritis.
Home remedies are the best for gastritis as they are gentle and natural for the system. It is ideal to treat the cause for any kind of problems and hence if gastritis is caused by alcohol in a person, he or she should avoid alcohol at least until the problem is solved. Similarly, intake of lots of spicy food can end up in indigestion and also gastritis, in such cases foods that are soothing for the stomach and easier for digestion should be consumed till your stomach is back into its normal shape and functioning.
Coconut water is soothing and cooling for the stomach and is an effective remedy for gastritis. Spinach and carrot juice can also calm the irritations caused by gastritis. Curd and buttermilk can bring about a quick recovery. Asafetida mixed in cumin water is also a known remedy in cases of gastritis. Juice extracted from potato can be taken before meal to treat gastritis. Lemon juice can heal gastritis.
Licorice is effective in the treatment of gastritis and ulcers. Artichoke can help relieve abdominal pain and nausea. Ginger is a wonder medicine for any stomach related irritations and diseases. Ginger juice mixed with salt or honey or ginger tea can be effective and relieving for stomach troubles. Goldenseal destroys the bacteria that causes gastritis and can speed up the recovery. Marshmallow can relieve gastritis and indigestion too. Peppermint is also an effective medicine when it comes to digestion related problems. Papaya seeds and pineapples promote digestion and can be used in the treatment of gastritis. Marigold and bishop’s weed are known herbs that are effective in the treatment of gastritis. Carom seed is another herbal remedy for stomach problems. Asparagus can reduce the heat in the stomach and can fight acidity too.
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November 10, 2011
If you’re looking to improve your overall energy level, decrease your chances of depression and improve your physical and mental health, regular exercise, with a juicing program is the shortest way to make those goals! Your physical fitness can have a tremendous impact on other areas in your life, and plays a key role in your physical and psychological health.
Be mindful of what you hope to achieve with your exercise/juice program. For example if you want to lose weight, then ideally juicing of vegetables and fruits will be of great benefit.
The juicing part will give the necessary Vitamins, Enzymes and Nutrition to give you the strength needed to exercise. The exercise part will burn off the calories to take the weight down.
Check with your Health Care Provider the types of exercises that are safe for your practice. Then create a weekly program to help you reach your weight loss goal and fitness agenda.
If you are starting an exercise/juicing program for the first time, you’ll have days when you don’t feel like doing anything. When this happens, visualize the body you are trying to build as this acts as a great motivator.
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October 28, 2011
Remember the last time you stubbed your toe? Had a head cold or an athletic injury? THAT is inflammation. Can inflammation be a good thing? Yes, in its simplest sense, inflammation is a tactic of our immune system to help us heal. Our bodies use inflammation to repair damaged tissue and to eradicate bacteria and viruses, for example.
Inflammation, however, can be a two-edged sword. There are two types of inflammation: acute and chronic (or silent). Acute inflammation gets your attention right away such as with an athletic injury – it hurts. But silent inflammation is a result of our immune system that goes out of control. It is much like putting gasoline on an already burning fire. It is insidious because it goes on 24 hours a day. You cannot feel silent inflammation until the cumulative damage begins to talk to us, if you will, in the form of diabetes, arthritis, weight gain, heart disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, cancer, faster aging, symptoms and much more.
Dr. Barry Sears, Ph.D. says it best in his groundbreaking book, ‘The Anti-Inflammation Zone’ “Silent inflammation is simply inflammation that falls below the threshold of perceived pain.”
What is the pay-off for reducing or preventing inflammation? You will think with clarity, have more energy, and prevent illness, disease and symptoms and as an added bonus? You will look younger, healthier and more vibrant.
Cooling the heat of inflammation starts with these three tips:
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October 16, 2011
When children have a long period of constipation, it can result in impacted bowel or fecal impaction. It is important to treat constipation to prevent impacted bowel in children. For infants who are three months old or less, having 2 to 3 bowel movements a day is normal. Infants who are a year old or less should normally have about two bowel movements a day. And toddlers and small children should have at least one bowel movement a day.
There could be slight variations between children, but what parents need to look for is a variation in a particular child’s bowel frequency from their normal routine. When a child that normally has one or two bowel movements daily, stops having them for a few days, it could be a sign of constipation.
Parents should take children who are less than a year old to their pediatrician for treating the impacted bowel. Doctors might treat the condition administering a glycerin suppository or they might perform an enema.
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October 6, 2011
How to burn belly fat? I think that may be one of the biggest questions out there with the broadest answers of how we can do it. I think there is no quick fix on how to do it. I think to burn belly fat you need to begin every morning with your routine and how you are approaching your fat loss. Now, the hard part. What can you do and where do you start to burn belly fat? Let’s take a look into the causes of belly fat to better understand what is actually making you suffer from this.
The obvious reason for your need to burn belly fat is the lifestyle that you are leading. You know you need exercise to create a higher metabolism which will begin the fat burning within you. But it is always easier to just sit and think about your fat loss, instead of actually taking the steps needed to do this. You would be amazed at the outcome of a simple walk each evening. To burn belly fat you need this. Maybe, instead of taking the car 4 blocks to the super market you could walk there? How about instead of having the remote right next to you it is set down 20 feet from the television. I know this sounds stupid to some, but you have to actually exercise to get your television channel changed. Fill an empty milk jug with water when you are finished with it. When you watch television, simply lift it now and then with each arm, this is making your metabolism increase, which in turn will help burn belly fat. Keep it simple, make up your own routine that will get you moving. The more you move, the more you increase everything good in your body.
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October 3, 2011
Have you experienced being exposed to various elements in a day and still feel healthy without feeling any pain or weakness? The very reason why you don’t get sick that easily is because of your immune system. Immune system safeguards you from the attacks of viruses outside your body. It is your defence mechanism but when it bogged down, you are not safe from being sick and your body will be affected.
The immune system is consists of the cells and tissues that act as your protective guards against viruses and pathogens. It counter attacks viruses and harmful agents that try to invade your body because they can cause you damage and weakness. A weak one is sometimes caused by stress. Since the this system needs energy, when it is being weakened by stress and fatigue, the body will not be able to control the invasion of outside agents to your body. Others could be caused of improper diet and less exercise. There are common signs of a weak immune system such as allergies, flu, cold, inflammation, and slow healing of wounds.
Some of your body have parts that act as the system camp meaning these parts are the ones responsible to clear and defend the body from harmful organisms to avoid sickness and infections. Here are some of the body parts that protect and strengthen the function of the this particular system of your body:
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September 28, 2011
Have you ever wondered what’s in your indoor air that causes you problems? Identifying the problem and doing something about it gets you closer to a happy ending. Here are 5 types of people who can improve their health by filtering the air with the right kind of air cleaner.
Second Hand Smoke Victims—If you are forced to breathe smoke that you aren’t creating getting rid of this hazard probably can’t happen fast enough for you. Many people who have this problem don’t even live with the person who smokes.
Apartments are notorious for sharing heating and cooling systems and this makes it easy for smoke to pass from one apartment to another. Short of your neighbor deciding to quit smoking (don’t hold your breath), filtering your air is the most effective way to deal with this problem.
Clean air is especially critical to infants, small children, seniors, as well as pets.. And it shouldn’t go without saying that clean air helps those who are healthy stay healthy.
Allergy Sufferers—Those who struggle with allergies often have sensitivity to multiple allergens that are both gaseous and particulates. Some of the usual and most potent particle triggers include household dust, dust mites, mold and mildew spores, pet dander, bacteria and viruses.
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September 16, 2011
We all wish to constantly have fresh breath. Whether or not it occurs subsequent to a full day of going without brushing your teeth or rinsing with mouthwash, or if it transpires right after we come to life in the morning, bad breath is unquestionably a cause for embarrassment. One can find different things that may result in this kind of breath, although some may assume that the explanation focuses mostly on bad oral hygiene. Foul breath may typically be just a symptom of a more serious physiological problem.
Among the reasons that foul breath happens is dry mouth. When your mouth doesn’t manufacture enough saliva, your breath will become stale as you do not have the proper weapon to fight bacteria. Dry mouth can come about because of a variety of factors, one cause of mouth that is dry is the intake of medicines, both prescription and non-prescription. Medicine for allergies, hypertension, psychotic disorders such as depression and anxiety, and even diarrhea sometimes cause dry mouth as a side effect. Additionally lifestyle patterns can equally have an effect on your breath. Smoking and drinking can easily cause suffering from drying.
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