How to Better Your Brain’s Health Improvement

How to Better Your Brain’s Health Improvement
 By: http://www.skybluecross.com
 They say that aging is one of the causes that lead to the weakening of your brain’s performance. As you grow older, your memory becomes out of form, this is why there are illnesses such as the unfortunate Alzheimer’s disease. Fortunately, there are already known ways that can help you better your brain performance, thus giving you the protection from the dreaded brain deterioration.

One good prevention is the inclusion of colorful fruits and vegetables to your diet. The brighter the color of the fruit or vegetable, the healthier and fresher it is – thus, the better. As you may know, healthy foods help the body get rid of unhealthy toxins because these foods have antioxidants. If you follow this kind of diet, then you may have a 70% lower chance of suffering from dementia when you get older.

Vitamins, especially vitamin B can also help maintain the fitness of your brain. If you lack vitamin B, you are more prone to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and many other diseases. So, you may want to include vitamin supplements in your everyday meal. If you do not feel like you need supplements, then you may want to cut down on your alcohol and cigarette consumption for these substances, together with coffee and sugar, can use up your body’s stock of vitamin B. Aside from this, you should also try eating more beans and green veggies; these are rich in vitamin B.

You should stay away from bad fats that come from junk foods. Your brain may be made up of fats, but this does not mean that it should come from the fats from hot dogs. Instead of munching on unhealthy foods, enjoy good fats such as fish and nuts and all those foods which are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids. If you do this, you will have a higher chance of keeping your brain in its best shape.

Stress is another thing that you should avoid if you want a healthy brain. Hence, you should protect yourself from being too stressed out and from being overwhelmed by all the drama that may come your way. Release your tension, relax and meditate so that you can give your body and your mind the time they need to recharge. Also, take enough rest and sleep. Six to eight hours of sleep is highly suggested to keep your mind in its prime. After a good rest, you should engage yourself in healthy activities, such as exercising and working out. This will keep your body active and alert.

Finally, if you are exercising your body, you should exercise your brain as well. Always use your mind – think and rethink. Keep your brain muscles active by reading, doing puzzles, answering crosswords and socializing with other people. There are a lot of activities that are designed to keep you thinking. Any type of activity from which you can learn is worth trying. Do not be afraid to explore, active learning is the key to your mind’s actual exercise.

As you know, the healthier you are the better; your brain should also feel the same way. If you are doing all your best to keep yourself physically fit, you should also keep yourself mentally fit. Fight all the factors that may cause the weakening of your brain performance.

How Nintendo Wii Fit Video Game Can Help You Maintain Your Fitness and Health

How Nintendo Wii Fit Video Game Can Help You Maintain Your Fitness and Health

By: http://www.skybluecross.com
The Nintendo Wii is one of the hottest selling video game consoles ever to hit the market today. This video game console doesn’t just let you play with video games but it will truly make you feel like you are a part of the game.

Today, the Nintendo Wii has released another add-on. Called the Nintendo Wii Fit, this particular game focuses on health and fitness. Everybody knows that people today doesn’t get enough exercise. Obesity and being overweight is becoming a very big problem in today’s society. Nintendo understands this which is why they developed the Nintendo Wii Fit.

First of all, you have to consider the fact that the thought of exercise alone is very boring. In fact, a lot of people who owns treadmills don’t even use it. And, people who have gym memberships don’t even workout.

With the Nintendo Wii Fit, you will see that exercising can be fun. Nintendo Wii Fit will be able to check your weight and progress. This is filled with fun activities, which will be able to exercise every part of your body and it will also help you maintain your physical fitness.

What’s more is that it also has yoga training, strength training, and even cardiovascular workout. The games here will not just improve your physical appearance, but it will also be able to improve your overall well-being.

This game will make your workouts more enjoyable and everybody in your family can really join in on the fun. This is a great way to promote health and wellness for the entire family as well as your friends.

Everybody knows that working out can be boring and it can also be hard. However, if you play with Nintendo Wii Fit, you will find that working out is not hard, but it will also be a lot of fun. What’s more is that it can be a fun activity that the entire family can do and at the same time, promote good health and better quality of life for everyone.

The great thing about the Wii Fit is that it teaches you the proper exercise methods. It will also plan your exercise regimen as well as record your progress. All in all, it basically acts as your personal fitness trainer.

In order for you to really take advantage of the Wii Fit game, all you need to do is position yourself on the balance board. This board will identify your body’s motion as well as your weight allocation. The data will then be relayed on the TV screen and the Wii Fit will be able to provide you with exercise options.

The exercises provided by the Wii Fit will be made on a more personal level. As you improve your overall health, the exercises will become more difficult and more intensive.

The Nintendo Wii Fit was primarily created to become a kind of fitness and learning system. However, a lot of people have stated that this also provided them enjoyment and fun and also an activity that the whole family can do.

So, if you think exercise is boring and you can’t seem to find time to go to the gym, you may want to get the Nintendo Wii Fit. With this video game, you will see that exercising can be a lot of fun and effective at the same time.

How health drinks can help you get better sleep

How health drinks can help you get better sleep


By: http://www.skybluecross.com
Nowadays, more and more experts agree that taking vitamins and mineral supplements in liquid form can be quite effective in achieving optimum health. This is because in this form, the body can absorb the nutrients it needs easily. For this reason alone why may companies decided to come with health drinks in liquid form such as those in juices while others come up with powder form which should be consumed along with liquid. And also for this reason why more and more people who are having trouble to get better sleep are hooked into these drinks.

Experts agree that people, these days, are very lucky because there is a continuous research and science experiment that aim to provide healthier and better tasting health drinks. In fact, health drinks come with variations of fruits, vegetables, enzyme grains, nuts, seeds, and other herbs to make them more appetizing and also contain ingredients that can help people get better sleep.

Other benefits of health drinks

These days, health drinks are reported to react differently to people who are using them. These also react depending on the purpose of the person using it. Experts say that the health drinks available in the market today can be categorized depending on the need of the consumers. There are those that are made to just deliver essential mineral and vitamins in the body. And, there are also those that are aimed towards increasing energy levels or increasing the muscle reaction to certain activities.

No matter which one you choose, rest assured that you can benefit from it once used in moderation. Aside from delivering essential vitamins and minerals and increasing energy that help a person get better sleep, the following are other benefits of health drinks:

- It satisfies the hunger and gives a sense of fullness. In a fast-paced, busy environment people are living in today, it is a must to have a source of energy at all times. One of the reasons why more and more people are into health drinks is to make up for the lost vitamins and minerals when they need to skip meal due to busy schedule.

- It improves overall health. Since most health drinks are packed with vitamins and minerals, it can help you fight off common diseases by consuming it regularly.

- It helps enhance mental stability. The nutrients in most health drinks are aimed to produce oxygen that keeps the blood vessels clear. Once a person takes in these nutrients regularly, it can help them have greater focus in the things that they do either at work or at home.

Although many health drinks are available in the market today, not all of these can give you the nutrients that you need. Before you buy or consume a health drink, try to ask your doctor first which are the ones he or she can recommend that would best suit your needs. If you prefer to buy on your own, make sure that these do not contain ingredients that can be harmful to you such as phosphoric acid, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and sweeteners, artificial dyes and coloring, processed vitamins, and modified food starches.

Make sure that the health drink that you are about to consume is not liquefied or pasteurized, have live enzymes from chlorophyll to aid better absorption. It should also has natural antioxidants that can help combat free radicals and are made whole food ingredients to be safe and will not cause any problems for you get better sleep.

Get Rid Of Acne With Healing Diets

Get Rid Of Acne With Healing Diets
http://altmedicine.about.com/od/popularhealthdiets/ht/diettest.htm
By: http://www.skybluecross.com/
Healing diets can help us in indirect ways. Learn the basis of why a healing diet can work, and how it specifically relates to acne. Covered are what foods you should avoid, and some surprising factors that can aggravate things.

Annemarie Colbin, in her book "Food and Healing", makes the interesting point that diets themselves, even healing diets, are not a cure per se. They do often work, but their route to health is actually a product of supporting the body's own healing processes.

Her view on skin conditions like acne is interesting. She sees acne as a result of the regular organs of elimination, the kidneys and lungs, being unable to eliminate all the toxic waster matter that we ingest into our bodies. She sees certain foods, like those that make up what she calls the Standard American Diet, as placing too great a stress on our body's ability to process them, at least if symptoms of ill health are appearing like acne. She has found from her own observations that a change in diet often clears up even the large, purplish types of acne. She found this with her own experiences with acne. Annemarie says it takes about ten days to three months to work.

Annemarie describes acne as falling into two main causes in her approach. The first is associated with fat, protein and excess sugar. Here she recommends eliminating foods like milk, cheese, ice cream, fatty meats, nuts and peanut butter. The second category is associated with what she calls mineral-water excess, which is s term she uses to describe all substances taken out of their natural context. She mentions iodized salt, or even multi vitamins or supplements like kelp. This is very much a personal relationship as what negatively affects one person may not do so for another.

The link between excess minerals or vitamin supplements relates to Colbin's idea of balance, which is that a living system always seeks to return to balance. Anatomy and physiology textbooks even define the processes of the body that way, and it is certainly a common idea in natural health systems, especially traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Colbin writes that excess minerals and vitamin supplements lead to an increased need for the macro nutrients protein, fat and carbohydrates. Salt is also in this category. The idea is that these vitamins and minerals, taken out of the context of the food itself, will lead to the body craving actual food to create a sense of balance. If we have a multi vitamin at mealtimes, within the RDA, I don't believe this is going to present a problem. Especially given that our foods are often depleted of the range of essential nutrients that they would normally have if they were grown organically and in nutrient dense soils. But it is certainly an argument in favor of approaching nutritional supplements in a balanced way also. Some people mistakenly think more is better. This clearly illustrates it is not.

References: Annemarie Colbin, Food As Healing (Ballantine Books, New York)
Simon Mills, The Essential Book Of Herbal Medicine (Penguin Arkana)

Learning to choose healthy foods

Learning to choose healthy foods
By: http://www.skybluecross.com

Today's hectic and demanding lifestyle as well as the emergence of convenient stores is among the major reasons why people skip their healthy meals. After learning how to depend on fast food stores and convenience stores, it is easier for people to just grab a food that contains less nutrition compared to those foods that matter.

With all these drastic changes in the habit of eating, food preparation and food options, people have become more prone to various diseases because their bodies fail to absorb the nutrients it needs. Contrary to common conception, healthy foods need not to be expensive, rare or hard to prepare. In fact, most of these recommended foods for healthy living is cheaper, abundant, and easier to prepare compared to those that can be bought in the nearest convenient store.

Why choose healthy foods?

Most food and nutrition experts say that healthy eating is not about what people cannot eat, it is about what people could eat in order to get the optimum nutrition that their bodies need.

If you are one of those who are on their way of learning to eat healthy foods, the best valuable thing that you can do when buying inside the grocery store or super market is to pick those that are fresh, unprocessed and whole. This is very ideal especially if you plan to buy fruit and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, and sprouts.

Considered as live foods, being fresh ensures that the food still contain the greatest amount of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that provides the body with optimum nutrition. Make sure that you eat fruits that are fresh, dried without sulfur dioxide or frozen without preservatives and avoid eating fruits that are canned and in heavy syrup because these have preservatives, additives, and sweeteners. Also, eat veggies that are fresh or raw, lightly steamed, baked and dried without sulfur and avoid eating veggies that are frozen with preservatives, additives, sweeteners.

Always opt for fresh sprouts and avoid veggies that are fried or overcooked. When it comes to grains, opt for whole grain products that are unprocessed, nonirradiated, non genetically modified, sugar free, no chemical additives, no preservatives and other whole grain & sprouted grain products like bread, muffins, tortillas, cereals, and pasta, crackers. Avoid products with white flour, unbleached flour, enriched flour, sweeteners, chemical additives, refined and processed grains, white rice, quick oats, instant oatmeal, and instant cereals.

When it comes to legumes, choose beans, peas, lentils, and chickpeas. Avoid using canned legumes prepared without animal fat, with chemical additives, sweeteners, pork and beans, and soybeans. Nuts and seeds such as almonds, filberts, pine nuts, cashews, raw seeds, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, raw nut butters, and tahini should be eaten raw. Avoid eating dry roasted nuts and seeds. Also, make sure that you choose animal foods such as eggs, poultry and other meat that are free range, hormone and antibiotic free as well as grass fed. In fish, opt for those that have the lowest exposure to mercury.

Aside from this, you should always consider eating organic foods over to those commercially-produced ones. Nutritionists say that organic foods are indeed the purest and healthiest foods out there because they are not yet contaminated with pesticides and have higher percentage of nutrition.

Lastly, learning to read and check the label of the food item that you are about to buy is one of the best ways to ensure that you will be eating healthy food. Checking if the item is properly labeled—especially these are pre-packaged—is your main defense and protection against possible adverse effects and unwanted ingredients or contents.

Tea Tree Oil and a Whole Foods Diet: A Complete Cure for Chronic Disease

Tea Tree Oil and a Whole Foods Diet: A Complete Cure for Chronic Disease

By: http://www.skybluecross.com
Tea tree oil has various uses in first aid treatments because of its triple antibiotic features: it's an antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal agent. To effectively treat chronic conditions, we have to treat the root of the imbalance; in many cases this can be accomplished through the use of tea tree oil along with dietary changes.


Tea tree oil has various uses in first aid treatments because of its triple antibiotic features: it's an antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal agent. The oil's first aid uses are fairly straightforward because we all know what to expect from a first aid treatment: we know we can use the substance to sanitize, heal cuts and wounds, and ease pain.

A chronic condition is more complex. It's common to hear someone with a chronic disease, such as acne, asthma or a yeast infection for example, say that "such-and-such a remedy" worked at first, or was effective for a while, and then the problem came back. Or maybe the symptoms were lessened but never completely disappeared. That's because many of the organisms responsible for these conditions occur naturally in our environments, or in our own bodies, and are kept in balance until something causes the balance to shift and the organisms to experience overgrowth. That's when we experience a severe acne outbreak, an asthma attack, or the symptoms of yeast infection.

In order to effectively treat the chronic condition, we have to recreate the state of balance, or in other words, we have to treat the root of the imbalance. I believe that in many cases this can be accomplished through the use of tea tree oil along with dietary changes.

In most cases, when I feel a cold coming on or sense the onset of a cold sore (things I rarely experience any more), I simply apply tea tree oil to my temples, throat and chest or wherever I feel the aches or the cold sore coming on, ingest a cough drop containing minute amounts of tea tree oil, and eliminate sugar from my diet. I also buy a bag of oranges and eat them freely, drink plenty of water, and get a few extra hours of sleep at night or by napping during the day. Also, a steamy hot bath with a few drops of tea tree oil in it works wonders. These things usually return me to good health.

As for a whole foods diet:

Include:
* Fresh vegetables and fruits
* Fish and poultry
* Flax seed (Linseed)
* Other essential fatty acids, such as olive oil and nuts
* Whole grains
* Organically raised foods where possible.
* Plenty of fresh water
* 1 tablespoon Psyllium seed husk fiber and/or 6 to 8 tablespoons flax seed meal and/or ¼ cup Oat bran daily

Avoid:
* Alcohol
* Animal fats
* Caffeine
* Dairy products
* Fast foods
* Hydrogenated oils and margarine
* Processed foods
* Junk foods
* Sugar
* White flour products

These days I usually feel dis-ease approaching during the winter months, because of bad eating habits during the holiday season, and because of occasionally using junk food to ease "cabin fever" symptoms (depression, uneasiness, lethargy). I may know better, but I'm not a saint! I've learned to forgive myself, then get back on the program with renewed vigor.

Antioxidants Naturally Found in Foods

Antioxidants Naturally Found in Foods
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Why do we need to eat foods that are found to be naturally high in antioxidants?
What are antioxidants?
Which foods do we need to eat, in order to naturally fight free radicals?

Why do we need to eat foods that are found to be naturally high in antioxidants?
What are antioxidants?
Which foods do we need to eat, in order to naturally fight free radicals?

Scientists have found that the body forms unstable oxygen molecules, called free radicals; every cell produces tens of thousands of them each day. A free radical is basically an atom with an odd number of electrons in its outer ring. Since electrons have a very strong tendency to exist in a paired rather than an unpaired state, free radicals indiscriminately pick up electrons from other atoms, which in turn convert those other atoms into secondary free radicals, thus setting up a chain reaction, which can cause substantial biological damage. This, in short, is bad. There are also many kinds of free radicals, which we are exposed to everyday, for example, pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides.

Antioxidants are thought to neutralise and stabilise these free radicals.

So, which antioxidants are naturally found in which foods?

We have:

Vitamin E: a fat-soluble vitamin found in vegetable oils, nuts, green leafy vegetables, and fortified cereals. Some of the foods containing the highest amounts of vitamin E are wheat germ oil, almonds, sunflower seeds, sunflower oil, hazelnuts, peanuts, spinach, broccoli, kiwi and mango.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant vitamin involved in the metabolism of all cells. It protects vitamin A and essential fatty acids from oxidation in the body cells and prevents breakdown of body tissues.

Vitamin C: Ascorbic acid is a water-soluble vitamin present in citrus fruits and juices, cabbage, green peppers, broccoli, spinach, tomato, kale, guava, cantaloupe, kiwi, papaya, and strawberries.
It is important in forming collagen, a protein that gives structure to bones, cartilage, muscle, and blood vessels. Vitamin C also aids in the absorption of iron, and helps maintain capillaries, bones, and teeth.

Beta-carotene: Beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A. It is present in liver, egg yolk, milk, butter, spinach, carrots, squash, broccoli, yams, tomato, cantaloupe, peaches, and grains.
Studies have been done on beta-carotene's effectiveness for heart disease, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, fibromyalgia, male infertility, and psoriasis.

Coenzyme Q10: CoQ10 boosts energy, enhances the immune system, and acts as an antioxidant. A growing body of research suggests that coenzyme Q10 may help prevent or treat some of the following conditions: heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and others. Primary dietary sources of CoQ10 include oily fish, organ meats such as liver, spinach, broccoli, peanuts, wheat germ and whole grains.

Selenium: Selenium is a trace mineral that is essential to good health but required only in small amounts. It helps synthesize antibodies; helps synthesize co-enzyme Q10and helps transport ions across cell membranes. The best sources of selenium are Brazil nuts, wheat germ, molasses, sunflower seeds, whole wheat bread and dairy foods.

You should note that there are many other antioxidants naturally found in foods.
You should also note that the best way to take antioxidants is naturally, through fresh, vibrant food.
One more thing; sometimes less is more. Some of these antioxidants are only needed in small amounts, so check into whether you need to take more or not, before you start overdosing on antioxidants!