Tag: immune system

Prostate Health

In medical terms, the prostate is ?a reproductive gland of the mammalian human system?. In simple and plain layman’s language, the prostate is a male reproductive organ that produces and stores seminal fluid. The prostate and its anatomy is different in several species. A healthy male human possesses prostate that is similar to the shape of walnut. The size may differ slightly. The gland circumscribes the urethra just under the urinary bladder and a rectal exam would confirm this position.

The structure of the prostate gland represents the modified wall of the proximal portion of the male urethra and becomes fully developed by the 9th week of embryonic life. When it comes to prostate health, there are several factors that can be taken in to consideration. First of all, we must understand that the vital health of the prostate gland can be affrected by the following common problems:
? Infection
? Enlargement
? Malignancy

Infection
? Prostatitis: This type of a prostate infection is both bacterial and non-bacterial. Bacterial infection that develops in the prostate can be both chronic as well as acute. A non-bacterial prostatitis is more common. Under this condition of vitamin C doses with saturation point are as effective. Infection in prostate or other kinds of stress would be a cause of low level of blood serum zinc. Prostate levels in particular. When it comes to prostatitis, zinc levels are up to one-tenth level as those present in normal prostate. Eating pumpkin seed is the one time-tested panacea for prostate. Pumpkin seeds are a great source of zinc. It is said that zinc supplement of around 50 to 100 milligrams consumed on a daily basis would help in the natural healing of this disease.
? Prostate Cancer: This is a serious medical disorder. However, one can easily treat it with the help of certain prostate health treatments. This cancer is slow growing and the actual benefits of surgery and radiation on therapy in this regard are statistically small.

One must consume adequate amount of zinc and vitamin C to facilitate strength of the body’s immune system and prevent cancer. One must also reduce the intake of red meat and limit it to only once a week in order to reduce the chances of development of prostate cancer.

Trust soybeans as there are two specific substances in soybeans that would help fight cancer. These substances are genistein and isoflavinoids. Good nutrition would any day beat this serious cancer.

Poor digestion

Digestion is the act of breaking down food into its component nutrients which are absorbed by the body and used for growth, repair and development. The digestive system in the human body is the most spread out system. Every organ in the digestive system has a role to play in digesting food such that it benefits the body and maintains a smooth functioning.
The digestive system is also the one system that is prone to all sorts of infections. There can be a variety of disorders of the gastric system ranging from the mild (constipation, heartburn) to severe (ulcers, colon cancer).
Apart from disorders caused due to infections or organ damage, something as seemingly innocuous poor digestion can also give rise to a lot of difficulties.
Poor digestion can have several consequences on the human body.
One effect that poor digestion has on the body is increasing its susceptibility to allergies. This is because due to poor digestion unprocessed food products, chemicals and even toxins may permeate the intestinal lining and enter the blood stream. This can give rise to a wide range of reactions from the immune system. The food ingested may be something that the person has eaten earlier without a reaction. However because there is poor digestion, the immune system is probably over active.
Poor digestion puts a lot of strain on the immune system. In fact it can also lead to autoimmune disorders where the immune system starts mistaking and attacking tissue cells of the body itself instead of bacteria or toxins. With this condition, the liver comes under the maximum stress.
Poor digestion may also give rise to inflammation of the lining of the gastric system which again is an immune reaction. This will definitely alter functioning of the digestive system.
Because of the delicate environment in the gastric tract poor digestion often leads to an over growth of bacteria and yeast. This can often go unchecked and worsen poor digestion into something worse.
Apart from these, poor digestion can give rise to conditions that are experienced commonly by people. Poor digestion can affect the speed of the entire process, either slowing it down or speeding it up. When the digestion is slowed down, constipation is often the result because the intestine has more time to absorb the water, leading to more hard and compacted stool. Poor digestion can speed up the process, leading to diarrhoea because the body doesn’t have enough time to absorb the water from the food. In this case, even nutrients are not absorbed.
Thus poor digestion can lead to fatigue, tiredness, a feeling of bloating, gassiness, nausea, etc.
Overall poor digestion can be very uncomfortable. Thus one should take good care of the digestive system since it is directly linked to good health and well being.

White rooibos

There are different types of teas presently available in market. The colors show different stages of leaves progress. In china white tea is very popular. They pluck young buds and young leaves. The buds are picked up before they are open. There is polyphenol oxidase in these young leaves and buds. The steaming process is carried out to deactivate these polyphenol oxidase chemicals. This way it becomes possible to retain high amounts of catechins in tea leaves. There is pretty less processing in white teas as compared to green teas. There is no air drying involved here. This white variety of tea is an attempt to keep as much catechins as possible.

The studies have proved that white tea extract can destroy in vitro the organisms that cause the diseases. These organisms include viruses, fungi and bacteria. If you consume white tea then your immune system will be more efficient. The skin cells are well protected in sun rays. It is proved that white tea can provide protection against colon tumors. These white teas and green teas are from the same plant. They contain caffeine also. This will inhibit iron absorption in the body and there will be side effects of caffeine also.

This rooibos tea is made from different type of tree leaves. These rooibos leaves do not contain any caffeine at all. This means there is no inhibition to the iron absorption by the body. There are many additional chemicals in rooibos tea which makes it ideal health drink. There are no calories associated with this rooibos tea. This makes it ideal drink for the weight watchers also. There is no oxalic acid in this rooibos tea. This means there cannot be kidney stone formation due to consumption of this rooibos tea. There are different anti oxidants in this rooibos tea as compared to that of white tea variety.

There are free radicals in our body. These are toxins in our body. These toxins attack the cells and damage them. Ultimately the tissues also get damaged. These anti oxidants are chemicals which neutralize these free radicals. But there are different types of anti oxidants with varied roles. It is not only the amounts of anti oxidants that matter, but their role also matters. The experts tell us that these anti oxidants in both white tea and rooibos tea have different roles. They are not replicable. In other words, it is useful to take both the varieties in moderate quantity. There is lot of literature available regarding white teas. This rooibos tea is comparatively recent phenomenon and there is pretty few research publications regarding their effects. There are some people marketing the mixtures of both. It is up to you to decide about using these mixtures.

Body_detox_organs

Body detoxification is the process of removing unwanted chemical substances known as toxins from the body, thereby allowing greater health. According to Dr Elson Hass the various symptoms of toxicity are headaches, fatigue, mucus problem, aches and pains , allergies, digestive problems, sensitivity to external factors like chemicals, perfumes etc. He further states that body detoxification organs are:
1. Respiratory – lungs, throats, bronchial tubes, sinus, and nose
2. Gastrointestinal-Gall bladder, liver, colon, and GI tract
3. Urinary-Bladder, Kidneys, and urethra
4. Dermal and skin-Sebaceous glands, sweat, and tears
5. Lymphatic -Lymph nodes and channels

Liver is central to detoxifying program of body. It is responsible for processing and breaking down toxins like herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals, alcohols, drugs, and other chemicals in environment. It is the organ which is directly affected by pollution. Hence our diet should support liver by supplying nutrients to it.

According to Janice Wittenberg, R.N. colon should be in a good shape before liver healing is started, as the toxins will be stored by liver if they are not excreted by colon. A Colon detoxification program makes one’s body ready for optimal health by removing Mucoid plaque. Colon detoxification program involves diet rich in raw fruits and vegetables so that the digestive system is free from Mucoid plaque and toxins will not build and food will be digested fully.

Liver detoxifies in two phases, under phase I liver makes fat soluble toxins into water soluble which are then eliminated in phase II. In phase II enzymes are used to bind the transformed toxins and are then excreted. Hence in simple terms we can say that the liver help in changing many toxic substances into agents which are harmless, while the waste is carried by bloods to kidney ; the liver dumps wastes into intestine using bile, where elimination of waste takes place . We also clear toxins through exercise, heat and sweating.

Detoxification done by the body internally reverses the damaged caused due to external and internal toxins. Thus strengthening the immune system so as to fight diseases and restore good health. Several detoxification methods have been developed which includes parasite elimination and de worming, liver cleaning, colon cleaning, gall bladder flushing and many more.

Body detoxification and cleansing gives numerous benefits to the body some of them are Strengthening of the immune system, weight loss, riddance from nagging body aches and pains, glowing complexion, enhanced energy levels, improved sleep, a renewed interest in life. This results in body detoxification organs start behaving more intelligently and efficiently by cleaning and detoxifying the body regularly on day to day basis. These benefits will remain permanent if the body detoxification organs are supplied by rich nutrient food.

New anti-ageing diet

Health problems in old age happen almost to everybody. We can rewrite our health problems, provided we know how to go about it. The longevity, our feelings, attitude and how we look depends to a great degree on the food habits and lifestyle selections we make. The food we eat has a profound effect on almost every aspect of our body and even mind.
Many of the visible signs of old age can be masked and may even live a longer life by maintaining a healthy anti-ageing diet.

Human beings are genetically coded. Genes have influence on our state of health. But not entirely! We can also reprogram it by having good anti-ageing diet.

Anti-ageing diet

The important guidelines for anti-ageing diet are:

1. An anti-ageing diet should be high in antioxidants, which would include foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Fishes are high source of this fatty acid which stimulate the immune system, decrease the chances of cardiac arrest. An Anti-aging diet and exercise are very important for overall vigor and vitality. A short list of foods rich in antioxidants and that should be included in any anti-ageing diet are orange, carrot, almonds, pomegranate, sweet potato, strawberries etc.
2. The important thing to remember in anti-ageing diet is nutrition equation required in old age. Anti-ageing diet should have nutrient-rich low calorie meals. Limit your daily intake of calories to 1800. The anti-aging diet plan should have strict distinction between consuming less and malnutrition so make sure that all of your Recommended Daily Allowances are included in the anti-ageing diet. Drink adequate amount of water everyday.
3. Anti-ageing diet should contain Fruits, vegetables and other plant-based foods. They are rich sources of phytochemicals and antioxidants that help protect against age-related disorders like heart disease, high blood pressure. Pack your anti-ageing diet with plant based foods.
4. New anti-ageing diet should be based on the old adage that says have breakfast like an emperor, have lunch like a prince and have supper like a pauper. Healthy breakfast gives body enough daily caloric allotment early in the morning and this gives your body time to work those calories off. Have six small, healthy meals throughout the day, rather than the regular three large meals so that it can help keep your metabolism on a good note.
5. New anti-ageing diet should contain minerals that prevent bone loss and osteoporosis whish is prevalent in old age. Add sufficient amounts of calcium and Vitamin D in anti-ageing diet. Often, adequate calcium and Vitamin D need to be acquired from both nutritional supplements and food.
6. Anti-ageing diet recommended for healthy skin is foods rich in pigments like tomatoes, blueberries etc and hydrogenated oils, saturated fats. Intake of protein should be at least 40-60gms per day.
7. Anti-ageing diet should be complemented by regular exercise. Studies suggest that regular physical activity can help protection against diseases, maintain memory and preserves agility.

Vitamins for Menopause

Today vitamins have been increasingly used to treat the symptoms of menopause. Vitamin E has been used by doctors to treat the symptoms of menopause. However other vitamins are also used today to treat the other symptoms of menopause. Lets us have a look at what each of the vitamins is capable to do.

1) Vitamin A – This vitamin is primarily used for health and growth of skin, eyes and the mucous membranes. Deficiency of vitamin A can lead to poor eyesight and night blindness and other infections in the body. The best sources of vitamin A are carrots, milk, apricots, sweet potato, turnips and spinach.
2) Vitamin B Complex – This vitamin is commonly used on patients who are on Hormone Replacement therapy popularly known as HRT. Folic acid is used to prevent precancerous changes in the cervix. All types of vitamin B supplements help to control body sugar and also maintain the normal condition of the liver and stabilize brain function. Low levels of vitamin B complex in the body may lead to stress, fatigue and depression. Sources of vitamin B are leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, fish and whole wheat bread. Vitamin B12 is found in fish, poultry, eggs and milk.
3) Vitamin C – This vitamin is very helpful during menopause. It helps to mend wounds and burns in the body quickly and also helps the body’s immune system. It is seen that if the body’s immune system is strong then the symptoms of menopause may get lessened. The best sources of vitamin C are cereals, kale, peppers and citrus fruits.
4) Vitamin D – Vitamin D is taken by the patient for building stronger bones along with other calcium supplements. Vitamin D also minimizes the risks of osteoporosis as people get older. The best sources of Vitamin D are salmon, egg and milk products.
5) Vitamin E – The vitamin is popularly known as menopausal medicine because it has chemical components similar to the hormone estrogen. Vitamin E is widely used as an estrogen substitute. The best sources of vitamin E are wheat germ oils, leafy vegetables, dried beans and eggs.
6) Bioflavonoids – A type of phytochemical found in the pulp of citrus fruits helps to reduce hot flashes, excessive menstrual bleeding, vaginal problems and emotional problems like depression and mood swings.

Hence we see that each vitamin has an important part to play for directly or indirectly treating the symptoms of menopause.

Weight Lifting Diet

One must always remember that diet and exercise must go hand in hand. A good diet without proper exercise will not be particularly effective. Likewise, exercise and a poor diet is not the course to healthy living. Therefore, it is important that a person develop a comprehensive approach to diet and exercise. In this article, discussion is had of how you can about crating a proper weight lifting diet.

A weight lifting diet should be healthy, low fat, high protein, but with enough calories to sustain your increased exertion. Many body builders will abuse their bodies by reducing their fat and caloric intake to alarmingly drastic lengths.

Dieting in this manner can cause organ failure and ultimately heart failure. Don’t take the chance. You are sculpting your body on the outside, do the same on the inside. You would never dream of putting so much weight on the bar that it tore your muscles or broke your bones, don’t do that to the inside of your body. Respect that your body is a finely tuned machine. Everything is programmed to work a certain way. If you take away its fuel it will not perform for you the way you want it to.

You probably already know that protein is vital to building muscle, but did you know it also helps you get cut? Protein is great for burning fat. You also need adequate calories for fuel. Therefore, when creating a weight lifting diet, you need to understand the importance of protein in the overall program

You should never drop below 1200 calories a day, it is dangerous and your body can not operate optimally at that level. You may be inclined to cut out all fat, but don’t. You need fat to cushion your organs and keep your skin supple. Allow yourself a little fat each day, but stay away from saturated fats. The big thing you want to cut down on is sugar. Too much sugar will impair your immune system, slow you down, make you thirsty and make you fat. Use common sense when creating a weight lifting diet.

Keep in mind, as you consider a weight lifting diet, that you should never begin a diet or exercise program without first checking in with your doctor. Your doctor can provide you advice and guidance as to what you should and should not do in regard to matters such as creating and crafting a truly healthy weight lifting diet. Again, see a doctor before you begin any weight lifting diet program.