MyGreenHealth

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An Olive Tree

What could be the secrets to the good and healthy life enjoyed by a lot of people living around the Mediterranean area? Read on and find out for yourself.   Let us take a quote from a doctor who led on a study on that: “Eat fresher fruits, green vegetables, nuts and beans. Lessen the consumption of meat products and animal fats – that is if you plan to live longer.”

In its core, that is the recommendation taken from a very credible source, Professor D. Trikopulos who is based in Harvard University. He led a team to study to verify the link between diet and life duration. The team searched on Greek villages and studied 180 men and women aged 0 years and older for a period of six years. What they found out could help us guide our lifestyle.

After collecting all the necessary data on how the diet of these people, Trikopulos came into the conclusion that life expectancy was twice higher in the cluster which strictly followed healthy diet in contrast to the group that did not or whose diet was on the other track.

Though the professor is careful in concluding that these people possessed the key to the ring of longevity, he believes that it has something to do with their diet and lifestyle. He referred to the Mediterranean diet as one of the healthiest methods around and one of the most powerful ways of giving more quality years to your life.

When we talk on Mediterranean diet, the focus is on: high consumption of non-animal fats (like olive oil), love of variety of legumes, regular intakes of fruits and vegetables, minimal amount of meat and dairy products and modest alcohol consumption (like red wine).

The main secret of the Mediterranean diet lies in lower blood cholesterol levels credited to the amazing properties of olive oil. Aside from the many health benefits of olive oil, its regular use also induce people to eat more veggies because of its taste enhancing capability.

Let us learn from these people and change our diet accordingly. More fruits, veggies and loads of olive oil, please!

It is nice to be healthy and smart!

Solar-Energized House

As we are advancing on our quest for greener energy, consumers are now given the chance to have their own source of power right in their own homes. Welcome to solar power!

The home solar power systems can provide you with your very own electricity so as to gradually wean yourself from overdependence and staggering bills from big commercial power providers.

On the market now, it would be easy to choose the right supplier of home solar power systems. Because they could be a little bit expensive, take it as an investment because in the long-run you will really be saving big money. This system is assured to be working for you many years from now benefiting you and your family with high quality generation of renewable energy.

Use the amazing muscles of Google to search for solar energy information which could give you the picture of how the system could work for your electricity needs. You can easily browse through many websites featuring details on this subject. Get on the meat of the process by finding information on the uses, the technical procedures and the various benefits as well as the entire set-up process. I am sure you will see for yourself the significance and benefits of having this system installed in your house.

Much-needed information on solar energy including beneficial energy saving ideas and energy saving tips are now also frequently talked about in many magazines and newspapers. You can find magazines publishing high-pixel photographs of solar systems providing you a clear idea on their appearance.

In addition to good tips and guides, go ahead and try to look at and compare prices as ell as designs offered by different companies. Armed with solid information, your buying decision can be well-informed and wise.

You will notice that most solar energy companies are not just into solar power systems because they might be carrying other energy saving and cost effective products too. These products are good for maximizing the use of power while minimizing your bill at the end of the month.

Examples of energy-saving products include heating controls, double-glazed windows, energy-saving light bulbs, solar pool heater, solar pathways light, water heater tank and other new innovations. It is really exciting just browsing around these types of products.

Right now, many firms are coming out with different energy-saving products or gadgets because of the ever-increasing demand for these devices as well as the green movement turning the focus on renewable and green energy.

Households can now utilize some forms of alternative and renewable supplies of energy like solar and wind energy. It is quite possible to generate enough quantity of electricity needed for your home. And as long as the sun continues its job of emitting rays, you won’t be running out of possible supply.

With the current support and push for solar energy created by various firms, the government and concerned environmental organizations, we are expecting more and more households to see the benefits and adopt solar power systems. Solar energy is good for the budget as well as a sign of love for the environment.

Let’s go solar and reap its various advantages!

The Human Brain

Our human body is subject to the aging process. And as we undergo the aging process, our mental sharpness is gradually affected. This is the time when mental functions are slowly losing its agility.

When your memory is getting jumbled, then maybe it is due to aging. Majority of doctors and scientist involved in health are one is saying that this mental tumbling down is due to the oxidative strain and brain havoc courtesy of free radicals.

According to a reliable doctor, “Oxidative stress and inflammation are the most significantly damaging evil twins leading to brain aging.”

In the recent convention under the auspices of the American Chemical Society, scientists expounded the reasons behind the brain decay related to aging. The popular doctor named Shibu Poulose, Ph.D., delivered the important new study.

Dr. Poulose is the current head of the project under the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging based in Boston. On this project, he was collaborating with another renowned doctor – Dr. Joseph.

The late Dr. Joseph was considered as one of the pioneering leaders and scientist doing credible studies on how various antioxidants contained in different fruits and nuts can avert cognitive decline.

Before finishing this project, Dr. Joseph made a successful research which showed and confirmed that both inflammation and oxidative damage are the top factors causing physical and mental aging-related problems.

The new research shows one more critical and earlier unidentified factor in mind decline. And finally confirms there is one food which is above all other food in the area of averting mental decline. That fruit is blueberry.

Let’s take a look at the mental aging process. During our younger days, we are producing in our brains cells named microglia. Using the autophagy process, these cells can be able to eradicate and reprocess biochemical rubbish. These so-called brain “cleaners” are doing good to your brain by clearing away mental rubbles which have the potential to  impede the normal brain functioning.

The problem is that we get older, these brain “cleaners” also aged.  They get less efficient and will reach a period when they end their function. Consequently, there could be building up of “mental debris” which definitely affects the over-all mental health.

And the worse thing happens as the old brain “cleaners” in countering the buildup of debris are starting to harm the remaining healthy cells in the brain.

Right now, there are some studies conducted to determine how to shut off the authophagy process with older people so it will not instead create more damages to the brain.

Hopefully a possible cure could be on the horizon!

Tropical Storm

The facts are already out and overwhelmingly clear for those who have eyes to see and heart to ponder. Of course, not unless you are an alien stationed in a far flung galaxy. All over the globe, year 2010 could be on record as the hottest year ever in the history. Catastrophic events like the enormous Pakistan floods, persistent droughts in Russia and huge landslides in China countryside might be hard to deny before our own very eyes.

I think we have to consider for a moment and honestly compare facts of the emergence of extreme weather patterns with what scientists have projected all along that results from climate change: shifting global temperature, relentless rainfall and snow in other parts of the globe while major major droughts in some parts. Are we still on the denial road?

Despite the overwhelming facts, skeptics — like the now infamous Koch brothers, Massey Coal and Lord Monckton — will no doubt continue to spend big bucks to keep spreading misinformation about global warming. Instead of using their resources fighting the problem, they would rather waste money to deny global warming. I must say these people are very pathetic indeed!

We want to fight the skeptics so we need a growing number of people to get informed. Due to overwhelming evidence, global leaders like Russian President Dmitry Medvedev are now convincing us to look seriously on climate change. President Medvedev clearly delivered a strong message at a United Nations Security Council gathering when he said:

“What is happening now in our central regions is evidence of this global climate change, because we have never in our history faced such weather conditions in the past. This means that we need to change the way we work, change the methods that we used in the past.”

Pakistan suffered almost 1,700 deaths and huge property and agricultural damages this summer induced by severe monsoon-related floods in recent memory. According to statistics, 2000-2009 would go down to be the warmest decade on record. And 2010 alone could be the warmest year ever in the past 130 years.

Extreme weather disturbances are putting lives and properties at risk on a global scale.  It is about time we get the real facts and evidence and spread the warning to the people while there is still time left.

How many lives have to lose before we all wake up to the facts? Do we have to wait before everything is too late?

Honest questions need frank answers!

Meditating With The Baby

Have you thought of your thoughts? How do you define a thought?  According to some experts, a thought is a form conceived in the mind and consists of a few micromilliwatts of energy flowing through the brain.  Everyday a normal and average human being can process up to 70,000 thoughts.

Since thoughts come and go rapidly, and are as transitory as passing clouds, most people dismiss them as being unimportant and inconsequential.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

Thoughts wield a powerful impact on your body, your health — and your life.  “Every good thought you think is contributing its share to the ultimate result of your life,” Grenville Kleiser once said.  Likewise, every negative thought you think also contributes its share — and is capable of wreaking havoc to your health, whether you realize it or not.

Maybe you have already heard of people suffering from incurable, often lingering, disease or sickness but were healed spontaneously and restored to perfect health with no medical intervention in any way.

This phenomenon of spontaneous healing which some people compare to a spiritual or religious experience in most cases can be explained by the body’s miraculous ability to produce its own chemicals to heal the body.

For example, when you think thoughts of tranquility at a deep level of awareness, your body — specifically, your leukocytes, adrenal cells and macrophages — will start producing a tranquilizing biochemical similar to diazepam (a drug popularly called as Valium).  However, not like Valium, the tranquilizing chemical produced by the body is the “real diazepam” — the molecule of tranquility supporting the appropriate functioning of the immune system.

A negative thought, on the other hand, releases a cascade of harmful chemicals in your body, takes its toll on your health and well-being, slowly kills your spirit, and could also lead to physical disease.

Consciously directing one’s mind to think only thoughts that cause the body to produce health-enhancing biochemical is, quite frankly, easier said than done. It is because every human being is made up of conditioned reflexes, reacting to people and circumstances … and such reactions result in very predictable biochemical outcomes such as behavioral outcomes and finally physical outcomes.

Therefore, if you are conditioned to enjoy thrill rides and roller coasters your positive thoughts would cause your body to produce substances that are beneficial to your health.  If, on the other hand, you are conditioned to fear roller coasters your negative thoughts would cause your body to produce substances that are detrimental to your health and may even cause illness.

No two people process the same stimulus the same way.  That which causes fear in one person clearly may not affect the other person the same way.  The difference in the way you or another person reacts to stressors — and the difference in your ability (or inability) to relax and experience tranquility — has something to do with your respective conditioning.

To counteract conditioned responses detrimental to your health, you can choose to reframe those stressors in ways that neutralize their negative effect.  But by far, the most effective method for overcoming deep-seated conditioning is hypnosis.

Using hypnosis, which is a focused state of attention that increases suggestibility, you can rise above conditioned reflexes, adapt easily to stressful situations, resolve existing anxieties, and create positive ways of looking at the world.

These go a long way in mustering the body’s natural ability to produce health-enhancing biochemical more advanced than any pharmaceutical company could ever manufacture.

Befriend your thoughts towards a healthier you!

I Love Fruits

One of my friends and her mother are serial dieters. Recently, they have just announced that yet again they are going to Weight Watchers. This will be their umpteenth time there as they can’t stick to it.

Being a good friend, I offered to rid their home of all their junk food. I wasn’t ready for the vast amount there was of it! I threw a lot in the trash but took the best stuff home with me — being underweight I so lucky that I can eat this junk.

I really felt that they must discuss what foods they would have in the house so neither felt like they were missing out. My friend was as laid back as ever and said she would have anything but her choosy mother was very agreeable when I suggested fruits!

I personally love fruits.  I think they are amazing. They are extremely healthy and you can take them with you wherever you go. Let’s face it, that’s why most people eat junk food. They grab whatever is available — usually candy. Fruits can be just as handy.

To make sure that you always take some fruits with you when you go out — keep a bowl by the door so you can’t get out without seeing it.

I used to worry that the fruit would spoil — especially in hot summer season. To make sure that we always had some fruit supply, I had frozen fruits and juice in the freezer as well as various dried fruits.

There are so many health benefits from fruit. You can also find various ways to prepare it avoiding the boredom. Maybe it is time to do what these two have done and swap candy for fruits.

Kicking your candy away for fruits might be hard at first but don’t worry you will able to get there. It is the same thing as breaking any other bad habit – but this time you can expect great benefits for your health.

Make fruits as your friends for life!

Eat More Fruits And Veggies For Fiber

Fiber is one of the term you will most likely encounter when searching for ways to get healthy naturally. And rightly so because fiber plays a very essential role towards the path of healthy living.

One thing I love with fiber is its power to help our digestive system in maximizing the nutrients absorption.  It means the healthier your digestion system, the better for your health.

So where can we get more fiber? Fiber can be derived plant-based foods such as whole grains, fruits, veggies, legumes, seeds and nuts. Throughout the ages, man has been benefited by fiber. There are even experts who claimed that the first and original super-food should be fiber.

There are so many known healthy benefits we can derive out of fiber. It promotes a healthy and vigorous cardiovascular condition while at the same can control your weight gain. Overall, fiber can be an instrumental for the wellbeing of both your body and brain.

As a wise consumer, you must check The Nutrition Facts Panel at the back of the packaged food you want to purchase. This is the easiest way to determine on the nutrition the food could offer to your body. Of course, this guide will never be applicable to fresh fruits and veggies but to processed and packaged foods.

As mandated by consumer laws, The Nutrition Facts Panel must clearly give details on the serving sizes available, the calories that can be taken out of the food and the estimated percent Daily Value (DV) of various important nutrients – including that of fiber.

• For our guidance, a food generally considered as a Good Source of Fiber must contain at the very minimum 10% daily value of fiber needs – equivalent to at least 2.5g of fiber for each serving.

• For the food to be labeled as an Excellent Source of Fiber, it must have a minimum of 20% daily value of required – this equals to at least 5g of fiber a serving.

Any mother is aware how important is the health of all the members of the family. Nobody would ever want anybody to be experiencing even the slightest health problem as it could mean a big hassle and more financial burden. In other words, nobody is allowed to get sick! Bawal magkasakit!

Fiber is playing a very significant function in maintaining the health of the children. Let us enumerate below the benefits of fiber to your kids’ overall wellbeing.

* Fiber is helping the kids’ digestion by enhancing the absorption of nutrients in the body and thus could result into more vigor.

* Fiber is the key element for the proliferation of good bacteria in the gastrointestinal area. Having higher probiotic could mean fewer chances of infections and improved immune system.

* Fiber is the best way to prevent constipation. We all know how annoying it is for kids to be in constipation.

* The consumption of fiber could be your children’s foundation for a healthier eating habits and lifestyle alter on in life.

With all of these benefits, I am not really surprised why fiber continues to be one of the top nutrients most talked about anywhere.

Let us all give our health a chance by taking in more fibers!

Detox Diet Program

Detox diet is gaining popularity not only with online searches but also in different homes all over the country. I am sure you have already encountered this subject discussed and commented in many different articles and forums focusing on it.

However, with all the information and choices of actions to take, you can be experiencing a confusing information overload. Well, it happened to me last year when I started investigating things related to detox diet.

When we talk about detox diet, there are so many options available. Honestly, some are effective and some are blatantly just a big waste of time. The effective detox diet should help you lose weight and get back to the healthy path. Otherwise, you could be just endangering your health – the very opposite of why we go for detox diet!

The challenge then is finding the detox diet that could effectively and safely work for your body’s unique metabolism and function!

Detox diet has the potential to enhance your way of living. As your body is freeing itself of so many accumulated toxins – some toxins are chemicals harmful for health – the body starts to balance and harmonize itself. If you follow the right procedures and techniques, expect that nothing will ever go wrong.

Even medical professionals are now agreeing that purification of the body is needed to be done regularly. Well, just compare to cleaning the house as nobody will ever doubt that it is important. And definitely detox diet leads to overall cleansing of all the body system.

Yes, the body is outfitted with organs designed to carry out filtration but in many cases these organs are overstressed and could be at times overwhelmed. Supporting and assisting these filtering organs is the key. This is where detox diet comes in.

However, most professionals know that detoxification should not be done for a prolonged period. A good suggestion is to do it at least twice a year or at least one time for every six months. This is if the main goal is not really losing weight but removal of damaging substances away from the body.

Detox deit could achieve good quality health. In other words, the body is getting vibrant and is functioning well. A good quality health would that the body has the power to keep you going and keep you energetic to focus on your daily tasks.

The influence of our lifestyle to our health can not be understated these days. We know that there is a big link between the two. Remember that it your own obligation to take care of your own health. You must do everything possible to keep it running in top condition as you are only as strong as your weakest link.

We all are undergoing the process of aging – nobody cans top it though it can be delayed. Detoxification is one key to delay the effects of aging. Because toxins harming your body and causing body deterioration are flushed out of the system, you can feel the energy reinvigorating your entire system. You can feel young again. Detoxification is much better and safe instead of taking drugs marketed to prevent aging.

With detox diet, you can have a superior defense against illnesses and diseases affecting the modern generation. Because your body system is cleansed and balanced, you can feel the surge of new energy enveloping your body and mind.

It is time to detoxify!

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