HEALTH BENEFITS OF TUMERIC, a powerful herb known for its anti-cancer and tumor suppressing propertiesThe active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. Tumeric has been used for over 2500 years in India, where it was most likely first used as a dye.
The medicinal properties of this spice have been slowly revealing themselves over the centuries. Long known for its anti-inflammatory properties, recent research has revealed that turmeric is a natural wonder, proving beneficial in the treatment of many different health conditions from cancer to Alzheimer's disease.
Here are 20 reasons to add turmeric to your diet:
1. It is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.
2. When combined with cauliflower, it has shown to prevent prostate cancer and stop the growth of existing prostate cancer.
3. Prevented breast cancer from spreading to the lungs in mice.
4. May prevent melanoma and cause existing melanoma cells to commit suicide.
5. Reduces the risk of childhood leukemia.
6. Is a natural liver detoxifier.
7. May prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease by removing amyloyd plaque buildup in the brain.
8. May prevent metastases from occurring in many different forms of cancer.
9. It is a potent natural anti-inflammatory that works as well as many anti-inflammatory drugs but without the side effects.
10. Has shown promise in slowing the progression of multiple sclerosis in mice.
11. Is a natural painkiller and cox-2 inhibitor.
12. May aid in fat metabolism and help in weight management.
13. Has long been used in Chinese medicine as a treatment for depression.
14. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it is a natural treatment for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
15. Boosts the effects of chemo drug paclitaxel and reduces its side effects.
16. Promising studies are underway on the effects of turmeric on pancreatic cancer.
17. Studies are ongoing in the positive effects of turmeric on multiple myeloma.
18. Has been shown to stop the growth of new blood vessels in tumors.
19. Speeds up wound healing and assists in remodeling of damaged skin.
20. May help in the treatment of psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions.
Turmeric can be taken in powder or pill form. It is available in pill form in most health food stores, usually in 250-500mg capsules.
Once you start using turmeric on a regular basis, it's fun to find new ways to use it in recipes. My favorite way to use it is to add a pinch of it to egg salad. It adds a nice flavor and gives the egg salad a rich yellow hue.
Contraindications: Turmeric should not be used by people with gallstones or bile obstruction. Though turmeric is often used by pregnant women, it is important to consult with a doctor before doing so as turmeric can be a uterine stimulant.
(source:healthdiaries.com)
HEALTH BENEFITS OF SHITAKE MUSHROOMS
Shiitake mushrooms are a type of mushroom that originated in China and are therefore a common ingredient in Chinese cuisine. Even though shiitake mushrooms are popular in mostly Asian countries, they are now being used in many dishes around the world. Read on to learn more about the nutritional benefits of these mushrooms.
1. Reduces Cholesterol
A Swedish study has shown that shiitake mushrooms can effectively reduce cholesterol in the body. This ability is due to a compound called eritadenine, which can be found in shiitake mushrooms and shiitake mushroom extract. Another study conducted in Japan showed that regular consumption of shiitake mushrooms increased the levels of cholesterol in the feces, which means that less cholesterol is left over in the body.
2. Strengthens Immune System
Another reason to eat shiitake mushrooms regularly is that they effectively strengthen your immune system. Shiitake mushrooms contain a powerful compound called lentinan, which enables your immune system to fight diseases and infections more efficiently. In fact, shiitake mushrooms are believed to be more effective than many prescription drugs. Shiitake mushrooms can help you battle more common infections like influenza to more serious health ailments like HIV.
3. Prevents Cancer
Scientists now believe that a polysaccharide called lentinan and virus-like particles found in shiitake trigger the increased production of various serum factors associated with immunity and inflammation. These so-called lymphokines, such as interferon and interleukin, stimulate the defense system, spurring the proliferation of phagocytes, including macrophages and other immune fighters that attack cancer cells, bacteria, and viruses.
The compound lentinan not only helps boost your immune system but can also help prevent cancer. According to studies, lentinan promotes several anti-cancer activities. It can reduce the growth of cancerous cells and prevent the spread of existing ones. The compound also stimulates your immune system to release proteins and cells that destroy cancer cells. Gastric cancers in particular can be prevented by regular consumption of shiitake mushrooms.
The most dramatic experiment demonstrating shiitake's antitumor effect was performed on animals. At the National Cancer Research Center in Tokyo, mice suffering from sarcoma, a type of virally-induced cancer, were treated with small doses of shiitake extract over short periods of time. In 1970, the results, published in the journal Cancer Research, showed that six out of ten mice had complete tumor regression. At slightly higher concentrations, shiitake was 100 percent effective - all mice showed tumor regression.
In a 1996 study at Drew University, a protein-bound polysaccharide extracted from shiitake was found to have strong anti-tumor properties. In the study ten cancer patients were treated with the compound and all showed significant improvement.
Similar studies have shown that shiitake extract helps prevent transplanted tumors from taking hold, and "excellent results" were obtained by Japanese scientists in a four-year follow-up study of patients with advanced and recurrent stomach and colon cancer. Shiitake extract is even being tested for use with modern chemotherapy drugs to lessen their toxic effects on healthy tissue and the immune system.
4. Prevents Thrombosis
Consuming shiitake mushroom oil has also been shown to effectively prevent thrombosis. Thrombosis is a health condition that produces blood clots in your veins which leads to restricted blood flow. If you’ve ever gone on a long-haul flight where you had to sit for long periods of time without activity, then chances are you have experienced this disorder. Thrombosis usually occurs in the veins of the legs and can be quite painful. Shiitake mushrooms contain high levels of lenthionine, which prevents platelets from aggregating.
5. Rich in Iron
Shiitake mushrooms are rich in iron, a mineral which is essential for maintaining good health. Iron improves the circulation of oxygen through your blood. As a result, oxygen and other nutrients are effectively supplied to your muscle cells, brain and other parts of the body. Iron is also used to treat anemia, so if you are anemic as a result of menstruation or pregnancy, make sure you incorporate plenty of shiitake mushrooms into your diet. Iron can also boost your energy level and prevent fatigue.
6. Aids in Weight Loss
If you are currently trying to lose weight, shiitake mushrooms make a great diet food. Not only do they contain a small amount of calories, but they are also packed with plenty of dietary fiber. Dietary fiber slows down digestion so you feel full for a longer period of time.
7. Inhibits the HIV Virus
The most recent development in shiitake medical research involves the use of shiitake extract to inhibit the reproduction of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in tissue culture. Researchers working at Japan's Yamaguchi University School of Medicine have reported that shiitake extract has a "protective effect" that inhibits the usual cell-destroying effects of the HIV virus. Researchers have noted that substances such as shiitake, which both enhance the immune response and have anti-viral effects, should be further evaluated for the treatment of AIDS.
8. Anti bacterial properties to kill fungus and skin diseases
In addition to fighting cancer, inhibiting the growth of viruses, and lowering cholesterol, shiitake have potent antibiotic effects against other organisms. A substance called cortinelin, a broad-spectrum antibacterial agent, which has been isolated from shiitake, kills a wide range of pathogenic bacteria. A sulfide compound extracted from shiitake has been found to have an effect against the fungus that causes ringworm and other skin diseases.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF SUNLIGHT
Benefits of sunlight? After hearing all the recent bad press about sunshine, you may be wondering how the sun could possibly be good for your health and well-being. Report after report has warned us that even a small amount of exposure to the sun is bad for us.
It is good to be cautious when it comes to how much sun you are exposed to. After all, too much sunlight can put you at higher risk for skin cancer and cataracts. And it can make your skin wrinkle and age way too early in life.
There are so many benefits of sunlight.
But does being cautious mean that you should avoid the sun altogether?
No! Sunlight happens to be one of the greatest healing remedies that you can find in nature. The sun provides the energy that all living things need in order to exist on this earth.
When you take it in moderation, there are lots of health benefits of sunshine. If you hide away from the sun, you will not get those benefits.
So, what are the benefits of sunlight? Check out this long list!
* One of the major benefits of sunlight is that it helps fruits, vegetables, and grains to grow and be healthy. It also helps animals and us humans to grow and develop as well.
* A definite plus of sunshine is that it gives you a healthy looking complexion. It will make your skin smooth with an irresistible healthy glow.
* If you get regular exposure to sunlight, it will help protect your skin in the long run. That is because your body will build up a natural resistance to the harmful effects of ultraviolet light.
* If you allow your skin to get moderately tanned, it will be more resistant to infections and sunburns than if your skin is not tanned.
* The ultraviolet rays in sunshine act as a natural antiseptic. These rays can kill viruses, bacteria, molds, yeasts, fungi, and mites in air, water, and on different surfaces including your skin.
* Getting some sun tends to help clear up different skin diseases such as acne, boils, athletes foot, diaper rash, psoriasis, and eczema.
* Another of the main benefits of sunlight is that it stimulates your appetite and improves your digestion, elimination, and metabolism.
* Getting your daily dose of sunshine will enhance your immune system. It increases the number of white blood cells in your blood. It also helps them to be better fighters in their mission to destroy germs.
* Sunshine encourages healthy circulation. It also stimulates the production of more red blood cells which increases the amount of oxygen in your blood.
* Sunlight is one of the most effective healing agents that exists.
* Feeling down? One of the major benefits of sunlight is that it will soothe your nerves and boost your mood leaving you with a renewed sense of well-being. Sunlight increases the production of endorphins and serotonin in your brain which will definitely leave you feeling much better.
* Getting enough sunlight during the day can help you sleep better at night. If you are exposed to natural light during the day, it will increase your melatonin output at night. Melatonin is a natural hormone made by our bodies. It enhances sleep and slows down the aging process.
* The healing properties of the sun are excellent for people who are suffering from various diseases and ailments.
* Sunlight helps to balance out your hormones. It may even help to relieve certain symptoms of PMS.
* Sunlight improves the function of your liver and helps it to break down toxins and wastes that could lead to cancer and other diseases.
* If you've got swollen, arthritic joints, sunlight may help lower your pain levels.
* Sunlight is an effective treatment for jaundice.
* According to some studies on the benefits of sunlight, exposure to the sun may decrease your risk of breast, colon, and prostate cancers.
* Sunlight helps your body convert a form of cholesterol that is present in your skin into vitamin D. This results in lower blood cholesterol levels.
* Other benefits of sunlight include the life-giving energy it gives to your organs and the way it helps to strengthen and vitalize your body.
What If I Don't Get Enough Sunlight?
Not getting enough direct sunlight on your skin can have a negative effect on your health.
Lack of sunlight can worsen feelings of depression in some people.
According to one study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition your chances of getting cancer could increase by as much as 70% if you don't get enough direct sunlight.
If you do not get enough sunlight your body may not make enough vitamin D. Having a vitamin D deficiency may put you at increased risk for bone diseases such as osteoporosis. Low vitamin D levels can also cause weak hearts, poor metabolism, and slow healing of bones and cuts.
How Much Sunshine Is Enough?
After reading about the benefits of sunlight you can see that the sun's rays are good for your health. Just how much sunshine is the right amount for you depends on a number of factors including how fair or dark your skin is, the time of the day you go out into the sun, and where you live in the world.
The general rule is this: The darker your skin, the more sunlight you will need to activate the synthesis of vitamin D in your skin. If you don't spend enough time in the sun, you may become deficient in vitamin D. And you could miss out on the many benefits of sunlight.
The fairer your skin, the less time it will take to activate the synthesis of vitamin D in your skin. If you are very fair skinned, a very brief amount of time in the sun should be enough to meet your needs.
An average of 10 minutes of sunlight per day all year round will make sure that you reap the benefits of sunlight and make enough vitamin D. Remember that artificial light can never substitute for the real thing.
In the summertime try to avoid being out in the direct sunlight between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm. The summer sun is too intense between those times. Catch some rays before 10 am or after 4 pm. If you need to stay out longer than 10 minutes use a natural, chemical-free sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. Most quality health food stores carry a variety of brands.
If you live in the north and have a tendency to feel down during the long winter months, try to catch as many rays of sunshine as you can. In northern countries, it is ok to get some daytime sun. Twenty minutes of sun on your hands, neck, feet, and legs is ideal and should be sufficient for you to get the many benefits of sunlight.
Try to go outside if you can because UV light does not produce vitamin D through glass. Sitting in a bright spot in your home is nice and relaxing, but it will not help you get your daily dose of vitamin D.
(source:natural-health-restored.com)
— with John Robert Martino.
FACIAL YOGA - THE NEW CRAZE FOR LOSING WRINKLES
A wrinkled face is not a good look but as the years catch up with you, short of going under the knife there's no way to avoid it.Or at least there wasn't, until a new set of facial exercises called face yoga promised to turn back the clock, returning your face to its smooth, youthful prime, without a scalpel in sight.
Face yoga has already won devotees among the forever-young-looking celebrity crowd, with Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston said to be big fans. It's the brainchild of New York yoga teacher Annelise Hagen, who teaches it at the swanky New York Health & Racquet Club.
There's no set routine to face yoga as you can do ten minutes a day to target specific areas, or an hour-long anti-ageing routine once a week, topped up with ten-minute sessions when you moisturise your face at night.
For more exercises and instruction check out Annelise Hagen's book:
"Yoga Face: Eliminate Wrinkles With The Ultimate Natural Facelift by Annelise Hagen"
Tongue Diagnosis
Tongue diagnosis has been an actual diagnostic tool for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Many people in their middle ages and senior years actually can remember going to the doctor and the first thing they asked you was to stick out your tongue.
Chinese medicine also uses the principles of Yin and Yang, two of the body's forms of life energies. Keeping these two in balance is also part of the daily therapeutic principles.
Everyone's life energies ebb and flow back and forth depending on the multitudes of forces which we are bombarded with on a continuous basis. Your diet, exercise, stress levels, work environment, your physical health and even the choices you make each day during the daily circumstances all vary the balance of emotions, health and well-being on a minute by minute basis. Keeping a good balance therefore through your daily environment yields proper health.
How To Utilize Tongue Diagnosis
No two tongues in this whole world are exactly alike. Your own changes daily also as circumstances arise which dictates a change in your body's perceptions. The size, shape, color, moisture level and the texture will show a continuous change as different events unfold in your life each day.
A perfect tongue is smooth in texture, it fits comfortably in your mouth between your teeth. It is not too thick or too thin, should have a pretty pink color with a thin white transparent coating.
This description means you are in perfect health. All variations from this means you are having some kind of reaction. Reading and understanding these signs is the art of tongue diagnosis.
Follow the chart below to see some of the common characteristics of a tongue in varying degrees of poor health. Most of these can be deciphered right from your own home.
1.
-Tongue Appearance-:
Too thick with scalloped edges
-Accompanying Symptoms-:
Lethargy, feeling of heaviness in limbs, lack of motivation
-What It Means-:
flow of fluids in body off-balanced
-What You Can Do-:
Cut down on dairy products and sugar.Eat more of the following: beef and chicken(proteins),fruits such as coconut, figs grapes, cherries and dates
vegetables such as shitake mushrooms, potatoes, squash and sweet potatoes
lentils and rice for grains
the herb ginseng
2.
-Tongue Appearance-:
Tongue appears too wet
-Accompanying Symptoms-:
excessive perspiration and phlegm
-What It Means-:
inbalance of fluids such as too much phlegm or water in the body
-What You Can Do-:
Eat more foods which will help you dry the excess fluids:
barley and rye for grains
proteins such as aduki beans, kidney beans, mackerel and sardines
vegetables include corn, mushrooms, celery, onions, turnips, pumpkin, lettuce, radishes, watercress and seaweed
lemons and plums for fruits
herbs to include pepper, garlic and horseradish
3.
-Tongue Appearance-:
Tongue is too thin and very dry
-Accompanying Symptoms-:
insomnia, dry skin, constipation and stress
-What It Means-:
dehydrated, body feels over-taxed
-What You Can Do-:
Reduce caffeinated products, get more rest. Increase your intake of water. Eat more root vegetables, asparagus and seafood.
4.
-Tongue Appearance-:
Blue/purple areas on tongue
-Accompanying Symptoms-:
stress, sedentary lifestyle
-What It Means-:
Liver problems, your blood and energy are not flowing properly
-What You Can Do-:
Get moving and stretching everyday. Eat more foods that help promote the movement of qi. Crab for protein
onions, chili peppers, radishes, scallions and carrots for vegetables
herbs and spices include mint, safflower oil, basil, cloves, garlic, cayenne, coriander, marjoram and dill
5.
-Tongue Appearance-:
Tongue too pale/ orange color
-Accompanying Symptoms-:
fatigue, frequent illness
-What It Means-:
blood deficiencies, anemia
-What You Can Do-:
Eat foods that build your blood and maximize its function: lamb, red meats, sardines, oysters, eggs, kidney beans and liver
add grapes, apricots, dates and figs
green leafy vegetables and spinach
6.
-Tongue Appearance-:
Tongue is swollen and pale
-Accompanying Symptoms-:
you always feel cold, back aches and knee discomfort
-What It Means-:
excess of yang
-What You Can Do-:
Eat more warming food to increase your yang:
proteins like lamb, lobster and shrimp
raspberries for fruit
walnuts and pistachios
herbs and spices such as basil, chives, dill, garlic, cinnamon, ginger and cloves
7.
-Tongue Appearance-:
no coating or a yellowish coating on tongue
-Tongue Appearance-:
Recent illness, smoking
-What It Means-:
too much heat in the body, possible infection, too much coffee, not enough rest. A tongue with no coat or a yellowish coat designates a yin deficiency.
-What You Can Do-:
Stop smoking. Cut back on caffeine. Eliminate artificial sugar substitutes. Eat cooling foods that nourish your yin:
vegetables like spinach, asparagus and lettuce
fruits like bananas, grapefruit, lemons and watermelon
protein from seafood and egg whites
Many times to obtain a better tongue diagnosis, a change in diet, sleep habits, exercise or dropping a few bad habits (alcohol, drugs and smoking) can lead to a dramatic increase in general health within just a couple of weeks.
But if you are worried about the look or feel of your tongue diagnosis, make an appointment with an experienced practitioner for a more in-depth and detailed report.
Giving a professional the opportunity to check and treat can often lead to better health rewards in your own life.
(source:allergiesandalternativemedicine.com)
