A natural way to stop smoking

While surfing today, I came across an interesting article about how Steve Hill and his wife quit smoking. It involved not "eating" something, and that something is cigarettes.

Steve's article was actually titled "Increase AdSense Earnings by quitting smoking" and this is the story of how he and his wife came to stop smoking. Steve is a Google AdSense account holder who earns by placing ads relevant to a Website content, by putting referral buttons or text links to Google products, and by putting a Google searchbar on his site. You can learn more about the various ways in this post: How can I earn from Google AdSense. If you are interested in doing this yourself, and you have a website, you too can apply for an account by clicking on the text link "Generate revenue from your website" at the top of the right sidebar. If you do not have a website, starting a blog is very easy now as you will find out from this "online book" Dummies Guide to Google Blogger. This is what I myself is doing and am learning new things everyday and am enjoying every moment, plus I get to supplement my monthly pension without having to foot out any expenses, plus keep myself happily occupied. I do not mind this as the ads are contextual (that means usually relevant to the content of the site) and to tell you the truth, often I myself am interested in what ads has to offer on my own site, but have to be careful not to click on them as that can be considered invalid clicks and can get my account suspended by AdSense.

This is his story: In the first couple of months that Steve joined AdSense, he often sign into his AdSense account to see the report on how much he earns on a particular day. He admited he is nowhere earning an amount that would enable him to retire on AdSense earnings. He would be happy if it was over USD10. He admitted that his average then was only around 5-6 USD. He would try to find ways to increase traffic to his site, as earning depend on traffic. He also considered starting more Websites.

One day, he was very happy when he found he earned USD16 which translated to 9 British pounds. That was the most that he had ever earned. Later that evening, his wife, also a smoker, asked him to go to the shops to buy her some cigarettes. He willingly went as he would be able to buy some for himself as well. At the shop he asked for 40 cigarettes and was told the price for 40 cigarettes. It was well over the 9 pounds that he earned through AdSense that day.

Although he was aware of the cost of cigarettes, it still came as a shock to him as there he was trying hard to increase his income from AdSense, and at the same time he was burning money by his smoking habits. That gave him the inspiration to stop smoking. He said it wasn't easy, but he did it and it helped to know that over a course of a year, he likely will save around a thousand pounds, which is a big help to him.

His wife too was very determined and has managed to stop smoking and they now live in a much healthier environment. Steve's story proved that it is possible to stop smoking naturally if you have the inspirationg and the motivation to do so.

Well, if you too would like to earn some income via AdSense and stop smoking at the same time, you can apply for an account by clicking on the AdSense text referral that reads "Generate revenue from your Website. Google AdSense" at the top of the right sidebar of this page.

BTW if you want to read the full article by Steve Hill, you can read it here at Increase AdSense earnings by quitting smoking

Stroke rehabilitation: A brain scientist and stroke survivor advice to stroke victims and caregivers

Stroke

Stroke, also referred to as brain stroke or in medical terms, cerebrovascular accident (CVA), is a life-threatening event in which part of the brain is deprived of blood flow, thus of adequate oxygen. There are two types of strokes. An ischemic stroke is when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted, usually by a blood clot. The second kind of stroke is a hemorrhagic stroke, which occurs when there is bleeding into or around the brain. When deprived of oxygen, the brain nerve cells will start to die. This will lead to various symptoms, depending on which part of the brain is affected.

Stroke symptoms

Among various symptoms of a stroke are

• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding


• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes


• Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body


• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination


• double vision


• Sudden severe headache with no known cause


• nausea or vomiting


• drowsiness
.

Consequences of a stroke

Stroke is a very serious, life-threatening event which can lead to death or physical and mental disabilities which depend on which part of the brain is affected and how fast one gets help. If you experience any of the symptoms, you should get to the hospital as soon as possible.

Stroke rehabilitation

People who survive a stroke should begin stroke rehabilitation (stroke recovery) as soon as possible to regain as many lost functions (e.g., lack of coordination, strength) as possible. Most recovery occurs during the first few months following a stroke. However, new intensive rehabilitation techniques are offering new hope for recovery even a year or so following a stroke. A neuroanatomist, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor even said that she took 8 years to fully recover from her stroke (see below).

The experience of a stroke victim, Jill Bolte Taylor who is a brain scientist

10 years ago, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, then working as a neuroanatomist (brain scientist) at Harvard, suffered a rare form of stroke. A congenital malformation of the blood vessels in her brain exploded, and she observed for 4 hours how her brain deteriorated not only through the eyes of stroke victim, but also through the eyes of a curious brain scientist.

When she awoke later, she was shocked to find that she couldn't talk, couldn't understand language, lost all recollection of her life and lost all perception of her physical presence. The stroke had affected her brain's left hemisphere, and her right hemisphere became dominant. She shifted away from a typical type-A personality focused on achievement and academics to become more humane and compassionate. Her values shifted towards helping those in society who need help.

She could not sing in tune before her stroke. After her stroke, she could sing better as the sound that she hears when she sings now matches the sound that others hear. She is now in fact known as the "singing scientist". She said many neurologists have the opinion that the brain has only six months to recover following from a stroke. However, Taylor believes the brain is an amazing, resilient organ, much of which still remains a mystery to science. In her stroke recovery, she watched her brain grow, change and recover for eight years before she thought she was fully recovered.

Jill Bolte Taylor has resumed activities before she had her stroke. She resumed teaching at Indiana University and the Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute. She travel the country "singing for brains" on behalf of the Harvard Brain Bank, asking people to donate their brains after they die so that vital mental health research can be conducted. In her travel, she added a few songs to lighten the mood of what otherwise would be a frightening pitch (I want your brain, but don't worry, I'm in no hurry).

She now see more beauty, more colors, curves and textures and has become more creative with a new-found artistic talent. She now makes anatomically correct stained-glass brains. She takes time to appreciate the present moment and is not in such a hurry.

Taylor said that when her language center in her left brain became hushed after the stroke, she felt a great sense of deep inner peace. She has written a book My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey offering tips for stroke victims how to quiet the left hemisphere to achieve their right hemisphere experience of deep inner peace.

The book My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey describes in layman's terms the anatomy underlying her experience and her efforts to rebuilt the left hemisphere of her brain from the perspective of a curious brain scientist.

Jill Bolte Taylor questioned how many brain scientists have been able to study the brain from the inside out? She said she has gotten as much out of this experience of losing my left brain as she had in her entire academic career. She describe her stroke as a delightful experience. The stroke shifted her out of her left hemisphere, which thinks in language and focuses on the past and future, to the consciousness of her right hemisphere, which thinks in pictures and exists in the present moment. She said she love being in the present because that is where joy exists. Joy is a right here and right now experience."

Taylor said the stroke gave her the opportunity to lose a lifetime of emotional baggage. While recovering, she said she paid very close attention to the pieces of her past mind that began to resurface, and when negative experiences wanted to resurface, she said she was able to persuade her brain that she was not interested in reengaging with that neurocircuitry. She said people should pay attention to their thoughts, because thoughts are based upon the neural circuits underlying those thoughts. According to Taylor, people have a lot more control over what's going on inside our brains than anyone was ever taught. The thoughts that one focus on become more dominant. According to her, if there are thoughts you don't want to think about anymore, then you can teach yourself to consciously choose to activate new thought patterns by coming back to the present moment. Those who subscribe to Napoleon Hill's "thoughts are things" will readily concur with her. (Napoleon Hill is the author of "Think and Grow Rich!").

In her book My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey, she offers 50 tips for stroke victims in recovery, for their caregivers, for people who come in contact with stroke victim, and people who suffered any type of brain trauma. Some of them are:

Advice for stroke survivors

Give the brain time recover. The brain is constantly changing because it has a plasticity that lets its cells make new connections. Sleep has healing power. With a brain trauma, every moment is filled with millions of bits of information. Sleep, said Taylor, is when the brain organizes and files away this information, leaving people refreshed and ready to learn when they awake.

Advice for stroke survivor caregivers

Break every action down into little steps to avoid discouraging the recovering victim from failure. To illustrate, Taylor took sitting up as an example. Don't expecting someone who recovered from a stroke to sit up right away. Begin with rocking, and celebrate when he/she can rock. When the survivor can rock with enthusiasm, begin working on a roll and celebrate when he/she can do the roll. Continue this in tiny steps until eventually the person can progress to sitting up.

Taylor was not aware of her past, of what she could and what she couldn't do and any tiny progress is an achievement worthy of praise. So constantly remind the survivor how far they have progressed.

Advice for those who come into contact with the stroke survivor

Remember that the survivor is wounded, not stupid, and treat him/her with respect. When talking with them, go close to them and speak slowly and clearly. There is no need to speak loudly though. Be as patient with the survivor on the 20th time you teach him/her something as if it was the first time.

Read her book My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey for more details

How to remove gallstones from your body naturally

My daughter forwarded this to me and I thought it will be good to share it with you:

Diseases of the gallbladder and biliary tract are common, often painful conditions that usually require surgery and may be life threatening. They include cholelithiasis, cholangitis, cholecystitis, cholesterolosis, biliary cirrhosis, and gallstone ileus and are often associated with deposition of calculi and inflammation. The gallbladder stores the bile salts and the cholesterol made in the liver. Bile salts are then discharged from the gallbladder into the intestine to help digest fats. These bile salts are "soapy" substances. They are produced in response to the amount of fat in the diet requiring digestion. Sometimes, these salts can become stones within the gallbladder itself; the stones often contain substantial amount of cholesterol. The stones cause local inflammation; if the muscular gallbladder tries to expel them, blockage of the bile ducts by the stone may cause pain, additional inflammation, or jaundice (yellowing).

Two risk factors for gallbladder disease increase by sixth to eight times. These are
1. heavy intake of saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet, which increases bile salt production, and
2. being overweight. Obesity not only increases the frequency of the condition, but it also makes surgery to correct it more difficult and more hazardous.

As a nurse, we gather more information, read and study more about the disease. After surgery treatment, what we can do was to monitor patients' vital signs and measure drainage daily which normally 200 to 300ml. Normally, surgery is a treatment of choice but there are other treatments I could suggest such as low-fat diet; vitamin K; and during the attack, insertion of nasogastric tube and I.V. line.

However, several months ago, I received an email from one of my friends. She related to me about an incredible experience of here friend named Nenette, who complained of frequent severe stomach pains every seven in the morning. Sometimes, the pain also occurs at night. One evening, her husband had to rush her to the nearest hospital because she was practically on the floor grimacing in pain. When they reached the hospital, the doctors could not tell what was wrong with her.

This event prompted the couple to seek an Internal Medicine Specialist. After several extensive and expensive tests, they found that she had many stones in her gallbladder. The doctor wanted to schedule an operation to remove the stones at the soonest possible time. It was cited that the removal of the stone was the only remedy to relieve her from daily painful attacks.

Seeing his wife suffered from severe pain almost made him give in to the doctor's recommendation until a friend them that there is a natural way of removing gall stones without cutting someone's belly. The procedure was written by Dr. Lai Chiu Nan.

They were not optimistic about the procedure but they decided to try it. They told themselves they wouldn't loose anything if they try it anyway.

So the tried it and bought apple juice, Epsom salt, olive oil, and fresh lemon amounting to Php 700 (USD14.09) all in all. Nenette started the procedure on a Monday and completed it on Saturday of the same week. The next morning, they counted close to 100 floating green stones. They looked like gems and come in different sizes.

But that was not the highlight of the story. From the day they saw those stones floating, Nenette had not experience any more pain.

With that remarkable experience, they personally recommend this because they know it works. This process saved Nenette from her saily painful attacks and a possible painful operation. It also saved them from spending much money from the operation itself.

Below is the procedure written by Dr. Lai Chiu Nan which is entitled Removing Gallstones Naturally

Background

Gallstones may not be everyone's concern. But they should be because we all have them. Moreover, gallstones may lead to cancer.

Cancer is never the first illness. Dr. Chiu Nan points out: "Usually, there is a lot of other problems leading up to cancer. In my cancer research in China, I came across some materials, which says that people with cancer usually have gallstones. We all have gallstones; it's a matter of big or small, many or few. One of the symptoms of gallstones is feeling of bloatedness after heavy meal. You feel like you can't digest the food. If it gets more serious, you feel pain in the liver area."

So, if you think you have gallstones, Dr. Chui Nan offers the following method to remove them naturally. The treatment is also good for those with a weak liver, because the liver and gallbladder are closely linked.

Recommended Practice;

For the firs 5 days, take 4 glasses of apple juice everyday or eat 4 or 5 apples, whichever you prefer. Apple juice softens the gallstones. During the 5 days, eat normally.

On the sixth day, take no dinner. Avoid food after 2pm. At 6pm. take a teaspoon of Epsom Salt (magnesium sulphate) with a glass of warm water. At 8pm. repeat the same. Magnesium sulphate opens the gallbladder ducts. (Tip: Buy the Epsom Salt before you start this program. We tried buying Epsom Salt at six (6) Mercury drug stores where we live, but they don't have it. Finally, we found some at Mercury drug branch in Quiapo, Manila near the Quiapo Church).

At 10pm., take 1/2 cup of olive (or sesame) oil with 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice. Mix it well and drink it. The oil lubricates the stones to ease their passage.

(Important tip: Drink slowly for better result, avoid food after 2 pm. and expect more output the next day.)

The next morning, you will find green stones in your stools. Usually they float.

Dr. Chui Nan's Note: "You might want to count them. I have people who passes 40, 50 or up to 100 stones".

The first purge will be solely your normal output, the green stones will only come out after that. Per those who have practiced, the stones look like crystal or jade". try to arrange in such timing that the last day is a rest day at home, reason being ..... you know. (You may have to go to the toilet more than once).

Even if you don't have any symptoms of gallstones, you still might have some. It's always good to give your gallbladder a clean up now and then. You'll find that your digestion is much better afterward."

Recommended period

Do it once a year.

Footnote: I personally have followed the proceedure and passed out green floating stones at the end of the procedure.

An old drug effective against the human and bird flu virus?

With the threat of a bird flu pandemic, the world is looking for an effective drug or vaccine that is effective against bird flu. Singapore's defence scientists believe they have found an old drug, chloroquine, which is no longer effective against malaria may be used to fight the human flu virus. This was revealed at the opening of the fifth International Symposium on Protection against Toxic Substances.

The scientists who are from the Singapore DSO National Laboratories normally works on chemical defence and study threats from biological agents, radioactive materials and explosives targeted at medical ailments and threats to national securities from bio-chemical hazards. They have started trials early this year which have shown that chloroquine can stop the human flu virus from spreading in infected cells.

The scientists are now working with researchers from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, United States, on H5N1 antibodies that could protect and treat people with bird flu.

Source: The Star

Stay happy to stay healthy

The URL of this blog is http://foodasmedicine.blogspot.com. This post doesn't even involve food, but the mind. If you want to be healthy, be happy. That is the conclusion of an experiment by Dr. Sheldon Cohen and colleagues of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh involving exposing healthy volunteers to a cold or flu virus. They found that people with generally sunny disposition were less likely to fall ill. Their findings are published in the journal "Psychosomatic Medicine".

They had found in a previous study that people with a happy disposition seemed less susceptible to getting a cold, but doubts remain as to whether it was the emotional trait that caused the effect. In the new study, they subjected 195 healthy adults to standard measures of personality traits, self-perceived health and emotional 'style'.

Those judged as having a positive emotional style were given nasal drops that either contin a cold virus or a virus that causes cold like symtoms. Researchers collect objective data like mucus production. Subjects also reported whether they experience any aches, pains, sneesing or congestion. They found that based on objective measures, happy people were less likely to develop a cold. If they do, their self-rated symptoms were less severe than based on objective measures.
---------------------------------
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Staying positive through the cold season could be your best defense against getting sick, new study findings suggest.
ADVERTISEMENT

In an experiment that exposed healthy volunteers to a cold or flu virus, researchers found that people with a generally sunny disposition were less likely to fall ill.

The findings, published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, build on evidence that a "positive emotional style" can help ward off the common cold and other illnesses.

Researchers believe the reasons may be both objective -- as in happiness boosting immune function -- and subjective -- as in happy people being less troubled by a scratchy throat or runny nose.

"People with a positive emotional style may have different immune responses to the virus," explained lead study author Dr. Sheldon Cohen of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. "And when they do get a cold, they may interpret their illness as being less severe." [

Cohen and his colleagues had found in a previous study that happier people seemed less susceptible to catching a cold, but some questions remained as to whether the emotional trait itself had the effect.

For the new study, the researchers had 193 healthy adults complete standard measures of personality traits, self-perceived health and emotional "style." Those who tended to be happy, energetic and easy-going were judged as having a positive emotional style, while those who were often unhappy, tense and hostile had a negative style.

Afterward, the researchers gave them nasal drops containing either a cold virus or a particular flu virus that causes cold-like symptoms. Over the next six days, the volunteers reported on any aches, pains, sneezing or congestion they had, while the researchers collected objective data, like daily mucus production.

Cohen and his colleagues found that based on objective measures of nasal woes, happy people were less likely to develop a cold.

What's more, when happy folks did develop a cold, their self-rated symptoms were less severe than would be expected based on objective measures.

When the researchers weighed other factors that could explain the relationship -- like volunteers' perception of their general health, their self-esteem and tendency to be optimistic -- happiness itself still seemed to protect against cold symptoms.

In contrast, people with negative dispositions were not at increased risk of developing a cold based on objective measures -- though they did tend to get down about their symptoms.

"We find that it's really positive emotions that have the big effect," Cohen said, "not negative ones."

So can a grumpy person fight the common cold by deciding to be happy? Conventional wisdom holds that personality traits, unlike fleeting emotions, are "very stable and difficult to change," Cohen said.

However, he noted, some recent research suggests that emotional traits are more amenable to change than traditionally believed.

SOURCE: Psychosomatic Medicine 2006.

Roast duck may lower cholesterol and blood sugar

An initial study by Universiti Malays shows that the reddish powder called propriety red yeast rice (PRYR), also known as Xuezhikang, that is used as seasoning of the duck may actually promote lower cholesterol levels, reduce hyperlipidemia (high blood cholesterol), diabetes and other heart ailments. This seasoning is also used in tonic preparations and enhancing food texture in Asian dishes.

According to Prof. Dr. Rosmawati Mohamed, the deputy dean (researcg) of Universiti Malaya Faculty of Medicine, diabetic patients are at greater risk of mortality from heart diseases.

According to Dr. Quek, a consultant cardiologist, many heart patients are not comfortable with modern medicine, fearing side effects. PYPR, a natural extract, is thus an ideal substitude for those with moderate hyperlipidemia and don't wish to use modern medicine, or for those who shows side effects from statin, a drug to control high cholesterol.

Source: UM study shows roast duck may lower cholesterol (close new window to get back to this page).

Books from Amazon

Controlling Cholesterol for Dummies (Paperback)

Diabetes for Dummies (Paperback)

Treat pre-diabetes before it is too late

Today, I came across a newspaper report with the same title as the title of this post in the Sun newspaper. It is of interest to me as I have taken a GTT (glucose tolerance test) a long time ago and was diagnosed as having impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). According to the newspaper article, IGT is the same as pre-diabetes and which, according to Dr. S.P. Chan, a senior endocrinologist consultant of the University of Malaya Medical Center, can rapidly convert to type I diabetes at a rate of 2% to 10% a year. People with pre-diabetes are more prone to heart diseases and stroke. That should be something that I should seriously take note of because at that rate, I should already have or very close to having type I diabetes, and diabetes cannot be cured. I had recently taken not one but two tests for diabetes, once via urine sample analysis and once via testing of blood sugar, and according to the test, I do not have diabetes.

The symptoms of pre-diabetes are the same as Type I diabetes, that is, increased thirst, increased urination, increased appetite, fatigue, blurred vision, frequent and slow healing infection, erectile dysfunction, etc. I don't have any of these, so I doubt the accuracy of that test I took a long time ago (20 years ago, I think). But my late father had diabetes and suffered a stroke, so I suppose, I need to take care.

According to Dr. Chan, it is a misconception that sugar intake causes diabetes. It is actually the calories in the sweetened food that increases the risks of the disease. Risk factors that can lead to pre-diabetes include increasing age, hypertension, high cholesterol AND lack of exercise. I am now 57, and sit in front of the computer practically the whole day long!

According to that article, which I presume to be quoting Dr. Chan, there is no cure for diabetes, but it can be prevented by receiving early treatment at the pre-diabetic stage. Unfortunately, the article didn't what kind of early treatment are involved. That, I would guess, will include (sigh!) getting more exercise.

The Growth In The Organic And Healthy Food Market

The Growth In The Organic And Healthy Food Market
by: Davinos Greeno

Organic produce is one of the fastest growing food retail sectors in the country.

Health scares such as BSE and foot-and-mouth, plus fears of GM crops/food and synthetic dyes and ingredients such as Sudan1 have led to considerable growth in the organic and the healthy food market as worried consumers seek out more healthy and natural products.

Recent research by market analysts nVision suggests four in ten adults now choose organic options on a regular basis. Organic supermarkets in England are booming and Europe's biggest organic event, the Biofach exhibition in Germany in getting bigger every year.

Unfortunately, at the moment retailers are charging artificially high prices. I was in Tesco last week which is a rare occurrence as I shop locally where possible, and I nearly died when I saw the prices being charged for organic yogurt and eggs compared to the non-organic brands. Its about time that the government started to investigate these organic suppliers and supermarkets to see who is ripping us off! Encouraging competition is not always a good idea as this can drives down prices (good for the consumer) which can put organic suppliers out of business if they have small profit margins. I understand that we have to pay more for organic produce because there are more crop failures due to the fact that the farmers cannot use pesticides, but what is an acceptable percentage and does this vary from product to product. Should organic fish be 10 percent more expensive than non organic fish and vegetables 20 per cent etc?

Once only available in small health shops or farmers markets, organic foods are becoming much more widely available. In the past 10 years sales of organic food in the UK have increased over 10-fold from £100m in 1993/94 to nearly £1.4bn in 2004/05. This large growth is predicted to continue, and many companies are jumping into the market. Sales through farmers markets and farm shops have grown faster than any other retail outlet. Organic food and drink now accounts for 1.2 per cent of the total retail market (Source Soil Association).

There are two types of organic foods.

Fresh food

Fresh food is seasonal and perishable. Vegetables and fruits are the most available type of organic, fresh food, and are closely associated with organic farming. They are often purchased directly from growers, at farmers markets, supermarkets or through speciality food stores. Organic meat, eggs, dairy are also available.

Processed food

Processed food accounts for most of the items in a supermarket. Often, within the same store, both organic and conventional versions of products are available, and the price of the organic version is usually higher as already mentioned. Most processed organic food comes from larger companies producing and marketing products like organic baby food, organic beer, organic pasta or other convenience foods.

How do I know its organic?

The term organic is defined by law - all organic food production and processing is governed by a strict set of rules. Look for symbols such as the Soil Association symbol for your guarantee of the highest organic standards. The Soil Association organic symbol is the UK's largest and most recognisable trademark for organic produce. Wherever you see it you can be sure that the food you have purchased has been produced and processed to strict and rigorous animal welfare and environmental standards. Other symbols to look out for include the Organic Food Federation and Certified Organic Ingredients.

Most people don't have enough time to read the labels of all the different food products that they buy to check for organic ingredients. So look for the various symbols, you can then be sure that the product complies with minimum government standards.

The use of such symbols is entirely optional and a product can still be organic even though if it doesn't carry the symbol of a certifying body. That means if you want to be 100% satisfied that what you are eating or using is organic always read the label or speak to the vendor.

Where you will find the symbol? - Look out for organic symbols on almost any kind of food and drink you can think of from fresh produce like fruit, vegetables and meat to processed foods such as bread or baby food. You can even buy organic pet food!

Here are some examples (Source:Organic Leaflet)(Close new window to get back to this page):
Examples of Organic Food Symbols

About The Author
Davinos Greeno works with the Organic and Eco directory Guide Me Green (close new window to get back to this page). This growing green products directory lists 100s of Organic, Fairtrade, Eco and Ethical companies, jobs http://www.jobs.guidemegreen.com and Campaigning Videos Guide Me Green (close new window to get back to this page).

English Tea is healthier drink than water?

Green tea and black Chinese tea have always been touted as a healthy drink, providing much anti-oxidants. Here is one article which describe what I assume as English tea as the article resides on bbcnews. Here is the link to the article: Tea healthier drink than water

It describe a study by Public health nutritionist Dr Carrie Ruxton and colleagues at Kings College London, and the study is another study on published studies on the health benefits of tea consumption. The study is funded by the Tea Council, but Dr. Ruxton stressed that the study is an independent study.

Here is what the article says. They found clear evidences that drinking 3 or 4 cups of tea a day helps cut the chances of having a heart attack. Some studies also suggested tea consumption provides protection against cancer. It also provide protection against tooth plaque production, and tooth decay, plus it strengthen the bones. (tea contains flouride).

Although there seem no evidence that tea drinking is harmful to health, tea can impair the ability of the body to absorb iron, meaning people prone to anemia should avoid drinking tea near mealtimes.



Public health nutritionist Dr Carrie Ruxton, and colleagues at Kings College London, looked at published studies on the health effects of tea consumption.

Lactose intolerance diet

Normal people absorb 90 over percent of milk's lactose (milk sugar) while those with lactose intolerance absorb only 25 to 60% of the milk sugar. The rest lingers in the colon and ferments, causing abdominal pain, bloating, excess gas and diarrhea.

What to do if you are lactose intolerant? For one, you can avoid milk. Another is to take yoghurt or kefir. The lactose in them have been predigested by the friendly bacteria. One more trick is to drink chocolate milk. Dr. Chong M. Lee, Ph. D., a professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Rhode Island tested 35 subjects and found that in more than half of the cases, the abdominal cramping, bloating and other signs of lactose intolerance were blocked. In test tube studies, cocoa increased lactase activity by 500 to 600%, Dr. Lee speculate that most likely, the cocoa stimulate enzyme activity. (source: Food the Miracle Medicine by Jean Carper)

One more alternative is to drink soymilk. Now with the availability of automatic soymilk maker, it is a breeze to make your own soymilk at home.

Products from Amazon

SoyQuick Automatic Soymilk Maker

Milk Is Not for Every Body: Living With Lactose Intolerance

The Milk Sugar Dilemma: Living with Lactose Intolerance

How to Tolerate Lactose Intolerance: Recipes & A Guide for Eating Well Without Dairy Products

Natural Remedies for Arthritis

Take fish oil. According to neurologists at the University of Pittsburgh, fish oil may work just as well as prescription drugs to ease arthritis pain. A recent study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill also found that there appeared to be a clear relationship between selenium and osteoarthritis. Supplements glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate may not only relieve pain and improve function in osteoarthritis, they may also improve cartilage structure.

And reduce weight plus participate in regular physical activities.

Books from Amazon

Conquering Arthritis: What Doctors Don't Tell You Because They Don't Know: 9 Secrets I Learned the Hard Way

How to Eat Away Arthritis : Gain Relief from the Pain and Discomfort of Arthritis Through Nature's Remedies

Exercise Beats Arthritis: An Easy-to-Follow Program of Exercises

Arthritis, What Exercises Work : Breakthrough Relief For The Rest Of Your Life, Even After Drugs & Surgery Have Failed

Food for migraine

Ginger has been used for centuries for treating headaches, nausea and nervous disorders. Ginger can be used for migraine too. Ginger affects prostaglandins, the hormonelike substances that help control inflammatory responses involving histamine and pain. Ginger works like aspirin in blocking prostaglandin production and this lead to reduction in inflammation and pain.

Books from Amazon

Migraine Headaches and the Foods You Eat : 200 Recipes for Relief

Headaches and Migraines (Food Solutions):: Recipes and Advice to Stop the Pain

Prescription for Natural Cures : A Self-Care Guide for Treating Health Problems with Natural Remedies Including Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Supplements, Bodywork, and More

Food for Gas

Having gas is normal. Excessive gas, referred to as flatulence, causes distress and is socially embarassing. Natural remedies or carminatives, are used to expel gas. They work by relaxing smooth muscles and letting gas escape. Food with carminative functions are anise, basil, charmomile, dill, fennel seeds, garlic, ginger, peppermint and sage.

What causes gas? When we eat carbohydrates, much of them are not digested in the stomach or the small intestine, and ends up in the large intestines where harmless bacteria feed on them. This fermentation process produces gas. So eating food like beans, bran, starch, and for those who are lactose intolerant, diary products, tend to produce gas. Try adding ginger and garlic to such food to produce less gas. If you are lactose intolerant, eating yogurt instead may help.

Books from Amazon

Food Your Miracle Medicine

Healthy Digestion the Natural Way: Preventing and Healing Heartburn, Constipation, Gas, Diarrhea, Inflammatory Bowel and Gallbladder Diseases, Ulcers, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and More

Eat banana for a stronger stomach

Eating banana and plantain strengthen the surface cells of the stomach lining, making a stronger barrier against digestive juices. Rats fed banana powder had a thicker stomach lining, while rats fed aspirin have thinner stomach lining. When rats are fed both banana powder and aspirin, the banana counteracted the drug's erosive effects. In fact, the stomach lining still increased by almost 20%. So if you have to take aspirin for any reason, make sure you eat some banana as well.

Banana also contain high pectin content which helps lower chloresterol. This is another reason to put bananas on your diet.

Books from Amazon

Good Food for Bad Stomachs

Eating and Healing: Traditional Food as Medicine

Food for a strong immune system

Having a strong immune system is important to good health and can keep us from getting infections and even cancer. Especially now with the threat of a bird flu epidemic, it is good to have a well functioning immune system. Various factors can influence one's immunity among which are diet.

Various food have been found to promote one's immune system. The foremost one is yogurt. Studies on animals and humans have shown that yogurt can stimulate the production of gamma interferon, increase the activity of natural killer (NK) killer cells and boost the production of antibodies. Georges M. Halpern, M.D., of the University of California School of Medicine at Davis in a study of 68 persons age 20 to 40 found that those eating 2 cups of yogurt a day for 4 months had 5 times more gamma interferon in their blood than non-yogurt eaters. A year long follow-up study also found that eating just 6 ounces of yogurt daily prevented colds, hay fever and diarrhea in both young and elderly adults. In another study, Joseph A. Scimeca, Ph. D., a nutritional scientist at Kraft General Food, Inc., suggested that yogurt stimulates immunity enough to block lung cancer in mice. He fed mice doses of ordinary supermarket yogurt and then injected them with cancer cells. Eating yogurt reduced the number of cancer by 30%.

Also, eat shitake mushroom to boost your immune system. Shitake mushroom an antiviral substance, lentinan, that have strong immunostimulating activity and can boost the functioning of macrophages and T-lymphocytes.

The common garlic can also help. Benjamin H. S. Lau, M.D. of the School of Medicine at Loma Linda University found that garlic extract stimulate macrophages to generate more agents to kill microbes and tumor cells. Tariq Abdullah, M.D., and colleagues at the Akbar Clinic and Research Center in Panama City ate large amounts of raw garlic, while others ate no garlic. He found that the blood from the garlic eaters had more natural killer (NK) cells than non-garlic eaters.

Eat lots of all kinds of fruits and vegetables. A study at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg found that vegetarians' white blood cells were twice as deadly against tumor cells as that of meat eaters.

Eat food high in zinc such as oysters. Zinc helps drive the production of antibodies and T-cells as well as other white blood cell activities. Zinc may even rejuvenate an aging immune system. Daily low doses of zinc can cause a significant increase in active hormones and T-cells that fight off infection.

Immunity Foods for Healthy Kids : More Than 250 Natural Foods and Recipes to Keep Your Child's Immune System Fighting Fit

Balance Your Immune System With Food, Herb & Exercise

Food for preventing macular degeneration

The macula is a tiny and highly sensitive central part of the retina responsible for detailed central vision. It is constantly subjected to exposure free radicals from sunlight and other environmental factors. With time, the macula may degenerate, leading to impared vision, even blindness. To prevent macular degeneration eat food containing lots of antioxidants and beta carotene. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago studied the diets of about 3,000 elderlies and discovered that eating a mere carrot a day, or any other beta carotene-rich fruit or vegetable, cut the odds of macular degeneration by 40%.

Save Your Sight! : Natural Ways to Prevent and Reverse Macular Degeneration

Macular Degeneration: The Complete Guide to Saving and Maximizing Your Sight

Food Your Miracle Medicine

Food for rheumatoid arthritis

If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, it may pay you to study if you have any food allergy. An article "Rheumatoid Arthritis and Food: a Case Study" in the respectable British Medical Journal describe the ordeals of a 38 year old woman. Ms X suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for 11 years. The joints of her arms, legs and hips were severely inflamed and swollen. She had no had grip and can barely move without excruciating pain. All the modern medicine - salicylates, non steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, gold, penicillamine, predisone, gave little relief, in fact, made her sicker. When the rheumatologists at Hammersmith Hospital, London, found out about her cheese cravings, they wondered if her troubles could be due to a food allergy, and persuaded her to cut out all dairy products. Her joint swelling and morning stiffness lessened within 3 weeks, and disappeared over the next few months. Then one day she ate some dairy products by mistake, and 12 hours later, the arthritic symtoms returned. The doctors also did a confirming "challenge" test in which, after she was free from the disease for 10 months, she delibrately ate 3 pounds of cheese and drank 7 pints of milk over 3 days. Within 24 hours, the rheumatoid arthritis symtoms were back.

This was not an isolated case of food allergy causing rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Ronald Williams reported in another case in the British Medical Journal a patient who had active rheumatoid arthritis for 25 years. Taking azathioprine and soluble asprin, even a plasma exchange, didn't help. It turned out she was allergic to corn. When she excluded all corn from her diet and improved dramatically within 1 week.

Likely allergen that you may want to look into are cereal, diary products, meat, Omega-6 vegetable oil. Food that may help are fatty fish, vegetables, ginger.

You are what you eat: healthy food choices, nutrition, and the child with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. (includes posttest)(Continuing Education Series: ... Update) : An article from: Pediatric Nursing [HTML] (Digital)

Conquering Arthritis: What Doctors Don't Tell You Because They Don't Know: 9 Secrets I Learned the Hard Way (Paperback)

Food Your Miracle Medicine

Natural remedy for cold

What should one do if one catches the cold, flu, bronchitis or sinus problem? You should try the ancient food remedies passed down through the ages. These are chicken soup, garlic, horse-radish, hot chilli pepper, hot curry spices, mustard and vitamin C rich food. They help thin out and move the mucus so that they can be moved out and not clog the air passages. The hot stuff stimulates the nerve endings to send signals to the brain, which in turn activates secretion-producing glands lining the airways to release fluids that makes the eyes water and the nose runs. The same release of fluids in the bronchial passages breaks up congestion, flushes out sinuses and wash away irritants.

What about chicken soup? Chicken contains an amino acid called cysteine which is released when you boil the soup. Cysteine is very similar in chemical structure to the drug acetylcysteine prescribed for bronchitis and respiratory infections. They thin the mucus and making it easier to be expelled. So if you have a cold, or feel a cold coming on, put chicken together with lots of garlic, onions, pepper and chilies and make a soup to drink.

If you feel a sore throat coming on, eat some garlic or onion to ward it off. If you do it early enough, you may not even get sick. Dr. James North, chief microbiologist at Brigham Young University, Utah, has confirmed that garlic and onion kill viruses responsible for cold and flu.

The Common Cold Cure: Natural Remedies for Colds and Flu

Natural Cures for the Common Cold : Powerful, Drug-Free Remedies Proven to Work (Harbor Health Series)

Sniffles: Tips, Remedies And Natural Tips to Beat the Common Cold

Natural remedy for diarrhea

Some well known drugs will stop diarrhea but they interfere with the natural process of cleansing that the body desperately needs. With natural remedies we may help ourselves feel better without stopping the immune system from doing its job.

Here is a simple cure for diarrhea. Boil some diluted rice porridge. Drink the diluted rice water or even the porridge itself. Very effective.

Healing With Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition

Food Your Miracle Medicine

Food for gallstones

Gallstones are crystalline bodies formed in the gall bladder by accretion or concretion of normal or abnormal bile components. The gall bladder is a pear shaped pouch that squirt bile into the intestines to aid digestion. When the bile in the gall bladder become supersaturated with cholesterol, stones as small as grains of sand or as large as an inch in diameter, crystal out. Most of the time, the stones are harmless, but sometimes when the gall bladder contract to release bile, a stone shoots out and obstruct the opening leading to the duct, and agonising pain may result.

What can be done to prevent gallstones attack? A diet change may help. A Harvard study of 88,000 middle-aged women revealed that women who ate the most vegetable were less likely to have symtoms of gallstones. Drinking a little alcohol also helped. Alcohol increases the breakdown of cholesterol, making it less available for gallstone formation. Avoid a sugar-rich, fiber-poor diet, that is, eat lots of fiber-rich food. If you have gallstones, avoid coffee as coffee can stimulate gallbladder contraction, possibily bringing on a gallbladder attack. Take regular meals and avoid fasting. Do not be overweight, but at the same time avoid quick weight loss.

For more drastic action you may want to try a liver or gallbladder cleanse

The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World

Miracle Food Cures From the Bible

Food Your Miracle Medicine

How one man cured himself of depression by changing his diet

Brian Godfrey first started experiencing depression when he was a teenager and although he tried everything from drugs to psychotherapy, suffered chronic depression for about 40 years.

"It was terrible, I would wake up in the morning with a fuzzy head and just could not get going. I felt tired and depressed. Some days it would be so bad I would lay in bed crying." He even thought of suicide.

When it was clear that the advice the doctors were giving him was not going to work, he decided to look for something else. One day he went to the library and found a book about food intolerance. He then cut out wheat and diary from his diet, and within 3 weeks was feeling better.

"It was a miracle. I just woke up one morning and my problems had gone."

Later, he also stopped eating grains, eggs, chocolate, coffee, tea, even his favourite drink, Guiness. Mr. Godfrey is now completely free of the severe depression that used to plagued him.

Diet change cured me of depression

Eating, Drinking, Overthinking : The Toxic Triangle of Food, Alcohol, and Depression--and How Women Can Break Free

The Food Allergy Cure : A New Solution to Food Cravings, Obesity, Depression, Headaches, Arthritis, and Fatigue

The Food and Mood Handbook : Find Relief at Last from Depression, Anxiety, PMS, Cravings and Mood Swings

Chocolate for cardiovascular health

Biochemist Hagen Schroeter of the University of California, Davis has demonstrated a direct relationship between the intake of certain flavanols present in cocoa, their absorption into the circulation and their effects on cardiovascular functions based on a study on volunteers from the Kuna Indians who live on the San Blas islands off the coast of Panama. They consume large amount of flavanol-rich cocoa of 3 to 4 cups a day. They have twice the level of urinary nitric oxide, a chemical associated with healthy flow of blood through the arteries. They found that higher levels of epicatechin, one of the flavanols, were accompanied by improved blood flow and allow vascular tissue to relax. The test also show that pure epicatechin consumed by people had much the same effect as flavanol-rich cocoa, providing direct proof that epicatechin is responsible for the beneficial vascular effects that are seen after consumption of flavanol-rich cocoas.

Secrets to Chocolate's Heart Benefits Found

Dark chocolate, purple grape juice, wine win: cardiovascular benefits of flavonoids.(Clinical Rounds) : An article from: Family Practice News [HTML] (Digital)

Chocolate Unwrapped: The Surprising Health Benefits of America's Favorite Passion

How to get rid of plaque naturally

I have found a simple but effective way to get rid of plaque naturally. I use facial cotton. What I do is to wet the facial cotton, wrap it around the forefinger, then with the facial cotton brush all the accessible area of the teeth. The plaque will be removed by the facial cotton. The surface of the teeth, which used to feel rough, will now feel smooth to the tongue, and the plaque will be transfered to the facial cotton which can be thrown away. When I was doing this, I had no cavities.

Healing With Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition

Garlic the miracle food

There are many benefits from eating garlic, to the extend that it may qualify it as a miracle food.

Garlic has been used to treat many kinds of diseases from the dawn of civilization. It is a proven broad-spectrum antibiotic

Garlic lowers triglycerides, cholesterol

Garlic has at least 15 different antioxidant, many anti-cancer compounds

Garlic has anti-inflammatory properties, lowers blood pressure, discourages dangerous blood clotting, boost immune responses.

Food Your Miracle Medicine

High fiber diet for Diverticular disease

Diverticular disease (or diverticulosis) is a condition of the large intestine (colon) which means having diverticula, or small sacs or pouches that form in the wall of the large intestine, and includes diverticulitis which is when these pouches or sacs become infected. Diverticular was practically non-existent before this century because people ate a more healthy diet. Further, doctors have generally recommended a low fiber diet reasoning that fiber will irritates the gut. However, Dr. Neil Painter, a surgeon at Manor House Hospital at London persuaded 70 diverticulosis patients to change to a high-fiber diet. After 22 months it was found that the diet has alleviated or abolished the symtoms associated with the diverticular disease. The diet they took? Whole wheat bread, cereals, plenty of fruits and vegetables and added miller's bran to every meal.

Books from Amazon

Diverticular Disease

The Official Patient's Sourcebook on Diverticular Disease

Food Your Miracle Medicine

Meals That Heal : Over 175 Simple, Everyday Recipes That Help Prevent And Treat Disease