Most expensive foods in the world

The world of the rich and famous is fascinating for many of us. They lead the life many of us want and they do what we only dream of us. Being a food fanatic, this time we’ll have a look at the most expensive foods in the world, most expensive drinks, deserts or spices.
1. Saffron, a spice grown worldwide, is derived from the saffron crocus flower. A pound of dry saffron (0.45 kg) requires 50,000–75,000 flowers to make, meaning an entire football field of these flowers. Requiring so much resources and labor, prices for the spice go around US$500/pound to US$5,000/pound (US$1100–US$11, 000 per kilogram).

2. The most expensive nut in the world is the Macadamia nut. The macadamia tree produces nuts only after it’s 7-10 years old, requiring fertile soil and heavy rainfall. These nuts have a very hard seed, but once it’s open it reveals a creamy white kernel containing up to 80% oil and 4% sugar. The cost of a kilogram of these nuts exceeds 30$.

3. The most expensive caviar in the world is not the black one, but the almas caviar! The word ‘almas’ is Iranian for diamond. Beluga caviar comes from a fish over 100 years old, that is virtually unchanged for 120 million years.. The luxurious caviar comes from the oldest survivor of the Dinosaur era. Beluga caviar ranges in price from more than $5,000 per kilogram in the United States

4. The most expensive mushroom in the world is the white truffle. The mushroom has its origins in the Langhe area of the Piedmont region in northern Italy, it can reach 12 cm diameter and 500g. These truffles are sold at a amazing price of €2,000 and €4,000 per kilogram ($1350 - $2700 per pound). The record price for this truffle was paid last year, in December, when Stanley Ho, the owner of the Macau casino paid $330,000 for 1.5kg of truffles.

5. The most expensive potato in the world is a French one, “La Bonnotte”. Annually, only 100 tons of this top quality potato are cultivated and collected only on the island Noirmoutier. The potato fields require to be fertilized only with seaweed in a climate shaped by the nearby sea. The cost of one single kilogram can reach €500 since this type of potato is almost extinct.

6. The most expensive beef in the world is the type of beef coming from the Wagyu cows. These Japanese cows are fed the best grass and provided the best treatment. That is why the meat is especially tender and particularly expensive. 200 grams of a fillet cost in Europe more than 100 dollars.

7. The most expensive sandwich in the world is the club sandwich from Essen aka von Essen Platinum Club Sandwich.. This triple-decker delicacy contains the finest chicken, ham, hard-boiled quails’ eggs and white truffles and it’s currently sold at Cliveden, Berkshire. The chicken (poulet de Bresse) is referred to as the ‘fourth gastronomic wonder of the world served with a topping of white truffles, sold at over a thousands ponds a month. At 1,182 calories, with 1.8oz of fat, it’s not the healthiest dish but certainly one of the most expensive. Costing 100 pounds (almost 200 dollars), this is a must-try for the food fanatics.

8.The most expensive pizza in the world, valued at 8300 Eur can be tasted in Italy. With generous toppings of caviar and lobster, the pizza has a diameter of 20cm and Louis XIII Remy Martin cognac poured all over it. 

9. The most expensive omelet in the world can be tasted at the Le Parker Meridien restaurant in New York. The $1,000 omelet consists of 10 ounces of sevruga caviar, a whole lobster, and six eggs. To make it in the privacy of your own home, the cost will be only $700.

10. Off to something sweet now with one of the most expensive deserts in the world, served at Serendipity 3, a popular restaurant in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The $1000 sundae was introduced in 2004 and was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most expensive dessert. It’s made up of 5 scoops of the richest Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream, Madagascar vanilla, 23K edible gold leaf and one of the most expensive chocolates in the world, Amedei Porceleana.

Reasons for Quit Smoking

When you quit smoking, you stop hurting those around you. The secondhand smoke from your cigarettes can make your family and friends have more colds and asthma attacks. It can also put them at risk for heart and lung diseases, and even lung cancer.
View all of the daily reasons to quit smoking:

• 1 year after quitting smoking: you reduce your risk for heart disease by 50 percent.

• 10 years after quitting smoking: your risk for dying from lung cancer is about half that of a continuing smoker's and your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas also decrease.

• 15 years after quitting smoking: your risk of heart disease is now the same as someone who has never smoked.

• 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting smoking: you have better circulation and your lung function increases up to 30 percent.

• 20 minutes after quitting smoking: your blood pressure drops to a level close to that before your last cigarette. The temperature of your hands and feet increases, returning to normal.

• 24 hours after quitting smoking: your chances of having a heart attack decrease.

• 5-15 years after quitting smoking: your risk of having a stroke is the same as someone who has never smoked.

• 8 hours after quitting smoking: the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.

• When you quit smoking, you help prevent your children from smoking.

• If all pregnant women quit smoking, about 4,000 new babies would not die every year.

• A one pack-a-day smoker, who pays at least $3 per pack, can expect to save more than $1,000 per year. The cost of cigarettes only continues to rise, making the financial rewards of quitting even better.

• In the long term, quitting smoking reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and lung diseases like emphysema or bronchitis.

• In the short term, quitting smoking reduces respiratory problems, dental problems, nervousness and depression, and a tendency toward health-damaging behavior.

• Mothers who quit smoking during pregnancy, then start smoking again once their babies are born, increase their children's chances of developing asthma and raises the risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

• People who quit, no matter what their age, live longer than people who continue to smoke.
  Quitting smoking reduces your risk for heart disease.

• Quitting smoking now is one of the most powerful steps you can take to improve your overall health.

• Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.

• Quitting smoking cleanses your body of harmful substances. More than 4,000 individual compounds have been identified in tobacco and tobacco smoke. Among these are about 60 compounds that cause cancer.

• Quitting smoking could lower the amount of cholesterol in your blood.

• Quitting smoking during pregnancy lowers the risk of birth defects to your unborn child.

• Quitting smoking during pregnancy lowers the risk of having a stillborn baby, a baby born too early or prematurely, or an infant with low birth weight.

• Quitting smoking during pregnancy reduces health risks for your unborn child. Smoking during and after pregnancy has been linked to asthma among infants and young children.

• Quitting smoking gets rid of your dependence on a very powerful substance. Did you know that nicotine is as addictive as heroin or cocaine?

• Quitting smoking helps protect the health of your baby during pregnancy.

• Quitting smoking helps protect your baby when you're breastfeeding. Women who smoke and breastfeed their babies can expose their infants to harmful chemicals from tobacco.

• Women smokers who use birth control pills have a higher risk of heart attack and stroke than nonsmokers who use birth control pills.

• Women who smoke generally experience menopause (stopping of menstrual periods) earlier.Quitting smoking may increase your level of self-confidence when doing physical activities.

• Quitting smoking protects your heart. Women who smoke are 2 to 6 times more likely to suffer a heart attack, and the risk increases with the number of cigarettes you smoke each day.

• Smoking and breastfeeding do not mix. Heavy smoking can reduce a mother's milk supply and can causenausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea in her baby.

• Quitting smoking reduces wrinkles and yellow spots on your fingers, and gives you a better sense of taste and smell.

• Quitting smoking reduces your risk for developing cancer of the cervix.

• Quitting smoking reduces your risk for infertility (not being able to get pregnant), pregnancy problems, earlier onset of menopause, and osteoporosis (thinning and weakening of bones).

• Quitting smoking substantially decreases the risk of lung, laryngeal, esophageal, oral, pancreatic, bladder, and cervical cancers.

• Smokers who quit before age 50 have half the risk of dying in the next 15 years compared to those who continue to smoke.

• Tobacco use by pregnant women has been linked with increased risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and mental retardation, secondhand smoke worsens the health of children with asthma.

• When you quit smoking, you stop hurting those around you. The secondhand smoke from your cigarettes can make your family and friends have more colds and asthma attacks. It can also put them at risk for heart and lung diseases, and even lung cancer.

• When you stop smoking you have fresher and better smelling clothes, hair, and breath.

• When you stop smoking, you improve your chances for a longer and healthier life.

• When you stop smoking, you save a lot of money that can be spent on more important things for yourself and your loved ones.

• When you stop smoking, things will taste and smell better.

• When you stop smoking, you'll spend less time, energy, and money cleaning your curtains, walls, windows, and mirrors.

• When you stop smoking, your pets will be happier. Did you know that secondhand smoke increases the risk of lung cancer in dogs?

BEWARE OF RUBBER HAIR BANDS and SLIPPERS from CHINA !!!!!

BEWARE OF RUBBER HAIR BANDS and SLIPPERS from CHINA !!!!!

 

Be cautious of hair bands at open markets around the city too – they are probably from China since they are purchased in bulk very very cheap !!!!  
Take a good look before buying hair bands in future – especially the following kind…..
..

These Hair bands were made from used condoms and threads. 
...

..

..
[IMAGE]
...

BEIJING (AFP) - Used condoms are being recycled into hair bands in southern China threatening to spread sexually-transmitta ble diseases they were originally meant to prevent, state media reported Tuesday
In the latest example of potentially harmful Chinese-made products, rubber hair bands have been found in local markets and beauty salonsin Dongguan and Guangzhou cities in southern Guangdong province, China Daily newspaper said.
'These cheap and colorful rubber bands and hair ties sell well ..... threatening the health of local people,' it said..
Despite being recycled, the hair bands could still contain bacteria and viruses, it said.
'People could be infected with AIDS, (genital) warts or other diseases if they hold the rubber bands or strings in their mouths while waving their hair into plaits or buns,' the paper quoted a local dermatologist who gave only his surname, Dong, as saying. A bag of ten of the recycled bands sells for just 25 sen (three cents), much cheaper than others on the market, accounting for their popularity, the paper said.
A government official was quoted as saying recycling condoms was illegal.   China 's manufacturing industry has been repeatedly tarnished this year by a string of scandals involving shoddy or dangerous goods made for both domestic and foreign markets.
In response, it launched a public relations blitz this summer aimed at playing up efforts to strengthen monitoring systems.
_.___

Check your kids hair bands and make sure they do not put them in th eir mouth while trying to plait or tie their hair .
See below for Chinese Slippers now being sold in Walmart in the US .  Hopefully, they are not yet in the Philippines ...
REMEMBER THE PAINT ON KIDS TOYS ?

This is very true as I heard it in news from one of our local radios here that our govt has to be extra careful on these cheap imports from china. These includes clothes, food, toys, slippers and even glasses because the Chinese are using some strong but cheap chemical in their manufactures. Cheap is becoming expensive and at the same time fatal. I nearly bought one pair of the slippers below for myself last week at the Japanese $2 shop at IMM last week. These slippers are also sold in Walmart, USA and same complaints received.

PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO PASS THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE IN YOUR CONTACT LIST.

Viral Fever

Viral Fever
What is viral fever ?
In medical terms, any fever caused as a result of viral infection is a viral fever. However, colloquially, the term 'viral fever' has come to mean a special type of fever that develops and then gets treated without the offending virus being specifically identified. The course and duration of the fever too does not seem to follow any set pattern and is frequently accompanied by, though not always by all of them, generalised bodyache, running nose, cough, shivering, feeling miserable, irritable and depressed.
How long do they last ?
Normally between 3 to 7 days with the former being termed as the 'three day fever' and the latter as the 'seven day fever'.
What medicines should one take ?
This must be decided by your medical doctor. Therefore, the doctor should be consulted without delay and his advice followed diligently. However, it is noteworthy at this point the famous saying 'a viral fever usually gets treated in 7 days with medications and in a week without any'. But without prejudice, please consult your doctor as a matter of routine! Normally, treatment is given for specific complaints like fever, headache, running nose, cough, etc.
What are the precautions that one must take ?
Remember that any viral fever causes the body immune system to be severely tested. Therefore, the more danger arises as a consequence of having the viral infection than from the specific infection itself. Cough is usually not a good sign and chest infections caused by bacteria (like pneumonia) are quite common - especially in the young and old. Therefore, your doctor would normally prescribe some antibiotics which strictly are not indicated in viral fevers and they are known to cause more harm than good unless absolutely indicated.
What else can one do if someone has it ?
Discussion about the inadvisability of using antibiotics should be held under special heading and are really out of place over here. There is one more thing. There is absolutely NO place for any sort of corticosteriods in the treatment of viral fevers. It may even prove fatal which is particularly tragic under the circumstances since they are not indicated in the first place. They compromise the body immune system even further, thereby increasing the risk of infections that may be almost impossible to cure even with the latest generation of antibiotics.
Usually, the medications that are prescribed causes dryness of the mouth and the tongue may feel parched. Hence it is imperative to drink as much water as is possible. Besides water, which may be admixed with sugar and lemon and salt, etc., to make it tasty since plain water is plain boring if taken too often, especially in such conditions like viral fever where the patient is both miserable and irritable, soft drinks that are preferably without any colours added to them and are at room temperature (cold drinks aggravate the sore throat, running nose and especially cough), fruit juices that have been freshly squeezed may be taken. Soups, particularly chicken soup, is highly recommended as they are tasty, provide enough water and nutrition, and are said to have beneficial effects in such cases. The old adage 'feed a cold and starve a fever holds good. Please do however check with your doctor regarding the food you may or may not take since you may be having some infection where certain food and drinks are an absolute no no.
Since the body becomes lethargic and there is loss of energy and also because the infecting virus spreads through sneezing, it is best if the patient is generally kept confined in a comfortable and airy place as much away from close contact with others. His clothes, particularly his handkerchiefs, are separately washed with good cleaning fluids. It is preferable if the patient uses disposable facial tissue paper which must be disposed off with care. The patient must also not undertake any hard work without getting the doctor's explicit consent first.
The condition tends to cause irritability, as has been mentioned before, and depression apart from feeling miserable, particularly in the first stage of the condition (typically, but not necessarily, the first 24 to 48 hours). The attendants must therefore be understanding and sympathetic. The patient may not be in a mood to take food, and suffers from lack of taste. While food is necessary, there is not much case for force-feeding unless the patient is quite weak even to walk a few steps or get up from the bed after the first 48 hours have passed. Drinking plenty of fluids must however be insisted upon and making it tasty by adding sugar and squash or syrups helps a lot in making the drink palatable to the patient.
What are the complications ?
Infections that may occur over and above the viral ones. In the weakened conditions, even the less harmful bacteria can cause havoc to the body.
Rest, especially bed-rest during the fever, plenty of fluids and avoidance of any strenuous work or exercise for around a week is to be followed. Normal, non-strenuous work including daily activities may be resumed as soon as the patient begins to feel better.
How can one avoid getting these infections ?
Frankly, there is very little chance of avoiding these. Though several vaccines have been developed and successfully tested, particularly in the USA where these infections, when they have occurred have lead to severe epidemics and fatalities, largely the causative viral strains are unknown and having them once does not guarantee any immunity from further infections, especially in the sub-continent. The best methods to be followed are staying away from persons who are sneezing and coughing, particularly during season-change and having a sound body constitution helps. Try not to use tissue papers and handkerchiefs of the suffers and dispose or wash them as hygienically as possible.
What should one do if one has such a fever ?
Contact your doctor and follow the advice given. Though there is a tendency to self-medicate as more often than not the same medicines are usually prescribed, most of which are available over the counter, the doctor is in the best position to judge whether or not additional medications, tests and precautions are required, and to confirm that indeed you have just viral fever as you have concluded and not something more sinister.
Are any preventive measures available ?
As has been entailed above, some shots are indeed available, especially for influenza. Unfortunately, since many a times one really does not know what causes the fever in the first place and the disease is cured before any confirmed diagnosis as to the cause can first be made, and also since the offending virus more often than not mutates into a new variety against which there are no effective vaccines are available. Therefore, it is not always easy to take immunisation shots beforehand and be free from getting a viral fever.
Do consult your doctor for further guidance and advice in this matter.

Cover Your Lips

Cover Your Lips

Could cancer on your lips sound any less appealing?
Then cover your mouth. More than 60 percent of regular sunscreen-users skip their lips. But faithfully applying -- and reapplying -- SPF to 'em could reduce your risk of skin cancer there by half.
Nothing to Smile About
Many of us learned the hard, blistery way that every little sun-exposed part of our bodies -- from the tops of our feet to the tips of our ears -- needs equal sun protection. But since many of us forget our lips, it's no wonder that they're a surprisingly common spot for squamous cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer.
Slather Selectively
Be picky about what you put on your lips. Dermatologists believe wearing shiny lip gloss can actually attract more UV rays to your lips. So use an SPF-fortified lip balm and reapply several times a day -- including after eating or swimming and whenever you touch up your lipstick.

For all smokers

Cigarette in my hand...I feel like a man...
It gives me the confidence.. .that "I can"...
You don't agree...?? wait till I show you...
Its importance - then you won't argue...
I need it with my breakfast toast...
To supply me the vitamins I need the most...
I need it when I enter my work-place.. .
To give me the energy to match the pace...
I need it after my lunch...
To increase the digestion after the munch...
I need it in my coffee break...
And that's just for keeping me ! awake...
I need it with my evening snacks...
To lift my verve when it sags...
I need it when I leave for the day...
to relax after the tortuous play...
I need it when I move around with friends...
to get the "kick" and feel the trends...
I need it after my dinner...
To adieu my day as a winner.
On my way to glory...
I overlook the statutory warning written on the pack...
For my valor - I should be given a pat on my back.
I feed gallons of smoke to my neighbor...
Can anyone else boast of such a favor ??
An apple a day keeps the doctors away...
The doctors then,won't have any say.
I keep the doctors busy n working...
The apple would have left them sulking.
I contribute heavily in the government's revenues...
which help them venture the different avenues...
And you want me to quit smoking ??
I am sure you must be joking.
I am happy the way I am.
I'm no saint up above the hills.
And if at all I decide to quit...
What'll happen to the company called WILLS ??
WARNING: Cigarette smoking KILLS

For your Health

Its a very Important message........
Must Read this is for you and your Family
Don't eat Kurkure b'coz it contains high amount of plastic if U don't
believe burn kurkure n u can see plastic melting. Pls forward to
all!!!!!!!!!!!
News report from Times of India
Avoid these tablets they are very dangerous
1. D cold
2. Vicks action- 500
3. Actified
4. Coldarin
5. Cosome
6. Nice
7. Nimulid
8. Cetrizet-D
They contain Phenyl- Propanol -Amide PPA.  Which causes strokes, and these
tablets are banned in U.S.
Cotton Ear Buds... (Must read it)
Pls do not show sympathy to people selling buds on roadside or at
Signals..... .....
Just wanted to warn you people not to buy those packs of ear buds you get
at the roadside. It's made from cotton that has already been used in
Hospitals.
They take all the dirty, blood and pus filled cotton, wash it, bleach it
and use it to make ear buds. So, unless you want to become the first
person in the world to get Herpes Zoster Oticus (a viral infection of the
inner, middle, and external ear) of the ear and that too from a cotton
bud, DON'T BUY THEM!
Please forward to all. This may be helpful for someone.....!!!!

What is Chi ?

In Asian tradition, chi is the life force which permeates the world. In addition to being in all living beings, chi is also found in spaces such as homes and gardens. Although chi is a metaphysical construct, rather than something which can be physically quantified and measured, belief in chi is widespread in many Asian nations and disciplines including Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), martial arts, and feng shui, a Chinese art which involves balancing objects within their environment.
Like other Chinese words, chi is seen spelled in English in various ways including qi and xi. The pronunciation of the word is difficult to render in the Roman alphabet, but the word sounds like “chee” when spoken. The meaning of the word is linked to “air” and “breath,” which are believed to vital parts of life. Like air, chi is a form of energy which waxes and wanes in the body depending on health, and in a space depending on arrangement.
Many cultures have a concept of some sort of vital energy which runs through all things, such as prana in the yogic tradition. When it is in a proper state of balance, the energy moves smoothly through the space which it inhabits, and supports rather than fights against the space. Balancing this energy is a crucial part of living a healthy and calm life for many people in Asian countries, and the concept of energetic balance has been adopted by some Western nations as well.
An imbalance of chi can lead to ill health or discomfort in an environment. In the case of living beings, practices like acupuncture, acupressure, and other types of TCM are used to right the imbalance, by unblocking the flow of chi through the meridians of the body. A practitioner of TCM checks in with the patient's whole body in order to assess overall health, and takes corrective measures as necessary.
In the case of spaces, many Asian traditions surround organizing objects within an environment to make the space harmonious. An imbalance of chi in a space is believed to lead to bad luck and ill health, and many rules surround how things should be arranged from bedrooms to graveyards. As the rules which govern arrangements can be quite complex, some wealthy households hire professionals to arrange their spaces, who are analogous to interior designers in the West, although their function goes beyond pure aesthetic consultation.

How To Be 10 Years Younger

How To Be 10 Years Younger

Nope, it's not a time machine you need if you want to be a decade younger. It's a treadmill. Or a bike. Or just a good pair of sneakers.
That's right. The most physically active folks in a recent study showed signs of being as much as 10 years younger on a cellular level.
Go Long on ProtectionHow does exercise do that? By keeping your telomeres long and healthy. What on earth are those, you ask? Simple. They're like the plastic tips on shoelaces. But in your body, they cap the ends of the DNA strands (chromosomes) in all your cells. Over time, your telomeres can shorten to the point where cells stop regenerating, and even die (think accelerated aging). Shortened telomeres also leave your chromosomes vulnerable to the kind of damage that may trigger diseases such as cancer.
Running from Old Age
The fact that exercise keeps your cells renewing themselves and protects your DNA is good motivation to get out there. But if you need another push:
- Get Comfy.
- Consider a Quickie Workout. It's good for you, too!
- Take Breaks.
RealAge Benefit: Exercising regularly can make your RealAge as much as 9 years younger.

Eat A Big Breakfast

Hard to believe, but there could be a benefit to loading up your breakfast plate.
Besides helping you eat less later in the day, a big breakfast might also help you lose weight. But you have to be smart about it.
Load Up to Slim Down?
Okay, so you can’t completely overdo it at breakfast and hope to drop pounds. But when obese dieters ate a big 600-calorie breakfast of healthy protein and carbs (think scrambled eggs, diced turkey, whole-wheat toast, and a banana), they lost significantly more weight than dieters who ate only half that much. Why? Researchers speculate that eating a large balanced meal in the morning helps stymie carb cravings later in the day -- especially if you’re cutting carbs and calories in an effort to slim down. 
A Better Breakfast
Here are some other ways to make your morning meal really count:
- Put eggs back on the menu. Yep, they’re officially a health food again.
- Never skip.
RealAge Benefit: Losing excess weight by increasing physical activity can make your RealAge 3 to 9 years younger.

HEALTHY TIPS

TUESDAY, Dec. 4 (HealthDay News) -- With many children's cough syrups being pulled from the market because they don't work, an old folk remedy -- honey -- may work just as well or better, researchers report.
In a study of kids having trouble sleeping because of cough, a research team at Penn State College of Medicine compared the effectiveness of a little bit of buckwheat honey before bedtime versus either no treatment or dextromethorphan (DM), the cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter cold medicines.
"Honey provided the greatest relief of symptoms compared with the other treatments," concluded lead researcher Dr. Ian Paul, Penn State's director of pediatric clinical research.
An FDA advisory board recently recommended that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines not be given to children under 6 years of age because of a lack of effectiveness and potential for side effects.
"With honey, parents now have a safe and effective alternative to use for children over age 1 who have cough and cold symptoms," Paul said.
Paul cautioned that honey should never be given to children younger than 1, because of the rare risk of infantile botulism. In addition, he noted, cough medicines that mention "honey" on the label actually contain artificial honey flavor.
In the study, 105 children ages 2 to 18 were given either honey, artificial honey-flavored DM or no treatment about a half-hour before bedtime, according to the report in the December issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
Paul's group found that honey was more effective in reducing the severity and frequency of nighttime cough compared with DM or no treatment. Honey also allowed the children to sleep.
Moreover, DM was not much better at reducing cough than no treatment, the researchers found.
Paul's team used a dark honey in their trial. Whether other honeys would be equally effective is not known, Paul said.
Some of the children were hyperactive for a short time after being given the honey, Paul said. However, children who received honey slept better and so did their parents, the researcher noted.
Honey has been used for centuries to treat upper respiratory infection symptoms such as cough. In addition, honey has antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, and also soothes the back of the throat, Paul noted. "The World Health Organization has cited honey as a potential therapy," he said.
Charlotte Jordan, a project manager of research at the National Honey Board, believes the finding confirms what your grandmother told you.
"This is a really exciting finding," she said. "For a long time it's been folklore medicine to use honey when you have a cough or a cold, but it's exciting to have a scientific study to back that up."

Why Your Skin Craves Oatmeal

You probably know that oatmeal’s a fiber-rich superfood that does an all-star job of sopping up cholesterol and speeding it out of the body. But do you also know that its grainy little flakes perform mini miracles when applied to skin? Oatmeal whisks away dead cells, irritation, and redness, leaving a soft, moist glow behind.
While this could be news to you, oatmeal’s long been a staple among skin pros -- even ancient ones. Its skin-soothing powers were known as early as 2000 BC, and to this day, the FDA cites it as effective for relieving dryness and inflammation, including insect stings, rashes, and eczema. That's why finely powdered (“colloidal”) oatmeal is sifted into soothing body soaks, moisturizers, and soaps. (Pulverizing the oats into powder makes it easier to disperse their healing goodness -- and in soaks it keeps them from collecting in the bottom of the tub.)
"There are four reasons why your skin adores oatmeal," explains New York City dermatologist Amy Wechsler, MD:
1. Dryness fighting: Oats contain polysaccharides, which become gelatinous in water and leave a fine protective film on the skin, preventing dull, flaky dryness.
2. Moisturizing: Oats are full of healthy, lubricating fats.
3. Defense building: The proteins in oatmeal help maintain the skin's natural barrier function, which ensures that the world outside the skin stays out, and what's inside the skin stays in.
4. Pore cleansing: Oats are filled with natural cleansers (called saponins) that gently remove dirt and oil from the pores.
To reap all of these benefits, Wechsler suggests treating your skin to a colloidal oatmeal mask every week or two. Here’s her super simple recipe -- good bet the ingredients are already in your kitchen.
The Skin Doc’s Smoothing, Soothing Oatmeal Mask:
2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
     2 tablespoons hot water
     1/2 tablespoon honey
1. Put the oats into a clean herb or coffee grinder on the finest setting, and process into powder.
2. Pour into a small bowl and stir in hot water and honey. Let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Wash face with warm water. While skin is still damp, massage paste onto face, circling around eyes and mouth. Leave on for 10 minutes.
4. Remove with tepid water and a washcloth. Apply your favorite moisturizer to seal the deal and set the glow.
P.S.: Don’t stop eating oats just because you’ve transformed them into a beauty treatment! They’re hard to beat as a source of health-protective soluble fiber -- and eating a high-fiber diet can make your RealAge up to 6 years younger.

Benefits Of Pomegranate

Benefits Of Pomegranate

Pomegranate is a fruit grown mainly in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, India, drier parts of Southeast Asia, Peninsular Malaysia, the East Indies and tropical Africa, along with parts of California and Arizona. However, it has been the native fruit of the region from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran to the Himalayas in northern India. Pomegranate has been associated with a high nutritional value and a large number of health benefits, illustrating the reason why it has been cultivated in the Mediterranean region as well the Caucasus since ancient times. To acquaint you more with this fruit as well as its juice, i have listed the nutritional benefits of their consumption, in the following lines.
Nutritional Value of Pomegranate
Given below is the amount of nutrients in 100 gm of pomegranate
Carbohydrates - 17.17 gm
Sugars - 16.57 gm
Dietary fiber - 0.6 gm   
Fat - 0.3 gm
Protein - 0.95 gm
Thiamin (Vitamin B1) - 0.030 mg
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) - 0.063 mg
Niacin (Vitamin B3) - 0.300 mg
Pentatonic Acid (Vitamin B5) - 0.596 mg
Vitamin B6 - 0.105 mg
Folate (Vitamin B9) - 6 G
Vitamin C - 6.1 mg
Calcium - 3 mg
Iron - 0.30 mg
Magnesium - 3 mg
Phosphorus - 8 mg
Potassium - 259 mg
Zinc - 0.12 mg
Energy - 70 kcal J90 kJ
Health & Nutrition Benefits of Pomegranates/Pomegranate Juice
* Being rich in antioxidants, pomegranate can keep LDL (bad cholesterol) from oxidizing and thus, prevents atherosclerosis.
* Pomegranate has been found to help keep blood platelets from clumping together and forming unnecessary clots.
* Regular consumption of pomegranate juice is said to be beneficial for those suffering from heart diseases.
* Researches have indicated that pomegranate compounds might prevent prostate cancer and even slowdown its growth.
* Pomegranate juice has also been associated with reducing the risk of breast cancer.
* Pomegranate juice is pretty good for those suffering from diarrhea, buoverconsumptionption can lead to constipation.
* It has been seen that pomegranate juice helps prevent heart attacks and even stroke.
* Pomegranate is said to be good for reducing plaque in the arteries and raising levels of HDL (good cholesterol).
* It has been seen that pomegranate juice helps prevent heart attacks and even stroke.
* Studies have shown that maternal consumption of pomegranate juice might protect the neonatal brain from damage after injury.
* Pomegranate is believed to help prevent cartilage deterioration and thus, keep osteoarthritis at bay. 
* Consumption of pomegranate might prevent and even slow down Alzheimer's disease.
* Pomegranate juice is associated with lowering of blood pressure as well as better oral health.

What Causes Stretch Marks?

The loss of skin's elastin and collagen is responsible for causing stretch marks. This loss can occur in two ways. First, hormonal changes caused by such things as prolonged steroid use or Cushing's syndrome can result in stretch marks. Perhaps the most common reason stretch marks form is because the skin is stretched more than normal, leading to a breakdown of tissue fibers. When this breakdown of tissues is present, a stretch mark develops and can be seen in the top layer of the skin.
Often, individuals are surprised to learn that stretch marks are actually a type of scarring. When the skin is overstretched and collagen production is disrupted, a type of scar forms. Initially, stretch marks appear as lines that have a red or purple coloring. After a while, the color changes, ending in a light, faded look.
Rapid growth frequently results in stretch marks. If an individual gains weight rapidly, he or she may develop them. Upon losing weight, the skin is no longer overstretched and the marks may become less obvious. Like all scars, however, they do not disappear completely.
Pregnant women may also develop stretch marks. The rapid increase in weight and girth that a woman undergoes during pregnancy can cause stretch marks to form. Even if a woman size doesn’t increase enough to overstretch her skin, she can develop stretch marks due to the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy. But if neither the physical nor hormonal causes are present a woman may survive a pregnancy stretch mark free.
Pregnant women are not alone in the development of stretch marks. Anyone who experiences weight fluctuations may develop them. Teens may develop them as the result of growth spurts and bodybuilders may suffer from them as well. Individuals struggling with obesity are also prone to stretch marks.
Although stretch marks can develop on any part of the body, they are most common in areas that have the most stored fat and are the most likely to stretch. These areas include the abdomen, breasts, and buttocks. They are also common on both the inner and outer thighs, as well as the upper arms and the underarms.
Most people find stretch marks aesthetically unpleasant, especially on their own bodies. However, they do not pose a health risk. They typically have a soft texture and a slightly empty appearance.
Many individuals have tried creams, lotions, and other products intended to prevent stretch marks. Most health care professionals agree that moisturizing lotions and creams cannot hurt, but, unfortunately, are unlikely to help. Some cosmetic treatments, such as microdermabrasion may be helpful in improving their appearance. Tretinoin cream, commonly known as Retin-A, may also be helpful in making them less noticeable.

What Causes Keratitis?

Keratitis refers to inflammations, infections or deterioration of the corneas. It has numerous causes. No matter what the cause, early treatment is essential to preserve sight and prevent permanent or further damage to the corneas.
Viruses cause some forms of keratitis. Some viruses indicated in keratitis are Herpes Simplex 1 and 2, rubella, measles, and mumps. Though very rare, mononucleosis may also cause keratitis.
Certain bacteria may also be responsible for producing keratitis. Exposure to either staphylococcus and streptococcus when left untreated, can cause significant damage to the eyes. If one suspects eye infections, a doctor will usually prescribe drop antibiotics to prevent bacteria from attacking the corneal tissue.
Sometimes, keratitis develops as a reaction to certain antibiotics, or when antibiotics cause harmful fungi to develop. Treatment for fungal infections generally involves oral doses of anti-fungal medications. Fungal infections are common in those with immunosuppressive illnesses, and also those who wear contacts overnight.
Parasitic infections have been noted to occasionally affect the eyes. In these cases, parasites are often passed to the eyes through a lapse in hygiene. A person who does not wash his or her hands after using the bathroom and subsequently rubs the eyes, may pass parasites to the eyes. Contact lens wearers are also more at risk for parasitic infections. In the case of both fungal and parasitic infections, risk can be reduced by removing lenses at night and by carefully cleaning lenses before each use.
Those who suffer from severe allergies or who have chronic dry eye syndrome have an increased risk factor for developing most of the above types of keratitis. Drops to help reduce irritation in eyes for those with allergies, or to help produce tears may lubricate the eye properly and help people avoid keratitis.
Another cause of keratitis is traumatic eye injury, or surgery on the eyes. Symptoms of these and other types of keratitis tend to be extremely painful eyes, and sensitivity to light. For those who believe they have developed keratitis, contacting a doctor immediately is important. Surgery must frequently be performed to removed damaged tissue before it can scar and impact sight.

Weight Training for Health

Do you do 20 to 30 minutes of cardio a few days a week to keep your health in check? Even if you do, cardio isn’t enough to keep you healthy and strong as the decades pass. New physical activity guidelines from the American College of Sports and Medicine and the American Heart Association encourage Americans to strength train in addition to getting regular cardiovascular exercise. They suggest at least two training periods a week to work out the major muscle groups.
From my own perspective, I would certainly agree with this. Resistance training, a.k.a. strength training can payoff in a lot of different ways: burning more calories and reducing body fat, allowing one to add more muscle tissue which results in a heightened ability to burn more calories and reduce body fat, and stronger bones (resistance training improves bone density).
Of course, not everyone is cut out for hitting the barbells and dumbells (a variety of factors, including age and level of infirmity, could affect whether nor not this type of activity is suitable for an individual). Fortunately, strength training doesn’t necessarily have to mean bodybuilding or lifting free weights (i.e. anaerobic activity). Strength training can involve the use of machines and various resistance activities that work toward a similar goal, which is to make sure that the major muscle groups are "worked out" sufficiently.
Cardiovascular exercise is a definite must. But as research continues to indicate (and validate what strength training enthusiasts have known for decades) muscle training is also needed to keep a person strong, fit and healthy.

Your Blood Pressure

Bread Helps Your Blood Pressure

Here’s some news to make your heart sing: When you pick the right bread, your blood pressure wins!
Three grains recently tested had blood pressure benefits: whole wheat, barley, and brown rice. Look for them in whole-grain breads, cereals, and other grain-based goodies.
The Whole Story
In a study, all three grains were good for lowering blood pressure in middle-aged people with mildly high cholesterol and prehypertension. How? Chalk up another one for fiber. Both the soluble and insoluble fiber in grains reduce blood pressure -- and soluble fiber takes a bite out of cholesterol, too. High cholesterol and high blood pressure often occur together, and the combo is doubly dangerous for your heart and blood vessels. But you can get your act together with these heart-helping steps.
Better Tasting Fiber?Whole grains don’t have to taste boring and bland. Whip up a couple of these special recipes to increase the yummy factor in high-fiber foods:
- Asian Brown Rice: With just a few ingredients, this recipe gives you interesting
       taste and texture.
- Barley-Black Bean Salad: Try this easy, hearty dish for lunch.
- Apricot-Wheat Germ Muffins: The nutty wheat germ is a delicious play against
       the sweet-tangy dried apricots.
RealAge Benefit: Choosing whole grains rather than processed grains can make your RealAge 1.2 years younger if you are a man and 2.3 years younger if you are a woman.

Can Sitting too long make you fat?

Apparently it can according to an article that I read on the Abc News website (linked below). Amazingly, scientists who conducted a test using a radioactive tracing substance found that when animals were sitting down, fat did not get burned but, instead, became stored in adipose tissue. Even worse, prolonged sitting had the effect of drastically suppressing levels of the enzyme, lipase, which is essential to the body's ability to get rid of dietary fat. These results came from animal studies, of course. But---when the same study experiment was extended to human volunteers, scientists found the same results: metabolic rate was reduced; lipase levels were suppressed; good cholesterol (HDL) was lowered.
So, how do you counteract the effects of being sedentary, particularly if you are heavily engaged in sedentary activities (work, school, and recreational activities such as video games). Move your legs. Literally. If you are engaged in sedentary activity for prolonged periods, get up once in a while and walk around. If your work is sedentary, get up once in a while and actually take a walk. And, if you don't get much physical activity from sport or recreation after work or school, consider taking walks before your day begins or after it ends. Diet, of course, is always important. But, as we can see, physical activity and maintaining one's health and fitness is equally important.

Sharpen Your Memory

A Fun Way To Sharpen Your Memory

Put down that irksome, unsolvable crossword puzzle, and cut yourself some slack for blanking on the final round of Jeopardy.
There may be a simpler way to hone your mind. Try calling a friend. Staying in touch with friends and loved ones could slow the pace at which your memory dwindles with age.
Strong Connections
In a study of 16,638 older adults, people who were married, active in volunteer groups, and in regular contact with friends, family, and neighbors had slower declines in memory than their less social counterparts. In fact, declines in the most socially active types were about half of those in the least social group.
Nurture Your Ties
How do social ties bolster a waning memory? Researchers aren’t exactly sure, but it’s possible the greater sense of meaning and emotional acceptance that social connections foster may support healthy brain chemistry. Now, check out these other strategies for staying sharp:
- Okay, maybe you like crossword puzzles. That’s great, because they really do a mind good.
- Test your ability to remember digits.
- Remember names, grocery lists, and to-do lists better.
RealAge Benefit: Learning a new game that requires brainpower can make your RealAge 1.3 years younger.

Your Lungs and RESPIRATORY system

Your Lungs and RESPIRATORY system

What's something that you do all day, every day, no matter where you are or who you're with?
(a) think about what's for lunch tomorrow
(b) put your finger in your nose
(c) hum your favorite song
(d) breathe
It's possible that some kids could say (a) or (c) or that others might even say — yikes! — (b). But every single person in the world has to say (d). Breathing air is necessary for keeping humans (and many animals) alive. And the two parts that are large and in charge when it comes to breathing? If you guessed your lungs, you're right!
Your lungs make up one of the largest organs in your body, and they work with your respiratory system to allow you to take in fresh air, get rid of stale air, and even talk. Let's take a tour of the lungs!
Locate Those Lungs
Your lungs are in your chest, and they are so large that they take up most of the space in there. You have two lungs, but they aren't the same size the way your eyes or nostrils are. Instead, the lung on the left side of your body is a bit smaller than the lung on the right. This extra space on the left leaves room for your heart.
Your lungs are protected by your rib cage, which is made up of 12 sets of ribs. These ribs are connected to your spine in your back and go around your lungs to keep them safe. Beneath the lungs is the diaphragm (say: dy-uh-fram), a dome-shaped muscle that works with your lungs to allow you to inhale (breathe in) and exhale (breathe out) air.
You can't see your lungs, but it's easy to feel them in action: Put your hands on your chest and breathe in very deeply. You will feel your chest getting slightly bigger. Now breathe out the air, and feel your chest return to its regular size. You've just felt the power of your lungs!
A Look Inside the Lungs

From the outside, lungs are pink and a bit squishy, like a sponge. But the inside contains the real lowdown on the lungs! At the bottom of the trachea (say: tray-kee-uh), or windpipe, there are two large tubes. These tubes are called the main stem bronchi (say: brong-kye), and one heads left into the left lung, while the other heads right into the right lung.
Each main stem bronchus (say: brong-kuss) — the name for just one of the bronchi — then branches off into tubes, or bronchi, that get smaller and even smaller still, like branches on a big tree. The tiniest tubes are called bronchioles (say: brong-kee-oles), and there are about 30,000 of them in each lung. Each bronchiole is about the same thickness as a hair.
At the end of each bronchiole is a special area that leads into clumps of teeny tiny air sacs called alveoli (say: al-vee-oh-lie). There are about 600 million alveoli in your lungs and if you stretched them out, they would cover an entire tennis court. Now that's a load of alveoli! Each alveolus (say: al-vee-oh-luss) — what we call just one of the alveoli — has a mesh-like covering of very small blood vessels called capillaries (say: cap-ill-er-ees). These capillaries are so tiny that the cells in your blood need to line up single file just to march through them.
All About Inhaling
When you're walking your dog, cleaning your room, or spiking a volleyball, you probably don't think about inhaling (breathing in) — you've got other things on your mind! But every time you inhale air, dozens of body parts work together to help get that air in there without you ever thinking about it.
As you breathe in, your diaphragm contracts and flattens out. This allows it to move down, so your lungs have more room to grow larger as they fill up with air. "Move over, diaphragm, I'm filling up!" is what your lungs would say. And the diaphragm isn't the only part that gives your lungs the room they need. Your rib muscles also lift the ribs up and outward to give the lungs more space.
At the same time, you inhale air through your mouth and nose, and the air heads down your trachea, or windpipe. On the way down the windpipe, tiny hairs called cilia (say: sill-ee-uh) move gently to keep mucus and dirt out of the lungs. The air then goes through the series of branches in your lungs, through the bronchi and the bronchioles.
The air finally ends up in the 600 million alveoli. As these millions of alveoli fill up with air, the lungs get bigger. Remember that experiment where you felt your lungs get larger? Well, you were really feeling the power of those awesome alveoli!
It's the alveoli that allow oxygen from the air to pass into your blood. All the cells in the body need oxygen every minute of the day. Oxygen passes through the walls of each alveolus into the tiny capillaries that surround it. The oxygen enters the blood in the tiny capillaries, hitching a ride on red blood cells and traveling through layers of blood vessels to the heart. The heart then sends the oxygenated (filled with oxygen) blood out to all the cells in the body.
Waiting to Exhale
When it's time to exhale (breathe out), everything happens in reverse: Now it's the diaphragm's turn to say, "Move it!" Your diaphragm relaxes and moves up, pushing air out of the lungs. Your rib muscles become relaxed, and your ribs move in again, creating a smaller space in your chest.
By now your cells have used the oxygen they need, and your blood is carrying carbon dioxide and other wastes that must leave your body. The blood comes back through the capillaries and the wastes enter the alveoli. Then you breathe them out in the reverse order of how they came in — the air goes through the bronchioles, out the bronchi, out the trachea, and finally out through your mouth and nose.
The air that you breathe out not only contains wastes and carbon dioxide, but it's warm, too! As air travels through your body, it picks up heat along the way. You can feel this heat by putting your hand in front of your mouth or nose as you breathe out. What is the temperature of the air that comes out of your mouth or nose?
With all this movement, you might be wondering why things don't get stuck as the lungs fill and empty! Luckily, your lungs are covered by two really slick special layers called pleural membranes (say: ploo-ral mem-branes). These membranes are separated by a fluid that allows them to slide around easily while you inhale and exhale.
Time for Talk
Your lungs are important for breathing . . . and also for talking! Above the trachea (windpipe) is the larynx (say: lair-inks), which is sometimes called the voice box. Across the voice box are two tiny ridges called vocal cords, which open and close to make sounds. When you exhale air from the lungs, it comes through the trachea and larynx and reaches the vocal cords. If the vocal cords are closed and the air flows between them, the vocal cords vibrate and a sound is made.
The amount of air you blow out from your lungs determines how loud a sound will be and how long you can make the sound. Try inhaling very deeply and saying the names of all the kids in your class — how far can you get without taking the next breath? The next time you're outside, try shouting and see what happens — shouting requires lots of air, so you'll need to breathe in more frequently than you would if you were only saying the words.
Experiment with different sounds and the air it takes to make them — when you giggle, you let out your breath in short bits, but when you burp, you let swallowed air in your stomach out in one long one! When you hiccup, it's because the diaphragm moves in a funny way that causes you to breathe in air suddenly, and that air hits your vocal cords when you're not ready.
Love Your Lungs
Your lungs are amazing. They allow you to breathe, talk to your friend, shout at a game, sing, laugh, cry, and more! And speaking of a game, your lungs even work with your brain to help you inhale and exhale a larger amount of air at a more rapid rate when you're running a mile — all without you even thinking about it once.
Keeping your lungs looking and feeling healthy is a smart idea, and the best way to keep your lungs pink and healthy is not to smoke. Smoking isn't good for any part of your body, and your lungs especially hate it. Cigarette smoke damages the cilia in the trachea so they can no longer move to keep dirt and other substances out of the lungs. Your alveoli get hurt too, because the chemicals in cigarette smoke can cause the walls of the delicate alveoli to break down, making it much harder to breathe.
Finally, cigarette smoke can damage the cells of the lungs so much that the healthy cells go away, only to be replaced by cancer cells. Lungs are normally tough and strong, but when it comes to cigarettes, they can be hurt easily — and it's often very difficult or impossible to make them better. If you need to work with chemicals in an art or shop class, be sure to wear a protective mask to keep chemical fumes from entering your lungs.
You can also show your love for your lungs by exercising! Exercise is good for every part of your body, and especially for your lungs and heart. When you take part in vigorous exercise (like biking, running, or swimming, for example), your lungs require more air to give your cells the extra oxygen they need. As you breathe more deeply and take in more air, your lungs become stronger and better at supplying your body with the air it needs to succeed. Keep your lungs healthy and they will thank you for life!
by: Laura Inselman, MD

Eating Meat Comes with a Higher Risk for Developing Cancer

Eating Meat Comes with a Higher Risk for Developing Cancer
A reuters article appearing on MSNBC.com cites a new study that, for the first time, shows a definite link between meat consumption and certain types of cancer, including colorectal cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and lung cancer.
The study involved five hundred thousand individuals between the ages of fifty-one and seventy. After an eight-year period, 53,396 individual diagnoses of cancer were made.
In such a large study, focusing on this particular age range, that number may not seem significant. However, the researchers were able to able to find high statistical correlations between meat (particularly red meat) consumption and the incidence of the aforementioned cancers.
To use one example, those individuals whose processed meat consumption placed them in the top twenty percent of meat eaters...had a twenty percent higher risk for developing colorectal cancer and a sixteen percent higher risk for developing lung cancer.

Counting calories versus exercise to lose weight?

Counting calories versus exercise to lose weight? 

According to a recent news article, more people rely on calorie counting versus exercise to lose weight. In fact, twice as many dieters opt to count calories instead of heading to the gym. Among women, the tendency to eschew exercise in favor of calorie counting is even more pronounced. Roughly half of female dieters focus on food intake as opposed to exercise, compared to one-third of male dieters who do this.
Is calorie counting more effective for weight loss than engaging in physical activity? Reducing caloric intake is certainly recommended for achieving practical weight loss goals. However, most fitness experts would agree that a healthy and sensible weight loss strategy should include some level of physical exercise.
Aerobic exercise can allow a dieter to expend additional calories while improving cardiovascular fitness, while anaerobic exercise can allow an individual to expend calories and increase lean muscle tissue, which can also lead to an increased ability to burn calories.

HOW HARD IS IT TO CUT BACK ON CALORIES AND MAINTAIN A NUTRITIONALLY BALANCED DIET ?

HOW HARD IS IT TO CUT BACK ON CALORIES AND MAINTAIN A NUTRITIONALLY BALANCED DIET ?
Actually, though many would assume that a calorie restricted diet would preclude good nutrition, this may not be that difficult.
According to a recent article, Eric Ravussin, of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, has observed study volunteers reduce their calories by as much as ten to thirty percent and yet still maintain a diet that is nutritionally balanced.

HOW MANY PEOPLE GO TO THE GYM ON A REGULAR BASIS ?

HOW MANY PEOPLE GO TO THE GYM ON A REGULAR BASIS ?

According to a recent survey (cited in a 2006 BBC News online article), only twelve percent of the general population possess a gym or fitness club membership. Without a doubt, the vast majority of adult individuals fail to get the recommended sixty minutes of exercise per day. This is despite the fact that, in a recent survey conducted by Glaxosmithkline Nutritional Healthcare, fifty-nine percent of respondents expressed the realisation that exercise plays a greater role in personal health than calorie counting.

DO YOU HAVE TO EXERCISE WHEN YOU DIET TO LOSE WEIGHT ?

DO YOU HAVE TO EXERCISE WHEN YOU DIET TO LOSE WEIGHT ?

The answer to this question is actually multi-faceted. And here it is: yes, no, and maybe. The truth is, many people can effectively lose weight initially simply by reducing their daily calorie count. And cutting calories may allow an individual to continually lose weight for weeks or months until a desired weight level is reached.
But, for many individual's, particularly those whose weight loss goals border on the ambitious, cutting food intake and daily calories may not be enough to rearch a desired goal.
This is because the body has a very annoying habit of adusting its metabolism to match energy expenditure against energy intake. In other words, if you eat less, your metabolism may slow down. On a very basic level, this allows human beings to survive longer when food resources are scarce. However, in a modern world that includes dieting, this fact of human biology can significantly impair one's ability to shed pounds.
For this reason, many, if not most, dieters will find it beneficial to integrate a regimen of physical activity into their overall dieting plan. In doing so, they can establish a more optimal environment for weight loss by creating a daily need for additional calories while actually consuming fewer calories.

Can Sitting too long make you fat?

Apparently it can according to an article that I read on the Abc News website (linked below). Amazingly, scientists who conducted a test using a radioactive tracing substance found that when animals were sitting down, fat did not get burned but, instead, became stored in adipose tissue. Even worse, prolonged sitting had the effect of drastically suppressing levels of the enzyme, lipase, which is essential to the body's ability to get rid of dietary fat. These results came from animal studies, of course. But---when the same study experiment was extended to human volunteers, scientists found the same results: metabolic rate was reduced; lipase levels were suppressed; good cholesterol (HDL) was lowered.
So, how do you counteract the effects of being sedentary, particularly if you are heavily engaged in sedentary activities (work, school, and recreational activities such as video games). Move your legs. Literally. If you are engaged in sedentary activity for prolonged periods, get up once in a while and walk around. If your work is sedentary, get up once in a while and actually take a walk. And, if you don't get much physical activity from sport or recreation after work or school, consider taking walks before your day begins or after it ends. Diet, of course, is always important. But, as we can see, physical activity and maintaining one's health and fitness is equally important.

Red meat and the effect on the incidence of breast cancer

Well, the results of the study cited in this following article are not particularly appetizing (that's a pun, albeit a bad one).
What does the study say? That, for older women, even consuming small amounts of red meat can significantly and dramatically increase the risk of developing breast cancer. The increased risk was actually pegged at 56%, which should be enough to make a lot of people, not just women, begin to evaluate what percentage of their protein intake actually comes from red meat consumption.
Of course, not everyone agrees with the results of this research. One individual referred to it as rubbish. As you'll see in the article, he is the chairman of a butcher's guild.

Substituting Grape Juice and Grape Seed Extract for Wine

Most of us know that drinking a glass or two of wine a day is a great way to lessen the risk of heart disease and cancer, while lowering cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, too much wine can cause bodily damage over time and is not healthy for those with alcohol issues.
Fortunately, a new study suggests that you can substitute grape juice for wine with the same healthy effects, without the added alcohol. The study was funded by Welch's Foods Inc. and reported that eating both red grape skins and seeds, or taking grape seed extract was just as healthy as partaking of wine. Welch’s Food Inc. is a branch of the National Grape Cooperative Association.
However, not just any grape juice will do. Grape juice must have a high level of polyphenols to offer health benefits. Grapes offer resveratrol and proanthocyanidins, both of which offer cardiovascular and heart benefits.

Weight Training for Health

Weight Training for Health

Do you do 20 to 30 minutes of cardio a few days a week to keep your health in check? Even if you do, cardio isn’t enough to keep you healthy and strong as the decades pass. New physical activity guidelines from the American College of Sports and Medicine and the American Heart Association encourage Americans to strength train in addition to getting regular cardiovascular exercise. They suggest at least two training periods a week to work out the major muscle groups.
From my own perspective, I would certainly agree with this. Resistance training, a.k.a. strength training can payoff in a lot of different ways: burning more calories and reducing body fat, allowing one to add more muscle tissue which results in a heightened ability to burn more calories and reduce body fat, and stronger bones (resistance training improves bone density).
Of course, not everyone is cut out for hitting the barbells and dumbells (a variety of factors, including age and level of infirmity, could affect whether nor not this type of activity is suitable for an individual). Fortunately, strength training doesn’t necessarily have to mean bodybuilding or lifting free weights (i.e. anaerobic activity). Strength training can involve the use of machines and various resistance activities that work toward a similar goal, which is to make sure that the major muscle groups are "worked out" sufficiently.
Cardiovascular exercise is a definite must. But as research continues to indicate (and validate what strength training enthusiasts have known for decades) muscle training is also needed to keep a person strong, fit and healthy.

Study of Cardiac Event Sufferers - they rarely change unhealthy eating Habits

According to a recent study of over five hundred individuals with heart disease, most did not change their eating or exercise habits after they had serious heart events such as heart attacks, chest pain, or irregular heart rhythm.
The University of Massachusetts Medical School performed a one-year follow up study on five hundred and fifty five heart patients; researchers questioned heart patients about their diets and used the Alternate Healthy Eating Index to measure heart healthy food consumption. For instance, the surveyors asked about the number of vegetable and fruit servings consumed per day, how many servings of white or red meat were consumed per day, and trans fat consumption.
The study found that most individuals were not consuming enough fruit or vegetables daily, in fact statistics indicate that only about twelve percent of the heart patients were eating five or more vegetable servings per day and only about 7 percent were eating at least four servings of fruit per day. Even more disturbing was the fact the trans fats made up over three percent of all calories consumed daily; current health guidelines advise less than one half percent of daily calorie consumption should be in the form of trans fat.
Additionally, the study indicated that only about twenty percent of all cardiac patients go to cardiac rehabilitation programs. Researchers pointed out that most cardiac rehabilitation programs tended to emphasize exercise over healthy diet.
Consequently, even if a patient had completed cardiac rehabilitation there was no guarantee that the patient was consuming a healthy diet.
Researchers stated the study indicated that more effective methods are needed delivering information to cardiac patients with regard to the importance of regular exercise and healthy diet.

What is a Sonogram?

What is a Sonogram?
A sonogram, also known as an ultrasound, is a computerized picture taken by bouncing sound waves off organs and other interior body parts. A wand called a transducer is glided along the outside of the body over a centralized area or organ. As it glides, it introduces sound waves into the body. These sound waves bounce off the intended area and back into the transducer, which feeds the information into a computer. The picture then appears on a special computer screen. The sonogram is most often used to monitor a pregnancy.
Because the sonogram uses sound waves and not radiation, it's completely safe. In addition, a sonogram can offer details X-rays can't. It's painless and in just about every case, the person receiving the sonogram will not be inconvenienced or made to feel uncomfortable in any way. Even more important, the sonogram is safe for the unborn child. Thanks to a sonogram, doctors can discover a tubal pregnancy early and take the proper measures to ensure the mother's safety.
A sonogram can also detect a multiple pregnancy, giving the doctor as well as the parents enough time to prepare. Birth defects can now be discovered early. Thanks to the sonogram, parents can even learn the sex of their unborn child months before the baby is due! Many parents appreciate knowing their baby's sex ahead of time so they can get the baby's room ready or shop for gender-appropriate clothes and toys.
A sonogram isn't used only to monitor a pregnancy. It can also identify the causes of pelvic bleeding and discomfort, find the source of menstrual problems, identify cysts and locate cancerous cells. A sonogram isn't just for women, either. It can also be used to help treat prostate and other cancers in men.
There is not too much preparation involved for a sonogram. It's all dependent on the area to be examined. For instance, those who are having an abdominal sonogram may be asked not to eat or drink anything for 24 hours so their doctor can better examine the stomach. A pregnant woman is usually asked to drink lots of water before her sonogram, as it helps the doctor to see the fetus a little better. Loose, comfortable clothing should be worn in order to make the procedure run a little smoother. Other than that, read all the instructions provided by your doctor.
The most important thing to remember is that a sonogram is routine, safe and painless. While you might be nervous before such a procedure, you'll wonder what you were so worried about when it's over.