Positive Emotions

Anthony Ong of Cornell University reviewed studies showing how maintaining a positive attitude can relieve stress, pain, and illness, influencing health outcomes in later adulthood.

The review highlights how positive emotions can protect from disease and poor health later in life. “We all age. It is how we age, however, that determines the quality of our lives,” says Ong who found several pathways responsible for good health that comes from positivity.

He explains happier people take time for a good night's sleep, exercise, and remain proactive about engaging in risky health behaviors such as smoking that adds up later in life as disease susceptibility increases and physical capacity declines.

Keeping emotions positive can lower chemicals in the body that contribute to disease and released by stress, found by Ong in the study review. Indeed studies show optimism lowers the chances of heart disease, while depression and isolation shorten lifespan.

He says positive emotions extend life and improve quality of living in measurable ways. Ong says he became interested in a phenomenon called the "paradox of aging" as a graduate student. When physical capacity declines, emotional capacity remains the same. Maintaining an optimistic and positive attitude is something Ong translates to being good for health.

Courtesy: http://www.emaxhealth.com/

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Top Tips for a Healthy Liver

Your liver has many functions; stores certain vitamins, minerals and sugars for use as fuel, cleanses/filters the toxins out of your blood and controls the production/excretion of cholesterol. Your overall health and vitality, to a great extent, depends upon the health of your liver. The thousands of enzyme systems that control virtually every body activity are created there. If your liver fails to create even one of these enzymes, overall body function is impaired, creating greater metabolic stress on your body. THE LYMPH composed of
Lymph fluid consists of; The 'tissue fluid' in which all of our cells are bathed, and the fluid within the 'lymph vessels'. These are 'blood vessel' like tubes, which connect the lymph glands of the body. The Lymphatic System is also called the Immune System.

Modern lifestyles can overstress your liver. Alcohol, tobacco, environmental pollutants, food additives, agricultural pesticides, popular cosmetic ingredients, common household products, stress, pharmaceutical and OTC (over-the-counter) drugs (including oral contraceptives and caffeine), gallstones, home repair materials, artist materials, garden chemicals and building materials can all kill liver cells.

Symptoms of liver imbalance include headaches, bruising easily, anxiety, depression, confusion, fatigue, jaundice, impaired libido (sex drive) and mental function, food allergies, multiple chemical sensitivities and PMS, as well as conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease. When your liver is damaged it cannot remove toxins, which then build up in your blood and eventually, your brain.

Try the following tips for a healthy liver and lymphatic system

Avoid any foods of which you suspect you may be intolerant:

They will produce toxins in the gut that can cause stress to the detoxification mechanisms. Bacteria, viruses, too much alcohol, coffee and other caffeine-containing drinks, smoking and the medicines that have powerful effects on the liver, stomach and other parts of the body can prove toxic Chew your food well to help release the enzymes that aid digestion.

Consume plenty of foods containing:

Consume plenty of foods containing folate, flavonoids, magnesium, iron, sulphate and selenium and B-vitamins 2,3,6 and 12, since toxicity in the body can be caused by deficiency of the nutrients that the liver needs for detoxification as much as by exposure to toxins. Think along the lines of salads, beans, fresh juices, stir-fries cooked in a little good-quality olive oil, nuts, seeds, yoghurt (full-fat is fine). Steaming is a quick and healthy way of cooking vegetables, and the only vegetables to avoid are potatoes. Aim for a diet build on complex carbohydrates (brown rice), lean protein (beans, lentils, eggs, chicken, fish and a little lean red meat) and organic fruits & vegetables.

Cut down on stimulants:

such as tea and coffee, and depressants such as smoking & alcohol. Aim at drinking at least 2.5 litres of water a day.

Eat foods rich in antioxidants:

Which aid the natural detox mechanisms like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and Brussels sprouts and Soybean products. Nutrients that enhance our immune system are Vitamin C, Vitamin E, the B-vitamins, Zinc and Magnesium. These nutrients are either potent anti-oxidants capable of stopping the free-radical cascade of tissue damage or are involved in the enzymes that help detoxify damaging chemicals.Artichoke contains both liver-protective/restorative powers. It acts as a blood purifier and has been proven in clinical studies to lower cholesterol, triglyceride levels and other metabolic waste products

Take a daily does of Echinacea , milk thistle or dandelion root:

(as tablets, tincture or teas) – all herbs with a long – established reputation as blood cleansers and skin tonics. The usual recommended dose for milk thistle is 350mg three times a day for a couple of weeks.

Don’t use antibiotics or antacids unless absolutely necessary:

Antibiotics can destroy the useful bacteria in the gut that eliminate toxins; antacids decrease the natural acidity that is necessary for complete digestion.

Take a dose of activated charcoal twice a week:

This is a medical form of charcoal with the capacity to absorb whatever molecules it encounters, including toxins. Don’t take it with food or medicines though, or it will absorb them.

Gentle exercise on a Regular Basis:

which increases lymph activity within the body, causing you to sweat and generate more urine, encouraging liver activity and stimulating the gut to get rid of waste products, all of which can help to detoxify your body. Gentle exercise is the key, however, because although you'll find walking, swimming and cycling beneficial, you can really feel out of sorts when your body starts cleansing itself, and strenuous exercise will just make you feel worse. Wind up the exercise routine by carrying out deep breathing to use the Lungs more fully, this will get more oxygen into the blood, remove waste products from the blood - especially carbon dioxide - more quickly; and help to speed up the circulation of the blood.

Quick exercise massage for the Liver and Gall Bladder: Place the heel of the right hand on the side of the body under the rib cage, and just above the hip bone. The fingers should point straight across the body. Pressing firmly, move the hand slowly across the body to the middle of the abdomen; you should end up with the hand over the navel. Repeat this action 10-20 times.

Avoid excess of salt & sugar:

Instead of excess salt use fresh herbs, pepper, chillies and lemon juice to enhance the flavour of food. Too much sugar isn't healthy for anyone but especially those with an impaired immune system.

Ginseng is an adaptogen that helps to stabilize blood sugar through glucose metabolism, boosts your immune system and improves mental and physical stamina, allowing the body to better manage stress.

Laugh, Rest and feel good! :

One more really good way to boost your immune system and it's free. Laugh, Rest and feel good! A depressed mind can cause a depressed body. Laughter actually increases production of an antibody that is responsible for our first line of defense against bacterial infections. Laughter, lovemaking and exercise are the best medicine of all!

Over time, the health of the liver and lymph may be restored. Taking beneficial herbs regularly and following a detoxification process can help to provide protection to either the sick or healthy liver during the course of daily life. This stabilizes cell membranes and encourages the regeneration of liver cells destroyed during their normal functions.

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Diet Control

How To Control Your Eating Habits
Diet control is the art of eating what you want, but only enough to maintain a healthy weight. Count the calories in your favorite foods and then only eat the amount of calories per day that will maintain your desired weight.

You can eat healthy and like what you eat, or simply eat less of the foods you like and get out and do some exercise. Diet control starts with a positive mind and ends with a happier healthier you. Get your eating habits under control and learn that healthy eating doesn't necessarily mean eating yukky food.

Diet Control
The best way to control your diet is to sew up your lips, but seeing how we do need to live that is not the solution. One thing we certainly can do to help us control our eating habits is to form a positive mind set to doing something to help ourselves.

Now I'm overweight because basically I have allowed myself to become fat and lazy. Harsh words but true. I have tried to argue with myself that I let myself become like this because I was busy helping others and making a living for my family. Of course I know that is rubbish and I got this way because I love food and didn't care what amount or what type of food went into my mouth. Things must change.

You can live a good life and still eat nice food by watching what you eat. Don't have that fast food snack, instead have a piece of fruit. A nice juicy apple is much better for your health than a greasy plate of chips and actually costs less, so you win in the belly and the wallet at the same time.

If you must have that fast food then don't go home and have dinner. Right there is the secret of diet control. You can only eat a certain amount of calories per day to stay at a healthy weight range. If you eat more calories than you should, do extra exercise to burn off the calories consumed.

Ask your wife or whoever does the cooking to put more salad and vegetables on your plate and less meat. Make sure your meat is trimmed of fat and include fish and chicken in your diet, lessen your meat intake by one third. Meat is usually dear anyway, so there you save money again.

Learn the calorie count of what you are eating. For example did you know that a slice of white bread is around 60 calories per slice. Also learn how many calories the normal man or woman needs per day to function and work. Average man needs about 2000 calories and the average woman needs 1500 calories. Eat to those levels, take some moderate exercise and you will maintain a good weight.

Basket of good fresh vegetables.Eat less animal fat and full fat dairy foods. Substitute butter for polyunsaturated margarine and get more greens into your diet. Throughout this website an attempt will be made to introduce healthy recipes and show their calorie count so you can follow the diet to get positive results soon.

Dieting is all about just getting our eating habits under control, watching the calories and eating sensible food that looks and tastes good and lose a few pounds in the process.

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Lower Cholesterol Naturally

Cholesterol is a naturally occurring substance made by the liver. Our problem is as we get older or allow ourselves to get overweight, our bodies do not make enough good cholesterol and the bad cholesterol (LDL) builds up in our arteries which leads to heart disease and the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

We also add to the cholesterol that our body produces by eating foods that contain bad cholesterol. This is absorbed into the bloodstream in our intestines. The good news is we can help lower our cholesterol levels naturally with a few changes to our lifestyle.

How To Lower Cholesterol Naturally
When we are diagnosed with high LDL cholesterol levels, usually our doctor will prescribe medicine to lower the levels, thereby lowering the risk of heart attacks and serious strokes.

We should also aim to change our lifestyle so that we proactively help the medicine do it's job. The alternative, possible death, is not really an option.

The main danger people face when they start cholesterol lowering medication is thinking that seeing how the medication will lower the risk of heart disease, they need do nothing else except take the pills. How wrong is that!

We can help to lower cholesterol naturally by making a few changes to our daily habits. Listed below is the best natural remedies for lowering bad cholesterol levels.
  
    1.  Exercise - Doing regular exercise for about 30 minutes per day, something as simple as walking around the neighborhood, or taking a walk in the park, will increase the livers output of good cholesterol, which eats the bad cholesterol. You will also lose a little weight and feel so much better.
    2.    Change of Diet - Lowering cholesterol naturally also means looking at what you eat. Eliminate all saturated fats from your diet. Trim the fat from meat. Food high in cholesterol includes full cream dairy products such as milk, cheese and butter. Substitute those foods with low fat milk and cheese, use margarine's that are polyunsaturated or better still ones that contain plant sterols that actually lower cholesterol.
    3. Eat more fruit and vegetables
      Fruit and vegetables contain high fibre content and almost no cholesterol at all. Fruit and veggies are so good for overall health, makes your bowels healthy and are low in calories. Eating more of this food makes so much sense that we shouldn't even think about doing it.
    4. Limit fast foods intake - Fast foods are not totally bad for you. For example Subway makes a highly nutritious and good tasting fast food, so not all is dangerous. Cut down on the fatty types and don't eat fat filled fried chips and stuff like that.
    5. Eat more fish - 2 to 3 serves of fish per week will help in the way we naturally lower cholesterol levels. Best fish is tuna, sardines and salmon, which contain higher levels of Omega 3 fatty acids.
    6. Buy milk and margarine spreads that contain plant sterols and omega 3 such as Heart Milk.
    7. Other good foods which help to lower cholesterol naturally include: Garlic, Flax Seed, Green Tea,    Oats and nuts

Before you decide on any program to assist your health, talking to your doctor is always a good idea, especially if you are taking medication for any health problems.

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Positive Health - Regular Exercise

Regular Exercise and Your Health
Regular moderate exercise is like giving your bank balance a $1000 bonus. You heart will be healthy, your body will look and feel good and your doctor will like what you are doing. There are just so many benefits to starting a regular exercise regime that you can't afford not to consider it.

Regular exercise is not hard to do if you really want to change your life. Setting aside just 30 minutes a day for exercise is not hard. If somebody says they haven't got time, they are procrastinating. Walk to work, get off the bus or train a stop before your regular stop and walk the rest of the way. Use stairs instead of lifts, walk on the spot while watching your favorite television show. Your health is important to you. Stay positive and live longer.

Moderate Exercise and Your Health
One of the most beneficial things you can do for your overall health is moderate exercise that leaves you slightly breathless. Do this daily and you will soon feel healthy and eager to step it up a little and exercise a little longer.

Regular exercise has so many benefits, not only as a way to maintain a healthy weight or as a weight loss tool, it is so good for heart health and keeps joints supple and loose.

Exercise doesn't have to hurt the muscles. I'm sure you have heard the call of the health guru's "No Pain, No Gain", well forget that type of slog, as it leads to people stopping for a day to get over sore muscles and joints and can lead to not starting again.

Select a good place to enjoy walking. Walking is a great way to exercise

The best way to tackle exercise is to start slowly and build up until you reach a good level of fitness. Don't overdo it at the beginning so you feel as if you really enjoy it. As you work into it, step the pace up a little each week and soon you will be striding out without knowing that you are pushing yourself.

Find a place that you like such as a local park, the beach or a quiet country road to take a walk. Enjoy the scenery, the fresh air and wind on your face.

Exercise burns calories so your metabolism will kick in and you will lose weight, your clothes will fit better, you will have more energy to achieve things you always wanted to do. Take a look at our calories burned activity chart and see where you can really burn calories to achieve the greatest weight loss.

If you can't go for a walk in your neighborhood, try walking on the spot at home or perhaps walking up and down the stairs in your apartment building. Another good way to exercise is to go to the shopping mall and do 2 or 3 laps of the center before starting shopping.

Whatever exercise you choose, keep at it and you will feel the benefits, live longer and feel happier.

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