Organic Parade

As men get older, they begin to notice all kinds of changes with their bodies. Many have gained a few extra pounds around their waist, they are fatigued, and their interest in sex takes a nosedive. In the past, all this was attributed to the natural aging process. However, recent studies have shown that every one of the above symptoms is an indicator of a clinical deficiency brought on by abnormal low levels of testosterone which is referred to as Aging Male Syndrome.

As men age, their testosterone levels do lower, this is a gradually process that takes several years. It does however result in male hypogonadism, which is called Andropause. Yes, this is male menopause. It is not a myth; it is a real health problem for many men over the age of 40.

Symptoms of Andropause include low energy, loss of sex drive, problems with memory, and depression. As Andropause progresses many men begin to have other health problems such as osteoporosis, ill health, dementia, heart problems, circulatory problems and falls. Circulatory problems can lead to or actually contribute to erectile dysfunction. If you look at women as they enter into menopause and what happens to their bodies with lower estrogen levels you should be able to comprehend that men with lower testosterone levels will have similar health problems.

It is believed that Aging Male Syndrome could be the missing or hidden link for men’s overall health. It could be the contributing factor for several serious health conditions such as osteoporosis, depression, heart disease, and diabetes. Yes, every man as they age will begin to have lower testosterone levels, but many do not realize the difference between a natural decline and low testosterone levels. The low levels that are apparent with Aging Male Syndrome are real medical concerns for men.

In the United States, research on the effects of aging in males is way behind where it should be. This could be from the male ego that does not allow them to consider the fact that Andropause is in fact a real problem. The male ego keeps them thinking that all their problems, health and psychological, are just part of the normal aging process. Other countries have stepped up the pace and realized that both men and women go through an aging process that can lead to health problems and have done something to bring attention to the Aging Male Syndrome and Andropause. In Europe, the European Menopause Society recently changed their name to The European Menopause & Andropause Society. In Canada, they have an organization for men exclusively known as the Canadian Andropause Society. There are other organizations found in Australia and the United Kingdom, however, no such organization or society exist in the United States even though around ten million men in America are affected.

More should be done to give information to men across the country that their symptoms such as erectile dysfunction, tiredness, depression, weakness, and loss of sex drive could be due to low testosterone and could be treated.

Each year, millions of women learn that they have developed breast cancer. Despite most commonly being found in women, breast cancer can also be diagnosed in men. That is why breast cancer is often considered one of the most common types of all diagnosable cancers. Fortunately, you if you are diagnosed as having cancer, there are a number of treatment options that might help you become cancer free. However, before that can occur, you need to be diagnosed as having breast cancer.

When it comes to being diagnosed with breast cancer, a large amount of focus is placed on the signs and symptoms. While it is important to focus on the symptoms of breast cancer, they are not the only things that you should keep in mind. Even though an exact cause of breast cancer has yet to be determined, there are a number of risk factors associated with the cancer. Determining whether or not any of these risk factors apply to you is one of the ideal ways, aside from regularly examining your body, to determine whether or not you might have breast cancer or end up developing it in the future.

You may be at a greater risk of developing breast cancer if someone else in your immediate family has also been diagnosed with having it. It has been noted that the BRCA1 gene and the BRCA2 gene have something to do with the development of breast cancer. Research is still being conducted on this; however, it is looking as if damaged cells, which may later account for breast cancer, are being passed down through family members. Therefore, if someone in your family has been diagnosed with breast cancer, there’s a good chance that you may also develop it.

Your age might also increase your risk of developing breast cancer. While it is important to remember that breast cancer can occur at just about any age, there are a group of men and women who are more at risk. Those individuals are likely over the age of fifty. That’s why it is recommended that all women over the age of forty undergo a yearly mammogram. Until that age, a self breast exam, performed by yourself or by a healthcare professional, should be enough.

When you first started your menstrual cycle, as well as when it ended, might increase your risk of developing breast cancer. It has been noted that those who began their periods before the age of twelve are at an increased risk for developing breast cancer, later on in life. The same, in a way, can be stated for menopause. Recent studies have shown that the later a woman begins menopause, the more at risk she’s for developing breast cancer. Menopause should begin around the age of fifty-five. If it starts to occur any later, you’ll want to be on the lookout for the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and birth control pills have been known to increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. These risk factors are not as high as the above mentioned risk factors, but a connection between breast cancer, hormone replacement therapy, as well as birth control pills has been established. Therefore, if you’re currently on birth control pills or are undergoing hormone replacement therapy, it may be a good idea to talk to a healthcare professional. Your OBGYN or primary care physician should be more than willing to give you inside and updated information on the connection between breast cancer and these two widely used medications.

In addition to hormone replacement therapy, birth control pills, a family history, late menopause, early menstrual periods, and age, there are a number of other risk factors that have been connected to breast cancer. These additional risk factors include, are not limited to, radiation, and excessive alcohol consumption. Now that you know whether or not you are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer, you may be able to superior prepare yourself for what you might find, now or in the future.

If, at any point, you notice a lump in your breast or have unexplained breast pain, you are advised to seek medical assistance immediately. The sooner breast cancer is detected, the sooner it can be treated and gone from your life, hopefully forever.

Green tea has become so popular that it can be found in mainstream grocery stores as well as gas stations and convenience stores. There are many flavors and varieties of green teas so you will be sure to find a combination of flavors you’ll enjoy.

Consider also adding green tea water to some cooked foods. Adding tea to a pot of boiling pasta will affect the flavor in a fresh new way. Toss that same pasta with pine nuts, pesto and a dash of olive oil and you have a healthful dish with many antioxidant properties. Challenge yourself to find new and exciting ways to add green tea to your diet.

Green tea has a long history of healthful benefits and its qualities are significantly more effective than black tea. Both teas come from the carnellia sinensis plant but green tea leaves are steamed rather than fermented like black and oolong teas. This prevents a powerful anti-oxidant, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), from being oxidized and therefore diminished.

Antioxidant Properties

Most of us have heard of the positive effects red wine can have on a fatty diet and its healthful benefits on heart disease. High amounts of catechins polyphenols, particularly EGCG, are present in green tea. And EGCG has twice as much resveratrol as red wine, making it a powerful weapon towards lowering cholesterol, inhibiting blood clots and negating the effects of a fatty diet.

EGCG is also used to treat diabetes and is reported to have glucose-lowering effects. In addition glucose can cause a person to feel hunger and by controlling insulin levels, you control appetite. Try drinking a mug of green tea at the first hunger pain and you are well on your way to managing your appetite.

Thermogenesis

Thermogenesis literally means heat generation. Green tea increases thermogenesis in the body, becoming a potent appetite suppressant and increasing fat oxidation, helping the body to use fat as an energy source. This means the body is preferentially burning fat over protein.

Green tea also raises the body’s metabolism, increasing the rate at which calories are burned. In a recent study, the combination of green tea and caffeine burned more calories than those given a placebo.

Add to its thermogenesis benefits, green tea also has energy-boosting properties, which makes it a perfect breakfast tea or mid-afternoon pick me up.

Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that develops quickly, within seconds or minutes of exposure, causing a life-threatening response of the immune system involving the whole body. The immune system releases histamine and other substances that cause tightening of the airways and shock. Common causes of anaphylaxis are foods, drugs or insect bites.

Teenage years can be the happiest time of one’s life. It can also be tough on some as it’s the age when hormonal changes affects a lot of things. take acne for example. A lot of my friends with teenagers cite acne as one of the major problems affecting their kids. I never had acne during my teenage years. Could be due to today’s lifestyle and diet? Anyway, i believe acne should not mar a kid’s teen aged years. Why not try using a acne treatment cream and see if it helps lessen the problem. But for long term sake, do opt for a lifestyle and diet change. Eat more organic fruits and vegetables, less meat and exercise more is the key to healthy skin.

Both fish and fish oil supplements contain important essential Omega 3 fatty acids needed for good health, but as we’ll see, it is not just any old fish and nor is it any old fish oil that can do the job properly.

The Paradox

Today’s consumers must be very confused about seemingly contradictory advice about eating fish. The food standards agency says most people should be eating more oily fish like Salmon, Tuna, Herring and Mackerel, because the Omega 3 fatty acids they contain are good for our health. But at the same time they limit the recommended daily amounts to 2 portions of oily fish a week for women and girls who might want to have a baby one day and for breastfeeding mothers, and 4 portions for everyone else. So first we are told to eat more fish in order to gain the astonishing health benefits of Omega 3, but then we are told not to eat too much because our fish are polluted with toxins, particularly methylmercury. What are we supposed to do with this advice? Perhaps we should look at how much Omega 3 we actually need.

Omega 3 - how much is enough?

No official suggestion exists as to how much Omega 3 is required for optimum health but on an individual basis the best amount is linked to our intake of Omega 6. The more Omega 6 fatty acids that we consume, the more Omega 3 fatty acids we need to counteract the imbalance. First of all it might help to explain that the body is unable to synthesise Omega 3, or Omega 6 fatty acids for that matter, so we’ve to rely absolutely on our diets to get them. Now here is the breathtaking part.

Most of us today are eating diets that are deficient in the anti-inflammatory Omega 3 fatty acids but excessive in pro-inflammatory Omega 6. Over the past 70 years or so our consumption of fish has drastically diminished and at the same time we are eating more processed foods, grains and vegetable oils. These foods aren’t bad in themselves it is just that this imbalance in our diets is believed by some to be the root cause of a large rise in inflammatory conditions, heart disease and depressive disorders, hence the need for more Omega 3.

The important Omega 3 fatty acids are Eicosapentaenoic acid and Docosahexaenoic acid or EPA and DHA. Generally talking, 1g of EPA/DHA daily is considered enough for everyone. To give you an idea of what this equates to in real terms, to get this amount of EPA/DHA from the diet, you would have to consume a 3-oz portion of salmon each single day, seven days a week.

Bearing in mind the toxicity problem, one might think it’s safer to get Omega 3 from fish oil supplements, but here’s the ‘catch’. Fish oil is made from the very same fish in the sea, so it stands to reason that fish oil supplements can be toxic too unless of course the fish oil has been purified.

What types of fish oils are there and which one is ideal?

To put it simply, there are basically 3 types of fish oil available.

• Cod Liver Oil
• Standard fish oil
• High-grade concentrated fish oil

Cod liver oil is produced from the liver of fish and even though contains high amounts of Omega 3, the liver is where most of the toxins are stored and so potentially, cod liver oil can contain a high level of pollutants. Cod liver oil also contains high amounts of vitamin A and D and too much can result in Vitamin A toxicity.

Standard fish oils are produced from the flesh of the fish as opposed to the liver of fish but again, they have the ability to contain impurities as whatever was in the fish at the time it was caught is transferred to the oil. The amount of Omega 3 fatty acids they contain can also vary depending on a number of factors including the time of year, environmental conditions etc.

High-grade concentrated fish oil has an advantage over the others in that not only has all the impurities been removed, the oil can be concentrated to contain much higher levels of Omega 3. For example, concentrations of 70% EPA is possible and so fewer capsules are required in order to produce the same effect. With some of the standard fish oils, 5 or 6 capsules are required each day. EPA is rapidly gaining recognition as the most important fatty acid as the body can produce DHA when enough EPA is present but this is not effective the other way round.

Conclusion

To date there has been no real studies done on whether there is a significant difference or benefit in getting Omega 3 from fresh fish or from fish oil supplements. However, as it stands today, it would appear that the only way to ensure a healthy intake of Omega 3 without the risk of harmful pollutants is to take a high-grade fish oil supplement that has been through processes to filter out the impurities.

First of all let me tell you what’s Cough?

Coughs caused by the common cold, or flu, generally clear up after a small number of days. Cough can be a troublesome problem for the patient and the doctor similar.

Cough is an important protection mechanism that plays a major role in sustaining the integrity of the airways and can be voluntary or involuntary. Cough is normally triggered by mechanical or chemical inspiration of receptors in the pharynx, larynx, trachea and bronchi. Cough receptors also survive in the nose, paranasal sinuses, external auditory ear canals, tympanic membranes, parietal pleura, esophagus, stomach, pericardium and diaphragm.

A cough is a symptom of many illnesses and conditions including: asthma, bronchitis, common cold, influenza (flu)smoking, and whooping cough. The cure of cough is useful only if directed at the cause, but patients should be offered indicative relief while awaiting the results of specific therapy.

Cough is the most ordinary respiratory symptom for which patients look for medical attention.

Here’s a list of some ideal Home Remedies for Cough:

Home Remedies for Cough

1) Mix equal parts of ginger juice and honey and have it 2-3 times in a day which is fine for cough

2) Cinnamon is a well recognized herb which is used in cooking, and as addition to tea, apple cider and more. Make a cup of tea and put some cinnamon to it to relief the cough. This is simple and effective Home Remedy for Cough.

3) To decrease the cough, boil oregano in water, filter and drink up.

4) Gargle sage leaves and elder blossom tea with a tiny almond oil, oil of clove, and honey to reduce the cough and soothe the throat.

5) One good Home Remedy for Cough is the root of the turmeric plant which is helpful in a dry cough. The root should be baked and crushed. This powder should be taken in three gram dosage two times daily, in the morning and evening.

6) Another effective Home Remedy for Cough is a sauce made from raisins. This sauce is made by crushing 100 gm of raisins with water. 100 gm of sugar should be blended with it and allow the mixture to heat. When the mixture obtains a sauce-like constancy, it should be conserved. Twenty grams should be taken at bedtime each day.

7) Aniseed is another useful remedy for a hard dry cough with complex expectoration. It shatters up the mucus. A tea made from this spice should be taken habitually for treating this say.

Put 2 cups of cherries in a pan and add just enough water to it. Add some lemon slices and 2 cups of honey. Boil the mixture until cherries are soft. Eradicate from heat. Take away the lemon slices and the cherry pits from the mixture. Store at a low temperature and take some tablespoons as needed for coughing.

9) A syrup of 1 teaspoon raw onion juice with 1 teaspoonful of honey kept over 3 to 4 hours serves as an excellent cough syrup. This is another better Home Remedy for Cough.

10) Chewing betel leaf with 3-4 black Tulsi (Krishna Tulsi) leaves, a clove and a small quantity of menthol thrice a day provides relief from severe cough.

11) For dry coughs, start eating apples everyday for 2-3 weeks until your cough is cured.

12) For severe cough, mix tulsi juice with garlic juice and honey. A teaspoonful of this mixture taken once in each three hours will treat excessive cough.

13) A teaspoon of honey, a pinch of turmeric powder, chewing cardamom for a while, a stick of clove, all these have proven very beneficial in treating dry cough.

14) A cup of grape juice mixed with a teaspoon of honey is suggested for cough relief.

Focusing on food for a healthy immune system can increase overall good health and nutrition. Foods that build your immune system are rich in vitamins, minerals, trace elements and omega-3 fatty acids. Including these foods in your weekly diet can improve your energy levels and decrease the number of colds and other bugs that you get every year.

Some people rely on daily multi-vitamins and dietary supplements, instead of food for a healthy immune system and good supplements are always a good idea. It isn’t always possible to eat the right foods in the right combination every day. For instance, you might think of oranges or orange juice when you think of foods that build your immune system, but oranges are not the only foods that contain Vitamin C. And if you don’t have enough calcium and magnesium in your diet, then your cells can’t efficiently absorb Vitamin C. Complicating things further, if you drink a glass of orange juice and a glass of milk, then the acidic content of the juice can sour the milk, leading to stomach upset.

People who have frequent heartburn or are lactose intolerant may not be able to include either orange juice or milk in their diets. Citrus fruits are highly acidic and trigger heartburn in many people. Regular milk causes bloating, pain, gas and diarrhea in people who are lactose intolerant. So, what is a person to do?

Crabmeat, lobster and oysters are all rich in calcium, magnesium and vitamin C. Salmon is an important food for a healthy immune system and is often referred to as a “super food” by dieticians and nutritionists, because it contains numerous vitamins and minerals, plus a healthy amount of omega-3 fatty acids, believed to be beneficial in preventing heart disease, cancer and arthritis. Broccoli, tomatoes, peaches and apples are good sources of Vitamin C and are all foods that build your immune system. Broccoli is another food that contains numerous vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin C, calcium, magnesium and selenium. Not familiar with selenium?

Selenium is an essential trace mineral that may not be included in your daily multi-vitamin, but very important to human health. It is essential to proper immune system function, as well as numerous metabolic pathways. Remember chicken soup? Chicken is another good source of selenium and is one of the foods that build your immune system strength.

Like mushrooms? Researchers studying foods that build immune system strength by increasing white blood cell counts learned that shitake mushrooms worked. The study concluded that beta glucans found in edible mushrooms increased white blood cell counts. White blood cells are primary infection fighters. Don’t like mushrooms? Beta glucans are biologically active compounds found in numerous plant foods and some immune system dietary supplements.

So, in order to include some of the best foods that build your immune system in your weekly diet, eat salmon, tuna and/or seafood three or four times a week, chicken three or four times a week, a variety of fruits and vegetables including broccoli and mushrooms, whenever possible. Relying on food for a healthy immune system might not be enough, depending on where you live or work. A daily multi-vitamin can help and there are immune system supplements that contain beta glucans, herbs and other ingredients that can also help, particularly during cold and flu season.

Endometriosis is a medical abnormality, which is characterized mainly by the appearance of the endometrial tissues in other parts of the body. During normal condition, endometrium is found in the uterus. It develops as the egg cells mature in the ovaries so as to provide a conducive place for housing the fertilized eggs. If in cases this tissue develops outside the uterus, then that would be a good sign of an uncommon and potentially questionable condition which in most cases affect the fertility of a woman.

Usually, endometriosis affects areas like the fallopian tube, ovaries, rectal-vaginal septum, uterosacral ligaments and the pelvic sidewall. However, other rare locations include laparotomy or laparoscopy scars, intestines, bowel, colon, rectum and appendix. And for the rarer cases, endometriosis might appear on areas like vagina, spine, lungs, brain and the bladder.

The main symptom of endometriosis is pain radiating at the pelvic area. Normally, this pain is associated with the menstrual cycle of the patient yet some cases record that this is not always the condition. Nonetheless, the pain of endometriosis seems to be debilitating that too few can resume normal work while suffering endometriosis.

Some common symptoms of endometriosis include:

* Pain while, before and after menstruation
* Pain during ovulation
* Pain during urination
* Pain felt in the bowel while undergoing menstruation
* Lower back pain
* Pain while and after sexual intercourse
* Diarrhea
* Irregular bleeding
* Unexplainable fatigue
* Abdominal bloating that is associated with menstruation

For the advanced stages of the condition, scars in specific reproductive organs will occur which may cause more than imaginable pain and discomfort. In fact, with the severe conditions the internal organs affected may become fused, a case we call as frozen pelvis.

Endometriosis is responsible for around 30 to 40% of all recorded cases of infertility. Obviously, this link is found on the correlation of abnormalities in certain areas that are required for ovulation which is only possible when all organs are functioning an in good condition.

Women affected by this condition are naturally advised to gather as much data on the nature of their disease to help the handling of the condition more possible. (However, they are recommended to be wary of misleading information since even in the medical literature, there still lingers some myths for which we lay our beliefs on.) Nevertheless, management of endometriosis is normally a lasting one.