FEATURED ARTICLES

• essential vitamins
• detoxify your food
• health
• high blood pressure
• wellness
• Aromatheraphy

Details

Written by Lisa Jillanza

Aromatherapy

Have ever you experienced smelling something nice or different and it having an effect on you? Yes, even our sense of smell could have a direct effect on our mood and how we feel. And this is the principle behind aromatheraphy. In fact it's defined as the use of natural oils which induces physical and psychological well being.

Aromatheraphy is also a form or alternative or traditional medicine that is used to promote health naturally. Often time people use aromatheraphy to induce specific moods and feelings or reduce stress and pain caused by physical ailments.

Different scents trigger different reactions. You should know that there are several types of scents which offer a different effect on the person's mood and feeling. It is essential that you understand what particular scent can relieve your ailment. You can get the specific scent you want from oils, candles, soaps, and even perfumes. There are also a lot of variations that you can choose from with each scent having a different effect.

Here are some of the common scents available and their effects:

• Cedar wood- this has a woody, sweet scent. The effects on the body is both soothing and strengthening. This kind of scent is used for treating Dandruff and arthritis.
• Chamomile- it has a sweet, crisp scent which can be relaxing and soothing. You may want to use this scent if you have a headache, experiencing insomnia and nausea. This can also be effective in reducing stress.
• Eucalyptus- this scent is characterized by a fresh and earthy smell. It balances and stimulates your body. This provides relief for colds, poor blood circulation and arthritis.
• Ginger- this scent is commonly used for treating nausea and colds. It is characterized by a warm and spicy aroma which can be warming if inhaled.
• Jasmine- the scent provides a soothing and calming effect for people who are suffering from depression and mental tension. It has a floral and exotic scent which calms and reduces stress levels.
• Lavender- It is characterized by a fruity and fresh aroma. It can have a calming and therapeutic effect on the body. It's a great remedy for people with depression, muscle pain, anxiety and burns.
• Lemongrass-this scent has a fresh and lemony aroma to it. This helps relax the muscles and a great stress releaser. It's great for relieving muscle pain.
• Peppermint- it has a fresh and strong minty aroma. It helps refresh and stimulate the body. This is a good remedy for people who are experiencing headache and nausea.
• Sandal wood - the scent is characterized by a rich delicate and sweet aroma. It can be warming and relaxing to people. This can be a great relief for stress and anxiety.
• Vanilla- it has a rich and warm scent which could be stimulating and relaxing for the body. It is also a great scent for people suffering from depression and anxiety.

Smelling different scents can trigger different reactions from your body. If you want to relax and feel refreshed you now know that specific scents could have a soothing effect on your mind and body. So why not use aromatheraphy to relax your body and lighten up your mood. The next time you start reaching out for your pills; why not experiment with scents and oils to help relieve your tired and stressed body naturally.

• lose weight
• eat better
• cut calories
• without eating less
• volumetrics
• nutritionists
• live a healthier life
• eat your vegetables
• cutting out foods
• shrinking portions

Details

Written by Lisa Jillanza

Nutritionists are always looking for ways to help people lose weight, cut calories, and overall eat better to live a healthier life.  In a recent report, experts offer “tricks” that people can incorporate into their daily diets that will help them to lose weight, without eating less.

This type of eating is called “volumetrics” where you bulk up on meals that will leave you feeling fuller longer, rather than by cutting out foods or shrinking portions.

Here are some of the “tricks” that the volumetrics diet suggests:

• Eat your vegetables, lots of them.  Experts say that by filling up on fiber and water you will feel fuller.  They suggest that by adding vegetables to every meal you eat that you will still be able to enjoy your carbs in other meals, but just be sure to load the carbs with vegetables, too.

• Eat water-laden fruits.  Fruits like watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, peaches, oranges, raspberries, blueberries and apples are far better for you than calorie packed bananas, and because they are water and fiber based they will help to create volume in your diet.

• Always start your dinner with a soup or a salad.  The soup should be a broth-based soup or choose a salad with a light dressing, but either choice will fill you up before you dive into your largest meal of the day.

• Choose high fiber, high grain cereals for breakfast. To create a bowl with greater volume, choose flaked or puffed cereal.

• Eat egg whites.  Research has shown that if you want to keep your weight in check, people who eat at least two eggs per day consume fewer calories throughout the day than someone who eats bagels for breakfast.  You can cut your calories and cholesterol by choosing the egg whites only instead of the whole egg.

• Switch your milk.  If you are used to drinking whole milk, just by switching to fat free milk you can drink twice as much milk for the same amount of calories.

• Eat yogurt : especially of Greek or non-fat yogurt.  Since yogurt is a high-water food, it also helps to keep you feeling fuller.

• Go for lean proteins.  Foods like shrimp, roasted turkey breast, tilapia, and canned tuna in water are all packed with protein and low in calories.  You can also eat almost three times as much fish as you can many other proteins.

• Try less-dense desserts.  Instead of reaching for the cookies or cakes, opt for yogurt or fruit to satisfy your sweet tooth.

• Buy your cream cheese and butter whipped.  Whipped varieties contain added air, thereby creating fewer calories per serving.  Although, just because it is whipped doesn't mean that there aren't any calories.  You still need to be cognizant of how much butter and cream cheese you are using when you add it to your foods.

• If you want a salty snack go for popcorn.  Choose the 100-calorie bags or air pop a cup or two of popcorn instead of the butter and oil infused microwave kinds.

• Dilute dressing and dips by adding lemon juice, avocados, or yogurt.  This way you can still enjoy your favorite dressing or dip, but by diluting them you can save your calories for something worth spending them on.

• healthy drink
• fruits and vegetables
• juicing
• healthier you
• healthy alternative
• fruit juice
• vegetable juice
• nutrients

Details

Written by Lisa Jillanza

There's no contesting that eating the right amount of fruits and vegetables daily is one of the best ways of keeping ourselves healthy. While this could be easy for some, the rest of us may not have the same zeal or time needed for preparing healthy dishes. Perhaps the easiest way is to simply use a juicer. It does not require too much time to prepare and we would still be getting all the nutrition we need. But is drinking fruit and vegetable juices a healthy alternative?

So what is there not to like about being healthy? You could see it in the print ads, TV commercials and almost anywhere there is space to advertise. Health has become big business that everybody has their own take on how to get that healthy body you've always wanted. Juicing is so simple that it does not require any culinary training and you could make your own concoction perfect for your taste. So what are the benefits of drinking fruit and vegetable juices and what makes them so popular?

Quick and easy, no need for preparing. All you need to do is shop for fresh fruits and vegetables drop it in the juicer and you're good to go. This is perfect for busy people who just don't have the time to prepare simple dishes. Place it in a bottle and you can have your daily fix of fruits and vegetables anywhere you go.

With hundreds if not thousands of fruit and vegetable combinations to choose from, you could create your own special health concoction. Surprise yourself by combining fruits and juices. Finding the right mix of nutrients and taste, eating healthy has never been this fun.

Searching for a quick way to cool down or replenish your energy after a tired and grueling workout? A tall glass of fruit or vegetable juice is enough to soothe down your tired muscles while replenishing your energy stores.

Heat could destroy precious nutrients and keeping fruits and vegetables as fresh as possible gives you all the health they bring. All the minerals and nutrients that each piece of fruit and vegetable is preserved, giving you the healthiest drink possible.

Green and natural, eliminate the need for plastic bottles by drinking them in your own glass. Juicing is not only healthy for your body but also keeps mother earth healthy.

The benefits might be obvious but some people still shun away from this healthy habit at home. Below are some of their reasons:

Some people consider the prospect of juicing too expensive. Of course there are also concerns about the pile of wasted produce after the process. They would rather buy juices at the grocery because it is cheaper compared to preparing one. But isn't cooking a dish equally tedious? It may take hours to prepare a simple dish and of course there are dishes and cookware to clean after the meal.

Others say that investing in a juicer that would only be used a few times a week could be expensive. It might even end up as a dust magnet once they have already gone tired of drinking juices.

Preparing juices could be expensive especially if you have to buy dozens of fruits for your weekly consumption. This could quickly add up and you might find yourself spending a couple of dollars more at the grocery store.

This clearly shows that juicing benefits far outnumber its disadvantages. This might prove to be an investment in terms of a longer grocery list but certainly much cheaper compared to health bills. We should never gamble with our health and spending a few more dollars on fruits and vegetables is better compared to its alternative. With the rising costs of health care, juicing might just be a cheaper and healthier solution.

• Exercise
• work out
• exercise regimen
• exercise routine
• tai chi

Details

Written by Lisa Jillanza

Tai Chi is a popular mind and body exercise that traces its roots to Ancient China. It is a low impact activity that is aimed at promoting a person's well being regardless of age and general health condition.

Tai Chi includes a variety of slow, gentle movements. It improves breathing, promotes better circulation and is a great way of relieving stress. Practitioners believe that Tai Chi improves the flow of energy in the body, restoring the body's natural equilibrium and providing relief to many ailments.

Opening Position

• Stand erect, maintaining proper posture and spine alignment
• Spread your feet apart, and point both feet at 12 o'clock
• Relax, drop your shoulders and let your fingers hang loose
• Curve your hands and palms facing the sides of your body
• Bent your knees slightly

Awaken the Chi: Warm-up Exercise

Benefits: breathing exercise, stress reduction

• Opening position
• Bring your hands in front of your body, with your hands slightly touching and palms facing outward, about two inches below your belly
• Breathe in, and raise your hands upward to your breast level with the palms of your hands still facing skyward all in one continuous motion
• Breathe out; lower your hands in a pushing movement. Synchronize releasing the air and lowering your hands with the palm of your hands facing downward.
• Repeat the cycle 6 to 8 times and return to opening position

Balancing the Chi

Benefits: relieves anxiety, strengthens back muscles

• Opening position
• Bring hands in front with palms facing skyward, with the tips of your hands around two inches apart. Position your arms at the hip levels.
• Breathe in, raise your heels and bring arms to chest level
• Breathe out, lower hands in a gentle pushing movement. Turn your palms facing to the ground and plant heels on the ground
• Repeat movements 6 to 8 times and return to opening position

Beautiful Woman Turns the Waist

Benefits: Loosens tight muscles, strengthens back, improves kidney function

• Opening position
• Clockwise
• Position your hands at the back, with the palm of your hands pressing at your kidney area
• Straighten knees
• Push left hip out to left bend upper torso slightly right
• Push hips forward and allow upper body to bend backwards slightly
• Push right hip out to right and bend body slightly left
• Push bottom backwards and allow body to bend forward slightly
• Repeat movements 6 to 8 times and return to opening position
• Counterclockwise
• Push right hip out to right and bend body slightly left
• Push hips forward and allow upper body to bend backwards slightly
• Push left hip out to left bend upper torso slightly right
• Push bottom backwards and allow body to bend forward slightly
• Repeat cycle 6 to 8 times and return to opening position

Cloud Hands

Benefits: Improves coordination, strengthens back muscles, relieves neck tension, stress relief and enhances mind functioning

• Breathe in, turn your left arm towards the center chest area at shoulder level with the palm of your hands facing your body
• Drop right arm in line with your body and palm facing the side of your body
• Transfer your weight to your left leg
• Lock legs and turn body from your waist
• Turn left
• Let your arm follow the body's side movement
• Drop left arm in line with your body and palm facing the side of your body
• Position your right arm over the center chest area at shoulder level with right  palm facing your chest
• Return to center from left
• Breathe out
• Transfer weight to center
• Transfer your weight to your right leg
• Lock legs and turn body from your waist
• Turn right
• Let your arm follow the body's side movement
• Drop right arm in line with your body and palm facing the side of your body
• Position your left arm over the center chest area at shoulder level with right  palm facing your chest
• Return to center from right
• Breathe out
• Transfer weight to center
• Repeat exercise 6 to 8 times and return to opening position

• detoxify your food
• avoid canned food
• organic food
• synthetic ingredients
• unwanted ingredients
• clean produce

Details

Written by Lisa Jillanza

Our bodies come fully equipped with natural processes that eliminate harmful toxins in the body. But in today's modern world, keeping our bodies free from toxins is becoming more difficult. We can't control the world around us but there are things we could change to minimize our exposure to toxins. Instead of reaching out for medications we could help our body become more efficient by living a healthier lifestyle.

Assess your lifestyle Poor lifestyle habits are major factors which increase our risk of certain diseases. Choosing to live a healthy lifestyle is the first step towards achieving a healthier body. Smoking, drinking and eating unhealthy diets should be avoided to give your body its best chance of recovering from illness. Drinking or eating foods which contain chemicals defeats the purpose of detoxification which is to completely eliminate and flush all harmful chemicals and agents from a patient's body.

Eating Healthy There are many types of detoxification diets available. However, all of these promote diets which contain general food types. People planning to take a detoxification diet should always remember to keep everything natural. Great care should be taken to avoid foods containing chemicals such as those artificially prepared or preserved.

Eating natural foods is not the only thing important to remember. But eating the right type of food is equally important. Fruits and vegetables are foods rich in antioxidants, they also contain large amounts of fiber which not only prevent some types of cancer but also aids in proper digestion. People should also drink lots natural juices which contain large amounts of natural antioxidants.

Drink lots of water, water is the main medium for transporting toxins out of the body. They increase urine output and hasten the release of toxins in the body. Water therapy also helps to manage constipation, gastric acidity, and diabetes. Studies have also shown their benefits in decreasing the levels of blood chemicals after treatment.

Maintaining Optimum Function of Detoxification Organs The liver and kidneys act as the two major organs responsible for eliminating toxins from the body. Medications all pass through the liver; this is where they are broken down before finally being released for elimination. Medications are important for treatment but they also take a toll on the liver. Taking in too much medication may cause liver damage and cause side effects.

Blood passes thru the kidneys where they are filtered and impurities are passed out thru the urine. It is important that we keep this organs working properly. Putting great stress on these organs can impair their normal functioning. Giving these organs some rest by providing other exits for toxins. This is possible by encouraging the patient to go to a sauna or letting them do simple exercises in order for the toxins to be passed out by the skin thru perspiration.

Free Radicals

Simply put, free radicals are atoms which have an odd number of electrons in its outer ring. Free radicals are atoms which have unstable outer rings. These atoms react by giving off some of its electrons or gain electrons from other atoms to complete their outer shells. It is believed that thru these chemical reactions, normal cells mutate and give rise to cancer cells.

The body normally produces these free radicals thru normal body functions such as metabolism. The danger is when the body's antioxidants become insufficient to eliminate these free radicals. Abnormally high concentrations of free radicals in the body may also be due to exposure to some external factors. Excessive drinking, smoking and pollution are major factors in the formation of free radicals in the body. Another factor which causes high levels of free radicals in the body is age, decreasing production of antioxidants and accumulation exposes this age group to the negative effects of free radicals.