Archive for the ‘Advantages of Fruits and Vegetables’ category

February 4th, 2010

Eczema is a form of dermatitis, or inflammation of the upper layers of the skin. Eczema is an allergic, inflammatory and irritating skin condition which causes dryness and recurring rashes on the skin. Some of the common symptoms of eczema are redness, skin edema, itching and dryness, crusting, flaking, blistering, cracking, oozing, or bleeding. Based on these symptoms, eczema can divided into three main types – acute, sub-acute and chronic.
Its symptoms include itching, redness, dryness and flakiness of the skin. The most common affected regions are the hands, wrists, arms, neck, face, upper chest and back of the knees.

What are the causes of eczema?
Doctors do not know the exact cause of eczema, but a defect of the skin that impairs its function as a barrier, possibly combined with an abnormal function of the immune system, are believed to be an important factors. Some forms of eczema can be triggered by substances that come in contact with the skin, such as soaps, cosmetics, clothing, detergents, jewelry, or sweat. Environmental allergens (substances that cause allergic reactions) may also cause outbreaks of eczema. Changes in temperature or humidity, or even psychological stress, can lead to outbreaks of eczema in some people.

How Eczema can be treated ?
- Apply coconut oil on the affected area.
- Mudpack when applied in the affected area is also helpful in treating eczema.
- Carrot juice and spinach juice in combination is highly beneficial for eczema.
- Tomato juice is regarded as an effective medicine which clears up the eczema in a matter of days.
- Another effective remedy would be making a paste using 1 tablespoon each of turmeric powder and bitter neem leaves. Apply this paste to the affected areas.
- Eczema can also be treated using water. Cold compress or cold wet fomentation when applied two times a day is found beneficial in treating eczema.
- Take an iron vessel and boil 200 grams of mustard oil in it. Add 50 grams of fresh clean leaves of neem in it. Once the leaves turn black, let it cool and then strain it. Apply this oil 4 times a day to cure eczema.
- Mashed papaya seeds when applied on the eczema affected area reduce itching and help a person suffering from eczema.
- Sun bathing is also helpful in curing eczema. It kills the harmful bacteria and thus treating the inflammation caused.

Dietary Treatments for Eczema :
- Soybean products, eggs, nuts, wheat and maize should be avoided, though food allergies may vary from person to person.
- Sour foods like pickles, curds, etc. must be avoided.
- Salt must be reduced in the diet.

Tips to have a healthy heart

December 21st, 2009

Heart disease may be the leading cause of death for both men and women, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept it as your fate. Although you lack the power to change some risk factors — such as family history or age — there are some key heart disease prevention steps you can take.

- Don’t smoke or use tobacco products : Tobacco smoke contains more than 4,800 chemicals. Many of these can damage your heart and blood vessels, making them more vulnerable to narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Atherosclerosis can ultimately lead to a heart attack. In addition, the nicotine in cigarette smoke makes your heart work harder by narrowing your blood vessels and increasing your heart rate and blood pressure. Carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke replaces some of the oxygen in your blood. This increases your blood pressure by forcing your heart to work harder to supply enough oxygen.
The good news, though, is that when you quit smoking, your risk of heart disease drops dramatically within just one year.
- Exercise : Physical activity helps you control your weight and can reduce your chances of developing other conditions that may put a strain on your heart, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. It also reduces stress, which may also be a factor in heart disease.
- Eat a heart-healthy diet : Ideally aim for a diet containing about 25 percent calories from fat, divided as follows: polyunsaturated fat (10 percent), monounsaturated (10 percent) saturated/trans fats (no more than 5 percent). Major sources of saturated fat include beef, butter, cheese, milk, and coconut and palm oils. Omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat (intake should be approx 10 percent), may decrease your risk of heart attack, protect against irregular heartbeats and lower blood pressure. Foods high in polyunsaturated fat include corn oil, safflower and sunflower oil, nuts, seeds and some fish. Foods containing polyunsaturated fat are best eaten cold or lightly cooked.
- Soy foods contain beneficial protein — 25 grams of soy protein per day may help reduce risk of heart disease. Substitute soy milk for skim milk, choose tofu or tempeh daily, snack on soy nuts or enjoy a smoothie made with soy milk and fruit.
- Limit sodium intake to 2400 milligrams a day.
- Eat nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
- Avoid foods containing trans-fatty acids.
- Blood clots : Blood clots can block or stem the blood flow, causing a heart attack. So foods which contain chemicals which prevent blood clotting can protect against heart disease. These include naturally oily fish, such as mackerel, sardines and salmon.
- Fibre : Fibre has been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels and may therefore reduce the risk of heart disease. Foods high in fibre include cereal crops such as oats, pasta, bread and potatoes.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Get regular health screenings.

Fight heart disease – eat more of nuts, green vegetables

October 22nd, 2009

How many times have you been told by family to eat more vegetables, more green stuff, and even nuts (although more in control) ? In today’s fast lifestyle, the temptation to satiate one’s appetite through the consumption of junk food such as burgers, fries, chips, pizzas, and colas is very tempting. However, in order to retain the health of the body and give it a good set of nutrients, it is important that people get an adequate number of nutrients as a part of their diet. As per research, these food items contain chemicals that are important for the body to combat the onset of diseases such as heart disease, and are very important for the over-weight and obese sections of society (the percentage of whom is growing in society). It is very important that people ensure that they are getting enough to eat (link to article):

Eating more plant-based foods, which are rich in substances called phytochemicals, seems to prevent oxidative stress in the body, a process associated with obesity and the onset of heart disease, according to the study. To get enough of these protective chemicals, researchers suggest eating plant-based foods such as leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, nuts and legumes at the start of a meal. Oxidative stress occurs when the body produces too many damaging free radicals and lacks enough anti-oxidants or phytochemicals to counteract them.
Because of excess fat tissue and certain enzymes that are more active in overweight people, being obese can actually trigger the production of more free radicals, too.

Ad: Click Here to learn all about Good health diets!

Living the Good Life: Your Guide to Health and Success (Paperback)

Bad Behavior has blocked 105 access attempts in the last 7 days.