Competitive swimmers are always in fantastic shape but even those who just swim for leisure and for pleasure know that they not only look great on the outside but feel just as good on the inside. The health benefits of swimming are almost unmatched by just about any other sport or exercise.  I have enjoyed swimming all my life – whenever and wherever I can.

Swimming is a great workout because you need to move your whole body against the resistance of the water. Swimming helps to exercise the whole body including the heart, lungs and muscles but with very little joint strain. It conditions the whole body and the best strokes for this are freestyle, breast stroke and backstroke. And don’t forget that even if laps are not your forte, there are plenty of other good swimming exercises. Try walking or running in water, which many people find easier to do than on land. Treading can be exhausting but it will help tone your legs and arms.

Here are many more health benefits:

1.  Swimming is a relaxing and peaceful form of exercise, helping to alleviate stress. You can let your mind wander, focusing on nothing but the rhythm of your stroke, helping you gain a feeling of well-being so that you leave the water refreshed and ready to go on with the rest of your day. Swimming is so relaxing because it allows more oxygen to flow to your muscles and forces you to regulate your breathing. A pleasant side effect is the release of feel-good chemicals known as endorphins. Apart from the metaphysical benefits of swimming, research has shown that it can actually change the brain for the better through a process, known as hippocampal neurogenesis, in which the brain replaces cells lost through stress.

2.  Swimming provides a good low-impact therapy for some injuries and conditions because there is no stress on your bones, joints or connective tissues due to buoyancy and the fact that you weigh 1/10^th less in water. You can carry out a rigorous work out with a reduced chance of swimming injuries, putting the body through a broad range of motion that help joint and ligaments stay loose and flexible. With every stroke, as you reach forward, you lengthen the body making it more efficient in the water and helping to give you a good stretch from head to toe.

3.  Pregnant women benefit from swimming because it helps strengthen the shoulder and abdominal muscles, which can be strained when carrying a baby. Many people with certain health conditions such as arthritis find swimming particularly helpful because it is low impact, relaxes stiff muscles and isn’t weight-bearing. Swimming also increases circulation. When the human body is submerged in water, it automatically becomes lighter. When immersed to the waist, your body bears just 50% of its weight; dip down to the to the chest and that number reduces to around 25-35% while with water all the way to the neck, you only have to bear 10% of your own weight.

4.  Swimming can improve your blood pressure because studies have shown that a workout routine that includes swimming can reduce and possibly prevent high blood pressure, which in turn lowers your risk for heart disease and stroke.

5.  Swimming can even rectify your cholesterol levels because of its aerobic power, ensuring higher levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL) and lower levels of LDL or “bad” cholesterol.

6. Swimming keeps your heart rate up because it is an aerobic exercise. Swimming strengthens the heart by helping it to become larger and more efficient in pumping, leading to better blood flow throughout your body. The American Heart Association reports that just 30 minutes of exercise per day, such as swimming, can reduce coronary heart disease in women by 30-40%. In addition,swimming can also keep your endothelium in good shape. The endothelium is the thin layer of cells that lines the arteries but which tends to lose flexibility as you age.

7.  Swimming is now recognized as one of the biggest calorie burners around, and it’s great for keeping weight under control. Of course the number of calories burned would depend on your make up and how hard you exercise but every bit helps.

8.  While swimming does not help with bone density, because you need weight bearing exercises for that, it does improve bone strength - especially in post-menopausal women. Every kick and every arm stroke becomes a resistance exercise, helping to build muscle tone and strength.

9.  Swimming improves coordination, balance and posture.

10. Swimming provides the perfect way to cool down on a hot day whether in a pool, lake, ocean, dam or river. Just make sure the environment you choose is safe. And when the weather is no longer hot, find a way to use a heated pool for year round exercise.

Swimming is a healthy activity that can be continued for a lifetime – so make swimming part of your regular exercise routine.

]]> http://www.amoils.com/health-blog/swim-as-often-as-you-can-for-at-least-10-health-benefits/feed/ 0 http://www.amoils.com/health-blog/7-natural-ways-to-combat-cellulite/ http://www.amoils.com/health-blog/7-natural-ways-to-combat-cellulite/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:38:27 +0000 Jane Chitty http://www.amoils.com/health-blog/?p=5872 Many women start to notice that telltale dimpled skin and orange peel effect of cellulite from quite a young age and very few escape altogether because some 95% of all women will suffer from this skin condition to some extent.

Easy to spot with its orange peel, puckered appearance of the skin, cellulite is usually found on those areas where fat gathers – namely the thighs, buttocks and abdomen. For some it is in the genes and then they follow the kind of lifestyle that aggravates the condition. While you cannot help the genetics factor, you do have a choice with other causes such as lifestyle, diet, exercise and stress levels.

These are the main reasons for cellulite:

• Digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, constipation or liver problems.
• Constant stress, that leads to tension in the neck muscles, problems with the vertebrae and inflamed tissue, which is thought to cause cellulite at the back of the neck. Prolonged stress and the associated surge of adrenaline can also lead to increased fat storage in the stomach, hips, buttocks and thighs.
• Cellulite in the upper arms and legs is common in older women and this is thought to be partly caused by impaired vein systems in the arms and legs while surprisingly too much leg exercise can lead to cellulite appearing on the front of the thighs.  Aging plays a big role in cellulite formation.
• There is a septae structure under the female skin which is very fibrous and mesh-like making it prone to trap fat cells.
• The female hormones estrogen and progesterone – while the former encourages fat cells to develop and grow around the breasts, thighs and buttocks, the latter can lead to fluid retention, weak veins and weight gain.
• Pregnancy is a time of drastic change in the body including fluid retention and a surge of hormones while the growing uterus can also affect circulation and lymph drainage. Plus any cellulite problems will usually worsen with each successive pregnancy although the good news is that breastfeeding is very beneficial in reducing cellulite.
• A sedentary lifestyle means little or no muscle contractions and a strong possibility of weight gain. If you are overweight or obese, you will be more prone to cellulite plus any fat accumulation will also push the existing cellulite upwards so that it is more noticeable. Please take note that crash diets are particularly harmful because they lead to the body wanting to store fat.
• Cigarette smoke is damaging to vein and capillary walls causing inflammation and leaking, while nicotine itself can affect your circulation.
• Highly processed foods, artificial sweeteners and other additives build up toxins in the body and ultimately, cellulite.

So here are 7 natural ways to combat cellulite:

1. Make a warm drink to take each morning on an empty stomach by mixing 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into a glass of warm water. Add a small amount of honey as a sweetener.

2. Coffee scrub is made by simply mixing a handful of ground coffee granules with some olive oil and then massaging the affected areas of cellulite with it.

3. A gentle apple cider massage treatment could help to reduce the appearance of cellulite when you mix 3 parts apple cider vinegar with one part of your favourite massage oil. Then gently knead this solution onto affected skin areas twice daily.

4. H-Cellulite from Healing Natural Oils fades and reduces the appearance of cellulite through improving the texture and tone of the skin, moisturizing the skin and then sealing in that moisture. Specially formulated with essential oils, the product is safe and gentle to use.

5. Physical exercise like walking or swimming, and even yoga, are all effective ways to control stress and reduce the appearance of cellulite. Exercise for 20 minutes a day, 5 times a week. This returns your body chemistry to a balanced state in which cellulite is less likely to develop. When you take up yoga, it whips your leg muscles into shape but it can help smooth spongy thighs too. Cellulite is a symptom of reduced lymph circulation, and yoga helps lymph flow more freely through fatty areas, flushing toxins and reducing cellulite.

6. Think about using a mini trampolene to make you fit, tone your body, assist with weight loss, boost your lymphatic system, detox your body, boost your immune system and help get rid of cellulite. A gentle bounce is used to warm up and end your session.  Your feet remain flat on the mat, your hands either on your hips, by your side or holding onto a support bar and you bounce very gently while you breathe consciously and steadily.  Your “zone” is a bounce you slip into without even thinking about it. Remember to slow right down at the end of a session, first to a gentle bounce and then a standstill before stepping off. Then have plenty of water to flush out all the toxins and to rehydrate your body. An extra special tip for cellulite is to tap or slap the affected areas as you breathe and bounce.

7. Finally, include these fresh foods in your new healthier way of eating because they are particularly good for combating cellulite: asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, pears and cucumber.

You can do this test by going to www.realage.com and logging in. It will probably take you about 15 minutes to complete especially if you have some general background information ready before you start – such as your weight, height, waist measurements, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The rest of the survey you should be able to do from memory. There are little tips all through the questionnaire to help you out if you are not quite sure about the various questions.

I found the test to be very extensive, working through different aspects of your health and well being. The initial general back ground questions are followed by your medical history including dental and eye health. If you give a positive response to any medical conditions in this part of the questioning, the survey will come back to follow up with more questions on such conditions as to treatment, medications and more.

The next page goes into your emotional background and you need to think carefully and be very honest here. Following on are questions about your education and work background along with the family income. Queries on your diet, vitamins and supplements are quite extensive as is the final set of questions on what form of exercise you do.

Once you start the questionnaire, please do not give up but keep on right to the end when you will be given your Real Age.

And it does not end there. There is a detailed plan for you – congratulating you on what you are doing correctly and steering you in the right direction for improving any aspects of your lifestyle. You can print out this plan (which runs into several pages) to keep and to follow. But read it on your screen as well because all through the plan are links to interesting pieces of information such as a special tracker to start a walking workout and to log your miles or the chance to take the RealAge Sleep Health Assessment to see how you rate in the sleeping department.

The plan is also peppered with healthy hints such as checking your skin regularly so that you can perform skin self-exams and learn how to spot potential problems like changes in moles or other skin marks. If you have any moles that concern you, these can be easily and safely removed with H-Moles from Healing Natural Oils.

Many of the suggestions are good and sensible. There are a few that I had issues with though and these I listed them here with my suggested alternative:

-  They recommend chewing gum (for lowering stress) as long as it is sugarless gum. Unfortunately, sugarless gum will usually have aspartame as an ingredient which is a particularly harmful and toxic artificial sweetener. In fact all artificial sweeteners should be avoided. Instead, find a gum that uses xylitol which is an alcohol sugar that is very good for oral hygiene.

-  Shake the salt habit. This should read “shake the processed salt habit” because we do need salt in our lives but it must be natural salt.

-  Stressing the importance of sun screen when it has now been found that sun screens can contain many harmful and toxic chemicals to such an extent that they can actually cause cancer. If you must use a sunscreen, find a natural one with safe ingredients. Sunscreens also block out the massive Vitamin D benefits of sunlight.

Recommending soy foods such as tofu, soymilk and anything made from whole soy beans.  However, soy can be incredibly healthful, but only if it is organic and properly fermented. The risks of consuming unfermented soy products far outweigh any possible benefits. In fact the vast majority of soy at your local market is not a health food. Unlike the Asian culture, where people eat small amounts of whole non-GMO soybean products, western food processors separate the soybean into two golden commodities—protein and oil. And there is nothing natural or safe about these products.  In fact 91% of soy grown in the US is genetically modified (GM) to impart resistance to the toxic herbicide Roundup. While this is meant to increase farming efficiency and provide you with less expensive soy, the downside is that your soy is loaded with this toxic pesticide. And this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as the worrying health side effects of soy.

In spite of these few reservations, most of the advice given on this site is very helpful and encouraging and I know you will benefit from doing the RealAge test and printing out your own plan at the end.

Do yo

As we all know only too well, obesity rates in the United States have skyrocketed with 66 percent of adults being overweight or obese.

According to Michael Breus, PhD, author of Beauty Sleep: ”When you’re sleep deprived, your body produces more ghrelin, a hormone that tells you to eat more, and less leptin, which signals you to stop eating.”  For example people who sleep only four hours a night are more likely to choose high-carb, sugary and starchy foods over healthier picks, a recent University of Chicago study found.

James Maas, PhD, a sleep researcher at Cornell University and the author of Power Sleep, points to increasing evidence that chronic sleep deprivation raises the risk of weight gain. Maas also blames those same two hormones: leptin, which helps the brain sense when you’re full, and ghrelin, which triggers hunger. The less sleep you get, the lower your leptin levels – and the higher your ghrelin.  He says: “Many people think they’re hungry when they’re actually sleepy. Instead of a snack, they need some shut-eye.’

The reverse is also true as eating certain healthy foods calms your nervous system and triggers a sleep-inducing hormonal response, helping you rest better at night.

Staying in bed longer or having a short nap during the day can actually keep you from gaining weight. The less sleep you get, the less efficiently your appetite-regulation system works.

So if you have weight problems, then it appears to be important to work on any sleep deprivation or insomnia issues at the same time.

Here are some more interesting facts about sleep from James Maas as presented in his book “Sleep for Success” co-authored by Cornell graduate student Rebecca S. Robbins.

• Most people overestimate the amount they sleep each night by nearly one hour;

• If you fall asleep within five minutes, you are sleep deprived, since the fully rested person takes 20 minutes to fall asleep;

• Women sleep less soundly with a partner than men do.

• Every additional hour of sleep reduces a child’s risk of obesity by 9 percent;

• One drink of alcohol on six hours of sleep has the same effect on one’s ability to drive a car as three to four martinis on eight hours of sleep;

• Most high school and college students get 2.5 hours less sleep per night than recommended. Grades in high school and college are directly related to sleep length.

Changing to a healthier lifestyles will help both your insomnia and weight gain: plenty of regular exercise, drinking lots of pure filtered water, ditching the sugars, the sodas and all processed foods; eating whole living foods with lots of fresh fruit and veggies along with healthy fats; going to bed earlier and enlisting the help of a natural essential oils product H-Insomnia from Healing Natural Oils.

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The number of asthma cases keeps on growing. Can you believe an increase of more than 300% over the last two decades? Asthma affects an estimated thirty million Americans including many children. This inflammatory condition, typically of the upper airways, results in symptoms of chest tightness, shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing. When the symptoms are especially severe, it can be extremely stressful for the sufferer.

Asthma can be treated with two types of pharmaceutical medications: long-term control and quick-relief medicines. Long-term control medicines help reduce airway inflammation and prevent asthma symptoms while quick-relief medicines relieve asthma symptoms that may flare up.

If you have asthma, you probably spend a lot of time using various inhalers and nebulizers. Often, these contain glucocorticoids (steroids) which can have major side effects when used long term. These side effects include: cataracts, osteoporosis, adrenal insufficiency, weight gain (with a possible dramatic increase in abdominal fat), Type 2 diabetes and behavioral changes such as extreme anger.

In addition, other inhalers contain drugs which dilate the bronchi allowing more air in but, at the same time in many users, these drugs cause very rapid heart rate, tremors and insomnia.

Of course these drugs can be life saving but it is important to look at other safer ways to improve asthma symptoms.

Triggers for asthma include allergies, certain drugs, pollution and severe stress.

Some sufferers are finding that their symptoms respond well to natural treatments for asthma. One natural alternative is inhaled glutathione an antioxidant which is usually deficient in those suffering from asthma. The body produces its own glutathione unless a poor diet, pollution, toxins, medications, stress, trauma, aging, infections and radiation have depleted your reserves, leaving you susceptible to unrestrained cell disintegration from oxidative stress, free radicals, infections and more.

Other ways to treat and even prevent the symptoms of asthma naturally are with these suggestions:

- By testing for gluten intolerance and/or other food allergies as it has been found that many with asthma also have a gluten or other sensitivity. In such cases, their immune systems are so busy fighting their food, that they don’t have left over immune resources to fight the environment.

- By increasing the intake of animal-based omega 3 fats and by reducing the intake of omega 6 fats – the ratio between these two fats is very important. If the balance is distorted it can lead to the type of inflammation that causes asthma.

- By getting regular exercise especially out in the fresh air. Research has shown that exercise in asthmatics leads to an improvement in maximum ventilation and maximal oxygen uptake; in work capacity; and in maximum heart rate.

- By testing your vitamin D levels. Most important of all is that if you get your levels to about 60 ng/ml or higher, there’s a strong likelihood you may not experience the symptoms of asthma any more. The vast majority of today’s population is vitamin D deficient – that is below 30 ng/ml – so that even the medical community is beginning to realize the importance of raising vitamin D levels to protect against a large number of diseases and health conditions including asthma. You can raise your levels by exposing as much skin as possible to sunlight during the 2 hours either side of noon (with no sun block) for as long as it takes for your skin to turn a light pink. The darker your skin, the longer you need.  Do this as often as you can. You may still need to supplement with vitamin D3 and the suggested optimal dose is 8000 IUs per day until you reach above 60 ng/ml. You will then need to maintain that level.

I keep a daily list in my page-a-day actual diary (I am not a fan of electronic diaries) with all the healthy things I need to remember to do each and every day and I will be the first to admit that not everything on that list gets ticked off every time but at least I can see where I am letting myself down so that the next day, I will perhaps achieve more.

This list includes reminders like to:

-  Take my vitamins along with a spoonful of coconut oil. Most important in my book are my vitamin D, my vitamin C (along with other vitamins and minerals) and a salmon oil capsule for Omega 3. Coconut oil has become known as one of the top nutritious health foods and is now described as “the healthiest oil in the world”.

-  Do my daily resistance exercises to strengthen my arms and do away with the problem of flabbiness along with those exercises given to me by my chiropractor to strengthen my joints. A regular visit to your chiropractor can get to the root of many health conditions in a natural way.

-  Go for a walk or a swim – the best time to do your exercise is in the morning as research has shown that this is the most successful way of sticking to a daily routine so that commitments during the day are less likely to get in the way. Even if you have only twenty minutes to spare, get out there nice and early so your exercises are done and out of the way.  A total of 150 minutes  per week is the optimum amount of time to spend on exercising for a healthier you.

-  Do a daily oil pulling session. I take a couple of teaspoonfulls of sesame oil into my mouth first thing before eating or drinking and swish around between my teeth for a good 15 minutes while I do kitchen chores and make the tea. Spit it out and rinse with some water and then a mouth wash of natural salt in water for a squeaky clean bacteria-free mouth and white teeth. http://www.amoils.com/health-blog/oil-pulling-and-5-natural-steps-to-improve-your-health/

-  Rebound 100 times on my mini trampolene – remember that 2 minutes of bouncing on the trampoline is equivalent to 6 minutes of running, 10 minutes of swimming or 22 minutes of walking.

-  Strip off for a session of sunlight exposure for my vitamin D levels while grounding (or earthing as some will call it) by lying on the grass at the same time. This should be done during the warmer, sunnier months between the hours of 10 am and 2 pm for maximum benefit. Stay in the sun until your skin starts to turn pink.

-  Drink 8 glasses of filtered water – spread through out the day.

-  Use a maintenance drop or two of H-Arthritis from Healing Natural Oils on my hand twice a day – I use this because I had a very swollen joint in one of my fingers. The H-Arthritis reduced the size of the swelling considerably and I now use it every day to make sure the swelling stays down and to keep any hint of arthritis away. My mother suffered from very arthritic hands so I am rather aware of this condition.

As you can see, there is an extensive list of stuff that I could so easily forget without my reminder!

My diary also serves as a monthly list of income and expenditure so that I can budget the household and general expenses without too many tears.

I also keep a long term list (at the back of my diary) for the things I want to accomplish during the coming year  in the way of home and garden improvements, admin chores and other stuff that would otherwise never get done. When you get to the end of the year, it is great to see how much has been achieved (often with the help of my DIV savvy husband) with perhaps the satisfaction of there only being one or two items that have to be carried forward.

A blackboard in the kitchen is the place where I make a note of food, cleaning items and toiletries that need to be replaced or topped up whilst inside my cupboard door is a weekly and permanent schedule for various household tasks and chores that have to be done on a regular basis.

Finally, as a writer and editor working from home, I have to keep a schedule in my daily diary of my assignments and tasks that need to be done.  And that is it!

I have recently read an article about how exercise is so important in preventing the risk of cancer recurrence. In fact making sure you have plenty of exercise, after being treated for cancer in the traditional way and going into remission, can cut this risk of recurrence by up to 50%. According to the the Macmillan Cancer Support Group in the UK, just 150 minutes of physical activity per week can make all the difference.

Their researchers have said that such weekly exercise will reduce the risk of breast cancer recurring by 40%. For prostate cancer, it reduces the risk of recurrence by 30%. And for colon cancer, it can reduce the risk by around 50%.

But it also important to know that exercise (physical activity) is not only critical in helping to prevent a recurrence of cancer, but also in preventing cancer in the first place.

Often overlooked for its importance to our overall health is the body’s lymphatic system, which supports every other system in the body, including the immune, digestive, detoxification and nervous systems. Unlike our circulatory system, the lymphatic system does not have a pump (like the heart) to move the lymph fluid throughout the body.

There is more lymph fluid in our body than there is blood. Lymph bathes each cell and removes toxins and waste left over by all the other systems.

And the only way to move lymph throughout the body is through exercise, that is physical activity. Most people are unaware that exercise (physical activity) is critical to our lymph system, helping to keep the entire body healthy.

In the past, doctors would tell cancer patients to “take it easy” whereas they should have been encouraging them to take that exercise and get moving. Exercise mitigates the ravages of chemotherapy, improves our energy levels, modulates our weight while at the same time reduces the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis.

And of course exercise helps prevent the onset of cancer in the first place or lowers your risk of cancer recurrence.

It is difficult to prescribe what type of exercise or physical activity you should be doing except to say that choose one or more (a) that you will enjoy and (b) that you will be happy to keep on doing regularly week in and week out.

The good old standbys are:

-  Walking whether out in the great outdoors or on a treadmill at home or in the gym. Outdoors walking has many advantages as you get to be in the fresh air, to get some sunlight exposure and a change of scenary.

-  Swimming which is my own favorite form of exercise especially if the water is reasonably warm. If you get the opportunity of swimming in the ocean, that is first prize because there are additional health benefits but of course all venues are great.

-  Cycling is a lot easier if you have a stationary bike at home but then of course many people enjoy cycling on a bike outdoors especially if you have a safe and scenic environment to enjoy.

-  Rebounding is such an easy way to exercise and having your own mini trampolene at home is an inexpensive option for getting plenty of physical activity without too much effort. See http://www.amoils.com/health-blog/did-you-know-that-you-can-bounce-your-way-to-good-health/

-  An exercise ball means you can have physcial activity while you work on your computer if you use one instead of a chair, engaging the stabilizing muscles to increase balance strength but in a very low key non tiring way.

-  Gardening and housework as a form of physical activity means you can get your exercise at the same time as completing all the household chores. A bonus!

With the start of 2012, committing to regular exercise and activity is one of the best resolutions you can make for your health, helping you to age in the best way while preventing heart disease and cancer and much more.

http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Documents/AboutUs/Commissioners/Physicalactivityevidencereview.pdf

1. Increasing our intake of vitamins C and E are important for our skin because they help reduce the damage caused by free radicals (those unstable molecules in our body). Such free radicals destroy both collagen and elastin. Although vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits and lots of veggies such as peppers, broccoli and cauliflower, you can do yourself a great favor, and additional health benefits, by adding a generous dosage vitamin C supplement to your daily diet too. Lots of leafy greens, nuts, olives and asparagus will give you a good source of vitamin E.

2. Another nutrient to add to your daily diet is zinc with its anti-inflammatory and healing properties to help keep any skin blemishes at bay. Seeds are a good source, apart from supplements, so include a tablespoon daily with your food.

3. Moisture is so vital for a healthy skin but did you know that sleeping in a room that is too hot or too dry will mean that your skin loses valuable moisture while becoming redder because of an increased blood flow. Whatever the weather, allow fresh air to come in through an open window and don’t set the temperature artificially high or low. If dry skin is a real problem for you, install a humidifier next to your bed. Our skin does its restoration work during the night so this makes the quality of air around us even more important. Look for a natural night cream for your face and choose one that includes peptides and anti-oxidants to restore moisture and nutrients to your skin while you sleep. Don’t forget to include a natural eye cream too.

4. If your skin is fair, you could be more prone to irritations resulting in deeper damage and earlier wrinkles. Pale skin has a weaker moisture barrier than darker skin. Keep your skin well moisturized with a natural moisturizer and while we all need some sunlight to top up our “more than likely vitamin D deficiency levels”, those with pale skin need less sun exposure than those with darker skin. You can safely stay in the sun (minus any sun block) until it your skin starts to change to a light pink shade. The two hours either side of 12 noon are best for absorbing vitamin D and expose as much of the skin area as possible. Don’t go rushing to the shower and slather on lots of soap for a couple of hours afterwards as this can then undo the good of the sunlight.

5. Acne is a common skin condition and studies have pointed out that milk or lactose intolerance could be a link to adult acne. This is worth looking into if acne is a problem with you. Look for dairy-free alternatives such as coconut oil instead of butter and almond or rice milk instead of cow’s milk.

6. Our lips can be especially vulnerable to dryness as they have no melanin. The first sign of dehydration in the lips is flakiness, meaning there is insufficient fatty acids and omegas in your diet. Remedy this with a suitable supplement and protect your lips with a product such as natural lip balm.

7. Part of eating a healthy diet for a clear and blemish free skin is to include lots of fresh vegetables and fruit (eat as many of these in their raw state if possible), free range chicken and eggs, grass-fed beef, and of course sustainable, safe fish. Know your fish because unfortunately many are full of toxins. It is probably safer to stick to Alaskan salmon and small fish like sardines and mackerel. 8 glasses of filtered water is also a given!

8. Whether it is winter or summer, you should be looking after your skin both on your face and of course all over your body. Keep it cleansed, moisturized and fed on a daily basis.

9. Exfoliating is a good thing to get rid of dead skin cells but be careful not to over do it as you can end up stripping the skin. Papaya is an excellent ingredient to look out for because it exfoliates enzymatically rather than mechanically as a gritty scrub would do. If you notice any milia (those tiny white bumps on the skin) this is a sure sign that you could be over-exfoiatiing.

10. We all want to avoid and/or get rid of  Circulation is an all important way to flush out all those toxins and unwanted fats. At the same time we need lots of regular exercise to help our lymphatic system – walking, swimming, cycling and just about any form of exercise is good. In addition, another method is to regularly massage the buttocks, legs and thigh areas of the body. You can use an essential oils product such as H-Cellulite to great effect. Use a body brush to aid circulation or try alternating hot and cold bursts kjof water. Diet plays a huge role in cellulite prevention and/or treatment so give up all sugar, processed salt, dairy products, meat, sodas and alcohol and eat nothing but raw food for a week and see the difference.

Here’s wishing you a new and improved skin for the rest of the year.

The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis usually creep up on you slowly with sometimes just some stiffness or swelling felt in the small joints such as the fingers and toes. A little later, the shoulders could be affected with some muscle stiffness. As the disease progresses, the elbows, knees, hips, jaw and neck can also become involved.

In most cases, symptoms occur symmetrically – that is in the same joints on both sides of the body. Symptoms typically last more than two weeks.

As the symptoms worsen, there can be:

1. Pain which is usually described as a throbbing, aching kind of pain that is worse in the mornings and particularly if you have been sitting still for some time. The pain is often more noticeable during periods of rest rather than after any activity.

2. Stiffness in the joints is a common symptom especially in the morning. While morning stiffness associated with osteoarthritis usually wears off within 30 minutes of getting up in the morning, that for , rheumatoid arthritis usually lasts longer than half an hour and can be as long as two hours.

3. Warmth and redness is often noticeable because with rheumatoid arthritis, the lining of the affected joint becomes inflamed so that these joints swell and as a result feel hot or warm to the touch and tender and painful.

 4. Inflammation around the joints is also possible while rheumatoid arthritis can also cause inflammation of the glands (tear and salivary); of the lining of the heart and lungs; and to the blood vessels.

5. Red and puffy hands.

6. Firm bumps of tissue under the skin on the arms (known as rheumatoid nodules).

7. Feeling very tired and a general sense of feeling unwell

8. Fever and weight loss are two further symptoms of RA that you should be aware of.

Rheumatoid arthritis signs and symptoms can vary from mild to severe and back again and may even come and go. Rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups can alternate with periods of remission when the symptoms can fade or even disappear. You can experience a flare-up at any time of the day or night but it is much more likely that your symptoms will be more painful in the morning, when you first wake up, easing as the day goes on and you are using your joints.

An important feature of this inflammatory illness is that the body’s own immune system targets its own tissue as an enemy. Joint swelling over a long period of time can lead to deformity and loss of function in the joint. 

The resulting inflammation thickens this lining (known as the synovium) so that in time it actually invades and destroys the cartilage and bone within the joint. At the same time, the tendons and ligaments that hold the joint together weaken and stretch so that the joint loses both its shape and alignment. It is not yet known what starts the whole process off but there are some contributing factors:

• Often RA runs in families so that you can inherit a predisposition to rheumatoid arthritis.

• It is much more common in women than in men.

• Ageing – it is more common after the age of 40.

• Smoking considerably increases your risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

As soon as you aware of possible RA symptoms, see your doctor for a positive diagnosis and treatment. But you don’t necessarily have to go the pharmaceutical drug route for such treatment as there are natural herbal treatments available, chiropractic therapy and also exercise can be extremely helpful. Stretching, strength and endurance, and aerobic are the three types of exercise that arthritis sufferers should include in their fitness regimen.

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis or JRA is also called juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA). The symptoms and prognosis of the disease can vary from mild to more severe. The condition can be short term (lasting for some weeks or months) before disappearing entirely or it can be termed chronic and continue for months, years or even a lifetime. Approximately 300 000 children in the USA suffer from arthritis, of which 1 in 6 will have JRA.

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis causes the lining of the joints to swell and release fluid inside the joint. Joints become swollen, stiff, painful and warm to the touch.

These symptoms along with such signs as limping; a sore wrist, finger or knee; joints that suddenly swell and then remain enlarged; general morning stiffness; stiffness in the neck, hips or other joints; a weakness in the muscles and other soft tissues around the joints; sudden unexplained rashes; fevers that perhaps rise in the evenings; could well lead your doctor to suspect the presence of JRA. Early diagnosis is important so that you and your doctor know what you are dealing with and can ensure that the appropriate treatment and any necessary or healthy lifestyle changes can be commenced.

With appropriate treatment, many children can go on to lead full, normal and even symptom-free lives.

There are 3 types of JRA:

1.  Pauciarticular which affects up to 4 joints and where the symptoms include pain, stiffness or swelling in the joints especially in the knee or wrist joints. An inflammation of the iris (the colored area of the eye) may occur but this can be with or without those joint symptoms. The iris inflammation (known as iridocyclitis, iritis or uveitis) can be detected early by an eye specialist.

2.  Polyarticular which affects 5 or more joints and is more common in girls than boys. The symptoms include swelling or pain in five or more joints and the areas usually affected include the small joints of the hands, the knees, hips, ankles, feet and neck. A low fever may be present as well as bumps or nodules on the body in those areas likely to feel pressure from sitting or leaning.

3.  Systemic onset which affects at least one joint but also some inflammation of internal organs. Other symptoms include high fevers at night, sometimes accompanied by a rash. The fevers and rash come and go while the spleen and lymph nodes may also become enlarged. Eventually many of the body’s joints are affected by swelling, pain and stiffness.

While treatment is taking place, some parents and children find the following to be very helpful:

-  Taking a hot shower, use a hot or cold compress or sleeping in a warm bed or sleeping bag can help relieve morning stiffness. Heat application can cause vasodilatation while cold packs application can cause vasoconstriction. Both can be beneficial for pain relief. When heat therapy is used, it helps relax sore muscles and eases joints. The vasodilatation effect causes blood to move to those specific areas to help increase the flexibility of the muscles. Cold therapy, on the other hand, is ideal for relieving throbbing, burning and severe pain.

-  Carrying out special exercises, including stretches and a range-of-motion exercises, can help reduce joint stiffness while improving flexibility and promoting stronger bones and healthier toned muscles. Exercise improves circulation and  body mechanics as well. Encourage your child to be active – to run with you, ride a bicycle with you and play outdoor sports together. This will not only improve bodily functions but create a general feeling of well-being  when doing fun activities together.

-  Nutrition is ultra important for juvenile arthritis. A diet of natural, organic whole foods including fresh vegetables and fruit that are full of vitamins, calcium and minerals help maintain stronger and flexible joints. Children with arthritis often have poor appetite so parents and caregivers may need to give extra attention because a nutritious diet will improve their condition from the inside and boost their immune system. Avoid sugar as much as possible – including from hidden sources – as well as artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup. Avoid all processed foods.

-  Massage can help relieve tension while the use of aromatic scented body oils can create a sensation that is soothing to the body and an ideal solution for throbbing arthritic pain. Massage is also ideal for relaxation and clearing the mind. Use a slow kneading and smooth flowing style to promote relaxation and circulation, improve range of motion of limbs and joints while giving an overall feeling of well-being.

Essential oils can provide the ideal treatment for arthritis including children. H-Arthritis is topically applied where it immediately relieves arthritis syhmptoms as well as the pain and stiffness associated with the condition.

Just as with smiling and kindness, most people find that laughter is contagious, so if you bring more laughter into your life, you can most likely help others around you to laugh more, and realize these benefits as well. By elevating the mood of those around you and in particular other members of your family, you can reduce their stress levels and raise your interaction with them to new heights.,

Laughter produces a chemical reaction that instantly elevates your mood, reduces pain and stress while boosting immunity. Much, much better than any medication you could take. Laughter reduces stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine. At the same time it goes to work to increase health-enhancing hormones like endorphins and neurotransmitters. Laughter increases the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T cells. All this means a stronger immune system, as well as fewer physical effects of stress.

Laughter also increases your level of oxytocin to help you feel fulfilled and in touch with both yourself and others. Oxytocin is associated with the ability to maintain healthy interpersonal relationships and healthy psychological boundaries with other people. Oxytocin is a hormone that helps relax and reduce blood pressure and cortisol levels. Oxytocin increases pain thresholds, has anti anxiety effects, and stimulates various types of positive social interaction. In addition, it promotes growth and healing.

While you do not want to force fun and laughter on to your family over the coming holidays, look for opportunities when you can enjoy yourselves naturally. Perhaps you could learn from the yoga laughter tradition of the Indian physician Madan Kataria. He started a tecnique (which you may well have seen on TV) where playful exercises encouraged eye contact that soon grew into hilarious giggle sessions. You might need some outside help in the form of U-tube clips to get the laughter going although if there are any young children in the family, they can usually be relied upon to cause plenty of laughter. Be careful to laugh with them and not at them.

Some healthy competition amongst family members will often cause a lot of amusement so organize some board games, physical games or even charades. A good belly laugh exercises the diaphragm, contracts the abs and even works out the shoulders so that the muscles feel way more relaxed afterwards and the heart gets a good work out too. Get your family members moving and laughing and they will feel so much healthier and happier!

A giant puzzle set out in a spacious area can get the whole family involved whatever their age. Few people can resist searching for that missing piece of the puzzle and there is a great sense of achievement and teamwork by everyone involved when it the puzzle is finally complete.

Another way to have fun is to all dress up for a special photo shoot. These days, everyone has a camera so there is no excuse! Decide on a theme or a color and give everyone a certain length of time to get ready for the photo shoot. Once you have all finished laughing and enjoying the occasion, choose the best shot and print out a copy for everyone in the family to keep as a momento.

Let this be the year that everyone remembers what a fun time they had.

A lightweight frame with mountain bike tyres can make the perfect bike for both commuting and leisure. However, take time to decide what sort of bike will suit you best as there can be plenty of choice. If you go to a store, sit on the bike to ensure it feels comfortable and the right size for you. The better the bike, the more comfortable and enjoyable the ride will be for you.

-  Cycling can be the one of the best ways to get fit because you are not bound by any timetables, you can fit it into your regular daily routine. Cycling helps to build your stamina so in turn you can carry out your day-to-day activities more effectively.

-  Cycling gets your hearts and lungs pumping to stregthen the cardiovascular system and minimize the risk of coronary heart disease. Essentially an aerobic exercise, it gives your heart, blood vessels and lungs a workout to reduce the risk of heart problems while at the same time controlling your blood pressure level.

-  Just a short cycle ride 4 times a week can improve aerobic fitness by 11% after just 6 weeks. Cycling will help reduce the risk of many chronic conditions such as diabetes and even certain cancers.

-  Cycling has a positive effect on our mental health with 85% of those suffering from depression finding they can improve their symptoms when they go cycling in an outdoors environment. The pleasure and satisfaction derived from cycling alleviates all the stress, anxiety and depression.

-  Cycling boosts the immune system with both exercise and extra vitamin D from the sunlight exposure. As a general rule, cyclists live longer than non cyclists.  Cycling enhances the overall fitness level of a person by making you breathe deeper and perspire more. You can get up a sweat.

-  Cycling helps you to lose excess weight. Cycling for just 30 minutes a day can burn over 11 pounds of fat in a year. While managing weight, cycling helps to get rid of that increased waistline. A few miles of cycling per day assures trimmer and toned muscles because your upper thigh muscles, buttocks and calf muscles all get to workout.

-  There is a social benefit too. As a leisure activity, cycling gives you the opportunity to spend time with friends or the chance to meet new people and discover new places.

-  Cycling instead of driving your car makes you feel good about doing your bit for the environment. You will be helping to ease traffic congestion, reduce your carbon footprint and your fuel expenses. Cycling is a complete environmentally-friendly activity. You willl be adding no harmful or toxic chemicals to the air.

Worldwide, cities and towns are becoming more cycling-friendly with special routes and more cycle lanes becoming available all the time. Those top 15 cycling cities in the world include:

Europe – of course Amersterdam – plus Barcelona, Berlin (where 400 000 commuters pedal to work every day), Copenhagen and Paris.

North America has its own set:

-  Boulder, Denver where nearly every major roadway has a designated cycling area.

-  Chicago.

-  Davis, California where it is said there are more bikes than cars with the population of 65 000. The official motto for the town is “the most bicycle-friendly city in the United States”.

-  Ottawa in Canada.

-  Portland which most people consider to be the bike capital of the US.

-  San Francisco.

And elsewhere in the world includes:

Beijing (with the highest number of cyclists in the world), Bogotá and Perth…as well as my own home town of Cape Town in South Africa.

Most of us have happy memories of our own childhood and it is very important that our children can experience and store up their own childhood memories too. And doing stuff together does not always mean lots of planning, spending money or hours and hours of time. Above all, children are happy to be with their parents. Memories of these times together can also serve as a good model for them for when they in turn become parents.

1. Exercise together

Make exercise part of everyday life as it is so essential to help children develop healthy minds and bodies as well as encouraging gross motor development. There are so many different ways to exercise together (whatever the weather) and you could be the catalist for your child’s lifelong interest in a particular sport or pastime. Suggestions include doing a yoga class together, going running together, playing ball games together or even dancing together. Children who are physically active tend to be healthier, happier (with good self-esteem and self-confidence) and better learners too. Physical activity helps children to improve their ability to focus and concentrate. Whether you are adult or child, exercise relieves stress, improves sleep, controls weight and contributes to a positive self image.

2. Healthy eating

Eating  is one of the easist ways to spend time together while encouraging healthy food habits. Ditch the sodas, the processed food and the convenient take outs and start paying more attention to the kinds of food you buy. Have plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables available and make water the drink of choice along with occasional milk in your home. If you have any interest in improving your health and that of your family, you will already know what you should and should not be eating. Making your own meals from good whole living foods and enlisting the help of your children in doing so will reap dividends in improved health and quality time spent together. If you involve your children in the preparation of the food for the family, they will be more interested in what they are eating. It can require some patience on your side but apart from the time you are spending with them, your children are learning a skill. Instilling good eating and food preperation habits now will benefit them for the rest of their lives. Meal times together as a family can have numerous positive effects as well as making an opportunity to reconnect and learn about what’s going on in the lives of each member, especially as they grow older. If you can create a ritual of having meals together, encouraging conversation and sharing information, this will also ensure you have healthy food at the table and, at the very least, know what your children are eating.

3. Relax together

Along with exercising and eating together, also share some relaxation time. This can be cuddles while reading a story or with older children, playing board games or watching a family movie. Make relaxing together a part of your regular routine. It is a good way to create some peace in the home.

4. Unplug the electronics

Monitor and limit the time your child spends playing video games, watching TV and on the computer and internet. It is really so much better not to allow a TV or computer in your child’s room. Set limited times for the TV and computer and be sure to enforce this but remember it works both ways so you will need to be a good example and as parents, not watch too much yourself!  Unfortunately, exposure to too much TV can lead to behavioural problems, obesity and irregular sleep. There are so many digital strings pulling at us all the time, distracting us from our families around us. Turn them off and pay attention to each other. When there was a huge electricity outage in their city a few months ago, my children and grandchildren had one of their most enjoyable evenings ever. They lit candles, scraped together a meal and all the families in the cul-de-sac ended up outside in the dark with their torches and candles – the children playing games and the adults chatting. No TVs, no computers… just impromptu entertainment.

5. Quality Sleep

Limit the stimulation around bedtime by quietly winding down, reading a story and establishing a good bedtime routine. If you can make sure the the whole family gets enough sleep, everyone benefits as we rest as we sleep and our bodies are able to renew their energy. Good quality and sufficient sleep is one of the ways our bodies boost their immune system. Sleep deprivation can lead to a host of health problems.

6. Being positive rather than negative

Show warmth and love in your family and be grateful for what you have by discouraging an “I want” attutude. This will help your child be comfortable with who they are and allow them to feel compassion and understanding for others. Be aware of the good things that your child does by commenting on the positive rather than focusing on any negatives.

7. Get out and about

One of the best ways of exercising together is to be outdoors in nature. It does not matter what time of the year it is – you can dress accordingly. Children who spend time in nature learn how to respect the earth and a whole lot of other things too. They learn the importance of living in balance with our natural environment. It’s fun and healthy for all of you.

8. Talk and listen

While meal time is a great time to talk, there are other times throughout the day when it’s possible to stop, listen, and connect with your children. You can make the most of those times when you are in the car together stuck in traffic, standing in line at the store waiting to check out or just at home.

Make this time of the year a starting point for reviewing your family’s habits and their quality time together and you will be surprised at the big difference any changes will make to your family’s well being.

It’s about quality.

Stress making you reach for the bottle?

Many behaviors that increase in times of stress are actually very negative. These could be taking drugs, sleeping pills or pain medication; turning to alcohol; taking up or increasing a smoking habit; overeating or just as harmful under eating; withdrawing from friends, family and activities; sleeping too much or sleeping badly (insomnia); taking out your stress on others; procrastinating; or escaping by lying on the couch for hours watching TV. These habits are not going to help but will actually make the stress worse.

Stuck in traffic?

Commuters who regularly get stuck in traffic jams when driving can experience as much as a 64% hike in their general stress levels. One way to cope is to keep repeating a calming mantra to yourself – perhaps a bit like saying a prayer or reciting the rosary. Adapt what you say to your own particular spiritual or religious beliefs. Try to view stressful situations from a more positive perspective. Rather than fuming about a traffic jam, look at it as an opportunity to pause and regroup, listen to your favorite radio station or enjoy some alone time.

Feeling particularly miserable?

Laughter is a great way to cure the blues. If you cannot get together with friends who you know will make you laugh, then watch a comedy movie or a stand up comic that you enjoy to get the laughter going and to release a whole host of hormones and chemicals that can only have a positive effect on your misery. Your stress will be reduced, your blood pressure will drop, your immune system will be boosted and most of all your depression will be lifted. You also need to learn to laugh at yourself for additional benefits.

Are you pregnant and stressed?

All the more reason to find a solution for that stress because babies who are born to stressed mothers can arrive earlier than they should and could be underweight.

And once your baby is born?

Babies however young can be very perceptive to emotional displays by their mothers and could be emotionally affected for years to come. Be aware of this and try to keep the environment stress-free for both you and your baby. Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress especially when you are a new mom. Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection. Set reasonable standards for yourself at this, and other times, and learn to be okay with “good enough.”

How to ease the stress?

-  Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate. For example, learn how to say “no” by knowing your limits and stick to them; avoid people who stress you out; take control of your environment; avoid controversial topics such as religion or politics if you get upset over them; pare down your to-do list by distinguishing between the “shoulds” and the “musts.”

-  Copy the British and enjoy a soothing cup of tea whenever the need arises. Even better is to follow the South African habit of brewing a cup of Rooibos tea which is widely used to enhance a feeling of well being while supporting the immune system and combating stress.

-  Another stress reliever is to take up a repetitive task at such times – go out into the garden and start digging over the flower beds; pull up all those weeds; take the time to sit quietly and do some knitting; or say over and over again “I want to feel calm”.

-  If you have the opportunity of getting into some warm water (a pool or a jacuzi or even the ocean) do this and just float in the water. This ignites the body’s relaxation responses while helping to lower the stress hormone levels. If you are warm, relaxed and floating, you will soon feel better.

-  You can control your stress levels with relaxation techniques that evoke the body’s relaxation response, a state of restfulness that is the opposite of the stress response. Exercising regularly is another key way to reduce and prevent the effects of stress. Make time for at least 30 minutes of exercise, three times per week.

-  In addition, eat a healthy diet as a well nourished body is better prepared to cope with stress.  At the same time, reduce caffeine and sugar.

Finally, get enough sleep because good, regular sleep fuels your mind, as well as your body. Feeling tired will increase your stress because it may cause you to think irrationally.

There are some things that need to start at an early age in life. Keeping fit is one of them. Healthy eating is another. Mental fitness is important too. Even young children will grasp meditation and breathing exercises easily, helping them to stay calm and relaxed while improving concentration levels and mental alertness.

1. Every parent can and should be a fitness role model for their child. By exercising together, setting an example that can be copied at school or simply fostering a positive attitude towards exercise, the parent teaches the child an invaluable lesson while promoting exercise.

2. Children need to have regular physical activity from the youngest of ages. Those who are 6 years and older need at least an hour a day of physical activity. Most of the hour should be either moderate or vigorous aerobic activity. In addition, children should participate in muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening activities at least three days a week. Many classic activities — such as playing on playground equipment and jumping rope — cover all the bases at once.

3. Every parent should be aware that some children will enjoy exercise because exercise itself is the reward. Others will need a bit more persuading and some thinking out of the box to encourage exercise. It should be made enjoyable because then that enjoyment becomes the reward.

4. Every parent when exercising with their children needs to remind themselves (even if training is involved) that it needs to be social and fun.

5. Group activities or team sports are often a great way to encourage exercise, fitness and enjoyment. These can be as diverse as joining a sports club, going on a forest walk, rock climbing on a beach or cycling around the special paths in the area or around your suburb.

6. Your children will be fitter and achieve more enjoyment if they understand and use the techniques for a particular activity. Invest in some coaching for this. People spend many years learning about favorite sports and practicing how to do them well. If your child shows interest in a particular sport or activity, think about a camp or program to introduce him or her to this. It may be better than just joining a team that starts playing games right away without much explaining first. Some sports are just good to understand, even if you never want to play on a competitive team. For instance, you might play softball or volleyball, just for fun, at a summer picnic or family get together.

7. Discourage TV and too much sitting time by limiting screen team. Unless you provide alternatives, children will often take the easy way out and go back to the TV or the computer. Screen time is the amount of time spent watching TV or DVDs, playing video games (console systems or handheld games), and using the computer. The more time spent on sitting-down activities, the less time available for active stuff. Try to limit screen time to no more than 2 hours a day, not counting computer use related to school. If your child plays video games, opt for those that require movement. Activity-oriented video games — such as dance video games and video games that use a player’s physical movements to control what happens on the screen — boost a child’s calorie-burning power. Children who trade sedentary screen time for active screen time more than double their energy expenditure.

It is not so difficult to keep your child fit. It just takes a few simple things coupled with some effort and a little more dedication. You will be setting your child up for life.

If the thought of the upcoming holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, is getting you worried about the possible damage to your body and your system, perhaps now is a good time to have a thorough cleansing to remove all those harmful toxins. This could mean you will be in the best possible shape to face a bit of over indulgence during the festive season.

Here are eight good ways to carry out that detox – some with a bit of hardship:

1. Ditching the sodas once and for all and cutting down on caffeine and alcohol while changing to drinking that mandatory 8 daily glasses of plain, filtered water. This will give you a good start on flushing out impurities and if you can get into the water habit (and keep it) then all the better.

   
   

2. Have you ever thought about undergoing a fast? Your body might well be very grateful for such a 24 hour session where you only drink water, fruit juice and/or vegetable juice. This particular tip may not be such a hardship because there are so many delicious vegetable and fruit juicing recipes on the internet to enjoy. Such a fast will give your body a complete rest for the day. Here is one such recipe which is ideal for cleansing:  two whole raw beets, one apple, one carrot, one orange, one lime plus a handful of cilantro or parsley. Pop in a capsule of spirulina and juice…

   
   

3. Part of the cleansing process is also to cleanse your colon. You can do this by eating foods that are high in fiber. Apart from vegetables and fruits, you will find plenty of fiber in sesame seeds, hemp seeds, oatmeal as well as pistachios, pecan and all other varieties of raw nuts.

   
   

4. Another part of the cleansing process is to cleanse the liver. The liver can be a very hard working organ, particularly if you drink alcohol and consume a lot of sugar. So give your liver a break by kicking the sugar habit, taking a rest from alcohol and including plenty of lemons or grapefruit in your diet as these will help to cleanse the liver while preventing toxins from spreading to other parts of the body.

   
   

5. Cleanse your body of parasites which can cause health problems such as bloating, cramps, diarrhea, allergies, anal itching, anemia, low immune system, mucus or blood in stools and even affect your mood with anxiety or depression. And picking up parasites could be easier than you think – restaurants with poor hygiene, holidays in foreign places with impure water or handling pets and animals. Oil of Oregano is one way to kill parasites while helping to boost the immune system. Put 6 drops in a teaspoon of olive oil three times a day.  Pumpkins seeds is another. For the freshest pumpkin seeds, remove the seeds from your pumpkin and expose them to air for a few days to dry them out and eat them raw first thing each morning.

   
   

6. Exercise is always an important part of good health but working a bit harder at your regular exercise so that you work up a bit of a sweat is excellent for getting rid of toxins at the same time. Just sweat them out.

   
   

7. You don’t really need to be told about the harmful effects of smoking – every one knows what they are even if they don’t want to. Not only do all tobacco products contain toxic chemicals but the habit also spreads them and other toxins throughout your whole system. Giving up the habit can be the start of a cleansing session.

   
   

8. Whatever else you do to cleanse your system, one of the easiest ways is to eat a diet that is rich in vegetables plus fruits, nuts, seeds, free range eggs and poultry, fish from safe, sustainable sources and meat that comes from grass fed animals. Any dairy food should be raw if at all possible or organic at the very least. When you do your shopping, cruise the outside aisles of the supermarket where the fresh produce lives, and avoid those middle aisles that are full of processed and packaged foods. Stick to living, whole foods that are raw whenever possible. If you can grow some of your own food, so much the better.

Unfortunately, emotional stress can make constipation worse so it could be that the more you are concerned about constipation, the less likely you are to resolve the problem. This is because when you are stressed and worried, the body takes away blood from the digestive tract in order to send it to the muscles. At the same time, stress causes the parasympathetic nervous system (which is the part that controls intestinal peristalis) to be less effective. Peristalsis is the movement that propels food particles through the digestive tract. Rhythmic waves of smooth muscle contractions perform this action.

One of the best ways to relieve both the stress and the constipation is regular exercise.

In normal circumstances when we have a bowel movement without thinking too much about it, our internal anal sphincter works perfectly. It is that ring of smooth muscle that helps keep our anal sphincter closed most of the time but which helps to push out stools during defecation. Our internal anal sphincter muscle is entirely involuntary. But when we fear constipation and consciously strain to eliminate stools, we can actually disrupt the natural activity of our internal anal sphincter muscle. This is when constipation can become a real and ongoing problem.

When our stools are healthy, we don’t need to generate momentum for a bowel movement but when our stools are harder than they should be, it can be helpful to consciously contract our external anal sphincter muscle to get things moving, remembering to stop and relax once the process begins so that our internal anal sphincter muscle can contribute to the expulsion of stools.

If you ever have a situation where a child becomes very constipated and is so upset that he or she is unable to have a bowel movement and is actually half way through the process, here is what you can do to help as a parent. Put on a disposable glove, lubricate the area of the anal sphincter with a natural lubricant like coconut oil or something similar and if necessary, use a gloved finger to manually remove bits of stool. By using plenty of lubrication before you do this, you can greatly reduce any risk of creating an anal fissure.

The bowel goes to sleep for the night so you need to get it stimulated again in the morning with eating, drinking and moving around. All being well, there should be a bowel movement roughly 30 minutes later. In the old days, people would squat to have a bowel movement and this is the natural way though not very practical. If you can semi-squat while keeping your feet and knees some 12 inches apart, leaning forward and resting your elbows on your thighs, you may find it easier. Don’t hold your breath but relax your shoulders and breath normally. Use your stomach muscles to push backwards and forwards as a pump into your bottom. Some people find it helpful to put their arms up in the air above their heads. Finally, relax the back passage.

Try to prevent constipation with the following tips:

- Avoid all highly processed and refined foods because these are the main cause of chronic constipation.

- Change to a high fiber diet with plenty of  fruit (including fresh or dried prunes and apricots) and especially lots of vegetables as well as whole grain cereals, brown bread and rice.

- Check whether a medication that you are taking could be the culprit.

- While the new diet is taking effect, use a mild laxative or stool softener to ensure that any stools will be eliminated easily.

- Half a lime, squeezed into a glass of hot water with half a teaspoon of natural sea salt is an effective natural remedy or medicine for constipation.

- Linseed oil can also be useful where you take a teaspoon of linseed oil swallowed with water before each meal to give you both roughage and lubrication.

- At the same time you should be drinking at least 8 glasses of water each day.

- And of course keep up with the regular exercise.

Remember that once you have resolved the problem of constipation, try to have a bowel movement every day so it becomes a habit and never put off the urge to go to the bathroom.

Unfortunately, what we eat is the main cause of this growing epidemic because the typical American diet is inflammatory and fattening.

Unhealthy food choices such as sweets, baked goods, chips, sodas, sweetened juices, vegetable oils and many processed and refined foods lead to inflammatory situations in the joints and around the spine, eating away and gradually destroying cartilage. What happens then is that our bones and joints have no protection so they rub against one another causing further inflammation and then pain.

Inflammation is now recognized as a key factor in virtually all chronic and degenerative diseases, including arthritis, heart disease, asthma, neurodegeneration, cancer, and kidney and bowel diseases. This is why anti-inflammatory drugs have become so popular. If you can stop the inflammation, you can stop the pain. If you can cure the inflammation, you can cure the pain. However, due in part to the side effects with drugs and in part to the growing belief that natural remedies are safer than most pharmaceuticals, many people today are seeking natural remedies to alleviate the pain of arthritis and other conditions.

Apart from causing inflammation, those same unhealthy food choices also lead to weight gain and obesity, putting even further strain on our joints. Arthritis is twice as common in the obese than it is in others.

Once you become obese and arthritic, you will be less likely to want to exercise leading to further complications with this condition. And this is a pity as physical exercise can be a natural way of relieving pain while getting more activity will make the joints more flexible and moveable over time.

There are many natural ways to combat arthritis and the pain that can accompany it.

-  Some people are helped by take CMO (cetyl myristoleate) supplements while others find fish oil is the answer.

-  Turmeric and curcumin ( which is a yellow spice native to Asia) has been scientifically proven to be highly effective at relieving pain and in inhibits COX2. Curcumin has been found to deliver far superior anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving results than most drugs.

-  Ginger root which is another common spice has been found to relieve arthritis pain by reducing inflammation. Ginger root is also rich in two groups of compounds known as the shaogals and gingerols that are powerfully antioxidant, helping to prevent cells from premature destruction due to exposure to environmental toxins and by-products of metabolism.

-  Many plants, including the Amazon bark cats’ claw and the common spice rosemary, have been found to provide safe, anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving properties.

-  H-Arthritis from Healing Natural Oils is specially formulated from pure essential oils to safely and gently reduce the symptoms of arthritis, including pain, stiffness, inflammation and swelling.  The different properties of the essential oils offer circulatory stimulants, anti-inflammatories, analgesics for relieving or diminishing pain while additional properties can eliminate those harmful toxins in the system.  You can massage the joints with a few drops of H-Arthritis three times a day, you can add a drop or two of oil to your relaxing bath time routine plus you can ensure a good night’s sleep by putting a drop of lavender essential oil on your pillow at bedtime.

If you do not want to become another arthritis statistic, make those lifestyle changes now to prevent this condition. But if arthritis is already a problem in your life, changing to a healthier diet, getting plenty of exercise, losing any excess weight and using a natural remedy will all help to reduce your pain and inflammation.

1. Reducing or cutting out your sugar consumption. It has been well documented that sugar is an excellent “cancer food” so it is wise to reduce to a maximum of 6 teaspoons of sugar per day from all sources. Added sugars masquerade under a variety of  identities including beet extract, cane juice, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose (table sugar), dextrose, lactose, cane syrup, glucose and fruit-derived sugar. The obvious culprits such as candy, cake, cookies and soda are easy enough to avoid or limit but there is sugar in almost all packaged food including ketchup and canned fruit. And very importantly, any sugar you do consume should be brown, unrefined sugar because white, refined sugar is bleached with chlorine bleach (a substance that many people are sensitive to). Chlorine when combined with organic compounds converts to dioxin, a lethal chemical. If you really cannot give up sugar, then Stevia is a safe and natural alternative. Along with sugar, do your best to avoid artificial sweeteners (the word artificial should alert you to the dangers of artificial sweeteners), white bread/bleached flour, fast foods, junk foods, microwaved foods, processed meat products and processed foods in general.

2. Optimizing your vitamin D levels. If you can get your levels sufficiently high, you can decrease your risk of cancer by up to 50%. Achieve this by getting optimal sun exposure year round for 20 minutes or so in those 2 hours either side of 12 noon several times a week by exposing as much of your body as possible and staying in the sun until your skin starts to turn pink. Avoid putting on sun block or showering off with soap straight afterwards as this undoes all the good. If you cannot get sufficient sun exposure, you need a good dose of vitamin D3 supplement.

3. Avoiding stress and watching your emotions. Not always easy to follow this advice but you will know what causes stress in your case and how you can combat it.

4. Vegetables are the superfoods we should all be eating as much as possible. Go for fresh and organic where possible. Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli are especially high in potent anti-cancer properties.

5. A diet rich in fiber is another important tool in preventing breast and other cancers. Again the fresh vegetables and certain fruits such as raspberries and strawberries, bananas and oranges as well as apples and pears (with their skins) are invaluable here along with oatmeal, nuts, whole grains, beans, peas and lentils.

6. Anti-oxidants as these have been shown to help slow down carcinogenesis, the process of cancer cell formation. Foods high in antioxidants include blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and other brightly coloured fruits and veggies.

7. Change to good fats, choosing natural over refined.
- Avoid high omega-6 vegetable oils found in your supermarket.
- Incorporate more omega-3 oils in your diet.
- Use avocado or rice bran oil for high temperature cooking with coconut oil, olive oil or walnut oil for low temperature cooking.
- Use olive oil for salad dressings.
- Use raw nuts for healthy snacking and their oil content.
- Use organic or butter from grass fed cows in moderation.

8. Good quality sleep which means approximately 8 hours per night every night in a darkened room with little disruption if possible. If you suffer from insomnia, H-Insomnia from Healing Natural Oils will help to get you back into a good sleeping pattern.

9. Reducing your exposure to environmental toxins. This covers so many possible sources of toxins from paint, furniture, fittings, floor coverings, household cleaners, insecticides and pesticides both inside and out, non-stick cookware, BPA in plastics, your water supply, the cosmetics and toiletries you use on your hair and your skin and much more. Even microwave ovens, cell phones and other wi-fi electronic equipment plus the new smart meters need to be considered.

10. When cooking – boil, poach or steam your foods rather than frying or charboiling them. Also try to eat as much food raw as you possibly can as cooking food with heat can destroy many of the natural enzymes and nutrients which fight cancer.

11. Exercise and being physically active is an important protection against breast and other cancers. If you can aim for regular physical activity of some sixty minutes several times a week, this will help you in so many ways – weight loss, feeling good and lifting depression. Find a form of exercise that you will enjoy and be happy to continue indefinitely.

12. Losing weight. If you are overweight or suffering from obesity and you make the lifestyle changes listed above, many of these will help you to lose weight. Be aware that weight gain is a promoter of breast cancer, and obesity increases the risk for developing cancer. Try to ensure that you maintain your weight within an acceptable range.

13. Breastfeeding. Along with all the other benefits to mother and child, breastfeeding decreases the risk of breast cancer development. Research has shown that women who breastfeed are less likely to develop breast cancer, a benefit which increases the longer you breastfeed.

14. Self examination  is always a good habit to get into but be wary of mammograms as a growing body of clinical evidence indicates that the “low energy” x-rays used in breast screenings are up to 500% more carcinogenic (yes 500%) than previously assumed. For more information go to: http://www.hawkeshealth.net/community/showthread.php?t=7981&highlight=thermography.   Think about changing to thermography which is a method that can detect a tumor ten years before it shows up on a mammogram. Thermography is non-invasive; it does not crush your breasts (potentially pressuring cancer cells into the blood stream); and nor does it send repeated doses of radiation into your body.

15. And finally of course giving up smoking and reducing your alcohol intake.

Breast cancer occurs as a result of mutations in two genes: BRCA1 and BRCA 2. Since breast cancer can be genetic, it is wise to be aware of your own family history of breast cancer.

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if you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you can reduce this successfully without resorting to pharmaceutical medications with their often very detrimental side effects. If you have blood pressure higher than the ideal then pay special attention to stress reduction, changing to good nutrition and starting regular exercise. It may be that your family has a history of cardiovascular disease which might make you more at risk.

Here are ten natural ways to avoid or reduce high blood pressure:

1. Stress is the modern cause of so mamy conditions on so many different levels including high blood pressure. Try to avoid stress and consider strategies that can reduce your level of stress such as socializing, using relaxation therapy, exercise, cognitive therapy or yoga.

2. Magnesium supplementation can lower high blood pressure and help with erratic heartbeats and, unless you have kidney problems, almost everyone can safely take it. A handful of sesame seeds everyday will give you a natural form of magnesium supplementation.

3. Cayenne pepper helps to normalize blood pressure levels while ridding the body of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. This is all good news for reducing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke. Include cayenne pepper in your diet as often as you can.

4. Acupuncture can reduce high blood pressure.   Acupuncture deals with homeostasis, which is the body’s ability to maintain balance. The patient who is out of  balance electromagnetically becomes ill and expresses specific symptoms. Acupuncture benefits the patient by eliminating the cause of the disease rather than offering a cure for the symptoms – it is an effective way of treating those who are suffering from the lasting side effects of taking strong pharmaceutical medication and wish to take a new route to health.

5. You might still be smoking. Smoking and second hand smoke impacts directly and negatively on your heart health and blood pressure. Please avoid.

6. Cocoa (the darker the better) when consumed daily for at least 2 weeks, can reduce blood pressure among people with severe hypertension.

7. Vitamin D deficiency affects over half of the population, is almost never diagnosed, and has been linked to high blood pressure and many other health problems and conditions. Vitamin D is almost totally absent from our food supply so unless you can get 20 minutes or so of direct sunlight several times a week, you will need to supplement with vitamin D3. When you can get into the sun, go for those 2 hours either side of midday and expose as much of your body as possible minus any sun block for several minutes or as long as you can take before your skin starts to turn pink. Do not rush to soap off in the shower as both sun block and soap will undo the benefits of the sun in optimizing your vitamin D levels.

8. Exercise is another great way to help reduce high blood pressure including stretching, cardiovascular or aerobic exercise and strengthening exercises. Cycling, swimming and walking are three other helpful and enjoyable exercise to include. You should gradually work up to an aerobic session lasting 20 to 30 minutes, at least three to four times a week. Exercising at least every other day will help you keep a regular aerobic exercise schedule.

9. Diet is so important. Every day more and more studies link processed and refined foods with chronic diseases including high blood pressure. But you can reverse the modern western diet back to one of whole foods for both you and your family. Change to living whole foods including lots of fresh fruit and veggies. These red fruits and veggies in particular are helpful as they are high in lycopene to lower blood pressure while providing a great source of vitamin C. Go for cherries and berries; strawberries and raspberries; red currants; apples; figs; tomatoes; watermelon; red onions and red cabbage. Eating salmon from a safe and sustainable source has been connected to a decreased risk of numerous cardiovascular problems including high blood pressure. The high levels of the antioxidant selenium in salmon are important in cardiovascular protection. Do not cut all fats out of your diet. We all need some of the good fats such as coconut oil, olive oil and butter from raw milk or grass fed cows.

10. Salt and Sugar. Change from processed salt and all that salt found in processed and convenience foods to natural sea salt. If you put sugar on your food or in your beverages or you are eating processed food which has added sugar, then this is detrimental to your health. Sugar and the inflammation it causes, is at the root of countless diseases including obesiety, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Remember that alcohol can be both good and bad for your health. In small amounts, it can potentially lower your blood pressure by 2 to 4 mm Hg. But that protective effect is lost if you drink too much alcohol — generally more than one drink a day for women and more than two a day for men. Also, if you don’t normally drink alcohol, you shouldn’t start drinking as a way to lower your blood pressure. There’s more potential harm than benefit to drinking alcohol.

Many of these suggestions above will also reduce your weight – another important tool in lowering high blood pressure.