King of Fruits

If I asked you to describe apples in just one word, you might probably say ‘juicy’, ‘munchy’ or ‘delicious’.  I bet ‘healthy’may not find its way into your long list. But as attractive and delicious as apples are, nothing beats their highly beneficial characteristics.

 Now, why should the apple be known as the "King" of all fruits? The answer is because this fruit has so many virtues. 

The saying that "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" has been proven to be true in more ways than one.  Its qualities are endless, helping to prevent and fight a wide range of diseases. Well, let’s consider those benefit

• Apples assist in achieving whiter, healthier teeth. Though it won’t   replace your toothbrush, biting  stimulates the production of saliva in your mouth, reducing tooth decay by lowering the levels of bacteria.
• Apples are filled with soluble fibre which helps to reduce intestinal disorders and haemorrhoids.
• Apples cleanse and detoxify the human system, which helps eliminate heavy metals such as lead and mercury in the body system. 
•  Apples are a good source of Pectin which helps to reduce cholesterol levels by lowering insulin secretion
• Risks of respiratory diseases such as Asthma can be lowered through increased and consistent consumption of apples.
• Apples strengthen the heart, quench thirst, lubricate the lungs, decreases mucous secretion and increases body fluids.
• Studies indicate that eating apples daily can help reduce skin diseases
• There’s no danger of adding unwanted weight since it contain no fat or sodium
• Apples are packed with vitamins C, A, and flavonoids and with smaller amounts of phosphorus, iron and calcium
• Apples provide a source of potassium which may promote heart health. Experts attribute the heart-healthy benefits to antioxidant compounds found in apples, which help prevent cholesterol from oxidizing and inhibiting inflammation

Asides the numerous health benefits of apples, here are five interesting fun facts I bet you didn’t know about apples

•   Apple trees take four to five years to produce their first fruit. 
•  Apples ripen six to 10 times faster at room temperature than if they are refrigerated. 
•  Apples are a member of the rose family 
•  If you threw an apple in water, it wouldn’t sink – apples float in water! This is because 25% of their volume consists of air. 
•   Isaac Newton is said to have discovered the Law of Gravity when an apple fell on his head!

In conclusion, if there is any one thing that you can do to stay well, then it is to eat at least two apples daily according to a whole raft of new scientific researches which place apples at the top of the healthy-living tree. In essence, better health could be as easy as reaching for the fruit bowl for some apples next time you need a snack!

http://www.shape.com/weight-loss/food-weight-loss/8-health-benefits-apples

http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/10-reasons-to-eat-an-apple-a-day

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=15&tname=foodspice

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The Many wonders of the Nose

Most people believe that the primary job of the nose is to smell and breathe. If you belong to that camp, well you are right. Still, there are lots of other things you probably do not know about the human nose. If you want to learn a few truly amazing and interesting facts about the human nose, then just keep reading...
Though we do not pay proper attention to our noses except when they are runny or when a celebrity has just had a ‘nose-job’, the human nose still remains one of the body organs that maintain our health and helps ensure that we live good quality lives.


Here are some facts about the human nose that will help you understand more about how it works tirelessly for us.

• The human nose uses millions of cells to detect approximately 10,000 odors  far less than many animals, but very important in maintaining a good quality life.

• The human nose helps prevent air-borne infections.

• The human nose helps affect the resonance of your voice.

• After age 65, a human loses some of their ability to smell. By the time we reach our eighties, our sense of smell can decrease by as much as 50%.

• Although people are known to break their noses on occasion, there are no bones in them. What gets broken is a piece of cartilage.

• Any air we breathe in through our noses is cooled or warmed to body temperature before it hits our lungs.

• Anosmia is when we do not have the ability to smell, dyosmia is an incorrect sense of smell and hyperosmia is when someone is overloaded by their sense of smell.

• The human brain dedicates less of its brain to smelling than other animals, including fish.


Finally, I’ll like to tell you about a patient who once had asked to a doctor about what he needed to do to take good care of his nose. The doctor simply and straightforwardly replied to the patient that what was more important was what not to do to your nose. Bad habits such as nose-picking, sniffing, rubbing, blowing the noses hard or stuffing things such as tissue and handkerchiefs up to the nostril can do a lot of harm to your nose.
Now that you have increased your knowledge about your nose, I hope you will be kind enough to share the information with a friend. Will you?


http://hubpages.com/hub/Does-the-Nose-Really-Know
http://whatthafact.com/interesting-facts-about-nose/
http://alexanderchong.articlealley.com/how-to-take-good-care-of-your-nose-120282.html

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The Big FIVE

The brain just like any other organ of the body needs exercise. You can’t just let it ‘lay’ there with your regular routine. In no time, before you can scream your last name (even if it’s pretty long), you find yourself depreciating mentally.

So here are FIVE tips to help stimulate your brain. They are short and pretty easy too!

Turn Your Photos Upside Down
If you find yourself losing focus or easily distracted during your work day, try engaging your brain and attention levels by turning pictures upside down in your house or on your desk at work. The instant your pictures are upside down, you brain will automatically go into "alert mode" and help you pick up other small details during your day.

 Involve Other Senses In Your Routine

Start your day by stimulating your senses when you get dressed. Try dressing with your eyes closed or choose outfits based on texture and not how they look. Engaging unused senses for day-to-day routines can improve your memory and stimulate your mind.

 Use Your Other Hand
Try to use the “opposite hand” for routine stuff. For example, switching hands while brushing your teeth or brushing your hair. This can help stimulate your brain and senses. It has been found that using the opposite hand or less dominant hand can increase your brain's creativity levels.

Meditate

Sit back and relax. Meditation can improve your memory and help your mind focus. A study finds that meditation can improve brain function and could even prevent mental illnesses.

Talk To Yourself
Thinking out loud can do more good than harm. Talking to yourself can help improve your memory temporarily. A study found that people who talked to themselves had better luck finding things that were lost.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/10/15/brain-exercises_n_1966861.html

http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/exercise.html

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I love Tomatoes!!! Do you?

This piece was born specifically to address the special circle of humans that pick out the ‘reddies’ from that Ham or Tuna sandwich, or even request outrightly that it be left out of a meal entirely.
Tomatoes! They’re sweet, juicy, and delicious. They have vitamin C. They’re low in calories. They’re fat-free. All these I’m sure you knew, but let’s look at those benefits you probably don’t know and what makes the tomato an excellent healthy choice.
Tomatoes make your skin look great. Beta-carotene, also found in carrots and sweet potatoes, helps protect skin against sun damage.     
• Tomatoes build strong bones. The vitamin K and calcium in tomatoes are both very good for strengthening and repairing bones.
• Tomatoes are a natural cancer fighter. Lycopene again!!! can reduce the risk of several cancers, including prostate, cervical, mouth, pharynx, throat, esophagus, stomach, colon, rectal, prostate and ovarian cancer. Tomatoes’ antioxidants (vitamins A and C) fight the free radicals which can cause cell damage.
• Tomatoes can keep your blood sugar in balance. Tomatoes are a very good source of chromium, which helps to regulate blood sugar.
• Tomatoes can improve your vision. The vitamin A that tomatoes provide can improve vision and help prevent night blindness.
• Tomatoes will even make your hair look better. The vitamin A found in tomatoes works to make hair strong and shiny.
• Tomatoes can help you lose weight. If you are on a sensible diet and exercise plan, build lots of tomatoes into your everyday eating. They make a great snack and can be used to “bulk up” salads, casseroles, sandwiches and other meals. Because tomatoes contain lots of water and fiber, they are what Weight Watchers calls a “filling food,” one of those foods that fill you up fast without adding a lot of calories.

Now it is important to note that stew, soups and sandwiches aren’t the only avenues to consume tomatoes.  Other avenues include:
• Tomatoes in salad (leave them at room temperature, if possible)
• Marinara or tomato sauces (canned, cooked, or homemade) on pasta; this can be big calorie savings when you swap out creamy sauces for tomato-based sauces
• Tomato juice or vegetable juice with tomatoes
• Tomatoes as mid-afternoon snack
• Serve stewed tomatoes over a baked potato (also great on mashed potatoes)
• Make your own salsa with lots of fresh tomato—salsa is a great replacement for high-fat salad dressings as well as being tasty on meats, fish, and eggs

It is important to remember these facts about tomatoes:
• Cooking the tomatoes helps the lycopene become fully released.
• Lycopene is fat soluble, so it helps to cook it in oil, such as olive oil.
• 'Eating tomato ketchup and pizza topping counts towards lycopene intake,' says Sian Porter.
• Ripe, red tomatoes are likely to contain more lycopene than paler, watery ones.

The Down Side
• Some people may be allergic to tomatoes; their body cannot absorb and digest them.
• In some individuals eating tomatoes in salads can lead to itching, hives and breathing problems.
• Lycopene intolerance can cause bloating of the stomach, pain and diarrhea.
• For some, eating tomatoes in any form can result in heart burn and reflux.
• When a person has a history of kidney stones, it would be wise to eat tomatoes in moderation as the high oxalate and calcium bind together and kidney stones are a result.
• Those diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome will need to go slow on consuming tomatoes.
• However, if eaten in moderation will not be harmful in anyway. The nutritional benefits are many so there is no reason to avoid this simple, cost effective and widely available fruit.

http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/9-Surprising-Health-Benefits-of-Tomatoes.aspx?b=1
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diet-and-nutrition/health-benefits-of-tomatoes.htm
http://www.tomatodirt.com/tomato-facts-health-benefits.html
http://www.medindia.net/patients/lifestyleandwellness/health-benefits-of-tomato.htm

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Breast Feeding: The Sure Way To Go

NO!!! Breast feeding isn’t over rated. We fail to remember is that infants are fragile and susceptible to disease, partly because their bodies are not fully developed. They must be treated with special care and given adequate nourishment.
It is true that  a lot these infant formulas are able to mimic a few of the nutritional components of breast milk, but these formulas cannot hope to duplicate the vast and constantly changing array of essential nutrients in human milk.                                                

There are countless benefits of breastfeeding but here are a few of them

• Breast milk is the only natural food designed for your baby.
• Breastfeeding protects your baby from infections and diseases.
• Breast milk provides health benefits for your baby.
• It’s free.
• It’s the right temperature.
• It can build a strong physical and emotional bond between mother and baby
• Breast-fed children are less likely to contract a number of diseases later in life, including juvenile diabetes, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, and cancer before the age of 15
• Mothers who breastfeed are less likely to develop osteoporosis later in life, are able to lose weight gained during pregnancy more easily and have a lower risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer

Pregnancy and all that it entails can be over whelming to mothers, first timers especially. Even when mothers are able to get off to a good start, all too often in the weeks or months after delivery there is a sharp decline in breastfeeding rates, and practices, particularly exclusive breastfeeding. The period when mothers do not visit a healthcare facility is the time when a community support system for mothers is essential. Continued support to sustain breastfeeding can be provided in a variety of ways.

As we celebrate this year's World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) themed, 'BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT: CLOSE TO MOTHERS'. The driving force is encouraging support by the family. As societies change, however, in particular with urbanization, support for mothers from a wider circle is needed, whether it is provided by trained health workers, lactation consultants, community leaders, or from friends who are also mothers, and/or from fathers/partners. 

 Offer Support To Mothers Today!

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/why-breastfeed.aspx#close
http://www.nrdc.org/breastmilk/benefits.asp

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Just How GREEN Are You?

“I only take green tea”. I’m sure some of you have wrinkled your noses at some friends, colleagues or even family. You are either not interested in this so-called ‘green tea’ because of the hype or you've joined the bandwagon so you don’t feel left out.

If you haven’t done the latter, you have good reason to do so now as I enlighten you with facts you probably have ignored about the ‘Green Tea’

     ·    The popularity of green tea is largely due to its high concentration of antioxidants and immune boosting powers.

      ·    It has been touted as an effective preventative tool against such serious conditions as cancer, Alzheimer's, rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol, diabetes, fertility and cognitive function.

     ·  It's a healthy alternative to soda, juice and even coffee, although it may take some getting used to. Today green tea is available in many flavors if plain tea doesn't appeal to you.

     ·     It has been shown that those who drink 2 or more cups of green tea each day are less likely to have heart disease, stroke and high cholesterol, but doctors aren't recommending using tea to treat or prevent these conditions.

·         Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay! Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the bacteria that cause dental plaque.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Join The Wagon Today!!!          

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Health Living and Its Benefits

‘Healthy Lifestyle’ ‘Healthy Living’ ‘Live Healthy’. The media are constantly bamboozling us with these, so much so that no one really pays attention to those phrases anymore. In addition, all the rules that goes into actualizing the ‘healthy living’ just puts’ you off yes?

However, as boring and ‘uncool’ as it all sounds, learning its importance and how to make changes to achieve it can improve the quality and the length of your life.

 The most obvious of the pact are diet and exercising. Learning to deal with stress, sleeping enough hours, not smoking and drinking responsibly are also part of the equation.

Parents who lead a healthy lifestyle are planting the seeds for their kids to go on to lead healthy lives as well. With childhood obesity reaching epidemic proportions, leading by example is more important than ever, and so is getting your kids involved in learning to live well, eat better, and deal with stress and lack of exercise.

Medical conditions that are common in older people such as heart disease, osteoporosis and some cancers can be prevented (or the risk of contracting them diminished). The aging process can be slowed by making healthier choices in different areas, and many chronic diseases can be slowed or prevented.

A well-balanced, proper diet can have these benefits for those who choose to live a healthy lifestyle:

• Weight control

• Improved immune function

• Increased energy

• Get in cardiovascular workouts – Any type of activity that gets the heart pumping can work well. Exercise simply does not have to be limited to a gym routine. Swimming, jogging, gardening, dancing and so on all fit the bill.

• Weight training is helpful – Toning the muscles and maintaining proper strength is also an important factor in healthy living. There's no need to attempt to look like a bodybuilder to see results either.

Exercises are also essential

In order for the body to function as it should, it needs a good workout. While this isn't everyone's favorite prong in a plan to live a healthy lifestyle, it's important nonetheless. To make the most out of exercise, it's important to:

Leading a healthy lifestyle can do more than prevent disease. It can also help you have more energy and stamina, stay slim, be more alert, fight stress and live a longer life.

Switching to a healthier lifestyle doesn't need to happen in a day. Making smaller changes and smarter choices you can live with in the long term are better and will provide lasting results.

Those small changes could be as little as:

·        An Apple A Day

·        Taking those brisk walks in the evening you detest so much

When at the mall, drop that huge bar chocolate and opt for a granola bar instead                                   

·        Skipping a few rounds in the a.m

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