Coffee

If you love reading about health and fitness, chances are high that in all of your readings, you’ve come across articles that talked about coffee – the good as well as the bad that it can do to the body. So far, nothing definite or final is actually written about coffee. Just like most things in life, facts are presented but it’s still up to the reader to really decide what he wants to do with what he has read.

So here’s more about coffee; and it’s up to you to weight whether you’re for or against coffee.

Coffee Has Benefits

According to adjunct assistant professor of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health Rob van Dam, PhD, there’s no reason to stop drinking coffee because coffee also has many benefits, including the following:

Lower a Person’s Risk of Becoming Diabetic.

Coffee lowers a person’s risk of becoming diabetic, this is according to a review of a research reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The research stated that people who drank 3 or 4 cups of coffee a day had a lower risk of developing diabetes by 25%. There are also other researches which suggests that decaf coffee may also cut the risk of diabetes primarily because of the antioxidant called chlorogenic acid which is present in coffee. People who drink coffee are also less likely to develop cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer, according to studies.

Reduce a Person’s Risk of Parkinson’s Disease

Caffeine in coffee is also believed to reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease and even Alzheimer’s. For many, a cup of coffee, or even more, is better than getting Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s.

There are, however, experts who say the opposite about coffee. For example, James D. Lane, PhD, director of the Duke University Medical Center Psychophysiology Laboratory says that the risks outweight the benefits in terms of coffee consumption. He’s also saying that the researches on the benefits of coffee are still weak and they need to be validated.

For example, according to Dr. Lane, drinking coffee actually worsens health conditions of people with diabetes and hypertension problems.

Coffee, especially when the consumption is more than 4 cups per day, can worsen stress. Numerous studies have shown that adrenaline responses to stress are higher when a person has had caffeine than if he did not have any. Caffeine in coffee makes the central nervous system very reactive, making the person who has consumed too much coffee more tense, more anxious, and jitterier. It also causes sleep problems, and worst, insomnia.

Insomnia

How about you? What are your thoughts on the facts presented here? You know your body better; you love yourself, so you decide what’s best for you!

Overweight?

Have you ever asked yourself why you are on the heavy side? Check out these unhealthy practices and see if you do some of them  - or all of them.

Eating Off Larger Plates

Compare the plates

One identified culprit is larger plates. A study conducted with obese individuals as subjects yielded a result that indicated that given the option to choose between small or large plates, 98.6 % of obese individuals chose the larger plates. Thus, it follows that the bigger the plate, the greater the quantity of the food is placed on them. When more food is consumed, more calories are taken. The higher the caloric consumption of an individual and more body fat is stored.

To avoid this deadly cycle, choose smaller plates and always be mindful of your food portions. If you feel you really need more, you can always go back to the buffet table for seconds.

Eating Too Late

Avoid this unhealthy practice of eating very late at night. According to a new study published in the journal Obesity which studied the sleeping and eating habits of 52 people over seven days, it was found that those who ate after 8 p.m. took in their bodies the highest calories and had the highest Body Mass Index (BMI).

While on “sleep mode”, the body still burns fat. This, however, is not the case when you sleep with your stomach full, because instead of burning fat, your body is busy processing the food in your stomach.

Too Much or Too Little Sleep

A study conducted by Wake Forest researchers revealed that people who sleep less than 5 hours a day puts on 2½ times more belly fat compared to those who sleep more than eight hours per day. Ideally, sleep should be for an average of 6 to 7 hours per night.

Are you sleeping too little or too much?

Drinking Soda – Even Diet!

According to a 2005 study, drinking 1 to 2 sodas per day increases a person’s chances of being overweight or obese by more or less 33%. Unfortunately for those who think diet sodas are okay, researchers in San Antonio who studied a controlled group of elderly subjects for nearly a decade found that soda drinkers increased their waistlines five times faster compared to the non-soda drinkers. The theory is that the artificial sweeteners used in the diet drinks trigger appetite cues, which causes a person to unconsciously eat more at succeeding meals.

Skipping Breakfast

People who are misinformed skip breakfast to loose weight. What these people do not realize is the fact that skipping meals slows the metabolism and boosts hunger. This puts the body in “fat-storage mode” which increases the odds that the person will overeat at the next meal. A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that people who miss breakfast were 4.5 times more likely to be obese.

Want to lose weight and maintain an ideal weight? Avoid the 5 habits that makes you fat.

Do you know that diabetes is a very serious disease?

However, here’s the good news: Diabetes can be managed. For this reason, knowing and understanding what it is and what causes it is the key towards managing it.

Diabetes: What Is It?

Diabetes is the disorder of the endocrine system and it happens when the blood sugar levels in the body is above normal and stays that way all the time.

Diabetes happens for two reasons. One, it can happen when the body is unable to make insulin, and this is called Type 1 Diabetes. Two, diabetes happens when the body does not respond to the effects of insulin, and this is called type 2 diabetes. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. It also allows the body to use sugar, also termed glucose, for energy.

There are also situations when diabetes emerges during pregnancy and this is called gestational diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes happens when the beta cells or the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas are damaged by the immune system. In this condition, people who have type 1 diabetes must use insulin injections in order to control their blood sugar.

Type 1 diabetes may happen at any age, but generally, people under 20 years old are the common sufferers of this type of diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes happens for two reasons: one is when the body continues to produce insulin but the insulin produced is not enough, and two is when the body is unable to recognize the insulin and use it properly. Without enough insulin, or when the insulin is not used as it should be, glucose fails to get into the body’s cells.

Is Type 2 Diabetes Preventable?

Yes, type 2 diabetes is preventable. How? Have your blood sugar tested and see how you fare. It may be that your sugar level is higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. This stage is generally referred to as the pre-diabetes stage. If you are in this stage, an improved lifestyle will normally put you in a much better position to totally avoid getting type 2 diabetes.

So what does it mean to live a healthy lifestyle? It means doing things differently, for the better. Below are the necessary changes people who are in the pre-diabetes stage must do to avoid developing type 2 diabetes.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

A healthy weight is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 – 25.

Eat Plenty of Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are rich with vitamins and minerals and they are low in calories. Daily intake of fruits and vegetables should be as generous as possible, but ideally, your plate per meal should be half-full with vegetables and fruits. For a healthier diet, 4 ½ cups of fruits and vegetables should be consumed every day.

Exercise Regularly.

This means you should exercise at least 2 1/2 hours every week. On a daily basis, this can easily be 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise done 5 days a week.

Diabetes is a serious disease that can greatly impact the quality of your life. So if you want to avoid developing type 2 diabetes, begin now to live a

Have you seen a person with deformed hands? It could have been caused by hand osteoarthritis. Before we talk about hand osteoarthritis, however, let’s look into the basics of arthritis and osteoarthritis first so we’ll have a better understanding of what causes it.

What Is Arthritis?

Arthritis is described as a medical condition referring to an inflammation in the joints.

Osteoarthritis happens when the protective cushion between the joints called cartilage wears out. What happens is that bones begin to rub directly against each other and this result to structural changes visible on X-rays. Osteophytes, also known as bone deposits or bone spurs may then develop on the joint’s edges. This will also affect the soft tissues which stabilizes the joints.

Arthritis is often painful, but there are also times when there’s no pain. Over time, however, arthritis can result to joint deformity which eventually limits the function and motion of joints.

What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis because it becomes worst in time, affects one or more joints anywhere in the body. The most affected joints are the hands and the knees, ankles, and feet as they carry the weight of the body.

What Causes Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis develops because of the following:

1. Genes – when a parent or both parents have osteoarthritis;
2. Heavy usage and traumatic injuries which resulted in joint irregularities;
3. When joints are unstable and/or misaligned, this leads to degeneration;

What Is Hand Osteoarthritis?

There are numerous spots in the hand where the effects of osteoarthritis can be seen:

• Notice bumps or bony knobs at the joint located at the base of the thumb, exactly where the thumb meets the wrist;
• Bumps called Heberden’s nodes can be seen in the joint at the end of the finger closest to the nail;
• Bumps called Bouchard’s nodes may be seen in the joint in the middle of the finger;
• In the wrist;
• People who feel a deep, aching pain, and who are having trouble gripping or pinching things with any kind of strength, or opening lids, or even turning keys, they have osteoarthritis located at the base of the thumb.

Can Hand Osteoarthritis Be Treated?

The treatment is more on reducing or eliminating pain and/or restoring function and mobility. The are two ways to do this: surgical and non-surgical treatments.

Non-surgical involves giving medications such as anti-inflammatory and/or analgesic drugs to be taken orally; injections of pain reliever/steroid combinations; the use of finger or wrist splints or soft sleeve devices during the night or during certain activities; resting the joints; using heat treatments like paraffin baths or cold treatments; using topical treatments; performing exercises as instructed by a doctor or an occupational therapist.

Surgical procedure becomes necessary when the pain becomes too severe, or when movement becomes too limited. There are two types of surgery:

1. Joint fusion where the bones are fused together; and
2. Joint reconstruction which involves replacing the joint surface that has deteriorated with a joint implant or with tissue such as tendons.

With mounting responsibilities, men just don’t have time to exercise. To many, this is the main reason given why regular exercise has been pushed at the bottom of the “to-do” list. What’s worst, it’s not only in the bottom of the list, it seldom even sees the light of the day.

What men do not realize is the fact that exercise is not just about looking good; exercise has become essential especially as men mature in age.

What Can Exercise Do?

A lot of studies show that regular exercise can help improve bone health, prevent adult onset diabetes, as well as lower the risk of some cancers. Regular exercise can also greatly improve a person’s mood, helping alleviate depression, something that’s common to aging people.

Let’s get into specifics. Below are the 5 topmost benefits of exercise. Hopefully this will motivate many to start exercising now for a healthier body.

1. Exercise Lowers Cholesterol

Here are the hard facts. As men get older, their cholesterol levels change for the worst. Their LDL or low-density lipoprotein, also called bad cholesterol, gradually increases. Then the level of their good cholesterol (called HDL or high-density lipoprotein) falls. This condition increases the risk factors for heart disease. This happens as the excess cholesterol accumulates on the inner lining of blood vessels which leads to arthrosclerosis and heart attacks.

Is there a way around this? Yes! The best way to keep bad cholesterol levels down is to eat a diet low in saturated fat. To balance things, there is then the need to increase or boost the good cholesterol. Now here’s the catch: there is one best way to do it: through regular exercise!

2. Lower Triglycerides

As men age, their triglyceride levels also rise. What are triglycerides? They are a form of fat found in the blood. When triglyceride levels rise, there is an increased risk of heart disease. To lower the triglycerides in the blood, exercise is highly recommended.

3. The Risk of High Blood Pressure Is Reduced

Active men (as well as women) who exercise regularly are found to be healthier and have lower risk of developing hypertension.

4. Healthier Blood Vessels

Research studies show that exercise plays a major role in helping maintain the ability of blood vessels to open and constrict in response to changing physical demands. The healthier the blood vessels, the more able they are to respond to changing demands for oxygen because they are more flexible, able to widen and narrow as required.

5. Lowers the Risk of Diabetes

Very common today is what’s called adult onset diabetes. Recent studies show that this is caused mostly by too much fat in the body. This is where regular exercise can do its wonders. Exercising regularly helps keep the weight off. Here’s the good news: exercise in this context does not mean difficult, heavy exercises. Walking at least six miles a week is good enough as a starter.

These are just some of the benefits of doing regular exercise. Thinking about the consequences of not doing any exercise at all, I think most will prefer doing the exercise in exchange for good health and longer life. How about you? What do you think?

Coffee, just like everything else in life, is not really bad in itself. Researches have shown that coffee has benefits. For example, coffee is said to contain antioxidants. Also, coffee is said to help protect people against Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes, and even liver cancer.

However, some people, and you may be one of them, may have conditions that makes coffee not good for you, or in other words, coffee may do you more harm than good.

Coffee is generally consumed as a hot beverage by people, and in a normal day, consuming 6 cups is considered normal. Why is coffee so loved by many? It is because coffee contains caffeine which helps people feel alert and “up and about”. This is very essential especially for “working” people, hence the “coffee breaks” in offices. However, continuous consumption of coffee diminishes this effect, and so, in due time, more coffee needs to be consumed just to get the desired effect or benefit.

Drinking too much coffee also causes a lot of unhealthy reactions or side effects. Examples of these are increased heart rate, increased rate of breathing, restlessness, nervousness, nausea, stomach upset, and vomiting.

Have you noticed that you’ve been having headaches lately? That may be caused by your over consumption of coffee. Are you always irritated? Are you easily agitated? Even ringing in the ears and irregular heartbeats are common side effects of too much coffee.

Unfiltered coffee also is known to increase low-density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol, as well as the blood fat called triglycerides. When this happens, the risk of developing heart disease is greatly increased.

Think about it: all these in exchange of the high you get from cups and cups of coffee?

Think again, because the earlier you decide to stop drinking coffee, it may just save your health, and your life!

Let’s try to look at breakfast in particular. Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day.

Healthy Breakfast

Why Is Breakfast Very Important?

Breakfast is very important! When you eat breakfast, you give your body fuel to function well at the beginning of the day. Then, because you’ve fed your body with “fuel”, your metabolism begins on the “right foot” as the nutrients that breakfast brought signals the body to begin working.

This is the reason why the most important thing to remember is never to skip breakfast. Breakfast is very essential because it jumpstarts your day.

So what happens when you skip breakfast?

When breakfast is skipped, what happens is that you start the day with an empty stomach. This further means that by the time you are starting your work for the day; your blood-sugar levels are dangerously low because you did not have anything for breakfast. This is not good because this in unhealthy. What more if you do this regularly?

A Good Breakfast

When you miss breakfast and the body starts the day with very a low sugar level, the next thing that happens is your brain will tell you it needs sugar fast in order to function. This results to what is called an “instant sugar fix”. In such a situation, you’d be craving for anything sweet just to satisfy the sugar need. This is again bad idea!

Hence, to start the day right, eat your breakfast! And choose healthy food for breakfast. Good examples of food perfect for breakfast are oatmeal and fresh fruits. In general, here are the core ingredients of a healthy breakfast:

Fruits and vegetables are perfect. Fresh fruits and vegetables are best but frozen fruits are also good. Try 100 % juice beverages without sugar. You may also try fruit and vegetable smoothies.

Fruit Smoothies

If you like other beverages, just be sure to use those with low-sodium.

Foods made from whole grains are also ideal for breakfast, and these includes bagels, whole-grain rolls, hot or cold whole-grain cereals, crackers, low-fat bran muffins, or Melba toast.

Low-fat dairy such as skim milk, low-fat cheeses like natural cheeses and cottage cheese, and low-fat yogurt.

Eat breakfast food with low-fat protein such as lean meat, peanut butter, fish, poultry, and hard-boiled eggs.

Breakfast is again very important so that the body will function efficiently. If you want a healthy body, start your day right by eating a healthy breakfast!

Here are 4 healthy tips that can help maintain a healthy digestive system:

Tip #1 Eat Fiber-Rich Foods

Fiber found in food helps promote healthy digestion. When taken regularly, it helps remove waste from the body. Fiber also has other benefits: it’s also known to help lower the risk of colon cancer; it helps lower cholesterol; it controls blood sugar; and lastly it helps manage body weight because it makes the person eating it feel full.

Eat Fiber Rich Foods

What are examples of fiber-rich foods? Vegetables and fruits are rich in fiber, as well as bread, pasta, and cereals made from whole grains. Legumes such as peas, beans, and lentils are also good sources of fiber.

Tip #2 Follow a Regular Pattern in Eating and “Going”

The body follows a certain pattern in almost everything: you get tired and sleepy after being alert for more than 16 hours; your bladder becomes full after a long night’s sleep, hence you feel the need to urinate early in the morning. This means that you should also follow a regular eating pattern, which for many of us means three meals a day. Eating meals and snacks regularly during the day helps the food consumed move through the digestive system.

Always remember that in order to prevent constipation, when the need is felt, always listen to it and go to the comfort room. It’s your body telling you something important and you should listen. The sooner your body can get rid of the waste, the better it will be for you.

Tip# 3 Be Physically Active

This can not be overemphasized enough: exercise regularly. Take a walk, climb the stairs instead of using the elevator, keep those muscles strong by taking brisk walks.

Climb stairs

If you can, go swimming regularly. Swimming is considered one of the best forms of exercise especially for seniors. However, before starting any exercise program, go see your doctor first and consult with him as to the best exercise program for you.

Tip#4 Stay Away From Foods That May Cause Your Stomach to be Upset

There are certain types of food that should be avoided especially if your stomach is very sensitive. Spicy foods for example can upset the stomach, as well as fatty foods. There are also foods that produce gas in the stomach, such as onions, beans, broccoli, and cabbage. If you have lactose intolerance, avoid milk. Alcohol-containing foods can also disturb the digestive system, as well as caffeine-rich food. It will be best to avoid these types of food to avoid a disturbed stomach.

]]> http://www.healthtopicsanswered.com/digestion/4-tips-for-healthy-digestion/feed 0 http://www.healthtopicsanswered.com/digestion/for-better-digestion-try-these-4-amazing-foods http://www.healthtopicsanswered.com/digestion/for-better-digestion-try-these-4-amazing-foods#comments Fri, 29 Jul 2011 06:29:07 +0000 Dr Rosen http://www.healthtopicsanswered.com/?p=300 Do you know that in order to have a healthy digestive system, we need more than fiber in our diet? There are also vitamins and minerals that are necessary for maintaining the good health of our gastro-intestinal tract.

Talking about food and the best foods for a healthy GIT, here are some foods that are highly recommended by health experts for us to consume on a regular basis to ensure that our digestive system remains healthy.

Avocados

Avocado is a fiber-rich fruit. It also contains plenty of healthy, raw, monounsaturated fat. A medium-sized avocado contains 15 grams of fiber, which makes it one of the most fiber-rich fruits available in markets and fruit stands almost everywhere.

What makes avocado ideal is the fact that it is a fruit that most people love, whether little children or adults. What makes Avocado good for the digestive system is the raw healthy fat it contains, which stimulates healthy functioning of the pancreas, liver, gall bladder. It also provides a very ideal environment for the efficient conversion of beta carotene into Vitamin A. For those who are not aware of this, Vitamin A helps in ensuring a healthy mucosal lining throughout the gastro-intestinal tract.

Oats

Oats is a familiar food for everyone. What makes oats great? Well, whole oats contain plenty of soluble fibers which are rich in thiamin, selenium, manganese, and phosphorus. Whole oats also contain small amounts of folate, copper, zinc, and vitamin E.

All oats are good! However, if you truly want to maximize the benefits that oats can give to the digestive system, the best oat is steel-cut oats, which are whole oat that have been cut into small pieces. The cutting process does not involve heat, which retains the integrity of the oat; preserving the nutrients better.

There is a warning though. If you do not really respond well to gluten, then its better that you avoid oats, barley, wheat, and rye, as these contain gluten.

Red Beets and Beet Greens

Red Beets

Have you had problems with constipation? Try eating red beets and their green tops as they are proven to provide significant relief from constipation. The green beet and the green tops both are very rich sources of fiber which helps keep waste materials inside the small and large intestines move down.

Red beet is rich in potassium and magnesium and beet greens are excellent sources of calcium, beta-carotene, and iron. These nutrients are necessary in maintaining a strong digestive tract lining. It also ensures the good health of the smooth muscle fibers which creates the waves of contractions that produce bowel movements.

Some tips when eating beet greens:

• There’s no more need to add salt to as beet greens are naturally salty;
• Limit your intake of beet greens to only a few times a week, at least twice a week. Beet greens contain an acidic substance that weakens the enamel coating the teeth.

Beet Greens

Cod liver oil

Cod liver oil is very rich with natural vitamin A, which is essential in the upkeep and health of the digestive tract lining. It’s also rich in natural vitamin D which is known as a powerful immune system modulator.

In conclusion, maintaining a healthy digestive tract is greatly influenced by a person’s choices of food, his eating habits, his exercise habits as well as resting habits, and his emotional health status. Thus, in order to maintain a healthy digestive tract, live a well-balanced life! And that’s no secret!

If I were to explain the concept of a body clock to a child, I’d say that a person gets sleepy when his body is already tired and it’s telling him to rest. The body needs to take a break  so that it can repair damaged cells as well as develop new ones.

When a person does not get enough sleep, the body is not given a chance to get a respite and to rejuvenate. With inadequate sleep, a person becomes easily tired and will not be able to function efficiently. The lack of sleep will also affect the person’s immune system, compromising it. When this happens, the body becomes weak and susceptible to illnesses and diseases.

That’s why it is very important to get a good night’s sleep.

For some people, going to sleep can be difficult, especially if they are used to sleeping very late at night. Difficulty in sleeping can also be caused by lengthy naps in the afternoon.  For people with sleeping problems, there are medications that can help as well as natural ways that are easy to follow. The natural way  does not cost extra  money so they should be tried first. If they will not work, then the next best thing to do is to consult a doctor.

Tips to Get a Good Night’s Sleep the Natural Way

If you can help it, sleep at almost the same time every night, and strictly adhere to this schedule. The biological clock each of us has in our bodies (in our brain’s sleep center) needs to follow a schedule.

If our sleeping pattern is erratic, it confuses our brains’ sleep center which results in long,  agitated nights, or worst, insomnia.

Prepare to go to bed by taking a hot bath or shower. Our bodies need a signal that we are getting ready to sleep, and one of the best ways to do it is to take a hot shower. At the end of  the shower, our bodies will start cooling down and as the body cools down, it slowly goes into “sleep mode”.

Exercise at least 4 hours before your bedtime.  Cardiovascular exercise is ideal in the evenings. For the exercise to have its desired effect, do it 4 hours before your bedtime. The time between your exercise session and your bedtime will allow your body to cool off , just in time for your evening bath or shower. Always have in mind that warm body temperature will make you restless the whole night and will make sleeping almost impossible.

Turn off all the lights in your bedroom, be it from the lamp shade, from your Kindle or iPad, from your mobile phone, from your computer, or from your TV.   If you are curious why you need to be in total darkness when you sleep, the reason is that the artificial light that comes from these gadgets messes with your internal clock. Light also acts as a stimulant which inhibits the flow of melatonin – the body’s natural sleeping pills. Thus, don’t be afraid of the dark because only when the bedroom is dark will the body produce more melatonin; sleep will then come easily.

Take deep breathing exercises before you go to bed. Taking slow, deep breaths before going to bed will help soothe you into sleep.

Avoid caffeine loaded drinks (coffee and cola drinks) and food (chocolate) during the late afternoon onwards. Caffeine will keep you awake, so avoid them if it can be helped. Also, dinner should always be the lightest meal of the day, and it should be taken a few hours before bedtime. Avoid as much as possible spicy or heavy foods as these will keep you awake at night and can also cause indigestion and heartburn.

Lastly, drink a glass of lukewarm milk before going to bed. This works wonders in kids; and whatever age you are in right now, deep inside you’ll always be a kid, and this might just work for you … not unless you are lactose-intolerant.