Get the best from your cereal
You’ve been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? If you’re a breakfast skipper, here are a couple of things you should know: People who skip breakfast are more than 4 times more likely to be obese than people who don’t. People who eat whole grain cereal at least 7 [...]
Bring on the gray hair
Last year, I was doing my hair and I almost fell over. I saw something silvery glinting at the edge of my forehead. I tried to get rid of this “piece of lint” and (horror of horrors!) it was stuck. Then I saw another and another. My three coarse, silvery hairs glinted at me mischievously. [...]
Calf stretching – plantar fasciitis and wobbly ankles
If you have a tendency to twist or sprain your ankle when you’re exercising, or even when you’re carrying out your day to day activities, then you may have a problem with the muscles in your lower leg. Research has shown that people who sprain their ankles have less mobility in their ankle joints than [...]
What can 7 hours of sleep do for you?
If you’re not getting enough sleep at night, you could be depriving yourself of lots of health benefits that aare completely free, do not involve taking medication and have long term effects on your wellbeing. Experts recommend that you get betwween 7 and 9 hours of z’s every night for best results and here are [...]
Boost your health with yoga
Yoga is supposed to be the ultimate stress reliever. Although research has shown that moderate to strenuous exercise may be better at reducing stress and anxiety, yoga can provide lots of other health benefits. Backache : if you suffer from backache you may get noticeable relief from doing yoga twice a week for 6 months [...]
Watch cholesterol to beat Alzheimer’s
Just in case you needed more reasons to lower your cholesterol, here’s one more. If you’re middle-aged and your cholesterol is even slightly raised, your risks of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia and mental deterioration when you get older, increase signigicantly. People who have borderline cholesterol levels between 200 and 239mg/dl were [...]
Relieve anxiety without medication
- The all-natural stress buster According to research from Arizona State University moderate to vigorous exercise beat out yoga, stretching, meditation and talk therapy when it came to relieving anxiety and reducing stress. Apparently, burning about 850 calories a week gave the best results. Walking briskly for about 30 minutes or jogging for 15 minutes [...]
Why you should be eating turmeric
Turmeric is a bright yellow spice related to ginger, used commonly in asian cooking like curries. Turmeric is a major component of curry powder and gives mustard its bright yellow color. It has been found to have major healthy benefits mainly because of its anti-inflammatory properties with virtually no side effects. In a review of [...]
Stay fit after 45
Everyone’s going to get old eventually but some of us will feel it sooner than others. Research has shown that levels of of fitness tend to go down gradually as we get older but that fitness levels take a nosedive after the age of 45. A group of men and women underwent medical exams over [...]
Tip for a healthy retirement- work!
That may be the last thing you want to hear after working hard for so many years so that you can enjoy your golden years in peace and tranquility. But research has shown that people who continue to work part-time or do some form of temping after they retire are less likely to suffer from: [...]
Lessons from a bra fitting.
It’s truly amazing the funny little things that happen to change our little prejudices and misconceptions about other people and life in general. I visit the lingerie section of one of my favourite department stores quite regularly. They have a special bra section for the DD+ cup sizes. I remember breezing past smugly on many [...]
Premature menopause may increases lung cancer risk
Although smoking cigarettes is the major cause of lung cancer, several factors can increase the risk of developing this disease. A new study has found that early artificial menopause may increase a woman’s risks of getting lung cancer. The study suggests that medically induced menopause, especially through removal of both ovaries, can double younger women’s [...]
Menopause skin care: Got SPF?
Each time summer rolls around, lots of advice surfaces everywhere reminding you to wear sunscreen while you’re sun worshipping. The timing of these articles e.t.c. can be a bit misleading in a way because it makes it seem as if you should only pay attention to sun protection in the summer. That is a big [...]
Being overweight or obese increases uterine cancer risk
Those extra pounds you’re carrying around may be causing you more harm than you think. Women who have a BMI of 25 and above are more likely to have endometrial (uterine ) cancer. Just a quick reminder, BMI stands for Body Mass Index which is a measure of how much body fat you have. BMI [...]
Eating meat not linked to breast cancer in older women
Meat is good! Well, it’s not all bad anyway. There are several things that have been linked to breast cancer in postmenopausal women like smoking e.t.c. Well, now it looks like eating meat is not one of them. Meat produces chemicals called “meat mutagens”, which are thought to cause changes in the DNA in cells. [...]
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and colon cancer
Many women are using (largely synthetic) Hormone Replacement Therapy to relieve menopause symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats even though it has been associated with an increased risk of stroke and breast cancer. If you are one of them then keep reading. The results of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), a large study carried [...]
Smoking more dangerous for women
There may be more evidence to suggest that women are more likely to suffer from the adverse effects of tobacco than men. A study carried out in Switzerland examined the records of 683 people who were referred to a lung cancer centre from 2000 to 2005. They found that even though the women they examined [...]
Hysterectomy : Keeping ovaries may prolong your life
Traditionally, if a woman over 40 is having a hysterectomy she is advised to have her ovaries taken out to reduce the risk of developing ovarian cancer. While this is very good advice if you are at high risk of developing ovarian cancer, it’s not necessarily the best advice for other women. Risks of removing [...]
What are superfoods?
Superfoods are everywhere including your local supermarket and super don’t have to be expensive. What are superfoods? Superfoods are foods that are so good for you that they can help lower your blood pressure, reduce your cancer risk, reduce your cholesterol levels and heart disease risks, help with diabetes and much more, usually without any [...]
Purple tomatoes for better health?
Forget about the lovely bright red tomatoes we’re all used to. Researchers in Britain have developed a strain of tomatoes that are purple. Normal tomatoes already have lots of antioxidants but these super tomatoes have very high levels of anthocyanins which are thought to fight cancer, protect against heart disease, improve eyesight and maybe even [...]
When will you have your menopause
There are a good number of us that would like to know the answer to that question and soon there may be an answer. Research into the hormone anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) suggests that analysis of this hormone may be able to predict when menopause will occur. AMH is produced in women and can be detected [...]
How to use natural progesterone cream
Use natural, bioidentical progesterone cream for progesterone deficiency and estrogen dominance symptoms and PMS More and more women are using bioidentical hormones to relieve menopause symptoms. Natural progesterone cream can be used to manage a number of problems that are related to hormonal imbalance. General guidelines for using natural progesterone PMS Hysterectomy Premenopausal women Fibrocystic [...]
Obese women and cancer testing
Obese women are less likely to have mammograms and pap smears (screening tests for breast cancer and cervical cancer) than women who are not. In view of the epidemic of obesity that is sweeping across the US, this is a problem. This problem was found more amongst white women than black women who were more [...]
Uterine fibroids more severe in black women
A study in the American Journal of obstetrics has shown that there are marked differences in the way uterine fibroids present in black women and white women. In black women: fibroids tended to be discovered at an earlier age they were more likely to have severe disease they had more severe menstrual pain and they [...]
Go organic for better health
Flavonoids are chemicals that are found in abundance in foods like berries, apples and grapes e.t.c. Research has shown that flavonoids protect against cardiovascular disease which includes heart disease and stroke and possibly other diseases you are more likely to get as you get older like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Tomatoes are naturally very [...]
Menstrual Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)- new tampon to reduce risk
A new tampon that will reduce the risk of developing menstrual Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) will soon be on the market. Toxic shock syndrome occurs when a bacteria found commonly in menstruating women overgrows, producing some poisonous chemicals called toxins. These toxins are released into the blood where they cause the blood pressure to drop [...]
Massage techniques and aromatherapy
There are various techniques of massage that have been used since ancient times to heal the body and relieve stress. It can be very useful in this age of long commutes and busy lifestyles. It can also be used to treat various ailments such as sinusitis, headaches, insomnia and high blood pressure. Massage can be [...]
Detoxify for better health – Where do you get your energy from?
These are measures you can introduce into your lifestyle over a period of time until they become a part of you. Watch what you put in your mouth. Stop drinking coffee. Stop smoking. Eat lean cuts of meat. Avoid transfats. Avoid diet foods e.g. diet cola, which contain Nutrasweet. Use Stevia which is a natural [...]
Irritable bowel syndrome and Zelnorm
The drug tegaserod maleate marketed as Zelnorm by Novartis and widely prescribed for irritable bowel syndrome was withdrawn from the US market in March this year by the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration). This was due to a link between Zelnorm and an increase in “ischemic cardiovascular events”, meaning reduced blood supply to some [...]
Can you increase your energy levels by getting rid of toxins?
In life, the simple things often have the greatest impact on us, like learning how to increase your energy levels by getting rid of toxins in your body. Do you feel like you’re slowing down? Worn out and stretched thin trying to cram more and more activities into your busy life? This may be just [...]
Going off the pill at perimenopause? Talk to your doctor.
The greatest number of unplanned pregnancies occur in teenagers. The age group with the second largest number of unplanned pregnancies is…. women in their late 30s and early 40s. This might be less surprising if you understand what is going on at this time. Why you should not go off birth control pills during perimenopause [...]
Black women more likely to die from breast cancer
African American women are more likely to die from breast cancer than white women. Although black women are less likely than their white counterparts to develop breast cancer, they are more likely to die from it. African American women are also more likely to see their doctor when the disease is at an advanced stage. [...]
Obesity may be good for your health after all!
New research into relationships between obesity has yielded some very interesting results. One study showed that people who had treatment for unstable angina for example, in the form of heart surgery ( angioplasty and insertion of a stent) were less likely to die if they were obese or very obese. This went against all expected [...]
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer accounts for about 5% of cancers in women. 95% of cancers affecting the ovaries are benign (non-cancerous). Risk factors for ovarian cancer Your chances of developing ovarian cancer are higher: If you are over 40 years, especially over 50. If you have never had children. If you started menstruating early and have a [...]
Obese women less likely to have cancer screening
Women that are very obese are more likely to develop cancers of various types. Unfortunately, it has been found that this group of women are the ones most likely to skip scheduled cancer screenings including mammograms and pap smears. Analysis of the information gathered from the National Health Interview carried out in 2000 came to [...]
Exercise increases “good” cholesterol
If you’re not exercising already, here’s another good reason to do so. According to a report published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, a review of previously-published studies showed that aerobic exercise (the kind that gets your heart pumping fast) can help increase the levels of “good” (HDL) cholesterol in your body. The increase was [...]
Post-menopausal? Soy nuts may lower your blood pressure
Are you post-menopausal? Do you have high blood pressure? Well, help may be at hand. A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that blood pressure was reduced by eating soy. Continue reading here…
Having a hysterecomy? – 5 reasons to hang on to your ovaries
About 600 hysterectomies are performed in the U.S every year and about half or these are accompanied by removal of apparently normal ovaries. The reasoning behind this is that it reduces the occurrence of ovarian cancer, i.e. if your ovaries aren’t there, then they can’t become cancerous. Ovarian cancer is not common – about 1 [...]
Breast cancer – Fewer women having mammograms
Fewer American women are having mammograms to screen for breast cancer. This is according to a study carried out by the National Cancer Institute and the Center For Disease Control. The opposite had been the case for 20 years before the period of the study with increasing numbers of women having mammograms each year. Why [...]
Surviving menopause: Osteoporosis, Calcium and Vitamin D
As menopause approaches, many women begin to worry about osteoporosis and how to prevent it. This is something to be concerned about because the drop in estrogen production which occur after menopause causes an increase in bone loss leading to fragile bones. Factors which increase the risk of developing osteoporosis include: low bone density (thickness [...]
Better to have breast cancer than a hip fracture
Women over 65 are more likely to die if they have a hip fracture than if they are diagnosed with breast cancer. This finding was presented by a team of investigators at the American Geriatric Society’s annual meeting. In the study, women who had hip fractures tended to be older, better educated, have lower BMI [...]
Are you more likely to get ovarian cancer if you use HRT?
A new study carried out by the Lancet, a medical journal in th U.K. has shown an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer in women who use HRT (hormone replacement therapy). It also showed that the affected women were more likely to die from the disease than women who were not on HRT. This was [...]
No link between abortion and breast cancer
A new study released by Harvard yesterday has once again discounted the link between abortion and breast cancer. This confirms an earlier conclusion reached by a panel of expert put together by the National Cancer Institute in 2003. Earlier reports of an increased risk of breast cancer associated with previous abortions was derived from women [...]
Treatment information for chronic headaches
Treating chronic headaches – general measures There are several things you can do to relieve migraine headaches. Many don’t involve medication and may also increase the effectiveness of any medicine you take:…..read more
Major risk factors for heart disease – how do you get heart disease?
Risk factors are those things you do or conditions you may be suffering from that increase your chances of getting a particular disease. What causes heart disease? High blood cholesterol Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is produced by the liver and is used for various things in the body.The liver produces cholesterol which is [...]
Heart disease
You’ve probably been hearing about how the month of February is Heart Health month in the U.S. The aim is to increase awareness about heart disease. The American Heart Association’s “Go Red For Women” campaign and “The Heart Truth” campaign are aimed particularly at women. What is Heart Disease? Heart disease is a broad term [...]
What is "The Heart Truth"?
“The Heart Truth” campaign was started by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to increase awareness of heart disease in women in the US and has been having some measure of success. As of the year 2000 only about 30% of American women were aware of the fact that heart disease is a major [...]
More on HRT and breast cancer
Last month researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center announced that the incidence of breast cancer in the United States had dropped by just over 7% in 2003. This drop came after the WHI brought out a report showing an increase in the risks for breast cancer and stroke for women taking [...]
Relaxation
Being relaxed is essential for your general wellbeing. It increases energy levels, helps to lower blood pressure and relieve frequent headaches. It can also help you to cope better with problems of everyday life whether at home or at work. It also helps you to have a more positive attitude when dealing with menopausal symptoms. [...]
How does stress affect health? – Coping with stress
Where do I start? Try and identify stress factors in your life and off-load those you can do without. This may require some soul-searching and honesty on your part. Do you know how to say “No!”? Taking on added responsibilities which you can’t really cope with especially when they’re pushed on you by other people, [...]
How does stress affect health?
What is stress? Stress is basically anything that causes you physical or mental strain. The amount of stress that is generated by any condition also depends on how you react to that situation. Not all stress is bad. In fact every human being needs a little stress in their lives to stimulate them to e.g. [...]
Early menopause and it's causes
Most women expect to continue having a monthly period and be able to have children well into their 40s, though maybe with greater difficulty. So it can be a nasty shock for some women when they start having menopausal symptoms in their 30s. This can be devastating, and happens in about 1% of women. What [...]
Reasons for decreased sex drive in men
A fulfilling relationship is an important contributor to overall sense of well-being during the menopausal years. Understanding the reasons for decreased sex drive in men will help you adjust to some of the changes taking place in your partner. The main hormone in men is testosterone. As a man gets older there is an increase [...]
Low estrogen & zinc deficiency
Estrogen is the principal female hormone. It helps to give you most of your feminine characteristics in terms of the feminine shape, feminine patterns of hair growth and breast development. Without estrogen (and progesterone added later) you wouldn’t menstruate. Estrogen also plays a part in the proper functioning and maintenance of the body e.g. in [...]
The Latest
Get the best from your cerealYou've been told that breakfast is the... »
Bring on the gray hairLast year, I was doing my hair and I... »
Menopause skin care on a budget- ditch the expensive exfoliatorsYour skin tends to start looking dull... »
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