Holistic Wellness for Life North of 50

Posts Tagged ‘holistic wellness’

WebMD had several articles on probiotics and their uses for holistic health and wellness. Here is that article:

Probiotics are microorganisms such as bacteria or yeast that are believed to improve health. They are available in supplements and foods. The idea of taking live bacteria or yeast may seem strange at first. After all, we take antibiotics and use antibacterial substances to fight bacteria. But  our bodies naturally teem with such organisms.

The digestive system is home to more than 500 different bacterial species. They help keep intestinal linings healthy and assist in breaking down food. Beneficial organisms are also believed to help regulate healthy immune response.

How Do Probiotics Work?

Researchers believe that some digestive disorders result when the balance of friendly bacteria in the intestines becomes disturbed.  This can happen after an infection or after taking antibiotics. Intestinal problems can also arise when the lining of the intestines is damaged. Introducing new beneficial organisms in the form of probiotics may help.

“Probiotics can improve intestinal function and maintain the integrity of the lining of the intestines,” says Stefano Guandalini, MD, professor of pediatrics and gastroenterology at the University of Chicago Medical Center. These friendly bugs may also help fight off diarrhea-causing organisms.

Probiotics and the Immune System

There’s also evidence that probiotics assist in maintaining a strong immune system. “In societies with very good hygiene, we’ve seen a sharp increase in autoimmune and allergic diseases,” Guandalini tells WebMD. “That may be because the immune system isn’t being properly challenged by pathogenic organisms. Introducing friendly bacteria in the form of probiotics is believed to challenge the immune system in healthy ways.” Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: health and wellness, holistic wellness, nutrition

Now that summer is here, more and more people are out grilling all sorts of goodies to eat and enjoy. Meats, veggies, desserts and even pizza can be cooked on the grill. Even though we as humans have used this method cooking  since the time of the neanderthal, there are some health concerns that have popped up recently to detract from this past time.

Cooking meat at high temperatures (like grilling) can create carcinogenic chemicals known as heterocyclic amines (or HCAs), which have been linked to cancer risk. But is there an upside? Yes, certain ingredients can make your meat much safer to cook and add more flavor!

Studies have found that adding certain herbs or fruits to the marinade for meat or mixed directly into uncooked meat will greatly reduce the amount of HCAs found in your meat after cooking.  To find out what they are, keep reading.

• Rosemary Contains the antioxidant carnosol which reduces HCA’s and tastes good on beef or pork. Double bonus.

• Fingerroot Also called Chinese ginger, this spice is found mainly in Asian dishes, and gets its name from its shape. A study from the Kansas State University found it also aids in reducing HCAs in cooked meat.

• Turmeric The same study found that turmeric, an Indian spice found in many curries and known for its yellow color, can reduce carcinogenic chemicals.

• Garlic and onion You may already add these tasty, barbecue-friendly ingredients to your ground beef before cooking, but they also reduce HCAs.

• Blueberries It may seem odd and counter-intuitive to add fruit to meat, but mixing a cup of ground blueberries or cherries into a pound of ground beef before grilling can reduce HCAs by up to 90 percent. And according to this recipe, the taste is undetectable.

So get your ingredients together, get some friends over and start enjoying healthy food and good times. Many thanks to Fit Sugar for the information for this article.

Technorati Tags: brain health, holistic wellness, men over 50, nutrition, women over 50

From a recent post at “Your Health…Your Lifestyle” at TRICARE Communications with info to make healthy choices for life!

Whole kernel or on the cob contains a potent phytochemical called ferulic acid. You’ll also find this super phenol in tomatoes and rice bran. Ferulic acid fights cell-damaging free radicals and diminishes plaque buildup in artery walls. New research shows the compound helps you skirt a host of chronic conditions, from Alzheimer’s disease to cancer.It also contains lutein, a nutrient that may help protect your eyes from aging. A half cup of corn contains a mere 66 calories and has a respectable two grams of fiber.

Technorati Tags: brain health, holistic wellness, men over 50, nutrition, women over 50

I received an e-mail from Melissa Murphy today asking for some help with her campaign. Seems like a good program and website. Here are her comments and I will post the website and one of their video’s below.

The older we get, the harder it can be to stay active and fit. However, here is one more reason to keep moving – light exercise can help reduce the risk and pains associated with osteoarthritis, which affects 27 million Americans.

Age is a risk factor for this disease, but osteoarthritis is NOT inevitable. There are small changes that you can make to your lifestyle today that can reduce your risk for developing osteoarthritis tomorrow! I’m writing to you on behalf of the Arthritis Foundation and the Ad Council to let you know about their new campaign,Fight Arthritis Pain, and ask you to help us educate about this important and positive message.

Here is a brief summary:

- It’s easy (and fun!) to incorporate more movement into your life – watch the entertaining campaign PSAs here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8bV5eV-wFQ

- Throughout the month of May (National Arthritis Month), there will be over 100 Arthritis Walks held nationwide to help raise awareness and funds to help improve the lives of those that live with arthritis. For more info visit:
www.fightarthritispain.org

- The campaign website (www.fightarthritispain.org) provides fantastic resources, including a tool for assessing your osteoarthritis risk, community support forums a local events calendar, and a movement tracker widget that can be shared on social networking sites and will help keep you on track as you try to move daily.

Website  www.fightarthritispain.org

Unpaid advertisement

Technorati Tags: holistic wellness, men over 50, pain management, women over 50

Like a road sign or a compass, the reason why we do something is much more important than how we do it. How is the procedure. It is the mechanics of doing all the steps to get to our goal. Why is what lets us reach our goals. It gives us our starting point and helps us to define our path. It tells us where we want to be at the end of the journey. It reminds us what we were doing if we wander off our path. It allows us to adapt, improvise and overcome when obstacles get in our way. It helps us to keep going when we have lost all hope of ever getting to where we want to be.

So, the next time you are stressing out about planning and other miniscule details, remember the why. The how is important, but the why is the reason we are doing it. Sit back for a minute and remember why and then go forward, because life is about the journey and the why not the destination.

Some related articles:

Asking ‘why’ instead of ‘how’ helps consumers achieve goals of saving money or losing weight

Change Your Life Your Way

Research, The Anchor Of Any Plan

Technorati Tags: holistic wellness, mind health, weight loss, Why