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Spring Cleaning: 4 Strategies to Cleanse Your Body for Optimum Health

Winter is finally on its way out in most of the Northern Hemisphere. Soon we will be spending more time outdoors enjoying the warm weather and generally trying to be healthier. Spring is a time of fresh new beginnings, which is why millions engage in the tradition of deep cleaning and decluttering. Spring cleaning your body also can have benefits, gently detoxifying your organs and helping you to fully embrace a healthier, more vital new season. Here are four strategies for accomplishing just that.

1. Clean Your Body After Holiday Indulgences

For many people, winter is not a healthy season. Holiday eating, New Year’s drinking and other celebrations can take their toll. In addition, many people feel run down from winter illnesses. This can strain our body’s natural detoxifying mechanisms and lead to a variety of vague complaints, such as difficulty sleeping, digestive issues and fatigue.

Gentle, full body cleanses are the best way to end the winter blahs quickly and effectively. This does not require extreme fad diets, however. Simple, gentle methods can be the best full body cleanses, such as:

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetabt ales, especially ones that are raw and organic.
Partaking in saunas or other treatments that allow you to sweat and open pores.
Eating more fiber, both soluble and insoluble fiber; these encourage better gastrointestinal motility and health.
Enjoying natural detoxifying herbs, such as dandelion, milk thistle and turmeric.

2. Jump Start Your Gut Flora

New research is showing that our gut flora is more important that we could have previously known. The bacteria in our intestines can help — or harm — our immune system, metabolism or even our mental health. Gut flora remove toxins, assist in absorbing nutrients and support good health in a variety of ways. Resetting your gut bacteria can have a profound effect on your whole body health.

A short colon cleanse can rejuvenate the large intestine and remove excess fecal matter that has been causing bloating and weighing you down. However, this is not enough to overhaul your gut flora on its own. It is also important to begin taking both probiotic and prebiotic supplements or one product that contains both to ensure the growth of beneficial bacteria.

Why are these two supplements so crucial to gut health? Most people are familiar with probiotics, which are living bacteria that have been found to have positive effects on health. However, most living things require nutrients in order to get established and flourish in a new environment. Prebiotics are the soluble plant fiber that helps to feed beneficial bacteria, similar to the fertilizer used in gardening. A prebiotic supplement will ensure that the right bacterial populations can thrive and yield the most benefits for your health throughout both this spring and the rest of 2018.

3. Gently Detoxify Your Organs With Spring Cleaning Phytochemicals

The indulgences of winter can be difficult on the liver and kidneys, both of which are essential for both metabolism and detoxification. Several natural strategies have been found to assist in gently boosting your body’s natural detox processes. To give your liver the boost it needs, consider one or all of the following tips:

Drink plenty of water — at least eight glasses a day.
Eat a variety of greens such as spinach and kale. These contain energy-producing chlorophyll as well as phytonutrients that gently cleanse vital organs.
Eat more sour and bitter foods. The compounds that produce these strong flavors also have detoxifying properties.
Rely on healthy, plant fats such as olive oil rather than more processed oils from grains or animals.
Reduce or eliminate toxic substances such as white sugar, nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol from your diet.

4. Improve Your Energy Levels for Warmer Weather

Warmer weather makes most people want to get outside. However, it is easy to be stuck in the winter blahs. You will feel more eager to get outside if you choose detoxifying strategies that also increase energy. First, eat plenty of fruit and vegetables to bump up your vitamin levels. Second, get out into the sunlight. Sun helps your body to naturally produce vitamin D, which is crucial for energy and good mood. Last, get your sleep cycles on track. Thoroughly overhauling your circadian rhythm is one of the best ways to spring clean your life and your health habits for healthier, more rested warm weather months.

A thorough cleaning of your home will make it feel brighter, lighter, and more spacious. A cleansing detox should similarly help you feel more energy and motivation. There is no reason to enter the warm weather months without the optimal health that you deserve.

Resveratrol and Depression: Recent Research Offers Hope for New Treatments

Feb 23 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Resveratrol, a compound most commonly know to be found in grapes and wine, has been hailed in research as a potential future treatment benefiting everything from cellular health to cardiovascular health. Many of these health benefits appear to be linked to the compound’s anti-inflammatory actions. According to new research on resveratrol and depression, this safe and natural supplement may also be an effective way of tackling one of the United States’ most challenging mood disorders.

Treating Depression: A Modern Challenge

Modern people report experiencing depression and anxiety more than generations past. In fact, over 18 percent of American adults are suffering from this mood disorder at any given time. Although all people have times when they are sad, clinical depression is more than mere sadness. In fact, it can be incredibly debilitating. People with this illness suffer from a wide variety of symptoms including fatigue, difficulty eating and sleeping, a loss of pleasure in normal daily activities and even physical pain.

Despite the growing prevalence of depression, there are very few evidence-based treatment options. The current recommendations call for antidepressant medications combined with therapy and lifestyle changes. Although there is a wide availability of these treatments, more than half of people with clinical depression do not respond to medical therapies. For these people, depression is often a long term and even lifelong battle simply to enjoy life. However, new research suggests that resveratrol may be a natural solution to the treatment of certain types of depression.

Resveratrol and Depression Treatment: New Hope

Prior research on resveratrol and mood disorders has been promising. A prior study found that mice who are given supplements of this flavonoid had a smaller inflammatory response to stress. They showed epigenetic changes consistent with higher levels of resilience. These mice also had smaller amounts of the brain synapse changes that are associated with both stress and major depressive disorder. Mice who take resveratrol have also been found to show lower levels of behaviors associated with clinical depression.

New research has shown more light on the connection between stress-related inflammation and depression. For this study, researchers distilled the three polyphenols present in grapes — including resveratrol — that they believed were responsible for preventing the inflammation and changes in brain synapses. Mice who received a supplement containing these polyphenols showed less of an inflammatory response. Surprisingly, the polyphenols each appear to reduce inflammation and neurological changes in different ways. They work synergistically to produce a measurable decrease in symptoms of depression. This could shed light on the mechanisms behind many of the health benefits attributed to resveratrol.

Are You Getting Enough Resveratrol?

Although more research will be needed to determine if the same effect is present in humans, this is promising research. Not only does it propose a new and potentially more effective therapy for depression, but it also offers new insight into the physiological cause of depression. Resveratrol appears to have a variety of positive effects on both physical and emotional health, which leads many to wonder: Are we getting enough resveratrol in our diets?

Many of the foods that contain high levels of resveratrol are not common in the Western diet. These foods include:

certain nuts such as peanuts and pistachios
red grapes and foods and drinks that contain these, such as wine
red and blue berries such as cranberries and blueberries
chocolate and cocoa, especially dark chocolate

Many people in the United States and Europe are not eating enough of these foods to get the health benefits of resveratrol. If you are concerned about getting enough of this disease-fighting compound, there are also resveratrol supplements. These can ensure that you get the health benefits of this compound even when your diet isn’t perfect.

Natural Ways to Improve Your Mood

Although there are few medical options for treating depression, there are several natural remedies that have been found to be effective. In addition to resveratrol, consider trying the following strategies:

Keep a set routine even if you don’t feel like it.
Get plenty of physical exercise, especially in the outdoors.
Make sure you are getting enough sleep and sleeping at roughly the same times every day.
Set small and easily attainable goals.
Consider taking supplements that have been found to have an effect on depression, such as fish oil, folic acid, and SAMe.

Although depression is a difficult battle regardless of your treatment approach, it does not have to be a lifelong struggle. There are a variety of different options, many completely natural, that may be able to help you overcome this illness. Resveratrol is not yet approved as a remedy for depression, but ongoing studies show that it is very promising in treating this difficult-to-treat illness.

Curcumin Brain Benefits Include Boosting Memory and Mood

Feb 14 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

A lot has been written lately about the health benefits of curcumin. Although many people enjoy this spice for its distinctive flavor, it appears to have even more to offer. In fact, it appears to have a variety of positive effects on health. According to several studies on curcumin and the benefits to the brain, it may even help to protect our brains from disease while helping us to feel better on a daily basis.

What Is Curcumin?

Curcumin is a compound found in turmeric that gives turmeric powder its distinctive yellow color and spicy taste. Although it is best known for its place in Indian food, particularly yellow curries, it also is used in Latin food and a variety of spicy cuisines. Although it is a flavor loved by many people, some people dislike both curcumin and spicy foods. While these people may feel they are not missing out on any cuisine, they may in fact be missing out on some very important health benefits, as curcumin appears to be a healthy choice in a wide variety of ways.

Could a Curry Be Good For Your Health?

Many cultures have used turmeric root as a traditional home remedy for a variety of medical conditions, from infections to pain, and new research is suggesting that this spice may indeed have a variety of medical uses. Curcumin in particular has been found to possess powerful anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properites, both of which encourage health by fighting the underlying causes of many diseases.

As early as 2010, researchers noted that curcumin was effective in supporting healthy cell growth in several different cancers, including cancers of the head, neck, prostate and colon. It was also found to sooth minor pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis and tendinitis. However, the real benefits of this compound may lie in its effects on the brain.

New Curcumin Brain Benefits Found

Researchers began studying curcumin’s effects on the brain after noting that Alzheimer’s disease is significantly less common in India, where people consume turmeric as part of their traditional daily diet. They found that curcumin appears to have neuroprotective effects, encouraging the repair and regrowth of brain tissues. Later studies on rats found that curcumin’s effects on brain regeneration can be seen not just in Alzheimer’s disease, but in stroke as well. In fact, it promotes the growth of new brain tissue by around 80 percent.

However, even younger people may be able to enjoy benefits from taking a supplement that contains curcumin. According to new research this year, people who take a curcumin supplement score higher on tests of memory. In addition, this spice appears to support healthy mood, performing as well as several prescription antidepressants in clinical trials.

Researchers are currently performing more studies to find out exactly how curcumin can have such a wide range of positive effects. Its proven role as an anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory likely contribute, but there may also be special factors unique to this compound. We still do not understand completely how this compound interacts with our cells. Because there are no serious side effects associated with curcumin, a growing number of people are beginning to take supplements that contain this ingredient.

Nutrition as Medicine: Eating Your Way to Good Health

Can you really lower disease risk, improve your memory and feel better simply by eating curry? The recommendations are mixed. Most experts do not feel that the turmeric in your spice cabinet contains enough bioavailable curcumin to make a measurable difference. However, people in India who routinely eat turmeric on a daily basis have around one-tenth the Alzheimer’s risk of Americans. Clearly, eating turmeric can make a difference if you eat enough of it.

Diet and nutrition appear to have a greater impact on our general health than we previously realized. The Western diet in particular appears to fall short
when it comes to promoting good health and preventing disease. However, the wide availability of foods from other countries along with the range of supplements on the market have made it so we all can enjoy the health benefits of a balanced diet even when our lifestyle choices fall a bit short.

Most people in the West do not eat spicy curries every day. We still can enjoy the disease-fighting benefits of turmeric. Although there is no way to guarantee that you will maintain optimal brain health throughout your life span, getting enough curcumin in your daily life just may increase your odds.

Does Crash Dieting Hurt Your Heart?

Feb 09 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Many people all over the globe are endlessly trying to lose a few pounds — or more. While doctors recommend accomplishing this through sustainable lifestyle changes, the diet industry often has other ideas. Advertisements on television, the internet and in magazines often claim that people can lose weight quickly through extremely restrictive diets. However, crash dieting is ineffective, with most people gaining back the lost weight and often more quickly after losing it. In addition, research is finding that these diets can have a wide variety of negative effects on overall health, particularly heart health.

The Dangers of Crash Dieting

Crash diets include a wide variety of approaches. These diets include popular “cleanses,” intermittent fasting, detox plans and other diets. Regardless of the name, these diets all have one thing in common: extreme restriction of calories in the name of fast weight loss. While most dieters will indeed lose weight quickly by eating a minimal amount of calories, this approach has several negative health effects.

The foremost argument against a crash diet is that they aren’t sustainable. People require a certain amount of protein, fat and vitamins to survive. Eventually they will return to their old eating habits. In addition, crash diets also can have the following negative effects:

Nutrient deficiencies: Several essential vitamins and minerals must be eaten in order to sustain good health. A very low calorie diet is unlikely to provide these.
A feeling of unwellness: Restricted caloric intake can leave people feeling fatigued and foggy.
Lower metabolism: A body starved of calories will conserve them by slowing your basal metabolic rate.
Loss of lean muscle: Although your body will burn fat to create energy, it also will burn muscle tissue.
Decreased mental health: Caloric restriction is bad for mental health, leading to a higher rate of depression, eating disorders and other mental illness.
Decreased immune system: The immune system relies on certain vitamins to keep our immune system running effectively.

According to new research, a crash diet also may have more serious effects, particularly on the cardiovascular system.

Can Restrictive Dieting Hurt Your Heart?

Doctors have long noted a link between restricted calorie diets and cardiac arrhythmias. This is likely due to deficiencies of certain minerals and electrolytes that are essential to coordinated cardiac muscle function. In addition, crash diets have been linked to extremely low blood pressure, which can cause a variety of negative effects including dizziness and fainting.

However, a new study shines light on other ways that extreme dieting can be bad for your health. Researchers used MRI, an advanced imaging technique, to look at the hearts of people who were using crash diets to lose weight. Although their overall body fat fell quickly, the fat surrounding their hearts actually increased by 44 percent. This sudden increase can make it much more difficult for the heart to effectively perform its main role of pumping blood. Predictably, the study participants also saw a corresponding decrease in heart function.

Both heart function and cardiac fat returned to normal after about eight weeks. However, this decrease in cardiac function could be dangerous for people with underlying cardiac conditions. Many people have conditions that they do not know about until the heart is strained, which can then become serious and even life-threatening.

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Extreme Dieting

Dr. Jennifer Raynor, one of the researchers, notes that there are also benefits to some extremely restrictive diets. People in the study saw a decrease in liver fat, less insulin resistance (the driving force behind type 2 diabetes) and other health benefits likely due to the weight loss. Many people benefit from getting closer to a healthy weight, however they decide to approach it. The answer, according to her, is to involve your physician.

“If you have heart problems, you need to check with your doctor before embarking on a very low-calorie diet or fasting. People with a cardiac problem could well experience more symptoms at this early time point, so the diet should be supervised.”

Losing Weight the Healthy Way

There are healthy ways to lose weight without straining your heart. However, these require long-term, sustainable lifestyle changes. If you are ready to lose weight for good, there are several approaches that have been found to be effective.

The most sensible way to lose weight long-term is to focus on eating healthy, with only a small calorie deficit. Most doctors recommend 1-2 pounds of weight loss a week as the perfect number. Find exercises that you enjoy enough to perform on a regular basis and make them part of your daily routine. In other words, change your entire approach to diet and exercise.

In addition, simply changing the times that you eat can help you to lose weight. Like all parts of the human body, your metabolism has a circadian rhythm. Eating at the same times every day allows your body to stay out of starvation mode and keeps your metabolism on a predictable schedule. There is also evidence that eating in the evening is more likely to cause weight gain due to metabolic changes that happen as our bodies prepare to sleep.

Losing weight can be difficult for many people. Losing weight in the wrong ways may even be dangerous. However, achieving a healthy weight is one of the most important things that a person can do to reduce disease risk and ensure that they enjoy the best possible health.

Taking Vitamin D to Soothe IBS Symptoms

Feb 05 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a common disorder in the modern world, affecting around 12 percent of people in the United States and other developed countries. Although it is believed to be autoimmune-related, in which the immune system attacks parts of the large intestine, doctors and scientists have little idea of how to treat it. As a result, many people are left with uncomfortable and even painful symptoms that are difficult to effectively treat. However, there is growing evidence that vitamin D for IBS may soothe many of the symptoms of this disorder. Could lifestyle changes and supplements be the answer that people are seeking?

What Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Is modern life making you sick to your stomach? This is an important question for the growing number of people in the developed world that suffer from IBS. Irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder that involves mainly the large intestine. People who have this disorder suffer from abdominal pain and cramping, flatulence, bloating and nausea. In addition, they may have diarrhea, constipation or alternating bouts of both. Most people with IBS have mild or moderate symptoms, with severe cases rare. However, even mild symptoms can be annoying and interfere with one’s ability to lead a normal life. In fact, IBS sufferers miss three times as many days at work as people who do not have the disorder.

There are multiple factors believed to cause or contribute to IBS. In addition to possible immune system attacks on the large intestine, imbalances in the natural flora of the intestine also appear to play a role. Other scientists have suggested that the problem is more mechanical, involving disordered muscular contractions or neurological supply to the area. Because there is no clear cause of IBS, there is no clear treatment. However, lifestyle changes, special diets and stress management can all be effective to some degree.

New Research on Vitamin D for IBS

Prior studies have found that people with IBS are more likely to have low vitamin D levels than the rest of the population. According to Dr. Bernard Corfe, professor at the University of Sheffield’s Department of Oncology and Metabolism, supplementing vitamin D may be key to reducing symptoms and improving quality of life. Dr. Corfe recently looked at the effects of vitamin D for IBS sufferers. His team performed an analysis of all known existing research looking at IBS and this vitamin. They found that not only is IBS linked to low vitamin D, but that taking a vitamin D supplement can actually reduce the symptoms of this illness.

Dr. Corfe and his research team acknowledge that more research will be needed before vitamin D is a formally recommended treatment. However, it appears clear that people with IBS should talk to their doctor about vitamin D testing and supplementation.

Vitamin D and Overall Health

IBS is not the only autoimmune disease linked to low vitamin D levels. Although this vitamin is best known for its role in strengthening bones, it also is crucial in modulating the immune system. Recent studies have linked vitamin D deficiency to a variety of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Low levels of this nutrient also have been linked to several types of cancer, such as colorectal cancer.

However, vitamin D deficiency is becoming more common. Much of our vitamin D comes not from food and supplements, but from the sun. People are more likely than ever to cover up or wear sunscreen; in addition, most people no longer work outside. Many doctors recommend taking a vitamin D supplement to make up for a lack of sources of natural vitamin D in modern life. You should not just take vitamin D for IBS, but for whole-body health.

Natural Ways to Treat IBS

Modern medicine has not yet developed a definitive treatment or cure for IBS. However, there are several lifestyle changes that can make a meaningful difference in both symptoms and their severity.

Consider taking a vitamin D supplement to address any deficiencies of this nutrient.
Take peppermint oil or drink peppermint tea, both of which have been shown to reduce IBS symptoms.
Consider taking an anti-histamine such as Claritin. Histamines appear to be involved in IBS flares, so these medications can help.
Eat more fiber, which can be helpful for both diarrhea and constipation.
Consider following the low FODMAP diet, which reduces foods believed to irritate the intestines in IBS sufferers.
Take a probiotic supplement to help build and maintain healthy gut flora.
Find ways to reduce stress. Both yoga and antidepressant medications have been shown to alleviate the symptoms of IBS.

No one should have to live with the pain and inconvenience of constant gastrointestinal trouble. Although researchers are still looking for a cure for irritable bowel syndrome, there are several natural ways to manage the symptoms and reduce the pain. As with many diseases, healthy lifestyle is the key to prevention and management.

Eating Fish Weekly Boosts Kids’ Intelligence and Improves Sleep

Feb 01 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

One of the most common parenting struggles occurs at the kitchen table. While most parents want their children to eat a healthy variety of foods, many children are picky eaters who make this a challenge. Introducing a variety of healthy foods is both time-consuming and expensive for many families. However, research suggests that nutrition is essential to both physical and mental health, and according to a new study, eating fish weekly may even make children smarter and help them to sleep better.

The Health Benefits of Fish

Aside from the health benefits of fish, people in the Western world are eating less of it than in prior generations. Although modern food storage and transportation have made seafood available even in inland areas, fish is expensive and requires care in both storage and preparation. Many people also have concerns about pollutants such as mercury that are present in certain types of seafood. Last, there are environmental concerns as over-fishing has compromised certain ecosystems. Even with these concerns, experts recommend that people eat fish in moderate amounts.

Limited seafood consumption decreases pollutant exposure and environmental impact, yet provides beneficial nutrients that would otherwise be lacking if it was avoided entirely. There are health benefits from fish that are difficult to get from other foods. Fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and other long chain fatty acids with proven positive effects. In addition, fish are a rich source of lean protein as well as several essential vitamins. Eating fish in moderation can improve one’s health immensely, and, as previously mentioned, eating fish weekly can especially benefit children.

Could Eating Fish Weekly Make Kids Smarter?

Everyone wants to give their children the best possible start in life, and existing research has suggested that there are several ways to do this. In particular, early child education, reading to children and supplementing their diet with long chain fatty acids (such as those found in fish) appear to have a measurable impact. Children who have these three factors consistently score higher on intelligence quotient (IQ) tests. Eating fish weekly also appears to improve children’s sleep, which in turn improves health and academic performance.

However, prior research has been slightly controversial for several reasons. Although it showed a link between eating seafood, high intelligence and better sleep, there were possible confounding factors. People who can afford fish, for example, may be more likely to be able to afford high-quality preschools and other things that improve intelligence. A new study has addressed these objections by looking solely at the effects of eating fish weekly on intelligence and sleep, with other factors accounted for.

New Links Between Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Sleep and Intelligence

Researchers looked at more than 500 children in China. Parents were asked about the children’s diet, particularly how often they ate fish. In addition, children underwent an intelligence test and evaluation of their sleeping habits. Finally, researchers controlled for parental education, family size and other factors that are purported to affect both intelligence and sleep. The results of this analysis showed a statistically significant link between eating fish, sleep quality and intelligence, even among children who otherwise had similar backgrounds and advantages.

How much of a difference can eating fish weekly make in a child’s life? Children who ate fish on a weekly basis had an average IQ that was 4.8 points higher than those who reported eating it rarely or never. Eating fish even occasionally raised IQ by 3.3 points. Eating fish weekly also was linked to a lower rate of sleep disturbances. Although this study did not look specifically at omega-3 fatty acids, these compounds are believed to be the reason for the improvements in sleep and intelligence.

A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Start

The evidence is clear that diet and other lifestyle factors can have a sizable impact on pediatric health. However, many parents struggle to help their children eat right. Many children have a natural preference for salty and sugary foods. In addition, many initially dislike the strong flavors of healthy foods such as fish and vegetables. However, the effort will likely pay off in better long-term health. There are a few ways that parents can encourage a healthy diet and teach children good habits for a lifetime:

Keep only healthy options in your home. Children will eat healthy foods when these are the only foods available.
Encourage children to enjoy treats in moderation rather than banning them altogether or restricting them excessively.
Praise healthy food choices rather than criticizing poor ones. Children, like all people, respond best to positive reinforcement.
Eat together. This allows children to see adults modeling healthy choices.
Do not force or pressure to eat. They will make healthy choices if these are the only ones available. Force will make them dislike healthy foods.
Give children control. Let them select foods at the store and request dishes they enjoy.
Supplement with an omega-3 fatty acid supplement if they show a long-term aversion to seafood.

Diet and nutrition appear to be important in a child’s lifelong health, intelligence and sleep quality. Although teaching them to eat healthy can be a challenge, it will lay the foundation for a lifetime of good choices and improved well-being.