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Showing posts with the label Irritable bowel syndrome

Max out your nutrients — a guide to super-healthy eating

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Botanist James Wong knows his onions, and he says eat the red ones If microwaved in a little water, for a short time, broccoli’s vitamin A and carotene levels increase by five It’s been a while, I tell the botanist and broadcaster James Wong, the author of How to Eat Better, since I’ve looked inside a cookbook (I mean, an aspirational cookbook, its cover luscious with fruit, with an aesthetically pleasing author) and found a recipe for macaroni cheese, containing loads of cheddar and Parmesan and a litre of milk. Yes, the pasta is wholemeal, but it feels verboten. I mean, are we even allowed to refer to “creamy, cheesy goodness”? “How scandalous! Dairy! And a litre of it!” exclaims Wong, feigning shock. However, having not included options for the “lactose intolerant”, the Kew Gardens-trained botanist — familiar as the face of programmes such as the award-winning BBC Two show Grow Your Own Drugs, and a regular on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time — admits to being “a bit wo...
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Your Wellness Profile All of us have had health-related issues at some time or other. Whether it's low back pain, headaches, asthma, gastritis, an ankle sprain, or a rotator cuff injury, we've all had a health problem that ultimately needed treatment. Chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and various types of cancer are especially difficult and usually require interacting with multiple specialists over many years. However, regardless of our health history, it's worthwhile for all of us to stop for a bit, sit down quietly, and take stock of our current health status. As we carefully assess our current situation and where we'd like to be, telling the truth to ourselves is very important. Remarkably, engaging in the process of such an honest overview may create an opening for a new appreciation of the personal importance of health. It's likely that we will notice some dissatisfaction with our current health circumstances and may experience ...

The Therapeutic Science Of Adult Coloring Books

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The Therapeutic Science Of Adult Coloring Books: How This Childhood Pastime Helps Adults Relieve Stress Colouring used to be reserved for children and the occasional adult who got to babysit them, but recently, the activity has found a different demographic. What started as a niche hobby has now turned into an international trend, as adult coloring books find themselves on more and more bestsellers’ lists throughout the world. However, while this trend may be a fun way to pass the time, it’s the books’ therapeutic properties that really have them flying off shelves. Adult coloring is both beautiful and relaxing.  Maxime De Ruyck CC BY 2.0 The Healing Power Of Art Art may not be able to cure disease, but it can surely make coping with it a lot better. Researchers have acknowledged the therapeutic qualities of art for years, and today, art therapy is used to help people express themselves when what they’re feeling is too difficult to put into words, such as when they’re...

The truth about potatoes

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The TRUTH about Potatoes, Glycemic Index, and “White Foods” — Do they help or hurt Fat Loss? Posted on  August 25, 2016 The TRUTH about Potatoes, Glycemic Index, and “White Foods” — Do they help or hurt Fat Loss? by  Mike Geary , Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer Author of best-sellers:   The Fat Burning Kitchen  &  The Top 101 Foods that FIGHT Aging I’d like to start a little discussion today about carbohydrates… and in particular, “white foods” as well as potatoes. One reason I wanted to mention this is because so many health and fitness professionals trash talk potatoes about being a bad carbohydrate choice because of the high glycemic index. Some even say such ridiculous things as “avoid any and all white carbohydrates”. Ok, now while I certainly agree that white bread and refined white sugar are two of the worst things we can be feeding our bodies, I definitely don’t agree with avoiding any ...
How massage can help with stress Stress is universal, and it’s not always bad. Whenever you jump to catch a badly thrown ball, feel especially energetic before an important meeting, or hit the brakes in time to avoid a car accident, stress is doing its job. The adrenaline boosting your heart rate and the cortisol boosting your blood sugar, while diverting energy away from your digestive system and immune responses, are exactly what prehistoric humans needed to fight or flee attackers. However, when there’s never any relief from stress, the sustained fight-or-flight response can cause problems. In fact, WebMD warns that constant stress actually becomes “distress — a negative stress reaction. Distress can lead to physical symptoms including  headaches , upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. Research suggests that stress also can bring on or worsen certain symptoms or diseases.” BEHAVIOR CHANGES Angry outbursts Drug or alcohol ab...
Apple cider vinegar Numerous peer-reviewed studies have looked at the blood sugar, carbohydrate, and insulin management effects of consuming apple cider vinegar before and/or after a meal. For example, one study showed a 19% decrease in blood sugar levels when consuming 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar after a high carbohydrate meal. Another study in which participants consumed 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bed resulted in their morning fasting blood sugar levels decreasing by 4%. But what are the actual results of apple cider (ACV) vinegar on fatloss?  Well, there has only been one study conducted looking at ACV and weightloss directly, that being a 175-participant study conducted in Japan.  In the study, 175 obese but otherwise healthy individuals consumed either ACV or water daily for 12 weeks.  At the end of the study period, the ACV group lost 1 - 2 pounds each while the water group lost no wei...
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Soothe the pain and suffering of IBS with THIS miraculous garden secret By Glenn S. Rothfeld, M.D. In my garden, it grows like a bully—scrambling for every bit of space and pushing the other herbs out of the way each spring. In my food, it adds brightness and a Mediterranean flare. It settles my stomach… and it freshens both my cocktails  and  my breath. On top of all that, it also has a powerful effect on irritable bowel syndrome. If you’ve got IBS—which affects as much as 15 percent of the population—you’ve experienced the disabling spasms, abdominal pain, and either diarrhea or constipation (frequently both). And you know all too well that there’s no easy conventional remedy. But peppermint turns out to be an  unconventional  natural cure that provides miraculous relief for folks suffering from IBS, whose only other options are prescription drugs with a litany of side effects. Take back your quality of life Dozens of studies have been perf...