How stress affects your brain - Madhumita Murgia

Why Is It Important To Know About Nutrition?

One subject which is most fascinating and most complicated is that of Dietetics. It is also fascinating because it is personal and individual as the whole of life depends on it. Just as no two cases are alike or respond similarly to treatment, it is very true in diet that one man's food is another man's poison.

The subject is complicated because we are living in an age of commercialism, and millions have been invested in the manufacturing of demineralized, processed, dead products for which a large demand has been created by misleading advertisement. Besides adulteration is very much on the increase.

The general public devoid of exact knowledge concerning food values buys these improvised poisonous products, unaware of the fact that they undermine health, vitality and bring about disease conditions which are at times irreparable.

Faulty nutrition is one of the most insidious and unrecognized enemies of mankind. Human diet needs reorientation from a scientific point of view. Without doubt, the ability to feed rationally has lost and unfortunately, the medical profession has not been very helpful along dietetic lines.

We all along talk in terms of disease. Medical journals and medical libraries abound in material or diseases and how to combat them. It is rare to find in their pages any extensive literature on diet in relation to health.

Are we giving any thought and consideration to the food that we eat daily? Our food and eating habits determine in no small manner our general outlook on life. Food and not drugs is the basis of health. Nutrition lays the foundation for the development and maintenance of physical, mental, and moral fitness. The influence of food and diet on public health and morals has been and will always be an important factor in the progress and welfare of the human race.

Pure air to breathe, wholesome water to drink, and right quality of food to eat should be secured by the State for all its citizens, the poorest as well as the richest. The man who deals in impure, diseased and adulterated food is a malefactor and should be treated as such.

A government which permits the sale of injurious foods or allows tampering with manipulation of foods, by any man or combination of men, for financial gain is not serving its citizen in a just, wise or human manner.

There are three important factors which are at present undermining the health and vitality of nations:

Our enervating system of commercial competition.
The increasing consumption of stimulants, narcotics, drugs, tobacco, alcoholic beverages.
And last, and probably the most important factor: faulty inadequate, indiscriminate feeding during all periods of life.
It is not claimed that complete knowledge has yet been attained on this subject. There is still much to be learnt about nutrition, but that should not deter us from this subject which is very vital to physical, mental and spiritual health.
In presenting my work to the public and practitioners in the healing art (as the result of study and experience in the healing profession from the standpoint of a physician on preventive lines and a believer in Nature as the wisest of all teachers) and I consider not only diet of all cures to be placed above all methods in the healing art, but also food which is the first of all the weapons of preventive medicine.

However novel the facts presented may seem to some readers, they are by no means new as they have been handed down to us by the early pioneers of Nature Cure based upon biological principles which are as old as the human race. Besides, with the advancement of the science of dietetics there is no longer the jumbled mass of empirical notions which it included in the past.

Thanks to the painstaking researchers of Pavlov, Rubner, Atwater, Benelict, Chittendon, Mandel, Osborne, McCollum, Otto Carque, John Harvey Kellogg, Sir Robert McCarrison and other scientists in the field, perhaps equally worthy of mention, we now possess knowledge instead of assumptions, facts instead of fancies, scientific standards in place of empirical though time-honoured notions and sanctions.

The main problem of food in relation to health and disease cannot be reduced to any cut and dried theory or system, otherwise it may create various diet fads and dietary methods which may be confusing and often contradictory.

Eating for health should not involve any highly complicated knowledge if we could sensibly get rid of the artificial foods and artificial eating customs built up by the conditions of our artificial civilization.

It is difficult, for economical and other reasons, to get rid of these elements of artificially in diet completely, so a knowledge of the science of food is essential to enable one to judge which commercial foods and acquired tastes are helpful and which are harmful. The best single principle, around which one can construct a workable system of health-building dietetics, is a faith in the value of natural foods.

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Spotting the Signs of Anorexia

Eating disorders are dangerous illnesses that affect both physical and mental health. More and more people become the victims of eating disorders nowadays. A disturbing fact is that eating disorders such as anorexia (Anorexia Nervosa) and bulimia (Bulimia Nervosa) have high mortality rates. Around ten percent of people with anorexia die from starvation and malnourishment.

The persons with anorexia usually deny the facts of being confronted with a problem. They start by feeling constrained by their body weight and physical appearance and then end up by developing obsessions with food, weight and staying thin. They indulge in harmful behaviors, carefully portioning and restricting the amount of food they consume. People with anorexia also have a false perception of their body image, living with the permanent impression that they are fat, even if they are underweight.

Anorexia, just like other eating disorders can be treated. However, in order to overcome the illness, people with anorexia need all the help they can get. Although at first they may refuse any kind of intervention from the exterior, it is important to encourage them and to provide them with care and support. In order to prevent and to overcome anorexia, it is vital to keep an eye on its signs. If you suspect that someone you know may be suffering from such an eating disorder, it is very important to know the signs of anorexia.

The signs of anorexia are usually easy to identify, due to dramatic changes in physical aspect and behavior. The most obvious sign of anorexia is inappropriate body weight. Most anorexics weigh a lot less than they should. The persons with anorexia are constantly preoccupied with their weight, the amount of calories contained by the food they consume and with keeping drastic diets. Anorexics tend to bring issues regarding food and body weight into discussion in every conversation. They sometimes do it unknowingly, due to their need of expressing their obsessive, troubling thoughts.

Other signs of anorexia are excessive physical activities like jogging or work outs. Also, people with anorexia tend to isolate themselves from the world and they refuse to participate in many activities due to their complexions of being fat and repulsive. Anxiety, agitation and even violent impulses are also signs of anorexia.

Women and girls that suffer from anorexia experience irregular menstrual periods. Low body weight and menstrual problems or infertility are obvious signs of anorexia in girls.

Anorexics usually have unpredictable reactions and they quickly jump from one mood to another. They may appear to be relaxed and calm at one moment, while the next moment they may burst into tears. Emotional instability is therefore another sign of anorexia.

Other signs of anorexia are unusual hair loss, internal disturbances like stomachaches, burns or constipation, migraines, low blood pressure, unstable body temperature, heart problems and dehydration.

Keep in mind that in order to prevent an anorexic from causing further damage to oneself you should quickly spot the presence of the disorder by paying attention to the signs of anorexia.

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Test Your Own Stress Level with Holmes-Rahe Quiz

Stress! We all know what it is - the pressure of life and work, the strain of keeping ahead of the game, the emotional and physical effects of having too much to do with too little time to do it in, and, above all, the result of believing we have no control over what happens to us. But is there any way to predict how much stress we're under, and what effect it might have on us?Indeed there is!

Many years ago, Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe at the University of Washington interviewed 5000 people in detail about their lives and then followed them through the next few years to see how their health changed. What they found has gone down in the history of stress research as a classic piece of work.It turned out that you can rate the chances of someone becoming ill in the next year on the basis of the events that happened to them up to twelve months ago. And the more stressful the event, the higher the chances of them becoming ill. Nothing has changed since Holmes and Rahe did their research: the things that made people stressed back in the 1960s still threaten our health. It's just that nowadays we face many more stressful things than people did in the 1960s.If you want to know if you're at risk of developing a stress-related illness in the year ahead, look at this list of events and see if any of them have happened to you in the past twelve months:

Death of spouse; divorce; marital separation; jail term; death of close family member; personal injury or illness; marriage; fired at work; marital reconciliation; retirement; change in health of family member; pregnancy; sex difficulties; gain of new family member; business adjustment; change of financial state; death of close friend; change to different line of work; change in number of arguments with spouse; mortgage over £100,000; foreclosure of mortgage or loan; change in responsibilities at work; son or daughter leaving home; wife begins or stops work; begin or end university; change in living conditions; revision of personal habits; trouble with boss; change in work hours or conditions; change in residence; change in university/schools; change in recreation; change in church activities; change in social activities; mortgage or loan less than £100,000; change in sleeping habits; change in number of family get-togethers; change in eating habits; vacation; trouble with in-laws; outstanding personal achievement; minor violations of the law.

Broadly speaking, the lower down the list, the less stressful an item is. The higher up the list, the more stressful. Although of course this is in no way a complete list of stressful events, these are the most important ones - the ones most likely to make us ill.Holmes and Rahe gave points to each item on the list and then discovered that the total number of points a person scored was closely related to the chance of them becoming ill in the next twelve months. You can see the complete list of stressful events and how many points each is worth at the website listed in the resources box. You can also work out your chance of becoming ill through a stress related problem.What's the lesson here? We all have to live in a world where there are real challenges like the ones above. There's no escaping stress, and in fact some experts have said it's good for us - but only in moderation! It's when we can't control what happens to us that we develop stress-related problems.So, if you think you might be at risk of stress, the answer is to act now. Find something that acts as a counterpoint to your stress levels - relaxation, holistic therapy, a hobby, quality time with your loved ones. It might just be the difference between a serious illness and a happy, healthy life.

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Stress: Is Meditation a Viable Alternative to Medications?

One of the biggest health concerns American adults face is stress.

 There's tons of research available that shows how damaging stress can be for your physical and mental health. Using stress management techniques is key to reducing your chances of developing ailments, such as depression, obesity, diabetes and heart disease. These diseases are indirectly related, since stress causes most people to overeat unhealthy foods. When you eat too much toxic foods, diseases like cancer can form. At this point, it would be best to obtain the services of a naturopathic oncologist.

You'll quickly learn that the best alternative cancer treatment is prevention. If you can minimize your chances of stress, you can in turn reduce your risk of developing related diseases. This is why it's recommended that you engage in stress-reducing activities, such as meditation.

Can Meditation Really Help Reduce Stress?

When you think of someone meditating, what likely comes to mind is someone sitting down with their legs crossed and their eyes closed. Some even meditate while lying down. However, this is only one way of practicing meditation. There's another concept called mindfulness meditation and it has shown to help lower stress.

What is Mindfulness Meditation?

Practicing mindfulness meditation is simple. All you're doing is living in the now, which means keeping your mind focused on the present only. You'll find that majority of one's stress stems from thoughts of the past and future. If you're at work thinking about the argument you had the night before or worrying about an upcoming event you have to plan for, then you're not mindful of the present.

These type of thoughts are distracting and only build up your stress levels. The key is to be mindful of the present, but without judgment. Studies show that those who learn how to effectively meditate in this manner are able to lower their stress levels. This was determined by measuring the stress hormone called ACTH, as well a pro-inflammatory cytokines (both of which were reduced).

Research shows inflammation is linked to disease, including cancer. Allowing your body to become toxic with stress hormones is only increasing your chances of this illness. You can consult with a naturopathic oncologist at alternative cancer treatments centers to learn preventive methods you can implement today.

But is it a Replacement for Medication?

This is the million dollar question, especially since millions of people are prescribed medications each day. Any chance you have of eliminating a prescription drug is a good thing. Studies show that this type of meditating can actually replace the need for pain medications. In the research, the participants who practiced it witnessed a 57 percent reduction in pain discomfort and 40 percent decrease in pain intensity.

This alone should convince people of the power of meditation. You can learn more about improving your lifestyle from a naturopathic oncologist, who also specializes in treatments like detoxification, IV vitamin therapy and chelation therapy.

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This Is Why You Should Sleep on Your Left Side

Healthy Lifestyle For A Healthy Life

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle involves determination and devotion with an optimistic concept about our life. All we have to do is follow a few simple steps that will improve our health. This should focus on physical, mental, and social well-being. Many factors around us contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Learning to live a healthier lifestyle is simple when we focus on modifying one thing at a time. Small changes can make a big difference in our life.

A balanced diet is essential to lead a healthy lifestyle. Include more fruits and vegetables in the daily diet. Stay away from processed food and junk food. Eat organic fruits and vegetables. Do not prefer a high calorie diet. Talk to a doctor or dietitian for personalized dietary advice that takes into account your health status. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Supplying enough water to our body is one of the ultimate efforts for a healthier and happier living.

Exercise at least 30 minutes a day to improve the mental and physical strength. Even modest weight loss can help reduce medical risks. Experimental studies show that regular physical exercises can significantly improve mental health. Cardiac workouts will strengthen the heart and lungs. It involves activities such as swimming, aerobics, walking, and running. Exercise does not essentially indicate joining a gymnasium or club. Even simple activities like everyday job, gardening, and walking can make a difference.
Emotional health plays a big role in a healthy lifestyle. Remember that happy people live longer. Stress can affect our mental and psychological stability by creating an imbalance. Have a positive attitude towards life. Yoga and meditation will help release stress and negative thoughts. Spend some time and energy to improve the quality of your life and living. Avoid unhealthy practices and focus on factors that influence the physical and mental health. Give importance to good and healthy relationships. It will make this world a better place to live.

A healthy lifestyle can increase a person's longevity. Correct body mass index, balanced diet, and proper fitness plans can make dramatic improvements in your health. Enjoying the life needs a personal effort and motivation. Making enjoyable leisure activities a part of the daily schedule will bring happiness and joy. Everyday living is about keeping the equilibrium of our mind and body. Learning to live a healthier lifestyle is easy when you focus on one small thing at a time.

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Health & Mental Health Benefits of Running