Easy Ways to Boost Fiber Intake

SparkePeople  is online community where many people come and participating healthy activities.  The site assisted with diet, weight control, along with many tasty healthy recipe.  The following article is from Sparkpeople.com and I believe it benefits all of us. Vist and join this community to learn and exchange information with many others around the world.

Fiber is one of the easiest nutrients to incorporate into your diet, and one of the most important. However, many Americans don't reach their much-needed daily requirements for a healthy diet. Adults need 25 to 35 grams daily. Generally, children under 18 years require less. Using the "age plus five" rule will help you determine your child's needs. For example, a 5-year-old would need 10 grams daily (5 + 5 = 10), and a 10-year-old would need 15 grams (10 + 5 = 15).

Insufficient fiber intake can increase your risk for many health problems, including constipation, high cholesterol, weight gain, irritable bowel syndrome, and even cancer of the colon. Here are more fiber-rich tips:

• Choose fresh fruit and/or vegetables over juices.
• To get more fiber and nutrients, eat the skin of cleaned fruits and vegetables.
• Include bran and whole grain breads daily.
• Drink more water to accommodate your increased fiber intake and reduce indigestion.
• Eat fewer processed foods and more whole foods.
• Try to meet your fiber requirements with foods rather than supplements.
• A large increase in fiber over a short period of time could result in bloating, diarrhea, gas, and all-around discomfort. It is better to add fiber to your diet gradually over a recommended period of about three weeks, to avoid abdominal problems

Figuring Out Fiber

Article source:http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/reference_fiber.asp

Corn Silk - Natural Remediy For Overactive Bladder

Do you have Overactive Bladder or someone you know? Or do you have Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy ? Do you know there is natural remedy for overactive bladder? Corn silk has been used to treat overactive bladder for centuries in China and through out Asian countries. If you or your family have been suffering with these problems, there may be help from uncommon oriental herbal medicine.  Before we get to the medicine let's look at what is Overactive Bladder or Benign Prosatic Hypertrophy.  Overactive Bladder is when you have these symptoms:

• Feel a strong, sudden urge to urinate
• Experience urge incontinence, the involuntary loss of urine immediately following an urgent need to urinate
• Urinate frequently, usually eight or more times in 24 hours
• Awaken two or more times in the night to urinate (nocturia)

You have Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy, especially for those middle age  male with these symptom:

• A hesitant, interrupted, weak stream.
• Urgency and leaking or dribbling.
• More frequent urination, especially at night.  
  

Medicinal use of corn silk


Corn silk is unknown to many but it has great benefit in relieving bladder problems. It is natural remedy for all problem related bladder and kidney. Corn is rarely used as herbal medicine, but it has been written in Oriental Medicine, dry corn silk can use to effectively on bladder problems and has been used in Asia for centuries.   How can corn silk to contribute to cure or relive bladder, urethritis,  kidney or ureter stones in the urinary tract? The answer lies the tea made out from dried corn silk. 

Dried Corn silk tea  is good treatment of Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy,  and very effective in Overactive Bladder.  Pure natural remedy you can get easily especially corn is available through out the year on most market places. Among its bioactive chemicals are flavonoids, maysin, carvacrol, and polyphenols. Cornsilk detoxifies and relaxes the bladder with its diuretic effect.  Corn silk is also believed to have anti-inflammatory properties that treat inflammation, thereby reducing the frequency of urination.

How to prepare the corn silk tea

Gather corn silk and dry them under the sun.  Spread them well so it can dry evenly.  Once it is dried, stored them in tight container to prevent mold or rotting.  Use kettle or big pot and boil corn silk in medium to lower heat around 15-30min.  use strainer or kitchen towel to squeeze excess water out and discard the corn silk.  You can drink the tea in cold or warm 3-6 times a day for 30 days to see improvement.

Additional herbs you can combined with corn silk to increase the effect is using Buchu ( Barosma betulina ) - This plant is naturally found in South Africa, but it is also cultivated in South America. The therapeutic use of this plant can be traced back to as early as 12th century. Buchu is believed to be antiseptic and is currently being used by herbalists to treat mild urinary tract infections. The therapeutic effect of buchu is attributed to a chemical known as diosphenol. The diuretic chemical is believed to be the one responsible for improving the urinary system. The use of diuretic to treat incontinence may seem to be counterintuitive, but actually, bladder control is often affected by inflammation and mild infection. Typical tests sometimes fail to spot the inflammation or infection. Inflammation causes frequent urination and prevents complete discharge of urine from the bladder.  Article Source: Wellsphere - Health knowledge made personal

**Before you try out for corn silk tea, you need to discuss with your doctor about how serious your symptoms are or you can go to Acupuncture for better information on alternative treatment. Caution required for people with weak kidney  due to the tea has strong diuretic function.


For more information regarding benign prostatic Hypertrophy

For more information regarding Overactive  bladder

EAT A BANANA A DAY!

EAT A BANANA A DAY! Banana is an amazing fruit and  really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the  phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and  minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around  So maybe it is time to make a phrase, "A banana a  day keeps the doctor away!   The benefits of eating banana:

• Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from  depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas  contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin,  known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel  happier.
  
  
• PMS:  Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
  
  
•  Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood  and so helps in cases of anemia.
  
  
• Blood  Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt,  making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
  
  
• Brain  Power:  200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams  this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost  their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
  
  
• Constipation:  High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel  action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to  laxatives.
  
  
•  Hangovers:  One of the quickest ways  of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The  banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted  blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your  system.
  
  
• Heartburn:  Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from  heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing  relief.
  
  
• Morning  Sickness:  Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid  morning sickness.
  
  
• Mosquito  bites:  Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with  the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
  
  
  
• Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
  
  
• Overweight  and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at wor k leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels  steady.
  
  
• Ulcers:  The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the  stomach.
  
  
• Temperature  control:  Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the  physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand  , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a  cool temperature.
  
  
• Seasonal  Affective Disorder (SAD):  Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer  tryptophan.
  
  
• Smoking  & Tobacco Use:  Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body  recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
  
  
• Stress:  Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
  
  
• Strokes:  According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!
  
  
• Warts:  Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart,  take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out.  Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!
  
  

One  last tip:  Want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and  rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth.

Article source HelpingWomenOnline.com

The following article is from Realage  written by  Mehmet Oz, MD and Michael Roizen, MD, I thought it is nice article for everyone to know how to keep healthy when your life gets busy.

Best Health Boosters for Busy People

September 20, 2009 12:00 AM by Mehmet Oz, MD and Michael Roizen, MD |

4 comments

We know that you're busier than a starlet at The Ivy. But you can still get the CD for your friend's birthday made, the dishes and laundry done, and the squeak in your car looked at AND eat healthy meals and get physical activity. These multitaskers help you do it all throughout your day . . . and destress, too:
Cut your workout short. But make it harder. Guys who did four to six go-for-broke 30-second sprints on a bike got the same gains in muscle fitness as those who went for 90 to 120 minutes at a moderate pace. In a different study, the same type of sprints improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, meaning it decreased their risk for unhealthy blood sugar and, eventually, diabetes. Total calorie burn was a puny 250, so you'll still need longer workouts if you're looking to torch fat. But for your health, short, fast intervals will get you somewhere. Find out why short, powerful workouts can be just as good as long ones for muscling up.
Slim down while you wait for coffee. Okay, you can't lose 5 pounds just standing in line, but you can work on the good posture that will make you look like you've dropped a few. Tomorrow, instead of eavesdropping on other customers, focus on proper posture: back straight, butt in, chest out, shoulders back, head high, jaw aligned, making sure your top and bottom teeth aren't touching each other. Feel good? Practice this every day (sitting and standing), and you'll be amazed at the changes in how you look and feel.
When you get to the counter, consider ordering green tea. Odds are increasingly good that this brew helps cut your risk of cancer, keep blood pressure healthy, protect your memory, and reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. Discover how it can improve the look of your skin, too.

Corn and Corn Silk

We all know corn(sweetcorn) is good and fun to eat food but what do we know about corn silk. Most people throw away the corn silk but do you know corn silk has good medicinal property that will help and relive bladder control problem or other such as overactive bladder, urethritis, kidney or ureter stones in the urinary tract? In most country in Asia, China and Koran's has been used corn silk to treat these problems hundred years. Below are little bit of fact about corn and its use in food and medicinal purpose.

Interesting facts about corn

Corn has been around date back to B.C 5000-7000 and it is believed to be from Mexico and spread through out North and South America where Indians using it as food and trading. Corn was used in main dish as corn meal or compliment to fish or just eat as vegetable. In 1493, Columbus and other explorer saw corn grow in field, and seen how these natives used, they brought back in Europe. Then corn was spread out to rest of Europe as well as Africa.

The reason corn has sweet taste is due to the carbohydrate-rich foods. It is fun to eat corn with hand because of the the sweet taste of corn and also it fills well.  Corn contains good source of vitamin and many nutrients including thiamin (vitamin B1), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), folate, dietary fiber, vitamin C, phosphorus and manganese. The nutritional value of corn is high, especially to strengthen blood vessel walls, contains lecithin required for nerve tissue and skin , vitamin E to improve immunity and prevent dry skin such as eczema.

Corn is effective for patients with diabetes by lowering blood pressure and contains high level of antioxidants. It is also said thiamin in corn helps Alzheimer's disease by maintain corn in daily stable diet. For more information about corn and its benefits:

Medicinal use of corn silk

Corn is rarely used as herbal medicine, but it has been written in Oriental Medicine, dry corn silk can use to effectively cure on bladder problems.   How can corn silk could contribute to cure or relive bladder, urethritis, cystitis,  nephritis, kidney or ureter stones in the urinary tract? Drink tea made out of dried corn silk.  Benefits about corn silk read this article here.

Eat Rye Bread to Increase Daily Fiber Intake

Research suggested that eat rye bread to increase daily fiber intake is good method of curbing fat. A slice of rye bread toast in the morning reduce food craving later in afternoon. Rye contains more fiber then wheat bread and eating in the morning keep your stomachs from growling later in the day.

Research suggests that people who ate rye bread with breakfast were less hungry before and after lunch compared with people who ate wheat. Rye’s super-high fiber content probably contribute this factor. However,  researchers suspect that rye may also produce a lower insulin  than wheat bread (this would help with hunger), and that rye may have a unique fiber composition that keeps people feeling full longer.  Read full story at RealAge.

Video to help you with cooking fiber rich food.

Eating a high-fiber diet can make you  up to 3.5 years younger.

Natural Source of Vitamins

Lemon peel, rose hips, and orange peel are great natural source of  vitamins and other minerals. The high amount of Vitamin C found in each, along with calcium and other minerals is augmented with the presence of a healthy dose of bioflavinoids. The pectin content of the orange and lemon peels is also considered helpful for their ability to flush out excess amounts of heavy metals from the body.

Lemon Peel is used to treat colic and upset stomach and is a good source of calcium, potassium and vitamin A.  Lemon Peel contains calcium, phosphorus, potassium, ascorbic acid and vitamin A, as well as volatile oil and hesperidin( or bioflavonoid).  Hesperidin is a natural vitamins -citrus bioflavonoid-, which are sometimes considered vitamins, because they possess the properties of a vitamin.  Bioflavonoids are also sometimes referred to as vitamin P and can be found in several forms, including Hesperidin, Citrin, Quercetin, and Rutin. Citrus Bioflavonoids provide natural antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antiallergy properties.

In Africa, Lemon Peel is used to treat colic, and in India, Lemon Peel is used to treat upset stomach.  Lemon peel can use for medicinal purpose on reduce the permeability of blood vessels, especially of capillaries, so that extracts from Lemon Peel are also included in remedies for phlebitis. 

Rose hips are the berry-like fruits of the rose bush left behind after the bloom has died.  Rose hips  are a rich natural source of vitamin C. With one to two percent vitamin C, by dry weight, rose hips have a higher content than citrus fruit.

Medicinal Properties

The anti-inflammatory properties of rose hips have recently been shown to be useful in the treatment of patients suffering from knee or hip osteoarthritis.  Rose hips contain high levels of antioxidant flavonoids with known anti-inflammatory properties.Rose hips also contain carotenoid pigments, plant sterols, tocotrienols and a very high level of anthocyanins, catechins and other polyphenolics, known phytochemicals to protect against cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD). They also contain up to 5 % by weight of pectin, a soluble fiber that protects against CVD.

The rose hips are a traditional diuretic and laxative and are useful in the treatment of influenza-like infections, diarrhea, and various urinary tract disorders. No side effects are known when rose hips are used in the normal designated amounts.

Using lemon peel, rose hips and orange peels to get more natural source of vitamins by use as herbal tea.
Orange peels Rose hips are also used to make herbal teas, by boiling the dried or crushed 10 minutes. About 2 tablespoons of berries are used per pint of water. A half-teaspoon of dried mint may be added to give a different flavor, or the acid-tasting tea may be sweetened.  Orange peel is especially good for relieving sore throat during cold weather and boost immune system by just drinking several times a day.

Boost Your Health with Super Food

What is Super Food and how can boost your health with super food? Super foods are either fresh food or processed food which are loaded with vitamins and other nutrients to strength our immune system and help to keep our body healthy state. There are great number of super foods available to us today and you can also select various supplements.

Natural or added ingredient super food that are easy to obtained:

• Any type of vegetable, meat,
• Any type of fresh fruit
• Fresh fruit juice

If fruit is enchained with additional ingredients, such as herbs and spices(dry fruit package) or
fruit juice that includes several different fruits or vegetables and fortified with additional mineral or vitamins in order to provide more nutrition in a single serving, then those are qualified as superfood

Green super foods are natural foods that are loaded with an abundance of nutrients that are above and beyond what is contained in most foods. In some cases, a green super food is not only considered a source of nutrition but also a means of treating various types of health conditions. Blends of two or more green super foods are often sold in health food stores and similar outlets.

Green super food: Foods that contains high amounts of chlorophyll and antioxidants are called green super food.
Seaweed, spinach are examples of these types of green super foods. They tend to contain high concentrations of essential minerals. Fresh spinach can be bought from super market or whole food store and seaweed can be bought from Seaweed products can often be purchased at ethnic supermarkets .

Barley and wheat are also two natural foods that are considered to be green super food. Because of the high content of vitamins and minerals it consumed as a flour, powder to promote healthy eat ting habit. (example: whole grain bread) You can also use in soup or mix with rice to cook for different flavor.

Fitness for Every Age of woman's life

Being fit is important in all ages but especially for  woman fitness for every age of woman's life is required now days. Staying fit throughout of life time is important with proper diet and exercise. Fitness does not only mean keeping proper weight but overall including strength, agility, endurance. You can acquire Fitness through exercise and proper diet.

Eating proper is very important factor, especially increase, vitamin, mineral is important factor to stay fit and staying young. In order to stay fit, we need change some of our life style such as eating habit, do more exercise, increase social activities. Cutting some fat out of our diet can help to keep weight in proper balance with height and adding exercise we can see good results.

Exercise does not have to be strenuous like heavy lifting or have to join health club. Just walking can increase your health in overall. You can develop your exercise to fit into your lifestyle. For example, walk to store instead of driving if it is less then 10 min walking distance. using stairs instead of using elevator. By developing good exercise habit in young age has better benefit but there is never late to start exercise.
According to the National Women's Health Information Center, exercise also:

• lowers your risk of getting colon cancer and diabetes
• keeps your bones, muscles, and joints healthy
• reduces anxiety and depression and improves your mood
• protects against falling and bone fractures in older adults
• protects against breast cancer
• aids in controlling joint swelling and pain from arthritis
• increases energy
• helps you sleep better
• helps you look better

Most fitness experts recommend at least 30 minutes of exercise a day most days of the week to get the health benefits you need. Your exercise should include a mix of cardiovascular exercise (such as jogging, cycling, or racquetball) strength training (using, for example, free weights or resistance bands), and flexibility activities (such as stretching, yoga, and tai chi). Article source: Woman's health

Remember, always talk to your physician before start any exercise.

How to stay empower yourself everyday

I have read wonderful article about how we can stay empower to everyday. I would like to share this with you. If you like this, visit his page and read more.

Author:Sidhartha

Location: California

My Home Page: http://themindofsidd.blogspot.com

About Me: I'm information junkie and work in the information technology sector for the government.

How to Stay Empowered Everyday

Staying empowered every day is something that we believe is outside of us. We go through our lives with the belief that things or people empower us, however the truth is that it’s our perception of and event or a person that comes from within, which really is the source of empowerment.

The word empower means “the power within” So its ridiculous why so many people search for it from an external source, below are some great strategies that I’ve employed in my life to stay empowered everyday.

You are what you think. Thought is actually a chemical reaction that causes a hormonal cascaded of emotional soup throughout your entire body. You change literally at the sub atomic level every time you think about something. The trick is learning how to shift the mind into a state of empowerment so that it doesn’t wander into delusions and self denial.

This is done by actively questioning your thoughts. Think about it, do you ever really think about what it is you’re really thinking about, and how it makes you feel? Most people including myself would say no. Learn to stop that critic from within from selling you and idea about yourself that is not in line with your true nature, which is to create and be abundant.

Learn to let go of the lies that cause attachment in you life. We all lie to ourselves so much. We tell ourselves how fat we are, or how were not qualified or “who am I to be remarkable and fabulous.” These lies cause us to cling to people and things because we feel that in the sea of life we will drown beneath the waves without them.

You will come to realize that the better you are of letting go the more empowered you feel.

This is one of my favorite quotes:

“ONLY WHEN YOU HAVE LOST EVERYTHING, ARE YOU FREE TO DO ANYTHING”

Empower others by empowering yourself and then sharing the fruits of your wisdom to those who seek it or need it the most. I call these people and events key holders or gateways. They come at time in your life when you need to learn something about yourself. I hope this article is a key holder and a gateway for you also. REMEMBER The universal law of empowerment is to first empower yourself, and then pass it along like you never owned it.

Article source :How to Stay Empowered Everyday