Sleep Apnea More Common Among Asians

A Stanford study has found that Asians have a higher incidence of severe obstructive sleep apnea than Caucasians.  Sleep apnea is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition which occurs when air cannot flow into or out of the person’s mouth or nose although efforts to breathe continue.  Sufferers literally stop breathing while sleeping.  Sleep apnea can also be characterized by choking sensations.  The disorder contributes to excessive daytime sleepiness, which has been established as a risk factor for motor vehicle accidents.

The disorder contributes to excessive daytime sleepiness, which has been established as a risk factor for motor vehicle accidents.

Investigators have expressed concern that obstructive sleep apnea may be under-diagnosed in Asians.  Early recognition and treatment are important because the condition may be associated with irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.

Why We Need to Cry Sometimes

Tears are the salty, watery secretions produced by the eye’s lachrymal glands.  The main task of tears is to maintain the moisture of the eyes.  Moisture is essential to maintain transparency of the cornea (the front portion of the eyeball) and to prevent ulceration.

 Tears aid movement of the eyelids in blinking by lubricating the eye's surface,.  Tears also wash off tiny foreign bodies that enter the eye.  Tears also contain a natural antiseptic.

Of course, tears function in expressing emotion—a normal trait exhibited by humans.

Breathing for a Better Sleep

Short of a good night’s sleep, the best way to look well rested is through diaphragmatic breathing.  Gay Hendricks, Ph.D., author of Conscious Breathing, recommends this regimen:  Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor and hands at your sides.  Slowly breathe in through your nose, arching the small of your back, letting the air fill your lungs.  As you inhale, your stomach should expand outward.  When you’re ready, slowly release the air through your nose.  Press the small of your back against the floor and feel your stomach flatten.

It is Never Too Late For Fitness

You may be getting ready for your next excuse not to exercise.  There are still a lot of people who are in their late 50s or even in their senior years who still ramp up their physical activity to boost their health in order to lower the risk of premature death. 
A Swedish study that included 2,205 men (ages 50 to 82) which they followed for 32 years, showed that those who did more physical activities from low (couch potato) or medium (casual walker) to high (at least three hours of sports or heavy gardening a week) reduced their mortality rate to half of the men who remained living a sedentary life.  Although researchers observed men only, they are confident that these results apply to women, too. 
Start exercising today and later enjoy a longer and healthier life.

First Aid Treatment for Frostbite

Frostbite is a cold-related trauma characterize by tissue freezing.  Most frostbite cases are encountered by those who work or do activities outdoors in the freezing weather such as athletes engaging in sports during cold season, and among the winter outdoor enthusiasts such as skiers, snowboarders, and mountain climbers.

Frostbite is requires immediate treatment.  The first sign of frostbite is the appearance of a yellowish-white spot on the skin.  The flesh will feel numb and cold.  Considerable pain may be felt in the feet and hands.  Lesions on the face may sometimes feel painless.

What to do:

Do not rub the injured part with snow.  The frozen tissues are already injured.  Rubbing may increase the damage.  Bring the victim indoors.  Cover the frozen part with a warm, dry woolen cloth.  Give him a warm drink.

Local treatment:

Warm the frozen part with lukewarm water.  Avoid exposure to heat.  This may form painful blisters.  If no warm shelter is available, cover the frozen area with a warm, bare hand.  Add several layers of woolen clothing.

Prevention:

Wear proper clothing, including gloves or mittens.  Avoid smoking.  Tobacco constricts the blood vessels of the skin, increasing the chances of frostbite.  The feet and socks should be kept dry.  Apply oil, such as extra virgin olive oil, to all exposed areas of the skin.

Fighting Cancer With Phytonutrients

These powerful food compounds outsmart cancer at the cellular level in six ways.
Phytonutrients are essential because they strengthen any part of the body where cancer is a potential threat.

Phytonutrients boost your immunity.
By keeping the body’s immune system in good working order, phytonutrients ensure the body’s natural disease-fighting capabilities are revved up.

Phytonutrients detoxify carcinogens.
They diffuse the impact of pollution, hormones, radiation, and other cancer-causing agents.

Phytonutrients block free radicals.
These help fortify cell membranes and DNA, so free radicals, disease-causing molecules, can’t trigger cancer-cell growth.

Phytonutrients imitate hormones.
Cancer cells use the body’s own reproductive hormones (estrogen and testosterone) to fuel their growth.  Phytonutrients, whose structure is similar to these hormones, fool cancer cells into absorbing them instead, halting tumor growth.

Phytonutrients cut off blood supply.
To get the blood they need, in order to grow, cancer cells secrete enzymes that trick healthy cells into forming new blood vessels.  Phytonutrients neutralize these enzymes, starving tumors to death.

Phytonutrients prevent adhesion.
The phytonutrients found in lentils and citrus fruits work to prevent cancer cells from adhering to the surface of healthy cells, interfering with the growth of tumors.

Among the foods that contain the highest in levels of phytonutrients and antioxidants are the follwing: tea, oranges, plums (and prunes), purple grapes (and raisins), berries, cherries, kiwi fruit, dark green leafies like spinach and kale,  pink grapefruit, broccoli,  beets, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, dark chocolate, and red pepper. 

Tips To Achieve Better Sleep

If you flop into bed and fall asleep at once every night, you’re truly blessed – the rest of us require all the help we could get. Be sure that your room is aerated well, as fresh air is con­ducive to sleep, and, when possible, leave your window open at night (although in a basement apartment in a crime-ridden area this, rather obviously, not viable).  If your mind is rushing after a nerve-racking day or you are deep in thought or worried, getting to sleep would be even tougher.

Read more:  Tips To Achieve Better Sleep

Nutritional and Aromatherapy Treatment for Women' s Migraine

Treatment options for migraines have dramatically increased in recent years, so we are no longer limited to simple pain relievers.

Nutritional

Migraines in women can be attributed to a progesterone deficiency that occurs during the menstrual cycle. In fact 65% of sufferers complain of headaches right before, during or after menstruation. To increase progesterone production, try to eat at least one serving of zinc-rich food every day. Red meat is an excellent source of zinc; others include eggs, turkey fish and pumpkin seeds. You may also take 25 milligrams of zinc supplement tablets daily with meals.

During the middle of your menstrual cycle, (the last two weeks before your period begins), take progesterone based herbs, such as chaste berry, wild yam, sarsaparilla, and yarrow. The herbs are available in tincture and tablet form. Also try hormone-balancing evening-primrose oil or magnesium supplements, which help relax constricted blood vessels.

Aromatherapy
The best-kept secret for migraine relief is aromatherapy.  It is affordable, effective, and has no side-effects.
Aromatic essential oils have medicinal properties that reduce the intensity of head pain and ease related nausea and insomnia.  Oils also restore equilibrium after a migraine.
Try a combination of any or all of the following oils:  Lavender and eucalyptus (to relax), marjoram (to reduce muscle tension), chamomile (to relieve nausea) and peppermint (to alter mood).
Use only naturals oils with scent that you find appealing.  Place two drops of oil on an unscented tissue and keep it close to your nose.  Take deep breaths, inhaling the scent for at least 10 minutes.  Feel your body relax as you do this.  You can also massage natural oils directly onto your temples for relief before or during a migraine.

The Health Benefits of Dancing

More and more individuals worldwide are developing a keener sense of awareness on the importance of physical fitness to the body's total wellness. While we continue to be aware of our body's need for physical activity, a lot of us find too many reasons not to integrate physical activity into our lifestyle and daily routines. There are all sorts of reasons why we procrastinate in this specific effort. For some people, their schedule is the defining factor while some will promptly admit that they have absolutely no appreciation for those activities that pertain to exercise.

Have you ever thought of dancing for your health's sake? There are all sorts of fantastic reasons to dance.  The good thing about dancing is that in nearly all instances it does not feel as though you're doing exercise and the way you calories burn does not hurt nearly as much when you are enjoying the activity.

Some Facts To Know About Tea

Tea is the drink made from cured leaves of the tea plant.  Different climates produce different tea plants. 

India, Ceylon, and China are the great tea-growing countries. 

If allowed to grow, the tea plant would grow as tall as a tree.  But in order to get many small, tender leaves, it is kept trimmed so that it forms a bush about four feet tall.

Harvesting the tea on a plantation is a job for many people.  Men, women, and even children pick the leaves.  Only the bud and the tender leaves at the tips of the branches are picked.

The picked leaves are spread out on trays and left for a day or two to wilt.  The wilted leaves are then crushed to bring the flavoring juices to the surface of the leaves.

The Chinese are among the greatest tea drinkers.  It was only about 3 centuries ago that Europeans first tasted tea.

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Common Myths About Food

The truth behind food myths:

Grapefruit increases metabolism.
Grapefruit does not increase metabolism nor does it burn off fat in the body. However, grapefruits, like most fruits and vegetables, are packed with nutrients. They are also great low calorie, low fat snack any day of the week.

Gelatin makes your nails hard.
Gelatin may be great, but forget it as a way to strengthen your nails. A balanced diet with adequate amounts of iron, vitamin C, folate and other B vitamins is probably your best bet for healthy nail growth.

Don’t eat after 6pm.
There is no dietary law that says you can’t eat after 6pm. Your body doesn’t use the calories from a huge piece of cake any differently at 10 pm than it does at 10am. When it comes to weight control, it all boils down to this: If you’ve eaten enough calories to maintain your weight, but decide to have an extra snack, your body doesn’t care what time you eat; the surplus will be stored as fat anyway. So if you want a snack before bed every night, just make sure you account for the calories in you overall diet.

The only way to lose weight is to eat less.
One of the best ways to lose weight may be to eat more – of the right foods. A handful of peanuts has the same calories as seven cups of microwave popcorn. The difference is in the amount of fat and fiber. Foods that are low in fat and high in fiber (like popcorn) naturally contain fewer calories than foods higher in fat (like peanuts). Gram for gram, fat has more than twice as many calories as carbohydrates or protein. Fat makes a little food add up to a lot of calories.

Brown or wheat bread has more fiber than white bread.
Brown bread, wheat bread, and white bread are essentially the same. They are made from refined wheat flour and have about one half gram of fiber in a slice. The only real difference is color. Manufacturers often add caramel coloring or molasses to the darker bread to darken its hue. If you want lots of fiber, buy whole-wheat bread. Look at the label, it should contain about 1.5 grams per slice.

Drinking hot tea with a meal will reduce the fat content of the food.
No beverage will keep you from digesting and absorbing the fat you have eaten.

Coleslaw is a healthy choice for a side dish.
Coleslaw typically contains a lot of mayonnaise or salad dressing and a cup of it can have 200 calories and 16 grams of fat (70 percent of the calories). If you want a healthier version, use non-fat mayonnaise or yogurt instead.

If a food has no cholesterol, it is healthy.
In spite of all the cholesterol-free banners on bottles and packages, dietary cholesterol isn’t the only key to heart disease. Consumption of saturated fats (animal fats, such as those in butter, cream and beef, and some oils such as palm oil) is more significant than dietary cholesterol in elevating blood cholesterol levels in the body. When the package proclaims “no cholesterol,” that should be your cue to read the label carefully. Often you’ll find that the food in question is high in fat or calories—and that it never had cholesterol to begin with.

How to Uplift Your Mood During Exercise

Exercising is a way to improve both your mind and your body at the same time.

Get moving.

Some runners experience euphoria known as the “runner’s high” which is triggered by high endorphin levels while exercising. But you don’t have to run to get the sensation. “Anything that raises your heart rate, like spinning or swimming, will create the same feeling.” says sports psychologist Misia Jervis. Work out at 70 percent of your heart rate – you should feel slightly breathless and warm, but still be able to carry a conversation. Get moving for at least 30 minutes. That’s how long it takes to get your mood-boosting endorphins pumping round your body.

Listen to music

There’s strong evidence that your favorite tunes can boost your mood and make you train harder.
Build up gradually.

If you go straight from doing nothing to running a marathon, you won’t find joy, you’ll find pain. If you push yourself too hard, you’re likely to stop before you get to the physiological state where your body produces the endorphins.

Beat Your Stress Hormone

According to scientists, the key to preventing a host of stress-related ailments lies in simply controlling the hormone cortisol.

Have you ever forgotten where you left your keys while rushing out the door or grabbed for the bag of M&M’s when faced with a rapidly approaching deadline? If so, you may have been under the spell of cortisol—a fight-or-flight hormone that has recently been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, memory loss and weight gain.

In a Yale University study, researchers monitored the cortisol levels of 60 women performing high-stress tasks.  Afterward, the subjects were offered snacks ranging from fruit to potato chips.  Not surprisingly, the women with high levels of cortisol munched on the high-fat treats, while those with lower levels opted for healthier foods.
An additional study at the University of California at Irvine found that cortisol inhibits memory.  Researchers say the effect peaks 30 minutes after the initial stressful surge and can last for up to four hours.  Fortunately, it is possible to control cortisol before it begins to control you.  Just follow these scientifically proven techniques.

1. Lighten things up.

   British researches have found that fluorescent lighting will spur the production of cortisol, while exposure to sunlight can break the cycle.  If you can’t get outside, try the new full-spectrum light bulb that mimic natural light. 

2. Laugh out loud.

   Scientists have discovered that humor can lower cortisol levels.  Read cartoons, watch funny movies or call a good friend who can always make you laugh.

3. Get a massage.

   Massage can restrict the release of cortisol.  Try to find a spa service near your area.  It doesn’t have to be in a luxurious spa.  Try to find massage school near your area. A student massage should cost you far less than your regular spa spending.

4. Burn it off.

   Doctors say that using up nervous energy is another great way to lower levels of cortisol.  Go for a walk, head to the gym or simply punch pillows to “lighten your load.”

Baldness Linked to Heart Disease

Losing your hair might mean more heartache than you think.
A study of 872 men, aged 25 to 65, conducted in Italy found that the 32 percent who had male-pattern baldness — hereditary hair loss at the front of and on the crown of the head — had significantly higher cholesterol levels and slightly higher blood pressures than did those men with a receding hairline or a full head of hair. Both factors — cholesterol and blood pressure– have been linked to heart-disease risk.

Researcher Dr. Maurizio Trevisan, of the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine, conjectures that hyper production of or increased sensitivity to male sex hormones, particularly testosterone, may be the common factor. Dihydrotestosterone or DHT, a chemical produced by testosterone, damages hair follicles.

A recent research study at the Harvard Medical School identified the specific kind of baldness that is the symptom of heart trouble. This is the “vertex” baldness which is the loss of hair at the crown or top of the head.

Observations and studies are continuously done to find the most effective way to treat this situation. In the meantime, if you find more and more hair in your drain, you may want to get a head start by in detecting heart disease by having periodic checkups.