Healthy Fat Intake: Is There Such a Thing?

An average individual has a tendency to eat way too much fat, a factor that’s associated to various health problems, including cancer, hypertension, and heart disease. Diets that are high in fat are also linked to breast and colon cancer. There are also studies that link high fat to prostate cancer, too.

How can we reduce our fat intake? There is such a thing as healthy fat intake. Let’s take a closer look.

It’s not a hopeless case. It is still possible to can bring fat consumptions down to a healthy range by making some modifications in cooking, food preparation, eating styles, and even shopping for food.

The amount of fat you consume will vary daily. Some meals in some days will have higher fat content than others. But don’t worry, even high-fat meals can be controlled with healthy a eating pattern as long as you balance those days properly. What is important is the average fat intake over the period of weeks and months, not the particularly the fat intake of each food you consume at every meal .

Younger adults and highly active individuals who have higher calorie demands may probably eat a bit more fat than those who are watching their weight. The older adults and those who aren’t living a very active lifestyle must aim for a lower fat intake. This way, the fat intake can be controlled and thus avoid a lot of problems associated with fat.

© 2010 AthenaGoodlight

Types of Breast Pumps to Assist Breastfeeding Mothers

The production of milk in the breasts, much like a lot of other matters, work on the sheer principle of supply and demand.  The more breast milk your baby consumes, the more your body will need to produce.
Breast pumps are normally used to ensure continuous production of breast milk when you are not available to feed your baby – in situations when you’re back to work, taking medication, traveling, or just out of town.

Then Basic Types of Breast Pumps

Breast pumps come in different forms; battery operated, semi automatic electric, hand operated, or even self cycling electric.

Manual Hand Pumps



Manual hand pumps are designed to utilize the strength of your hand or arm muscles to pump out milk from one breast at a time.  There are also get pumps that use the leg and foot muscles for pumping both breasts at the same time.  Mothers that with carpal tunnel syndrome may want to opt to use a pump designed for the arm or leg muscles or an automatic model.

Battery operated pumps
 
Battery operated pumps are best for women who have established a steady supply of milk and prefer to pump once or even twice a day.  These pumps are powered by batteries to create suction, therefore minimizing any type of muscle tiredness.  Most battery type pumps are designed to pump one breast at a time and are recommended for occasional use.

Electric pumps
 

Electric pumps are said to be more efficient than hand or battery operated pumps, the only downside of it is that they also tend to be more expensive.  However, you can rent them if you choose to use electric breast pumps.  Electric pumps can be normally plugged directly into an outlet and are designed to pump both breasts simultaneously and can be used frequently. The most efficient models for initiating and maintaining milk supply are the hospital grade pumps. These are also available for rent.

© 2010 Athena Goodlight

Facts About Hearing Loss

Different people have different tolerance levels of noise. It is largely subjective. Perhaps you have noticed that other people’s children often seem noisier than your own. But no matter what the source of the noise is, if you are exposed to a loud sound long enough, hearing may be lost.
 
If you find yourself nearly shouting in order to make yourself heard by a listener a few feet away, then the sound is too loud.  Another danger sign is hearing some ringing in your ears or a muffled hearing ability a few hours after you have left a noisy environment.

Some early warning signs of hearing loss include ringing in the ears after a noisy activity, having difficulty of understanding what people say, especially distinguishing among words that contain high-frequency sounds like S or soft C, F, SH, or H; turning up the volume to hear the radio or television; and failing to hear a ringing telephone or doorbell.
 
Children
Although many people don’t notice their nose-induced hearing loss until later in life, there is evidence that the process begins much earlier.  Recent studies show an alarming increase in hearing loss among young people.  A survey of U.S. school children showed 15 percent had detectable hearing loss.  High-frequency loss—the kinds most often linked to noise—was the most common.  In fact, damaging exposure can start before birth.  Maternal noise exposure during pregnancy is linked to impaired hearing loss in small children.  Numerous studies confirm the damaging effects of noisy hospital conditions on newborns as well.



If you can hear music coming from your child’s earphones, they are at risk.  Toys, too, can be powerful sources of noise.  When held directly against the ear, a rattle, talking doll, or toy telephone can expose the child to noise as loud as 120 dB—the level of a plane revving for take-off.

Women
Young and middle-aged women are more at risk for noise-induced hearing loss than ever before.  In the past, occupational noise was the major culprit and women had fewer jobs that threaten hearing, such as factory and construction positions.  Today, personal habits such as listening to loud music and the noisy soundscapes of our modern world put women equally at risk.  It is estimated that turning down the volume could prevent 20 percent of hearing loss in female students.


© 2010 Athena Goodlight

Ways to Reduce Bad Cholesterol Levels

If you have high blood cholesterol, making certain changes in your lifestyle will help you bring it to within normal ranges. Your doctor will help you set your goals.

· Lower your fat and cholesterol intake. Eat more fruits, vegetables, grains, cereals, and legumes. Choose poultry, fish, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products. Fat should account for less than 30% of your total calories daily.

· Broil, poach, or steam foods, rather than fry.

· Increase dietary fiber. Studies show that soluble fiber can help lower blood cholesterol. Sources of dietary fiber include fruits, vegetables, dried beans, and grains such as oats, corn, rice and bran.

Bringing cholesterol levels within normal ranges will help to reduce this major risk to your cardiovascular health. Other risk factors for cardiovascular disease include heredity, age, and gender. These you cannot change. However, there are things you can do:

• If you are a smoker, stop smoking.

• Exercise regularly. This is good for cardiovascular health, helps weight control and may raise levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol. (Consult your doctor before starting and exercise program).

• Lose weight if necessary; then maintain your ideal weight.

Drug therapy/ Special instructions

Many people can lower their blood cholesterol through diet. Others require the use of cholesterol-controlling drugs in addition to diet. Your doctor will determine the drug and dosage that is best for you.

You can do your part by taking your medicine exactly as prescribed. Do not take more or less during any one day. Be sure you understand how the medication is to be taken and what to do should you forget a dose. Your pharmacist is also a valuable resource for information about the drug therapy your physician has prescribed.

© 2010 Athena Goodlight

Vigorous Exercise Cuts Risk of Breast Cancer

Here’s another good reason why we have to keep exercising. It’s fights cancer. Read on.

While previous studies revealed that exercises may protect against breast cancer, a study by the National Cancer Institute of the U.S. National Institutes of Health points out that not all exercise qualifies.  In following 32, 269 women for 11 years, the researchers discovered that those engaging in vigorous exercises on a regular basis were the ones less likely to develop the disease, regardless of their weight.  Their reduced risk amounted to a stunning 30 percent.

Activities that qualify as vigorous include heavy housework, like scrubbing floors and washing windows, or heavy yard work, such as digging or chopping wood.  Healthful, fun activities included fast jogging, competitive tennis, bicycling on hills, and fast dancing.

The study suggests two possible mechanisms responsible for the benefit measured: enhanced immune function and decreased inflammation in the body.  It’s important to note that excess weight is believed to increase the risk of cancer.

Gotu Kola: The Fountain of Youth in a Plant

Gotu Kola is a small crawling tropical plant which contains excellent medicinal attributes. It has several nutrients that could provide energy and nutrients to the nervous system, aside from having vitamins A, B, E and K, and magnesium. Regardless of what the name suggests, it has no cola or caffeine.
 
Caring for the plant is exceedingly simple since it is a marsh plant and is semi-aquatic. It flourishes in moist soil, preferably in partial shade, though it can also survive in full sun exposure. You can grow it in containers, just be sure the growing medium does not run dry. Once it is grounded, it can expand without much attention. Reap the leaves on a regular basis; each one holds up only three weeks on the plant before it becomes yellow.

Called Centella Asiatica, Gotu Kola has acquired fame worldwide as a nerve tonic to improve memory and promote relaxation. It is occasionally called "the arthritis herb" or "food for the brain." French researchers have discovered evidence that Gotu Kola significantly steps-up the production of collagen, operative to the synthesis of connective tissues encompassing the veins. Improved collagen lets the brain capillaries to be protected, increasing mental alertness.

Gotu Kola also is also claimed to heal wounds. It helps fight stress and enhance reflexes. It is utilized to contain high blood pressure, aging, senility, and varicose veins. It also aids the body protect itself versus toxins. It was first utilized as part of Ayurveda, in traditional Indian medicine. It was observed in the Shennong Herbal compiled in China about 2,000 years ago.

Recent analyses show that Gotu Kola has a favorable effect on the circulatory system: It appears to improve the flow of blood all over the body by beefing up the veins and capillaries. It has been used with success to treat phlebitis (inflammation of the veins), as well as leg cramps. People who deal with pain every day (usually induced by arthritis) instantly appreciate the benefits of Gotu Kola.

1 to 3 freshly shredded leaves daily in salads or liquefied in juice are sufficient to "slow the aging process." Advocates of the herb merely give it a quick rinse and munch on it, together with its stem, direct from the garden.
 
So how does it taste like? That’s perhaps the chief cause for its lack of popularity. It must be taken raw, and its flavor characterized as remindful of anything from bougainvillea leaves, Bermuda grass, and smoke from a vehicle’s exhaust pipe. Granted all its benefits, however, people have been munching on these virtually magical leaves. Add a dash of salad dressing or combine it with your lunch or dinner, so Gotu Kola would go down easier.

Any known interactions or side effects? Aside for the rare individual who’s allergic to the plant, there are no substantial harmful effects to using Gotu Kola. However, if it induces a skin rash, dermatitis or headaches, bring down the dosage or stop taking it altogether. Avoid Gotu Kola when you are using tranquilizers or sedatives, pregnant or nursing, . This herb must also not be used by anybody who has an overactive thyroid. Gotu Kola must not be given to kids under the age of two.

References:
Gotu Kola: A Medical Dictionary, Icon Health Publications - 2004
The Way of Ayurvedic Herb by Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa and Michael Tierra

Herbal Medicinals: A Clinician’s Guide by Lucinda G. Miller and Wallace J. Murray

© 2011 Athena Goodlight

Exercise Therapy for Diabetics

An essential element in the treatment of diabetes mellitus is physical exercise. Here are basic suggestions on how to implement this important therapeutic tool.

The Intensity
The effort exerted during exercise should be moderate: not too little or – most importantly—not too much.
When exercising, it is very important to start slowly, and gradually reach a moderate, steady pace.  At a steady pace, rough indicators that you are exercising effectively and safely are a slightly increased breathing (rate and depth) as well as a slightly increased heart rate.  The strenuousness of exercise should be in order to be considered moderate, which differs greatly between individuals, according to age, weight, previous training, and skill.  Brisk walking at a speed of 4 to 5 km/ hour is an example of an advisable effort after appropriate training for the majority of adults.

The Duration
Regular exercise should be a life-long habit.  The daily dose of exercise should be at least 1 hour, but may last much longer.  In fact, there is no limitation to the duration of exercise provided its intensity is light to moderate. 

The Time
Any time of the day is good.  A smart solution is to include exercise in your daily routine, such as going to the market or grocery on foot or bicycle.  If the daily dose of exercise is split into two or four segments, the beneficial effect is retained, and this type of program may be easier to continue in the long run.
 
image source
Type of Exercise
The best choice is aerobic exercise that can be performed on a daily basis.  A possible alternative is a sport that can be practiced with low to moderate effort (eg. bowling, table tennis, golf, bicycling on level ground, swimming, rowing, dancing, or gym classes).  If you have a problem using your legs, you should learn some kind of exercise that can be performed while sitting or lying, and progressively increase its duration up to half an hour, once or twice a day.


CAVEATS
Grossly obese people should delay starting an exercise program until they have lost the first 3 kg.  Exercise may decrease blood sugar below normal levels (hypoglycemia), especially if you are taking drugs that lower blood glucose (tablets and/or insulin).  Therefore, always carry sugar and other starchy foods when exercising, and be ready to take them as soon as you feel weak or “strange.”  Ask your doctor’s advice on the possibility of reducing your drug dosage before entering a program of regular exercise.
 
It is, at any rate, better not to exercise when:

• You are sick;
• You feel any kind of pain, eg. in your chest, joints, or legs (if you feel pain when you are exercising, stop immediately and have a checkup before starting again.);
• Your blood glucose is persistently very high (above 17-20 mmol/L, or 300-350 mg/dL, exercise may worsen diabetes control;
• You feel tired;
• You feel breathless.

Physical exercise is good for health and general well-being.  In particular, it helps lower blood glucose level, and can therefore be considered an excellent treatment for diabetes (especially type-2, non-insulin-dependent diabetes).  Moreover, it helps you lose weight, when required, and, in doing so, supports this other cornerstone of the treatment of type 2 diabetes.