Health center

ECONOMY NOW

2009-08-27T22:45:00.000-04:00

Why Aren’t You Using the Best Fish Oil?

2009-05-06T22:38:00.000-04:00

Let me guess. You just do not know which is the best fish oil, and how to actually find it. Well, it’s actually not that difficult. You just need to get a few things right and you can then rest easy that your health is in the right hands. Let’s find out how.

Before we talk about finding the best fish oil supplement, first we need to understand how fish oil works and why is it good for us. The Omega 3 fatty acids present in fish oil are responsible for all the health benefits it provides. The main components of Omega 3 oils are:
1) DHA (Docosahexanoic Acid)
2) EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid)
3) DPA (Docosapentaenoic acid)

The effects of the fish oil you take largely depend on the relative quantities of these three fatty acids in the oil, as well as the source of the fish used in making the oil, and lastly, the refining process the oil goes through to make the final product we consume.

While almost every fish oil supplement claims to be the best fish oil, you can easily separate the wheat from the chaff on the basis of the following parameters:

Source - Firstly, not all fish contain Omega 3 in a significant quantity. And even fewer are rich in DHA Omega 3, the one we want to have in our oil. The Hoki fish is one such fish that contains DHA as the dominant component in its oil. Also, the cleanliness of the water from where the fish is caught is really important. Fish from polluted water will have large quantities of impurities like lead and PCBs.

You need to look for fish oil that is derived from fish, which has been caught from clean sea waters. This will make sure you get only pure fish oil and no pollutants inside your body.

Refining - The best way to refine fish oil is to distill it molecularly. This is a complex process that removes almost all the impurities from the oil. Unfortunately, is also expensive, which is why many companies do not use this method and instead refine their oil by cheaper and less effective processes.

DHA vs. EPA - While the presence of EPA is important in the fish oil we consume, DHA is even more important than that. It is responsible for most of the health benefits we get out of fish oil. What’s more, our body can convert DHA in to EPA when needed, while the reverse is not possible. This makes it even more necessary that the fish oil we take be rich in DHA.

Now, DHA is much more complex and expensive than EPA to process. That is why many supplements contain EPA only with just a few traces of DHA. This severely restricts the benefits you get out of the oil. In fact, the best fish oil will have plenty of DHA in it.

Put this to the test right away and find out the best fish oil supplement now. This one thing can turn your health around and make you feel healthier and younger all over again.

About the Author:

Visit my website today to learn more about omega3 fish oil and other fish oil supplements I've discovered that I'd like to share with you.

Michael Holman is a dedicated researcher and reviewer of fish oil supplements. He shares his research on his website - Omega3Information. To discover the highest Omega 3 fish oil supplements our editors personally use and recommend, visit - http://www.omega3information.com

Article Source:

Quit Smoking Today

2009-04-09T12:17:00.001-04:00

Health;;Cancer

2009-04-02T15:50:00.001-04:00

Diseases & Conditions

2009-04-01T16:07:00.002-04:00

Supplements & Vitamins

2009-04-01T16:06:00.001-04:00

Alternative Medicine

2009-04-01T15:31:00.002-04:00

Different Aspects of Magnetic Mattress Pads

2009-03-30T13:05:00.000-04:00

By: Juliette Pickup
These products are designed to fit over your existing mattress and provide you with additional padding that can help to improve the condition of the bed that you rest and sleep on. There are many effects that can be derived from the use of one of these items, but due to the fact that the exact properties of each item can differ from model to model these effects can differ as well. There are many variations to ensure that you get a product that suits all of your requirements in terms of size, thickness and support.

The reasons that these magnetic mattress pads are used for are dependent on the aspect of the item that is important to the consumer. The pad can be used to increase the comfort of your bed by increasing the amount of padding that you sleep on, though this would also be dependent on the type of padding that is used within the product. Foam is most commonly used as padding, but there are many different types of foam that can provide different levels of support and comfort. You can purchase items that are padded with memory foam that is especially beneficial since it spreads pressure over a wider surface, helping to reduce pressure on pressure points which can help to reduce pain.

Each person is a different size and shape to other people so the size of the item that you buy is important, as if it is too small then parts of you may stick out over the edges. This can be a cause of discomfort or pain especially if the product is thickly padded. The other problem with size is that if you choose an item that this too big for your bed then it can slide around and become unstable. This is minimized as much as possible by ensuring that there are straps to attach the products to the bed. Some of the Mattresses are also created with a non-slip surface on the bottom. These devices work well, but an item of incorrect size is likely to be unable to provide you with the same effects as a correctly sized product.

The thickness and density of the padding within the mattress pads are two of the most important factors in determining whether the product is correct for you to use. Both properties help to determine the amount of support that your body receives when using one of these products on your bed. The density and the depth of the foam will determine how soft or firm the item feels which can determine if it is appropriate for you. There are many different body shapes and conditions that can influence how much support will be comfortable for you.

If you sleep on a bed that has too much or too little support then your body can be damaged while you sleep or existing damage or pain can be exacerbated. To determine what level of support is best for you, you should test different mattresses of different firmness until you find the one that is most comfortable. The depth and density of the foam will also help to cover the magnets within the products so that you are subject to no discomfort when sleeping on them. This also determines the distance that your body will be from the magnets while they perform their magnetic therapy on your body.
Author Bio
All magnetic mattress pad information has been researched and written by Juliette Pickup www.magneticmattresscovers.com

Magnetic Therapy for Pain Relief

2009-03-29T13:03:00.000-04:00

By: George Tarr
Although mainstream science has yet to recognize magnet therapy as an effective branch of alternative medicine, an increasingly large number of people are beginning to use it as a supplementary treatment for a variety of health-related conditions. Personal testimonials as to the positive effects of magnet therapy are plenty, attesting to the general satisfaction of its practitioners. Those opposed to magnet therapy often argue that positive results are merely a product of the placebo effect - but to that we say, who cares? If the purpose of a therapy is to relieve the sensation of pain, and the therapy achieves that purpose successfully, then the therapy - placebo or not - is an effective one.

The goal of this article is not to argue the effectiveness of magnet therapy, for that is another matter in itself. Rather, we would like to provide you with an overview of some of the more common uses of magnet therapy, focusing on the use of magnets as a supplementary treatment for pain.

Do note: when we say supplementary, we mean just that. Magnet therapy should not be viewed as a substitute for regular visits to the doctor, recommended surgeries or medications, etc. It is generally in conjunction with conventional treatments that magnet therapy can be at its most effective.

Modern magnet therapy products come in all shapes and sizes, and are made of a variety of materials. Magnetic jewelry is an especially popular accessory, as it affords the wearer a fashionable and discreet means of using magnet therapy. Other magnet therapy products include back and joint supports and magnetic bandages, which are designed to offer more concentrated treatments for pain and discomfort in specific parts of the body; magnetic insoles for shoes; magnetic seat and mattress pads; and a wide variety of other products out there on the market.

Magnet therapy in its various forms has been claimed to produce positive pain relieving effects in the treatment of a great number of conditions, including back and neck pain, arthritis, muscle soreness, carpal tunnel syndrome - and the list goes on and on. NY Times best selling author Gary Null's Healing with Magnets (1998) contains an extensive review of the various uses of magnet therapy for pain relief and other positive health benefits.

Some people are so firmly convinced by the effectiveness of magnet therapy that they choose it as an alternative to over-the-counter painkillers. One of the advantages of using magnet therapy as an alternative to painkillers is that there appear to be no inherent risks associated with magnet therapy other than the possibility of it being ineffective. Meanwhile, painkillers sometimes have side effects that can result in serious health problems for users. The effectiveness of painkillers is also debatable, as over-the-counter medications are limited in their effectiveness to begin with. Furthermore, users can build up tolerances to drugs they take frequently, rendering them even less effective for pain relief.

To conclude, we state again that magnet therapy is not a proven avenue of medical treatment, but that for many people it does act as an effective supplementary treatment for pain and discomfort. The best way to test it is to try it out for yourself. Magnet therapy products tend to be relatively inexpensive - so get yourself a bracelet and see what you think. If it isn't doing anything for you, then at least you've got a nice new addition to your jewelry collection!
Author Bio
George Tarr is asociated with
Dragonstone Magnetics Wholesale Magnetic Jewelry

Cure Insomnia By Relaxation

2009-03-28T13:01:00.001-04:00

By: Philip Jubb
Insomnia cures by relaxation have been popular since before man invented fire. We can trace them back, certainly in the case of China, for many thousands of years. It has only been in the last few years that we have been able to confirm the efficiency or otherwise of the Insomnia cure by relaxation.

Insomnia itself is a pernicious affliction bringing with it misery and despondancy. Many sufferers of Insomnia and other sleep disorders lay there night after night staring into the dark checking the alarm clock every five minutes and worring about the effects of sleep loss on their performance during the coming day. Getting more and more tense and finding relaxation ever more difficult.

How can we use relaxation to help to cure insomnia? One of the first stops for the sufferer looking to cure Insomnia by relaxation or any other way is the doctors surgery. This is an excellent idea as a physical checkup will reveal wether or not there is a physical reason for the Insomnia or just the need to relax. The drawback is that if the doctor finds no physical reason for the Insomnia he is likely to reach for his prescription pad.

The drawbacks here are well known. Unbeliveably simply to cure insomnia you could also suffer addiction, morning headaches, daytime fatigue, personality changes, memory impairment, impaired concentration, poor judgment, mood disturbances, and in extreme cases irregular heartbeat, and high blood pressure. The list goes on and on. A safer insomnia cure may well lie in the direction of lerning relaxation, a more natural remedy.
This is the reason why drug companies can afford large scale advertising such as TV ads and big internet ad campaigns. They know if they can get a hold of you once, they will trap you and continue to make money off of you for years to come. Their mission is to program you. Whenever you have sleep problems, they want you to think about their products.
Used to cure insomnia and many other ailments for thousands of years relaxation rechniques are becoming more and more popular with main stream health care professionals to cure insomnia. As a cure for insomnia you need to practice relaxation regularly , notice the experience of the sounds of the simple things in life.

Look into what causes your need for relaxation. When you discover the ways you create stress, you can look for ways you to relax and avoid these stress creators.

Plan to cure your insomnia - You need to consider the timing of your relaxation. It should be daily. Perhaps a weekend is better suited to a night out so that you don't have to wake early the next morning for work or during the night for the bathroom.

Try relaxing music. Keep your favorite relaxation CD at the office, in the car, or wherever you'll need it most. Certainly by the bedside.

Walk a while. If you have at least ten minutes to spare, walking is one of the best relaxation techniques. I have a dog and we walk as often as we can. Pounding the streets or woodland paths is an excellent way of getting rid of frustrations, relaxing, and ultimately, when gently tired, I can can think much more productively.

Exercise - Find a form of exercise you will enjoy - yoga and tai chi are great for relaxation. Schedule in relaxation time every day - This could be for as little as 30 minutes a day or one hour away from the office during lunch time.

Get into yoga. This type of exercise puts an emphasis on relaxation and breath control. Could have been designed to cure insomnia by relaxation. Practise this at least twice a day, perhaps on waking and when you go to bed. This will train your unconscious mind to be able to quickly take you into abdominal breathing and hence relaxation.

A massage is also a great way to relieve stress from the body and ease insomnia. Its great fun and as long as its not your partner doing it :) It's very conducive to relaxation.

I will make a bold promise to you right off the bat: I will change the way you think about sleep forever.

Fat free food can actually make you fat

2009-03-27T15:30:00.002-04:00

The word fat has many meanings. Two of them are fat in the food we eat and fat that we put on our bodies as a result of eating too much bad nutrition and not enough exercise. It is unfortunate that the word fat is used to describe these two totally different meanings. Because the same word carries those meanings many of us tempt to believe that as a result of eating fat free food we will not gain fat on our bodies.

The truth is that eating fat does not necessarily mean that this fat will be put on our bodies as extra pounds. Fat has more calories per gram than many other ingredients. Eating a lot of fat means consuming much more energy than our body needs and extra energy means the body turning this energy into layers fat reserves. It is really the energy in the fat and not the fat itself that is fattening.

So don’t think that just by avoiding fat you will avoid getting fat – that is just not true. Fat free food is less tasty than food with fat. Many times in order to compensate for the lost of taste food companies add sugar and other ingredients to their products. Processed sugar is a very low quality source of energy. In fact the body can only use that energy for a very short time after it was consumed. Since most of us are not going to jog right after consuming sugar the body will have nothing to do with that extra energy but convert it to fat.

Sugar turns into fat in our body. Many people do not realize that or just ignore that fact. Consuming fat free food that is rich in sugar is not different than consuming food with a lot of fat or just consuming a lot fat and calories. The body is an amazing machine and it is very efficient. Energy that can not be used or is not needed is reserved for the future and the way in which the body reserves energy is by building extra layers of fat. So when we eat fatty food we actually just consume too much energy – the reason we gain weight is not because we eat fat that sticks to out body but because that fat has too much energy and the excess energy is converted to layers of fat by our body. And when we eat fat free food that is rich in sugar our body will again have excess energy that can not be used and that will be converted to layers of fat too.

To conclude it is important to understand that fat free does not mean healthy or non fattening food. Always check the nutrition facts of the food you consume to determine that you are not consuming too many calories or too much sugar. It is better to have some fat in your food and less sugar than too much sugar and no fat at all. As always the best diet is one that preaches for moderation in the quantity of food and in its nutrition. Make sure your calories are consumed from nutritious ingredients and not from just sugar and fat
Tracy Hoover writes more about this and other subjects. Check out loss client call about building belief in her for more about this and other subject from Tracy Hoover

Anxiety Attacks - What Is Anxiety And How Do I Stop It So I Can Live A More Confident Life?

2009-03-25T11:39:00.001-04:00

Do you have excessive or unwanted anxiety? Do you wish you were more confident and relaxed? Do you want to be able to take on new situations and experiences without fear?

If you suffer from any kind of worry there are ways to soothe yourself, calm yourself and relax your mind. Confidence and self esteem are the ways we get noticed in our society. Employers hire and promote confident, engaging people more readily and confident men and women find dating and meeting potential mates a lot easier. There are so many facets of life where fear can hamper you. Getting rid of or controlling the apprehension can have a profoundly positive effect on your life.

Anxiety is our body´s normal reaction to uncomfortable stimulus. Uneasiness can crop up in a wide variety of situations, some of them common, some of them not. You could become exceptionally nervous when talking to your boss, talking to a pretty girl or handsome guy or driving to work.

You can experience anxiety anywhere; in the supermarket, at the movie theater, at your friends wedding or at your child´s school play. You could have a panic attack at the hair salon, while getting a manicure or talking to friends.

Anxiety is not simply fear. Fear is a focused, directed feeling about a person, object or event that could possibly occur. You´re afraid when you walk in a dark alley alone at night. You are afraid when you´re child is seriously ill in the hospital. These are rational, concrete things to be fearful of. The angst you are struggling with is often an undefined feeling; you really can´t focus in on exactly what you are so worried about.

The feeling is more a product of your own mind than any external stimulus causing you to feel that way. If you boss approaches you with a smile, why are you so fretful? What has he done that has made you feel so worried? Nothing, it is a product of you overactive mind.

Stop feeling so anxious without reason, stop obsessing over what ifs and maybes and focus on the good parts of your life and what is probable, not merely possible. Stop the heart palpitations, the rapid breathing, the excessive sweating, the nausea, nervousness and general feelings of dread that can wash over you during times of anxiety.

The secret is simply pushing more positive thoughts into your head. Rather than thinking your boss´s smile is a reflection of his glee at the opportunity to fire you this afternoon, try to put a more rational explanation to that smile, that he is happy to see you, is greeting you and is pleased with you. After all, if your spouse or child smiled at you, you wouldn´t think they were getting ready to throw you under a bus.

A good way to actually help you match positive, rational thoughts to the actions and situations you encounter throughout the day is to find outlets for your nervous energy. Start an exercise program and let off some of the steam and stress this way rather than letting your imagination run on wild adventures. Leave the overactive imagination to the fiction writers of the world and try to rein in your thoughts where possible.

Download your free eBook Stop Panic Attacks and Deal with Your Anxious Thoughts here:
Free Report Stop Panic Attacks

- From Bertil Hjert - The author of the Panic Goodbye Program. Read more about this brand new course at the: Panic Goodbye Program

Everything You Need to Know About Healthy Sleeping Habits

2009-03-24T16:15:00.001-04:00

Sleep is so unique a process. Even with all these researches, no scientists can today accurately tell why living things sleep or what induces sleep. Ayurveda puts great emphasis on sleep and gives you the guidelines of healthy sleeping habits.
The quality and quantity of sleep are equally important. Your selection of hours for sleep is also equally important.

How Much Sleep Do You Need

A healthy adult person requires 6-7 hours of sleep. Having a consistent sleeping pattern is also important. Children, old age people, and people suffering from diseases can sleep longer than seven hours.

When to Sleep

Sleeping under the moon is good for health while sleeping under the sun is detrimental. That is, sleep during night only. People tired of physical exertion, sex, diseases, etc can sleep during day time too. The best time to sleep is between 10.30 pm and 5.30 am.

More about Daytime Sleeping

Day sleeping is harmful to healthy persons, while it is recommended for people are tired after sex, physical exertion, speech, long journey, alcohol consumption, anger, fear, sadness, etc. People suffering from diarrhoea, old people, children, weak people, people suffering from thirst, hunger or pain, etc can sleep during daytime.
Daytime sleeping in not healthful for obese persons; people who take fatty food on a daily basis; people suffering from toxins; and people with throat diseases.

Sleeplessness or Insomnia

High atmospheric temperature, old age, diseases, mental disturbances, etc causes sleeplessness. It can cause other health problems like fatigue.

For a Good Night's Sleep

Applying coconut oil or sesame oil on head and whole body before you bath is good for promoting sleep. Massage the bottom of your feet with sesame oil before going to sleep – it can promote sleep and can cure headaches.

About Use of Sleeping pills

Ayurveda never recommends use of sleeping pills. Instead of sleeping pills, you can try yoga, meditation, travelling to serene locations and the techniques of bringing your mind to under your control.
Having a balanced lifestyle can help you get normal hours of sleep. Stress causes sleeplessness, which leads to several other problems. Thus, having good amounts of sleep is important for healthy mind and body
Dev Sri provides information about Ayurveda and Ayurvedic practices in Kerala. You are invited to learn more about Ayurvedic treatments.
Log on to http://www.KeralaAyurvedics.com now!

The Skinny on Holistic Healing Practices

2009-03-21T19:11:00.000-04:00

By : Art Gib
We are a country that thrives on the belief of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We have life and liberty, but sometimes it can seem like we pursue happiness all day long, but never actually achieve it. Part of the reason for this feeling is due to the lack of physical, mental, and spiritual health that far too many of us possess. There are many different ways to achieve health in all three of these areas, and one of these ways is through holistic healing.

The holistic belief is the belief in the whole being rather than part of the being. Therefore, holistic healing deals with the healing of the mind, body, and spirit together, as one entity, rather than as separate parts of the same being.

Many forms of holistic healing are actually considered alternative medicine techniques by most of us today. These include massage therapy, acupuncture, acupressure, and reflexology. These alternative techniques physically help the body, but you'll notice that most of them have a body-mind or spiritual connection as well.

Another commonly used form of holistic healing is the practice of yoga. This is a highly popular form of exercise today not only because it exercises the physical body, but it clears the mind and spirit as well. Somehow the combination of the slow, exact movements, the even, steady breathing, and the quiet atmosphere of yoga allows the person to relax the mind, which of course clears it and makes thinking easier. To some yoga is their form of meditation, which is another commonly used holistic practice.

Herbal supplements are often used as a form of alternative medicine as well, and they have been in use for thousands of years. We've all heard the stories of tribal witch doctors or medicine men. These medical "experts" often used herbs as part of their healing process. Today people use herbs to heal the body of the common cold, to cleanse the body of toxins, or to give the body the natural vitamins and minerals that it needs to survive.

Also, if you do a bit of research you'll find that many people have been healed of life-threatening ailments by using herbs, cleansing, and diminishing all unhealthy foods from the diet, specifically white sugar and white flour.

For years there has been an ongoing debate about whether or not holistic healing practices truly work, and it will probably be a debate that continues for many more years. There are too many cases where someone has been healed physically, mentally, or spiritually from these practices; we can't just disregard them. However, until they are proven right or wrong people will continue to use them and benefit from them. Author Resource: Tao Holistic Healing (http://taoholistichealing.com) offers information on holistic healing. Art Gib is a freelance writer.
Article From Mister Article

Coconut Juice and Oil can Help Prevent Heart Disease

2009-03-21T18:41:00.000-04:00

By : Darren Craddock
Amongst all lifestyle diseases, heart disease is the most frightening. More than anything else it's the suddenness with which it can strike. There is no warning symptom.

Since no one can be prepared in advance, heart disease creates the maximum scare. It is considered to be America's major killer today. According to the experts, one must avoid all rich traditional foods such as butter, cream, cheese, red meat, eggs and other foods containing saturated fats which in turn causes cholesterol - all artery blocking foods. Scientifically, it is the accumulation of hardened plaque in the main arteries which clogs them causing arteriosclerosis. This plaque is supposedly the elevated level of cholesterol in the blood, which causes the pathogenic atheromas that block blood vessels. Well, all of the above is not necessarily true. Saturated fats are not all evil.

Many people see coconut oil in its hard, white form and assume that is belongs in the oils that cause the cholesterol-rich plaques in blood vessels. Those lesions in blood vessels are caused in the most part by lipid oxidation of unsaturated fats and relate to stress, because adrenaline liberates fats from storage and the lining of blood vessels is exposed to high concentrations of the blood-borne material. In the body, incidentally, the oil can't exist as a solid, since it liquefies at 76 degrees.

It is quite informative to note that in moderate amounts (as with all substances in the world), coconut water and coconut oil are truly beneficial for the heart. Lets see how by starting to enumerate the benefits of coconut water - a source of saturated fats! Coconut water or coconut juice contains a substance called lauric acid. In fact nearly 50% of coconut water is lauric acid. Lauric acid helps in preventing a number of heart problems including high cholesterol, heart burns and high blood pressure. It does not affect the LDL and the HDL levels. Reducing the incidence of injury in arteries, it actually prevents arteriosclerosis! Which is more than what can be said for vegetable oils.

The evidence has been there all along but somehow it got lost in the negative publicity of saturated fats by certain commercial groups. Take a look at the regions where people use coconut oil for cooking and coconut juice as a beverage - Asia, Africa, Central America and the Pacific Islands. The local population is fit with normal cholesterol levels and no cardiovascular disease.

The reason being is that coconut oil is converted by the body into the hormone pregnenolone. It also has anti-oxidant and immune-stimulating action. This oil is also known to promote thermogenesis and increase metabolism (probably by supporting thyroid and mitochondrial function). In spite of being rich in saturated fat, one of the benefits of coconut water is that it has a neutral effect on triglyceride and cholesterol levels. In fact because of its saturated nature, it is stable and not oxidized easily and so does not contribute to coronary heart disease.

There is nothing more naturally refreshing than fresh coconut juice. It is full of nutrients, is tasty and most importantly, it is very good for you and your heart. As with all organic foods, there is no contamination to worry about! Only one word of advice - While consuming coconut products, care should be taken to keep your total calories within the range that is appropriate for your body type and activity level. Author Resource: Strengthen your immune system with Coconut Milk Powder, a rich source of healthy Coconut Oil. Darren Craddock shares his
Secret to staying healthy and Energized for life in this FREE Health Report at http://www.EnerHealthBotanicals.com
Article From Mister Article

wallpaper

2009-03-06T00:30:00.000-05:00

free site add ons

2009-03-05T00:25:00.001-05:00