by Sandie on September 14, 2009
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I am an advocate to anything that is natural – from remedies to therapies, foodstuff to drinking water. I try to go on as organic as I can without getting paranoid over what is in my food. At home enzyme is widely used; from soaking vegetables to using it in cooking and a dash is always added to the home water dispenser.
Our kitchen larder is in fact a first aid kit but of course many of us fail to realise this. Whenever an onset of cough hits us, we will make a line to the pharmacy to get some expectorants or lozenges that we believe will help cure or relieve our ailment.
Here are some herbal remedies. I am sure most of us have used some of these herbs at one time or another and can vouch for its goodness.
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by Penny on September 11, 2009
Everybody wants to grow old and age gracefully. It’s not something that’s easily achievable, given that we have so many things to deal and cope with in life. And who knows, as we move from one stage of life to another, we may even be saddled with more matters that stress us further.
Wasn’t life so much more carefree and happy back when we were children right up to the end of our schooling days? Wasn’t life a lot of fun when we first started out in the workforce? Then we got more and more stress coming our way from financial obligations, family commitments, personal fulfillment, etc. So I do believe that as we move from one phase of life to another, we may not necessarily be moving away from stress but likely to invite more!
Having said that, I think we should all strive to age gracefully, personality and appearance wise. We should learn to let go of grudges and perhaps some unfulfilled dreams so that we don’t hold on to bitterness and regrets. Perhaps build new dreams which you think are more achievable rather than keep those that are going down the drains anyway.
Does it get you down talking about this topic of aging? Well if it does I’m sorry to have brought it up. But there’s something I wish to end this conversation with, which I think will bring a smile to your face. Maybe, just maybe, you will laugh heartily at them too. Enjoy these marvelous images!
How do you like Barbie at age 50, obese and all?
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by Sandie on September 9, 2009
How often have we taken note of our body parts? They are so much a part of us that we hardly notice if this finger is longer than the other or whether our hands or legs are within the “healthy” length.
1. Finger length
According to British researchers, women who have shorter index fingers than their ring fingers are more prone to osteoarthritis in the knees. They tend to have lower levels of estrogen, which may also play a role in the development of osteoarthritis.
Precautionary measure: Strengthen the muscles surrounding your knees. Add such exercises to your daily stretching routine.
2. Leg length
If you have stocky legs, do take better care of your liver. In a 2008 study, British researchers found that women with legs between 20 and 29 inches long tended to have higher levels of four enzymes that indicate liver disease.
Precautionary measure: Take supplements to tone your liver. Limit or omit alcohol intake
3. Arm length
Can you touch your toes while standing in upright position (even though you are flexible)? Women with shorter arms are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those with longer reaches. Spread your arms on the floor and have someone measure fingertips to fingertips; the shortest spans were less than 60 inches.)
Precautionary measure: Get involved with a hobby such as painting or pottery. A 5-year study from the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center found that adults who spent the most time engaged in stimulating leisure activities were more than 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those who spent less time challenging their brains.
4. Earlobe crease
Linear wrinkles in one or both lobes may predict future cardiovascular events (heart attack, bypass surgery, or cardiac death). A crease on one lobe raises the risk by 33%; a crease on both lobes increases it by 77%, even after adjusting for other known risk factors. Though experts aren’t exactly sure, they suspect a loss of elastic fibers may cause both the crease and the hardening of arteries.
Precautionary measure: Diet and lifestyle is the key factor to a healthy heart.
5. Calf size
Women with small calves (13 inches or less around) tended to develop more carotid plaques, a known risk factor for stroke. The subcutaneous fat in larger calves may pull fatty acids from the bloodstream and store them where they are less of a risk factor, say researchers.
Precautionary measure: No need to bulk up your legs, but sip green tea to stay healthy. In a study of more than 40,500 Japanese men and women, those who drank five or more cups of green tea every day had the lowest risk of dying of heart disease and stroke. Here again, diet and lifestyle is very important
by Penny on September 9, 2009
Going bananas is usually a term used to describe people going off-track, isn’t it? Well maybe you wouldn’t mind so much that people saying that about you if you know the true benefits that a banana has on our health. And if we do go bananas, maybe we are the ones who will have the last laugh!
Bananas are known to give the body instant energy and is a good source of carbohydrates. Do you know other health benefits that you can get out of a banana? Here are a whole list of them and I’m sure many will raise their eyebrows in surprise if you didn’t already know these little facts about bananas.
Note that the content is not written by me. I received them in the form of a forwarded email from well-meaning friends. You may also have seen this before as I believe it has been widely circulated and shared amongst families and friends, but in case you have not or have deleted the email, just come to Cherish Wellness!
So let’s go bananas then, shall we?
The many health benefits of bananas
The fully ripe banana produces a substance called TNF which has the ability to combat abnormal cells.
As the banana ripens, it develops dark spots or patches on the skin. The more dark patches it has, the higher will be its’ immunity enhancement quality .
According to a Japanese scientific research, banana contains TNF which has anti-cancer properties. The degree of anti-cancer effect corresponds to the degree of ripeness of the fruit, ie the riper the banana, the better the anti-cancer quality.
In an animal experiment carried out by a professor in Tokyo U comparing the various health benefits of different fruits, using banana, grape, apple, water melon, pineapple, pear and persimmon, it was found that banana gave the best results. It increased the number of white blood cells, enhanced the immunity of the body and produced anti-cancer substance TNF .
The recommendation is to eat 1 to 2 bananas a day to increase your body immunity to diseases like cold, flu and others.
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by Marcus on September 9, 2009
YE Yang recently won the PGA golf championship and in the process demolished the invincibility of Tiger Woods as unbeatable when leading the final round. Not only that, Korean golfers are making their presence felt. If you don’t believe, the recent Canadian Women’s Open leaderboard says ‘South Korean unless otherwise stated’. That says a lot. Could it be because they eat so much KimChi?
Well, it may not make us great athletes but here are some of the plusses of eating kimchi.
Professor Miri Kim of Chungnam National University has found isocyanate and sulfide in Chinese cabbage and radish, which are what kimchi basically is. These bio-chemicals are effective in preventing cancer and detoxifying heavy metals in liver, kidney, and small intestine
Another thing also favors eating kimchi. According to Professor Kun Yung Park (Department of Food & Nutrition, Pusan National University), the vitamin A and C in the red hot pepper powder suppresses the growth of cancer cells.
The fermentation process produces lactobacilli, an organic acid which suppress harmful bacteria and stimulate beneficial bacteria, prevent constipation, clean intestines and prevent colon cancer.
There is much more. Garlic contains Allicin which helps reduce the chance of developing liver, stomach, and thyroid cancer and capsaicin in the pepper reduce the chance of lung cancer. In addition, the Indole-3-Carbinol contained in Chinese cabbage helps reduce the chance of developing stomach cancer.
Are you worried that the spiciness will cause gastritis? Well, there is no proof that this is so. On the other hand the garlic and pepper powder kills bacteria and that would include Helicobacter Pylori.
According to the researchers at Family Medicine Department of Seoul Asan Medical Center, eating kimchi lowers homocysteine in blood which helps in preventing cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and hardening of the arteries. Research also shows that kimchi remarkably decreased the cholesterol level, which helps in preventing the hardening of arteries.
Kimchi has been found to be abundant in anti-oxidation substances. What this means is that this slows down the aging of our skin. Isn’t this last part just good enough reason to consume more of that spicy stuff?
There is so much more goodness in kimchi. It prevents fatty liver, is alkaline which helps after eating meat and fatty food. That explains why we can eat and stuff a heavy meal and yet feel so good after!
Honestly, even without all the healthy benefits, kimchi taken chilled has always been my favorite.
