HEALTHY LIVING TIPS

In alternative health, acai is all the rage. While relatively new to the American consciousness, acai has been around for centuries and has helped many people with its healthful qualities. In order to benefit completely from acai, however, one must truly understand what it is and what it does.

What is acai?

Acai is a distinct purple berry indigenous to the Amazon rainforest. The acai fruit may be found in some of the large palm trees that grow in the thick forest; these trees can reach as high as 82 feet! Unlike cherries, which grow individually in trees, the acai berry grows in bunches, more like bananas. One average, each palm tree can yield anywhere from three to eight bunches.

What’s so great about acai?

You might say acai is fast becoming known as a wonder food for its versatility. Acai has nutrient properties and is naturally rich in:

* Omega fats (the good kind, unlike the saturated fats found in fast food)

* amino acids

* electrolytes

* antioxidants

* protein

* vitamins A, B1 and E

The people of the Amazon rainforest use acai in many different dishes – from drinks and shakes to breakfasts and bars. Brazilians use acai to flavor meat and fish entrees, too, topping dishes with a pulpy, curd-like substance made from the fruit.

Not only does acai provide a delicious taste to complement food, it is known around the Amazon for amazing health benefits. Acai is known to be used for treatment of digestive problems, skin irritation, sexual dysfunction, and even insomnia. The acai berry is naturally low in sugar, too.

Only in recent years have people in North America discovered how acai makes them feel energetic and healthy. Take a trip to your favorite smoothie place and you might find acai as one of the add-in ingredients available to you. Not only are consumers finding the benefits of acai to their interest, but researchers and the media are amazed by the power of this small berry. NBC’s Today did a feature story on acai in 2004, and more recently researchers at the University of Florida tested the attributes of acai to discover it actually destroyed cultured leukemia cells!

Will acai cure cancer? We can’t say for certain. All we know is that acai possesses some very strong health properties that may benefit people in the long run.

Can you eat the berries that make acai directly?

Strangely enough, no. It is not recommended that one just pluck the berries from the tree and start snacking. The berries are harvested and processed, and the acai is extracted from the pulp of the berry and sold in stores all over South America. It is said that beverages containing acai are more popular than milk in the southern hemisphere. That’s because South Americans know they are getting a pure, healthy drink that benefits their alertness and well-being, and it gets them through the day.

Where do you get acai?

Enter acai into Internet search and you are bound to find hundreds of online shops selling acai in various forms – drinks, powders, and capsules. This wonder supplement is in very high demand, but when you shop for acai it is important to know whether or not you are getting the purest extracts of acai available, directly from the Amazon Rainforest. Check the labels!

Does acai cause any side effects?

Current research indicates no known side effects to taking acai in any form. Though acai has been around for ages, it is still quite new to the United States, and no doubt is still being observed by health professionals. However, the testimony of the overall health of the Amazonian people speaks well for this little fruit with big potential.



By: Kathryn Lively

About the Author:

ACAI BURN DIET

No Pills no diet.  Just reduce your stress and see what happens to your weight and your mental clarity!

Too much stress is directly related to our hormones and hormones are the chemicals of the body that help to regulate all body function, including your weight.  They work in balance and harmony, of course unless they become unbalanced.  And stress is just the thing to destroy this balance. 

The effects of stress are demonstrated most clearly with the adrenal glands, which are the size of a walnut and sit at the top of the kidneys.  The adrenal glands take a beating from the stressful lives that we allow ourselves to live.

The effects are far reaching and can include allergies, anxiety and depression, asthma, constipation, digestive problems, dizziness, fatigue, low blood pressure, IBS, and headaches, and you guessed it…the inability to lose weight when your adrenal glands have no more cortisol to give.

So if you want to lose weight don’t think about the next diet your going to try, think about how you can get a really good nights sleep.  Studies show that people that sleep at least 8 hours a night have a much easier time shedding the pounds. 

You also might want to try learning more about bio feedback and or meditation in order to slow down the thought process in your own head which controls how you respond to stressful situations.  Yoga is a blessing for people experiencing too much stress in their lives. 

Next simplify your life.  Spend less money, incur less debt, spend more time having quality time with the people that you care about. 

Don’t watch the news, but do watch your diet.  Eat the most healthy food that you can, preferably grown without pesticide sprays.  If the food contains chemicals that you can’t pronounce you probably don’t need them in your body. And eat more vegetables and less starch.  Starches turn into sugar and so does alcohol, another weight loss busting enemy if you consume too much.  Research shows that there is a direct link between stress and carbohydrates.  Eating a healthy diet containing fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that have a low glycemic index and meat protein will make you feel better and be better equipped to handle stress because your body is getting the right kind of fuel to help balance your endocrine system.  Removing the negative side effects of glycemic stress.

So just relax and watch the pounds fall off!

By: Cori Chong

About the Author:

CYLAPRIL BENEFIT

When it comes to colon health, cat digestive systems are quite similar to those of humans. Just as with humans, cats can suffer from a number of digestive disorders. In fact, constipation is relatively common in felines. Therefore, as a pet owner, it is important for you to understand how to recognize digestive problems as well as how to help your cat maintain a healthy colon.

Feline Constipation

Concerning colon health, cat constipation is relatively easy to recognize. Fortunately, it is fairly easy to help your cat recover from feline constipation.

Just as with human colon health, cat colon health problems have a great deal to do with the age of the cat. As in humans, older cats are more susceptible to constipation. Those that are eight-years-old and above are more likely to become constipated. Nonetheless, it is possible for a cat of any age to become constipated.

A cat with bowels that are functioning efficiently will usually have one or two bowel movements every day. Of course, just as with humans, every cat is different. Signs of feline constipation include:

No bowel movements, or very infrequent bowel movements

Straining during a bowel movement

Painful bowel movements

A sudden decrease in the amount of stool produced

When it comes to colon health, cat constipation is a sign that something is not working correctly within the digestive tract. And, if you fail to take action, your cat may become quite ill. Signs the constipation has advanced and is becoming serious include:

Failure to keep itself groomed

Lethargic behavior

Loss of appetite

Crouching and hunching up

Vomiting

Passing a small amount of diarrhea, which is runny and blood-tinged

Some potential causes of cat constipation include:

Ingesting foreign bodies, hair, and animal bones

A dirty litter box

Recent hospitalization

Lack of exercise (let your cat out to run)

Obstructions, such as improperly healed pelvic fractures or tumors

Medication

Hair matted with dirt/mud

Injuries from cat fights

Obesity (don’t overfeed your pet please or share your meals)

Parasites, usually obtained from dirt, animals, or unclean water

To maintain proper feline colon health, constipation needs to be treated as soon as possible. The first approach is to address the underlying cause of the problem. A cat that is dehydrated, for example, may receive intravenous or subcutaneous replacement fluids to help encourage a bowel movement.

If a change of the underlying cause is not enough to get things moving again, the veterinarian may administer an enema to your pet to help induce a bowel movement. If the cat is severely constipated, however, it may be necessary to place the cat under anesthesia and remove the feces manually. This can be a very time consuming process.

Feline Obstipation

Feline obstipation is similar to constipation, but must be treated differently. Whereas constipation is characterized by difficulty in eliminating waste, obstipation occurs when the cat’s bowels are blocked and it is unable to pass any waste at all. The cause of obstipation and the signs and symptoms of the disorder are usually the same as with constipation.

Feline Megacolon

A cat that suffers from chronic constipation or obstipation may ultimately develop Megacolon, which is a distended colon with poor movement. When this occurs, fecal matter remains in the colon and becomes continuously drier. As a result, the colon becomes filled with waste almost as hard as concrete.

Maintaining Colon Health Cat Style

Maintaining your cat’s colon health requires many of the same steps for maintaining the health of a human colon. Placing your cat on a high fiber diet, for example, will help prevent your cat from becoming constipated. Like humans, cats are unable to digest fiber. As the undigested fiber sits in your cat’s colon, it absorbs water and helps loosen the stool while also providing it with extra bulk.

Since cats tend to have more sensitive digestive systems than humans, however, it is important to implement a high fiber diet slowly. Changing your cat’s diet too abruptly can cause it to experience gas pain. Therefore, you should spend about five or seven days gradually modifying your cat’s diet.

Foods that can be added to your cat’s diet to increase its fiber intake include:

Canned pumpkin

Bran

Vegetable meal

Whole grains

Your cat may not want to eat any of these foods alone. Therefore, you will need to mix them in with your cat’s canned cat food. It is also important to ensure your cat drinks plenty of water. This is particularly important when increasing fiber consumption since the fiber will absorb water within your cat’s digestive system.

By helping your pet maintain proper colon health, its digestive problems should not be of serious concern. However, if problems arise, contact your veterinarian right away to take care of the issue before it worsens.



By: The Colon Cleansing & Constipation Resource Center

About the Author:

COLON CLEANSE HEALTH

 

Adrenal fatigue is a label applied to a collection of nonspecific symptoms, such as body aches, fatigue, nervousness, sleep disturbances and digestive problems. The term often shows up in popular health books and on alternative medicine Web sites, but it isn’t an accepted medical diagnosis.

Causes of Adrenal Fatigue

As mentioned earlier, sugar and refined carbohydrates are the main cause of adrenal fatigue. Sugar includes honey, maple syrup, fructose, dried fruit, fruit juice and just about anything that is sweet. Refined carbohydrates are grains that have been ground up or have had the bran removed. This include products like bread even whole wheat bread, noodles, corn chips, white rice and pretty much anything that comes in a package. Refined foods are broken down by grinding and concentration.

Proponents of the adrenal fatigue diagnosis claim this is a mild form of adrenal insufficiency caused by chronic stress. The unproven theory behind adrenal fatigue is that your adrenal glands are unable to keep pace with the demands of perpetual fight-or-flight arousal. As a result, they can’t produce quite enough of the hormones you need to feel good.

Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms

People with adrenal fatigue experience extreme physical exhaustion and they don’t have an explanation as to why (such as a strenuous workout). This isn’t just everyday tiredness it is extreme exhaustion.

You Gain Weight Easily – Especially Around the Middle

People with adrenal fatigue often notice they gain weight very easily. They especially notice the extra weight around the middle – and it’s very hard to lose it.

You Have Difficulty Rising In The Morning

Those with adrenal fatigue often find they feel tired when getting up in the morning – even with a full night’s sleep. They often need stimulants like caffeine and sugar to ‘get going’ both in the morning and throughout the day.

Physically – The physical symptoms of adrenal fatigue are exhaustion not relieved by rest, food cravings, lethargy and longer recovery times for illnesses. Healing begins by strengthening our body especially the adrenal glands. Build yourself back up physically with healthy eating, vitamin and minerals supplements (especially vitamin C, B complex and fish oil), rest and relaxation, light exercise, DHEA and adrenal glandular supplementation.

Emotionally – Loss of self esteem, depression and denial are the emotional signs of adrenal exhaustion. Building self-esteem, relieving depression and dealing with buried negative emotions can revive your positive feelings.

Treatment for Adrenal Fatigue

L-Theanine

L-theanine is an amino acid found in green tea that produces a calming effect in the brain. It works by increasing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) that is a relaxer and creates a sense of well-being. L-theanine may be taken to help modulate mood and relieve stress in many health conditions (Abe et al. 1995; Kobayashi et al. 1998; Juneja et al. 1999).

Licorice

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza) works by blocking the breakdown of hydrocortisone in the liver. the hydrocortisone level then becomes higher, and this slows down the production of ACTH (adrenocorticotrophic hormone) from the pituitary gland, giving the adrenals a much-needed rest. Licorice is a highly prized medicinal in Chinese medicine. Glycyrrhiza may be taken in a variety of ways, including as a tea. Licorice can the be tapered off when adrenal gland function is restored.



By: peterhutch

About the Author:

ADRENAL WEIGHT LOSS

The most common complaint I hear is that people always feel tired. In fact, most people seem to think feeling tired all the time is just a normal part of modern life. I have good news. It’s not!

There are many causes of chronic tiredness. Sometimes it’s obvious, like not getting enough sleep, but other times it can be due to an underlying health issue. Chronic tiredness can be a frustrating condition. There usually isn’t a simple solution to it and any medical tests are likely to come back ‘normal’.

In this article I’m going to explore the common condition of adrenal exhaustion and how it can cause chronic tiredness.

Common symptoms and risk factors of adrenal exhaustion include:

· You feel tired and unrefreshed after waking in the morning

· You find it difficult to get going in the morning until you have had a cup of coffee

· You feel tired after exercising

· You began to feel chronically tired after a stressful event had occurred

· You experience chronic allergies, inflammation or digestive problems

· You have a high-stress, always on-the-go lifestyle. You work hard, party hard, stay up late, drink coffee and alcohol, sometimes burn the candle at both ends, but lately you’ve found you just can’t do this anymore.

The adrenals are two small glands located above each kidney. One of their roles is to secrete the stress hormones cortisol, adrenalin and nor-adrenalin. These hormones are secreted during stressful situations – either to help us calm down (cortisol) or to prepare us for battle (adrenalin and nor-adrenalin).

During chronic stress, the adrenals continually secrete these hormones and over time can become exhausted (just like the pancreas becomes exhausted pumping out insulin in response to a high sugar diet). At the beginning stages of stress, the adrenal glands pump out more cortisol to keep up with the demands being placed on your body. At this point you may find yourself feeling alert and ‘on the ball’. However over time the adrenals become exhausted, causing a decline in the amount of cortisol that they are able to pump out. If and when you reach this stage of adrenal dysfunction, a number of detrimental effects may occur including chronic tiredness (see list of symptoms above).

Our adrenals need to be cared for and supported with a healthy diet and nutrients. Certain herbal medicine, amino acids, supplements and stress-reducing lifestyle practices can help to repair exhausted adrenal glands. But remember – it’s always easier to prevent something going wrong than to fix it after its broken. When the adrenal glands become very exhausted, you can experience burnout and possibly chronic fatigue syndrome.

By: Alison Cassar

About the Author:

CYLAPRIL BENEFITS