Muscly boys aren't just a hit with the girls - they live longer, too

-Researchers tracked more than one million Swedish male adolescents over 24 years
-They found stronger boys lived longer, even if they became overweight adults
-Physically weaker people might be more mentally vulnerable, it was suggested


After a summer witnessing crowds of screaming girls jostling to catch a glimpse of Olympic diver Tod Daley's toned torso, there can't have been many young men who didn't feel a twinge of jealousy.
But now it seems there could be more to having the teenager's athletic physique than unfailing female attention - it could help you live longer too.
A team of researchers from Sweden have found muscular boys will live longer than their weaker friends.

A new study has claimed muscular teenage boys could live longer than their weaker school friends.
Olympic diver Tom Daley, 18, has achieved his athletic physique through years of training

And even if they are overweight by the time they get to adulthood, those with stronger muscles tend to live longer.
The team tracked more than one million Swedish male adolescents, all conscripts to the army and aged 16 to 19, over a period of 24 years.
The teenagers were asked to grip and to do leg curls and arm push ups  as a test of muscle strength.
The scientists found those with low strength, weak legs and arms and with a limp grip, were more likely to die earlier.
The report also suggests that physically weaker people might be more mentally vulnerable.
But the study, published in the BMJ, stressed that it does not mean building muscle through excessive weight training would make you live longer.

They have concluded that a basis of muscle strength instead reflects general fitness.
Over the course of the study, 26,145 of the men died.
The leading single cause of death was accidental injury, followed by suicide, cancer, heart disease and stroke.
A third of the deaths were due to other causes and the researchers grouped these together for their calculations.
The teenagers who scored above average on muscular strength at the start of the study had a 20 to 35 per cent lower risk of early death from any cause and also from cardiovascular diseases.
They also had a 20 to 30 per cent lower risk of early death from suicide and were up to 65 per cent less likely to have any psychiatric diagnosis, such as schizophrenia or depression.
But the 16 to 19 year olds with the lowest level of muscular strength had the highest risk of dying before they reached their middle ages.
While the effect of poor muscular fitness in those observed was similar to other risk factors for early death, such as obesity and high blood pressure, researchers still found the link between early death and muscle power remained after the other factors were taken into account.
The study also found thin and fat men alike fared worse in terms of life expectancy if they had weaker than average muscles, while more muscular men had better survival odds even if they were overweight.
But experts stress the findings do not mean muscle building through excessive weight training makes you live longer.

Thursday, November 22, 2012 | 0 comments | Read More

Cancer's not pink

Women are rebelling against the fluffy imagery surrounding breast cancer

Tutu has her head shaved before chemo treatment for her breast cancer.

Kristen Tedder, or Tutu as she is known to friends, was never going to react to breast cancer in a conventional way. This is the performance artist whose Doris Day meets Courtney Love routine had the Gallagher brothers whooping for more at a London club in the late 1990s.

Her latest project is Punk Cancer: a visceral, disrespectful and decidedly un-pink approach to fighting breast cancer. "All the pink, fluffy breast cancer imagery didn't do it for me, so I went down a different road," Tutu explains. "I learned to love breast cancer because it's part of my body and it taught me a lot about my life. But I also wanted to kick its ass."

When we meet, Tutu, 45, is wearing a T-shirt, created with London label Earl of Bedlam. It features a stencil of herself, boldly one-breasted, and, in Never Mind the Bollocks lettering, the phrase: "Cancer Sucks: Fight it, Love it, Live it, Survive it."

The image is taken from an exhibition Tutu collaborated on with photographer Ashley Savage. Tutu was diagnosed in 2009 and the pictures, which date from that time, range from a beaming Tutu posing Bettie Page-style on a radiation table, to an anarchic hair-shaving session pre-chemo. In between, are some starker images taken when she was not feeling quite so strong.

Pink Ribbons, Inc, a Canadian documentary that is released this week in the UK, makes a similar point by taking a look at the industry that has grown around breast cancer. It features interviews with critics of the disease's "pinkification", including veteran activist Barbara Ehrenreich who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer herself. "I wish they could talk to all the women who have been through breast cancer," she says in the film. "And [I] resent the effort to make it pretty and feminine and normal. It's not normal, it's horrible."

Ironically, says the film's producer Ravida Din, breast cancer has become glamorous. "You can attach more cliches about femininity to breast cancer," Din tells me. "Moreover, it can be 'dressed up' by corporations."

In fact, the pink ribbon was originally orange. Conceived in 1990 by Charlotte Haley, a 68-year-old American, it was a grassroots protest against the fact that only 5% of the US National Cancer Institute's budget was going towards cancer prevention.

When Estée Lauder asked to use the logo for a breast-cancer awareness campaign, Haley wanted nothing to do with it, saying she had no wish for them to use the ribbon as she felt it was too commercial. So the company changed the colour to pink, because research identified it as the most non-threatening, soothing colour – everything a cancer diagnosis isn't.

Din believes that anger, used in the right way, is the way forward. "We want to provoke a new conversation around the breast cancer culture we've created," she says. "Don't just raise money and hand it over. Think about where you want to invest it. Are you OK that almost all research money is going to pharmacological research and almost none (still less than 5%) on why we get it in the first place?"

Annie Middleton, 42, believes that breast cancer awareness has reached a crossroads. She was diagnosed with it at the age of 30, when she had two young daughters. Her journey lasted a decade and included a double mastectomy then reconstruction, which was completed last year.

"When I was diagnosed I felt as if I'd already joined the pink club because someone had chosen the colour a long time ago. But it does keep some people out. I think of pink as a flesh colour, which isn't great for black women."

In 2004, Middleton organised a breast cancer awareness exhibition, Modern Amazons, that was shown at Selfridges in London. Notably, it didn't involve celebrities and instead consisted of 30 real women photographed showing their mastectomies and sharing personal stories.The billions spent on research have not been able to help Tutu. The disease has spread to her bones and she doesn't have long to live. (We learn from Pink Ribbons, Inc that metastatic breast cancer is still lamentably under-researched). But Tutu wants to change things before she goes. She thinks other women would benefit from recording the process as she did.

"They don't have to be as out there as me," she says with a chuckle. "But it really helps to let out your emotions about how you feel about it."

Monday, March 26, 2012 | 2 comments | Read More

Working 11 hours or more a day doubles depression risk

LONDON - Researchers found that the odds of a major depressive episode are more than double for those
working 11 or more hours a day compared to those working seven to eight hours a day.

The authors, led by Dr Marianna Virtanen of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and University College London, followed about 2,000 middle-aged British civil servants and found a "robust" association between overtime work and depression.

The correlation was not affected when the analysis was adjusted for various possible confounders, including socio-demographics, lifestyle, and work-related factors.

There have been a number of previous studies on the subject, with varying results, but the researchers emphasise that it is hard to compare results across these studies because the cut-off for "overtime" work has not been standardised.

Dr Virtanen said: "Although occasionally working overtime may have benefits for the individual and society, it is important to recognise that working excessive hours is also associated with an increased risk of major depression."

Friday, January 27, 2012 | 0 comments | Read More

First female doctor

In the period known as the “Old Kingdom” in Ancient Egypt, from 2600-2100 BC, all professions were open to men and women, including the clergy, business, and medicine. In fact, records show that there were more than 100 prominent female physicians in Ancient Egypt, with Peseshet as their director. She was known as “lady overseer of the female physicians” – although it is not established that Lady Peseshet was a doctor herself and even if she was she was not the first known female physician. That title goes to someone who practiced medicine almost 100 years earlier: the world’s first known female doctor was Merit-Ptah (2700 BC).

As with mathematics and astronomy, medicine was well-developed in Ancient Egypt, with physicians specializing in various medical fields, including eye care and dentistry. Midwifery was also a practiced profession.

World’s most famous midwife

Trotula of Salerno (?-1097) was a physician, midwife, teacher, and author. Trotula‘s treatise on gynecology, De Passionibus Mulierum Curandorum (The Diseases of Women) was used in medical schools until the 16th century.

Her topics included the need for cleanliness, a balanced diet, and regular exercise, warned of the effects of emotional stress, and discussed birth control, problems of infertility, male infertility, sewing (and avoiding) tears suffered in childbirth, repositioning a baby during a breech birth, and the problems of sex and celibacy. She even told how a woman might pretend to be a virgin.

Monday, January 23, 2012 | 3 comments | Read More

Nurse Donates Kidney to Patient

Allison Batson is a very unique nurse in the fact that she always strives to go above and beyond in any way possible for the treatment of her patients. Today she’s making headlines for the truly miraculous gift she gave one of her patients, a kidney. Batson was treating a 23 year old patient and when doctors realized that the boy had a problem with his kidney Batson immediately offered to help if possible.

 According to officials none of the boy’s family or near relatives were comparable matches for a kidney donation, fortunately for Clay Taber, nurse Batson was a match. She had absolutely no concerns or issues with the procedure and immediately offered to give a kidney to the young man in need which is what makes her a truly miraculous nurse in many ways. Nurse Batson is now being praised as a hero because her donation definitely saved the young man’s life but she insists that it was only part of her job.

This story is a truly heartwarming example of what amazing doctors and nurses can do when they care so much. Batson barely even knew the patient as was immediately prepared to give up a part of her self to help save the young man and if it had not been for her contribution he would have likely died in a relatively short period. Taber, the patient, is now recovering well and is expected to make a complete recovery shortly.

Friday, January 20, 2012 | 2 comments | Read More

3 rules for the perfect coffee cup

Most of us can’t start the day without a good cup of coffee. We present you 5 simple rules to get the perfect breakfast coffee.

Rule Number One: Buy Fresh Beans.

Fresh beans still have that rich flavor we so much adore. The best places to buy fresh coffee from is a local store. You can buy it roasted, or you can roast it yourself.  Roast coffee is best consumed within a few days after roasting so keep in mind to buy just the amount you would drink in the following couple of days.  Buying coffee from local supermarkets is not a good idea. Even the one kept in storage tubes loses its quality, as it is exposed to light and oxygen.

Rule Number Two:  Look For High Quality Coffee

If you are a coffee fan, you might as well delight yourself with high quality Arabica. Choose the 100% pure Arabica beans. Unlike Robusta, Arabica the perfect combination of caffeine content and flavor. You may have not given any thought to such details until now, but if you are to drink one of the most common liquors in the world, you might as well be informed of the numerous types of beans and ways to obtain great coffee.
Rule Number Three: Prepare It High Style

Use bottled spring water, avoid the cheap filters if you are using any, and keep your coffee maker squeaky clean. And one more thing! It is important to know that the perfect brewing temperature is 200 degrees F, of 45 seconds off a full boil. Too much boiling could make it more bitter. Reheating it will turn it even bitterer.

by- Catinca Oprea

Thursday, January 19, 2012 | 1 comments | Read More

Injuries to Pedestrians Wearing Headphones Tripled Since 2004

Folks who walk to work or school while listening to music via headphones may want to unplug, with a new U.S. study finding injuries to this group of people tripling since 2004.

The reason, University of Maryland researchers say, is that use of iPods and other MP3 players makes people much less aware of their environment, including oncoming traffic.

"MP3 usage is common in young adults and teenagers and we found that people wearing headphones are at risk of getting hit and having injury or death," said lead researcher Dr. Richard Lichenstein, an associate professor of pediatrics in Pediatric Emergency Medicine Research at the University of Maryland Children's Hospital.

"These are pedestrians getting hit by cars, trains, trucks, vans, buses and things like that," he said. "About 70 percent of the injuries were fatal and more than 50 percent of the victims were hit by trains."

The report was published in the Jan. 16 online edition of Injury Prevention.

For the study, Lichenstein's team used the U.S. National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Google to find data on deaths and injuries among pedestrians wearing headphones from January 2004 through June 2011.

During this time, they found 116 such events reported. In 2004-05 just 16 such cases were noted, but that rate rose nearly three-fold to 47 during 2010-2011, the researchers report.

About two-thirds of victims were under 30 years of age, and the most common accident (55 percent) was being hit by a train. Most such accidents happened in cities, with only 12 percent occurring in rural areas.

In 70 percent of cases the accident proved fatal, and in three out of four, bystanders had actually seen the victim wearing headphones just prior to the accident. The sound coming from those headphones likely masked outside noise, because in 29 percent of the accidents, horns or sirens had been sounded just before the victim was hit.

"People wearing headphones need to be conscious of the outside environment and risk of moving vehicles, because not only are you distracted by the music, but also the sounds of traffic or horns or sirens are blocked," Lichenstein said. Experts label this type of distraction "inattentional blindness."

Commenting on the study, Dr. Carl Schulman, director of Injury Prevention Education at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, pointed to an earlier study suggesting that any form of impaired hearing can raise a person's injury risk.

In a 1995 New Zealand study involving almost 200 children, those with (natural) hearing problems had an increased risk of being hit by a car, compared with children with normal hearing, Schulman noted.

This is similar to having one's hearing intentionally blocked by music coming from headphones, so it is not surprising that the new study saw a similar pattern among people plugged into MP3 players, Schulman said.

Lichenstein said the way to reduce the risk is simple. "Be cognizant of the environment. Know there is risk out there. It's not a great idea to be distracted and it's not a great idea to shut out those sounds that may help you live another day," he said.

By - Steven Reinberg

Tuesday, January 17, 2012 | 1 comments | Read More

Memory loss can begin from age 45

Mental dexterity and brain power deteriorate earlier than thought, according to study of 7,000 civil servants

Brain cell activity can be boosted by having a healthy heart, according to scientists

As all those of middle age who have ever fumbled for a name to fit a face will believe, the brain begins to lose sharpness of memory and powers of reasoning and understanding not from 60 as previously thought, but from as early as 45, scientists say.

Their evidence comes from a large study of more than 7,000 civil servants aged between 45 and 70. The 5,000 men and 2,000 women agreed to undergo verbal and written tests on three occasions over a 10-year period.

A deterioration in the memory and thinking powers of the oldest volunteers might be expected, but in fact the researchers, led by Archana Singh-Manoux from the Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health in France and University College London in the UK, found that the brains of even the youngest were already on the slide. Over the decade, there was a 3.6% decline in the mental reasoning of men and of women aged 45 to 49. The process appeared to have speeded up in the older age groups. Men aged 65 to 70 have a decline of 9.6% while women fared a little better, at 7.4%.

It matters, say the scientists, because those whose brains appear to deteriorate fastest may be more likely to develop dementia in later life – and because if there is any chance of slowing that process, those at highest risk may need to be detected and treated at an early stage, before Alzheimer's or another form of dementia becomes apparent.

Singh-Manoux and colleagues say that "understanding cognitive ageing will be one of the challenges of this century", as the number of elderly people around the globe rises exponentially.

This will have a profound impact both on individuals and on the societies they live in, they say.

The researchers used a range of tests to measure the mental performance of the civil servants. One of these, called Alice Heim 4-I, is a series of 65 verbal and mathematical reasoning problems which get progressively more difficult. They test "inductive reasoning, measuring the ability to identify patterns and infer principles and rules", say the researchers in their paper in the British Medical Journal. Participants had 10 minutes to get through them.

Then there was a test of short-term verbal memory. They were given a list of 20 words of one or two syllables and asked to write down all they could remember in any order within the next two minutes. They were tested on verbal fluency – asked to write down as many words beginning with the letter S within one minute and then as many animal names as they could, also in 60 seconds. Finally there was a multiple choice vocabulary test of the meaning of 35 words.

There are many very well-educated people in the civil service, but each individual's educational background was taken into account so that it did not influence the results.

The scientists' conclusion is that deterioration of the brain sets in earlier than most of us would have hoped, but there are things that can be done about it.

Looking after the heart, they say, has been shown to help the head. In fact, people with high blood pressure, obesity and high cholesterol who are at high risk of heart problems, are also at higher risk of dementia, studies show.

"There is enough evidence to show the importance of healthy lifestyles and cardiovascular risk factors in adulthood for dementia," they write in the BMJ. "For some of these risk factors, such as obesity, hypertension, and hypercholesterolaemia, it is mid-life levels that seem to be more important than those measured at older ages."

That message was echoed by Professor Lindsey Davies, president of the Faculty of Public Health. "This study provides extra encouragement to young and middle aged people to take care of their health – and not just for a few weeks in January.

"The risks to mental health and wellbeing can persuade people that it is unwise to only take action if and when their bodies and minds break down. There will be no single pill to help us do this: it's about the common sense approach of keeping fit and watching what we eat and drink," she said.

"Further research in this area would help public health experts be even more effective in taking preventative action to protect and improve older people's health. We need only look at the problems that childhood obesity rates will cause if they are not addressed to see how important it is that we take 'cradle to grave' approach to public health."

by - Sarah Boseley

Friday, January 06, 2012 | 2 comments | Read More

New way to get in shape with MovNat

MovNat or moving naturally - the new way to get in shape

The latest fitness craze about to hit the UK is all about using our bodies intuitively - like our monkey ancestors - not slavishly working out for a rippling six pack. Paul Torpey tries a class

A MovNat fitness class. Near-nakedness not obligatory. Photograph: PR.

It's a cold winter's day and I'm in a park pretending to be an ape. It's neither the result of consuming hallucinogens nor taking up amateur dramatics. The weatherbeaten man encouraging me believes it's every person's right to monkey around in public without attracting worried glances, as to do otherwise is denying our true biological selves.

Erwan Le Corre is the founder of MovNat, a system developed to transform our relationship with exercise by prioritising natural and efficient movement over superficial goals like burning calories. If, so the theory goes, we start running, climbing, jumping, crawling and balancing like the animal species nature intended, then weight loss and muscle tone will follow naturally, along with a general sense of health and wellbeing.

If it sounds bananas, it's surely no more so than signing up for the traditional New-Year-money-pit of a gym membership. How many of us are already panting away to a Rihanna soundtrack knowing that January's good intentions will eventually be overwhelmed by sheer tedium?

MovNat founder Erwan Le Corre. Photograph: PR.

According to Le Corre, such pessimism is well-founded as he believes conventional fitness to be "a very reductionist and restrictive approach to physical development". He says: "A sedentary lifestyle is detrimental to health, happiness and longevity but the alternatives that the current fitness industry provide are ineffective and boring because they're based on goals that don't understand our evolutionary nature."

The venue for my introduction to MovNat is actually a temporary 'ape playground' in the shadow of London's Tower Bridge, with ramps, ladders, ropes and climbing frames. The session starts with me lying flat on my back trying to consider the impact of gravity on my body. This is the moment I realise there's probably more to mastering MovNat than scratching my armpits while pouting and making monkey noises.

Before long, I'm upright and attempting to jump on to a plank from a standing start and land on the balls of my feet. This is quickly extended into an exercise where I have to walk up and down the plank, one foot in front of the other, periodically squatting and changing direction without using my hands for support. Needless to say, were the plank actually a branch in a tall tree, I would quickly have hit the forest floor with a thud.

Next I have to walk along the same plank on all fours. To a MovNat virgin like me, this feels an entirely alien movement and the effort and concentration required to stay on the plank is surprising. As I catch my breath, I think for a moment that Le Corre is calling me a sloth, before realising he is actually suggesting I might like to hang from a bar and move along it in the manner of one of nature's slackers.

Getting on the bar is relatively easy, traversing it using elbows and knees, less so. If sloths are in this much pain as they hang out, their peaceful faces hide it well. My final challenge is to combine everything into a gruelling circuit.

Anyone witnessing my ungainly foray into MovNat would quickly see that, in biological terms, I'm a mere protozoa in comparison to Le Corre's higher lifeform. His journey to effortless agility began with a childhood spent outside, climbing trees and sliding down rocks. He later spent time formally studying physical education systems such as Georges Hébert's Natural Method, a forerunner of Parkour with which MovNat shares some similarities. It was a desire to update some of these concepts of physical education and recapture the unbridled natural energy he felt as a child that led him to devise his own system.

Though it's unlikely we'll see local authorities rolling out bespoke playgrounds, MovNat was developed to be adaptable. Le Corre says: "You can use benches, trees, walls, anything man-made. What matters is to use patterns that are universally human. You can exercise indoors catching a medicine ball and you can do the same in the woods with a rock."

There are plans to introduce a certification system this year so that people can be trained in the UK without needing to attend one of Le Corre's English-speaking workshops abroad. Clearly, accessibility would need to widen considerably for MovNat to be considered a realistic exercise option for most people but as the Zumba craze and interest in alternative pursuits like Parkour shows, an appetite for novel forms of exercise exists.

You don't need to believe it's all been downhill for the human race since our evolutionary split from the chimpanzees to realise there might be something in enjoying movement for movement's sake rather than worrying about killer abs or beach bodies. The very essence of MovNat encourages you to work out in a different way to normal so it was entirely appropriate that the day after my session I ascended to a previously unknown level of agony. Nevertheless, this purgatory couldn't change the fact that I'd finished my session with a genuine smile on my face. One could almost say I was grinning like an ape.

by - Paul Torpey

Friday, January 06, 2012 | 0 comments | Read More

Regular Health Mistakes

All of us make little health mistakes that cause damage to our bodies in the long run - simply because we are unaware we are doing something wrong. Here are some of the most common mistakes made by many of us.

Crossing our legs
Do you cross your legs at your knees when sitting? Although we may believe that this is the lady-like elegant way to sit, sitting this way cuts down circulation to your legs. If you don"t want varicose veins to mar the beauty of your legs and compromise your health, uncross your legs every time you realise you have one knee on top of the other. The best way to sit is to simply place both legs together on the floor, balancing your weight equally. If you feel like changing position, instead of crossing your legs, simply move both legs together to one side. As an alternative, you could also consider crossing your legs loosely at the ankles. This is a classically elegant way to sit, and is far better for your legs and your health than sitting with your legs crossed at your knees.

Not changing our toothbrush
How often do you change your toothbrush? Most of us wait until most of the bristles have either fallen off, or are in such bad shape that we"d be embarrassed to pull out our brush in public. However, since not many of us need to pull out our brush in public, we carry on with our frayed one until we lose it. Replace your toothbrush often. Damaged bristles can harm the enamel, and don"t massage your gums well. If you find brushing your teeth a pain like I do, but know you must do it, you might as well be doing it right. Imagine going through the annoyance of brushing your teeth twice a day only to find out that you"re damaging your enamel every time you clean your teeth. Also, use a brush with soft bristles unless your dentist has advised otherwise.

Eating out often
There are oils that are high in cholesterol, and oils that cause little harm and are better for your heart. However, no matter how light the oil is, it is never a good idea to eat too much of it. Avoid fried foods.Remember that in all probability your favourite Indian food restaurant throws a huge, HUGE chunk of butter in a tiny bowl of dal. Rita, who worked in the kitchen of a 5 star hotel, was shocked when she saw the cook chop a 500gm butter slab in half, and throw half into a Paneer Makhani dish. No wonder the customers left licking their fingers. And no wonder they felt so stuffed and heavy afterwards. Limit outdoor eating unless you know that you"re getting served light and healthy food.

Skipping breakfast
Never, ever skip breakfast. Remember, when you wake up in the morning it"s been around 10-12 hours since your last meal. Your body needs food now, more than at any other time. Eat a heavy breakfast. You will then be busy through the day, and the calories will get expended quickly. If you are trying to diet, eat a light dinner. Here are some more common health mistakes we make. Being informed and making a few changes can help make us feel a whole lot better.


High heels
High heels sure look great, but they're murder for your back. This however doesn't mean you should steer clear of stilettos. Wear them, but not when you know you will be walking around a lot. Wear them when going out for lunch or dinner - when the only walking you will be doing is to your car, to the table, and back. Avoid high heels when you are going somewhere on foot. If you are constantly tempted to wear your heels, take a good look at your flats. Is there something about them you dislike? Invest in a new pair of beautiful flats or shoes with a low heel. Buy something you love, that you will enjoy wearing. If possible, get a matching bag. You will then enjoy your flats as much as you do your heels.


Sleeping on a soft bed
You don't have to sleep on the floor be kind to your back, but do make sure you have a firm mattress. Although a mattress on springs is soft and lovely to sink into, it's bad for your back. If you already have an old bed with springs, you don't need to invest in a new one - simply get a thick wooden plank put over the springs, and place the mattress on the plank. Similarly, if your mattress is old and lumpy, throw it out and get a new one. Your neck and your back will thank you. The same rule applies to sofas. If you will be spending hours on a sofa, get a firm yet comfortable one. Sofas you completely sink into are not the best idea.

Pillows
No matter how comfortable sleeping with ten cushions is, have pity on your neck and resist. Sleep with one pillow, and make sure it is not too thick. If your pillow gets lumpy, discard it and go for a new one. Get a thin pillow if you sleep on your stomach, and something a little thicker if you sleep on your back, to give your neck adequate support


Not exercising
So all of us know we should exercise more, but many of us don't. This is a health mistake we consciously make! And why is that? Simply because we refuse to admit the damage we are causing to our bodies by not working out. A number of people only start working out once they've experienced a warning signal. Don't wait for a heart attack to strike before you decide to opt for a lifestyle change. Make the change now. You don't need to train for the marathon to be in top shape. Half an hour of brisk walking three to four times a week will make a world of difference to your health. You could then increase this to forty minutes, four times a week - and you're all set. If you haven't exercised for a week, you're making a mistake.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Top 10 Healthiest Fruits

01. Strawberries

Strawberries have high levels of ellagic acid and anthocyanins, and are rich in vitamin C (95 mg per cup) and fiber (3.8 g per cup). Fruits provide lots vitamins and carbohydrates to nourish the body and also add variety to the diet. Apples are a great source of vitamin C, they prevents the growth of harmful bacteria and help fight cancer. Bananas are handy for problems like constipation and diarrhea.

02. Apples

An apple’s 3 g of fiber help you meet your fiber goal of 20 g to 30 g daily. High-fiber diets can lower heart disease risk


03. Bananas

Bananas are a great source of potassium, which plays a key role in heart health and muscle function. Plus each one has 2 g of fiber.


04. Blackberries

This fruit boasts a whopping 10 g of fiber in a single cup.


05. Cherries

A good source of perillyl alcohol, which helps prevent cancer in animals. Heart-protective anthocyanins give cherries their color.


06. Blueberries

Blueberries help prevent and treat bladder infections by making it hard for bacteria to stick to urinary tract walls.


07. Mangoes

A single mango has enough beta-carotene to cover your RDA for vitamin A while racking up 57 mg of vitamin C.


08. Oranges

One orange provides an impressive 50 mg to 70 mg of vitamin C, 40 mcg of folic acid and 52 mg of calcium.


09. Purple grapes

Offer three heart-guarding compounds: flavonoids, anthocyanins and resveratrol (green grapes are not rich in them)


10. Raspberries

Teeming with 8 g of fiber per cup, they also boast vitamin C, ellagic acid and anthocyanins.
This is a guest post by Phil Kim who blogs about health and wellness and is doing research at philosophy of Mr. Ilchi Lee.

Monday, June 06, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More