Garlic fights high blood pressure

New research into the disease fighting properties of everyday foods has turned up fresh evidence about the health benefits of Garlic. Researchers from the University of Adelaide have found that an extract from the humble clove of garlic can help treat high blood pressure. The finding was reported in the latest edition of the scientific journal Maturitas.
However before you go and start adding garlic pods to your food or consuming it raw the researchers caution that according to their studies they did not observe similar health benefits from garlic that was consumed raw or cooked in meals. The benefits were only observed in an extract from aged garlic.
The extensive studies were carried out over a time period of twelve weeks and involved fifty test subjects with systolic blood pressure levels at or above 140. Researchers then gave some members of the group a placebo and the rest an extract of aged garlic in capsule form. The group that got the garlic extract displayed blood pressure level over 10 mm Hg lower than the blood pressures displayed by the control group that were given placebos.
Researchers were quick to point out the significance of this drop in blood pressure because they claim that a drop in systolic blood pressure of as little as 5 mm Hg can reduce the risk of heart disease by as much as twenty percent.
Dr. Karin Reid, who led the researchers at the University of Adelaide said that garlic is believed by scientists to have an antihypertensive effect on the human body because it stimulates the production of naturally occurring chemicals in the body like Nitric Oxide and Hydrogen Sulphide that relax blood vessels and ease blood flow.
The research is as important in Australia as in other countries where a large percent of the population suffers from heart disease according to Dr. Reid because up to one in three adults in Australia are hypertensive or suffer from high blood pressure, a leading risk indicator of heart disease. Only half of these people actually receive medication to control their blood pressure and more alarmingly a further half of these patients are not receiving adequate treatments for their condition.
These findings are of great importance world over because the epidemic of heart disease is affecting developing countries as much as developed countries as sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy foods become more widespread. This in conjunction with the high stress lifestyles that most people lead has made high blood pressure a widely prevalent issue that goes largely undetected and therefore untreated. This study shows that more research into the use of garlic to fight hypertension needs to be undertaken.

Basic Everyday Health Tips

“He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.” -Arabian Proverb

1. Move extra: Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Play with your kids; throw balls with friends, trim the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it’s a stress buster. Think ‘move’ in small increments of time. It doesn’t have to be an hour in the gym. But that’s great when you’re up to it. Meanwhile, move more.
2. Cut Fat: Avoid  fried foods, burgers and other fatty meals. Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise.
3. Give up Smoking: Smoking is harmful to your health.
4. Reduce Stress: Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your baby; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible.
5. Protect Yourself from Pollution: If you can’t live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. It’s a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent.
6. Floss Your Teeth: Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it’s because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don’t? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body’s boss.
7. Keep a optimistic Mental point of view: There’s a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life.

Nail Spa

Nails are an important part of our outlook beauty. It has an imperative value in our personal grooming.

Nail spa is necessary not only for those who want to grow their nails but also for every woman who is working and living a busy life. You can easily do a lot of things to protect your nails. It will help you by making your nails more beautiful and attractive. To clean and take care of your nail is very important because it can become a source of transferring germs into your mouth that will eventually result in stomach diseases.

People with bitter nails feel the trauma of sometimes getting embarrassed because no matter how beautiful your feet or hands are, but if the nails are rotten and stained, nothing in this world can cover this paucity. It makes your hands or feet look uglier. So the basic idea I want to emphasize is take proper care of your nails.

You can easily take care of your nails by some simple tips. This natural nail spa you can even easily do it at home.

File, wash and soak your nails, soften cuticles, clean and shape the cuticles. File in one direction only, and always do this when your nails are dry. Wash your hands and soak in warm water before applying a fruit or nut oil into the cuticle area near the half-moon at the base of the nail. Use the smooth end of a manicure stick to gently push the cuticles back from the nails.

Dry your hands completely. Level and polish the top of each nail to remove any ridges. Do the same thing with a fine-grit block. Once the ridges are removed, smooth the top of the nail with a smoothing file. You will be amazed at how shiny your nails will look following these steps, almost as if you were wearing a clear polish.

Massage your hands with a moisturizing cream or lotion. The simple and easy procedure of making your nails as beautiful as they can ever be is done. Take proper diet, fish, egg, meat and food enriched in vitamins for healthy nails. Now try it out and see for the results yourself.

Reasons to Skip Late Night Snacks

  
1. Your teeth. A new study has found that folks who snack in the middle of the night are more likely to lose their teeth as they age. The problem? No one is brushing their teeth after that spoonful of peanut butter at 2 a.m. And your saliva is slowing down -- so the food isn't being broken down.


2. Your waistline. Although researchers say that a late night snack won't likely make you gain weight if it's an occasional thing, they have linked nocturnal eating directly to eating disorders. So if you're big on trips to the fridge in the night, you may have a binge eating disorder.

3. Your sleep habits. No one wants to go to bed hungry, but the feeling of overfullness can actually make you more uncomfortable and prevent you from falling back to sleep. Also quaffing caffeinated beverages or consuming spicy foods can have the wrong effect in the middle of the night.

4. Your digestion. The same rule that applies to eating just before bed applies in the middle of the night -- if you're prone to heartburn, munching on food and then lying down will make things worse because the connection between the esophagus and stomach become horizontal (they should be vertical).

Is your Child Taking Large Intake of Sugar

How much sugar do your kids eat each day? The American Heart Association recommends that kids eat less than 6.5 teaspoons or 100 calories from sugar each day. But according to a poll in Family Circle, the average teen takes in about 34 teaspoons of sugar, or 500 calories worth, each day.
Part of the problem is the confusing food labels that make it hard to understand just how much sugar is in your kids' food. Here's how to read those labels so that you can monitor (and if necessary, cut back on) all of that sugar.

Add it up: Food labels will tell you the amount of calories in a product and the grams of sugar, but they won't tell you the calories from sugar, and that's the number you need to watch. To figure it out, multiply the grams of sugar in a single serving by four. (So if serving of cereal has say 11 grams of sugar, that's 44 calories from sugar ... almost half of the day's allotment.)

Speak sugar: Most parents know that if the first ingredient listed on a food's nutrition label is sugar, it's probably not a good bet for their kids. But what about maltose, sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, molasses, cane sugar, corn sweetener, raw sugar or fruit juice concentrate? All of these ingredients are still sugar, and you should keep an eye on your kid's consumption.

Rethink drinks (and snacks): Sugar-sweetened drinks are the main culprits behind overdoses in sugar. A single 12-ounce can of soda may have as much as 39 grams of sugar. That's more than 150 calories from sugar, way more than a kid should have in a day. Stick with water and milk to keep kids hydrated. If plain water is too boring, jazz it up with lemon, lime, or other fruit slices. Snacks are another major source of sugar ... especially highly processed snacks. Try whole fruits, cheeses, nuts, unsweetened applesauce, whole grain crackers, and peanut butter instead.

Now You Can Stay Happy And Healty Even You have High Blood Pressure

High Blood Pressure is a silent condition that can cause an aneurysm, heart failure, stroke, and a heart attack. High Blood Pressure means that the pressure in the walls of your blood vessels is too high. If you have been diagnosed with this condition you are not alone. It is estimated that more than 50 million people suffer from high blood pressure. For the majority of patients, the cause of this condition is unknown. Many people go undiagnosed and will not be aware that they have it. High blood pressure only causes symptoms when there has been damage to the heart, kidneys, brain, and eyes. Then the patient may experience symptoms such as blurred vision, headache, vomiting, and shortness of breath. It is important that you get your blood pressure checked on a regular basis. If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, here are some important tips to help you lead a healthier life,

Instructions

Lose weight. Dropping just 10 to 15 pounds can help lower your blood pressure. It will also lower your risk of other serious conditions such as diabetes and cholesterol. Your high blood pressure medicines will work even better when you shed those extra pounds.

Limit salt in your diet. Salt can cause your blood pressure to rise because it collects in your body.

Stop smoking. Each puff of that cigarette increases your blood pressure. Your high blood pressure medications may not work as well if you smoke. Discuss with your physician the use of nicotine patches and nicotine gum. Those are better alternatives than smoking.

Limit your alcohol consumption. Do not drink more than 24 ounces of beer, 10 ounces of wine, and 2 ounces of liquor. Women should drink even less than that.

Lower your stress. Stress is a factor in high blood pressure. Learn relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and meditation to cope with stress.

Eat a healthy diet. Packaged foods that have been processed have high salt content. It is wise to eat more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat foods.

Take your medications as prescribed. Control your high blood pressure with medications to reduce serious complications.