Healthy Articles and Tips

Adrenal Fatigue

2010-07-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

Your adrenal glands are two tiny pyramid-shaped pieces of tissue situated right above each kidney. Their job is to produce and release, when appropriate, certain regulatory hormones and chemical messengers.

Adrenaline is manufactured in the interior of the adrenal gland, called the adrenal medulla. Cortisol, the other chemical from the adrenal gland, is made in the exterior portion of the gland, called the adrenal cortex. The cortex also secretes androgens, estrogens, and progestins. Cortisol, commonly called hydrocortisone, is the most abundant -- and one of the most important -- of many adrenal cortex hormones. Cortisol helps you handle longer-term stress situations.

In addition to helping you handle stress, these two primary adrenal hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, along with others similarly produced, help control body fluid balance, blood pressure, blood sugar, and other central metabolic functions.

In the heightened nervous state of adrenal burnout, the body overproduces adrenaline, cortisol and other stress hormones. Constant stress and poor nutrition can weaken the adrenal glands. Eventually, this causes the adrenal glands, the front line in the stress reaction, to show wear and tear and become depleted. This frequently leads to impairment in the thyroid gland, which can cause a further decline in energy level and mood and is one of the reasons why many people have thyroid glands that don’t work well.

When stress continues over prolonged periods of time, the adrenal glands can deplete the body's hormonal and energy reserves, and the glands may either shrink in size or hypertrophy (enlarge). The overproduction of adrenal hormones caused by prolonged stress can weaken the immune system and inhibit the production of white blood cells that protect the body against foreign invaders (in particular lymphocytes and lymph node function).

Adrenal dysfunction can disrupt the body's blood sugar metabolism, causing weakness, fatigue, and a feeling of being run down. It can also interfere with normal sleep rhythms and produce a wakeful, unrelaxing sleep state, making a person feel worn out even after a full night's sleep.

Common Causes of Adrenal Stress

• Anger
• Fear / Worry /Anxiety
• Depression
• Guilt
• Overwork/ physical or mental strain
• Excessive exercise
• Sleep deprivation
• Light-cycle disruption
• Going to sleep late
• Surgery
• Trauma/injury
• Chronic inflammation
• Chronic infection
• Chronic pain
• Temperature extremes
• Toxic exposure
• Malabsorption
• Maldigestion
• Chronic illness
• Chronic-severe allergies
• Hypogycemia
• Nutritional deficiencies

Testing for Adrenal Health

In order to determine the health of your adrenal glands you need to have a simple blood, urine, or saliva test performed by your practitioner. Cortisol levels can be checked by blood or throughout the day by a saliva test. DHEA, and Epinephrine, are some other indicators of adrenal function.

Associated Symptoms and Consequences of Impaired Adrenal Functioning

• Low body temperature
• Weakness
• Unexplained hair loss
• Nervousness
• Difficulty building muscle
• Irritability
• Mental depression
• Difficulty gaining weight
• Apprehension
• Hypoglycemia
• Inability to concentrate
• Excessive hunger
• Tendency towards inflammation
• Moments of confusion
• Indigestion
• Poor memory
• Feelings of frustration
• Alternating diarrhea and constipation
• Osteoporosis
• auto-immune diseases/hepatitis
• Lightheadedness
• Palpitations [heart fluttering]
• Dizziness that occurs upon standing
• Poor resistance to infections
• Low blood pressure
• Insomnia
• Food and/or inhalant allergies
• PMS
• Craving for sweets
• Dry and thin skin
• Headaches
• Scanty perspiration
• Alcohol intolerance

Treatment

Lifestyle changes such as:

Eating steadily, all day long. Skipping meals is one of the worst things you can do for your body. When you're hungry, your blood sugar drops, stressing your adrenal glands and triggering your sympathetic nervous system. That causes light-headedness, cravings, anxiety and fatigue. Another drawback to skipping meals: The resulting low blood sugar can affect your ability to think clearly and shorten your attention span.

Skipping breakfast is particularly bad, as it is a sure fire way to gain, not lose, weight. If you start each morning with a good breakfast and "graze" healthfully every two to four hours, your blood sugar will remain steady throughout the day. You'll feel more rested and energetic.

Eat protein with every meal. Eat Complex carbohydrates such as brown rice. Avoid sugar, junk food, white pasta, white rice, white bread.

Absolutely NO Caffeine. Coffee/Sodas over stimulates your adrenals and they deplete important B vitamins.
Coffee does not give you energy; coffee gives you the illusion of energy. Coffee actually drains the body of energy and makes you more tired, because of vitamin and adrenal depletion.

Exercise to relax. Walking, Yoga, deep breathing, meditation, or stretching. No vigorous or aerobic exercise, which depletes the adrenals.

Avoid alcohol, processed foods, and tobacco. Nicotine in tobacco initially raises cortisol levels, but chronic use results in low DHEA, testosterone, and progesterone levels.

Reduce stress; learn relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, visualization, progressive muscle relaxation.

Helpful Supplements
The use of small amounts of natural adrenal hormone (hydrocortisone) to bring slightly low adrenal function up to its proper normal daily range is often helpful.
Take a daily multivitamin to provide nutritional support to the adrenal gland.
Vitamin C 1,000-3,000 mg a day
L-Theanine 100-400 mg a day
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) 300 mg a day
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), no more than 1000 mg of glycyrrhizin

Eye Cataract

2010-06-23T01:43:00.000-07:00

Cataract is a disease of the eye wherein the natural lens that lies at the back of the iris and pupil become cloudy. The lens functions like a camera lens, which focus light into the retina at
the rear of the eye. The lens also regulates the focus of the eyes, which allows people to see things visibly both close up and far away. The lens is generally composed of protein and water. The protein is set in an accurate way that maintains the lens to be clear and allows light to pass in it more difficult to see.

Researchers are increasing extra insights regarding the causes of the particular types of proteins to gather together in unusual means that cause the cloudiness of the lens and cataracts. The latest findings suggest that fragmented edition of the proteins combine with standard proteins, distracting normal function.

There are three types of cataracts:

- Sub capsular cataract - it begins at the rear of the lens. People having diabetes, high farsightedness, or those people taking high dosage of steroids might build up sub capsular cataract.

- Nuclear cataract - this cataract develop inside the nucleus and it develops due to regular changes in aging.

- Cortical cataract - it is formed in the lens cortex, slowly lengthens its spokes coming from the exterior of the lens into the middle. Plenty of diabetic persons build up cortical cataract.

A cataract begins out little only and initially has small effect in the vision. The one with cataract can notice the blurring of vision a little, similar to staring through hazy bit of glass or looking at an impressionist painting.

Cataracts may create light coming from the sunlight or from lamp that is too glaring or vivid. You may also observe when you drive at night times; you will notice the incoming headlights to be more glaring than before.

If you observe that you have cataract, see an eye specialist for an examination to be sure.

Make Hair Grow Faster

2010-06-23T01:38:00.000-07:00

Hair loss is a common problem for millions of people worldwide. While some people suffer from permanent hair loss, others can still find remedies to save theirs. There are numerous products available
to treat hair loss or to simply make it grow faster. In order to select a treatment regimen, it is essential to understand what has caused your hair loss, and the natural process that hair goes through when it grows. It is also important to point out that your hair does not need to be falling out before you seek treatment for fuller, longer hair.

The hair on your scalp has two phases. When your it is growing it is in the anagen phase, which typically lasts two or three years. During this phase your it will grow just under a half an inch, or 1 centimeter, per month.

Between the anagen phases your hair has natural resting phase, called the telogen phase, which generally last only three to four months. It is normal for your scalp to shed 50 to 100 hairs a day, but in comparison to the 100,000 hairs on the scalp, this rate of hair loss will not cause a noticeable change in the thickness of your hair.

Hair loss can be caused by a variety of factors, including genetic factors such as pattern baldness, lupus, or autoimmune disorders like alopecia areata. Hair loss can also be triggered by stress and tragedy, which can cause hair follicles to prematurely enter the telogen phase and be spontaneously ejected from the scalp.

There are several external causes of losing hair and thinning as well. Excessive or aggressive styling causes traction alopecia. Products that scar hair follicles will make them fall out, and because the follicle is scarred, it will not be able to re-grow. Hair loss occurs when someone is malnourished, which is why people with eating disorders generally have unattractive hair. Many medications cause hair loss, most notably chemotherapy, used to treat cancer. Hormones and hair pulling disorders can also be the culprit.

Products available to remedy hair thinning come in different forms. The most common treatments are found as either a vitamin or a cream or lotion, which is applied to the scalp. Hair growth diets can be found online, and focus mainly on combating malnutrition. There are also treatments that surgically remove follicles from one area and place them in a different area in order to fill in balding areas.

An effective vitamin should contain zinc, iodine, and Essential Fatty Acids, also known as EFAs. These ingredients are found naturally in food, which the body needs to perform hundreds of essential functions, including growing your hair.

The problem with this is the processed foods and poor eating habits of today often do not provide these ingredients in high enough concentrations. Simple blood tests done by your doctor can determine if these issues could be causing your hair loss.

Topical hair growth lotions help stimulate follicles that may have fallen into the telogen resting phase for any of numerous reasons. There are several brands of topical hair growth foams, and even some that has been FDA approved in America to re grow hair. This method is generally viewed as the easiest, and so it is a good starting point, but do keep in mind that some causes of hair loss are permanent and can not be reversed by any vitamin or topical foam.

Overcome Panic

2010-06-23T00:55:00.000-07:00

Many people that may otherwise seem confident and self assured in other areas of their lives experience high levels of panic and anxiety when they have to address an audience. Fear of
public speaking has often been observed to rank higher than the fear of death. This article discusses the fear of public speaking and how to overcome the panic and anxiety that may cripple you.

Some people that experience panic and anxiety attacks and are set to give a speech or address an audience often experience major worry weeks or months before the speaking engagement and being able to accomplish this task without having a panic or anxiety attack. The public speaking can be any setting whether a podium or an office meeting or a class presentation, or being asked to give an opinion or feedback.

In an office setting, this can be detrimental since you will be so afraid that you do not add anything to a meeting and remain quiet doing the meeting. In offices where you need to be noticed, you will often be passed up for promotion even when you work the hardest.

The fear usually centers on having a panic or anxiety attack while you are speaking and being unable to complete the speaking engagement because the panic takes over and the constructive thinking required flees. You will imagine fleeing in an undignified manner and making up excuses later for your behavior.

Others who fear public speaking simply fear blanking out or feeling uncomfortable under the scrutiny of others. They may experience jitters or nerves but they are not familiar with the panic attack or the debilitating threat that sufferers of panic and anxiety experience.

How do you overcome the fear of public speaking as a panic or anxiety sufferer?

Embrace the unnerving sensations that you experience when you think about public speaking because they may never go away in their entirety. Simply approach them differently when they come over you when giving a speech or in a meeting.

In order to overcome this fear, you need to build your confidence back to the levels they were before the unnerving sensations came over you that usually cause you to flee because you fear the onset of a panic or anxiety attack.

You need to realize that no matter how tough, it gets, you shall finish the speech and not flee and that you shall not become incapacitated at all if you continue with the speech. When you believe that you are not in any danger, you shall be able to overcome the sensations and panic attack.

It is often common to experience anxiety before the speech and to feel that that you are letting yourself down with the anxiety. Simply take a breath and relax and know that this is okay and that it is natural to feel anxious.

Do not try to push the emotional energy and excitement into your stomach but simply move through it by reminding yourself that you are okay and that you shall not die. No one has ever died from giving a speech. Remind yourself that you can handle anything without giving into the panic attack.

If your major fear of speaking is caused by a feeling of being trapped, prepare some mental releases before the speech such as turning the attention back to the audience member for feedback on some of your points if allowed. Have people introduce themselves, ask if anyone has questions, etc, which will relax you and your audience.

Sometimes podiums can disconnect you from the audience so grab the mike and wander the stage. Look at people one by one which shrinks the room and further reduces the anxiety. If you are stumped, discuss your team and tell the audience about the other experts on your team that will be able to assist with the question and return a suitable response.

Free From Pain in the Hand

2010-06-23T00:32:00.000-07:00

There are millions of folks who suffer a great deal due to pain in the hand and the wrist. There are quite a few reasons that may be at the root of the problem. In some cases there is a
stress disorder that is repetitive, some serious injury or some condition like arthritis that may be causing the pain. The pain can really get out of hand sometimes. It could also lead to a situation where a person feels quite a lot of pain and is unable even to do the simplest of tasks. Some of these could be easy tasks which include writing by hand, door opening using knobs, or opening bottles of pain pills; the situation can be quite unbearable.

It is heartening to note that you can change your condition. You can adopt ways and means to mitigate pain and also get your normal life back. The first tip is to go and meet a doctor. This is useful to make sure as to what the problem exactly could be; what is causing distress? This, in turn, will help as you will get a prescription for pain.

There are some steps that you can take, apart from what the doctor prescribes, in order to bring relief to your hand or wrist:

1. Hand or wrist brace: this is something that is useful in reducing the level of strain on the ligaments as well as the joints in the wrist and hand region. It also helps to ensure that movement is only in the 'comfort zone' of your body

2. Gels of ice or of heat: when you use these gels of ice or perhaps some heat treatment, it helps to produce a cool or warming feeling and also some tingling which helps to soothe the region that has been affected by the pain and discomfort.

3. Cold and hot packs: these are special packs that are used in the case of wrist wraps as well as gloves that are fingerless. It is possible to heat these in the microwave oven or perhaps freeze them in the fridge. These have stronger and longer lasting effects than the gels that were mentioned earlier.

4. Exercises: Some people may have difficulty in believing this, but it is possible to actually reduce the pain in the hand or in the wrist by moving these by means of doing exercises. These exercises help to enhance flexibility of the ligaments and the joints in the area that is affected by pain.

5. Salt soaks of Epsom: This is a rather traditional and conventional form of relieving pain. The containers have simple instructions that can be easily followed. These are also quite inexpensive and for just four dollars you can get as much as three pounds of salts that can last you one full week.

6. Oil lineaments: these are special oils that help in loosening the tissues and calming the nerves of the area that is affected. Some of these may have properties that are aroma therapeutic in nature such that your body can get relaxed and be calm.

7. Herbal balms to reduce pain: The essences of spices, herbs as well as botanical species are something that has been used for centuries to deal with stress and pain. These come in the nature of grease and lotion as well as creams which means that these can have effects for a very long time period indeed.

8. Pain resistance and meditation: The power of the mind is inimitable. It helps to deal with pains and aches and you can read up on this online. This is a method than can be mastered with time, patience and experience so that you can get a hold on the pain at will.

9. Therapy to channel energy: these are some of the techniques-like chakra balance as well as acupressure-that help you to reduce focus on the area that is paining and to enhance sensation to a larger area of the body.

You must remember that all these techniques are not a cure for pain in the wrist or on the hand. But they can indeed help in alleviating pain and stress and also act in tandem with the prescriptions of your doctor. All the best to you as you try and get a hold on the pain and take steps to mitigate its hold on your life.

Health Benefit From Acai Berry

2010-06-23T00:31:00.000-07:00

With the evolution of science and technology, the market is thoroughly saturated with weight loss products, both good and useless. Some may even prove to be harmful too. With the
growing number of people falling into the obese category people just about fall for anything and everything being advertised and would like to try them. To add to it, the internet also adds to the confusion by floating around a wide range of products to choose from but go with proof.

Acai berry select is an exception among these products and has proved the test of time and still gets rave reviews given by none other but the high profile celebs around the world. Having tried this super food personally, I can say that it does work. In an attempt to lose weight and to accentuate my energy levels I wanted to see for myself I thought I would try the acai berry select formula and it has shown some good results.

With its advanced formula I felt as though it nourished my body with the required combination of ingredients working together to show great results. Now don't get the impression that there wouldn't be any exercise necessary, like any other diet, exercise is a must to get the desired results. It is like anything, if you do the exercise then it should work for you, so many people think that all they have to do is take the tablets and that is it, well I am here to tell you the truth.

Acai berry select works its best if you combine exercise by helping you burn the fat much faster, meaning now you can lose that fat quicker just by doing exercise. This is the success formula behind this diet, as many people wouldn't be very interested in extensive workouts, but are definitely willing to putt in a little effort.

That being said, ensure you get the product from trusted resources as there a countless number of scams floating around out there. Also you must be aware that there are free trials of acai berry select being promoted everywhere, again trust only the quality websites for that to avoid billing without your consent.

With genuine companies you don't get billed until you say so. Likewise, by getting a free trial by just paying for the shipping and handling you will be able to appraise the supplement personally prior to ordering bulk amounts.

Fish Oil Arthritis Remedy

2010-06-23T00:28:00.000-07:00

Arthritis is a disease suffered by many people. It's characterized by inflammation of the joints, which can cause swelling, pain, and stiffness. Arthritis typically gets worse by age; poor
nutrition is another possible factor. There are many ways to reduce pain from arthritis. One method to consider is using a fish oil arthritis treatment.

Fish oil contains the omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA. These substances are known to fight inflammation, including the inflammation that occurs in the joints. By reducing inflammation in the bodies of people with arthritis, pain and other symptoms will be less intense. Omega 3 acids are most commonly used for rheumatoid arthritis.

There are other arthritis-related benefits for those considering taking a fish oil arthritis supplement. People who have this disease also have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Omega 3 can lower triglycerides and blood pressure, which will help to protect your body against cardiovascular disease.

With current agricultural practices, it's hard to get enough omega 3 just from your diet, and many people don't want to make the drastic changes necessary to improve omega 3 intake. An omega 3 supplement is beneficial in these cases. Although omega 3 does reduce arthritis pain, it doesn't work like a painkiller, so you'll have to wait a while to see results. Because of this, it's important to choose a supplement you feel comfortable taking on a long-term basis.

The anti-inflammatory effects fish oil arthritis treatment provides are most noticeable when using a very high quality supplement. Quality is usually judged by how pure the oil is, and the amount of DHA and EPA it contains. The best fish oils to use for arthritis exceed purity standards, and contain a high concentration of those important fatty acids.

One problem with omega 3 is that sometimes when we get older, it's hard to convert the substance fish oil supplements contain to the version our bodies can actually use. This is inconvenient since arthritis is especially common in older people. Fish oil containing the ready-to-use substance, called ubiquinol, would be an ideal solution.

Using omega 3 as a form of arthritis relief can be safer than many of the common prescription medications, since there's little risk of side effects. Overall, research suggests that the properties of omega 3 seem very beneficial to people suffering from arthritis.