Category: Health

Grab A Book And Slay Insomnia

With a ton of options that you can choose from as far as entertainment is concerned, you will always have something new to try and watch every single day. From binge-watching Netflix series to social media platforms, to a movie marathon, to Internet browsing and gaming consoles, you won’t even notice that you have a bookshelf there with great reading materials and genres. Now, if you’re struggling to get to bed after all the day’s activities, you might be dealing with insomnia.  You can visit any sleep study centers nearest you to make sure what is going on with you. If proven that you are one of the many insomniac persons all over the world, then it’s about time to change something in your lifestyle.

Ditch Everything Else And Set Your Eyes To Read

It has been proven and tested by professional studies that compared to TV  and browsing the Internet, reading before you dive in your sack eventually gives you a good night’s sleep.

  • It bails you from stress.

Bookworms will agree that reading relieves you from stress aside from the beneficial fact that it enriches your learning. Old school as others may see it, but rereading your Harry Potter Collection Books after coming from work is the best way of unloading all the stress you’ve acquired the whole day. Just like listening to a good, relaxing music or meditation, grabbing a book before your bedtime is highly recommended for insomnia patients. Because stress plays a major role in insomnia, diverting all the negative thoughts inside your head through book reading is the best option.

  • It’s a good practice before sack time.

Including reading after a soothing bath with a warm cup of caffeine-free beverage in your hand as your daily ‘before bedtime’ ritual is greatly recommended by sleeping disorder experts. This actually prepares your mind and body that it’s nearly time to sleep. Training yourself to get used to these practices is your gate pass to beating insomnia completely. You can also diffuse some relaxing scents to boost a better sleep.

  • Books set up a better dream scenario.

If you use to dream about that disappointing presentation your staff gave you or that jammed printer in your office, this time because of your book reading habit, you’d rather dream about the different houses in Hogwarts or your favorite character in that novel you’re almost halfway through. How could anything be cooler than that, right?

  • For Insomniac beings, reading should part of your daily habit.

According to experts, a good book and a relaxing cup of warm tea as a pre-bedtime habit are one of the best ways to induce sleep to your system. With the many sleep-boosting activities that you can choose from, this duo a great starter pack for you.

  • It’s far better than TV.

Yes, you may feel sleepy after hours of Netflix, but it will still tempt you to watch another episode until you missed your sleeping time. Also that TV light gives your body an impression that it’s still daytime, which eventually will confuse your body clock. So before it consumes you, turn off that TV and browse your bookshelf collection instead.

  • Much more amusing than Internet browsing.

Reading is the best distraction you can give yourself from spending hours of browsing the different social media platforms. Gadgets emit the same light as TV whilst social media is a silent dangerous past time. That urge of checking your various social media accounts every now and then have a negative impact on your sleeping pattern. In fact, those who spend a few more minutes on their gadgets during their sleeping time appears to be waking up feeling fatigued or having mood swings. Sleeping disorder experts suggests too, that you should switch off all your gadgets an hour before you go to bed, at least this will also give you time to read that next chapter of the latest book you just purchased.

Are you encouraged to drop by the nearest bookstore in your area and scavage a book that interests you? Go ahead and start enriching your brain the old-fashioned way. The insomnia doctors Maryland will support you to read more than spending hours in front of your TV or computer screen. It’s like hitting 2 birds with one stone, you get to fill your imagination with lots of positive things while your brain processes the cue that it’s sleeping time for you. Insomnia should not be a sleep disorder that will forever linger in your system. There are a lot of ways for you to ditch it away all you have to do it try and stay committed to it.

Avoid Asthma Attacks With Food Diet

Asthma is one of the most common allergies in the world. Millions are being affected by it which mostly are children. Once attacked by asthma many important things are being set aside: career, school, family, friends and personal. Your asthma doctor will definitely prescribe you with asthma medications that are sometimes a lifetime maintenance. However, although these medications may help in controlling the symptoms or prevent the symptoms from being evident, over time they might even get your asthma even worse. Now, there are studies and research being conducted to find an alternative holistic medicine that will cure asthma and protect your endocrine and immune system.

Getting to Know Asthma

When you find it difficult to breathe like there’s something blocking your airways, that could be an asthma attack. It affects your nose, larynx, and mouth like it has been inflamed. Asthma has been connected with allergies, could be seasonal, food-related or environmental. It can happen instantly once allergens are triggered. It greatly irritates your immune system and nasal passageways. Lifestyle change and long-term treatments may and can cure your asthma condition and soon you can kiss your nebulizer buddy goodbye.

Healthy Diet for your Asthma

You don’t need to load your system with medicines and other medical treatments just to get over your asthma attack. Sometimes all you just need is a healthy lifestyle and that includes healthy food and diet.

When an asthma patient starts eating healthy it will supply them with the necessary antioxidants and minerals that will eliminate toxins, inflammation and reduce the chances of allergy attacks in the food. This will be beneficial for you and your children experiencing asthma as it will strengthen your immunity and physical health in general.

Your Asthma diet program

It is time to give your asthma a diet plan.

  • Eat bright colored fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetable contain so much attractive hue due to carotenoids that can help minimize the allergens that can trigger asthma. A good source of Vitamin A will supply enough maintenance your mucous membrane needs to fight asthma. A good source of these vitamins is sweet potatoes, carrots, root veggies, leafy greens and the fruit berries.
  • Increase your Folate. Vitamin B9 or folate decreases allergic reaction tendencies as well as inflammation. Folate is present in nuts, beans, and all green leafy veggies.
  • Memorize your Vitamin C and E. It is clearly known that Vitamin C contains a tremendous source of antioxidant that cleanses the body and helps in eliminating cough and inflammation. Whilst, Vitamin E also contains antioxidants that can also be found in nuts, plant oils, and seeds. You can get a good source of Vitamins C from citrus fruits and berries, and leafy greens and veggies.
  • Magnify your Magnesium level. It has been proven that having a low level of magnesium in the body can greatly increase the chances of having asthma and its symptoms. According to studies, magnesium can promote relaxation in your air passageways to your lungs for an easy breathing. You can find magnesium in nuts, seeds, beans, greens, cocoa and other healthy grains.
  • Don’t forget your Milk! Raw and cultured dairy products can protect kids from acquiring asthma and other allergies. The probiotics present in milk increases the protective shield of the immune system which also helps in good digestion and stops any threat of allergic reactions. So if you are a mother or an expectant mother, you can already protect your child from asthma by increasing your probiotic intake during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
  • It’s Fiber time. Increasing your fiber intake will also help in flushing out those toxins and supplies your body with enough healthy minerals. Great source of fiber is whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds and ready to eat veggies.
  • Digest in Omega-3. Natural fish oil that can be found in sardines, mackerel, salmon, and tuna is a good source of Omega-3. It can also eliminate asthma attacks because it reduces inflammation and strengthens your immune system.

Now that you know what you should be eating to protect yourself from asthma and for having an asthma attack, you should also AVOID food with trans fat, gluten, processed sugars and carbohydrates and artificial dairy products. You can also consult your allergy clinic Manassas or even any certified allergy specialist nearest you to be provided with more helpful tips on how to cure asthma and prevent you and your loved ones from having one.

The Meditation Approach For Sleep Apnea

Sleeping is the best time for us to relax and rest after a whole day grinding. It’s something everyone looks forward to. But there are some who find it really hard to fall asleep or getting a deeper sleep or even having longer hours of sleep. Not because they’re nocturnal beings by choice, but because they have a sleeping disorder. While some experience a more alarming sleeping condition where they suddenly find it hard to breathe while sleeping. This condition is called sleep apnea and sleep apnea clinics have the right professionals that guides people going through this kind of condition. So before you try doing meditation, first you have to be aware of what sleep apnea really is.

Understanding Sleep Apnea: 2 Types

  1. The Obstructive Sleep Apnea. It is when your upper airway passage is blocked while the muscles in your throat are in its relaxed state. This is the most prevalent type of which most people are aware of.
  2. The Central Sleep Apnea. The least famous one because it is nearly classified to a more serious condition. This typically happens when the brain no longer sends accurate signals to control your breathing while sleeping. Normally, it could be caused by stroke or heart disease where breathing machines are being used for patients going through this kind of disorder.

What Can Meditation Do?

Meditation is the process of relaxing the mind and the senses of your body. When the mind the relaxed it can focus properly and therefore it has more control of the entire body including breathing. The more your entire system finds its calming situation before going to bed, the higher the chances are for you to get a better sleep without any sleep disorder disturbances. If you find that meditation really works for you, then it is time for you to try the different techniques that will help you further in dealing with your sleep apnea problem.

The Divergent Meditation Approach for Sleep Apnea

  • Breathing-Focused Meditation. This exercise will require you to find a place that is quiet, and sit comfortably on the floor either with a matte or a pillow. Slowly close your eyes with your hands on your lap and then just let your body relax. Then set your focus on your nose-breathing as you make 10 counts of your breathing. After that, start group counting of 10s’ until you totally feel relaxed. This exercise is for you to be able to divert anything on your mind and set your focus on the breathing and counting alone.

After you are done with this routine, gradually open yourself to your surroundings and go back to your daily activity after a few stretches.

  • Find a Visual Focus or Mantra. This approach requires a more in-depth practice which will make your mind focus only on something like your breathing, but this time more on the visual aspect. The objective once again is to train your mind to get rid of anything that is bothering your thoughts and senses. Something visual can be a view that you think makes you feel relaxed by just focusing on it.

While a Mantra is an expression, word or phrase that you are confident to tell yourself repeatedly. You can either say in your head or out loud while meditating if you find it easier to remove all the distractions in your thoughts.

  • Guided Imagination. You can also use audio files purposely for meditation where it will guide you to create an image or scenes as you begin your breathing routine. The purpose of the audio is to take your imagination to different places you can easily find peace and feel more relaxed. This process is commonly related to hypnosis so see to it that you are at your most comfortable position in a serene and slightly lit room for a more unwinding ambiance.

You have the option as to when you would like to do these different meditation approaches for as long as it’s close to your bedtime. Because a meditation sets your mind in a more relaxing situation, it would be more favorable for your breathing condition if you are having sleep apnea.

The moment you lie in bed, set your mind to relax and feel the harmonious environment around you. Breathe slowly through your nose and count to 4 before you exhale. Inhale once again, then count until 8. Do it over again until your entire body feels completely relaxed. Set aside all of your thoughts the whole and just concentrate on your breathing.

These exercises will surely help you ward off your sleep apnea problem but also keep your sleep apnea doctors Maryland posted about the improvement of your condition and if you still need further guidance in battling your sleeping disorder.

Nothing comes more rewarding than waking up in the morning with a worry-free mind and good sleep.

Can Rice Help You Lose Weight?

Are you a rice lover? Aren’t we all? For centuries now ever since man had discovered this nature’s crop, rice have been the staple for billions of tables all over the planet. It symbolizes prosperity, beauty, and blessing to many cultures and nations. It is the most in-demand grain all over the world because every meal depends on their rice supply. In fact, it is even a part of many healthy meal plans for weight loss.

Culinary experts have used all of the skills and knowledge just to bring out the positive and the good side of rice. While some treat rice as an unhealthy part of a meal or is one of the causes why people gain weight. There are still many out there who believes that this piece of grain has winning nutrients that can be beneficial to the body and can be a good source of minerals.

The Rice Effect

Each and every individual treats rice differently. For some, it is best when partnered with a soup-based course or a meat course.  It also tastes good with a vegetable course or seafood. You will even be surprised at how other countries use rice as part of their everyday meal.

However, no matter how appetizing rice is, it will still be a healthy-giving staple for as long as you know how to pick the right “rice” for you.

In Your Rice Only

In losing weight, many would advise you to cut your rice consumption or even completely cross it out of your daily meal. You see, getting rid of those extra pounds is by having an active lifestyle and eating the right food for your diet. Although a lot of effective weight loss programs will have you to cut calories, it is also important to be selective about the meals that you take every day.

Rice may have more calories, but if you choose the right kind for your rice diet then you do not need to worry about having it as part of your everyday meal. See rice is gluten-free and can easily be digested by the body. It works perfectly with different recipes and is less expensive.

Try to visit a food shop that has all the healthful products around the globe, you will notice that they also have the most healthy and nutritious rice in their supplies. Now, who told you again that rice is one of the main sources of weight gain?

The Types of Rice that You Should Trust

If you think that rice has only one kind and color, well, you might be surprised at the many colors and classification that this staple grain has to offer.

I Choose the Color Brown!
Loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber for good digestion, brown rice got the top spot of being the most healthy type of rice. Because it’s a whole grain, it means it compact.  It has vitamin B, phosphorus for the bones and is a good source of our daily dose of magnesium. With the heavyweight content of nutrients that you will get from brown rice, consuming too much of it will not hurt because it’s low in calories and its dietary fiber will greatly support your weight loss goal. Besides, many brown rice lovers have testified that by just eating a few servings of this staple, you will already feel full and will no longer crave for more.

Nutritional research has proven that consuming whole grains is the best step to losing weight. The study shows that those who opt for meals with whole grains weigh much less than those who consume less of whole grains. Replacing your usual staple with brown rice will not only help your weight loss program but will also supply you with tons of nutrients that your body needs to stay healthy and fit.

Why Not Try the Black?
Don’t worry, your eyes are not deceiving you. There is black rice and it’s making a name all over the world and not just in China where it originally came from. This sweet, chewy grain contains antioxidants that you can get from healthy berries like blueberries. Ancient stories say that this majestic black rice is to be served to emperors only during the ancient times in China.

 

Avoid the White!
The white rice is the most common grain consumed by many but is also what you should avoid if you are trying to lose weight or is in a weight loss program. Why? Because the white rice is more refined. It’s like the regular white pasta or bread in the market or restaurant. And because it is easily absorbed by the body, the tendency is that your blood sugar will rapidly increase as well as your insulin level. This is also why diabetic patients are being stripped of white rice in the meals as well as those with heart disease.

There you have it, the colors of the rice that you should consume and the one that you should avoid. Losing weight all depends on you and your self-discipline. Being aware of what you eat every day is a practice that you should take seriously for you to achieve that dream weight and body. And because the road to weight loss is never easy, make it a habit to consult or visit your medical weight loss centers Leesburg for proper guidance and advise.

Spine And Back Doctors: Tips On How To Avoid Hurting Your Back

According to spine and back doctors, back pain is one of the most common types of pain in most people. In fact, some people have the belief that they can’t live without the pain.

You should note that it’s possible to live a pain-free life by avoiding the factors that put you at the risk of hurting yourself. To help you out, here are some of the things that you should avoid doing:

Failing to train properly

If you are like most people, you get free time during the weekends. Most of the people opt to hit the gym or go to the playing field. This puts you at more risk of hurting yourself as you are doing something that you aren’t used to.

Many people have reported injuries when playing basketball, golf, and even football. For you to avoid hurting yourself you should make a habit of exercising a few times within the week before you get on the field.

If you can’t get time to do it, you should always stretch before you start the game. This has been shown to greatly strengthen the core muscles thus keeping your back in stable position.

Lifting in poor posture

Lifting objects in poor posture is one of the leading causes of back pain in people working in factors and other areas that require them to keep on lifting heavy objects.

As you might have guessed, the key to avoiding hurting yourself when lifting is to ensure that you are in the right posture.

When lifting, you should bend your knees and keep your back straight. Orthopedic doctors recommend that you keep the objects as close to you as possible. You shouldn’t twist, pivot, or turn when lifting.

Regardless of how much you need to move an object, you shouldn’t move one that is more than 20% of your body weight.

Failing to pay attention when lifting

You can get away with walking around the house absent-minded but you might not get away with it when lifting heavy objects. For you to avoid hurting yourself you should always be focused when lifting. If you find yourself lifting without thinking about it, you should stop and pay attention.

Conclusion

These are some of the things that can damage your back. For you to be on the safe side you should always be mindful when lifting. In the event you hurt yourself, visit a reputable back pain doctor to help you in diagnosing the problem and fixing it.

Orthopedic Doctors: Main Back Pain Risk Factors

Millions of people suffer from back pain every year. According to orthopedic doctors, the condition comes about due to many reasons with the most common being:

Aging

Multiple things happen when you get old. Shock absorbing discs wear out, you start suffering from degenerative arthritis in the back, and many other things. Overall, the muscles and bones become weaker. The result of this is you suffering from back pain.

Inactive lifestyle

Majority of the people around the world rarely exercise, which exposes them to the lower back pain and other problems. Studies show that many people that lead active lifestyles where they swim, jog, rid, walk, or engage in other activities tend to have lower risks of lower back pain.

This is usually because they stretch and strengthen their muscles and bones in the process. If you are on your desk most of the time during the day, you should start walking around. You also should consider joining a yoga or Tai chi club.

Smoking

Many young people have the impression that smoking makes them look cool. In addition to it exposing them to cancer, it also increases their chances of suffering from back pain.

Smoking has also been shown to lead to a decrease in vascularity and healing. This means that when you suffer from back pain as a smoker, you have problems getting rid of the pain.

Diet

You must have heard many times that you are what you eat. You must be aware that when you eat food that is rich in carbohydrates, you have a high body weight. The practice also increases stress to the functions of the body organs.

You are not only unattractive when you are obese, but your muscles also tend to be weak and have low elasticity hence the lower back pain. To be on the safe side, you should avoid carbohydrate-rich foods. The best foods to take are those that are plant-based.

They will not only prevent you from suffering from back pain, but they also will help you strengthen your muscles and bones.

Poor posture

Finally, you are bound to suffer from back pain if you walk or stand in the wrong posture. The most obvious poor posture is walking with a hunched back.

Conclusion

These are some of the most common causes of back pain. You can alleviate the back pain by changing your lifestyle but if the condition is severe, consider visiting your local back pain specialist for advice on how to deal with it.

All basic information one needs to know about cholesterol

A waxy substance found in the lipids in your blood is known as cholesterol. Though body needs certain amount of cholesterol for building healthy cells, excess of cholesterol can be dangerous and can lead to heart disease. High cholesterol level leads to fatty deposits in blood vessels which eventually make hindrance to the flow of blood through arteries. Your heart may not be able to get enough oxygen rich blood needed for proper functioning. This can lead to heart problems. Decreased blood flow can also lead to stroke. Most often high cholesterol level in blood can be inherited. It can also be as a result of unhealthy life styles without proper dieting and exercising.

Causes for high cholesterol level

Cholesterol travels through blood attaching them to proteins. This combination is called lipoprotein. There are different types of cholesterol. They are low density lipoprotein and high density lipoprotein.

LDL cholesterol: LDL or bad cholesterol carries cholesterol particles and builds up plaques in the artery walls making it hard and narrow.

HDL cholesterol:  HDL or good cholesterol takes excess cholesterol and brings it back to your liver. Factors like low activity level, obesity, unhealthy diet etc. keeps the HDL cholesterol to lower levels. And contribute to the increase in LDL cholesterol and Risk factors

There are some important factors which contribute for the increase in cholesterol levels. Some of them are discussed below.

Poor diet:  Saturated fats found in animal products and Trans fats found in cookies and crackers will rise your cholesterol level. Similarly foods like red meat, dairy products etc are also capable of increasing your cholesterol level.

Obesity: People with an obesity index greater than 30 are at a greater risk of high cholesterol

Larger waist:  A man who has his waist circumference greater that 40 inches and a woman with a waist circumference more than 35 inches are prone to the ill effects of high cholesterol.

Lack of exercises:  A person who regularly engages in physical activities like running, jogging etc or a person who regularly goes to gym or do exercises regularly are likely to have control over the good cholesterol resulting in its increased availability. Similarly exercises also increase the thickness of bad cholesterol particles which is very good and less harmful.

Smoking:  Regular smoking of cigarettes can result in the damages of your blood vessels making them capable of accumulating fatty deposits. Smoking reduces level of good cholesterol.

Diabetes: High level of sugar in blood can increase in LDL cholesterol and decrease in HDL cholesterol. High blood sugar can also cause damages to your arteries linings.