Online Fitness & Health Advice

Tag: health

Your Diet and How It Affects Cataracts

Usually, cataract surgery is recommended to resolve clouding or blurring of the lens –– generally referred as cataracts, one of the main causes of visual impairment, particularly in older people.

Women are often more vulnerable to cataracts due to hormonal changes, but the most important way to avoid degenerative eye disorders such as cataracts is to get a balanced diet consisting of antioxidants.

Although science recommends a good diet for all kinds of health reasons, it has also made it perfectly obvious that a good diet will avoid cataracts. To avoid cataracts, increasing intake of foods high in antioxidants and B vitamins is the strongest protection.

You’ll probably also have to significantly decrease the consumption of low-quality carbs — sugary foods and drinks and processed white starches if you want to avoid having ultimately having to undergo cataract surgery. Let us look at antioxidants and some of the nutrient-rich foods that can help decrease the risk of cataracts, along with some of the foods to avoid.

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What’s the Difference Between Dermal Fillers and Botox?

Many of us don’t like the thought of getting older. It’s not so much the aging, as the side effects of getting older. That’s why many people look at Botox and dermal fillers as a way to combat some of those more common side effects – wrinkles.

But during your homework phase, you may come across mention of both Botox and dermal fillers. What’s the difference, and do you need one or the other to slow down the signs of aging? Read on to find out.

What is Botox?

Botox is a cosmetic injectable and muscle relaxer made from bacteria. For over two decades, it has been used to treat muscular conditions and neurological disorders that result in muscle weakness. It’s even useful for the treatment of migraines, overactive bladder, and vaginismus.

Its use in the cosmetic field is also widely known, for it can treat the wrinkles that form between your eyebrows and around your mouth and eyes. As you age, these wrinkles become more pronounced, and the job of Botox is to relax them and reduce their appearance.

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What to do when you have a cold

Sometimes no matter how hard you try to fight it you could end up with a cold this winter. Some over-the-counter pharmaceuticals may mask the symptoms of colds or flu, but don’t help your body to overcome the illness. Natural herbal supplements like Echinacea, Olive leaf or Elderberry may help to reduce the durations of colds whilst supporting your immunity at the same time.

Echinacea is native to North America and has been used by the American Indians for over 400 years. Research has shown that Echinacea can increase our white blood cell numbers which are the cells that help fight infection. Interestingly, Echinacea was used medicinally until the introduction of antibiotics in the 1950s. Several research studies have shown that taking Echinacea reduces the chance of catching the common cold by 58% and can reduce the length of colds by 1 ½ days.

Olive leaf has been used for healing for thousands of years and was first used by the Ancient Egyptians. The leaf, not the actual fruit, of the olive tree has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties with research showing that one of its active compounds called Oleuropein has strong antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal actions. It is these properties that may help to support our immune system by fighting against viruses which cause respiratory infections and flu.

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Avoid the Christmas Party Buffet Blow Out!

It’s another Christmas party & time to tackle the buffet which is covered in delectable & delicious treats which might be great for the taste buds but not so good for our bods. Here’s 6 ways to avoid buffet table blow out!

1. Plan ahead

Ok so it’s awesome for the boss to put on a freebie dinner but try not to think of it as an all you can eat restaurant! Eat a healthy nutritious snack BEFORE the party. Have a banana, grab some sushi or whizz up a protein smoothie. That way you will be fuller when you arrive & won’t be tempted to pig out when the pastries come by (BTW: pastries are high in saturated fats so try to avoid where possible)

2. Drink water

A sign of being dehydrated is hunger so make sure you drink a glass of water when you first arrive. If you are drinking alcohol alternate one drink with one glass of water to stay hydrated & avoid being the office party catastrophe. Better yet, swap your alcoholic drinks for sparkling water with ice & lemon. It looks just like a G & T but without the hangover.

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Adrenal fatigue – Do you have it?

Adrenal fatigue is a term thrown around (especially in health food) for various symptoms. It is commonly associated with feeling tired and stressed and not having enough energy to face the day. However, adrenal fatigue is a very real and debilitating syndrome. It is under recognised and under diagnosed and I wonder to what point we are all pushing past the ability of our poor little adrenal glands to keep up with modern life.

Considering the massive job they do, the adrenal glands are only little guys. They live on your kidneys and release hormones in response to any and all stress you experience. Cortisol, adrenaline and epinephrine are systematically released as needed to deal with anything from a broken nail to a job interview, a car accident or a breakup. These hormones allow your body to respond to stress itself, and also determine how you respond. But that’s not it; these workaholics also have an impact on weight gain and the body’s ability to shed excess weight as the secretion of stress hormones regulates sugar release in muscles and can determine the rate of your metabolism.

Adrenal fatigue commonly occurs after a prolonged period of stress (hello daily life) or an infection (hello winter and pre-school children). It’s important to note that although adrenals are related, chronic fatigue syndrome differs to adrenal fatigue as it is more serious with severe unexplained fatigue for 6 months or more.

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