Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Photo by SmartTribes Institute Aging is inevitable. We are all looking for that magic switch to slow down aging, boost energy levels, and keep your memory sharp. Unfortunately, that switch does not exist. The good news is that we have science on our side, specifically …
We live in an increasingly polluted environment, loaded with toxins; the soil we grow our food in is often nutrient-depleted and many consume processed, factory-made foods supplying scant nutrients. Ironically, our bodies wind up requiring even more vitamins and minerals to effectively metabolize nutrient-depleted foods. …
Neem oil is extracted from the seeds of the neem tree, which has been used since ancient times from everything from a medicinal treatment to dry skin. Here’s why it is such an important ingredient that packs numerous benefits for your skin.
The neem tree is native to India, but it also grows in other tropical places like West Africa, Indonesia and Australia. The tree itself is pretty impressive – it grows quickly, as much as 20 feet in just three years and can grow in areas with minuscule rainfall. Ancient Siddha medicine (Indian) have even used neem as a vaccine against small pox.
According to a review published in the journal Asian Pac J Trop Biomed, neem oil has numerous benefits and has been dubbed the “wonder plant”. The journal highlights its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory abilities.
Today, neem oil can be found in superior skin care products, like facial moisturizers. Studies have shown it has powerful benefits for dry skin, wrinkles, to stimulate collagen production, and minimizing the appearance of acne.
A 2013 study performed by the Department of Pharmaceutics at the P. Rami Reddy Memorial College of Pharmacy in India, researchers set out to investigate neem oils ability to improve the skin in those with acne, pimples and issues with skin elasticity. After three weeks, the researchers were able to conclude that neem oil “satisfactorily produced an antibacterial action on acne microbes” and “successfully prolonged treatment of acne”.
In a 2017 study performed on mice by Koren researchers from the College of Life Sciences, topical application of neem leaf was shown to be very effective against wrinkles. Researches concluded that neem leaf extract was a promising anti-aging candidate for topical therapy.
Photo by Alina Grubnyak on Unsplash Cognition is a mental action that allows the acquiring of knowledge and understanding. These actions include reasoning, attention, memory and processing. As we age, cognitive decline can settle in, causing impairment, especially in those 65 years old and older. …
Photo by Bruce Mars on Unsplash In honor of National Women’s Health & Fitness Day, we bring you the benefits of specific nutrients for women’s health, including essential nutrients needed for fitness. It’s so important that women are getting the essential nutrients to make sure …
In a statement released by the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) on Wednesday, September 12, 2018, new data on self-reported adult obesity prevalence for all 50 states for 2017 were reported. This data comes from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an ongoing, state-based, telephone interview survey conducted by the CDC and stat health departments.
According to the data results, in 2017, seven states reported an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35% – Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and West Virginia. “This is up from five states in 2016. Five years ago, in 2012, all states had obesity prevalence lower than 35%,” reports the CDC.
Obesity prevalence ranged from a low of 22.6% in Colorado to a high of 38.1% in West Virginia.
Weight gain and obesity involve three basic things – exercise, nutrition and lifestyle. The American lifestyle, simply put, is sedentary and excessive. We sit during most of the things we do at work, home and play, and eat in excess of what the body needs to function daily. It takes about 3200 calories a day to gain 1 pound, if these calories are not burned off by exercise. Carbohydrates are sugars that the body needs for energy measured in the form of calories. The body then stores all excess calories as fat, a means of stored energy for reserves. Add to this problem that the type of foods eaten are the absolute worse given that the best vitamins, minerals and fatty acids are, for the most part, missing.
This is just the beginning of the cascade of metabolic problems now in play. We generally find ourselves under chronic stress, which causes the production of a hormone called cortisol which is secreted normally from the adrenal glands at high stress levels for short periods of time. However, in our modern society with constant stress, the levels of cortisol remain elevated for extended periods causing increased production of additional glucose that the body doesn’t need. Therefore, the newly manufactured glucose gets stored as fat.
The lifelong process of consuming increased calories, as simple carbohydrates (carbs) or simple sugars, e.g. white granulated sugar and sweets, breads, and pastas (not the good complex sugars as in cabbage, broccoli, etc.) have altered all kinds of normal bio-chemical and hormonal reactions. We can start with the hormone insulin, which is responsible for the entry of these sugars into cells to be used as a source of fuel. However, over time, the excess amount of sugar in the blood has caused the excess production of insulin, which renders cells relatively insensitive to its signal and effects. Thus, the body now requires very high levels of insulin for cells to respond causing a different type of signal – store fat, rather than burn fat! Over time this becomes type II diabetes. Now we have a vicious cycle occurring.
The answer lies in understanding what’s happening to your body, due to your lifestyle.
1. Make a Decision. You must make a decision if you really want to do something about your weight. If you’re not really committed to work on it, then don’t! You’ll get even more frustrated, spend more money, and get more frustrated because its not working. You’ll then quit, eat more comfort foods, and gain even more weight.
2. Get Help. Now you need to find a professional who will tell you the truth, then you should be prepared to attack each issue causing your problem. Avoid taking pharmaceutical preparations – they are not needed. Speak with a certified nutritionist or your doctor for assistance before beginning any weight loss program or diet.
3. Exercise. Exercise should be an integral part of your life. Your goal should be at least 30 minutes of exercise, 4 days a week. When you begin to lose weight and find your weight plateauing – don’t get discouraged. The plateau is because your body is making metabolic adjustments.