Allergy Season Strikes Again

More than 20% of Americans suffer from the oh-so-lovely symptoms of allergies. You know what they are: itchy, watery eyes, sore throats, sneezing, just to name a few. Those who are affected deeply also experience headaches and low-grade fevers. (This is their body's way of trying to fight the attack.)

The Truth:

Allergies are genetic. This means if your parents had allergies, you have a higher chance of getting them too.

The Bad and the Good News

Over the counter drugs have side affects, as do prescription medicines. Before you get to the point of: "I don't care I just want to get my nose to stop running!" check out these natural methods to lessen the symptoms of allergies.

Health Benefits of Drinking Water

Water is the liquid of Life." There is not an inch of exaggeration in this statement. We all know the value of water for our existence. Now we shall see how vital it is to us, in keeping us healthy and ailment free. Just off hand, I could remember 14 benefits of drinking adequate quantity of water.

This subject is vast and we shall briefly state the various benefits in a way for the non experts to understand its importance.. Nothing would please me more than to converting you into " waterholics".

Requirement of drinking water:

The normal requirement of water everyday, in ounces is weight in lbs divided by 2. So if you weigh about 180 to 200 lbs, you require about 100 ounces of water everyday, which is roughly = 3 litres, which again is roughly = 13 cups.

5 Elements For Your Fitness Routine

Your fitness routine needs to include five elements in order to be balanced: aerobic fitness, muscular fitness, stretching, core exercise and balance training. If you are just getting started with a fitness routine or if you have been following a routine but want to improve your results, all 5 of these elements need to be included so that you can optimize your results.

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Aerobic ("requiring the presence of air") exercise is at the core of most fitness routines. The primary benefit of aerobics is that you can maximize the amount oxygen in your bloodstream. This occurs because you breathe faster and more deeply than during normal daily activities. Aerobic exercise will help to improve the efficiency at which your heart, lungs, and blood vessels transport oxygen throughout your body. Ultimately, this allows you to complete routine physical tasks more easily.

Gout - The Diet to be Followed

Gout is a disease which currently has no cure. Fortunately, this affliction can be controlled by the intake of a proper diet and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle, apart from taking prescribed medicines.

The primary cause of gout is excessive accumulation of uric acid in the blood. Purines are the substances found in food materials which are hydrolyzed metabolically to yield uric acid. So the key to alleviating gout symptoms is to avoid purine rich food.

The foods that are exceptionally abundant sources of purine are:

o Offal

o Red meats

o Organ meats like kidney, liver

o Shell fish

o Fish roe

o Scallops

7 Fantastic Low Carbohydrate Diet Foods for Phenomenal Weight Loss

Low carbohydrate diet foods can be your best ally, if you want to lose body fat fast and look absolutely ripped. Combine them low carbohydrate foods with exercise and you are sure to get you six-pack abs.

There is some debate among fitness professionals about the best diet food around for weight loss. If you are serious about losing that stubborn fat really desire about getting a flat stomach, getting nice toned legs, losing that back fat and getting an all round well defined body, you have to be serious about understanding and implementing the 3 key foundations on weight loss.

Key number one is you need to do weight training; key number two is that you have to include cardiovascular training and the third one, which a lot of people hate which is dieting.

Breakfast At Your Desk: Amy's Breakfast Burritos

Morning! You guys love Amy's Organics, right? Well, if you haven't tried their breakfast burritos yet, do. Here's why I think we should all stock them in our office freezers...

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You guys already raved about breakfast burritos, so I know you will fall in love with the breakfast burritos from Amy's, if you haven't already.

Here's what's to love (approx): 300 calories, 11 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, and just 9 grams of fat. And, guys, they taste amazing!

And, my friend Shaun Chavis over at Health magazine raves about how Amy's burritos fall into her weight loss plans--and why frozen foods may help you drop pounds too.

7 Energizing Ways to Increase Metabolism

Follow these 7 tips to energize your metabolism and add more spring to your step.

Some days it just seems hard to get going. Trying to find that extra bit of energy to get you through your day but it just isn’t there. The periods of low energy may not be what they seem. Sometimes just doing a few simple things will not only help your energy levels but it can increase your metabolism as well. And anyway you can increase your metabolism is a good thing.

Here are 8 ways to help energize your days and increase your metabolism at the same time.

1.Get up and get out: Exercise is one of the most important energy boosters there is. Living the life of a couch potato lowers your energy levels. Your heart and lungs do not work as efficiently supplying less oxygen to the cells. Oxygen is a key component in cell metabolism and less oxygen means a slower metabolism. As your metabolism drops you burn fewer calories and gain weight. A slow metabolism will also cause you to feel fatigued and run down.

5 Elegant Outdoor Dining Ideas

You've done the cook-out, the cocktail party, the formal event, and even the casual family dinner. What about the elegant garden party? There are many options for this type of outdoor dining event, and we are here to help you discover what those options are.

Ideas On Types of Elegant Outdoor Dining

When it comes to types of elegant outdoor events, there are three ideas that come to mind.

Tea Party - Nothing says elegant garden party like afternoon tea. It is a beautiful and charming reminder of childhood make-believe that can be enjoyed by you and your closest friends. To put together this type of garden party, you will need to consider just a few items, other than your decorations: the tea and the food. At the least, offer your guests a caffeine-free tea and a traditional tea. If you know your way around a proper pot of tea, you can provide as many types of tea as you like, such as herbal teas made from herbs, flowers, berries, barks, spices, and fruits. Be sure to provide lemon wedges, milk, sugar, and a sugar substitute for the teas as well. When it comes to food, dainty finger food is the norm. No cutlery, except for teaspoons to stir the tea, should be needed.

Breakfast at Your Desk: Have You Heard of Emmer?

Emmer. Hint: It's a grain that may be popping up near the instant oatmeal at a grocery store near you. Here are the details on this breakfast food ...

I recently spotted a new product at the store, "freshly cracked" organic, heirloom (as the label stated) Emmer from Bluebird Grain Farms.

According to the package, the cereal (like oatmeal or Cream of Wheat, for instance) cooks in just 15 minute, and is said to be "sweet, nutty and nourishing." I did a little more reading up on the ancient grain, emmer, a type of wheat, and found that it's a staple in Northern Italian cuisine, where it's used to make polentas. Mmmmmm.

Alopecia - A Natural Approach That Addresses the Immune System!

Alopecia is the medical term for loss of hair usually in a circumscribed manner from the head, scalp or body, sometimes to the extent of complete baldness.

What are the Types of Alopecia?

Some of the commonly occurring types of Alopecia include, Androgenetic Alopecia, Diffuse Alopecia, Traction Alopecia, Cicatricial Alopecia and Alopecia Areatea. Alopecia Areatea is further classified into Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis.

Alopecia Totalis is an autoimmune disorder, in which there is complete loss of hair on the scalp. In the case of Alopecia Universalis, the person experiences loss of hair all over the body, e.g. eyelashes, pubic hair, etc.

5 Effective Weight Loss Tips For New Moms

On top of every new mother's list is to shed any excess weight gained during pregnancy. While you may have lost some 15 pounds during childbirth, you may still feel disappointed to see yourself unable to squeeze yourself in your pre-pregnancy clothes. Don't despair. I have easy tips for losing those unwanted pounds safely.

Weight-loss Tip 1. Let your legs do the walking. Most doctors allow some form of exercise immediately after childbirth. But because your body has gone through a lot of trauma during labor and delivery, you'll have to lay off the high impact and weight-lifting exercises for now.

Health Benefits of Eating a Raw Food Diet

Raw foods are very good for human health and either making raw foods a larger part of your diet or switching to an entirely raw food diet can provide a number of benefits. A raw food diet consists entirely of uncooked preferably organically grown plant based foods; largely fresh, raw fruits and vegetables, seeds, nuts and juices - dried fruits and vegetables may also be added to these diets.

Raw food diets are almost entirely vegan, with many of the health benefits of these diets being due to the large quantities of dietary fiber and nutrients; components which are often lost when cooking or processing food. Raw foods are generally lower calorie and are easily digested, since raw foods contain all of the enzymes which aid in their digestion - these are destroyed by cooking fruits and vegetables.

5 Elements That Make the Best Anti Aging Products

Nobody in the world would ever want to deal with the aging process. Not only does it make them feel even more frail as time goes by, but the once youthful beauty they radiated would eventually be lost as the days pass. However, this is something that is very much natural for everyone. If you wish to slow down the aging process, you'd have to resort to a few things, such as making use of the best anti aging products available on the market. If you wish to have those full looking lips like you once had in your early 20's, you'd go search for the best lip plumper in the market. If you're undergoing a lot of stress at work and your eyes appear weary, you can simply look for a dark circles under eyes treatment which would give you a more exuberant and stress-free appearance.

Alopecia

Alopecia is generally known as common form of baldness world wide, it is the set of disorder which involves the situation of losing ones hair, it may effect on every part of the body where it usually grows.

Alopecia crop up particularly on the area of the head and the total hair of this part is almost defected by the disease.

The common form of alopecia is caused by the hair-thinning condition that occurs in adult human beings and also on the other mandrill species.

Though, the harsh type of alopecia state can differ significantly; it assorts from female to the male pattern of alopecia, the "alopecia androgenetica", onto the alopecia areata involves the loss of destructive amount of the hair of the head whereas Alopecia totalis is the other type of Alopecia; it involves in the loss of entire hair up to the most tremendous type. The Alopecia universalis involves the defect of all the hair from the patient's body.

Gout - Pain Relief to Stop the Symptoms

Gout is easily known as the worst form of arthritis and often starts in the joints of the big toe and progress from there into other joints as the condition worsens. Gout is extremely painful and caused by inflammation in the joints. This inflammation is a result of high levels of uric acid in the body which then converts to crystals and settles into joints causing immense pain and lessened mobility for the gout sufferer. While, uric acid is a naturally occurring chemical in the body, most high levels come from food and the body's inability to clear it out in heavier individuals.

There are many forms of gout pain relief that can be offered to gout patients and are available in the forms of pain management medication, a healthy diet and lifestyle, an exercise routine that promotes healthy joints and a diet low in uric acid. Cherries have also been known to decrease gout symptoms and offer relief to those who suffer from the condition. All of these can be used together or in conjunction with another form of treatment your doctor many recommend. Before trying any new treatment for relief of your gout symptoms, always talk with your doctor and a nutritionist with gout treatment experience as they will be able to help you find the right gout pain relief for your specific case and symptoms.

Gout - Painful Crystals in Your Joints

Gout has often been called the "disease of kings." It was noted many years ago that gout usually affected nobility and the wealthy. This observation resulted from the richer diet available to those of means during those times. Now, most of us eat like "kings." The disease shows rare economic discrimination. It occurs when uric acid, a break-down product of normal protein degradation which is normally dissolved in the serum of the blood, crystallizes in a joint and greatly irritates its lining. The skin is often quite red over the joint during an attack. It is most common in men from ages 40 to 60. Women are rarely affected until after menopause. Multiple joints may be involved, but usually only one joint is affected at a time. The joints of the base of the big toe, knee, hip or the ankle are the most commonly involved.

Health Benefits of Drinking Maqui Berry

The remarkable health benefits of the Maqui Berry may not have a comprehensive documentation as compared to that of Acai Berry. But various clinical and scientific communities have started to study further the said miracle fruit.

Found in Patagonia, Chile, the Maqui Berry from South America has been used considerably for many centuries by the native Mapuche Indians. They have discovered the health benefits of this fruit which aided them to keep their healthy body and slowed down the process of aging.

Acai berries offer incredible properties in promoting good health because each berry is full of anthocyanins and antioxidants that benefit the user in a lot of ways. But, the health benefits of the Maqui Berry outweigh those being provided by the Acai Berry because of the huge difference in the level of antioxidants and quite similar amount of anthocyanins.

Allergy Remedies - Natural and Man Made

Allergy Remedies come in 2 main flavours - natural and man made. Which type you prefer depends on your approach to life in general because health is such an intimate and far ranging issue.

Natural remedies also come in different types.

Nutritional Remedies or nutritional supplements consist of natural products like vitamins or vitamin like substances. They are simply part of your normal diet or maybe part of what should be our normal diet. Allergies consist of an inflammatory response by the body to a trigger substance, called an allergen. The purpose of the allergic response is to neutralise or heal the harm done by the allergen. The purpose of nutritional remedies is to help the body in its work. To do this we would supply natural anti-inflammatory such as vitamin C and various similar helper substances called bioflavenoids.

Health Benefits of Eating Organic Food, and Organic Skincare

The rise of organic products, from food to organic skincare, is becoming a noticeable trend in the past five years or so. The reason behind it all is that many people feel that there are health benefits from eating organic food. If you ask anyone who shops regularly in Whole Foods, they'd rather lick the floor than to eat non organic food or use products that don't have the USDA stamp of approval on them. Some call this being frantic and picky, but people in the medical and scientific fields are now admitting that there's more to it than simply being overcautious.

There is a strong suspicion that chemicals are responsible for making our bodies toxic and are responsible for the current overflow of cancer. Toxins are believed to cause damage to key enzymes, which would lead to multiple health problems. It is also being studied and verified that synthetic chemicals cause disruption of hormone production and function. These findings are responsible for the growing number of people who search for purity when looking for something to put in their stomachs and on their skin. In June 2009 the European Commission's Communication on Cancer revealed that they have acknowledged that there are too many environmental factors such as food chemicals and chemicals in air and water that need to be addressed in order to prevent cancer.

Breakfast At Your Desk: Here's How to Make Skinnier French Toast

French toast is so luxurious, isn't it? Yeah, and a little caloric, too. Check out these celeb-nutritionist-approved tips on how to lighten things up significantly...

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Celeb nutrition guru Bethenny Frankel shared her skinny breakfast secrets with Health magazine recently. (P.S. Read more of her skinny secrets here!) Here's what she had to say about French toast:

"For each slice of whole-grain bread, dredge in a mixture of beaten egg whites plus 1 teaspoon of your favorite extract (lemon, almond, etc.) and a drop of Stevia sweetener; soak bread on both sides. Cook a few minutes on each side in a nonstick pan; drizzle with maple syrup and top with fruit."

Allergy Remedies That Provide Lasting Effects

You may be looking of the best allergy remedies you can get if you're suffering from its symptoms. Typically, these attacks occur when the immune system reacts to something foreign that enters the body. These allergy remedies are important in terms of helping you manage symptoms. Medications are the top remedies for allergies that you can get. Many of them are now available in pharmacies and can be bought without prescriptions. However it's still important for you to ask your physician or allergist first to ensure you'll get the right treatment option for you. Remember that everyone still has unique reactions to things like medications so it's better to find the ones for you.

Gout - Signs and Symptoms

Gout signs and symptoms usually come on very quickly, and within a few hours of the symptoms starting you will most likely be in a great deal of pain. It is important to understand the gout signs and symptoms in order to effectively treat the condition before it worsens.

There are several gout symptoms that are visible to the eye. These symptoms include a swelling of the affected area, the skin will turn red, and the area may be warm to the touch.

Gout affects the joints of the body, and usually these symptoms first appear in the joint of the big toe (where the toe meets the main part of the foot). Some people first experience gout in a different joint, but the majority of gout patients report that the symptoms originated in the big toe joint.

7 Effective Steps to Ward off Swine Flu

Swine flu can turn out to be a nightmare if not taken some simple precautionary measures.

In today`s time we all have been listening to the news of recession, bad news about economy and much more. The recent news in the air is about the swine flu. It was reported that Mexican residents wore masks in order to prevent them from being getting infected of this Flu. The Health Department of Mexico stated that more than 1,600 cases were reported suffering from swine flu. Not only Mexico, but swine flu has spread in many other countries as well, and the fear of this Flu is cropping up in the mind of almost everybody.

Allergy Season Is Here, And My Eyes Itch!

Tis the season.... there is a glut of patients with symptoms related to seasonal allergies. Of course, patients seem to be talking about red, itchy eyes as their primary symptom, while you may be hearing more about systemic and respiratory symptoms.

Some interesting statistics have come out. According to the Consumer Healthcare Products Association:

About 73 percent of consumers would rather treat themselves than see a doctor.

A majority (62 percent) say they would like to self-treat more in the future.

Nearly all (96 percent) say they are generally confident about their health care decisions.

Breakfast at Your Desk: Are You Getting Enough Bran? Why You Should Eat Up!

Bran may not be the world's sexiest food, but there may be good reason to eat your bran flakes and bran muffins, say researchers ...

According to a new study from Harvard Medical School, women (the study looked at diabetic women), who eat plenty of bran may live longer and are less likely to die of heart disease.

An interesting cheat sheet on bran, from MSNBC: "Grains consist of three layers: the fiber- and nutrient-containing bran and germ layers and the starchy kernel layer. Refined grains, like white flour, are largely stripped of the bran and germ; whole grains--such as oatmeal, brown rice, barley and breads made from whole wheat--retain more of those components."

5 Effective Weight Loss Tips

So you want to lose some weight? Here are 5 tips that will help you melt some body fat and lose some unwanted weight.

1. Throw away your scale

First off throw away your scale (okay don't literally do that). You naturally gain and lose weight throughout the day due to slight changes in your metabolism and how well hydrated you are. Body weight is not always an accurate measure of a healthy body composition. Instead you should focus on your body fat percentage.

There are many inexpensive tools available to measure your body fat. Many electronic scales now come with electronic body fat measurements. These can be fairly accurate although they can have up to have 25% margin of error depending on your hydration levels (and if your taking supplements). If possible visit your local gym to get a body fat test. The caliper test (pinch test) can be very accurate. Also ask about getting your basal metabolism measured. Your basal metabolism is how many calories your body burns a day at rest. There are now many devices such as bodygem that accurately measure this.

Allergy Safety in School

While being dropped off at school, a child with allergies once said, "Is this the day I'm going to die?"

Hearing that is like a dagger through the heart. Every parent of an allergic child not only wants their child to be safe at school, but also to feel confident.

Many schools make the effort to be peanut-free. But it's not always fool-proof. And serious allergies don't stop there...schools also need to be vigilant about tree nut, egg, dairy, soy, sesame and wheat allergies, to name a few.

Think about the dozens of people that enter your child's classroom in a day: the teacher, a substitue, an aid-worker, other kids' parents, the principle and administration staff, custodians...

Gout - The Formation of Monosodium Urate Crystals In Synovial Fluid

Monosodium Urate Crystal (MSU) is what causes the painful gouty inflammation that tortures many adult males nowadays. Most of the gout patients do not know much about the gout they are having, all they know is that gout is related to high blood uric acid level and they must reduce the consumption of high purine diet to minimize the possibility of another gout attack.

The drugs that they take during the gout attack are mainly for the purpose of anti-inflammatory and pain killing, none of the gout drugs really act on the monosodium urate crystals that trigger the inflammation. Even after the inflammation subsided, those urate crystals still stay in the synovial fluid and deposit on the cartilage layers of the joint. Whenever there is new formation for monosodium urate crystals, there will be another round of painful gout attack. The intensity and frequency of the attacks will increase as more and more urate crystals deposit in the joint.

Alopecia Areata and Hair loss: What Does Aloe Vera Have to Do with It

A disease of unknown cause in which well-defined bald patches occur, usually on the head and other hairy parts of the body. The condition typically clears without treatment; recurrences are common. Alopecia areata is an immune system disorder where hair follicles cease making new hairs. About 2% of us experience a case of alopecia areata at some point in their lives.

Even though medical doctors have no known cure for alopecia areata, there have been some discoveries in the medical research arena of aloe. (El Zawahry M;Rashad M;Hegazy MR;Helal M;. Use of aloe in treating dermatoses. Int J Dermatol. 1973; 12: 68-73)

Gout - What Causes Of Gout Are?

What is Gout?

A form of arthritis that is a painful inflammation and swelling of the joints caused by the buildup of uric acid in the body. Certain foods cause gout so diet plays a role. Treatment of gout can be achieved through medication and proper diet.

Gout is caused by a build up of uric acid (urate) in your blood. Urate is a normally harmless waste product which is formed when the body breaks down substances known as purines. Two thirds of your urate is produced by your kidneys. The other third is produced by your digestive system. Purines are found naturally in the body, but are also found in some foods and certain types of alcohol.

Allergy Season Is Here

Examples of some allergens' are: pollens, molds, dust mites, bee stings, stings by other insects, and foods, of which there are many. Some very distinct foods are allergy triggers, such as, peanuts, milk, eggs, gluten products, but it can be any food that will prove to be an allergen to a particular individual. When an individual reacts to any type of allergen, they are called allergic or "atopic". Allergic reactions occur in different forms such as:

·Allergic rhinitis (nasal allergies), which affects approximately 35 million or more Americans. Of these, 5 or 6 million are children.

· Asthma affects about 15 million in America-about 5 million are children.

Allergy Season Relief For Your Dog

Spring is almost upon us and you know what that means - allergy season has started. One of the most common concerns that we handle each and every day is the intense and aggravating allergy symptoms of itching and scratching that many dogs suffer from. We always try to resolve the issue with a change in nutrition, but during particular times of the year (such as springtime) the culprit may be more of an environmental cause.

If your dog gets hot spots or discoloration of the skin because of the constant itching and scratching, it may be a symptom of seasonal allergies rather than simply a nutritional deficiency. The condition is called "atopy" or atopic dermatitis. In this regard, our pets are no different than us humans - they can develop a sensitivity to their environment just like a we can.

Allergy Rotation Helps You to Achieve a Gluten Free Diet

Here is a list of food families. Use this list to create a 4-day rotation diet. Never eat foods from the same food family for two days in a row. For example, nightshade vegetables (tomato, potato, eggplant and peppers) are eaten on only one day. If you feel better on the other three days than you do on your "nightshade day" then you know that those are a problem for you.

Food Families List:

Abalone, clams, mussels, oysters & scallops. Anise, caraway seed, carrot, celery, celery seed, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, parsley & parsnip. Apple, pear & quince. Artichoke, chicory, dandelion, endive, escarole, lettuce, sunflower seeds & tarragon. Asparagus, chives, garlic, leeks, onion & sarsaparilla. Avocado, bay leaves, cinnamon & sassafras.