Category Archives: Health & Nutrition

Guide to Nutritional Supplements and weight management.

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Why exercises are important for seniors

Everyone, no matter what age, can benefit from exercise,
but it is especially important for seniors.

From age forty, you can lose three to five percent from your muscle mass
every decade. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the
Unted States Surgeon General note that by age 65, walking and gardening
are the most common physical activities. By age 75, nearly a third of men
and nearly halve of women take practice no physical activity at all.
Worldwide, circa 3.2 million deaths annually can be ascribed in some way
to inactivity.

Physical activity doesn’t have to be strenuous to be beneficial, and you
don’t have to do a lot of it.
The guidelines are for 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week or
75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week. Experts say that even a moderate
amount of daily activity can have significant health benefits.

The most important benefits are:
*  Maintaining strong bones, muscles and joints
*  Improving stamina and general level of energy
*  Reducing arthritis-related swelling and pain
*  Improving circulation and reduce blood pressure
*  Improving mobility and balance, reducing the risk of falls
*  Reducing the risk of death from heart disease,
    high blood pressure,  diabetes, and colon cancer

As a senior, you may have to adapt your activities.
One if the best exercises is walking. You don’t need special
equipment and you can do it right outside your front door.
You can walk for five minutes or one hour, depending on your
stamina

YOGA
Yoga is easy to start, you can work at your own pace.
All you may need is a yoga mat.
Yoga can help you to become more flexible, strengthen
muscles and bones, enhance your mobility and balance,
and relieve stress or anxiety. Additionally, chair yoga offers
an even lower-impact workout for seniors.

SENIOR-SPECIFIC CLASSES
There are organizations with fitness classes, specifically
 designed for senior fitness, and led by instructors who
understand their needs. Like pool aerobics or chair exercise
classes. Many insurance plans cover all or part of gym and
community costs for people over 65.

WEIGHT TRAINING
Weight training doesn’t seem like a senior activity, but it
provides resistance, improves your strength, and helps
keep your bones strong. As with other kinds of exercise
programs, you need some guides at first and want to start
easy.

SWIMMING
Swimming in a pool or the sea is one of the best exercises
for seniors. There’s no impact, like there can be in other
aerobics or fitness classes. Also, the water provides its own
resistance, and you reap the same benefits as other exercises
in terms of heart health, flexibility, muscle and bone health,
and stress relief.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST FITNESS PROGRAM FOR YOU
There are some important factors you need to consider
when choosing a fitness program.
*  Your current level of activity and fitness
*  Any medical or health conditions
*  The kind of exercise that appeal to you personally
*  Whether you have any schedule limitations
*  Whether you have physical limitations –  which may mean
    you need a personal trainer or instructor

EFFECTIVE FITNESS PROGRAMMING
When you are a member of a senior living community,
such as assisted living or long-term care, you could join
their senior fitness program, which benefit residents’
mental health and enhanced social connections.


ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING

It’s difficult to know for certain when it has become too much
for a senior to live independently. Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
are basic tasks you should be able to do without help.
How a senior handles these activities can give you an objective
way to gauge how capable you or a loved one may be.

Activities of daily living are:
Mobility, Eating, dressing and grooming, personal care, transfer

CDC statistics note that, as you’d expect, limitations in individuals’
abilities to accomplish the ADL’s are greater the older they get.
About two percent of those in the age range 45-64 struggle with ADL’s; that increases to about four percent between the ages 65-74
and about 11 percent in those over 75.

INSTRUMENTAL ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING (IADLs)
This is a higher category of ADLs, which require more thought,
planning and organization than the basic ADL’s, which include:
Transportation and errands
*  Money management
*  Meal preparation
*  Home maintenance and housekeeping
*  Communication skills
*  Managing medications

Is Your Weight gain a Concern?

Maintaining a healthy weight is important when you get older. It’s wise to make good food choices, watch how much protein you take and be active. Fast weight loss is not healthy. When you lose weight quickly you can lose muscle and this can affect your health. Remember that adults come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Try to eat at least the minimum number of servings from all four foods groups each day. Grain products (6 – 7 servings) Vegetables and Fruits (7 servings) Milk and Alternatives (3 servings) Meat and Alternatives (2 – 3) Canada’s Food Guide (www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide provides good advice on what foods to choose and how much you need to eat to be healthy. Follow Canada’s Food Guide for the correct serving size. Eat regularly. Include three meals each day. If you are hungry, add a small snack in between meals. Limit high fat and high sugar foods. Eat your meals slowly and enjoy each bite. Choose fruit instead of fruit juice. Eat when you are hungry. Stop when you are full. Don’t overeat, you don’t have to finish all the food on your plate. With efficient metabolism food gets shut to the furnace to be burned quickly.

Coffee can speed-up your metabolism and increase the efficiency of your metabolism. Skipping a meal, especially breakfast, will make it harder to get all the nutrients you need each day. Eat at regular times every day. Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time. If you don’t feel like cooking, replace a meal with 2 or 3 easy snacks. Meals don’t have to be complex or require cooking Have a toast with peanut butter, fruit and a glass of milk. Aim for at least three food groups for your meals. Pack healthy snacks to take with you when you are away from home. How is your appetite? If you live alone, sitting down to eat a meal by yourself can be hard. You may not feel like making meals for just yourself. Food may not interest you and may not taste as good. Here are some ideas to help you to increase your appetite: Choose a comfortable place to eat. Exercise or take a walk before meals. Add flavor to your food by adding herbs and spices. Eat meals with family and friends, if possible. Try a new recipe Join a cooking club or community kitchen. Ask your health care provider if your medications are causing appetite or taste problems Do you get enough protein in your diet? Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes such as beans, peas and lentils, tofu, nuts and seeds are excellent sources of protein, iron and B vitamins. You don’t always need meat, fish or poultry to meet your protein needs. Try other foods that are good sources of protein such as nuts, legumes, eggs or tofu. They are quick and easy and make great snacks! Try to eat 2-3 servings of protein rich foods per day.

Discover how you can lose your stubborn belly fat quick and easy with this amazing
weight loss program: www.weightlossplanforwomen.com

Healthy Lifestyle Habits

Healthy Lifestyle Habits

We all like to stay young and healthy forever. But unfortunately, that isn’t
entirely possible. Longevity is a hot topic these days, and there are many
lifestyle habits, natural and pharmaceutical based supplements and
treatments on the market that can be used as tools to slow down the aging
process.
The anti-aging industry is a fast-growing industry. Successful aging is on the rise
for many people, with our fast-aging population. There are currently 671 million
people worldwide who are over the age of 60.

People are living longer, partly because our success in preventing childhood diseases,
like polio, as well as finding new treatments and prevention strategies for
adult conditions such as heart disease.
But it’s also because scientists are unlocking the secrets of aging itself.
We have found out why our bodies break down and how to put the brakes on
our own destruction.
In the process we are expanding not only our life spans, but also what scientists call:
our health span. “we are living too short and dying too long,” – Dr. Myron Wentz.

The Antioxidant Power  
Researchers discovered that one of the most important causes of heart disease,
cancer, wrinkles, arthritis and many of the other problems that comes with aging
is the same process that makes an apple turn brown and our body cells to break
down and age, it’s called oxidation.

Through a series of chemical changes, oxygen molecules in our bodies lose
electrons, making them unstable. These unstable molecules are called free radicals.
By raving attempts to stabilize themselves, free radicals steel electrons
from healthy cells throughout your body. Every time they steal an electron,
two things happen: A healthy molecule is damaged, and more free radicals are
created. Free radicals can damage the DNA of your cells, proteins in tissues
throughout your body, and other components that make you function properly.
Unless the process is stopped, more and more cells are damaged every day,
and your health pays the price.


Nature provides an enormous arsenal of antioxidants in order to keep this
damaging process under control.
These are compounds in foods that can stop free radicals from doing harm.
Antioxidants come between free radicals and your body’s healthy cells,
offering up their own electrons and preventing yours of being stolen.

Although your body maintains its own antioxidant system naturally,
the antioxidants in foods gives you a powerful boost of extra protection against
free radicals. “But if you understand the tremendous damage that oxidative
stress inflicts during normal daily life on the human body, you realize how
important it is to optimize your own natural defense system.
Your health and life depend on it.
Through my research I learned that the strongest defense against these diseases
is our bodies’ own natural antioxidant and immune systems. These are far
superior to drugs I can prescribe.”

“I concluded after much study that using nutritional supplementation on patents
is not alternative medicine but is instead complementary medicine.” Dr. Ray Strand M. D.

Some studies have found that vitamin E may help to protect you from heart
disease, (and beta-carotene and selenium is a mineral that’s an ingredient in
some of your body’s antioxidant enzymes) may help lower your risks of some
cancers.

What is Longevity?
Longevity is not just about living as long as possible, but living the longest,
healthiest life possible – free of chronic diseases.
This is where the term “health span” comes in. Many may agree that a person’s
health span is far more important than the life span. However, being “healthy”
means different things to different people. A better definition of longevity might
include being free from serious disease, having energy and cognitive processes,
as well as physical mobility and strength.
Successful aging means having a healthy physical body and good mental health.
What’s interesting however, is hat when we do things that are healthy for our
physical bodies, these actions benefit our brain health as well. And visa versa.

We die not of old age, but of the cumulative failures within our cells. These
failures are not inevitable breakdowns, but instead are the reversible elements
of aging.

Lifestyle habits accumulate, and those habits can either have a negative effect
on health or a positive one. Small daily habits can be cumulative and build up
to big things over a lifetime. The best habits to include in your day-to-day life
right now are a healthy diet, regular exercise, maintaining your steady blood
sugar level, regular social contact, and a good sleep on a regular basis.
Building on top of these foundational healthy habits are some ground breaking
scientific treatments worth mentioning, which I will discuss in a following
article. They all point towards increased health and longevity.

Recipe for a Long, Healthy Life

Many people are in search for healthy living. But what are really the essentials for health and fitness? And how do you achieve good health and overall well-being?

When we have a closer look at the concept, it all boils down to the following four components, which are crucial for healthy living:

1. Good nutrition 2. Regular exercise 3. A good night sleep 4. High-quality nutritional supplementation

Healthy living means: keeping a balanced, healthy diet Avoid smoking and excessive use of alcohol and toxic chemicals.

If we choose to make good nutrition, including supplementation, and an active lifestyle a daily habit, we could add five to fifteen healthy years to our lives.

It has been said that we are what we eat, but a more accurate definition would be: we are what we can get out of our food. Because it’s the bio-availability of the nutrients we inject, and more importantly, the cell’s ability to absorb those nutrients, which are the crucial factors that determine a person’s health and well-being. These two are often overlooked facts. These are the keys to optimal nutrition. That’s why most supplements miss the mark. They simply do not address the cellular condition of the body. Even worse, many are in a form which are unacceptable to the cells themselves. There is however, one remarkable exception to this depressing trend, and that are the supplements manufactured by USANA Health Sciences. When we age, we must eat well and adjust our eating habits. As we get older, our needs for certain nutrients will change significantly. To be healthy for life, it’s important to consume eight to ten servings of fruits and vegetables daily. And many of these should be raw, because they contain those natural digestive enzymes. But the quality of our foods has depleted, due to modern farming techniques. For example, the use of hybrids. Unfortunately, economics is the driving force behind the American agriculture, causing farmers to be more concerned about bushels per acre, than the nutrient content of the food they harvest. Physicians are biased against nutritional supplements. They learn very little about nutrition in their study on medical school. They would tell you: taking supplements is a waste of money.

But Dr. Ray Strand’s title of his book: ”What your doctor doesn’t know about Nutritional Medicine may be killing you.” Says it all. He was converted when his wife became sick. She suffered from fibromyalgia, and no drugs could cure her. As a last resource she tried nutritional supplements, and after three months she was cured. Dr. Strand learned about oxidative stress, which is the underlying cause of degenerative diseases. Oxidative stress is caused by cell damage of free radicals. It is the root cause of more than seventy chronic degenerative diseases. The same process that causes iron to rust and a cut apple to turn brown. It’s the underlying cause of diseases like: coronary artery disease, cancer, stroke, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer dementia, and macular degeneration. We are actually rusting on the inside. In fact, oxidative stress is the leading theory behind the aging process. In addition to this, our bodies are under constant attack from an army of pollutants in air food, and water. Our stress filled live styles also take a toll. If we do not counteract these processes, the result will be cell deterioration and ultimately disease. When you understand the tremendous damage that oxidative stress inflicts during normal daily life on the human body, you will realize how important it is to optimize your own natural antioxidant and immune system.

Dr Strand concluded after much study, that using nutritional supplements on patients, is not alternative medicine, but instead complementary medicine. After reviewing medical research studies, he was certain, that his patients, who take high quality nutritional supplements, have a health benefit over those who don’t. This he called: cellular nutrition. The purpose of my book is to make people aware of the factors that cause illnesses and diseases, and to learn how to adapt a healthy lifestyle. What I want readers to take away from my book is to understand that degenerative diseases are not the natural consequence of old age but can be avoided by adapting a healthy lifestyle.

My book “Recipe for a Long, Healthy Life” is available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Related Articles – healthy lifestyle, good nutrition, nutritional supplements, oxidative stress, complementary medicine, cellular nutrition,

Nutrition for Seniors

When we age, we must eat well and adjust our eating habits.
As we get older, our needs for certain nutrients will change significantly.

Most people know that vegetables are better for our health than potato chips,
and that lean protein is better than fried food. and alcohol and sweets
 should be taken in moderation.
Yet, we are still struggling with degenerative diseases like obesity, heart disease,
stroke, arthritis diabetes and dementia.
 
To live healthy, we have to keep a balanced, healthy diet
Avoid smoking and excessive use of alcohol and toxic chemicals, take regular exercise,
a good night sleep, and supplement your diet with high quality nutritional supplements.

Why are taking high quality supplements important?

It has been said that we are what we eat, but a more accurate definition would be: we are what we can get out of our food. Because it’s the bio-availability of the nutrients we inject, and more importantly, the cell’s ability to absorb those nutrients, which are the crucial factors that determine a person’s health and well-being. These two are often overlooked facts. These are the keys to optimal nutrition.
That’s why most supplements miss the mark.  They simply do not address the cellular condition of the body. Even worse, many are in a form which are unacceptable to the cells themselves.

There is however, one remarkable exception to this depressing trend, and that are the supplements manufactured by USANA Health Sciences.

To be healthy for life, it’s important to consume eight to ten servings of fruits and vegetables daily. And many of these should be raw, because they contain those natural digestive enzymes.

The American diet lacks essential nutrients. A healthy diet must contain the right carbohydrates, protein, fats, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and trace elements, according to your body type.

It’s a sad fact that about one third of American adults are overweight. But people can change that by adapting a live style with the right diet. There are foods that raise metabolism and burn extra fat.

If you understand the damage caused by processed food, it will motivate you to change your diet, if you are aiming for a high level of health and freedom from degenerative diseases.

It’s a tragic fact that most people these days only begin to take an intelligent look at their health
after they have lost it.

Why do seniors have different nutritional needs?
 Here are some of the most important reasons why:

1. Slower metabolic rate:
 As your metabolism slows down, and perhaps you become less active,
you don’t need as many calories. As your body’s food digesting and processing changes, you may notice fluctuation in weight and energy levels.

2. Body changes:
Aging brings important changes to your biology and slight differences in organ functions
( kidneys, heart, etc.) can affect the way hormones associated with nutrition and
digestion work.

3. Dental changes:
Dental issues, like sensitive teeth or dentures that don’t fit well can lead you to avoid eating
some foods, especially those that require a strong bite or chewing, such as apples.

4. Chronic digestive issues:
If you have digestive problems, such as excess gas, diarrhea, or other digestive discomforts,
you may have to avoid foods that contribute to that condition, even if they are good for you.

5. Chronic medical conditions:
Some conditions makes it necessary for a restricted diet – such as low-sodium, low-carbohydrate, or soft diets – which in turn can affect the quality of your nutritional intake.

6. Living alone:
If you live alone, you may have lost the motivation to shop, prepare or regularly eat good food.
It’s easy to fall into a habit of grabbing what’s there.

Nutrients seniors need.
When you age, you need more of certain nutrients.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics – the world’s largest of food and nutrition professionals –
recommends seniors increase consumption of the following:
* Calcium and Vitamin D to enhance bone health
* Vitamin B12 to boost red blood cell development and function
* Potassium to reduce the risk of high blood pressure
* Fiber to lower risk of heart disease, help prevent diabetes,
  and maintain regular bowel health

It’s common for seniors to develop deficiencies in these areas.
Proper nutrition and supplements can help reverse or prevent this.

The brain is very sensitive to the level of glucose in the blood.
Both high and low levels can cause problems with your mood and memory.
Low levels may cause symptoms of depression, poor memory and low concentration.
While high levels of blood glucose also unpair the brain and increase the risk of dementia.

Monitor your calorie intake  
Let’s start with what you need to provide your body with enough energy on a daily basis.
The dietary guidelines for the United States has a calorie chart divided by gender, age, and
amount of activity (sedentary, moderately active, or active). The table linked above provides
a breakdown of how many calories you need, depending on those factors.

For example, a 65-year-old sedentary male needs 2000 calories per day, a 65-year-old
woman needs 1600 calories per day. For a moderate active man and woman, this increases
to 2,400 and 1,800, If they are active, the counts increase to 2,800 and 1,800 respectively.

That doesn’t mean you should use a calorie counter and obsess over your total calorie intake
each day. But it’s good to have a starting place and know how many calories the foods contain
you eat mostly, and see how you stack up against your daily recommended intake.
If you want to get more involved, try one of the following five recommended calorie-counting apps,
according to Healthline:
* MyFitnessPal
* Lose it!
* Fatsecret
* Cronometer
* SparkPeople  

Healthy Eating Tips
Don’t feel like you have to accomplish everything at once. It’s better to change a few small
things at a time and increase effort as you go, rather than getting yourself overwhelmed
by a radical diet change.

Maintain a Balanced Diet
Once you have checked out calories, work on making yourself more aware of the nutrients
in the foods you eat. Tufts University has created a MyPlate for Older Adults that’s an interactive
plate, divided into appropriately sized food groups. Fruits make up 25 percent of the plate,
vegetables another 25 percent, whole grains 25 percent, and the final 25 percent is made up of
lean protein and dairy.
In addition, the National Institute of Aging offers sample menus for 2,000-calories for seniors.
Their online page includes links to recipes, a shopping list, and two weeks’ worth of possible menus.

Healthy and Unhealthy Foods
In short, food you should eat more in your diet include:
Fruit ( if you buy canned fruit or juice in bottles, be sure that it’s not sugar-sweetened)
Vegetables, whole-grain bread and pastas,
Lean poultry, fish, and shellfish,
Nuts, beans and legumes,
Olive oil (or another monounsaturated oil to cook with)
Low-fat dairy

Foods you should limit in your diet include:
Fried foods, trans- and saturated fats, red meat, high-sugar foods,
refined bread and pasta products, full fat dairy

Your emphases should be to cut out processed foods as much as possible;
they tend to contain high amounts of salt and sugar (which masquerades under many names,
including high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, glucose, sucrose, fructose, and more).

The Importance of a Healthy Nutrition Routine
Every personwho is fortunate enough to live a long life will have a few health concerns,
but if you knew you could limit those going forward, wouldn’t it worth it?
That’s why a routine is important. It can not only ease some of the medical issues
you have now, but it can also improve your health in the years ahead.

Here are some tips to help you create and stick to a nutrition routine that supports
your health goals:

  • Create a master shopping list
  • Shop for a week at a time
  • Shop on the same day every week, and pick a day that’s easiest for you.
  • Wash and prepare your groceries before putting them away
  • Consider buying a vegetable steamer to make veggie cooking more convenient

    “Healthy aging is a hot topic,” writes the Mayo Clinic. “Whether you’re
    concerned about weight gain, sex drive or chronic diseases, the key to
    healthy aging is a healthy lifestyle.
    Eating a variety of nutritious foods, practicing portion control and
    including physical activity in your daily routine can go a long way
    toward promoting healthy aging.”

    Sign up for your FREE Nutrition and Weight loss reports:

Healthy Living

 Many people are in search for healthy living. But what are really the essentials for health and fitness? And how do you achieve good health and overall well-being?

When we have a closer look at the concept, it all boils down to the following four components,
which are crucial for healthy living:

1. Good nutrition
2. Regular exercise
3. A good night sleep
4. High-quality nutritional supplementation

Healthy living means: keeping a balanced, healthy diet
Avoid smoking and excessive use of alcohol and toxic chemicals.

If we choose to make good nutrition, including supplementation, and an active lifestyle a daily habit, we could add five to fifteen healthy years to our lives.

It has been said that we are what we eat, but a more accurate definition would be: we are what we can get out of our food. Because it’s the bio-availability of the nutrients we inject, and more importantly, the cell’s ability to absorb those nutrients, which are the crucial factors that determine a person’s health and well-being. These two are often overlooked facts.
These are the keys to optimal nutrition.
That’s why most supplements miss the mark.  They simply do not address the cellular condition of the body. Even worse, many are in a form which are unacceptable to the cells themselves.

There is however, one remarkable exception to this depressing trend, and that are the supplements manufactured by USANA Health Sciences.

When we age, we must eat well and adjust our eating habits.
As we get older, our needs for certain nutrients will change significantly.

To be healthy for life, it’s important to consume eight to ten servings of fruits and vegetables daily. And many of these should be raw, because they contain those natural digestive enzymes.

But the quality of our foods has depleted, due to modern farming techniques. For example,
the use of hybrids.
Unfortunately, economics is the driving force behind the American agriculture, causing farmers
to be more concerned about bushels per acre, than the nutrient content of the food they harvest.

Physicians are biased against nutritional supplements.
They learn very little about nutrition in their study on medical school.
They would tell you: taking supplements is a waste of money.

But Dr. Ray Strand’s title of his book: ”What your doctor doesn’t know about Nutritional Medicine may be killing you.” Says it all. He was converted when his wife became sick. She suffered from fibromyalgia, and no drugs could cure her.
As a last resource she tried nutritional supplements, and after three months she was cured.

Dr. Strand learned about oxidative stress, which is the underlying cause of degenerative diseases.
Oxidative stress is caused by cell damage of free radicals. It is the root cause of more than seventy chronic degenerative diseases. The same process that causes iron to rust and a cut apple to turn brown.
It’s the underlying cause of diseases like: coronary artery disease, cancer, stroke, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer dementia, and macular degeneration.

We are actually rusting on the inside. In fact, oxidative stress is the leading theory behind the aging process. In addition to this, our bodies are under constant attack from an army of pollutants in air food, and water.
Our stress filled live styles also take a toll. If we do not counteract these processes,
the result will be cell deterioration and ultimately disease.

When you understand the tremendous damage that oxidative stress inflicts during normal daily life on the human body, you will realize how important it is to optimize your own natural
antioxidant and immune system.

Dr Strand concluded after much study, that using nutritional supplements on patients,
is not alternative medicine, but instead complementary medicine.
After reviewing medical research studies, he was certain, that his patients, who take
high quality nutritional supplements, have a health benefit over those who don’t.
This he called: cellular nutrition.

The purpose of my book is to make people aware of the factors that cause illnesses and
diseases, and to learn how to adapt a healthy lifestyle.

What I want readers to take away from my book is to understand that degenerative diseases
are not the natural consequence of old age but can be avoided by adapting a healthy lifestyle.

Is Your weight gain a concern?

Is your weight gain a concern?

Maintaining a healthy weight is important when you get older.
It’s wise to make good food choices, watch how much protein
you take and be active.

Fast weight loss is not healthy. When you lose weight quickly
you can lose muscle and this can affect your health.
Remember that adults come in a variety of sizes and shapes.

Try to eat at least the minimum number of servings from all
four foods groups each day.
Grain products (6 – 7 servings)
Vegetables and Fruits (7 servings)
Milk and Alternatives (3servings)
Meat and Alternatives (2 – 3) 

Canada’s Food Guide (www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide
provides good advice on what foods to choose and
how much you need to eat to be healthy.

Follow Canada’s Food Guide for the correct serving size.
Eat regularly. Include three meals each day. If you are hungry,
add a small snack in between meals.
Limit high fat and high sugar foods.
Eat your meals slowly and enjoy each bite.
Choose fruit instead of fruit juice.
Eat when you are hungry. Stop when you are full.
Don’t overeat, you don’t have to finish all the food on your plate.

With efficient metabolism food gets shut to the furnace
to be burned quickly.

Coffee can speed-up your metabolism and increase the efficiency
of your metabolism.

Skipping a meal, especially breakfast, will make it harder to get
all the nutrients you need each day.

Eat at regular times every day.
Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time.   
If you don’t feel like cooking, replace a meal with 2 or 3 easy snacks.
Meals don’t have to be complex or require cooking
Have a toast with peanut butter, fruit and a glass of milk.
Aim for at least three food groups for your meals.
Pack healthy snacks to take with you when you are away from home.

How is your appetite?  If you live alone, sitting down to eat a meal
by yourself can be hard.
You may not feel like making meals for just yourself.
Food may not interest you and may not taste as good.
Here are some ideas to help you to increase your appetite:
Choose a comfortable place to eat.
Exercise or take a walk before meals.
Add flavour to your food by adding herbs and spices.
Eat meals with family and friends, if possible.
Try a new recipe
Join a cooking club or community kitchen.
Ask your health care provider if your medications
are causing appetite or taste problems

Do you get enough protein in your diet?
Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes such as beans, peas and lentils, tofu,
nuts and seeds are excellent sources of protein, iron and B vitamins.
You don’t always need meat, fish or poultry to meet your protein needs.
Try other foods that are good sources of protein such as nuts, legumes,
eggs or tofu. They are quick and easy and make great snacks!
Try to eat 2-3 servings of protein rich foods per day.

Discover how you can lose your stubborn belly fat quick and easy
with this amazing weight loss program:   www.weightlossplanforwomen.com

The healing power of Garlic

Being a natural whole food, but much too concentrated to eat in large quantities, garlic can be considered as a natural supplement because of its outstanding qualities. Garlic has many benefits, mainly due to its high natural sulphar content. It is considered to be nature’s antibiotic and helps prevent disease.

Dr. Earl Mindell in his book: ‘Garlic, The Miracle Nutrient’, lists the benefits of garlic as: * acts as an antiseptic * helps the body overcome infection * stimulates the immune system * act as a decongestant and expectorant * contains substances that help prevent cancer * thins he blood, reducing he risk of dangerous blood clotting: * tends to dissolve blood clots: * lowers blood pressure (at least partly the result of blood thinning): * reduces high cholesterol: * helps reduce high triglycerides (blood fats) Dr Mindell quotes a professor of medicine as saying that garlic is the most powerful agent for preventing blood from becoming sticky, even more powerful than low-dose aspirin. This may be part of the reason why people in Italy and France have less heart disease. The odorous compound in garlic is a sulpher compound called allicin, a highly effective antibiotic. However, there is no allicin in raw garlic. Raw garlic contains alliin, which, when garlic is crushed, converts to allicin. This is garlic’s way of protecting itself from microbial attack after injury. Unfortunately, allicin tends to damage not only bacteria, but healthy cells as well. When raw garlic is consumed in very large amounts, harmful effects can result, including irritation to the mouth, throat and stomach: anaemia: destruction of friendly gut bacteria: reduced absorption of nutrients, and impaired liver function. How much garlic is excessive and how much is safe to consume on a regular basis? The long held Natural Health view is a clove or wo a day. This is well below the amount that produces outright medicinal effects and possibly also harmful effects, which is around five gloves per day (approximately 25 grams) or more, on a regular basis. The bottom line is that any strong substance like allicin has to be broken down by the liver. Too much can significantly add to the load on the liver, which is already very high in a world of chemicals, alcohol, high-fat diet etc. One clove a day seems to be tolerable for most people.

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The Truth about Skin Cancer

Australia leads the world as the country with the highest rate of skin cancer, about 140,000 new cases of non-melanomic skin cancer occur every year. Melanoma, which is the most dangerous form, causes 800 deaths 

each year. The rate has doubled over the last 40 years and the incidence of skin cancer has almost doubled in the last 10 years. 

The victims are getting younger each year, according to the Australian Journal of Public Health, from 40% to 70% of teenagers have permanent skin damage to some degree 

We can recognize three types of skin cancer. (Sun spots, the most common of all skin diseases in Australia, are not cancer but may be proceeding real cancer). 

Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) 

This is the least dangerous form. It rarely spreads to other parts of the body and is seldom fatal. 

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) This type is also common and seldom fatal. However, it has to be treated as soon as possible, because it has a greater risk of spreading. 

Malignant Melanoma. (MM) 

This is the most rare kind of skin cancer, but the most dangerous. It behaves like an internal cancer and will spread to other parts of the body and has to be treated early. 

In the begin stage it looks like a mole, unusual freckle or a birth mark. Warning signs are: changes in colour, texture, seize or shape. It can bleed or become sore. 

The current skin cancer rates has reached epidemic proportions and is caused by ultraviolet radiation, which is more intense in areas where there is a hole in the ozone layer. As the hole gets larger and presumably the rest of the layer gets thinner, more UV rays reach the Earth’s surface. Including the very dangerous UVC radiation. As a result, our skin cop an extra severe battering when we are outdoors. 

We would expect skin cancer rates to be higher in Nth Queensland, but yet the mortality rates from Melanoma are higher in Tasmania and Brisbane. However, as the hole in the ozone layer sometimes reaches the Australian mainland and ozone thinning as far north as Brisbane, it is impossible to determine what is the greater factor: the ozone layer or r the tropical sun. 

Surprisingly, there is a higher number of people with melanoma among those who work indoors all year long compared to those who work outdoors all year

This removes any doubt that other factors play a part in it as the incidence of melanoma is increasing on parts of the body least exposed to sunlight. 

We can conclude that just over half of the present cases of melanoma can be explained as caused by the sun. Conventional wisdom can’t explain the remainder. 

There is strong evidence that melanoma ( skin cancer in general) is yet another ‘degenerative disease’. According to Professor Laura and John Aston in ‘Hidden Hazards’, Bantam Books, 1991. 

They say that sunlight is therapeutic and may help to prevent many diseases, including melanoma. Regular daily exposure to sunlight is an essential preventive measure, with the emphasis on ‘regular’. 

This explains why indoor workers, who go out in the sun only occasionally, will not have developed the protective mechanisms, including pigmentation. But there are still other factors then just the sun. 

Environmental factors. The research of Ronald Laura and John Aston in their report from 40 years ago, ‘Hidden Hazards’ 100 substances had already been recognized as being photosensitising agents. 

These agents include: * Many commonly used drugs, like some broad-spectrum antibiotics, tranquillisers, high blood pressure drugs and drugs for hypoglycaemia. * Some artificial sweeteners, including cyclamates * Deficiency of vitamin B6 – refining removes much of the B6 from grains, with white bread containing one-fifth as much as wholemeal. * Synthetic riboflavin (vitamin B2), which is used extensively to fortify cereals – it appears that natural riboflavin does not sensitise the skin. * Ethyl alcohol, which is used in beverages. * Some synthetic chemicals, including solublelisers, * Some fungicides and insecticides. 

The paradox of skin cancer now seems to be resolved. Regardless the hole in the ozone layer, the appearance of artificial chemicals in recent years that sensitise the skin to light exactly explains the explosion in skin cancer incidence. 

We don’t need to be in the tropics to be at risk. By using these chemicals, we increase our accessibility wherever we are

Hormonal factors. “The effect of light on the regulation of our hormonal system appears to have the greatest potential for explaining the melanoma enigma,” say Professor Laura and John Ashton. 

The existence of oestrogen receptors in melanoma cells may explain why oral contraceptives may increase the risk of melanoma, underscoring the important role of female sex hormones. 

Also, the ovulatory cycle is regulated by light, both light entering the eyes,
which influences the pinal gland and light falling on the skin. 

Artificial light, which is inadequate and incomplete compared to natural light, tends to hinder these light dependent mechanisms, which lead ultimately
to the production in the skin of the protective pigment: melanin. 

Another unexpected effect of deprivation of natural light has been found in UV radiation, to increase the cholesterol content of the skin. Both light entering the eyes and light falling on the skin regulate blood cholesterol levels. The higher cholesterol content provide greater protection against the effects of the radiation, with less risk of tumor formation, 

Research has also raised the possibility that unnatural fat, like polyunsaturated margarine, affects the fat composition of the skin, disturbing the balance of the above mentioned mechanisms, thereby explaining another factor that can cause melanoma. 

There is strong evidence that vitamin D stimulates the entire hormone system to protect against melanoma and other cancers. It is important to know that vitamin D is made in the body, both when sunlight falls on the skin and when it enters the eyes to regulate pineal function

An Australian study revealed that working under fluorescent light doubles the risk of melanoma. Contrary to this, when sunlight strikes the skin, the UVB component in particular stimulates melanin production, which gives remarkable resistance against the damaging effect of ultraviolet radiation. 

It has been proposed that very moderate exposure to sunlight every day during late winter and spring might provide enough protective melanin to withstand the intense UV radiation during summer.