Tuesday 30 June 2015

Are Nightshade Vegetables Worsening Your Pain?

Nightshades
by Joanne Beccarelli
Plant foods and vegetables in particular are my favorite foods, but some vegetables are not good for everyone and can be blamed for sensitivities, ailments or less than perfect health. Most common of these is the group of plants called nightshades.
What are nightshades?
The most common description of nightshades I repeatedly hear is that they are plants that grow at night, which sounds very mysterious. Although this is partially true, it is not 100% accurate.
Nightshades are plants that are part of the solanaceae plant family and some of them do flower at night, while others like to grown in shady areas. The solanaceae family contains over 2,300 plants, including herbs, shrubs, trees, fruits, flowers, weeds and crop plants, but only some have edible ‘fruits’ and many are deadly.
Therefore, when we refer to ‘nightshades’ as foods, we are speaking only of commonly consumed agricultural plants.
It might come as a surprise that the most highly and commonly consumed nightshades are many of the foods eaten in abundance today, including:
  • Eggplant
  • Potato (excluding sweet potato and yams)
  • Peppers (including hot and sweet, as well as spices such as paprika, chili powder, cayenne, but not peppercorns)
  • Tomato
A few of the less common but still recognizable nightshade edibles are:
  • Ashwagandha (herb)
  • Berries (goji berry, garden huckleberry, cape gooseberry but not strawberries and blueberries)
  • Pepino
  • Pimento
  • Tomatillo
  • Tamarillo
What is the issue with nightshades?
It is hard to believe that this list of common and nutritious foods could spell trouble, but for some people with heightened sensitivity and those with autoimmune diseases, nightshades can exacerbate certain conditions.
Here are some common ailments that might be made worse by eating nightshades:
  • Inflammation
  • Arthritis or joint pain
  • Bone spurs
  • Muscle pain, tightness and stiffness
  • Heartburn, gas, bloating, GERD or IBS
  • Insomnia
  • Migraines
  • Weather change sensitivity
To blame are the compounds that nightshades contain, including solanine and calcitriol to the greatest degree and less so for capsaicin and nicotine.
  • Solanine is a glycoalkaloid that is a natural toxin, which acts as a defense mechanism against insects, animals and fungi. Although it is found in other nightshades at minimal levels, it is of greatest concern in potatoes and especially in unpeeled potatoes or those with green spots or sprouts. Solanine can cause gastrointestinal issues, prolonged muscle contractions and neurological problems.
  • Calcitriol is a powerful hormone that regulates calcium absorption and is an active form of Vitamin D. When nightshade foods are consumed in abundance, this overconsumption can lead to calcium deposits in tendons, ligaments, cartilage, cardiovascular tissues, kidneys and skin.
Should I stop eating nightshades?
In general, nightshades are not the villains they are made out to be unless you have an autoimmune disease or have some of the conditions listed and are struggling to feel better even after moving to a more healthful, anti-inflammatory diet.
However, there are also some practical steps you can take to minimize the adverse effects of nightshades and to find out if they really are an issue for you:
potatoes
1. First, you might try always cooking any nightshades you decide to keep eating. Cooking by steaming, boiling, baking, or roasting helps to reduce alkaloid content by as much as 50%. For potatoes, make sure to wash, peel and cut out any green spots or sprouts. Careful preparation and cooking alone may help someone with a very mild sensitivity.
2. If cooking alone does not help, you may want to move forward by eliminating potatoes completely since these have the highest alkaloid levels.
3. For those with more severe symptoms, following an elimination protocol of all nightshades is the best test and is easy to do. Simply eliminate all nightshade foods for 3 weeks, then reintroduce one nightshade food every 3 days, taking care to notice and write down any changes in how you feel. Take special care to notice your old ailments and any new reactions your body may be having.
If one or more foods bring up issues, then you have discovered what to stay away from. However, if these steps did not help, then checking in with your Doctor again is important along with reevaluating your overall diet to make sure you are eating anti-inflammatory foods.
- See more at: http://fitlife.tv/are-nightshade-vegetables-worsening-your-pain-original/#sthash.Qmvccbpl.dpuf

How gut bacteria affects the brain and body

how gut bacteria affects the brain and the body

By The Huffington Post

What Can 5 Walnuts a Day Do for Your Health?

Justin Gammill

A new research study from Yale University is showing an amazing benefit of adding just 56 grams of walnuts a day to your diet. Researchers chose 46 adults between the ages of 30 and 75.
All participants had a body mass index (BMI) higher than 25 and a waist circumference of at least 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women. All of the participants had a heightened risk of metabolic syndrome, which is a factor of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
what-can-5-walnuts-a-day-do-for-your-health
Half of the participants were assigned a diet that included 56 grams of shelled, unroasted walnuts. The other half were given a diet that did not include walnuts. The results showed that people on the walnut enhanced diets showed improved function in endothelial cells that make up the inner lining of blood vessels.
These cells help with blood clotting and the formation of new blood cells, as well as regulating inflammation and controlling blood pressure.
The lead author of the research study, Dr. David Katz, says, “We know that improving diets tends to be hard, but adding a single food is easy. Our theory is that if a highly nutritious, satiating food like walnuts is added to the diet, there are dual benefits: the benefits of that nutrient rich addition and removal of the less nutritious foods.”
As amazing as the benefits of Walnuts can be, sadly according to World’s Healthiest Foods: “Most U.S. adults have yet to discover the benefits of walnuts. A recent study has determined that only 5.5% of all adults (ages 19-50) consume tree nuts of any kind! This small percentage of people actually do a pretty good job of integrating tree nuts (including walnuts) into their diet, and average about 1.25 ounces of tree nuts per day. But the other 94.5% of us report no consumption of tree nuts whatsoever. In a recent look at the nutritional differences between tree nut eaters and non-eaters, researchers have reported some pretty notable findings: on a daily average, tree nut eaters take in 5 grams more fiber, 260 milligrams more potassium, 73 more milligrams of calcium, 95 more milligrams of magnesium, 3.7 milligrams more vitamin E, and 157 milligrams less sodium!
SO, now that you know, go out and grab a bag of fresh walnuts and get cracking! Your heart will thank you for it.

Monday 29 June 2015

CALISTHENICS - Workout For Body Transformation



CALISTHENICS Workout For Body Transformation
Learn to spin like The Spindoctor?

Do you want to improve your fitness, build real natural strength and get toned. Having your body looking its aesthetic best. Ankh Rah fitness and nutrition will get men and women of all ages to their  dream body shape. We guarantee You will notice the difference with 6 weeks of attending our class.
We will be launching our extreme fitness, toning and nutrition Calisthenic classes starting Monday 20 July 2015.
Calisthenics is gymnastic exercises designed to develop health and vigour, muscular tone, bodily fitness and grace of movement while promoting physical well being usually performed with little or no special apparatus.
Our class will be held at the  Barnasium Gym - Body By Chosen UK - 22 Vicarage Rd, Camberwell, SE5 7LW
Starting on  20 July will be giving classes in Extreme Fitness and Toning Calisthenics classes on Mondays 7-9pm and Ankh Rah Powered Extreme Fitness, Toning and Nutrition Calisthenics Routine Classes on Wednesdays 7-9pm. £15.00 for each class.

Starting with the basics, everything is possible, whether you are a natural at sports or never exercised in your life, our class will teach you from the basics and by the end, have you performing moves seen by the Spindoctor himself.






What are you waiting for!!

Now is your chance, get healthy, fit and in shape the natural way now with Ankh Rah Ltd.

A healthy body leads to a healthy mind!

With a BONUS!
Wednesdays Free Ankh Rah High Quality Nutrition After 3rd class. To energise your workout!
Whether beginner, Intermediate or advanced ALL welcome.

Venue Barnasium Gym - Body By Chosen UK - 22 Vicarage Rd, Camberwell, SE57LW

For further information Call 020 314 0551 or email:info@ankhrah.com

Home Remedies for Hair Loss that Actually Work!

Dermatologists suggest that there is no reason for worries when one loses 50-100 strands of hair, since it is absolutely normal.However, when one loses more and more hair, and there are some visible bare patches occurring, the person suffers from a condition known as alopecia.
Nevertheless, nowadays, a bald man in his 30’s is a common phenomenon, and usually results from stress, improper diet or hormonal disorders.
home-remedies-for-hair-loss-that-actually-work

This article will show you some quite effective homemade cures that will be your ally in the struggle to preserve the hair and to encourage its growth again.A lot of foods that are used in the kitchen on a daily basis can be of vital importance in the preparation of natural homemade remedies that will boost hair growth.
Eggs
Eggs are rich in sulfur, as well as numerous other proteins and minerals. They contain selenium, zink, iron, iodine, phosphorus.Eggs are extremely beneficial in the process of enhancement of the hair growth, particularly in a combination with olive oil.
Prepare your own homemade hair loss paste, by mixing one white of the egg with one teaspoon of olive oil. Whisk it well and then put the prepared mixture on your scalp or hair. Leave it to rest for 15-20 minutes. Afterwards, wash the hair with cool water.
Amia
Amia is an excellent means for hair loss issues, it very helpful for the people who are vulnerable to baldness. This is due to the fact that it Is a rich source of vitamin C and cell reinforcements. You can apply amia on your scalp, but keep in mind that it is very beneficial for your overall health as well, for the vitamin C is vital for our body.
To prepare your amia mixture, crush the amia in order to extract its juice or buy amia powder in a health store. Combine two tablespoons of amia juice or powder with the same amount of lime juice and whisk it. Then, apply it on the scalp, leave it to dry and then wash it off with water
Garlic and onion
Sulfur enhances the production of collagen which is necessary for hair growth. Garlic and onion are one of the richest sources of sulfur, which might be seen by their usage in conventional medications for stimulating hair growth.
This is how to use garlic to stimulate your hair growth: crash 4-5 garlic cloves and mix them with some coconut oil. Apply the mixture on a heat until it starts to boil, and leave it thus for 2-3 minutes. Afterwards, let the boiled mixture to cool. When it is cool enough, apply it on your scalp and massage it smoothly. For best results, repeat this procedure 2-3 times in a week.
You can take the advantage of onion by chopping it and crumpling it in order to get its juice. Apply the onion juice on your scalp and leave it to stay for 15 minutes. Wash it off with water.
Coconut
One of the most favorable ingredient for your hair is of course, the beneficial coconut. It can be of great help in the struggle to keep good health of your hair and enhance its growth.
Coconut milk contains many minerals, like iron and potassium, proteins, fats. Its frequent use on the hair will make it stronger and it will never break that easily like before.
The coconut oil is also very useful for strengthening your hair, since it affects the hair from its root to the top. Chop one coconut and draw out the milk.
Now make a combination of a little bit of water and this milk, and apply this mixture on the places where there is a visible hair loss. Leave it to stay during the night and wash it off in the next morning.With a continual use you will disable the hair loss for good.
Henna
Asian people have long known the extremely strong potential of henna to firm the hair and preserve its health. It even possesses stronger properties in a combination with mustard oil.
This combination is made by mixing 250ml of mustard oil and 60g of henna. This mixture is placed on a heat and left it until the henna leaves are fully blazed. When the mixture is cool enough, you can put it in a container with a lid. You should regularly apply this mixture in the hair.
You can also make a pack that is very helpful for the restoration of the hair. It includes one pack of dry powder of henna leaves and a large portion of crud. Apply the prepared mixture on your hair and leave it to stay in order to dry well, and afterwards, rinse your hair with cool water. In addition, these henna packs will give your hair an extra shine.
Hibiscus
Hibiscus can be of great use if your hair needs recovery and refreshment, due to its restoration properties. Moreover, it protects the hair from turning gray and helps you get rid of dandruff. You will be safe from baldness if you use hibiscus flowers constantly.The people of Kerala, India are combining coconut oil with hibiscus for their thick hair.
Prepare your own hibiscus paste which is applied on the scalp or your hair. Take two flowers of hibiscus and mix them in a blender with sesame or coconut oil. Once you applied it, leave it for 2-3 hours, and then wash it off with water.
Source/Reference: www.mrhealthylife.com
Other included sources linked in Mr. Healthy Life’s article: healthybiofood.com – Original Article Source

Powerful Home Remedy Against Earwax & Ear Infections

There are many counter solutions that can be purchased in chemists, but we are here presenting you a powerful homemade remedy which provides far better results.
Usually, chemical drops contain only isopropyl alcohol to wash out and dry the ear. Our remedy here is completely natural and consists of white vinegar and rubbing alcohol.
White vinegar is powerful antibiotic and antimicrobial which effectively fights infection. The combination of these two powerful ingredients fights infections, soothes the pain, dries the ear and breaks down earwax.
It is recommended in cases of mild to moderate ear infection, wax build up/water. However, if you experience more serious problems, consult your doctor.
Earwax and Ear Infections Home Remedy Recipe
As we previously mentioned, for the preparation of this remedy you will need white vinegar and rubbing alcohol.
Mix 1 part rubbing alcohol and 1 part white vinegar. Take a teaspoon, 5 milliliters, of the mixture and pour it into the ear by tilting your head to one side. Stay in that position for 1 minute. Afterwards, allow the mixture to run out of the ear by sitting upright.
Repeat the procedure two times a day to clear out trapped water, earwax and treat an ear infection.
Note – In case you do not feel improvements in three days, please see your doctor! If you have perforated your eardrum, you should take pain relief!
This impressive home remedy has proved its benefits to many people, and we recommend you to try it in order to get rid of your earache or ear infection in a very short time.

Skinny jeans given health warning

skinny jeans

Skinny jeans can seriously damage muscles and nerves, doctors have said.
A 35-year-old woman had to be cut out of a pair after her calves ballooned in size, the medics said in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
She had spent hours squatting to empty cupboards for a house move in Australia. By evening, her feet were numb and she found it hard to walk.
Doctors believe the woman developed a condition called compartment syndrome, made worse by her skinny jeans.
Compartment syndrome is a painful and potentially serious condition caused by bleeding or swelling within an enclosed bundle of muscles - in this case, the calves.
The condition caused the woman to trip and fall and, unable to get up, she then spent several hours lying on the ground.
On examination at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, her lower legs were severely swollen.
Although her feet were warm and had enough blood supplying them, her muscles were weak and she had lost some feeling.
As the pressure had built in her lower legs, her muscles and nerves became damaged.
She was put on an intravenous drip and after four days was able to walk unaided.
Other medics have reported a number of cases where patients have developed tingly, numb thighs from wearing the figure-hugging low-cut denim trousers - although the chance of it happening is still slim for most people.
Priya Dasoju, professional adviser at the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, said: "As with many of these warnings, the very unfortunate case highlighted is an extreme one.
"There's no need to ditch the skinny jeans just yet, simply avoid staying in the same position for too long and keep moving throughout the day. If you do suffer any prolonged pain you should of course seek help, but no-one should be alarmed by this warning or change the cut of their jeans."

Friday 26 June 2015

Superbugs and factory farming

Pigs looking through wire

It’s no surprise that pork products in UK supermarkets have been found to contain MRSA (Report, 18 June), nor that the majority of supermarket chicken is contaminated with campylobacter. Given their crowded conditions, factory farms have long been breeding grounds for disease, and routine medication has only compounded the problem by breeding drug-resistant micro-organisms. And yet councils across the UK continue to approve the building of broiler sheds and intensive pig farms. Only recently a planning application was made for a 30,000-capacity pig farm in County Antrim, which would be the biggest in the UK. With so many animals, it would be difficult to regularly check them individually, meaning that sick animals would go unnoticed, further spreading disease. Allowing such developments to go ahead not only results in animal suffering but also puts human health and life at risk.
Ben Martin
Animal Aid

Teens Invent Condoms That Change Color When They Detect STDs



 Aamna Mohdin

These kids aren’t just all right, they’re brilliant. A group of schoolchildren have invented a condom that changes color when it comes in contact with a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Safe to say, this isn’t the glow many of us are anticipating between the sheets.
The condom, called S.T.EYE, won the health category at the TeenTech Awards in London, which is an annual competition that aims to inspire 11- to 16-year-olds to realize “their true potential and the real opportunities available in the contemporary STEM workplace.”
S.T.EYE would theoretically have molecules in the rubber that would glow when it comes into contact with different pathogens. The condom would glow green for chlamydia, yellow for herpes, purple for human papillomavirus (HPV) and blue for syphilis. The conversation that would follow would certainly have the culprit blushing bright red.  
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are nearly 20 million new cases of STDs every year in the U.S. and many cases are undiagnosed and unreported. Musaz Nawaz, Daanyaal Ali and Chirag Shah from London’s Isaac Newton Academy wanted to tackle these high rates of STDs.
“We created the S.T.EYE as a new way for STI detection to help the future of the next generation,” Ali told the Daily Mail. “We wanted to make something that made detecting harmful STIs safer than ever before, so that people can take immediate action in the privacy of their own homes without the often-scary procedures at the doctors.”
“We've made sure we're able to give peace of mind to users and make sure people can be even more responsible than ever before,” he added.
The team have been given £1,000 ($1,500) for S.T.EYE and will be presented with their award at Buckingham Palace later in the year. The invention, though an interesting concept, is only an idea and a prototype is yet to be made. Daily Dot’s EJ Dickson notes there are some important hurdles that have to be overcome: who’s STDs – the partner or the wearer – will the condom detect? Will it detect both? Can it detect multiple STDs?
In the meantime, it's in your best interest to stay safe and get regularly tested

10 Healthy Reasons to Eat Lemon Peel

BY JOB AYANTOYE
Recipes often call for the use of orange zest (the peel of the orange). But, what about lemon zest?
Eating a lemon helps with cutting back on waste. Furthermore, there are some great recipes that use up the skin of the citrus fruit, such as candied lemon peel. Also, there are many, other healthy uses of lemon peels.
You can put lemon zest in your food easily, using a dried lemon peel. Dried zest gives foods and teas just a tiny bit of burst and flavor. It also has a number of health benefits.
featured image
Today, we’ll give you 10 healthy reasons to eat lemon peel.
  1. Detoxify Your Body
Lemon is an anti-bacterial agent. It’s included in many cleaning products, because it’s excellent at detoxifying whatever it comes into contact with.
As many health experts recommend, crushing dried lemon peels into a powder and making a paste is a great way to battle acne. The powder can also help draw out impurities.
Consuming dried lemon peel zest detoxifies:
The uric acid and buildup in your liver;
  • Your bowels;
  • Bacteria contributing to malaria, cholera, and typhoid.
Many people include lemon zest when completing juice cleanses and other detoxifying diets, because of its ability to fight bacteria.
  1. Fight Cancer And Disease
Lemon peels contain anti-cancer compounds that help to prevent the disease and fight it off. The compounds found in lemon peels are known for preventing cancer cells from dividing and thus spreading. Other diseases that lemon peel zest can help prevent include:
  • Arthritis;
  • Obesity;
  • Heart Disease.

  1. Refresh Your Breath
Lemons are considered to be one of the best alkaline foods. They are great for balancing your pH levels and helping to reduce apparently stinky breath.
Their anti-bacterial traits, in particular help to reduce levels of the bad bacteria in the mouth. Besides helping reduce bad breath, this can improve your oral health.
  1. Stabilizes Your Digestive System
Most people think that lemons are strongly flavored and likely to upset the stomach. However, lemon peels
 in particular serve to stabilize the digestive system. Lemon peels can; 
  • Break up stones and deposits in the digestive tract;
  • Kill intestinal worms;
  • Improve bowel regularity;
  • Balance your pH levels.

  1. Enhance Your Metabolism
Pectin, found in lemon zest, is commonly used to help boost metabolism and decrease weight gain. Pectin is known to decrease the body’s absorption of fattening stuff like excessive quantities of sugar.
  1. Boost Your Immune System
Because lemons are full of vitamin C, it comes as no surprise lemon zest can boost the immune system. Vitamin C found in lemon peels is anti-inflammatory and able to help the body build up defenses against infections. It also helps to prevent sickness and enables the body to fight off disease more effectively.

Thursday 25 June 2015

To Ease Pain, Reach For Your Playlist

Maria Fabrizio for NPR

PATTI NEIGHMOND

We all know that listening to music can soothe emotional pain, but Taylor Swift, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys can also ease physical pain, according to a study of children and teenagers who had major surgery.
The analgesic effects of music are well known, but most of the studies have been done with adults and most of the music has been classical. Now a recent study finds that children who choose their own music or audiobook to listen to after major surgery experience less pain.
The catalyst for the research was a very personal experience. Sunitha Suresh was a college student when her grandmother had major surgery and was put in intensive care with three other patients. This meant her family couldn't always be with her. They decided to put her favorite south Indian classical Carnatic music on an iPod, so she could listen around the clock.
It was very calming, Suresh says. "She knew that someone who loved her had left that music for her and she was in a familiar place."
So father and daughter decided to collaborate on a study. And since Dr. Suresh works with children, they decided to look at how music chosen by the children themselves might affect their tolerance for pain.Suresh could see the music relaxed her grandmother and made her feel less anxious, but she wondered if she also felt less pain. That would make sense, because anxiety can make people more vulnerable to pain. At the time Suresh was majoring in biomedical engineering with a minor in music cognition at Northwestern University where her father, Santhanam Suresh, is a professor of anesthesiology and pediatrics.
It was a small study, involving 60 patients between 9 and 14 years old. All the patients were undergoing big operations that required them to stay in the hospital for at least a couple of days, things like orthopedic, urologic or neurological surgery. Right after surgery, patients received narcotics to control pain. The next day they were divided into three groups. One group heard 30 minutes of music of their choice, one heard 30 minutes of stories of their choice and one listened to 30 minutes of silence via noise canceling headphones.
To measure pain, the researchers used the Faces Pain Scale depicting illustrations such as a smiling, frowning or crying face. The children pointed to which picture best illustrated their level of pain before and after the audio therapy. After a 30-minute session, the children who listened to music or a book reduced their pain burden by 1 point on a 10-point scale compared to the children who listened to silence. That might not sound like much, but Sunitha Suresh says it's the equivalent of taking an over-the-counter pain medication like Advil or Tylenol.Children chose beforehand what they wanted to hear. For the book group, it was stories like James and the Giant Peach. For the music group, there were pop choices including Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber for the younger kids, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys for the older ones.
The findings suggest that doctors may be able to use less pain medication for their pediatric patients. And that's a good thing, says Santhanam Suresh, as children don't tolerate such medication as well as adults. Children are smaller and are more likely to suffer side effects such as trouble breathing, nausea, itching and constipation. So the less pain medication, he says, the better.

The researchers plan follow-up studies to see if music can decrease the amount of pain medication needed once children get out of the hospital and are back at home, listening to their favorite tunes.
When it comes to distracting people from pain, music has special qualities, says Dr. Lynn Webster, a pain specialist and past president of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. "It can generate not only a focus and reduction in anxiety, but it can induce a feeling of euphoria," he says. That can help drown out the pain.