Asthma Treatments

By Jake Samples

 The word corn has been applied to various grains and is now used in a variety of ways in different countries. In ancient times, barley was called corn, and at the present time, in some countries, the entire year’s food crop is referred to by this name. The English apply the name corn to wheat, and the Scotch, to oats. In the United States, corn is the name applied to the seed of the maize plant, which is a highly developed grass plant that forms the largest single crop of the country. The seeds of this plant grow on a woody cob, and are eaten as a vegetable when they are soft and milky, but as a grain, or cereal, when they are mature. Corn is native to America and was not known in Europe until Columbus took it back with him. However, it did not meet with much favor there, for it was not grown to any great extent until within the last 50 years. Those who took it to Europe gave it the name Indian corn, because they had found the Indians of America raising it.

Of the corn grown in the United States, there are three general kinds: field corn, sweet corn, and pop corn. Field corn, as a rule, is grown in large quantities and allowed to mature; then it is fed to animals or ground and cooked for the use of man. This corn consists of three varieties, which are distinguished by the color of the grain, one being white, one yellow, and one red. All of them are made into a variety of preparations, but the white and the yellow are used as food for both man and animals, whereas red field corn is used exclusively for animal food. White corn has a mild flavor, but yellow corn is sometimes preferred to it, because foods made from the yellow variety have a more decided flavor. The two principal varieties of field corn, when prepared as cereal food for man, are hominy and corn meal. Sweet corn is not grown in such large quantities as field corn. It is generally used for food before it is mature and is considered as a vegetable. Pop corn, when sufficiently dry, swells and bursts upon being heated. It is used more as a confection than as a staple article of food. Therefore, at this time, consideration need be given to only the principal varieties of field-corn products, which, as has just been stated, are hominy and corn meal.

Information on pictures of vegetables can be found at the Fruits And Vegetables site.

Losing Weight In Simple Terms

By Jules Sims

 Did you know that weight loss (and weight gain) is simple mathematics? For example, if you were to eat an extra 100 calories per day you would gain 10 lbs in one year. The good news is that the opposite holds true too - burn 100 calories more per day than what you take in and by the end of the year you can lose 10 lb. But why is it so much harder to lose weight than to gain it? Because it takes a matter of minutes (sometimes seconds) to eat 100 calories, but longer to burn it off.

Looking at the big picture of losing say 30 or 40 pounds can feel daunting, so give yourself a break. That is, break your goal down into small doable pieces. Accumulate a 100 calorie deficit per day - burn 100 calories more than you consume - and you will lose 10 pounds by the end of the year. Double that and you’ve lost 20! It’s easier than you might think.

First, do you ever eat something just because it’s there? You can eat a couple hundred calories and not even realize it. The mayo or dressing on a deli sandwich, the butter served with the bread basket or a cookie from the office lunch room… before you know it you’ve eaten 100 calories. Pay attention to condiments and cheese that are added to most sandwiches. If you can take it or leave it, leave it. Watch out for snack plates at the office or home. It’s easy to eat 100 calories or more when you’re not even hungry. Look at your eating habits to see where you can carve unwanted items. My motto is, eat when you’re hungry and make it worth the calories!

Next, look at the calories you put out. Use an accelerometer (a pager-like device that accurately measures calories burned during activity) to measure your current level of calorie burn and then burn more over time. To burn an extra 50-100 calories park farther away, take the stairs, walk the dog an extra block and do a few jumping jacks. The key is to measure the calories so that you can see your success daily and know that what you are doing is working.

Start measuring calories out and paying attention to “hidden” calories coming in. You will quickly see how to achieve a 100 or more calorie deficit per day and easily have a more fit and trim body next year!

Find tips about hangover food and prevent hangover at the Health And Nutrition website.

Losing Weight With Green Tea

By Jules Sims

 There’s recently been a LOT in the weight loss news concerning green tea.

Green tea’s weight loss effects have been causing more and more people to start sipping the ancient Japanese brew.

But just how does green tea help you lose weight? And does it really work or is it all just hype? This article gives you the real facts about drinking green tea to lose weight.

Advantages of Drinking Green Tea for Weight Loss:

1) Green tea revs up your metabolism

A study reported on in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that green tea extract resulted in a significant increase in energy expenditure (a metabolism ‘boost’).

The researchers also concluded that that over a 24-hour period, green tea extract increases the metabolic rate by 4%. These effects are probably due to the high concentrations of catechin polyphenols found in green tea. These work to help intensify levels of fat oxidation and thermogenesis (the rate at which your body burns calories).

2) Green tea inhibits fat absorption and helps glucose regulation

Experts tell us that the catechins in green tea help to inhibit the movement of glucose into fat cells. Green tea may also act as al glucose regulator. It helps to slow the rise in blood sugar after a meal. This prevents high insulin spikes (lots of insulin promotes fat storage) and the subsequent fat storage.

3) Green tea may help reduce appetite

Scientists at the University of Chicago found that green tea caused rats to lose up to 21 percent of their body weight. Rats injected with a green tea extract lost their appetites and consumed up to 60 percent less food after seven days of daily injections. This may have something to do with the blood sugar regulating effects of green tea.

4) Green tea can help you save calories on your morning brew.

We are a nation hooked on our java. Be it the regular double-cream, double-sugar standard or that mocha, dappa, frappucinno, the calories we ingest just to get our morning caffeine is wreaking havoc on our waistlines.

If you want to save mega-calories in the morning but still get your caffeine fix, try substituting green tea for coffee. Or have a green tea in the afternoon instead of that 700 calorie mocha-chillate dream. You’ll definitely notice the difference in your waistline after a few weeks.

So there are 4 ways that green tea can help you with weight loss. But how much do you actually have to drink to get these amazing metabolism boosting effects?

Experts vary but the general consensus seems to be that 3 - 5 cups of green tea per day is optimal. Doing this can help you burn an extra 70 calories per day which amounts to 7 pounds per year. Pretty good for not exercising or cutting calories, right?

However, 3 - 5 cups can be a lot for some people, so you might also want to consider green tea extract, green tea pills or a green tea patch.

Disadvantages of Drinking Green Tea For Weight Loss:

#1) Green tea is not a magic bullet

While some people will tell you that green tea is the be-all-end-all for weight loss success, I think the keyword here is balance. You’re not going to eat 5000 calories a day, drink a cup of green tea and make it all go away - it just isn’t going to happen. A healthy diet and increased exercise will go a long way in helping you lose weight and keep it off.

#2) Be cautious of the caffeine if you have health problems

For some people that have heart troubles, high blood pressure or stimulant sensitivities, the caffeine in green tea may not be the best idea. If you’re worried about the caffeine from green tea, try taking green tea extract. Most green tea extract is made from decaffeinated green tea so you can still get the weight loss benefits without the caffeine.

If you think the caffeine may be a problem, make sure to consult your doctor before starting green tea for weight loss. Also make sure to consult your doctor before starting green tea if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Bottom Line: Green tea helps you with weight loss by boosting your metabolic rate, regulating your blood sugar, suppressing your appetite and giving you something else besides that high calorie, high sugar coffee beverage to drink in the morning. While it’s not the magic bullet, it can definitely give you a boost in weight loss and in your overall health!

Information on hangover headache can be found at the Health And Nutrition site.

Asthma

new asthma treatments

By Jess Shaw

 One of the most important aspects of living a healthy and prosperous life is understanding “risk.” By this I mean knowing how to understand and analyze situations in life that affect health. Being able to accurately weigh benefits and risks when making health decisions is very important! Too often decisions are based on incomplete or inaccurate information and this is a huge mistake with significant consequences!

Failure to accurately assess risk keeps people locked in all kinds of unhealthy situations including poor eating and exercise habits (lifestyle), relationships and jobs. Sometimes people are just afraid to step out and make a change. They see “risk” in making a change when the REAL risk comes from NOT making a change. From my perspective, living with the stress, unhappiness and frustration of indecision and poor health is the greatest risk of all, and one that is definitely not worth taking!

Accessing “risk” is nothing more than collecting information, weighing the alternatives and then making appropriate decisions based on the information.

Some risks to our health are more “real” than others. For example, it is common knowledge that obesity is associated with a wide variety of health problems. On the other hand, there are some health risks that are so remote we rarely think about them. On a practical level, eating highly processed foods and avoiding a daily dose of fresh fruits and vegetables is rarely considered serious. But, as too many have already discovered, the long range consequences of this practice are real and devastating.

Failure to accurately assess risk limits us in many ways. We imagine the “risk” of talking with our children about drugs, dating or sex and we put off having the “talk,” even though the risks of NOT talking are infinitely greater. Fear of flying and public speaking are two more “risks” affecting millions of people. But practically speaking, these fears are unfounded. People ride in cars every day, even though cars are far more dangerous than commercial aircraft! It’s a failure to accurately assess risk, and it limits our health, prosperity and pleasure in life.

The goods news is that failure to accurately access risk is reversible! The effects of those decisions to eat inappropriately or NOT to exercise are, as the common expression goes, “do-overs.” We can effect positive change in our lives by following a few simple steps to accurately access risk:

1. Accurately define your present situation and access your health “risks”. Are you eating a healthy diet? Are you getting enough exercise and good quality sleep? What are the consequences if you DON’T change? Weigh the benefits of healthier living vs the potential risks such as increased cost, inconvenience or discomfort.

2. What do you stand to gain if you change your present circumstances? Assess the “up-side” potential. Too often we look only at the “downside” risk and forget the benefits. What good things might happen if you take the risk and win?

3. Limit the “down-side” if you happen to make a wrong decision. Don’t continue down a path if it does not produce results. This is especially important when following weight loss programs. If the pounds are not coming off or if the weight loss is only temporary, find a new program! You not only want to lose weight, but want to sustain the weight loss for as long as possible. Take steps to ensure this will happen. Clear, concise, realistic objectives will definitely help.

4. Reduce your risk by being smart! Understand the situation and seek the advice of experts in the field of health and nutrition. This includes finding and forming partnerships to receive support and get good advice.

5. Have a fall-back position. If the decision you make fails to produce the desired results, be prepared to take a long, hard look at the circumstances and be prepared to change what you are doing.

Everything in life involves some element of risk. Driving your car, meeting someone new, crossing the street…but we do them every day. Winners in life are willing to accept the risk and continue on their way! Get involved, be smart about how you play the game, come prepared for a few failures along the way, but don’t quite. You will reap the benefits for your effort and live a happier and healthier life. I like to remember the words of the great Winston Churchill when he said, “Never, never, never give up!”

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any health care program.

To learn about thyroid pain and thyroid functions, visit the Health And Nutrition website.

Asthma

new asthma treatments