What You Need for a Healthier New Year

Why Banana Peels are Healthy

Probably everyone you know loves bananas, but did you know that banana peels can be even healthier than the fruit itself? Here are some of the health advantages you can get from eating banana peels.

Of course you’d want your banana peels to be pesticide- and chemical-free to get the most of its nutrients, so go for organic bananas whenever you can. For more of these interesting facts, read more about the health benefits of banana peels at Lifehack

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Eat fresh and in moderation

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Why Our Eyes Dart About When We Sleep

When awake, our eyes are taking in a lot of visual information that necessitate these to dart in every possible direction.  When asleep, though, our eyes do not process any visual data.  Or do they?  Have you ever wondered then why our eyes seem to flick here and there under our eyelids during sleep, as if seeing something?  If dream images could be considered visual info, then this may possibly explain the phenomena of REM or rapid eye movement.

What is REM?

REM sleep or rapid eye movement sleep is a sleep phase in mammals that is characterized by brisk, erratic eye movements, relaxed and paralyzed muscles, and intense neurological activity...  We undergo five stages of sleep of which REM is a short phase cycling about 4-5 times a night.  Dreaming is believed to transpire during the REM phase.  Dreams at the REM phase are supposed to be at their most vivid.

Do Our Darting Eyes Actually See Anything During Sleep?

Ever since the concept of REM sleep came to the fore in the 50’s, scientists have been wondering whether our eyes are actually seeing images from our brain.  Some people have acted out their dreams by reaching for an object, for instance, when seeing it in a dream.  Most of the time, however, people don’t physically move when dreaming; so, it is difficult to accurately say that eye movements match the dream visuals.  Besides, babies still in the womb and people who have been blind since birth exhibit the same rapid eye movements.  How can their eyes be following, say an object, if these particular persons have never experienced vision nor have really known how to keep an object in sight?

A recent study conducted by Tel Aviv University researchers confirms that brain signals during the dreaming state are very similar to those when we are awake and seeing an image or even imagining something new.  Whenever a sleeping person’s eyes flickered or moved, the researchers recorded bursts of neuron activity.

The study published in Nature Communications  offers proof of the links between rapid eye movement, dream images, and accelerated neuronal activity.  The Tel Aviv researchers took the advantage of monitoring the brain activity during sleep of 19 epileptic participants who needed brain implants of electrodes for monitoring prior to their surgery.

The research focused on the medial temporal lobe which serves as a bridge between visual recognition and memories.  According to Yuval Nir, the lead author of the study, prior research have confirmed that when people are shown popular images such as the Sydney Opera House or Hugh Jackman, the neurons in the medial temporal lobe become highly active about 0.3 seconds after the image is seen.  When we close our eyes and imagine images, these neurons also become activated.

Now the research showed similar neuronal activity during REM.  The brain acts the same way it does when our eyes see an actual image or when we just see the image in our imagination (or in dreams, too.)  Nir says that the neurons burst into activity right after eye movements in sleep as much as they do when the eyes are presented with new actual images.

During the REM phase, the darting eye movements do not really mean that the eye is scanning a dream scene.  The movements are believed to be responses to scene changes or the introduction of new images in the dream.  Each flick of the eyes signal an incoming new dream visual.  This may explain why blind people undergo REM too.  Instead of visuals, they may receive sounds and emotions in dreams.  When these stimuli take on some variations, the eyes will dart about the same way normal eyes do when seeing something new.

Satoru Miyauchi, manager of the Advanced ICT Research Institute in Japan, supported the above study with his own with the fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging).  A test subject is made to sleep inside the machine which records images of his brain during the REM stage.  The results of Miyauchi’s research shows particular activity in the primary visual cortex of the brain during REM sleep.  This area of the brain receives the visual information from our eyes when we are awake.  This has led Miyauchi to conclude that “at least part of this vigorous eye movement is related to watching images in our dreams.”

Morning rituals to start your day right

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A Salad Goes with Everything

Simple ways to relax at work

Reference: http://www.dumblittleman.com/2010/01/five-simple-ways-to-relax-at-work-when.html

Sitting Healthy at Your Desk Job

Did you know that over time, sitting can kill you?  Literally.  Being on your butt for more than three hours everyday should be cause for concern.  Sitting is considered a sedentary activity, the chronic engagement of which has already been linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even cancer.  Lately, studies have also shown that a prolonged sitting habit can cause kidney disease as well.

Oh no, you say, I sit at my desk all day.  What to do?  Just because you work behind a desk almost everyday, however, does not doom you to an unhealthy future, unless you let it.  True, desk work pins you to your seat for hours on end; but, tweaking your work habits can keep you from significantly sliding into couch potato health.

Work Smart, Work Healthy

You work smart by working strategically. Why not add another dimension to your “work smart” concept by including working healthy in your career strategy?  Just think...of what use is the prize of achieving a career goal if you can not be healthy enough to enjoy it?

There are ways to offset the hazardous effects of chronic sitting by countering the effects this seemingly benign habit has on our body.  By adapting these small changes into your work lifestyle,  you will be taking concrete steps towards safeguarding your health:

• Take small breaks from sitting every hour or two
  We need to change our position often and increase physical activity, even in small spurts. So, stand, walk around, stretch, do some jumping jacks or squats...anything to deviate from sitting.  Instead of emailing or calling your colleague on the company line, why not jog up the stairs to pay him a personal visit?  If you really don’t have anywhere to go, simply just march in place.
  In addition, do some chair stretches to stretch the spine, back, neck, arms, legs, and other parts that need it.  The point here is to get your muscles and joints moving, many times throughout the day.
  
  It is also a good idea to engage in short exercise intervals using only your body weight.  This can include wall push-ups, leg extensions, toe raisers, and the like.  Exercises like these done a few times during the day puts up your heart rate and does your metabolism good.
  
  
• Set alarms for your breaks
  Oftentimes, we bury our noses in our work so much that we fail to notice just how much time we spent typing up that report.  Set alarms on your computer, cellphone, or watch to signal your breaks.  Heed them, too!  Resist the temptation of  snoozing the alarm for “just another ten minutes.”  Give in to stretching time a bit and before long, you would have chalked up over three hours of sitting time without realizing it.
  
  
• Take the stairs as much as possible
  Try getting to your work station by taking the stairs.  Walk up escalators as well.    Unless you work at the top floors of a high-rise, avoid elevators like the plague.  Besides depriving yourself of much needed physical activity, simply riding on elevators and escalators make you additionally lazy.
  
  
• Take walking lunch breaks
  Walk to lunch then back; or use half the time to eat and the other half for a little walk around the block.  This should help you towards meeting your activity quota for the working day.
  
  
• Walk, Jog, Bike to Work
  If you can,  why not increase your physical activity by pedaling, jogging, or walking off to work instead of driving to it?  Get as much movement in as you can, daily.
  
  
• Quit unhealthy snacks and sodas
  

  Take that hand off the cookie jar at snack time. Instead, bring your own healthy snacks like nuts (don’t go overboard on this), veggie sticks, and fruits.  Steer clear of the soda vending machine.  Water is a much healthier option.

  
  

  What has snacking have to do with sitting, you may ask?  Well, as sitting burns very few calories, it makes sense to limit your calorie intake as well to trim that waistline to a healthy measure.

  
  
• Get a Standing Desk
  

  If your company does not mind, get a standing desk.  Once a novelty, standing desks are beginning to replace the standard sit-down desks in many workspaces.  Although prolonged standing is also a no-no, standing is better than sitting.  Once you are on your feet, you tend to move around much more and burn more calories.  It is best of course to split your time standing and sitting; but the higher percentage of your position should be on your toes.  In this case, pair a high stool with your standing desk.

All these little tweaks, however, should not replace your hours devoted to proper exercise.  You still need to dedicate some time to cardiovascular and weight training exercises, either before or after work.  The above suggested habits should keep your muscles and joints well oiled at work and away from the unhealthy effects of a prolonged chronic sitting; but proper exercise will help  keep your entire body functioning at peak condition.

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Reference: Reader's Digest

Carbs that are labeled as bad, but are actually good for you

Source: http://time.com/98298/6-bad-carbs-that-are-actually-good-for-you/

Health is the Soul of LIfe

Blood pressure: What is High, Low, and Normal?

You hear people ruefully mentioning about how high or low their blood pressure is or being quite smug about its normality. Blood pressure is a barometer of health. Measuring it is one of those expected to-dos at a clinic or a norm in many a hypertensive’s day. High blood pressure and sometimes, low blood pressures both signify a health problem. It is a medical goal to control and direct your blood pressure toward normal levels.

What Is Blood Pressure?

Before we go into the highs and lows of it, let us find out what exactly blood pressure is. Simply put, blood pressure is the force of the blood against the walls of the arteries. As the heart squeezes to pump out blood, it creates a peak in pressure called the systole. When the heart relaxes after the squeeze, pressure ebbs into a moment called the diastole. The systolic and diastolic pressures create a constant wave pattern from which blood pressure is measured.

What Readings Are Considered High, Low, or Normal?

When your blood pressure is taken, you are given two numbers. If the nurse says, “Good news-it’s 110 over 80 (110/80),” this means you are ship-shape and your pressure is within normal range. If she shakes her head and says, “You’re reading 140 over 95,” you’re in potentially dangerous high territory.

The first number is your systolic reading and the second is your diastolic pressure. To know where you stand concerning your blood pressure status, refer to this chart:

Image reference: http://visual.ly/blood-pressure-chart

If either one of your systolic or diastolic numbers are above or below the normal levels, then you either have high or low blood pressure. For instance, if your reading is 145 over 70, you have high blood pressure despite your diastolic number being within normal range. This is because your systolic number is way above the healthy level. Conversely getting a 110 over 60, may put you in the low blood pressure category unless you’re eight years old or a football player.

These systolic and diastolic numbers are measured in units known as “millimetres of mercury” (mmHg) and are commonly written as 120/80 and read out as 120 over 80.

As you age or abuse your body with bad diets, vices, or a sedentary lifestyle, your normally resilient blood vessels become stiff over time with plaque buildup. Plaque stiffens the aorta and dampens the baroreceptors along the wall that help maintain blood pressure. When the sensitivity of these special aortic receptors diminishes, the body’s capacity to regulate blood pressure level also decreases.

What Does It Mean to Have High Blood Pressure?

If you have been diagnosed as hypertensive, your blood pressure is chronically in the high range. A single high reading doesn’t automatically place you in the hypertensive category; but, constant high readings over time do.

High blood pressure can cause heart attack, stroke, or even kidney disease. It can also damage other organs like the eyes and arteries. Hypertension is known as a “silent killer.” Many people have been known to go about for years with high blood pressure and not know about their condition; so that one may perceive himself to be stricken with a major disease out of the blue.

Because you may or may not feel the symptoms of high blood pressure, you should make it a habit to check on your pressure from time to time, especially if you are in your forties and older or have not been exactly living the clean life. It is of utmost importance to recognize and treat hypertension as early as possible.

Categories of Hypertension

Hypertension falls into two categories:

Blood Pressure	Systolic	Diastolic
Stage 1	140-159	90-99
Stage 2	160 and above	100 and above

Stage 1 has a systolic reading range of 140-159 mmHg and a diastolic range of 90-99 mmHg. At the first stage, you will be advised to make some necessary lifestyle changes. You may need to alter your diet to help you shed a few pounds or to drop your sodium or fat intake. If you smoke or drink above the moderate line, your doctor may ask you to limit or eliminate these substances from your lifestyle. Daily exercise will be recommended as well to help strengthen the cardiovascular system. Medication may also be prescribed, and this usually comes in the form of a thiazide-type of diuretic. A diuretic drug will help your body flush out excess sodium and fluids.

Stage 2 involves systolic measurements at 160 and up and diastolic ones at 100 and over. At Stage 2, hypertension takes an even more dangerous turn as a person is much more vulnerable to stroke or heart attack. Lifestyle changes as mentioned above are a must. More medications will be tacked on to a prescription. It is typical for a stage 2 hypertensive patient to take two or more medications in a day to control his blood pressure levels.

Symptoms of Hypertension

When hypertension deigns to show itself through symptoms, your blood pressure may well be very elevated. You may feel:

• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Headaches/Migraines
• Ringing in the ears

What Does It Mean to Have Low Blood Pressure?

Ironically, chronic low blood pressure does not pose much of a threat unless it is accompanied by symptoms. If you are experiencing any or some of these symptoms and have low blood pressure readings, consult a doctor immediately:

• Nausea or vomiting
• Cold, clammy, pale skin
• Fast but shallow breathing
• Fatigue/ exhaustion
• Dizziness/ light-headedness
• Fainting spells
• Dehydration or exacerbated thirst
• Lack of focus or concentration
• Blurred vision

These symptoms along with low blood pressure can signal other health issues such as endocrine problems, septic shock, or a potential fatal allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). So be very aware of symptomatic low blood pressure. Severe low blood pressure can also indicate serious neurological, cardiovascular, or endocrine problems. It can also lead to shock which is life threatening as low blood pressure can reduce the flow of oxygen and vital nutrients to the brain and other important organs.

The Goal: Normal Blood Pressure

Optimal blood pressure for most people is 120/80; although, some health professionals believe the new ideal is 115/75. If you have this kind of reading or a measurement within the normal range, do what you can to maintain it by following the tenets of a healthy lifestyle.

It is difficult to keep your blood pressure level tacked on a normal level once you have been diagnosed as hypertensive. Know that every 20 point increase in systolic pressure or every 10 point increase in diastolic pressure doubles the chances of cardiovascular problems and stroke for people over the age of 40. If you belong to the 40’s and above age range, make it a habit to monitor your blood pressure even if you feel fit and healthy. It will only take a few minutes of your time but at least you will not have the unpleasant surprise of discovering health issues from an asymptomatic rising blood pressure. It is always best to have a modicum of control where your blood pressure is concerned.

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The Link Between Job Stress and Stroke

Never underestimate the power of stress to damage your body.  Stress is a dangerous adversary to health.  Oftentimes, it comes as a shock about just how much damage it has already inflicted.  Unfortunately, the world does not work without stress to move things along.  There are no Get Out Of Jail Free cards from negative changes and twisted situations life indifferently dishes out.  Contemporary life is rife with pressure, a huge portion coming from the job environment and its expectations.  Competition is sky high; and the casualties (literal or figurative) from stress seem to be rising.  This is why we may point an accusing finger to job stress as a high risk factor for stroke. Yet many may not agree to stress as a culprit of stroke.  A published research in 2010 by Dr. Craig Anderson of the University of Sydney and of the George Institute of International Health could not prove any correlation between stressful life events and subarachnoid haemorrhage, a type of hemorrhagic stroke or bleeding that occurs within that space between the brain and the tissues that protect it.  Fact of the matter is, other prior related studies proved inconclusive as well in establishing the link between stress and stroke. Thankfully, new studies have emerged to poke holes in the old ones.  These have shed blinding light on the truth that stress can indeed induce stroke.  Job stress in particular is taking the flack for raising the risk factor of ischemic strokes. TYPES OF STROKE Not all strokes are made equal.  Brain attacks come in three main forms:

• Hemorrhagic stroke – a weak blood vessel in the brain ruptures and bleeds out. Aneurysm is a type of hemorrhagic stroke.
• Ischemic stroke – occurs when there is a blockage in one of the brain’s blood vessels. The restricted blood flow deprives the brain of sufficient oxygen.  This is the most common type.
• Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) – also known as mini strokes, caused by temporary clots. TIAs should serve as red flag warnings of an impending “mother-of-attacks” to come if care is not taken.

JOB STRAIN AND ISCHEMIC STROKE What the latest findings have revealed is that job stress can now be said to be directly related to ischemic brain attacks. Pooled results from 14 different European studies over a 23-year period point to job strain as a high risk factor for ischemic stroke. Job strain is defined as pressure from jobs that have high demands but offer very little control over the work environments. A Danish study, published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, likewise corroborates these findings. The study spanned 31 years (1970-2001) in which 5,000 men, aged 40 to 59 years, were categorized in five groups according to socio-economic class, educational level and job position.  Surprisingly, the two lowest socio-economic groups fared better in terms of coping with job pressure. The higher three groups reported being more mentally stressed, earning these a 38 percent high risk disadvantage of getting a stroke. Of the 5,000 subjects in the study, 779 suffered from some form of stroke and 167 died because of it. It is unclear why men enjoying higher incomes suffered more psychological stress. Perhaps it follows that the bigger the pay, the bigger the worries.  Both ischemic and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) seem to be the most prevalent types of stroke linked to chronic stress, hostility and depression, especially in middle-aged to elderly age group. This is according to research published in Stroke, a journal of the American Heart Association. The direct relation between stroke and job stress is distressing because many factors are beyond an individual’s control. Companies must recognize the high cost of stress on employees and therefore also on productivity in order that work environments and demands may be tailored to improve employee health and morale. The incalculable benefits from such a thrust may significantly boost productivity and therefore profits. HOW STRESS CAUSES STROKE Stress brings on the “fight or flight” mode which raises the levels of cortisol and adrenalin.  These coping hormones cause blood pressure to rise, the heart to beat rapidly, and a lot of other physiological responses.  While this is a terrific response to short-term threats and danger, this heightened state is damaging if fuelled by chronic stress in the long run.

Professor Graeme Hankey, head of the Stroke Unit at the Royal Perth Hospital, surmises that chronic stress-induced high blood pressure can place its own stress on the brain’s blood vessel walls. Constant abnormally high levels of adrenalin can also cause blood platelets to clot and obstruct blood vessels in or near the brain. HOW TO REDUCE YOUR RISK Stress is a nemesis that is best dealt with good psychological, emotional and physical balancing.  On the physical side, huge improvements on stress management can be rewarded by taking on the reins of your health. You will be surprised how much exercise, a balanced diet and weight maintenance can change your negative perspectives. Ridding or significantly reducing your intake of unhealthy substances like alcohol, added sugar and smoke are other pluses in your battle with stress.

On the emotional and psychological side, try…really try…not to sweat the small stuff.  Take a deep breath if someone accidentally forgot to put your pen where it should be or your girl Friday handed you an Americano instead of a Macchiato.  Make an effort to see more humour in human nature and in life.
Also, seek a balance. Work is not everything.  Balance work and family by establishing a planned routine and the appropriate mindset. It’s important to have the discipline to stick to it. Family, friends, and your needs all need to be addressed; so work on this plan and be creative. Your life plan must go with life’s flow so it shouldn’t be too rigid.
Above all, you need to change your outlook into a positive one.  This is the best way to cope with job stress and reduce your health risks. Most of the time, there are different ways of looking at doom in the face;  just choose to zero in on the positives, no matter how small. That's being on your merry way to being brain healthy.

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Kiwi-Grapefruit Immunity Boosting Drink

Reference:
http://news.health.com/2013/04/24/recipe-of-the-day-immunity-boosting-juice/

Eating Up For Healthy Eyes

Carrots!...the first food people equate with healthy eyesight. Carrots are great; but they aren’t the only food your eyes need. Your eyes need a variety of vitamins and minerals which apparently come from a diverse nutritional diet and even supplementation.

No matter how healthy you get to be, your perfect 20/20 vision may start going off-kilter especially when you hit your forties. That’s just life. Because our eyes age, too, they may be at risk of certain conditions like glaucoma and cataracts. Your eyes are very important so you must help keep them healthy by eating right. Your eyes need the vitals: antioxidants, minerals, and phytochemicals.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants chase the free radicals away and keep eye diseases at bay. High concentrations of antioxidants lie in fruits and vegetables. The more brightly coloured these are, the higher their antioxidant properties. It is best to eat fruits and vegetables in their raw state, as cooking, canning, and other processing methods destroy or reduce their antioxidant content.

Antioxidants include the all-important vitamins A, C, and K that are particularly needed to help reduce the risk of eye diseases and conditions.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A plays a huge role in our vision. It protects the cornea which spans the surface of the eye. It is so important that a deficiency in this vitamin may manifest as night blindness, corneal dryness leading to cloudiness, corneal ulcers, and even retinal damage that can cause vision loss.

The National Eye Institute in the U.S. sponsored an Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS).  The study showed how, together with other vitamins, Vitamin A in the form of beta carotene, reduced the risk of advanced macular degeneration in an experimental group by as much as 25% in a six-year period. A four-year Harvard study also discovered that Vitamin A and lutein prolonged vision in people suffering from retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Subjects were given a daily dosage of 15,000 IU of Vitamin A and 12 mg. of lutein. Over time, these people showed a significantly slower decline in their peripheral vision than those who did not.

If you are shopping for an over-the-counter lubricant for dry eyes, choose one with Vitamin A.  They are as effective as the more expensive prescription eye drops for dry eye treatment.

Great sources of Vitamin A are carrots (hence the equation to good eyesight), spinach, beef or chicken liver, sweet potatoes, and romaine lettuce.

Vitamin C

Among all the vitamins, Vitamin C is the all-around do-gooder so it is not a surprise that the C also plays an essential role in staving off the risks of cataracts and macular degeneration. Long-term studies have shown that supplementation of at least 500 mg. of Vitamin C have reduced the chances of cataract formation.

Vitamin C is common in citrus fruits, yellow bell peppers, guavas, dark leafy vegetables, kiwis, broccoli, and strawberries.

Vitamin E

Our retina, the coloured part of the eye, protects the eyeball against cell damage from UV or ultraviolet light.  As an antioxidant, Vitamin E may help prevent retinal damage from diabetic retinopathy.  Food rich in Vitamin E include nuts (sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts), spinach, avocado, tofu, olive oil, and shrimp.

Minerals

Aside from antioxidants, minerals are essential to good eyesight as well. Although, each mineral type works in concert with others, there are those that stand out as wardens of our eyes’ health.

Magnesium

The entire human body depends on magnesium, so our eyes are no exception. It is known to help prevent glaucoma; and it is also used to help improve vision in patients with glaucoma. In addition, magnesium is instrumental in maintaining good blood flow to the eye. Dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds, fish, soybeans, and bananas are rich in magnesium.

Selenium

Selenium fights off free radicals and boosts the immune system. With such as its role, this mineral wards off cataracts and macular degeneration. Selenium is abundantly present in oysters; Brazil nuts; tuna; lean pork, beef, and lamb; and mushrooms.

Zinc

Zinc works with selenium in ridding the body of free radicals and helping it absorb those vital antioxidants for our eyes. This mineral also strengthens eye tissue and protects the cornea from cloudiness and swelling. Foods high in zinc are oysters, beef and lamb, wheat germ, and spinach.

Copper

Like Vitamin C, copper aids in the production of collagen and therefore is crucial to the health of the connective tissues of the eyes. Copper is not as abundant a mineral in our bodies as magnesium and potassium are and too much of it can actually pose a danger. Copper is best taken from dietary sources such as seafood, legumes, black pepper, nuts, and chocolate (hmmm…you like this bit, huh?)

Chromium

Chromium is important to the eyes’ muscle contraction and therefore, their focus.  Aside from a risk increase in cataract formation, low chromium levels may also promote nearsightedness and even glaucoma. Chromium is best found in broccoli, barley, oats, green beans, tomatoes, and black pepper.

Phytochemicals

Phytochemicals is a general term for various compounds found in plants, of which antioxidants are a part of.  Some of these are non-essential nutrients, meaning these aren’t required by the human body to sustain life. They are, however, needed to gain optimum health.

Two phytochemicals necessary for healthy eyes are the carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin. These are concentrated in the macula or central retina where they act as a filter to prevent eye tissues from photo-oxidative damage and therefore, macular degeneration.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are abundant in corn, egg yolk, kiwi, grapes, spinach and various types of squash.

Our eyes need better care as we age so that aside from a balanced diet, our lifestyle needs to be as healthy in order to protect our eyes from a speedy deterioration. Aging is inevitable; but, we can all go down that hill, gracefully and sedately with our wealth of wisdom and of course, the requisite healthy body.