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Healthier

A Better Way to Win the Fight Against Flu and Colds and More!

This is flu season, and it’s on everyone’s mind how to fight the bug that seems to be so rampant today. Most days at the practice I get questions about flu jabs and things.
Today I’m going to share with you something that is better than any flu jab, and with no side effects either!
Meet the humble vitamin, the sunshine vitamin, Vitamin D.
This vitamin is well known for it’s role in healthy bone development and calcium metabolism. However, for the past 30 years, other roles for Vitamin D have been emerging and some recent, well-conducted studies are coming to the fore now and we now know that:
– There is a vitamin D deficiency epidemic worldwide.
– This deficiency is worse in the winter months because there’s not enough sunlight for our skin to make its own vitamin D.
– Vitamin D boosts your immune system and helps it work better.
– Vitamin D has been shown to be protective against colds and flu when taken in adequate amounts, therefore in winter months, when vitamin D levels are particularly low, colds and flu are more common.
– Vitamin D in appropriate levels, is also protective against several forms of cancer.
– Vitamin D deficiency symptoms cause, among other things, depression, joint pain, tiredness (which has often been ‘diagnosed’ as chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia), muscle ache, diabetes (Vitamin D helps regulate insulin activity), osteomalacia, osteoporosis, rickets, heart disease.
– The current recommended daily allowance of 400IU/day is not enough to protect you from the major illnesses and symptoms mentioned above – it will protect you from rickets though.
– The level of Vitamin D in your blood should be in a range between 75-150nmol/l. (Get your Dr to test your level asap, to know if you need more vitamin D).
You need to make sure you are well stocked up on Vitamin D, especially in the winter months.
Those at most risk of suffering from dangerous Vitamin D deficiency are: Dark skinned people, obese people, people suffering from malabsorption syndromes eg coeliac, inflammatory bowel disease, the elderly, housebound, excess use of sunscreen, anyone who’s not getting enough dietary Vitamin D.
How To Get Enough Vitamin D:
1) Stay out in the sun (sunbathe) for 30 mins each day (this makes your body produce 20,000IU of vitamin D per day.) Clearly not practical though. However, do get as much sun as you can manage.
2) Eat loads of foods containing Vitamin D. Foods like Oily fish, cod liver oil, egg yolk. Still won’t give you enough per day, but these things all add up so do this as well.
3) Take a high quality Vitamin D3 supplement (there’s a cheaper counterpart, Vitamin D2, but this form is less effective so you want to avoid it). If you decide to go this route, you’d need to take at least 2000IU of vitamin D3 per day, and depending on your blood level of Vitamin D, you may need to go as high as 5000IU/day. Don’t worry, that’s not a toxic level – studies show that your body can easily tolerate 10,000IU/L (not surprising, considering the body itself can easily make up to 20,000IU per day – a far cry from the 400IU found in many supplements today). If you decide to take a supplement (pure Vitamin D3, the active form of the vitamin), then you definitely need to do a blood test before and after to make sure you remain within the normal range of the vitamin. Ask me which one I recommend if you are interested.
Take home tips: – If you want to win the fight against flu this year, increase your vitamin D levels.
– Get your Dr to request Vitamin D levels for you. Ask for the ‘serum 25-OH Vitamin D’ blood test. Optimise your intake such that you’re well within healthy levels of Vitamin D.
– Take control of your health! Continue eating your veg and fruit (ratio of 3 veg to 2 fruit, mind you)…

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Healthier

Are Cancer Policies Right For You

Cancer policies are a fast growing type of insurance policy that helps to protect you in the event you’re ever diagnosed with a type of cancer. While these are just supplemental policies, they can help to pay for travel expenses, lost wages, and much more in the event you can’t work. As you try to decide whether cancer policies might be right for your family members, you may want to consider the following:

??? Does the policy pay for everything? Understanding exactly what the cancer policies you’re considering cover is a must. Good policies will offer you either a lump sum of cash or ongoing payments for hospital stays, travel expenses, and doctors’ visits as well as other treatments. Learning a bit more about what is excluded from your potential policies is a must.

??? Can cancer-related illnesses be covered? Many people don’t realize this, but cancer doesn’t stop at that one diagnosis. Instead, other serious problems can occur after the diagnosis. From infections to diabetes to even pneumonia, learning whether or not your benefits extend to the conditions you’ll be dealing with after cancer is important. In the event you look at cancer policies that pay you a lump sum of cash on diagnosis, you’re probably looking at a good bit of money to help cover these additional health problems. If you look at policies that only pay out on certain expenses, that may not be the case.

??? Will my major medical policy work with this policy? When you’re looking at cancer policies, it’s good to investigate whether the two insurance companies will play nicely together. In some cases, your major medical policy may hold out on coverage with the hope that the other company will cover certain things. Find out how the two companies will work together before you make any purchases.

??? Do I have to wait for coverage? The bottom line is that you can’t get cancer policies to cover you after you’re diagnosed. That said, however, in some cases, you may have a fairly long waiting period before you’re diagnosed. Some have a waiting period of up to thirty days. Others may make you wait six months. Look at the total waiting time and find out if the policy expires in a certain amount of time as well.

As with any type of insurance, there will always be fine print in the many cancer policies available today. Make certain you know as much as you can before you buy the policy you need.…

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Healthier

Some Hair Care Tips For People With Thinning Hair

Thinning of hair is often caused by several factors; however, men are generally more affected with this problem as compared to women. If your problem is thinning of hair, you need not to suffer by just covering it up. Here are some hair care tips for people with thinning hair.
One way of avoiding the balding appearance brought about by thinning hair is to get a haircut that can bring volume to your hair. You can ask your hairstylist to give you a haircut that will minimize your bald areas. An experienced hairstylist will be able to come up with a right hair style for you that will make your hair appear fuller.
Once you have your hair style, you can also try using shampoos that will enhance the volume of your hair. Avoid using moisturizing shampoos because this can weigh down your hair which makes it look thinner. It would be best to use products offered from salons; however, expect that prices are much higher as compared to other products sold in department stores.
To get that fullness and shine, it is recommended to use cold water for the final rinsing of your hair after shampooing. When you are about to dry your hair, you should avoid rubbing it because it will just cause hair loss. Instead, you can just pat try it and gently handle it with care.
As much as possible using gels are not recommended. Some gels or styling products may contain ingredients that can further damage the hair; thus, speeding up the process of hair loss. Aside from that, gels can also flatten your hair, making it appear thinner. If you would really like to use a gel, look for gels that can help in enhancing your hair volume. Try reading the labels of gels first before purchasing.…

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Healthier

Cobalt – What You Don’t Know

Cobalt is actually a trace mineral, meaning that it’s required by the body in minute amounts. Nevertheless, it performs numerous very significant functions. Cobalt helps fix the myelin sheath, which surrounds the nerves. Autoimmune disorders injure this particular tissue. As a result, cobalt is very beneficial for those who have problems with these kinds of health conditions.
Vegetarians do not necessarily get enough Vitamin B12 through their diet plan. In individuals that follow a common Western diet, absorption can be affected if there is a cobalt insufficiency. Cobalt is necessary to absorb vitamin B12. One of the sequelae of cobalt deficiency is that one can possibly end up with a hormonal imbalance. The reason is, there is a reduction in cobalamin. When one has a sufficient source of folic acid, this can disguise a cobalt insufficiency.
If supplementing with folic acid you will need to also supplement with vitamin B12 and with cobalt. The reason why vegetarians require this specific vitamin and mineral is that green vegetables tend to be abundant in folic acid and as described it masks the B12 shortage. The effects of this can be dire as irreparable nerve damage sometimes happens due to vitamin B12 deficiency.
Red blood cells are where the cobalt is located. Lesser levels of this are in the spleen, pancreas, liver and the kidneys. Cobalt is a key component in moving glucose from the blood into the cells of the body. It can help to create the red blood cells and assimilates the structure of the red blood cells. This kind of mineral stimulates numerous bodily enzymes and cell function is stabilized in as well.
You will find multitudes of terminal disorders that can happen in the absence of cobalt in the body. Nerve damage, retarded rate of growing, harm to the Myelin sheath, inadequate circulation, fatigue, pernicious anemia and digestive disorders are among the problems that cobalt insufficiency could cause.
The interaction between vitamin B, iron and cobalt is very effective for the body. The size and charge of a particle is referred to as ionized. When true ionization is present then this is calculated in angstroms. This is 10, 000 times smaller than colloidal mineral. There isn’t any charge unique to mineral; once they have ionized then they do have a unique charge. This is essential to ensure that the body to absorb.
In many instances, the body is only competent to absorb between five to twenty percent of nutritional products. This means that effectually eighty percent of what is put in the body is wasted. This presents an enormous waste of money.
Ionic minerals are reportedly one hundred percent bio available. Which means they are ready to be absorbed without delay. The minute the minerals are exposed to bodily tissue, the entire process of absorption begins.
Storing or toxicity within the cells doesn’t happen. The reason is, the minerals are usually quickly absorbed. The body does not store any of this that is not used is excreted right away.
The body is more wise than people today give it credit for or than people may realize. The body understands exactly what will work for it and what’s detrimental to it. It is even able to differentiate between what is somewhat good for it and what is exceptionally beneficial to it. It completely sets itself apart by priority and degree. If the body doesn’t obtain what it should then it’s going to substitute to the best of its ability. This is often challenging as it can certainly weaken tissues, cells, cause toxicity, and harm to the body.
The way around this is to include exceptional nutrients to your diet. The body will then release these kind of substitutes and substitute them with much better elements. Therefore, with the help of cobalt supplements to the diet our bodies will be able to begin mending naturally.…

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Healthier

Hair Care – New Spring Styles For 2011

These days a good majority of women are putting on shorter hair in order to compensate for less time in the morning to work on the hairdo, but for the spring of 2011, look for longer locks on women, even the working woman.
Women are coming to terms with the fact that longer hair can actually be easily cared for while shorter hair may take extra work in order to tame those curls or to set the hair in the spikes that look nice. Flat short do’s are becoming don’ts for spring of 2011, with a far softer and more feminine look coming to the fore.
Long soft curls or long sleek locks with a bit of body are making the scene at the workplace and in the home and gym. Long hair can be easy care, it simply requires a style that permits you to finger comb and go like some of those tousled short do’s used to be.
The second reason why short hair is making it’s way out and slightly longer styles are coming into play in 2011 is that this year, its all about movement. The slight sway that longer hair can offer. Styles are going to appear to be moving even if they are well locked into place with gels or sprays. Clever cutting styles and easy techniques to add height and volume will make even the most well styled and laid down hair appear to have movement.
Another important concept for 2011 is a brand new look called the candy floss texture and style. Its very soft, extremely feminine to view and has a very matte finish to it, rather than a high gloss type style. A spray of sea salt or salt water is offering this great new look and then the hair is backcombed to achieve the effect of softly flowing hair even if its been gelled into place with a vengeance.
The soft side part or a center parting is back in style with the pouf that was last year on its way out again, but along with the part comes a soft fringe or a blunt cut set of bangs that will lend some softness and some swing to the style that you’re newest look is an arc cut bangs that add some swing and some softness, gently framing the face. This type bangs though can be difficult to maintain so if you’re not someone who regularly makes it in for a haircut, you’ll want to consider a blunt cut bang in order to get the effect a bit more longer lasting and low maintenance.…

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Healthier

Cinnamon – It’s Not Just For Toast Any More!

Cinnamon and insulin resistance don’t sound like they belong in the same sentence. After all, when you think cinnamon, isn’t the next word supposed to be “bun?” Like those massive, decadent, deadly cinnamon buns in the mall?

Not always.

Cinnamon itself is an incredibly fragrant and delicious spice from the bark of a tree. It not only makes foods taste better, it can help stabilize your blood sugar, reduce cravings, and help you gain the control to make wise food choices. Cinnamon helps your body produce and respond more appropriately to insulin, leading to a more balanced mood and better health. Eat cinnamon and weight loss is a natural result!

Studies have shown that this versatile spice can also help reduce ldl (“bad” cholesterol) as well as lowering triglycerides, leading to healthier arteries and heart.

The smell of cinnamon has even been shown to help with memory and information processing…enough that it might be prudent to have a stick of cinnamon gum handy for that next exam or while learning a new job skill!

How much will it cost?

Not much. Fortunately, cinnamon health benefits come from the cheaper versions just fine! Cassia cinnamon, the spice sold at your local grocery store, is also sold at your health food store in supplemental capsules. If you don’t like the flavor of cinnamon, you can take it as a capsule or in extract form.

Warning: Do NOT eat cinnamon oil! Commonly used in aromatherapy, cinnamon oil is too strong to be eaten.

Cinnamon has wonderful antibacterial and antifungal abilities, effective against both the fungus that causes the common yeast infection, (candida albicans,) and the bacteria thought to be the cause of most stomach ulcers. (Helicobacter pylori.) However, the stomach is prepared to deal with the rather strong properties of cinnamon. Your skin, and particularly those tender areas that tend to have yeast infections, would be burned by cinnamon. Do not attempt to apply cinnamon to skin or tender areas!

How much cinnamon do you need?

As little as 1/2 to 1 teaspoon per day of cinnamon has been shown to be effective. There are no greater benefits to be had in eating larger amounts.

Try adding 1/4 teaspoon to

Your morning coffee or tea

A bowl of unsweetened applesauce

A bowl of oatmeal, perhaps with walnuts or flaxseed on top

A chicken breast before cooking, with a few Italian herbs and garlic. How wonderful is that? An inexpensive spice that you already have in your cabinet that can help manage your blood sugar, knock out candida, and lower your bad cholesterol all in one knockout punch? Pour me a cup of add a shake of cinnamon for weight loss!…

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General Article

Keeping Up With Your Demanding Oral Routine

Surprisingly, millions of men and women in the United States completely neglect their oral health and end up having to face a number of oral problems that interrupts their life. According to the CDC, reports revealed that more than 31.6% of adults faced severe dental caries that continue to go untreated between 2011 and 2014. Studies also showed only 64.4% of adults in the United States visited their dentist in the past year in the year 2016. Sadly, your teeth can become a big problem in your life if you let it. With regular care, you could possibly avoid many dental problems from affecting your oral health. You don’t want your oral health to get so bad that you constantly suffer pain in your mouth and teeth on a daily basis. Sadly, there are some people in America who have oral conditions that are so severe that they regularly take medication just to end their pain. There are also a significantly high number of individuals who have also lost a majority of their teeth and even all of their teeth. Therefore, it may be wise for you to start early in treating all of your oral issues and practicing better oral habits, so you can be able to keep your permanent teeth strong and healthy for the long run.

Sadly, there are many people who have also allowed their poor teeth to negatively impact their entire lives. Some people have teeth that are so bad that they are unable to get a job and support themselves financially. Surprisingly, your teeth can actually play a significant role and how successful you are in almost every area of your entire life. Based on Forbes, a study that was conducted discovered that more than 33% of American participants felt that because of their decaying teeth and gum issues, they were less likely to smile when communicating with other people. Unfortunately, 1 in 5 Americans also significantly reduced their socializing because of the dental problems that they have been suffering from. Some young adults even felt that their entire life was a lot less satisfying because of the oral issues that they had to live with. You don’t have to simply let go of your oral health and lose your teeth. With getting regular dental care and receiving the necessary oral treatments that your dentist recommends, you can be able to actually keep your permanent teeth for the long run.

Fortunately, medical technology has allowed many dentists to repair any poor condition tea that you may be suffering with. You can start by conducting a general internet search for any dental crowns Lakewood Ranch FL. Getting the necessary treatment for your poor teeth can allow you to finally be able to feel confident again in your oral health, so you can be able to be successful in life.

Your teeth can negatively impact you in so many ways. Therefore, if you are looking to live a successful and stress-free life from your teeth, consider keeping up with your teeth and keeping them healthy. Remember, your dentist can also assist you with receiving all and any necessary treatment to keeping your permanent teeth healthy and strong. Invest your time and effort into procedures that will help you in the long run.