Give Your Body a Clean Sweep

Fiber is an inexpensive essential for good health, says Margaret Durst. She explains how much you need and the best places to get it.

Fiber is essential to good health. It is the bulk that helps move food and waste through our digestive tract. It acts like a broom in sweeping our digestive system clean, and it also acts like a sponge in absorbing toxins, hormones, cholesterol and bile salts so that they will not be reabsorbed by our body.

In addition to keeping things moving through our digestive systems, fiber nurtures healthy bacteria in our gut that balances pH, keeps harmful bacteria in check, and detoxifies chemicals in the gut that can cause cancer or other problems. Lack of fiber, seems to be the precursor to some common complaints such as diverticular disease, bowel cancer, appendicitis, and hemorrhoids. All of these diseases are virtually unheard of in cultures that consume plenty of fiber. Read more

Anti-Snoring Exercises for Better Sleep

Relationships are not only ruined by irreconcilable differences, third parties, or simply falling out of love. Some relationships are ruined by snoring. Studies show that 23% of couples suffer from snoring problems. In fact, 80% of couples usually end up sleeping in different rooms because they can’t stand their partner’s snoring.

But more than the danger of ruined relationships, snoring can also lead to a serious case of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, a condition common among the depressed and those who are always exhausted. Sleep apnea can increase blood pressure, reducing the flow of oxygen to the brain and eventually, leading to stroke, heart attack or even worse, death.

Other studies further show that it can lead to diabetes. Since snoring reduces the intake of oxygen, the body produces more catecholamines, which leads to insulin resistance and ultimately, diabetes.

So, what’s the answer? There are a hundred and one natural remedies, plus other technology-aided remedies even involving surgeries. But another way out of this problem are through anti-snoring exercises.

Of course, it’s important to identify first the cause of snoring. Normally, as most snoring cases go, it’s a problem with breathing. There are throat exercises that open up your throat, preventing it from closing when you sleep. Such exercises strengthen and lift up the soft palate, so it won’t flap and rub against the tongue. With tongue exercises, you can strengthen it and prevent it from dropping into your throat when you sleep, which usually happens when you sleep on your back. It’s also important to loosen up the jaw as tense jaw muscles puts pressure on the breathing passages.

Try this exercise to loosen the jaw.

Start by putting the upper and lower molars together very lightly. Once done, open your mouth and press the molars as wide as you can. Do not stretch. Do ten to twenty repetitions. Focus on the molars – out them together and then lower your jaw. After several repetitions, you should feel your jaw muscles strengthening and the back of your mouth opening up. Feel the muscles contracting at the back of your throat? If you feel them opening up, then you’re doing a good job relaxing and strengthening them.

You can do twenty repetitions of this simple exercise in a minute or two a day.

For more anti-snoring exercises, check out sites on the Web offering cure-snoring programs. These exercises are simple, easy do-it-yourself, no-need-for-complicated-machinery-or-device activities you can try any time.

So, start those exercises and no-snore your way to a good night’s sleep. You might feel crazy opening your mouth and exercising your jaw, but it sure will be worth it. There’s nothing wrong with trying, after all, especially when it’s an answer to your sleepless nights.

Get the best sleep you've had in years with proven snoring remedies in a step-by-step guide that quickly and easily cure snoring permanently. To find out how to reinvigorate your love life, restore your energy, and regain the healing benefits of sleep for a more relaxed and stress-free you, click here!

How Did Bruce Lee Get Those Washboard Abs?

Bruce Lee was a legendary martial artist and movie star, who was also known for his washboard abs. Jake Seal describes the training routine that Bruce Lee followed to develop his incredible muscular definition.

Of all the body parts Bruce Lee developed, his abdominal muscles were the most spectacular: rock solid to the touch, deeply cut and highly defined. Bruce believed the abdominals were one of the most important muscle groups for a martial artist since virtually every movement requires some degree of abdominal work. Perhaps more importantly, the "abs" are like a shell, protecting your ribs and vital organs.

Lee was more than merely a fitness fanatic; he was an extremist, always in search of new ways to push his body to the limit, constantly tuning it while striving to achieve maximum efficiency. He felt many martial artists of his day lacked the necessary physical fitness to back up their skill. In his book Tao of Jeet Kune Do, he wrote "Training is one of the most neglected phases of athletics. Too much time is given to the development of skill and too little to the development of the individual for participation."

Black Belt magazine owner Mito Uyehara recalls that "Bruce always felt that if your stomach was not developed, then you had no business doing any hard sparring."

Lee's wife, Linda Lee Cadwell, claims her former husband "was a fanatic about ab training. He was always doing sit-ups, crunches, Roman chair movements, leg raises and V-ups."

According to some of Lee's early training notes, his daily abdominal workout included: Read more

Creating Disease: Big Pharma and Disease Mongering

Had you ever heard of "restless leg syndrome" before seeing TV commercials for Requip? This is just one example of disease mongering: "trying to convince essentially well people that they are sick, or slightly sick people that they are very ill."

You may think there is enough disease in the world already, and that no one would want to add to the diseases that we humans must deal with. But there is a powerful industry in our society that is working overtime to invent illnesses and to convince us we are suffering from them.

This effort is known as "disease mongering," a term introduced by health-science writer Lynn Payer in her 1992 book Disease-Mongers: How Doctors, Drug Companies, and Insurers Are Making You Feel Sick. Payer defined disease mongering as "trying to convince essentially well people that they are sick, or slightly sick people that they are very ill." This strategy has also been called "the corporate construction of disease" by Ray Moynihan, Iona Heath and David Henry in the British Medical Journal. "There's a lot of money to be made from telling healthy people they're sick," they say. "Pharmaceutical companies are actively involved in sponsoring the definition of diseases and promoting them to both prescribers and consumers." Read more

Natural Remedies for Growing Hair Back

Natural remedies for growing hair back can avoid some of the complications of transplants and other processes. Hair loss is something that happens to most men and many women but the process can be prevented, slowed or even reversed in some cases.

Natural hair loss remedies come in various forms and the best results are likely to come from using more than one.

Massage

Scalp massage can stimulate hair growth where the loss is temporary or not severe, and can help to prevent further loss of hair. Gently massage the full scalp with your fingertips for about three minutes each day. Be careful not to scratch the scalp with your nails or damage any growing hair.

Massage with jojoba oil will provide the scalp with B and E vitamins plus many minerals that will give hair a boost. Jojoba oil is particularly effective if you have a tendency to skin problems, such as dandruff, eczema and psoriasis, or oily hair.

A Chinese form of massage said to stimulate the follicles involves tapping the scalp with the fingers of both hands. Beginning in the middle of the base of the skull at the back, tap about 20 times then move the tapping slowly upward and outward around the ears. Then begin again at the back a little higher than where you started before. Repeat until you have covered the whole scalp, finishing at the front.

Nutrition and Supplements

The hair requires a full balance of vitamins and minerals to grow healthily. Most of us do not get all that we need from our diets. Increasing your intake of fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables to around ten varied portions a day will go a long way toward rectifying any deficiencies.

Make sure that you are getting enough of these nutrients in particular:

Vitamin A
All B vitamins, especially B6 and B12
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Zinc
Iron
Copper
Iodine
Essential fatty acids

If any of the above nutrients are deficient in your diet you can either look for foods that contain more of them (best option) or take supplements, except for vitamin A which should always be supplied from food. The best food sources of vitamin A are orange and red vegetables, such as carrots, pumpkin, red pepper, etc, ,or dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach.

Men should pay particular attention to the amount of zinc in their diet because it is very important for the prostate. It is vital to have enough, but too much can cause problems.

Herbal Remedies

Men may find the herbal treatment Saw Palmetto useful in treating hair loss. This is believed to have an action on the prostate, which is involved in typical male pattern baldness. Be careful not to take too much because if the male hormones that lead to hair loss are reduced too far, breast tissue can develop.

Stress Relief

Stress can cause hair loss, so, therefore, anything you can do to reduce stress or anxiety in your life is likely to have a beneficial effect on your hair. Try meditation or practice relaxation techniques for ten minutes each morning, preferably after exercise. Regular exercise will both reduce stress and create a healthier skin and scalp.

These solutions may help in cases for male pattern baldness and age-related hair loss in women. They do not constitute a health treatment or cure. If your hair loss is related to health problems or medication or has an unknown cause, it is best not to rely on natural remedies for growing hair back, You should see your doctor.

For more information about inexpensive, natural programs to reverse hair loss, read my review of the two best programs I've found to reverse hair loss at my blog Reverse Hair Loss.

Suicidal Sweat Workout

If your workout is getting stale, and you need a new challenge, the Suicidal Sweat Workout" should get the sweat flowing. Zuzana starts off with what she calls a jump squat/push-up combo exercise, but it could also be classified as a burpee variation.

Are You Out of It in the Afternoon? Take a Nap!

Are you out of it in the afternoon? Take a nap to revive your brain and improve your performance, says Arlene Weintraub.

Sleeping on the job used to be grounds for dismissal. But now, years after Cornell University psychologist James Maas coined the term "power nap," companies are beginning to embrace the practice. Today, Nike and Deloitte Consulting are among those that encourage employees to add a midday snooze to their to-do lists. Sleep scientist Sara Mednick applauds this trend. Mednick, a researcher at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego and author of the new book Take a Nap! Change Your Life (Workman Publishing), says napping can enhance productivity.

What are the main benefits of napping?
Research on sleep deprivation shows that even at six hours a night, there are all sorts of changes in the body. Insulin rises to pre-diabetes levels. There's an increase in heart disease. Without sleep you don't learn. My research shows that people deteriorate during the day. It's difficult to sustain productivity. Naps can add back to the sleep you're deprived of at night. And a nap enhances productivity even if you have enough nocturnal sleep. Read more

Reduce Snoring for Better Sleep

Have you ever lain in bed and wished that the freight train noise next to you would stop? For the vast majority of people there is nothing worse than sleeping with a snoring spouse. The other side of the problem finds people who are unable to sleep because they themselves snore. Working to reduce this problem is critical and should be a top priority so that everyone in the house can sleep much better.

One of the biggest home remedies that is passed along is the advice of having the serial snorer sleep on his side. For some people, this is easy to do. However, for anyone who is in a habit of sleeping on their stomach or even their back, it can be a bit more difficult. There are some attachments and bumpers that you can buy though, which will help to ensure you remain on your side. There are also some cheaper alternatives, such as piling up books, cushions and other materials to help discourage you from sleeping in a position other than on your side.

If you find that sleeping on your side is either completely uncomfortable for you or you are not getting the desired results, it is time to move along to another common solution. This involves cutting out all meals and alcoholic beverages for several hours before bedtime. Many people who take sleeping medication also experience an increased risk of snoring as well. This is not always something that can be avoided, particularly if you require the medication in order to obtain any sleep at all. However, talk to your doctor to see if there is a different medication that you can try which might reduce the snoring problem.

Obesity is another major factor for snoring. Additional weight can cause the air pipes to shrink slightly due to the increase of fat in the neck area. Losing a bit of weight can help to remove the pressure on the air pipes and often significantly decrease the amount of snoring that you experience. This is also great for helping you to get into shape, and lower the risk of snoring excessively. Lose weight slowly though, in order to ensure that you are losing fat and reducing the skin in your neck area evenly.

Taking some time to find a home remedy for snoring will not only help you get a much better night’s sleep but it will help you to ensure that everyone else in your house can sleep much better as well. Ignoring a snoring problem will not only cause you more difficulties sleeping than necessary but it will also substantially reduce the quality of the sleep that you are able to receive. Getting a grip on better sleep will provide you with ample energy, while avoiding seeking help for snoring can find you suffering from exhaustion and even fatigue.

Get the best sleep you've had in years with proven snoring remedies in a step-by-step guide that quickly and easily cure snoring permanently. To find out how to reinvigorate your love life, restore your energy, and regain the healing benefits of sleep for a more relaxed and stress-free you, click here!

Increase Your Pull-ups with Density Training

Jim Stoppani, PhD, Senior Science Editor for Muscle & Fitness Magazine and author of Encyclopedia of Muscle & Strength, teaches you how to increase your strength on pull-ups. Of course, this method could be used to increase your strength in any exercise. This would be great for anyone preparing for a fitness test.

Fighting Baldness with Home Remedies

Nobody likes the idea of being bald. Working to regrow hair is not always easy, but there are several home remedies that have been known to actually work. You can use more than one at a time, but be sure you give any remedy you use some time to work.

Most people are not huge fans of onion, particularly of their smell. The benefits to your scalp are potentially huge though. Taking a piece of onion and rubbing it over the bald part of your head until it is slightly red, and then applying honey for a short period has been known to help improve the circulation of the scalp and in turn improve hair growth.

Another popular choice is the usage of coconut milk mixed with a bit of aloe vera gel. By mixing together equal parts of the gel and coconut milk, you will have a nice paste that you can use to spread around on your scalp and help stimulate the hair follicles to regrow hair. It is very important that you leave the treatment on for at least thirty minutes each time and do this a minimum of three times each week. After a couple of weeks, you should begin to notice some very small hairs regrowing.

Everyone knows that apple cider vinegar is a truly remarkable remedy. It can also be used to assist in hair growth. Add equal parts of the apple cider vinegar to a bit of sage tea and use it to rinse out the hair. This will help to also stimulate the hair follicles and help you to find a bit of fuzz regrowing.

If you do not see any immediate improvements, don't give up all of hope. There are several reasons why you might not see immediate results, which can range from a bad diet, to stress, to even problems with your overall health. Check with a doctor to ensure that you are not experiencing any serious medical problems that could be impacting your hair growth negatively.

For more information about inexpensive, natural programs to reverse hair loss, read my review of the two best programs I've found to reverse hair loss at my blog Reverse Hair Loss.

5BX Plan: 11 Minutes a Day to Total Fitness

The Five Basic Exercises (5BX) Plan is an exercise program developed for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) by Bill Orban in the late 1950s. The plan was innovative in two respects. First, it did not require access to specialized equipment. Secondly, the plan only required 11 minutes per day to be spent on the exercises. The plan can be downloaded for free.

This simple and straightforward exercise plan was created by the Royal Canadian Air Force back in the 1960’s but has stood the test of time, and is still very relevant now.

This comprehensive body-sculpting and fitness program takes just 11 minutes a day. The exercises require no gym or equipment, and can be done almost anywhere such as at home, or in a hotel room. Read more

Medicines and Treatments That Patients Don't Need

Unnecessary testing, unwarranted treatment, excessive prescriptions are some of the ways that medical practice in the US is ruining our lives, says Dr.Joseph Mercola.

A journal published by the American Medical Association is taking a hard look at the perils of extra tests and treatments. Too many tests can often lead to unnecessary treatments or even hurt the patient.

"Less Is More" will become a feature in the Archives of Internal Medicine. It will examine treatments that expanded to the point where the risks of the treatment outweigh benefits.

According to ABC News:

“Studies in the current issue look at potential risks of proton-pump inhibitors, which were originally designed for gastric reflux but now are used for conditions as mild as heartburn.” Read more

Hair Falling Out? You Could Be Anemic, Stressed, or Just Hungry

Hair falling out? It could be stress, hunger, or anemia, and it's fixable, says Philip Kingsley.

Whatever the cause, hair loss can have a profound effect on self-esteem, triggering depression and so, ironically, hindering recovery. It is by no means a shallow act of vanity for someone in the throes of ill-health to worry about their hair.

If anything, finding ways to address the problem can actually be a huge boost to self-esteem and therefore only help the speed at which we get better.

You cannot diagnose illness just by looking at the hair. But it is possible to be completely unaware that you are suffering from a health problem that is causing poor hair growth, and if you are worried visit your GP. Read more