Harvard Professor Defends Sunshine, Vitamin D Link

Evidence that supports Vitamin D's profound health benefits continues to mount: Unprotected sun exposure helps the body produce the vitamin D it needs to keep bones healthy and ward off cancers and other ailments. For example:

• According to one study, researchers found that men with high exposure to the sun had half the risk of prostate cancer than those with low sun exposure.
  
  
• Another study found that high levels of vitamin D and calcium appeared to reduce women's risk of premenstrual syndrome, or PMS.

Worried About High Blood Pressure?
7 Pounds & 1 Food Choice Can Make a Big Difference

Hypertension - or high blood pressure - is just one side effect of being overweight. But if you get discouraged thinking of how many pounds you’ll have to drop to make a difference, take heart. Losing just a little weight can provide substantial and long-lasting benefits for people who have high blood pressure.

In a study of 102 people with severe hypertension, researchers discovered that those who lost an average of just seven pounds pushed back their need to start blood pressure medication by more than two years. Lead researcher Daniel W. Jones, M.D., said, "The patients maintained their weight loss for only six to 12 months, but the benefits were sustained for as long as 30 months." 

It is remarkable that such a modest improvement in weight can have such a major impact on the health of those with high blood pressure. This finding should give encouragement to anyone with hypertension and excess weight.

But shedding a few pounds isn’t the only way to get your blood pressure under control. Diet is also important – and it’s more than simply ordering small bag of french fries instead of a large or cutting back on salt. You can be proactive and help your body on many ways by...read entire article

Beat The Smoking Habit. More Than 65,000 have Succeeded Already.

Want to quit the nicotine habit? Want a 7-day program that is simple, affordable and all natural? Want the help that will make quitting less stressful, less painful and without all the withdrawal symptoms? This program is so effective we guarantee you will quit or we will give you your money back! We are throwing in a free $40.00 bonus this week. All this for a little more than the cost of your next carton. Feel good about yourself, restore your health and rid your body of nicotine forever. Find out more about Nicoban.

Mosquitoes got you Bugged?

No one likes getting bitten by mosquitoes. They’re a nuisance and their bites can be itchy and extremely irritating--enough to ruin any outdoor barbecue or picnic. There’s also the risk of the West Nile Virus that has sprung up all over the country in recent years (those most at risk are the elderly, young children or people with compromised immune systems).
However, the most serious danger by far has nothing to do with the West Nile Virus but instead is posed by the pesticides we use to keep the mosquitoes away. And while you likely don’t have much control over the community-wide fogging geared at reducing mosquitoes (other than running indoors and making sure all your windows are tightly shut), you do have control over the pesticides you use personally.

Most insect repellants out there are loaded with toxic chemicals, including the pesticide DEET, which is so poisonous that even the Environmental Protection Agency says you should wash it off your skin when you return indoors, avoid breathing it in and not spray it directly on your face. Think about it--if this chemical can kill mosquitoes, it can likely do some harm to other life forms too.

The good news is that there are natural alternatives out there that can keep mosquitoes away while keeping you safe. One is neem-based Outdoor Botanical Gel. It's made from an organic blend of neem leaf extract, aloe vera base (to soothe bites you already have!), neem oil, citronella and geraniol so it's actually good for your skin--and, unlike DEET, it's safe for the whole family--even infants and children. You may also be able to find other varieties in health food stores, but be sure to read the label to be sure they’re truly chemical-free. You can find out more by a simple web search under “neem”. Other natural repellants include Cinnamon oil which is inexpensive and even smells great. Other common essential oils, such as catnip, have shown similar promise in fighting off mosquitoes as well.

Other tips to keep mosquitoes away while still enjoying the outdoors this summer include:

• Staying indoors from dusk to dawn, the peak mosquito biting hours.

• Wearing long sleeves, pants and socks when possible.

Fiber Cuts Heart Risks by 27 Percent

Eating foods which are rich sources of dietary fiber such as fruits and cereals significantly cuts the risk of death from heart disease, researchers said last month.
Pooling the results of 10 U.S. and European studies with more than 330,000 adult men and women, the report said people who consumed 10 grams of fiber daily reduced their risk of heart attack by 14 percent and cut their risk of dying from coronary heart disease by 27 percent.

A medium-sized apple contains roughly 3 grams of fiber, while a slice of whole wheat bread contains 1.5 grams and a stalk of broccoli about 2.7 grams of fiber.
The recommendations to consume a diet that includes an abundance of fiber-rich foods to prevent (coronary heart disease) are based on...read entire article

Life Factors: Your Number One Defense Against Aging

Safe and powerful antioxidant support for energy, vitality and an effective ally in the fight against the signs of aging!

As we age, the mitochondria start to lose their ability to efficiently generate energy. Since our energy comes from this source within our cells, we begin to lose our vitality. As a result, our health begins to suffer, we start to show the signs of aging and we develop degenerative diseases. Scientific studies have shown that...read entire article

The Natural Way to Rid Yourself of a Migraine Headache

It is possible to stop headaches by stimulating your body's natural painkilling ability.

By putting pressure on a nerve just under your eyebrow, you can cause your pituitary gland to release painkilling endorphins immediately.

You can learn more about the details of the method by clicking at Squidoo Health & Medicine.

Another method for releasing endorphins is to take 10 teaspoons of cayenne pepper in a glass of water. Endorphins are released by the brain when the cayenne hits your stomach lining.

Other useful techniques include:

• Putting a cold compress on your forehead or behind the neck
• Massaging the ears and ear lobes
• Massaging the "crown" of your head -- the ring of muscles that circle the head where a crown would sit

--Squidoo Health & Medicine June 18, 2007