Keeping yourself awake after a bad night of sleep or after a long day at work can be tough. Instead of resorting to excessive amounts of caffeine, illustrator and blogger Yumi Sakugawa has put together an infographic with a bunch of clever ways to keep yourself awake including a few handy acupressure techniques.

Three simple acupressure techniques can give you a wakeful boost and they’re not hard to do. They include pulling down on your earlobes, rubbing the back of your hand between your thumb and index finger, and pressing against the back of your knee. The infographic also covers general tips like getting a little exercice, eating the right foods, and a few weirder tips like sniffing peppermint oil. If you’re suffering from a serious case of the Monday’s this morning these tips might just get you up and awake. Hit up Yumi’s blog for the full post and infographic.

source: http://thesecretyumiverse.wonderhowto.com/blog/16-tips-for-staying-awake-when-youre-tired-0135068/

Photo By: Uwe Hermann

Reposted from Women’s Health: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/addictive-sugar-habits#ixzz1s3Bikwzi

This is the study that many of us have been waiting for: exercise combined with caffeine will greatly reduce your risk of skin cancer caused by sun exposure.

Well perhaps not those of us averse to exercise. But scientists in New Jersey have found that mice who logged plenty of hamster wheel time and ingested lots of caffeine had a 62 percent lower incidence of cancer tumors than those who were lazy and remained uncaffeinated. And the volume of the tumors that did develop was 85 percent smaller.

“I believe we may extrapolate these findings to humans and anticipate that we would benefit from these combination treatments as well,” said Yao-Ping Lu, an associate research professor of chemical biology and director of skin cancer prevention at the Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy in Piscataway, New Jersey, who presented the findings on Tuesday at the annual American Association for Cancer Research. He believes the key to the cancer fighting combo is that overall, it reduces inflammation.

And even those of you who’d just as soon imbibe your caffeinated beverages without getting up from the couch can take comfort in the findings. Caffeine alone reduced tumors by 27 percent and tumor size by 61 percent. Also exciting is the fact that these mice lost weight despite being fed a high-fat diet. The rodents’ “parametrial fat pad” weight decreased by 30 percent without exercise.

Mice that exercised but didn’t have caffeine saw 35 percent fewer tumors and 40 percent smaller ones. They also reduced their fat pad by 63 percent.

It’s kind of great that we have so many studies to pick and choose from to suit our lifestyle. If you’ve decided to eat only red meat, relish in this study that shows it makes you happy. If you are a vegetarian, post this study that shows vegetables make you prettier on you’re fridge. If you’ve gone all popcorn, take pleasure in the fact that it’s packed with antioxidants. Something for everyone. Hooray science![American Academy of Cancer Research]

Image: Shutterstock/privilege

Republished from http://gizmodo.com

Photo by: mikebaird

Winter is a great time to get out and exercise, despite the fact that most people assume that it’s a great time to come down with a cold or the flu. “People are very confused as to whether or not cold temperatures will cause them to get sick,” says David C. Nieman, DrPH, FACSM, professor of health and exercise science and director of the Human Performance Lab at Appalachian State University. But it’s the fact that people congregate indoors where viruses easily spread — not the cold weather itself—that makes these illnesses more prevalent during the colder months, he says. And knowing when to exercise and when to take it easy can lower your risk of getting sick, or even help you get better sooner.

The details

It’s fairly well known that exercise canboost immunity. However, Nieman just completed a study finding that it can reduce the severity of cold symptoms, as well. His 1,000-person community trial found that people who were physically active, were lean, and ate a lot of fruit experienced one-third fewer sick days than people who had lower physical activity levels and were overweight. And, he says, “When the active people got sick, their symptoms were less severe,” he says. Previous research by Nieman has found that people who engage in moderate-intensity exercises like walking while they’re sick can cut their sick times by as much as half if they exercise for at least 45 minutes five to six days a week.

What it means

Exercising while you’ve got the sniffles can speed up recovery, but it’s not always the best medicine if you’ve come down with something more severe. “We have good animal data that if you exercise while you’re seriously ill, you can make the illness more severe and more prolonged,” says Nieman. Exercising with a viral infection can also increase your likelihood of suffering from dehydration and heat stroke. There’s also a chance that something worse could happen: As you exercise, all five liters of your blood will pump through your heart, Nieman says, and if you’ve got a virus, it might concentrate in your heart muscle, leading to a condition called myocarditis.

Stay healthy this cold and flu season with a few exercise tips:

• Rest if it’s below the neck. If you have symptoms from the neck up — a stuffy nose or sore throat — it’s probably just a rhinovirus, which causes the common cold. But when you start to feel achy, or develop a fever, diarrhea, swollen glands, or chest congestion, it’s time to lay off the exercise completely. You most likely have the flu or a chest cold, which Nieman says should keep you at home until all your symptoms have disappeared.

• Slow down. You should still take it easy, even if you’re just suffering from a runny nose. “You may have just taken a medication that dried up your sniffles and you start to feel better,” he says. “But pushing it too hard can make your illness more severe.” Stick with a 45-minute walk and save the heavy-duty run or bike ride for when you’re feeling better.

• Get back up to speed gradually. The flu can keep you out of the exercise loop for a week or more, so don’t hit the ground running as soon as you feel better. “When your fever’s gone and the worst of the symptoms are pretty much gone, just take an easy walk and see how you respond,” says Nieman. After a symptom-free week of moderate exercise, start easing back into your routine until you’re back to where you were before you got sick.

Losing weight

Artichoke: One of the best detox foods for your liver, artichokes are also low in calories and contains compounds that can help lower your cholesterol levels.

Lemon: Adding some lemon juice and zest to your drinking water will supply your body with over 30 detox compounds. It will also provide pectin; a soluble fiber that can help you shed some pounds.

Pink grapefruit: Grapefruit is so potent at natural detoxification that it often removes some drugs and medicines too quickly for them to act.  New studies also show that some compounds found in grapefruit could help you to lose weight. Red grapefruit also contains precious lycopene, an antioxidant that helps for clear skin.

Other detox foods that can help losing weight: pineapple, celery and chili peppers.

Radiant skin

Watermelon: Packed with detox nutrients and water, watermelon is also very rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that boost your skin resistance to sun damage. In fact, it’s said that watermelon could provide 33% more protection against sunburns than any other fruit.

Red bell peppers: The unique combination of vitamins A, C and E, three of the most potent skin protecting vitamins, makes red bell peppers and ideal food for a healthy glow.  The vitamin it contains also plays an important role into the natural detoxification process.

Avocado: rich in vitamin E and essential minerals, it can help to keep your skin stay supple.  Avocado also contains glutathione, copper, beta-sisterol and other compounds involved in the natural detoxification process.

Other detox foods that can help your skin: dark leafy greens, berries and flaxseeds.

Fighting bloating

Papaya: The special enzymes it contains can help your stomach stays flatter while helping your body to detox naturally.  Papaya is also rich in essential nutrients that help your skin looking great.

Ginger: Ginger promotes blood circulation and helps digestion. This makes it one of the best anti-bloating foods ever.  Ginger is also anti-inflammatory, and can help you to detox naturally.

Sauerkraut and fermented foods: The beneficial bacteria found in fermented foods such as natural sauerkraut can help ease digestive troubles that cause bloating.  Friendly bacteria are also necessary for digestive health, something essential in natural detox.

Strengthening bones

Dark leafy greens: One of the best detox foods to fight inflammation. Dark leafy greens are rich in minerals that can tremendously helps your body to build strong bones.  It’s also very alkalinising, which is also a good way to detox naturally.

Green tea: Green tea increase bone density the same way exercise and calcium does, without the downsides of consuming milk. Not only does green tea help your bones, it also helps to detox from chemicals and have a strong effect in lung cancer prevention.

source: http://lifewithnature.com/detox-foods/the-best-detox-foods-that-makes-you-look-great/

I find myself a lot of times that I need to eat something, but I know I’m not hungry because I’ve just eaten an hour ago and I shouldn’t eat something else if I’m smart and I’m aware of my goal to lose fat. Sometimes I can win over this false hunger, but sometimes I don’t and I try to eat at least something that will bring valuable nutritions to my body.

This is my top 15 fruits I have in mind when this is happening:

1. Apples – 1 medium apple (80 calories, 0 g fat): An apple’s 3 g of fiber help you meet your fiber goal of 20 g to 30 g daily. High-fiber diets can lower heart disease risk;
2. Apricots – 3 apricots (51 calories, 0 g fat): A good source of beta-carotene (which is converted to vitamin A by the body), providing the equivalent of 35% of the RDA for vitamin A;
3. Bananas – 1 medium (105 calories, 0 g fat): Bananas are a great source of potassium, which plays a key role in heart health and muscle function. Plus each one has 2 g of fiber;
4. Blackberries – 1 cup (74 calories, 0 g fat): This fruit boasts a whopping 10 g of fiber in a single cup;
5. Blueberries - 1 cup (81 calories, 0 g fat): Blueberries help prevent and treat bladder infections by making it hard for bacteria to stick to urinary tract walls;
6. Cherries – 1 cup (84 calories, 1 g fat): A good source of perillyl alcohol, which helps prevent cancer in animals. Heart-protective anthocyanins give cherries their color;
7. Grapefruits – 1/2 fruit (39 calories, 0 g fat): A good source of vitamin C and a compound called naringenin, which helps suppress tumors in animals;
8. Kiwi – 1 medium (46 calories, 0 g fat): Just one little fruit packs a mean vitamin-C punch (74 mg) and an impressive 2.8 g fiber;
9. Mangoes – 1 mango (135 calories, 1 g fat): A single mango has enough beta-carotene to cover your RDA for vitamin A while racking up 57 mg of vitamin C;
10. Orangesfruits- 1 orange (61 calories, 0 g fat): One orange provides an impressive 50 mg to 70 mg of vitamin C, 40 mcg of folic acid and 52 mg of calcium;
11. Papayas – 1 cup, cubed (55 calories, 0 g fat): Loaded with vitamin C (86 mg per cup), a healthy dose of fiber (2.5 g) and a sprinkling of beta-carotene and calcium;
12. Purple grapes - 1 small (113 calories, 0.9 g fat):Offer three heart-guarding compounds: flavonoids, anthocyanins and resveratrol (green grapes are not rich in them);
13. Prunes – 1/3 cup, stewed (87 calories, 0 g fat): Prunes’ famed laxative effect is no mystery: There are 5 g of fiber (both soluble and insoluble) in just 1/3 cup;
14. Raspberries - 1 cup (60 calories, 0 g fat): Teeming with 8 g of fiber per cup, they also boast vitamin C, ellagic acid and anthocyanins;
15. Strawberries - 1 cup, sliced (50 calories, 0 g fat): Strawberries have high levels of ellagic acid and anthocyanins, and are rich in vitamin C (95 mg per cup) and fiber (3.8 g per cup).

Source: http://dietmotion.com/top-15-healthiest-fruits.html

It’s no wonder that we’re all sniffle-free in summer. Infection is very common in crowded, inside areas and colder air is more likely to spread colds and viruses… hello fall flu season! No matter what level of germaphope you are, even if you use paper towels to turn off restroom faucets, it’s nearly impossible to completely avoid contact with germs. Knowing this, we can brush up on immunity basics and some foods to add to your stay-healthy shopping list.

Immune-Boosting Prerequisites

Inevitably, over the next few months certain wonder foods are going to hit the headlines and be touted as the next big flu-buster. While there are foods, some I’ll tell you about shortly, that can improve immunity we don’t want to lose sight of the basics.

The following are my “do not pass go” tips. Work on these first as they are the cornerstone habits for health and immunity.

1. Wash Your Hands
I can sense eyes glazing over as I read this. Most of us (I hope) wash our hands after using the bathroom and many people do so when they come home from work. I’m not willing to place serious bets that we all wash our hands before every meal. Our hands are in close contact with our mouth and nose during meals. Whether at work or a restaurant take the time to wash up before meals. When possible use soap and water versus hand sanitizing sprays.

2. Sleep
Lack of sleep can affect athletic performance, mood and certainly immunity. No amount of Vitamin C will substitute for 7-8 hours of sleep for adults (10 or more for children). Lying in bed has been shown to be almost as good so if you’re not falling asleep, stay put.

3. Hydrate
Fluid flushes toxins from the body and dehydration stresses it. When it’s colder, we tend to feel less thirsty but still need to drink. Room temperature water with orange slices, tea and greens juices are good options. Despite my hypothesis that alcohol could act as an internal disinfectant, it is dehydrating and thus not your best bet for immunity.

4. Exercise
Exercise builds your body’s defense against viruses, aim for 150 minutes a week or 30 minutes 5 days a week.

5. Eat Fruits and Vegetables
Half a grapefruit isn’t going to cut it. Most of us tend to eat less produce in winter. At the bare minimum, consume 2 fruits and 2 vegetables daily (local or organic whenever possible). Definitely opt for food versus supplements (as said in my post on multivitamin foods). Our fall favorites include Swiss chard, Brussels sprouts, squash, pears, apples and cranberries.

6. Cut Back on Sugar
As few as a couple of tablespoons of sugar daily can decrease immune function by 40 percent by slowing the activity of white blood cells.

Immune-Boosting Foods

The specific immune boosters get more air time and can definitely help once you’ve completed your prerequisites. This is definitely a case of the more the merrier.

1. White Tea
Everyone knows about black tea and more recently green tea but when you’re interested in immunity white tea is your beverage. White tea is much less processed than green tea and this results in a higher antioxidant content; white tea is a better bacteria- and virus-fighter than other teas. It’s also lower in caffeine and less bitter than green tea. Do not add milk to your tea though; casein, a protein in milk, binds to some of the phytochemicals and makes the tea less effective. Try for 2-4 cups a day. I love the Republic of Tea brand tea bags.

2. Red Bell Peppers
Chances are when you think of foods high in Vitamin C you think citrus fruits. Red peppers actually have more than double the Vitamin C of a large orange. Vitamin C is important because it increases levels of interferon. Interferon is an antibody that coats cell surfaces (think of it like cell armor) preventing the entry of viruses. Vitamin C is also found in broccoli, parsley, kiwi and melon.

3. Pumpkin Seeds
When you buy your pumpkin, do not toss the seeds. Pumpkin seeds are loaded with zinc. Zinc is needed to make the immune system’s t cells and zinc increases our number of white blood cells. Zinc is actually not common in many fruits and vegetables so you can eat a healthy diet and easily not get enough zinc. Zinc is abundant in many animal foods so vegetarians, in particular, need to seek out sources of zinc. Oysters (unlike other shellfish farmed oysters also fine), crab and legumes are other non-meat zinc sources. If you are pumpkin-less you can purchase pumpkin seeds, I really like a brand called Gerbs.

4. Yogurt and Kefir
Yogurt and Kefir contain probiotics. Probiotics are good bacteria that live in our intestines and support our immune systems. Our digestive tract is actually our largest immune organ and what goes on in there is a good indication of what is going on with your immunity in general. Probiotics occur in other naturally fermented foods such as sauerkraut, natural pickles and miso. Look for yogurts with lactobacillus or bifidobacteria on the ingredient panel, there’s also a great kid’s product called Pro Bugs.

So after reading this go watch your hand (computers are very germy), plan your next workout and stop at the market on your way home for some immune-boosting foods!

Lauren Slayton, a registered dietitian, is the founder of Food Trainers, a New York City-based holistic health and nutrition counseling service. She has developed several programs, including Mindful Menus and Market Foodtraining, to give individuals, families, corporations and athletes attainable strategies for managing a healthy lifestyle.

In 1991, you started using condoms. Sunscreen followed in ’95. And this spring you were wearing a surgical mask when the Toronto Blue Jays visited Fenway. Your policy on life-threatening diseases: maximum protection. So what are you doing to protect your heart? Most guys leave that job up to their rib cage. After all, your heart feels fine. And, really, it’s out of your hands. Isn’t it?
In a few words: No, you ignorant 911-caller-in-waiting. Half of the men in America are laying down plaque for that special day when they keel over.

We want to keep you upright, so we combed thousands of scientific studies to compile the most important advice you’ll ever read in this magazine: 10 tips, tricks, and techniques that will protect you from the number-one killer of men (and their wives). Make them part of your life, and you may just live long enough to see the United States pay its national debt, the Cubs win the World Series, and Madonna retire.

1. Grill a steak. You may think it’s bad for your heart, but you’d be wrong. Beef contains immunity-boosting selenium as well as homocysteine-lowering B vitamins. And up to 50 percent of the fat is the heart-healthy monounsaturated variety.

2. Watch a scary movie. Anything that causes your heart to race—slasher flicks, a good book, even being in love—also makes your heart stronger, according to researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Upsetting the rhythm once in a while is like hitting your heart’s reset button, which helps it keep on ticking.

3. Run indoors on hazy days. Researchers in Finland found that exercising outside on hot, hazy days when air pollution is at its worst can cut the supply of oxygen in the blood, making it more likely to clot.

4. Tell your wife to butt out. Or you may leave her—in a hearse. Researchers in Greece found that individuals who were exposed to cigarette smoke for just 30 minutes three times a week had a 26 percent greater risk of developing heart disease than people who rarely encountered secondhand smoke.

5. Dive in the pool. U.K. researchers found that men who burn just 50 calories a day in strenuous activities like swimming and hiking are 62 percent less likely to die of heart disease than men who burn nearly seven times as many calories — 340 per day — during less active pursuits like walking and golfing.

6. Fight cholesterol with fat. A group of 17 Australian men with high cholesterol swapped macadamia nuts for 15 percent of the calories in their diets, and their total cholesterol dropped by between 3 and 5 percent, while their HDL (good) cholesterol rose by nearly 8 percent. The reason: Macadamias are the best natural source of monounsaturated fat.

7. Bike away the blues. Men who are suffering from depression are more than twice as likely to develop heart disease as guys who aren’t depressed. So c’mon, get happy. In a trial of 150 men and women, Duke researchers found that after just 3 months of treatment, antidepressants and exercise were equally effective at relieving almost all symptoms of depression.

8. Meditate 20 minutes a day. According to Thomas Jefferson University researchers, this daily downtime may reduce your anxiety and depression by more than 25 percent. And that’s important, since a University of Florida study found that patients with coronary artery disease who had the most mental stress were three times more likely to die during the period of the study than those with the least stress.

9. Buy a punching bag. A Harvard study found that men who express their anger have half the risk of heart disease compared with men who internalize it.

10. Take aspirin. Researchers at the University of North Carolina found that regular aspirin consumption cut the risk of coronary heart disease by 28 percent in people who had never had a heart attack or stroke, but were at heightened risk. For maximum impact on your blood pressure, take a low dose just before bed.

source: http://www.menshealth.com/spotlight/heart/100-ways-to-live-forever.php

New research from Tel Aviv shows that starting the day with a full meal that includes a sweet dessert contributes to weight loss success.

PROBLEM: Though restrictive diets often result in weight loss, most obese dieters fail to keep the pounds off as soon as their cravings start to overpower their discipline. Can a more forgiving breakfast topped off with sweets help prevent this all-too-common obesity relapse?

METHODOLOGY: To determine if and how the timing and composition of meals affect short- and long-term weight loss, researchers led by Tel Aviv University’s Daniela Jakubowicz randomly assigned 193 clinically obese, non-diabetic adults, ages 20 to 65, to one of two diet groups with identical daily caloric intake — 1,600 for men, 1,400 for women. Those in the first group ate a low-carbohydrate diet that included a small 300-calorie breakfast while members of the second cluster were given a 600-calorie breakfast high in protein and carbs that always included dessert.

RESULTS: Halfway through the 32-week trial, participants in both groups had lost an average of 33 pounds per person. Things changed drastically soon after, however. While participants in the large-breakfast group lost another 15 pounds each, those in the low-carb group regained an average of 22 pounds each. At the end of the program, those who had less restrictive breakfasts had lost an average of 40 pounds more per person than their peers.

CONCLUSION: Starting the day with a full meal that includes a sweet dessert can bolster and maintain a dieter’s weight-loss progress.

IMPLICATION: Curbing cravings is better than deprivation for dieting success, says Jakubowicz in a statement, since avoiding sweets altogether can create a psychological addiction to these same foods in the long-term.

SOURCE: The full study, “Meal Timing and Composition Influence Ghrelin Levels, Appetite Scores and Weight Loss Maintenance in Overweight and Obese Adults,” is published in the journal Steroids. Also theatlantic.com

Despite millions spent on drug research and development, one of the more promising treatments for Alzheimer’s disease (a progressive brain disorder that affects more than 5 million Americans) is found in a substance widely known for its ability to spice (and color) food.
The compound curcumin, only found in turmeric, is a widely used spice found in Indian food, and is also popular in the cuisines of other South Asian countries like Nepal, Iran and Thailand. The bright yellow spice is familiar to fans of curry dishes, but it has been used in other preparations as well. For centuries, it has been used in Asian medicine.

Like other brightly colored foods (think blueberries, pomegranates and tomatoes), it is the compound that gives turmeric its color that makes it a powerful antioxidant — in this case, curcumin. And like the lycopene in tomatoes and the beta-carotene in carrots, bright orange-yellow curcumin has some seriously amazing health benefits. Preliminary clinical studies show curcumin helps reduce beta amyloid plaque in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s (and prevent plaque buildup in people who don’t have the disease).

This plaque is the key to understanding — and preventing — the disease. As the NY Times recently reported:

The disease is defined by freckles of barnacle-like piles of a protein fragment, amyloid beta, in the brain. So, the current thinking goes, if you block amyloid formation or get rid of amyloid accumulations — plaque — and if you start treatment before the disease is well under way, you might have a chance to alter its course.

According to Terry Lemerond, founder and president of Europharma, “Most brain researchers and Alzheimer’s specialists believe that preventing or reducing beta amyloid plaque in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease is important. Beta amyloid plaque interferes with proper brain function and contributes to dementia.”

Eating lots of turmeric isn’t the only option to get a regular dose of the stuff (though it’s a delicious one). Curcumin extracts are available in pill form, which is how the compound has been used in clinical trials, including the one published in the Journal of Neurochemistry. That trial found a 30 percent decrease in the size of Alzheimer’s-associated brain plaque in treated mice in just one week.

Alzheimer’s isn’t the only condition that might be affected by the brightly-colored spice: “Curcumin has been proven to be an extraordinarily potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound. These properties make it effective for cancer (prevention and treatment), arthritis, liver disease, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and many other health issues — all demonstrated in clinical studies,” says Lemerond.

To boost the efficacy of the curcumin compound, some studies show that it should be ingested with Vitamin D supplements. The two substances then work together to stimulate a type of immune cell that can “clean up” the beta amyloid more quickly and thoroughly.

More research is needed. According to Lemerond, “Alzheimer’s is a very complex disease, and forestalling, or even reversing, dementia is not as simple as reducing plaque.”

source: http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/discovered-indian-spice-reduces-alzheimers-symptoms-by-30