Best Of Health

Recent research is beginning to show that an apple a day may indeed keep the doctor away. Some studies have shown that eating apples has been linked to reducing cancer risk.
Apples contain bioflavonoids, a food substance known to reduce the risk of lung cancer. In certain research it is suggested that it can reduce the lung cancer rate as much as 50%. There is also evidence that those same flavonoids may offer the same protection for the bladder.

Quercetin, also a flavonoid, is abundant in apples is a powerful anti-histamine which makes apples an excellent food for allergies. As well it has been found to help prevent the growth of prostate cancer cells.

In addition, studies have shown that a diet rich in apples assists in lowering the blood cholesterol level. Pectin is a soluble fibre present in apples plays a role in removing fats from the digestive tract as well as inhibiting the oxidation of LDL, a process thought to contribute to heart disease and stroke. Pectin also contributes to the maintenance of regular bowel habits which prevents the build up of toxins which migrate to the body when present in the bowel

Apples are also a source of catechins the powerful anti-oxidant found in green tea as well. Catechins are instrumental in preventing cancer as well as reducing the tissue degeneration of aging.

If all the health benefits of apples are not enough, they have also been found to prevent wrinkles and promoting hair growth due to their anti-oxidant activity as well as a substance called procyanidin or vitamin B-2 which promotes healthy growth of skin and hair.

                  AN EXCERPT FROM THE ANTI-AGING MANUAL

Remember the old adage about needing your beauty sleep? Well it turns out your grandmother was right. A long life of good health depends on the regeneration that only comes during deep sleep. Human growth hormone, necessary for cell regeneration is secreted during sleep. Growth hormone is also key for detoxification and building of body systems, breaking down of fat stores and normalization of blood sugar. During sleep free radicals are scavenged in the brain and body tissue minimizing its aging improving health as well as creating a youthful glowing appearance.

When you are completely rested you should wake up naturally in the morning feeling rested and ready to start your day. If you have difficulty waking, experience drowsiness through the day, fatigue,  moodiness, irritability or muscle tension chances are you are sleep deprived. Addressing sleep issues is key to any anti-aging program.


CONSISTENT SLEEP PATTERNS
Keeping  consistent  sleep and wake times gives the body a daily rhythm on which the cycle of growth hormone and melatonin production are built. Irregular sleep patterns can increase the amount of stress hormones produced causing fatigue and free radical damage. Solid sleep also enhances the immune system reducing susceptibility to infection. As much as possible follow the same routine each night which allows you to relax and prepare your body for sleep and to gain maximum benefit.


YOUR SURROUNDINGS
The bedroom should be your haven. Keep it clutter free and as comfortable, beautiful and luxurious as possible. Keep it quiet and softly lit as you prepare for bed. This should be the room you look forward to as evening draws to a close.

The bedroom is not the place for TV or computers or strife. Electronic devices including alarm clocks emit electromagnetic fields that can interfere with sound sleep. They also emit light which can cause wakefulness. Keep the sleeping area as dark as possible or wear a mask that can block light to the eyes as well as the pineal gland which is at the centre of the brain straight back from between the eyes.

Any emotional or stress related problems should be resolved before bedtime or at least left outside the room until the next day. Mulling over issues while in bed can interfere with sleep and have you feeling and looking exhausted the next day.

Sleepwear should be light and soft so not to cause discomfort as you slumber. You can also wear nothing at all to bed. This gives the body the ability to move comfortably about without clothes to bind and wrinkle.

Bedding and night clothes should be made of natural fibre such as cotton or bamboo. Synthetic clothing tends to irritate the nervous system and doesn’t allow the skin to breathe.

The bed should be the best you can afford. It should provide adequate support overall with a surface that cushions the body and allows it to rest easily.

BEFORE BED
As you get ready for bed, a warm bath in mineral salts or epsom salts can relax the body and prepare you for sleep. Make the temperature comfortably warm but not too hot as the movement of circulation may stimulate and make you more wakeful. You can add a few drops of lavender essential oil to the water to help you relax as well. Just before sleeping is also the time for soft music or meditation to calm the mind. Reading materials should be soothing or inspiring rather than exciting or provoking.

 
ACTIVITIES
When you are physically active sleep tends to come more easily and be more sound. Exercise such as brisk  walking and or yoga should be done daily to keep the muscles toned and strong. Stimulation of large muscles in the legs and back  promotes production of growth hormone. Yoga gives the whole body an internal massage that promotes detoxification and development of a healthy immune system. Walking can provide aerobic exercise if it is done continuously for twenty minutes at a speed that is comfortably brisk for you. Exercise should be done earlier in the day rather than before bed. You may try walking early in the morning or on your lunch break while yoga may serve well to calm you at the end of your work day before dinner.

Getting outside during the day for exposure to sunlight and retiring soon after darkness sets in promotes the production of melatonin the sleep hormone. As we get older we tend to make less of this hormone which is the reason why sleep seems to be less deep and restful as we age. Encouraging the body to make melatonin naturally using light is best but supplementing with melatonin can also contribute to a more restful sleep if you find it eludes you.

 IN RESPONSE TO MY OWN CONCERNS ABOUT THE PRODUCTS USED IN MAINSTREAM SKIN CARE I HAVE SOURCED A NEW LINE OF FACE AND BODY CARE THAT ANSWERED MY MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION: "CAN I EAT THIS?"  THE ANSWER FROM "AWAKEN MY SENSES"  WAS DEFINITELY "YES!"I AM DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE THE ARRIVAL OF THEIR FULL LINE OF PRODUCTS TO MY HEALTH REJUVENATING CENTRE.

CALL FOR  YOUR CONSULTATION

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OR EMAIL thebestofhealth@sympatico.ca  

If we consider what life must have been like for our more primitive ancestors, we might find the key to why we eat such and unhealthy diet. The very things we crave, sugar, salt, and fat are critical to body function in very small amounts. These three things are very hard to find in nature. The craving mechanism encouraged early and tribal humans to seek foods that would provide these rare nutrients among the variety of other more abundant but no less necessary substances. Early humans would forage and hunt for food on a daily basis. Since foraging would produce a variety of plants, berries, roots and fruits in a safe and easy way, it stands to reason that the mainstay of the diet would come from these foods with smaller amounts coming from the meats provided by the much more dangerous hunt.

The foods we crave, being the hardest to come by, were gained in small quantities and were mixed in with all the other more abundant nutrients that were just as important to production of a healthy body. As we became more sophisticated in our ability to grow and store food, the ability to concentrate the rare substances and to store them increased. Now the foods we crave the most became more readily accessible and life got a little easier. Salt could be stored, sugar extracted from plants, grains grown and animals domesticated and herded and slaughtered instead of hunted. Now those precious and rare nutrients became the easiest to access. Foraging for plants and roots and berries gave way to agrarian food sources. As life became easier and less precarious, certain ailments began to plague humankind. It is in the Mesopotamian Valley where farming first began that we begin to see evidence of degenerative diseases such as arthritis, osteoporosis and cancer.

Fast forward to modern society. In most of the world, we live in a society where all food is available in a variety of forms and one need never forage or even go to the garden for nutrition. We can find it on the shelves of the grocery store in packages and if we don’t feel like heating these oven ready packages in the microwave, we can go to the fast food emporium where the much craved sugar, salt and fats can be found in one convenient ready to eat “Happy Meal”. Now more than ever, the foods that should be hard to come by and therefore limited in our diet, have become the mainstay.

Sugar, salt and fat are now the contributing factors to so many of the illnesses that plague us today. Heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes and cancer are all linked to eating too much of the foods we crave the most. They are healthy in small amounts but deadly when consumed in  excess. It is time to go back to the garden. Eating 70% fruits and vegetables and 30%  grains, meats, dairy and fats can make a difference in how you look and feel. Try it for one month and see what happens.

Quercetin is part of the flavonoid family and is a yellow powdered crystalline substance found in the rind,skin and bark of many plants. Like other flavonoids, quercetin is responsible for the pigment or colour of the various plants in which it occurs. There have been a number of studies done recently on the many benefits of quercetin and so far the results seem to indicate this powerful anti-oxidant is a champion for good health.

Among the many benefits attributed to quercetin is cardiovascular protection. As a potent anti-oxidant, quercetin seems to prevent the oxidation and subsequent deposit of LDL to arterial walls. It also prevents the free radical activity that can cause damage to the arteries. It can also help prevent cataracts and macular degeneration. As a free radical scavenger it also has powerful anti-cancer activity and in some studies it has been shown to shrink certain types of tumours.

It also has anti-inflammatory properties probably through inhibition of inflammatory prostaglandins thus providing relief from such diseases such as arthritis and gout. Recent studies also indicate it inhibits histamine activity making it a natural choice for allergy sufferers.

There is also indication that quercetin plays a role in prevention of gastric ulcers possibly by preventing lipid peroxidation of gastric cells. It has also been shown to inhibit the growth of heliobactor pylori bacteria which are linked to formation of ulcers.

Current information would show 200mg to 300mg twice to three times daily may be beneficial as a supplement. It has also been shown that higher doses can contribute to cellular damage in rats and mice so it would be wise to follow dosage guidelines.

With all the wonderful benefits of quercetin to be found as close as your fruit and vegetable market why not seek a diet rich in quercetin along with all the other vitamins, minerals and flavonoids beneficial to good health?

Quercetin can be found in onions, apples, blueberries, black currants, black tea, cocoa, grapes and dark cherries.

One of the things I am asked about almost daily is clarification on the pH of the body and what the numbers mean.

In chemistry term pH represents "Potential Hydrogen" and is a measurement of acidity. An acid is any chemical that releases hydrogen ions in solution. When measuring pH, 7 is considered neutral (neither acid nor alkaline) and each number on the scale represents a tenfold change in hydrogen ion concentration. In other words 5 is ten times more acid than 6 and 8 is ten times more alkaline than 7.

The body's blood and tissues function within a very narrow range approximately 7.35 to 7.45. If blood falls below 7.3 acidosis  results and if it rises above 7.5 alkalosis becomes the problem. Fortunately for us, our body has and amazing capacity to buffer and balance pH to levels that will keep us alive and functional.

Balancing pH is a complicated, multisystem effort that includes lungs, bones and kidneys. The pH of urine is often more acid than saliva. This is a signal that the body's buffering system is doing its job to bring the systems to balance. To find a saliva reading of 6.8 to 7.4 with a urine reading of 6.3 is not unusual especially after the ingestion of acid residue foods such as meats, nuts and grains. This is a sign that the kidneys are excreting excess acids in order to maintain functional balance. When the diet is consistently acidic the bones will provide a buffering system which depletes calcium stores in order to maintain the all important blood balance. A diet high in meats and pasteurized dairy products can put stress on both kidneys and bones to keep the terrain within safe pH limits. While most fruits and vegetables have an alkaline residue when ingested.

The most effective way to keep the body within a healthy pH range is by incorporating a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. The ratio of  alkaline residue foods to acid foods should be around 75% alkaline to 25% acid. The simplest way to do this is to establish a meal with these ratios in mind. Or when loading your plate make sure it is 75% veggies with 25% being the other items. Fruits and veggies as snacks will also ensure this balance. 

A  properly balanced body will ensure a stronger immune system stronger bones and healthier organ systems.