Lemon Zest Helps Prevent Skin Cancer

Posted on June 25, 2010 by Nicola

With the summer months enticing us out to the beaches, we need to review our sun protection methods.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer, affecting more than 2 million people in the United States each year. Squamous Cell Carcinoma [SCC] is a type of non-melanoma skin cancer and is highly treatable if diagnosed and treated early.

Living in New Zealand, with our harsh solar conditions, we are all particularly conscious of skin cancer. Naturally, we are cautious about sun protection, but I was searching the other day for some more preventative measures against skin cancer. One I came across was lemon zest.

It seems that a particular compound in lemon peel, d-Limonene, helps to prevent squamous cell carcinoma by up to 34%. D-Limonene helps to keep skin cancer cells from growing and multiplying. It makes up more than 90 percent of citrus-peel oil. An Arizona based study showed that those who consumed the most citrus zest had the lowest rates of SCC.  And in this case, the more the better – the more lemon, orange, and grapefruit zest the people consumed, the more they were protected from SCC.

For more on Skin Cancer and How To Prevent Skin Cancer

Nicola

Posted in Antiaging Treatments, Cancer, Skincare | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

The Sour Truth About Sugar

Posted on April 23, 2010 by Nicola

Sugar is one of the deadly aging foods that can have extremely bad impact on your health – but you know that right?  You do your best to avoid sugar laden softdrinks, sweets and cookies. But do you also apply the same caution to tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce,  bologna and pretzel?

If you don’t think you consume a lot of sugar, take a look at these stats:

The average sugar consumption per person has risen from 4 pounds a year in the year 1700, to 18 pounds in 1800, 90 pounds in 1900 and a staggering 180 pounds in 2009. That’s half a pound a day!!

So where is this sugar consumption coming from:

  • Processed foods – Many so-called low-fat foods are higher in sugar than their full fat counterparts.
  • Infant formula – has the sugar equivalent of one can of Coca-Cola – I really wish I was kidding

No wonder 32 percent of Americans are obese and an additional one-third are overweight. This excess weight increases your risk for deadly conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes.

So just why are we so immune to poisoning ourselves and our children. Is it just that we are unaware. Go to your refrigerator and pantry and start looking at food labels. Where once we knew how much sugar was in each serving [because we prepared it from raw ingredients]; today the sugar is easily hidden in most foods you purchase. I mean, sugar in baby formula…that’s child abuse in my book.

I asked my dentist why we now have to suffer that sickly ‘Cherry’ flavoured mouthwash in surgeries. His answer was, children don’t like the taste of peppermint. Probably because as parents we have screwed up their tastebuds from day 1.

When I travel from NZ, I often find flavoured products such as milkshakes or chocolate far too sweet – the sugar content is significantly higher than we are used in in NZ.

With so many of us searching for ways to slash our budgets – try dumping 80% of processed food you buy. You will reduce your sugar intake, your fat intake and your salt intake in one shot. You will save money….and most importantly, you will greatly improve your chance of good health in the future.

You owe it to yourself, and your family!

Posted in Diet, Food Facts, Weight Management | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Tinnitus – Fraud of the Rings

Posted on April 8, 2010 by Nicola

Do you hear ringing, when there is nothing ringing….it’s all in your head!!  This condition would drive me to drink. I am super sensitive to noise of any type, so can only imagine the frustration and irritation one must experience with Tinnitus. Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the ear, when there is no external source – most sufferers describe it as a ‘ringing in the ears’.

Although not a disease, Tinnitus is a symptom of a number of different underlying causes, including ear infections, wax in the ear, allergies that prevent fluid draining from the sinuses or a side effect of some medication. It is also a natural hearing impairment that may be a result of genetic hearing loss or hearing loss associated with age.

I have yet to hear of any truly effective medical interventions for Tinnitus, other than for conditions where treating wax or fluid build up relieve the symptoms. However, there are a few simple things you might like to try at home.

  • Eliminate or at least reduce the intake of caffeine and quinine [found in Tonic Water]
  • Avoid large doses of aspirin and alcohol
  • Take Vitamin B12 – a deficiency in B12 is a known cause of Tinnitus
  • Mask out the irritation with Biofeedback and/or White noise.

If you have experienced Tinnitus and have found a solution, we would love to hear from you.

Nicola

Posted in Aging Conditions, Wellness | Tagged | Leave a comment

Reliable Measure of Men’s Health

Posted on March 23, 2010 by Nicola

According to television celebrity doctor Dr Oz, “a mans penis is the dipstick to his health”. Changes in health of men is reflected in the change of sexual performance.

The penis relies on a good blood flow to get and maintain an erection. Any health problem that impacts circulation in general will be reflected in the quantity of blood flow to the penis, leading to varying degrees of sexual dysfunction. When performance issues arise, most men refuse to admit there is a problem – preferring to blame lack of emotional or psychological engagement with their spouses as impacting their level of desire, rather than seeking out the alternative – a medical reason.

In most instances, sexual dysfunction is a medical condition, for example:

Lowering testosterone levels – leading to lowered libido. A commonly ignored causal factor is the amount of fat on the body. Fat produces oestrogen, which in men, leads to a reduction in testosterone. So the bigger the belly, the bigger the problem below it.

The remedy is to use gels or injections to remedy the lack of testosterone, and to exercise to trigger testosterone production.

And let’s sign off with a few facts around sexual performance in men:

  • The average times a man has sex in a year = 58
  • The average length of an erect penis is 5.4″
  • Lose 35 lb and one inch more penis becomes visible
  • Stop smoking and gain 1cm

If you want more information on this topic – try the book Size Matters: The Hard Facts About Male Sexuality That Every Woman Should Know

Posted in Antiaging, Wellness | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Revisiting Antioxidants

Posted on March 11, 2010 by Nicola
Antioxidants are a group of organic substances know as carotenoids that include vitamins C and E, vitamin A, selenium (a mineral). Carotenoids are the pigment compounds that give many fruits and vegetables their vibrant colors, with beta-carotene is the most well know carotenoid. Antioxidants work by destroying free harmful radicals. Free radicals can damage cell walls, genetic material within cells and other cell structures. This leads to cell malformation – the changes that contribute to aging, cancer, heart disease, stroke and many other ailments associated with natural aging. . Over time such damage may lead to disease.
The higher your toxic intake from food, environmental pollutants, toxic chemicals from smoking and drugs, the higher your need for antioxidants.
There are different ways to boost your antioxidant power house
Antioxidants used to boost the bodies ability to produce a number antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase, and catalase, that destroy many types of harmful free radicals. Supplements of these enzymes can also be taken, however absorption is typically low.
Supplements the body needs to make these enzymes may be more effective are more potent – including the minerals managanese, zinc and copper for SOD and selenium for glutathione peroxidase.
Vitamins and minerals are effective antioxidants in their own right – such as vitamin E, vitamin C, lutein, lycopene, vitamin B2, coenzyme Q10, and cysteine (an amino acid). Herbs, such as grape seed, bilberry, turmeric (curcumin), ginkgo, milk thistle and green tea also contain powerful antioxidant compounds. This appears to be the most effective way to increase your antioxidant stores.

Antioxidants are a group of organic substances know as carotenoids that include vitamins C and E, vitamin A, selenium (a mineral). Carotenoids are the pigment compounds that give many fruits and vegetables their vibrant colors, with beta-carotene is the most well know carotenoid. Antioxidants work by destroying free harmful radicals. Free radicals can damage cell walls, genetic material within cells and other cell structures. This leads to cell malformation – the changes that contribute to aging, cancer, heart disease, stroke and many other ailments associated with natural aging. . Over time such damage may lead to disease.

The higher your toxic intake from food, environmental pollutants, toxic chemicals from smoking and drugs, the higher your need for antioxidants.

There are different ways to boost your antioxidant power house

  • Antioxidants used to boost the bodies ability to produce a number antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase, and catalase, that destroy many types of harmful free radicals. Supplements of these enzymes can also be taken, however absorption is typically low.
  • Supplements the body needs to make these enzymes may be more effective are more potent – including the minerals managanese, zinc and copper for SOD and selenium for glutathione peroxidase.
  • Vitamins and minerals are effective antioxidants in their own right – such as vitamin E, vitamin C, lutein, lycopene, vitamin B2, coenzyme Q10, and cysteine (an amino acid). Herbs, such as grape seed, bilberry, turmeric (curcumin), ginkgo, milk thistle and green tea also contain powerful antioxidant compounds. This appears to be the most effective way to increase your antioxidant stores.
Posted in Antiaging Products, Cancer, Diet | 13 Comments

‘Brain Hack’ to Boost Brain Power

Posted on February 2, 2010 by Nicola
I learnt this neat little trick from Mark Joyner of Simpleology – and the trick is by you, on you.
Its a 30 second cure for brain fug!
Simply close your eyes and visualize in your mind that your head is about one inch bigger all around than it really is. It takes a bit of practice, and be careful not to fall into the trap I did by stopping breathing – it doesn’t do a lot for your oxygen levels!!
Hold this image in your head for about 30 seconds – this sends your nervous system a signal to pump more oxygen to your brain.
This bizarre “brain hack,” is actually measurable via CT scan.
On opening your eyes, you can expect a sense of heightened alertness.
Post a reply to let me know how you get on.

I learnt this neat little trick from Mark Joyner of Simpleology – and the trick is by you, on you.

Its a 30 second cure for brain fug!

Simply close your eyes and visualize in your mind that your head is about one inch bigger all around than it really is. It takes a bit of practice, and be careful not to fall into the trap I did by stopping breathing – it doesn’t do a lot for your oxygen levels!!

Hold this image in your head for about 30 seconds – this sends your nervous system a signal to pump more oxygen to your brain.

On opening your eyes, you can expect a sense of heightened alertness.

This bizarre “brain hack,” is actually measurable via CT scan.

Post a reply to let me know how you get on.

Posted in Mind Power | Tagged | 4 Comments

To Menopause or Not to Menopause, That is the Question

Posted on December 26, 2009 by Nicola

One of my favorite health and wellness newsletters is from Dr Mercola. In a link I followed from the latest newsletter I came across this delightful play on words – “men-o-pause”. Now I am sure that most men agree, that the mood swings that women go through do indeed lead to pause of action – best to stay away until the ‘moment’ subsides. And from a womans perspective, and from a medical perspective, menopause heralds the beginning of the end of childbearnig capability.

I am not inclined to write further on this subject other than to suggest that one take care in formulating ones own treatment for the symptoms of menopause. It is a subject that is deeply divided between using artificially developed chemicals from natural sources and those homeopathhic solutions that claim to negate the need for anything termed as a ‘drug’. I have managed to get a very experienced homeopath to admit that the doses of herbs et al required to have the same impact as a prescription drug is very high – and no doubt very expensive. It confirms a belief I hold that one is best adopting ones own view of such treatments – personally, I prefer to take advantage of both. I can find many more worthy homeopathic investments than that for managing menopause [not that I am at that stage yet] – but then I most likely won’t be, as I have opted to stay on a low dose of oestrogen and progesterone [both prescriptions or developed solutions] to avoid the menace – I mean, why opt to go through all that drama, to interupt ones life for up to 24 months when there is a perfectly safe alternative – for me anyway.

Some women have pre-existing medical conditions that make taking such drugs high risk. But I don’t – and my cancer inducing factors are very low. So take your own counsel on this very personal subject, and remember, if the scaremongers suggest you will ruin your liver or get breast cancer by taking menopause symptom drugs, there are many ways you can offset this danger – you guessed it, using herbal remdies!!

Posted in Aging Conditions | Tagged | 1 Comment

Exercise Impact on Diabetes Not Getting Through

Posted on November 7, 2009 by Nicola

Recent data on diabetes cases indicates diabetes is rising rapidly in the U.S. According to a new Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index survey, the disease is now affecting 11.3% of American adults, up from 10.4% in Q3, 2009. This equates to about 26 million Americans now, and if the trend continues, 37 million w by the end of 2015.

Interestingly, the survey also showed the U.S. obesity rate is up about 1 percent on Q:Q comparisons with 2008. Individuals who are obese are almost three times as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes. Currently, more than one-fifth of obese adults have diabetes [21.2%, compared to 7.4% of non-obese of similar age]

Further correlations indicated a higher incidence of diabetes among those who didn’t exercise at least a half hour on any given day in the previous week. Indications of exercise undertaken in the week prior to the survey:

  • Exercised at least 30 minutes a day, every day – 9.5%
  • Exercised at least 30 minutes a day, four to six times – 8%
  • Did not exercise at least 30 minutes any time -15%

Maybe the government does need to introduce a FAT TAX – not on the food, but on the people. It will solve the health budget and economy all in one hit.

Posted in Aging Conditions, Disease Prevention, Fat Loss | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

8 Part Antiaging & Restorative Medicine Series

Posted on October 27, 2009 by Nicola

Coming up soon - an 8 part blog series on the latest in antiaging and restorative medicine.

Over the past few years there have been signficant advances in restorative medicine, and longer term findings on the various approaches to antiaging medicine and wellness.

This series will focus on different protocols such as: Caloric restriction – just what personal impact does it have on longevity Restorative medicine – how they grow your own replacement body parts in just a few weeks Oxygen therapy – a new use for old technology ….and many more.

Don’t miss out on this update series that gives you all the information on how to add decades to your life.

Click on the orange RSS link at the top of the right hand column to get these blogs directly to your email inbox.

Posted in Anti-Aging Program, Antiaging Treatments, Treatments | 1 Comment

Improved Sleep for Osteoarthritis Sufferers

Posted on August 21, 2009 by Nicola

A recent study has show Cognitive behavioral therapy to be effective in the treatment for insomnia in older people who suffer pain from osteoarthritis. 60 percent of people with the disease report pain during the night. As a sufferer of chronic pain syndrome, brought about by sleep deprivation during a time of chronic pain, I have sympathy with such persons so found the study interesting. I am also aware of Sleep Anxiety – where one becomes so desperate to get to sleep, that it makes falling asleep even more difficult

Pain perception may decrease when people sleep better. In turn, improved sleep leads to improvement in coexisting medical or psychiatric illnesses. Once an individual learns how to improve their sleep, the improvement persists for a year or more according to the researchers.

The study included 23 older patients with osteoarthritis who were assigned a stress management and wellness program. Those receiving the cognitive behavioral therapy reported improvements in sleep quality and pain relief measures before and after treatment, and a year later. Those that didn’t receive cognitive therapy showed no significant improvements in sleep quality or pain.

One aspect the study didn’t uncover was whether sleep disturbance preceded or follows pain onset, but researchers believe reciprocal effects are likely.

The study is published in the Aug. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

Posted in Aging Conditions, Mind Power, Stress Management | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments