Archive for September, 2009
The Role of Hibiscus Tea in Reducing High Blood Pressure
Posted by: | CommentsHere is a Great Article I found on Elements4health.com to see the full article go to the read more button below.
Hibiscus tea is made from the Hibiscus sabdariffa flower, which has been used in folk medicine as a diuretic and for the treatment of several other complaints, including high blood pressure, liver diseases and fever. The pharmacological actions of the Hibiscus sabdariffa extracts include strong in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activity. Studies have shown that consuming hibiscus tea infusion has positive effects on blood pressure. High blood pressure (hypertension) is defined as having a systolic and diastolic blood pressure greater than 140 and 90 mmHg. Systolic pressure is the pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood and diastolic pressure is the pressure in large arteries when the heart is at rest between beats. A double-blind randomized controlled trial involving 60 type II diabetes patients with mild hypertension… Read More…
Staycations are here to stay
Posted by: | Comments
.jpg)
Need some time to relax and rejuvenate? But watching your pennies with today’s economy? How about a ‘staycation’? All across the country, families have decided to forgo expensive vacations this year and spend more quality time closer to home.
Traveling tends to include more work and stress than originally planned for, not to mention the added expenses, traffic and delays.
Staycations are not about the exotic locale, but how you spend your time. And more often than not, a break from your daily routine is all you really need. Disconnect from technology and recharge your internal battery.
With vacation planning, ask yourself why you’re yearning to “get away” in the first place? Perhaps your job is overly demanding, your relationships have become strained, or you just feel a strong desire to escape the daily grind.
Think about what you hope to achieve during your staycation. Whether it’s rest and relaxation, much needed time with friends and family or maybe some fun activities to add excitement back into your life, prioritize this time for yourself.
During your free time, make a point to try something new. Try an exercise or yoga class that you normally couldn’t go to, take a day trip to a local town, or try a new restaurant or a recipe. Remember to practice extreme self-care and enjoy your staycation!
Brown bag it
Posted by: | Comments
You don’t have to be back in school to pack your lunch. In fact, it’s a growing trend among Americans these days. 8.5 billion people brown-bagged their weekday lunch last year, according to a study by the NPD Group. A survey found that the majority of brown-baggers were motivated by financial reasons as well as efforts to eat healthier. Bringing a lunch from home helps to cut costs as well as unwanted calories from restaurant meals.
Looking for a healthy lunch idea? Check out this New York Times article where Martha Rose Shulman shares a homemade hummus recipe and incorporates the tasty spread in a satisfying vegetarian wrap.
How can you prepare more food from home?
Hummus Wrap
For the hummus:
1 to 2 garlic cloves, to taste; halved, green shoots removed
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt to taste
3 to 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt, as needed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons sesame tahini
For each wrap:
1 large flour tortilla or whole wheat wrap
2 leaves romaine lettuce, ribs cut away
1/8 red pepper, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons cucumber, cut in julienne
Fresh mint leaves (optional)
1. Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and drop in the garlic cloves. Process until they are chopped and adhere to the sides of the bowl. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, and process until very smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.
2. Warm a large flour tortilla for about 10 seconds in the microwave or over a burner, just until flexible. Lay it on your work surface and cover with lettuce leaves, leaving a two-inch border all the way around. Place 3 heaped tablespoons hummus (about 1/4 cup) on top of the lettuce on the bottom half of the tortilla. Top with the red pepper, the cucumber and a few leaves of mint if desired.
3. Fold the bottom edge of the tortilla over the filling. Fold in the sides, then roll up, squeezing the tortilla so that the roll is compact. Place the roll on a piece of plastic wrap. Fold in the sides of the plastic over the ends of the wrap, and roll up tightly to secure. Refrigerate for at least five minutes and for as long as 24 hours.
Yield: 1 3/4 cups hummus. Enough for six or seven wraps.
Advance preparation: The hummus will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator. It will become more pungent. The wrap can be made a day ahead.
"Missing the Mark" But Still Winning in the Long Run?
Posted by: | Comments“Nearly” isn’t exactly a word we associate with achievement. In point of fact, very few things in life, it seems, count much at all if you don’t “hit the nail right on the head.” Luckily for some, this may not be absolutely true when it comes to an extended lifespan. As a chiropractor in Ventura, who has many older patients and is fully dedicated to encouraging exercise at every age, I was very interested in the following study.
Researchers found that of the “least-fit” versus the “slightly more fit” in a recent study of nearly 4,400 healthy Americans, roughly 20 percent with the lowest physical fitness levels doubled the risk of dying over the nine years of the study as the 20 percent with the next-lowest fitness levels. (In other words, those 20 percent who were “closest to” the lowest fitness levels.) This is the time-honored “bad news/good news” outcome. It is undoubtedly bad news if you are a confirmed spectator in life. However, it is undoubtedly good news for those who haven’t totally embraced a sedentary lifestyle but are not, by any stretch of the imagination, very active. Apparently, those men and women who stay just moderately fit as they age may have greater longevity than those who are entirely out-of-shape, the study suggests.
The study included 4,384 middle-aged and senior adults whose fitness levels were determined during exercise treadmill tests sometime between 1986 and 2006. For nearly nine years thereafter, the researchers followed the study groups progress. Such factors as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure were considered in the study. This, in and of itself, underscores the significants of physical fitness itself. In an email to Reuters health, lead researcher, Dr. Sandra Mandic of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, noted: “Our findings suggest that a sedentary lifestyle, rather than differences in cardiovascular risk factors or age, may explain the two-fold higher mortality rates in the least-fit versus slightly more fit individuals.”
Nearly two-thirds of the participants at the least-fit level were not getting the minimum recommended amount of exercise, which is at least 30 minutes of moderate activity (like brisk walking) five or more days a week. “These results emphasize the importance of improving and maintaining high fitness levels by engaging in regular physical activity,” Mandic said, “particularly in poorly-fit individuals.”
After dividing the participants into five groups based on fitness levels, the researchers found that 13 percent of those who were in slightly better shape had died during the study period. But, 25 percent of the least-fit men and women had died during the same period. Only 6 percent of the most-fit group (i.e., the ones who “hit the nail right on the head” had died during the follow-up period.
The five fitness-level groups presented little difference, overall, in their reported exercise routines during most of their adult lives, but notably, they differed in activity levels only in recent years. “Since it is recent physical activity that offers protection,” Mandic said, “it is important to maintain regular physical activity throughout life.”
In this particular study, regardless of weight and other health problems such as those mentioned above, fitness is undeniably linked to longevity. As such, exercise is crucial to the extension of our lifespan. And, naturally, just think of the health benefits we could all derive if we sought to achieve the higher levels of fitness.
SOURCE: Medicine and Science in Sports and exercise, August 2009.
If You Suffer From Tension Headaches or Migraines, Your Ventura Chiropractor Can Help
Posted by: | CommentsYour Chiropractor in Ventura knows that if you suffer from tension headaches or migraines, you are painfully aware of their disabling effects on your life. From his years of experience he knows the difference between the origins and symptoms of both tension headaches and migraines and, most importantly, he knows what to do to help you. Here’s what you should know:
Tension headaches: We all know that life can be a pain, on occasion, and result in a tension headache. Many people have suffered from more than one. If you’ve had a tension headache, then you probably experience it as a dull, aching head pain that is frequently accompanied by a feeling of tightness or pressure across your forehead or on the sides and back of your head. Sometimes, you might feel a tenderness of your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles, and occasionally you may lose your appetite.
Tension headaches are usually described as mild to moderately intense. The severity of the pain varies from one individual to another, and from one headache to another in the same person. Tension headaches can occur infrequently or you may have them quite frequently. If your headaches happen fifteen or more days a month for at least three months, they’re viewed as chronic. If tension headaches are interrupting your life, chiropractic treatment may be the answer.
Migraine Headaches: Migraine headaches are different from the common tension-related headache. According to the National Headache Foundation, migraines frequently take place on one side of the head only. The throbbing or pulsating pain is accompanied by nausea or vomiting. Auras, visual disruptions an hour before a migraine attack, and disturbances such as pulsating light, lines or dots, are experienced by one-fifth of migraine sufferers.
Are you someone who experiences the painful symptoms of migraines? If you are, you know the upsetting, debilitating effects that this sort of condition can have on your life. Sadly, you likely know by now that standard over-the-counter medications are ineffective, and prescription drugs generally have harmful side effects. Still, the pain of a migraine can incapacitate you for hours, days, even a lifetime. It’s time to finally get rid of the pain and get your life back! Chiropractic management has proved to be highly beneficial in relieving and eliminating migraine headaches.
Make an appointment with Dr. Alff, your Ventura Chiropractor, today. He can help!
