Friday, January 9, 2009

Vitamin A for Better Eyesight

As young children, our moms insisted that we eat our veggies whether we liked them or not. As adults, we incorporate the same standards when it comes to serving nutritious food to our kids. The one area which plagues many of us is poor eyesight and how to improve your vision. In fact, you may be one of several million people reading this with eyeglasses. Vitamin A for better eyesight is important for anyone who is trying to achieve a healthier lifestyle.

Also known as retinal, Vitamin A promotes better eyesight. It also aids in the prevention of different types of eye conditions, including macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma. Found in foods such as eggs, dairy products, fish oils, and vegetables – specifically carrots, vitamin A is a necessary component which produces beta-carotene in the body.

Poor vision can be debilitating, especially as we become older. Although there have been technological advances such as Lasik surgery, the inability to focus, read, or even drive can have an adverse affect on how we live our daily lives.

In addition, lack of vitamin A can cause other problems such as dry eyes and night blindness. Let’s face it; whether you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses, having poor vision limits your capacity to enjoy those things in life which give you the most pleasure.

To get your essential vitamin A, you can also consume fruits and vegetables that are yellow, green, and orange in color. For example, carrots, sweet potatoes, leafy green vegetables, broccoli, and cantaloupe are all excellent as part of your dietary regimen. They all contain carotenoids which, when digested, are converted into vitamin A. Oh, and don’t forget the spinach!

Studies have shown that eating one carrot a day contains twice the RDA of vitamin A. Perhaps you take veggies to work for snacking or lunch, or you include a myriad of vegetables for dinner. If you do, good for you! You are promoting good eye health - not just for you but for your family as well.

Here’s a little recipe you might wish to try in the morning. Take two carrots and an apple, cut them in small chunks and place them in your blender. The result is a vitamin-enriched drink that is not only great as a breakfast treat, but can also be utilized throughout your day. Your kids will love it, too!

Hindsight is 20/20 (pardon the pun!), and our grandmothers and mothers were right to insist we eat our veggies. Today, we impart the same knowledge about healthy foods that we learned from them. Children, who are especially lacking in daily doses of vitamins today, can benefit greatly from our experience.

Vitamin A for better eyesight is a proven fact. So add the veggies to the dinner menu, prepare them as snack drinks, and include them in your kids’ lunchboxes. The eyes are the windows to the world, as they say; therefore, now is the time to do whatever you can to keep your eyes as healthy as possible so that you and your kids can enjoy the wonders of the world together.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Get Rid of Garbage With a Detox Treatment

It seems to be a little disgusting when you are detoxing or cleansing. Your body shows some signs that you have built up toxins. These toxins can affect your whole body fitness and health.

There are times that you feel sluggish and feel the stressful. Your body may experience continuous aching, diarrhea, constipation, and feeling of clumsiness. Rapid weight gain and the incapacity to lose the excess weight can also be signs of having toxins in the body.

Moreover, the toxins found in the body are found and stored on your fat cells. For Americans who are taking the usual American diet, a person may consume 70 trillion garbage cans for each cell. In detoxing your body and cleaning that unwanted garbage in your cells, you should pay attention on your elimination organs.

There are particular organs in your body that deal on cell waste management. These organs play a major role in the detoxing process for a fit and healthy body.

1. Your liver is the organ that recycles the unwanted chemicals in the body. It sorts out the toxins and places them to the organ for elimination during the process of circulation. The principal elimination organs will back up the liver on where these toxins will be stored and then eliminated.

2. The lymph glands also play an important role in eliminating the toxins. A network of tubing brings out the excess waste of the cells from the body and to the final eliminating organs. The appendix, thymus, tonsil, and spleens are major lymphatic glands that help the major organs of the body in cleansing and detoxing.

3. The kidneys help in the water management of the body. They are the ones that keep the good chemistry of the blood alkaline by eliminating the dissolved acid waste. You can help your kidney to function very well by drinking plenty of water. It is much better if you drink fresh alkaline juices and purified water. You may take ½ ounce of alkaline everyday to see positive results on your body weight.

4. The lungs are the organs that keep the blood air purified. They allow the oxygen to go directly to the bloodstream. It is also responsible in removing waste gases that are found in every cell of the body. Deep breathing and fresh air is very helpful in keeping the lungs healthy and free from toxins. If you are in the urban area, it is recommended that you find an oxygen rich area where you can perform deep breathing.

5. The colon is a solid waste management organ in your body. Medical practitioners have found many people that may have an 80-pound mucus and rubber like solid waste that are found on the walls of the colon. Colon detox can be a real tough thing to do. However, having a free waste colon can certainly provide you good benefits of having a clean and healthy body.

If you are experiencing some signs of detoxification, you may try doing a regular walking exercise. Exercise is a good key in having a fit and healthy body. Many diet doctors also suggest that you drink plenty of lemon water. This is an effective way of maintaining a very good circulation and can increase the rate of detoxification inside the body.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Natural Treatments for Warts

There are several different ways you can remove warts from your skin right in your own home. These are remedies that can be a big help without the agony of removing them through surgical treatments or even applying acidic compounds. Warts are caused by viral infections and can show up just about anywhere on your body, including the soles of your feet.

Here are some simple treatments for removing these annoying skin infections.

Remedy # 1
Soak the wart in warm water for about 15 to 25 minutes and towel dry. The water will soften up the wart for the next step. When the soaked wart is dry, apply vinegar, preferably apple cider vinegar, to the wart using a cotton ball then leave it for about 15 minutes. Wash off the vinegar with clean water then dry it.

Remedy # 2
Dissolve an aspirin in a very small amount of water then apply the solution on the wart. After applying the aspirin solution, cover the area with a bandage. Repeat this procedure at least twice a day; upon waking up and before going to bed are probably the most convenient times.

Remedy # 3
Dissolve baking soda in some water, and rub the solution on the wart at least three to four times every day. You can also use gauze that is soaked with a mixture of castor oil and baking soda and apply it to the wart. To keep out dirt and other particles, cover it with a bandage then leave it in place for the night.

Remedy # 4
In order to get rid of ugly plantar warts, you can do it naturally by applying the pulp of a ripe banana or even a raw banana peel on the wart. Then, to avoid being in contact with any foreign substances, cover it with a clean cloth or bandage. Remove the application only when you are going to take a bath. Do the procedure daily for a couple of months.

Remedy # 5
For warts that are years old, the best suggestion is to apply chewed cashew on the wart. Do this for a couple of days. You’ll notice that the wart disappears after about three to four weeks.

Remedy # 6
A dandelion stem can also be helpful in getting rid of warts. Rub the stem on the wart two to three times every day until the wart is completely gone, which should be in about three to four weeks.

Remedy # 7
Crushed garlic is also an effective remedy that can be rubbed on the wart three times a day until it disappears in three weeks to a month. Mash a garlic glove so that it becomes moist and pulpy. You should start to see some effects within a day or two.

These procedures are only few natural treatments that can be an effective cure for warts.

A Comprehensive List of Food Safety Tips

by Josh Stone

Whether you have a career in food preparation, entertain privately, or just cook for your family, food safety has some science to it that you should know. What with hearing a story in the news every other day about yet another Salmonella or E. Coli outbreak, we could all stand to hear a refresher course in the sanitary preparing of food.

Handling food

Wash and dry hands thoroughly before handling food. Always use clean kitchen utensils for handling foods. Keep raw and cooked food apart at all times. Apply this especially to raw meat, fish, and poultry. Keep these away from cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods. Wash and dry hands, utensils, cutting boards, knives, and flat surfaces thoroughly after preparing raw meat, fish, poultry and other raw foods and before contact with other food. Ideally you should use separate cutting boards for raw and cooked foods. Never put cooked food onto a plate which has previously held these raw foods until it has been washed. Do not use the same utensil to stir or serve a cooked meal that was used to prepare the raw ingredients.

Vegetables of the root family such as potatoes, leeks and carrots often have traces of soil on them which can contain harmful bacteria, so wash them thoroughly before use. As a rule you should wash other fruit and vegetables too, especially if they are going to be eaten raw. Avoid preparing food for yourself or others if you are sick.

Defrosting

When cooking packaged frozen foods always follow instructions provided for defrosting or cooking directly from frozen. If cooking from frozen allow sufficient time for food to be thoroughly cooked and check it before serving; an extra minute in the fryer won't hurt it. When defrosting foods make sure they are fully defrosted before cooking; being sure to allow food enough time to thaw. Never re-freeze food once it has started to thaw.

Thaw food by placing it on the bottom shelf of the fridge in a container to catch any juices, or in a bin or rack over a sink. These juices will often be contaminated so wash dishes and hands thoroughly after use. Only thaw food in a microwave oven if it is to be cooked immediately. To thaw very large meat items like turkeys, leg of lamb, etc. more quickly, let them defrost outside of the fridge. Put them in a cool place and make sure they are completely thawed before cooking.

Cooking and heating

Follow recipes and label instructions on cooking times and temperatures.

Remember to preheat the oven properly - the instructions for preheating take into account that the cooking time should be at the full temperature. Cook all foods until they are piping hot. Remember that sausages, burgers, pork and poultry are cooked all the way through and they should not be rare or pink in the middle. As a test, pierce it with a knife; any juices that run out of the meat should be clear, not bloody. Lamb and beef (except when minced or rolled) can be eaten rare, but you should make sure the outer surface is thoroughly cooked to kill any germs on the surface of the meat.

Elderly or sick people, babies, young children and pregnant women should only eat eggs cooked until both yolk and white are solid and should never eat raw or partially cooked seafood. Don't cook foods too far in advance. Once cooked, foods should be kept covered and piping hot (above 145F) until it's time to serve them. Keep prepared cold foods in the fridge until you are ready to serve them.

When using a microwave, stir foods and drinks and allow them to stand for a couple of minutes to avoid hot or cold spots. Check that food is hot throughout before serving. Foods that are not thoroughly cooked should be re-heated for another few minutes, but when it comes to microwaves food should not be reheated more than twice.

Cooling

Never put hot food directly into the fridge or freezer, let it cool sufficiently first. Cooling should be completed within one or two hours after cooking. To speed cooling you can divide foods into smaller portions, place in a wide dish and stand this in a shallow tray of cold water.

Extra care for babies

Because babies' immune systems are less developed than those of an adult, they are at a greater risk of illness. To take extra care for young babies, wash bottles and utensils in hot soapy water and sterilize them using a sterilizing solution or a steam sterilizer. When adding water to baby foods, milks and other drinks always use bottled water and never water straight from the sink tap. Cook foods thoroughly until piping hot and cool them rapidly until they are comfortable to eat.

Extra care with barbecues and grills

Cooking food outdoors, particularly for large groups, can increase the risk of food poisoning. It's harder to keep foods very hot or very cold and to keep everything clean. But with a little extra care barbecues and outdoor grills can be used safely.

Light the barbecue well in advance, making sure that you use enough charcoal and wait until it is glowing red with a powdery gray surface before starting to cook. Keep meats, salads and other perishable food in the fridge, or in an ice-packed portable cooler box, until just before you are ready to cook them. Serve salads at the last minute. Ideally use separate cooler boxes for raw meats and ready-to-eat foods. Cooler boxes can only keep food cool for a limited period so cook sooner rather than later. Better still,

if possible, fully pre-cook all poultry and sausages in an indoor kitchen and then take them straight to the barbecue to add the final barbecue flavor.

During cooking, turn food often. If it starts to burn on the outside raise the grill height or reduce the heat of the charcoal. You reduce charcoal's heat by dampening the coals slightly or partially closing the air vents. As always, cook poultry, burgers, pork and sausages throughout with no pink bits in the middle. Keep raw and cooked foods apart at all times.

Don't handle cooked foods with utensils that have touched raw meats and don't put cooked or ready-to-eat foods such as salad and bread on plates that have held raw meats.

Freelance writer for over eleven years.
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Article Source: A Comprehensive List of Food Safety Tips

Thursday, January 1, 2009

A Look at Teeth Whitening

Do you know what causes tooth stains? Every tooth is comprised of an inner dentin layer and a protective outer enamel layer which is much harder. Regular intake of food, nicotine and caffeinated beverages tends to form yet another layer of film over the teeth.

Teeth enamel is porous in nature. Hydroxyapatite crystals in the form of microscopic hexagonal “rods” make up the enamel. The accumulation of the foreign substances over the years gets into the pores and settles on the inner layer where it is very difficult to scrape them off. Though these deep stains are harmless, they don't look good.

Brushing helps to clean teeth stains to some extent and there are special abrasive toothpastes which help further the process. Teeth whitening toothpastes are also available which are effective in cleaning such stains on teeth enamel. You really have to do some research to find the best teeth whitener, though.

Many people seek the help of professional teeth whitening procedures through their dentist. During such teeth whitening procedures, a bleaching chemical agent is used called carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. This is present in a tooth whitener and it triggers a chemical - rather like an oxidation reaction - which manages to break the staining compounds. The chemical compound carbamide peroxide breaks within the mouth into urea and hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide plays a vital role in the teeth whitening process.

At-Home Teeth Whitening: First you need to go for a tray fitting where a customized impression is made of your upper and lower teeth. Then, for a few hours everyday, you need to wear these customized trays that are full of teeth whitening gel. You need to do this for at least 3 days.

In-Office Teeth Whitening: You can choose from several different proprietary teeth whitening processes. A teeth whitening gel is applied to your teeth, usually Zoom, and a light is focused on it for at least an hour. The gel reacts with the light and thereby whitens the teeth.

Then, in another somewhat similar process, a teeth whitening gel made from diluted hydrogen-peroxide is applied to your teeth. A blue light, called BriteSmile, is shone on it to whiten the teeth.

In another process, you can whiten your teeth up to 10 shades using power light bleaching called Rembrandt. Some dentists claim that this also helps protect against new stains, browning or yellowing of your teeth. This might cost you upwards of $500.

Sometimes your teeth might become more sensitive for a couple of days following a teeth whitening procedure. Also, if your teeth have become yellow because you consume excessive colas, red wine, tea or coffee then you might notice perceptible differences in the shade of your teeth. But if you have yellow teeth due to smoking or medications, well, then the changes after your teeth whitening procedures might not be so drastic.