Your Incredible Shrinking Body

As bones and organs get smaller with age, Louise Atkinson reveals how to stay healthy.

As we get older, we get shorter. But what many people won’t realise is that height is just one thing that shrinks with age: our hearts, facial bones and sex organs all shrink, too.

Such changes often go hand in hand with health problems.

Last week, a U.S. study found the more height you lose, the greater your risk of suffering a fractured hip – and one in three people who suffer a hip fracture die within a year.

Here, LOUISE ATKINSON investigates age-related shrinkages – and how you can protect your body. Read more

10 Causes of Yeast Infection

Yeast infections are so common that every three out of four of women will have one in their lifetime. The condition occurs when a fungus called Candida albicans (as well as other bacteria already normally found in small quantities in the vaginal area multiply rapidly and take over. Yeast infection creates sensations of both burning and itching in the vagina and labia.

Vaginal yeast infections occur when new yeast is introduced into the vaginal area, or when there is an increase in the quantity of yeast already present in the vagina relative to the quantity of normal bacteria. This can happen due to a number of causes:

1) Having a menstrual cycle

2) Hormonal imbalances like those that occur during pregnancy

3) A weakened immune system

4) An injury to your vaginal area, especially one in which there is friction created from not having enough lubrication

5) Sexual contact with someone who has this type of infection, especially men who may not have the symptoms but pass it on to their partners

6) Allergic reactions to the latex or nonoxynol-9 used to make condoms

7) Wearing panties that are too tight or not made with a cotton crotch

8) Exposing the vagina to inks, perfumes, or dyes

9) Taking antibiotics

10) High intake of bread, sugar and alcohol

Be sure to see your doctor the first time you have symptoms of a yeast infection. It's very important to make sure you have a yeast infection and not another more serious infection. The symptoms of a yeast infection are also the symptoms of other infections, such as some STIs. Treating yourself for a yeast infection when you actually have another type of infection may make the problem worse.

There are several ways to approach a yeast infection remedy. Over-the-counter remedies are readily available, although some women prefer to use home remedies. My post Yeast Infection: Two Proven Home Remedies discusses a couple of these. Any yeast infection remedy will need to be monitored carefully to ensure the infection is completely gone. If healing conditions aren't optimal, yeast bacteria could grow again and place the infection level back in the danger zone.

Candida yeast infection can be very dangerous if left untreated. Yeast infection is a message from your body telling you that something is WRONG inside. To find out more about a clinically-proven, holistic system that shows you how to permanently cure your yeast infection and achieve lasting candida infection freedom, click here!

5 Natural Remedies for Menstrual Cramps

Are you a female who suffers from menstrual cramps or other menstrual complications? If you are, you may feel as if your world stops each and every month. The good news is that it doesn’t have to. There are a number of natural remedies and other home remedies that you can use to seek relief from the pain and discomfort associated with menstruation.

Ginger is a natural remedy for menstrual cramps that comes highly rated and recommended. Ginger is an ideal home remedy, as it can be taken a number of different ways. Many women have found relief by grounding up a teaspoon of ginger, swallowing it, and drinking a glass of water right afterward. Others recommend grinding up a teaspoon of ginger and boiling it in a cup of water and waiting until cooled for consumption. This is ideal for painful menstrual cycles.

Magnesium is another natural remedy ideal for menstrual cramps. The only downside to using magnesium, especially over a long period of time is the side effects. Large doses of magnesium do have side effects, which may include diarrhea and muscle weakness. As for the consumption of magnesium, herbal supplements can be consumed, but magnesium is also found in many natural foods. These foods include leafy vegetables and whole grain foods.

Omega 3 fatty acids are also a natural way to treat the pain associated with female menstruation. Omega 3 fatty acids are ideal, especially when compared to magnesium, as there are little to no side effects. Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in fish; however, supplements in the form of capsules are available for those who prefer not to eat fish products. To see the best success with this natural remedy, it should be consumed on a regular basis, not just when cramps begin.

Exercise is another natural way to relieve menstrual cramps. Exercise comes in a number of different forms, as you likely already know. That is what makes this remedy ideal for all women, as you do not need to visit the gym. Walking, running, aerobics, and yoga are all ideal ways to relieve cramping. In fact, stretching alone can also relieve some of the pain.

Heat is another way to relieve the pain, discomfort, and cramps that often accompany a menstrual flow. Unfortunately, heat cannot always truly be considered a “natural” remedy. When using heat to seek relief, there are many individuals who use a heating pad or temporary heating pads that stick right to the body. If you are looking to use heat as a way to relieve your cramps, soak a washcloth in warm water or water that has been boiled. When using this approach, do not put a washcloth near an open source of heat, such as a stove flame, and let cool a little before placing directly on your abdomen.

The above mentioned natural remedies and home remedies are all ideal ways to relieve the pain and discomfort associated with menstrual cramps. Water is also advised. As an important side note, never take any foods or herbal supplements are you are allergic to, as doing so can pose a significant health risk.

5 Foods That Can Cause a Stroke

Stroke affects more than 700000 people each year. Here is a list of five food items that cause the damage and leads to stroke.

Few things feel more terrifying and random than a stroke, which can strike without warning. And fear of stroke -- when a blood vessel in or leading to the brain bursts or is blocked by a blood clot, starving brain cells of oxygen and nutrients -- is well founded. After all, stroke is the number-three killer in the U.S., affecting more than 700,000 people each year. Here are five foods that cause the damage that leads to stroke.

1. Crackers, chips, and store-bought pastries and baked goods

Muffins, doughnuts, chips, crackers, and many other baked goods are high in trans fats, which are hydrogenated oils popular with commercial bakeries because they stay solid at room temperature, so the products don't require refrigeration. Also listed on labels as "partially hydrogenated" or hydrogenated oils, trans fats are found in all kinds of snack foods, frozen foods, and baked goods, including salad dressings, microwave popcorn, stuffing mixes, frozen tater tots and French fries, cake mixes, and whipped toppings. They're also what makes margarine stay in a solid cube. The worst offenders are fried fast foods such as onion rings, French fries, and fried chicken.

Why it's bad Read more

Protect Yourself from Salmonella and E. Coli Naturally

A healthy body can resist illness, even when exposed to pathogens, says Laurie at Common Sense Homesteading.

Are you wondering when the next massive round of food-borne illness will occur?

36 million pounds of salmonella tainted ground turkey in the United States, a new, deadly strain of E. coli in Europe that killed 49 people, the massive salmonella tainted peanut butter recall of 2009 - with an industrialized food system that can potentially spread pathogens to every corner of the globe, you never know when you'll be exposed to toxic bacteria in your food.

Know Your Pathogens

E coli (Escherichia coli) and Salmonella bacteria are commonly found in the digestive systems of humans and animals. E coli 157:H7 bacteria is perfectly healthy and safe, as are many other strains. The term "Salmonella" is used to cover roughly 2,000 similar types of bacteria, which vary in degrees of potential illness. So why do some people get sick when exposed harmful bacteria, while other do not?

"It is not the germ that causes disease but the terrain in which the germ is found."

Preventing Cancer: 11 Tips to Live By

Joseph Mercola discusses ways of preventing and fighting cancer.

Curcumin – a derivative of turmeric, and the pigment that gives the curry spice turmeric its yellow-orange color – is a natural compound that has been extensively researched, and has been found to have numerous health applications. As a result, turmeric is becoming increasingly popular as a supplement. Each 100 grams of turmeric contains an estimated three to five grams of curcumin.

The ancient Chinese and Indian systems of medicine have recognized curcumin's beneficial properties for thousands of years. Most notably, curcumin is known for its potent anti-inflammatory properties, and as you may know, chronic inflammation is an underlying factor in many, if not most, chronic diseases. The compound has been shown to influence more than 700 genes, which may in part explain its numerous health benefits. Read more

Vitamin B Pill May Prevent Alzheimer's

Taking a high-dose vitamin B pill a day from middle age on may prevent Alzheimer's disease.

Taking one vitamin B pill a day from middle age could protect your memory as you grow older – and even ward off Alzheimer’s, British researchers say.

The supplement, which costs just 10p, is described as the ‘first glimmer of hope’ in the battle to find a drug that slows or stops the development of the disease.

Pensioners who took high doses of the vitamin once a day for two years did 70 per cent better on a simple memory test than those who did not. Read more

5 Easy Ways to Boost Your Metabolism with Ayurveda

Ayurveda ia the traditional Indian medical practice. It can help with weight loss by providing therapies to boost the metabolism.

At one point or another, just about all of us have tried to lose weight. With almost 75% of the American population either overweight or obese, this challenge is becoming seemingly more insurmountable every day. The typical quick diet programs and colon cleansings rarely provide any long-term benefit as the weight lost during those programs is usually gained back within weeks.

One of the main reasons for not being able to lose weight effectively is because the body`s metabolism is not up to speed. According to Ayurveda, the body`s main digestive fire, or Agni, is responsible for the remaining 12 sub-types of digestive and metabolic processes at various levels. Metabolic disruption in any of these can impede weight loss and overall health.

In conditions which cause an excessive accumulation of adipose or fatty-tissue, the medo dhatu agni (fat tissue metabolism) is invariably compromised. To reactivate it, there are a number of Ayurvedic therapies which can be done both internally and externally. Here are some of the easiest ones to try at home: Read more

30 Most Popular Herbs in Natural Medicine

Tess Pennington explains the uses of the thirty most popular herbs in natural medicine.

We tend to look to God as a source of all healing. It is said that He has provided all that we will ever need:

“the fruit of it shall be for eating and leaf of it for healing…” (Ezekiel 47:12)

Herbs are a wondrous thing. They not only assist in flavoring dishes and filling the air with delightful aromas, but they also hold medicinal properties that promote healing. Those of you who have herbal gardens of your own, no doubt have a few of these herbal friends already planted. Many of the plants listed below are also listed in my Top 10 Medicinal Herbs that should be in every garden. However, it seems that there are a few more worth mentioning. Read more

Bone Density: Quality over Quantity

When it comes to reducing the risky of fracture, bone quality is more important than bone quantity, says Margaret Durst, and to get quality, you need more than calcium.

D is for density as in bone density – a statistic that many women are concerned with. Bone density is a measure of the quantity of bone, not the quality. I like to make a distinction here, because bone quality is an important concern that is being overlooked by many.

Bone quality concerns reduced risk of fracture which should be distinguished from bone quantity as expressed as bone density. The conventional way to deal with osteoporosis is to keep old bone from being torn down by using estrogen and prescription drugs such as Fosamax and Actonel along with calcium and vitamin D supplements. .

The problem with this approach is that bone is living tissue. It is constantly being built up and torn down. The modern approach just works at keeping old bone from being torn down and using just calcium which does not greatly strengthen bone such that it resists mechanical stresses. The result may be increased bone density, but the quality of the bone is poor and tends to be brittle.

Calcium alone does not build strong bone. Read more

Detox Your Body

Better TV shows you the best products to detox from head to toe.