Health Blog

A healthy body and a sound mind

5 Helpful Apps that Teach Kids About Health and Nutrition

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Kids need to be constantly reminded about eating the right foods to maintain good health as they’re growing up. Parents have to be on top of their children’s diet to ensure their proper development and avoid problems later on. Health problems linked to how children eat include obesity, asthma, diabetes, hypertension and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

girl-eating

A great way of teaching kids the value of eating natural and healthy foods is by making it fun for them. Fortunately, parents of today can use the apps as their partners in this endeavor as an after school care activity.

Fooducate

This is a mobile app that can be downloaded for free from iTunes. It allows the user to scan foods with a bar code to get details (ingredients), both positive and negative, on how healthy it is. It makes for a fun point and shoot video game that, for sure, your kids will enjoy. [Read more…]

Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome May Benefit From Acupuncture

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acupuncturePolycystic ovary syndrome is a relatively common condition in women, although it is not often diagnosed. With advancement in technology and more awareness, more women are able to determine if they are suffering from this syndrome, also known as PCOS. The condition is characterized by numerous small cysts in the ovaries, which interfere with the production of hormones. As a result, the male hormone testosterone is produced in higher quantities. The effects are manifested in various ways, some of which include fertility problems, irregular menstruation, obesity, and even increased risk for type 2 diabetes and heart problems.

The exact cause of PCOS remains a mystery to doctors and researchers. However, the symptoms are clear and some researchers believe that it is closely linked to an over active sympathetic nervous system. This system is what controls involuntary bodily functions such as the dilation of pupils.

A group of Swedish researchers conducted a study recently, wherein women with PCOS were divided into three groups. The first group underwent electro-acupuncture (a weak electric current is passed through the needles). The second group underwent a guided exercise routine (at least three times a week). The third group had no additional treatment or instructions. The findings? The activity of the sympathetic nervous system of the first two groups was considerably lower and the women who had acupuncture had a plus: more regulated menstruation. More than this, they also had lower levels of testosterone.

If you have PCOS or know anyone with PCOS, you might want to consider acupuncture.

Calorie Counting the Way to Go

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Calories
Want to lose weight? Stuck on deciding which diet to go with?

According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine it doesn’t really matter which diet you choose to go with as long as you choose one and stick to it. The study, Comparison of Weight-Loss Diets with Different Compositions of Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrates (whew that is a long title!), all participants of the different diets tried lost and average of 6kgs in 6 months though and by the end of the study (2 years) those that stayed on lost more than 10% of their original body weight. Though that might not seem much the point is not how much weight was lost but that the important thing is to reduce the calorie intake. In short, you can go low fat, low carb, high protein or whatever you choose to do to lose weight and it will work as long as you COUNT YOUR CALORIES.

The bigger question now is not which diet you should go with but to stick to it. Losing weight is easy…at least compared to keeping off that lost weight.

Photo via ShellyS

Sigh… An Amplifier for People who Suffer Silently

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This is true for the many depressed people the world over who suffer from disease but have no one to talk to to help them in their suffering. This leads to pain and thus lessens the quality of life for anyone who suffers in silence which should not be the case for help is just around the corner. Don’t have time, or simply cannot dare bring your pain to bear? Why not give online counseling a chance to help you ease the pain. Stress is one of the major causes of health issues such as obesity, chronic pain and other disorders that can be treated with proper advice from seasoned experts who understands you and your needs. Most professionals forget to treat the pain that goes unseen during the regular hospital visit, and believe me, pain that is kept within can indeed ruin ones life. Experts have long agreed that people with diseases have a degree of depression whatever the progression of the disease they suffer from may take and drugs are not the answer. Getting the right advice through online counseling is, quick, discreet and as easy as a mouse click away so do give somebody who knows what they’re doing a chance to help you. Who knows, you might just get peace of mind you’ve ben searching for in a long time!