Our bodies are constantly utilizing oxygen for a range of vital functions. In the process appears chemicals known as free radicals that have unpaired electrons which traveling inside the body are trying to steal electrons from other molecules. This process is known as oxidation and there are a lot of antioxidants that are the remedy to this problem. Antioxidants have the function to neutralize free radicals; some of the antioxidants have proven to have anti-inflamatory properties.

Antioxidants benefits

Antioxidants are substances that may protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. Free radical damage may lead to cancer. Antioxidants interact with and stabilize free radicals and may prevent some of the damage free radicals might otherwise cause.

Examples of antioxidants include beta-carotene, lycopene, vitamins C, E, and A, and other substances.

Extras of the green tea. It contains phenols – substances that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The experiments proved that green tea decrease the redness and other effects of sunburns; decrease the level of skin irritation, caused by different surface-active substances of washing materials.

Milk Thistle Extract: Milk thistle is a plant native to the Mediterranean. It usually grows in dry, sunny areas. The active ingredient is called silymarin. Consisting of a group of compounds known as flavonolignans, silymarin helps repair liver cells that have been damaged by alcohol and other toxins. Silymarin also has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Most milk thistle based products are standardized to contain 70-80% silymarin.

Blueberries. Much research has shown that blueberries provide health benefits in the areas of anti-aging, antioxidant action, disease prevention, treatment of urinary tract infection, improving eyesight and controlling cholesterol. Blueberries are powerful antioxidants. Anthocyanin, which is the pigment that makes the blueberry blue, is the key antioxidant responsible for these benefits. Researchers believe that the phytochemicals in blueberries may reduce inflammatory processes in tissues by increasing cells membranes ability to allow vital nutrients and chemical signals to pass in and out of the cell.

Whey. The low-molecular proteins fraction of the whey represents the most active factor, because it contains amino acids, growth factors and antibodies. Whey also contains the amino acid called glutamylcysteine which is necessary for the synthesis of glutathione – one of the main antioxidants.

Mexican Red Beans. The flavonoids that give Mexican Red Beans their bright-red colour are extremely powerful antioxidants. These beans are also a good source of fibre, folic acid, and carbohydrates.

Grapes antioxidants. They have the property to render harmless the radicals which are formed during inflammations, thus, preventing the skin irritation.

Prunes: Or dried plum, contain an unusually high concentration of unique phytonutrients called neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acid. These substances found in prunes and plums are classified as phenols, and their function as antioxidants has been well documented. They are especially good at neutralizing a particularly dangerous oxygen radical called superoxide anion radical, and they have also been shown to help prevent oxygen-based damage to fats.
The ability of prunes to fight free radicals is boosted by beta-carotene. Beta-carotene acts as a fat-soluble antioxidant, eliminating free radicals that would otherwise cause a lot of damage to our cells and cell membranes.

What do you choose? Junk food or healthy products? Whatever your choice will be you have to know about antioxidants and the products that contain the biggest amount of antioxidants.

Best sources of antioxidants – best foods with antioxidants

A USDA study analyzed the antioxidant content of commonly consumed foods. Researchers tested over 100 foods. Here is a ranked list of the top 20 fruits, vegetables and nuts:

1. Small red bean (dried), 1/2 cup
2. Wild blueberry, 1 cup
3. Red kidney bean (dried), 1/2 cup[br[
4. Pinto bean, 1/2 cup
5. Blueberry (cultivated), 1 cup
6. Cranberry, 1 cup (whole)
7. Artichoke (cooked hearts), 1 cup
8. Blackberry, 1 cup
9. Prune, 1/2 cup
10. Raspberry, 1 cup
11. Strawberry, 1 cup
12. Red delicious apple, 1
13. Granny Smith apple, 1
14. Pecan, 1 ounce
15. Sweet cherry, 1 cup
16. Black plum, 1
17. Russet potato, 1 cooked
18. Black bean (dried), 1/2 cup
19. Plum, 1
20. Gala apple, 1

It is considered that healthy nourishment is a guarantee for a longer life. Nevertheless, it is considered that a constant diet does not guarantee at all the longevity. Certain recent discoveries of the American scientists emerged as a shock: people with excessive weight live longer that thin people!

This fact is proven by the statistics published by an American Center for Prophylactics and Diseases control. In general the researches explain this using the fact that fat people are more preoccupied with their health. Being aware of the fact that they are in a group of risk they permanently check their blood pressure and undertake special physical exercises in order to loose weight.

Slender people, usually, don’t see the necessity to undertake health-improving procedures. But that is not all: fat people, due to their desire to eat, are nourishing much more healthier and their organism always receive the necessary microelements, while thin people restrain themselves from food and as a result they don’t consume a number of useful substances.
The American geriatrician Thomas Pearls came to the conclusion that many of long-living people never respect diets and usually don’t undertake physical exercises. For example, Helen Reichert who has 100 years old at that time eats everything she wants, whenever she wants. The same way of life is carried by her sister which is 98 and her brother which is 90. And neither of them has serious problems with their health.

Helen recalls: “I never listened to anyone. Even when I was little I wasn’t an obedient child. I can’t say that being a girl I had a sleeping time, or carried physical exercises or ate fruits. I was doing everything inside out”. Pearls also remarked the fact that long-living persons don’t limit their ratio, allowing themselves to eat everything fat or sweet. Nevertheless they consume everything in limited quantity. May be this is their main secret?
At the same time starvation may be also useful. American doctors discovered the fact that in extreme conditions the organism of mammals process a special protein, the so called “protein of life”, which increases the survival potential for at least twice. The scientists estimated the fact that the regular processing of this protein may prolong human life till 180 years. This is why it’s useful to starve from time to time.

Another study used data from an ongoing health survey in Canada that followed over 11,000 adults. It proved that compared to people in the ‘normal’ weight category, those classified as overweight with a BMI of 25-29.9 were 17% less likely to die.

• underweight were 73% more likely to die
• obese with a BMI 30-34.9 had about the same risk of death as a ‘normal’ weight person
• Extremely obese people with a BMI of 35 and higher were 36% more likely to die.

Yet another interesting thing: How is body fat measured?

Waist circumference measurement and body mass index (BMI) are the recommended ways to estimate body fat. A high-risk waistline is 35 inches or higher for women, and 40 inches or higher for men.

The body mass index formula assesses body weight relative to height. It’s a useful, indirect measure of body composition, because in most people it correlates highly with body fat. Weight in kilograms is divided by height in meters squared (kg/m2). Or multiply weight in pounds by 703, divide by height in inches, then divide again by height in inches. In studies by the National Center for Health Statistics,

* BMI values less than 18.5 are considered underweight.
* BMI values from 18.5 to 24.9 are normal.
* Overweight is defined as a body mass index of 25.0 to less than 30.0 (consistent with U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans). A BMI of about 25 kg/m2 corresponds to about 10 percent over ideal body weight.
* Obesity is defined as a BMI of 30.0 or greater (consistent with criteria of the World Health Organization), or about 30 pounds or more overweight. Extreme obesity is defined as a BMI of 40 or greater.

Obesity is associated with many diseases, particularly heart disease, type 2 diabetes, breathing difficulties during sleep, certain types of cancer, and osteoarthritis. Obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive dietary calories, lack of physical activity, and genetic susceptibility, though a limited number of cases are due solely to genetics, medical reasons or psychiatric illness

As a conclusion, if you want to live longer, there is no sense to pursue all your life a vegetables diet. In this case organize “starving feasts”, or eat everything but keep within limits!

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Catching happiness from the street – Be happy and the world will be happy with you.

Did you ever notice, when your friends are happy, the happiness they feel embrace you too. What about the neighbor? Is it possible for his happiness to influence you too? Late researches give us the positive answer.
James Fowler from Californian University of San-Diego and Nicholas Christakis from Harvard medical school, using the data from Framingham research analyzed the cheerful mood and social life of 4739 people between 1983 and 2003 years.
We know that the happiness of a person depends very much on the mood of people around him. Besides that, the present research proved that unknown people may also influence your state of mind.

The distance has and important role.

Close friends, that lives near by and which are happy, increase your mood by 25%. Friends that live a few kilometers away from you don’t have such an influence.

Even communication through internet with your closest friends does not have the capacity to cheer you up as well as, for example, a neighbor you meet, while taking out the garbage.
“It means that life is much more localized, that we think” – state Mr. John F. Halliwell, a Canadian scientist for perspective researches. “Modern technologies allow us to communicate with people who are in different parts of the world, but the real influence on someone’s cheerful mood is characterized by local relations”.

Sitting in an office with a happy man does not mean necessarily the fact that we will “contaminate” with his happiness. The research proved that there is no connection between the cheerful spirits of co-workers. The authors of research suppose that:”Society creates an environment of good mood transmission from human to human. But the collegial relations may not always be a favorable environment.”
The scientists also discovered why a neighbor may cheer you up better than your sister which lives in another city, miles away from you.
Why the results of this research are so important?

The results of this research constitute an engine for the further analysis of human cheerful mood properties.  It is possible that, on analyzing the conditions in which happiness emerges, we will be able to create for our self positive spirits.

So try to communicate with interesting, happy people and also try to be a happy man for sharing with your happiness with others.

Have you ever noticed that your friend’s mood influence yours and have you ever caught happiness from a passerby?

Do you know the phrase” No one need a vacation more than a man who just came back from it?” It is very difficult after a good rest to become active and to accommodate back to normal working regime. During this short period we manage to change the course of our life, to forget about our job routine and to enjoy life as it is.

Even if we realize that it was not the best of vacation we had, it is still very difficult to reintegrate in the working process. For example I remember one time when I came back from a vacation at the seaside (which actually wasn’t very pleasant, I felt lonely at the bathing-place and I wanted to come home as fast as I can) to my beautiful city, I realized that people around me were kind of resentful. Everyone was in a hurry. I think they should stop, look around and realize that you can not earn all the money in the world; you can not do anything you want. No. They continue to run, run, run… But after spending a few days in the city I became just like all of them. I felt that it is impossible to escape this vicious circle. I needed recreation.

The question is: how to find the optimal type of recreation. Men like different types of rest. Ones want to buy a dozens of chips, for example, and watch TV, having only the WC break, others want to fly with a parachute or climb the Everest. Psychology does not pay much attention to this matter; nevertheless there are a few recommendations in this sense.

First of all the recreation is necessary for a maximal restoration of the resources. The general principle is to change the type of the activity. The first rule of every recreation is the change of the activity, of the environment, of behavioral norms. It is important to find the opposite of your usual activity. For example, if you are a public man and you work deals with permanent meetings, banquets and camera shootings it is better to spend your vacation in an isolated place with few people. Your state of mind will be resting. And vice-versa if you have a quiet job you should make your vacation very active.

It is also necessary to take into account your health conditions and physician’s indications. We have to organize our rest carefully, without consequences that will require a long-term recovery. When doing something we must consider types of the allergies we have and what is not recommended to do.

If you wish to undertake a vacation using health improvement it’s very good. But you should not overload yourself. It won’t be positive at all if you start running every morning about 20 km or spend hours in sauna or eat useful meals, which are not an actual part of your ratio. The effect may not be very positive. At first, you may not be able to move because your muscles will hurt. A simple exhaustion of your organism won’t be of any use or pleasure. Everything should be made gradually.

One’s rest may also be planned according to the type of temperament:

1.    In cases you are a choleric type, you like to switch from a type of activity to another, to make new acquaintances and to adapt efficiently to new conditions; it is not necessarily to run with a beach bed to the seaside. You better take the ball and your flippers and accomplish an active type of recreation. For this type it is recommended to take up underwater swimming, alpinism or bicycle ride. It is also possible to ride the horse. In this case for recovery you need 10 days of your vacation.

2. For phlegmatic persons it is better to spend your vacation at the country side, breathing the fresh country air. It is also recommended to undertake different excursions or to take a ride on a boat.

3. People which have a melancholic type of temperament may spend their vacation in a creative mode. They may manufacture their own products or create new types of activities like breeding house animals or cultivation of flowers or simple house maintenance – all these activities being very pleasant for melancholic types of persons.

4. Sanguine persons are considered like Gold for their bosses. They can live without vacation for a very log period. The weekend is enough for these persons. They may be satisfied by a simple visit to the zoo or by undertaking shopping activities.

Rest at least few days after your vacation and you’ll definitely remember after years the good time you spent during the vacation

Many people in cases of chill or flu are feeling bad and find necessary to eat something. A good choice of consumed products may be very helpful and accelerate the healing process.
Hereby we will present you a few alimentary products which will increase the immune system and will help us to feel better in cold weather.

Yogurt/Kefir


Yogurt contains a dosage of “good bacteria” which protect our organism from harmful bacteria and infections. These good bacteria are called probiotics and the researches proved that the yogurts that contain them improve the immune response of the organism due to the increase of the amount of white blood cells (leukocytes) in our organism. Traditional kefir is similar to yogurt, but it is produced using special kefir fungi at does not contain such an amount of different bacteria.

Turmeric

Turmeric may be found in every yellow karri, its golden color is the result of turmeric component which is a phenol with strong properties in combating cold and flu. Turmeric prevents several immune cells from responding to stimulators and has important anti-inflammatory properties.

Garlic

Garlic has many immune-stimulating properties which are parts of its substances, especially allicine. These components are effective against bacterial, virus, fungous and parasite infections. They also increase the immune system and have anti-tumor and antioxidant properties.

Oregano

The antioxidants activity in oregano is caused by a high concentration of phenol acids and flavonoids, colored junctions which have anti-inflammatory properties. It is efficient against chill, flu, fever and stomach disorders.

Sweet red pepper
Sweet red pepper contains few calories and a large amount of nutritious substances. It is a good source of phytochemical substances as well as of beta- carotene and C vitamin. It contains twice more C vitamin than any other fruits and vegetables, including oranges.

Green Tea
Tea – is the most consumed drink in the world after water. It is rich in phenols, antioxidants and a series of other chemical substances which help to protect our organism against cold and flu.

Pumpkin

Pumpkins are rich in beta-carotene, nutritious substances which help the organism to get the A vitamin. The A vitamin regulate the connection between cells a fact that is crucial for the immune system. It also helps to prevent cancer – the disturbances in cells collection is the main reason for cancer apparition.

Ginger

Ginger contains gingerol, a relative of capsaicin – a substance which gives the chili pepper its spicy taste. The dried ginger contains less gingerol and more anti-inflammatory substances. It also helps to decrease the sensation of dizziness.

Oysters
Oysters traditionally are considered stimulants, probably due to their high content of zinc, which is necessary for the generation of testosterone. Zinc is also useful for the protection of our organism against clod and flu. It improves the T-cells which play an important role in detection of heterogeneous antigens and in preparation of other immune system cells. Even a minimal zinc deficit may have repercussions over the immune system of our body.

Broccoli

Broccoli is an accessible and cheap source of A, C and E vitamins. Besides that broccoli has a high concentration of glucosinolates which stimulate the immune system. Broccoli is also very useful because of the high concentration of sulforafanes which are strong anti-cancer substances.

Other products that must be mentioned: carrots, squash, peas, yams, leeks, green leaf vegetables, sea vegetables. Rice, barley and oats are also recommended but only if you have any problem with excessive mucous and chronic nasal congestion. Also include in your ratio beans, small amounts on chicken, lamb or beef, fish like sardines, trout and mackerel.

Avoid eating raw, uncooked vegetables since they take more energy to digest and can cause loose stools.
Enjoy every bite and never eat when emotionally stressed.

Definition of immunity – resistance of an organism to infection, disease, or other unwanted biological invasion

An oriental wisdom may help us to preserve our health. The Indian ayurveda (in translation from Sanskrit – the science of life) recommends us to have a certain regime in our nutrition.

Ayurveda represents the ancient Indian art of healing. The basic principle of Ayurveda has remained same through thousands of years. In Ayurveda, human body is not considered just as a mass of organs, systems and tissues; but the complex mechanism’ of myriad functions taking place both at physical and mental level are evaluated and described

Ayurveda – eating, sleeping and exercises that improves your health and makes you feel better and happie

The awakening


Even if Ayurveda recommends us to go to sleep and wake up along with the sun, this fact seems impossible for the regime of life of an urban inhabitant. Nevertheless we can follow certain procedures in this sense. Begin your day with a glass of hot water – it helps to get rid of toxins from our organism.
Morning is the best period for the cleaning of the organism, for removal of physical wastes and for life activity. It is not recommended suppress natural physical needs because it may lead to certain diseases.

Exercises


Regular exercises in the morning –yoga, aerobics, jogging and swimming – increase evidently the tone of the organism. It is important no to overtire you. Then try to make an auto-massage with aroma oils. It will improve the blood circulation, will soften your skin will allow the muscles to relax after pressure. It is useful mass not only your body, but also your head.

Water procedures after exercises and massage are compulsory

Take regular shower; rinse your mouth with salt water. During the teeth wash don’t forget to clean tongue fur.

Correct alimentation
Breakfast should be light; it should contain fruit juice or herb tea. Many researches confirmed the fact that the consumption of low-caloric, but healthy food is the main remedy in preventing the aging. The main meal in our activity is the lunch.
The dinner should not be later than 19.00 and it should also contain light food. After dinner it is recommended to walk.

Drink to good health!

Water, the Ayurvedic beverage of choice, is crucial for digestion and absorption and to help flush toxins out of the body. It helps prevent bloating and constipation, and helps transport nutrients to the cells and tissues. It helps support the metabolism of fat.

Drink room temperature water or warm water through the day. Water spiked with digestion enhancing spices and herbs is even better.

7 rules of nutrition according to Ayurveda

1. Try to eat in sitting position in quiet atmosphere. Try to enjoy the food. Take your meals at the same hours every day.
2. Eat only when you feel the sensation of starving.
3. Don’t try to suppress your desire to eat, by waiting lunch or dinner, take a snack.
4. The main amount of food should be consumed at lunch.
5. Before the meal, drink a glass of tea or hot water.
6. Try to avoid over roasted or over boiled products. They are harmful for our organism.
7. Try to eat food that you prepared or people close to you prepared. Even the best meal from restaurant won’t replace the home food.

The sleep should not last less than seven hours


According to Ayurveda it is better to fall asleep approximately at 22.00 and if it is not possible try at least to go to bed before midnight. People who have trouble sleeping may try to mass their feet – it relaxes the nervous system

Ayurveda rules for a better health – leave healthy, feel better

Which coffee is useful?
Many women are interested in question is the coffee useful or how to prepare a good coffee drink without caffeine or with low amount of caffeine. Theoretically espresso contains less caffeine because it is served in small portions. But is it true?

According to researches everything depends on the coffee beans sort. Arabica is considered the sort of coffee which is accessible in stores and contains the lower amount of caffeine.

If you want to follow a normal regular consumption of caffeine products and not overdo this, you must consume daily 4 portions (including black and green tea, cola and energetic drinks). This rule may help you to establish a normal caffeine dosage per day.

One more method is the use of drinks without caffeine. But it is also a contradictory matter, because these products contain chemical elements which are also harmful for the organism.

Broccoli helps smoking persons to avoid lung cancer
American scientists reached to the conclusion that broccoli and other vegetables of Cruciferae family decrease the risk of getting lung cancer.
They affirm that the strongest effect broccoli has on people which smoke daily more than 20 cigarettes.
According to research, the risk to get lung cancer for smokers which consume broccoli and other vegetables of Cruciferae family is by 20-55% lower than for other smokers which do not consume these products.

In January, American researchers proved that boiled broccoli have the property improve the heart work and avoid the apparition of heart attacks.
In October a group of scientists from Vienna proved that daily consumption of the Brussels cabbage decrease the risk of cancer apparition.

Diet influence the brain activity
British scientists state the fact that modern, nutritive unbalanced diets increase the amount of psychic diseases – depression, schizophrenia, memory loss and Alzheimer disease.
Dr. Andrew McCulloch, head of the Mental Health Foundation, said: “We know very well  that a qualitative composition of the diet influence the physical state of the person. But now we reached to the conclusion that it also has a strong influence over human brain”

During the last 50 years there was a substantial change in the balance of consumption of mineral substances, vitamins and fats. The industrialization of the agricultural sector, the use of pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones changed the components of the animal tissues, a fact that led to the change in structure of omega-3 and omega –B fat acids. And namely these substances are responsible for a normal brain activity.

The statistics show that British people nowadays consume by 34% less vegetables and by 65% less fish than 50 years ago.

Courtney Van de Weyer says: “The good news is the fact that a good diet for the body is also a good diet for the brain. The bad news is the fact that without a rebuilding of the agricultural sector soon we will remain without healthy products available for population”.

The C vitamin decrease the risk of fractures

According to the researches of Medscape Diabetes & Endocrinology from September 15, 2008, additional use of C vitamin is associated with decrease of risk of thigh and non-vertebrary fractures.
As we know dissolving C vitamin is responsible for antioxidant inhibition of the osseous resorption and is necessary for collagen synthesis. On assessing the results of Framingham Osteoporosis Study, the scientist under the leadership of Shivani Sahni, PhD analyzed the connection between C vitamin administration (in products and as adds to the ratio in therapeutic dozes) and thigh and non-vertebrarium fractures.

In this research there took part 958 persons which started to fill their “alimentary” questionnaires in 1988 and 1989. In this period there were analyzed the situation of patients which during this times had several fractures. The observation lasted till 2005.

During this period 100 patients suffered thigh fractures and 180 suffered non-vertebrarium fractures. The persons that consumed a full doze of C vitamin of 97 mg per day had a largest of fractures than the persons that consumed 305 mg per day. Patients with an increased doze of C vitamin had twice less fractures than the others.

The dozes of C vitamin that come into our body through alimentary products are not enough efficient. The C vitamin should be administrated also separately, as a medication. The scientists also recommend increasing the doze of consumed fruits and vegetables.

All these facts do not mean that we have to avoid the physician’s prescriptions during fractures in favor of C vitamin.

Green tea will preserve the health of your heart
The green tea is already famous for its useful properties. It contains many positive substances like potassium, iodine, copper, and B1 and B2 vitamins, organic acids which improve our digestion. The green tea contains as well strong antioxidants. But that is not all. The scientists discovered a way to make the green tea more useful.

According to them we have to put in the cup of tea a piece of lemon or pour citric juice. These products are rich in C vitamin, a fact that favors the increase of the antioxidants quantity. These elements are one of the most important in preventing cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

Apples can make you 17 years younger

The scientists discovered in apples a complex element which has the role to rejuvenate your heart, increase the circulation of blood and the immune system. Regular consumption of the apples favors the prolongation of human life, as well as the rejuvenation of the human body. This was the statement of the scientists of Food Research Institute from Norwich.

The scientists discovered in apples a complex element which has the role to rejuvenate your heart, increase the circulation of blood and the immune system. The element named Epicatechin phenol has the unique property to influence positively the cardiovascular system, inclusively to maintain the elastic character of the blood vessels.
Epicatechin decrease by 21 % the process of hardening the blood vessels walls, a fact that represents the main reasons for the risk of heart disease, heart attack or stroke.
The largest amount of Epicatechin phenol is contained in wild apples.
Besides that, as a result of an experiment with patients which consumed a large amount of apple juice, the conclusion was the fact that their cardiovascular system rejuvenated by 17 years. Apple juice is also recommended in cases of atherosclerosis or liver, kidney or urinary bladder diseases. It normalizes the intestine work, remove the toxins out of the organism and restore the power after physical workloads.

Eat healthy, live longer !

We intend to create a blog that would be not just interesting but also useful and we hope we’ll succeed in that.
The blog will contain a lot of helpful information about how to have a stress less life, about how to maintain healthy habits for a longer and a happier life.
Let’s make our lives longer!