Natural Health Blog

The aim of Natural Health For You.com is to show you a natural way to stay fit and healthy with all the excitement of knowing that you are in control of your own health, naturally.

The Natural Health Blog will keep you up to date with all the latest additions and changes to the website.

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Smoking Kills

Look up ‘smoking causes’ on your search engine. Suggestions that come up include ‘smoking causes cancer’, ‘smoking causes lung cancer’, ‘smoking causes heart disease’, ‘smoking causes asthma’, and ‘smoking causes impotence’.

Smoking is a known or probable cause of approximately 25 different diseases, and aggravates many others.

Cigarette smoke contains about 4,000 different chemicals that can damage cells and body systems. These include at least 80 carcinogens, the addictive nicotine and hundreds of other poisons such as cyanide, carbon monoxide and ammonia.

I remember my mother telling me she smoked a few times ‘just to be sociable’. That was decades ago. Now, most people would consider smoking anti-social.

The message is slowly spreading that smoking is unhealthy.

As well, the bans on smoking in public places and the changing laws about tobacco advertising mean that smoking is slowly losing popularity in western countries. But it’s still on the rise in the developing world. Let’s hope they see sense about smoking soon.

Globally, smoking-related diseases kill one in ten adults. According to WHO figures, smoking is responsible for approximately five million deaths worldwide every year.

Every eight seconds someone dies from tobacco use.

Cigarettes cause one in five American deaths.

Smoking isn’t often mentioned in websites on natural health – by the time you’ve got as far as reading about natural health, hopefully you’ve put smoking behind you, if you ever had the habit. If you do smoke at all, please, please take steps to give it up before it’s too late. Protect yourself, and your children, from other people’s smoke.

Basic Food Groups Part 2 What To Eat To Stay Healthy

What are the Basic food groups? How much of each should you eat?

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Growing Older, Not Growing Old

“Its just part of growing old. You’ve got to expect it as you get older.” I get tired of hearing people say this. You’ve all heard it, from older relations, friends, perhaps you’ve said it yourself - “You slow down as you age.” “It’s middle age spread”

It’s not true. You don’t slow down as you get older – you get older when you slow down.

Think of young children, constantly active (unless they’re allowed to glue themselves to a screen constantly) – they never walk if they can run, never go sedately around something if they can climb over. If they do sit still for a short time, they balance it by being extra active afterwards - think of a school playground when the kids come out to play.

Even (most) teenagers move about a lot. They might play a sport, they run to get places, they dance,

So what happens to adults? Once you let yourself slow down, become less active, the rot sets in. You become unfit, then it’s harder to exercise, and you get even less fit. Past retirement, many people become even less active and their muscles start to atrophy from lack of use – that’s how old people become frail.

Add to the lack of exercise many years of poor diet, and it’s not surprising that people slow down as they get older, get stiff joints, dodgy hearts, thicker waistlines, and poor memories.

You don’t have to go that way. Just keep moving and eat well.

Regular intense exercise will keep your muscles firm and strong, including your heart muscle.

Eating only healthy food means you won’t have the build up of toxins that leads to arthritis and other problems of ‘age’. Take supplements to make sure you’re getting enough of all the essential nutrients.

Keep your mind active – your brain benefits from keeping fit too.

You don’t have to let yourself get old as you get older.

Every birthday you get a year older – aim to be a year fitter and healthier too.

A Winter Salad With A Kick To Warm You Up On Cold Days

This winter salad has a kick to it that will warm you up on these cold winter days, and give you a healthy dose of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.

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Foods That Cause Acid Reflux – Secrets To Avoiding Heartburn

What are the foods that cause acid reflux? Avoid acid reflux by cutting back on these foods, and find one simple remedy cures and prevents heartburn.

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Breast Implant Scare

You must have seen in the news about the breast implant scare – thousands of breast implants have been found to contain non-medical grade silicone. These have a greater risk of rupturing than implants made of medical grade silicone.

The French company that made them, Poly Implant Prothese (PIP), has now gone out of business, but more than 300 000 of these risky implants have been sold in 65 countries around the world.

One woman whose implants have ruptured is pregnant, and faces the dilemma – should she have the implants removed, exposing her baby to the anaesthetics and other drugs she’d have to have for the operation, or leave the ruptured implants in for now and risk possible harm to the baby from the gel leaking into her body? How many more women are in this situation?

Why do women do these things to themselves anyway? The news reports say these faulty implants have a greater risk of rupturing – implying that there’s some risk even with the ‘good’ implants. Why would any one have bits of plastic that might start leaking at any time, put into their body?

Fashion dictates that women must be super slim, and yet still have big breasts. Why can’t we each be happy with who we are, how we are?

If we all looked the same, that would be boring. It’s the great variety of shapes, sizes and colors that makes us all beautiful. Anyone who’s reasonably fit and healthy is a pleasure to look at, and attractiveness is a matter of character more than looks. A pleasant nature, a friendly smile, do more than artificially changing the shape God gave you.

You Are What You Eat.

It’s become such a cliché that we don’t hear it any more - its just words that wash over us.

I would like you to take a moment to really think about what it means.

“You are what you eat” means your body today is made of molecules absorbed from the food you ate yesterday, the day before, and the days before that. Your cells are constantly being replaced, living anything from a few days to years. (Brain cells last your whole life – so look after them.)

New cells are made from new material, absorbed from the food you eat.

So, what are you making your body from? What are you going to eat today that will be part of you for the next few days, months and years?

Will you choose good quality, nutrient-rich foods? Or junk food, empty of real nutrients, high in sugar, cheap fats, agrochemical residues and artificial additives?

I’m asking you to think carefully about every meal you eat, every snack. Because it will be part of you for a long time.

Your body will serve you well for many years if you give it the nourishment it needs, and not fill yourself with junk. Don’t make yourself a trashcan.

Basic Food Groups Which To Eat And Which To Avoid?

What are the Basic food groups? How much of each should you eat?

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Is it ok to drink milk after taking 1tspn of cod liver liver oil is there any side effect

About kids health - is it ok to give milk to kids after they take cod liver oil? Caroline's Answer: There's no reason why cod liver oil should interact

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Dealing With Financial Ill Health

Today I want to talk about financial health rather than physical health. Not that the two are separate – financial problems can be a major source of stress, and stress makes any health problem worse.

Starting your own business can be a satisfying long-term solution to financial stress, and an on-line business is the modern answer for many people. It’s particularly good for busy Moms who want to fit a job around looking after their children.

If you Google ‘best way to build an e-business’, the top three results of over 3 billion give you Sitesell.com, Sitesell, or Site Build It (SBI - part of Sitesell).

SBI is what I’ve used to build my website – and I don’t think I could have done it any other way. My knowledge of computers is pretty limited. Even now I know very little html (the code used in building websites). But I can do pretty much anything I want with my website, thanks to the tools I’ve got with SBI.

All you need to start a successful e-business is a subject you feel passionate about – like me and natural health – and SBI. What’s your subject? What topic gets you really animated? If you can talk to your friends about it, you can ‘talk’ to many more people through the Internet with a website of your own.

Once you’ve built your website, there are many ways to monetize, building a steady stream of income – without having to work for someone else, at a job you don’t like.

Trying Sitesell is risk-free, as there’s a ninety-day money back guarantee – three months to see if it can work for you.

Energy Drinks Banned At High School

“Please support your young person by ensuring they do not come to school with an ‘energy drink’. We have noticed that the behaviour of a number of students is changed dramatically after drinking these and as such we have banned them from school.”

This was in a newsletter from our local high school. We would all be wise to take notice. Teachers are in a prime position to notice the immediate effects on behaviour of what children eat and drink for lunch.

‘Energy drinks’ have very high levels of caffeine, equivalent to drinking large quantities of strong coffee. They’re also high in sugar, or else have artificial sweeteners.

Many state that they are ‘not suitable for children’ on the label – which is certainly an understatement! I would say these drinks aren’t suitable for anyone.

If children can’t stay awake at school in the afternoons, perhaps they should turn off their TVs and computers rather earlier in the evenings?

Even for adults these energy drinks are very unhealthy. Caffeine is a toxin and very bad for your liver. Sugar we all know is bad, and artificial sweeteners are worse.

Do you ever really need resort to caffeine to keep yourself awake? A better answer is surely to get more sleep. A short midday nap is often enough to revive you for the afternoon. Lying with feet up higher than your heart is particularly effective.

If you want a quick pick-me-up, a piece of fruit or fresh fruit juice will give you quick energy. Raw vegetable juice is great – rich in easily absorbed nutrients. Peppermint tea is a natural stimulant without side effects.

Or perhaps plain water is what you need. A lot of the time, afternoon tiredness is down to dehydration.

Natural Health For a Long Life

Natural Health Consultant Caroline Osborne provides clear advice to restore your health and well being. Learn how to avoid heart disease, cancer, arthritis,

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With The Anti Inflammatory Diet You Can Beat Arthritis

You can beat rheumatism and arthritis. Many arthritis and rheumatism sufferers have quickly found relief with the anti inflammatory diet. It can even reverse the progress of the disease.

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Why The Five Food Groups Are Essential To Great Health

These five food groups form the basis of healthy eating. Find the right balance for great health.

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Increase In Diabetes Is A Serious Problem Worldwide.

The incidence of diabetes is increasing at a scary rate. A study published in the Lancet says the number of adults with diabetes in the world has more than doubled since 1980.

Majid Ezzati, of Imperial College London, said: "Diabetes is becoming more common almost everywhere in the world.

The study, which was carried out in conjunction with the World Health Organization, found that the diabetes rate had either risen or stayed the same in almost every country, with the US having the highest rate in Western countries. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the USA.

Diabetes is a disease involving poor blood sugar control. It can lead to serious complications, including kidney damage, heart disease, strokes, blindness and amputations.

Type 1 Diabetes is seen as an autoimmune disease, where the body’s own immune system destroys the pancreatic cells that produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes is associated with diet and lifestyle, where one’s cells become insulin resistant due to years of poor diet with too much sugar and refined starches.

Diabetes is usually seen as a permanent condition that needs to be managed through diet and medication. Diabetes sufferers expect a lifetime routine of daily injections of insulin and blood tests several times a day. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Doctors have known for some time that drastic weight loss can reverse the condition in some cases of type 2 diabetes. Professor Edwin Gale, a diabetes expert from the University of Bristol, said, “We have known that starvation is a good cure for diabetes. If we introduced rationing tomorrow, then we could get rid of diabetes”.

A study by researchers at Newcastle University this year confirmed this. The study was published in the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), Diabetologia. Eleven people went on an extremely low calorie diet – only 600 calories a day – for 8 weeks.

After just one week their blood-sugar levels had returned to normal, and 7 of them were still clear of diabetes 3 months later.

It’s great that the medical establishment is willing to do a study that shows that people can be cured without drugs but this is what natural health practitioners do all the time.

Health clinics around the world regularly help people completely reverse their diabetes through a diet of organic raw vegetables, vegetable juice and fruit. This diet is not only low in calories - it is also very high in vitamins, minerals and enzymes. It gives you all your body needs to get on with the natural job of healing. People who follow this diet find that it’s not only diabetes that gets better - all their health problems clear up, and they feel much happier and more optimistic about life.

One clinic has made a documentary about this approach to healing diabetes. Watch the inspiring trailer.

Here’s the link to their website if you want to follow this up.

Natural Health Store Buy Books On Natural Health And Equip

Natural Health For You Amazon store for all your health needs books, blenders, juicers, healthy cookware

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Numbness

My hands and arms get numb at night time. Caroline's Answer: It’s hard to say what could be causing your numbness, as there are several things that it

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Probiotic supplements – what are they and why do I need them?

Probiotic supplements have been popular for decades as an essential part of a healthy diet. They aid a healthy digestion and a strong immune system.

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High Blood Pressure Remedy In Three Steps, Without Side Effects.

High blood pressure remedy without the side effects. With these three steps for lowering blood pressure naturally the only side effect is improved health.

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The Most Important Supplements

Vitamin D is one of the most important supplements. It has long been known for its role in absorbing calcium - essential for keeping bones and teeth strong. Children not getting enough vitamin D develop rickets, the bones are so weak that they grow crooked under the weight of the body - children with severe rickets become bowlegged.

While you can get a certain amount of vitamin D from food sources such as fatty fish, the natural source of vitamin D is sunshine - the action of UVB rays from the sun on skin converts cholesterol in the skin to vitamin D3.

The trouble is, nowadays people don’t get much exposure to the sun. The scare stories about skin cancer mean that many people cover themselves in suncreen before going outside, or avoid going out altogether.

‘Humans spend less time in the sun today than at any point in human history – which is why more than 1 billion people worldwide are vitamin D deficient.’ sunshinevitamin.org

The fact is, that while severe sunburn can cause cancer, vitamin D protects against cancer. 6000 people a year die of skin cancer in America – but 207 000 die of vitamin D deficiency related conditions, including many other forms of cancer.

It seems this vital substance is responsible for far more than just keeping bones and teeth strong. According to the Vitamin D Council, there have been thousands of studies from the last ten years that showed higher doses of vitamin D helps: heart health, brain health, breast health, prostate health, pancreatic health, muscle health, nerve health, eye health, immune health, colon health, liver health, mood health, skin health, and especially fetal health.

The NIH (National Institutes of Health) says that “a growing body of research suggests that vitamin D might play some role in the prevention and treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, hypertension, glucose intolerance, multiple sclerosis, and other medical conditions.” http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind

So vitamin D is the new must have vitamin for staying healthy. We all need more of it. But how much do we need? And is it enough to just go out in the sun for 20 minutes a day?

It seems not. According to vitamin D experts, if you have low levels of vitamin D you may need massive doses to build up your reserves. While governments are changing their very conservative recommendations from around 200 IU to 600 IU a day, most experts say that this is nowhere near enough.

John Jacob Cannell MD, Executive Director of the Vitamin D Council says – “My advice, especially for pregnant women: continue taking 5,000 IU/day until your 25(OH)D is between 50–80 ng/mL”.

(25(OH)D is the test used to establish how much vitamin D you have in your blood.)

Other experts suggest even higher doses. Some take 10 000 IU to 20 000 IU a day with no side effects other than improved health and resistance to illness.