You must be thinking I am Nuts!! You know what I mean.

I clearly understand where you are coming from. Yes Health is very important to me. That’s why I keep harping time after time. Your Health is important to me as well.

As you know there are numerous websites talk about health issues in their own unique way. They harp about things you need to know, things you should do and should not do and the list goes on and on and on.

This should tell you something – numerous people are trying to create awareness through these websites. Professionals, non professionals alike are trying to reach lay people by sharing their knowledge, scaring them by presenting statistics in the hope of jolting them back into healthy life style.

And all boils down to the one fact, that is “How much your health means to YOU”.

Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship-Buddha

I have a friend who doesn’t want to visit her doctor and do a full check up, in case she will find out something bad. She doesn’t want to make any sacrifices in  exchange to good health. I know some of you will be the same boat as she is. But all I want you to do is close your eyes and picture yourself in your late sixties. Will you be having the same lifestyle that you have now? If so congratulation!!

I know we are too busy consumed by our priorities at the moment, that doesn’t involve us. But I think we should stop, just for a minute and think about ourselves. It is not being selfish at all. We have to make us, our priority when it comes to Health.

You would have a great holiday season, and all you would have done is spend money on gifts. Gifts that are costly but not appreciated; gifts that can be broken, chucked and forgotten. If we can spend money on things that are beneficial in keeping our body in ship shape when we turn 60!! that is the greatest gift you can ever give to your self!!

The other day I was talking to someone and he mentioned something that made me think. He said if our health is of great importance to us, we will go to any lengths to keep it in the same level.

In the past few weeks I have come across a couple of friends who has done open heart surgery, you might think that, this is not unusual. I agree, but what is different in both cases is the absence of high cholesterol levels in their blood test. Isn’t that a bit weird. This should make you think!

These two individuals are very health conscious and visit their doctor regularly and look after their health properly. And both were now complaining about the amount of medications they have to swallow each day and side effects that they have to face.

I was laughing (inside that is), if they have swallowed the right supplements each day on top of their healthy meal and proper exercise I think they would have avoided this situation, don’t you agree? People do winge about their health problems all the time, but are they prepared to do anything to solve the problem? I don’t think so!

You might argue with me that Health come from healthy diet and proper exercise. Believe me I heard it time and time again. But I disagree that the healthy diet we consume has sufficient health attributes in them to cater for all  our bodily functions. We need all the nutrients we can consume to help our body work properly as well as some extras to ward off the evil diseases we face every day.

I want to leave you with this:

He who has health, has hope. And he who has hope, has everything-proverb

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Resources & Recommendation:

1. Should you take the cheapest supplements you can find?
2. Books to read in improving Health
3. Supreme Antioxidant and Omega 3

Men have a reputation for neglecting their general medical well-being; in particular, avoiding  doctors about sensitive health matters because it makes them feel vulnerable. Men tend to soldier on until small health complaints develop into a serious and advanced stages, or until they are urged by their partners to see a health professional.

As we know, men and women have unique health concerns due to differences in genetic, biological, psychological, economical, behavioral and social factors. Most men simply take a more carefree attitude to their diet and exercise routine, which can lead to weight problems and have adverse effects on health and quality of life.

Men in Australia and New Zealand enjoy a longer life expectancy than men in most other countries in the world, yet on average, they have a shorter life expectancy than women. Almost 80% of men admitted to having a health condition including being overweight, stress and depression, erectile dysfunction, heart and prostate problems. Among all age groups, men experience higher mortality rates than women in suicide, accidents and injury and as men age, they have higher mortality rates for cancers, diabetes, and diseases of the circulatory system. The leading causes of death in men are heart disease, lung and prostate cancer, and stroke.

The Six-Pack ABS:

The symbolic image of an ancient Greek athlete represents strength, empowerment and the epitome of physique beauty. Many modern men are fixated with the masculinity that six-pack abs and a ripped body hold, yet with fitness centres popping up everywhere, there is still a growing proportion of males (68%) who are overweight or obese. Moderate obesity reduces lifespan by two to four years and severe obesity by eight to ten years.

Muscle loss is a significant feature of ageing and a sedentary lifestyle. Accompanying the loss of muscle mass is the increase of fat mass, as well as losses in muscle strength and function, protein synthesis rates, and anabolic and sex hormone production.

Having six-pack  abs does more than simply looking attractive. A good exercise regime that incorporates resistance training, either alone or in combination with certain nutritional supplements, helps to develop lean muscle mass; improves muscular and cardio-respiratory fitness; improves insulin sensitivity, decreases depression and sexual dysfunction; prevents metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease assists in weight management; and ultimately brings vitality to everyday living.

Ensuring an adequate intake level of high-quality protein everyday is critical to support muscle growth and to prevent muscle loss. A nutritionally balanced protein shake offers a great alternative as a source of protein.

Canaries in the coal mine:

Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects 30-50% of men over 40 years of age. Its physiological process is influenced by multiple factors including psychological, neurological, metaolic, reduced circulation, medication use, or hormonal abnormalities.

ED, dubbed as the “canaries of the coal mine”, can be an early sign for coronary artery disease and may occur years before a man has his heart attack. Acknowledging ED’s link to cardiovascular disease could lead men to take steps to prevent ED that also protects them against heart disease.

Man’s best buddies:

Saw Palmetto extract from the berry of dwarf palm tree Serenoa repens has been described as a man’s best friend. It is a natural herb used in traditional medicine for treating urogenital irritations, impotence and male infertility. Recent scientific evidence has emerged to support its use as an effective treatment for stage 1 and 2 of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. Treatment using palmetto was associated with reduction in prostate symptoms, significant improvement in peak urinary flow rate, and reduction nocturia.

Korean Ginseng is a herbal remedy that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, and is considered to be the most potent Qi or energy tonic to restore vitality. Ginseng refers to man (gin) and essence (seng) in Chinese.

Korean ginseng is a potent adaptogen that increases the body’s resistance to physical, emotional, mental or external stressors. It exerts effects on the body’s ability to respond to stress and to improve fatigue. Korean ginseng has been shown to improve vascular endothelial function in patients why hypertension, as well as improve mental health and social functioning after four weeks therapy. A relatively large amount of clinical data supports the use of Korean ginseng for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Combination supplementation of ginseng with ginkgo extracts has been found to improve circulation and lower blood pressure.

Gingko Biloba has been used medicinally for decades to treat circulatoty disorders, dementia, memory enhancement, vertigo, and tinnitus. Ginkgo promotes vasodilation and improves blood flow through arteries, veins and capillaries. Due to its vasodilatory effects, ginkgo has been used to treat sexual dysfunction in cases where circulation was compromised, and where sexual impairment was caused by antidepressant drugs.

Lycopene, the red pigment found most abundantly in tomatoes, is a carotenoid and potent antioxidant that is present at high levels in human serum, liver, adrenal glands, lungs and prostate.

Lycopene plays a significant role in protecting the spam from oxidative stress. Clinical trials have shown that lycopene supplementation improved sperm concentration, mobility and morphology, therefore may play a role in management of male infertility. Clinical evidence also showed that lycopene supplementation inhibited progression of BPH and ameliorated symptoms in BPH patients, suggesting that lycopene supplementation may assist in the long-term management prostate health.

Article by Sheila Zhou, thanks to Health Essentials issue 6, 2011

Resources and Recommendations:

• More indepth info on Men’s Health also article on Athlete Steve Hooker who got it all.
• Read to learn more on Men’s health
• Site on Men’s health issue
• Books for further research on Men’s well being
• Product to neutralise hormone imbalance for men
• For ways to maintain healthy body through healthy eating head to  Healthy appetite. For overall health of our body we need good Antioxidants.

Recently I have been reading a great book called Your Skin & You by Bea Kinnear, it has opened my eyes towards how we have to treat our skin through out our life to keep it younger and healthy by using the right skin care product. She has talked about all the ingredients in different products and how they affect our skin.

As we all know ‘Baby Boomers’ are the heart and soul of major trends for decades and they are willing to go to any lengths to keep their appearance of youth longer. They are going a step further and want good quality for the money they are spending. Since skin care is a very competitive market, companies will go to any lengths to market their products. Through attractive packaging, celebrity prone advertisements, they try to make the product appealing to their end consumer. But when it comes to ingredients behind the attractive packaging, does it consume the same stuff as the cheaper brand,  is the only question that floats in everyone’s mind.

Cosmetics have always been ‘hope in a bottle’ for most of us. According to Ruth Winter, in her book, A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients – “There is a 500 to 1000% spread between the cost and sales price in cosmetics. This margin is needed, according  to manufacturers, to meet  heavy promotional expenses. The industry is the largest advertiser on TV and magazines. One french perfumer was asked the actual cost of ingredients for a perfume selling for $230 per ounce in a department store. His answer is “About four to six dollars”.

How do you feel about this? when I read it I felt ripped off, thank god I am not a perfume lover. I know a lady, according to her friend, will buy all expensive brand name perfumes. She enjoys collecting them and wearing them every day, wonder how she will feel when she finds out about this rip off.

Coming back to our subject did you know, in 1989 the cosmetic, toiletries and perfume industry reported sales of $18 billion in the U.S alone? Just 10 years later, sales for 2002 were estimated at $45 billion! World wide it comes to $115 billion in sales with thousands of cosmetic companies producing thousands of products. And each year we come to know more new companies and internet prone stores targeting consumers.

Teenagers and Men have  joined the ‘Baby Boomer’ generation in using skin care products now. The children’s market is estimated at $5 to $8 billion yearly and growing five to eight percent per annum. Statistics show that by the age of thirteen, 71.6% of female children use blush, almost 85% use lip-gloss, and 94% use a hair conditioner.

Functions of Skin:

• Regulating Temperature.
• Expelling Toxins.
• Manufacturing Sebum (oil).
• Protects from Bacteria.

As we know skin is the largest organ in our body and it is the first barrier for harmful things to enter our body. And it is important to protect and pamper our skin. Many things we apply to our skin can be detected in the blood stream within 20 minutes. There are external sources that impair our skin’s ability to function normally and result in premature aging.

Harmful External Factors:

• Moisture.
• Caffeine.
• Smoking.
• Sun exposure
• Soap
• Skin care products.

Cosmetic Variety:

Nowadays we come across many terms attached to different cosmetics. Few of these are:

• Cosmeceuticals: Refers to a product which is marketed as a cosmetic, but contains biologically active ingredients that can have an effect on the user.
• Nutricosmetics: It is a concept of working on skin health and beauty by treating your skin two ways – Outside skin and inside skin.
• Natural: Ingredients are extracted directly from plants or animal products as opposed to being produced synthetically.
• Organic: Natural cosmetics in the form of truly organic cosmetics with a proportion of at least 95% of the natural substances contained in a product stemming from certified organic production.

Preservatives in Skin Care Products:

Bea explains ‘that all cosmetic formulations have preservative components. Contaminations in personal care and cosmetic products can be caused by micro organisms. These contamination of formulations can lead to the separation of emulsions, product discoloration, the formation of gasses and odors, as well as infection of the user’s skin. The use of preservatives is required to prevent product damage caused by bacteria and to protect the product from inadvertent contamination by the consumer during use. If you don’t have a preservative in the product to retard microbial contamination, you run the risk of early spoilage of the product and in the worst case scenarios, possible bacterial infections that may even result in blindness’.

However, many preservatives have the potential to cause allergic reactions on sensitive skin, and most importantly, some have high possible linkage with cancer, while other do not sufficiently support the products. Luckily we do have several ingredients that can provide preserving abilities. It is our responsibility to learn about our options, such as how well these preserving systems affect our health, and our family.

Five preserving system commonly used today:

• Self-Preserving Technology
• Parabens (PHBA)
• Formaldehyde
• Alcohol and Volatile oils
• Using no preservative system

But it is obvious that no matter what excellent ingredients you find in a cosmetic product, if it is not preserved properly, using that product could be dangerous for the consumer. Therefore, finding a safe, chemical-free preserving system that is stable, non-irritating and complete in all requirements is the answer to product safety for the consumer.

Take care of your skin and Be Younger Longer through proper care for your skin!

Resources and Recommendations

• Bible for Skin lovers – Your Skin & You
• More info on Healthy Skin
• Detailed product info on Sense the Beautiful Science

In the recent times we hear a lot about soy and soy products. 10 years ago we had a few products in the supermarket, but now it is swamped with soy products natural and chemical alike. Soy products come in forms of consumables and external applicable. Now let us dive deep into understanding a bit more about soy, benefits of soy and contradiction of soy benefits.

What is Soy

The word ‘Soy” is commonly used to refer about food sources and ingredients derived from soy bean. Soy bean is a type of legume.

Throughout Asia, soy foods have been consumed for centuries as part of their diet, and as an important source of high-quality protein.  And these  people exhibit low rates of many of the chronic diseases that is found in Western civilisation.

Did you know that due to the massive shift in attitude about soy, soy food sales increased from $300 million to nearly $4 billion between 1992 to 2006, practically overnight, according to the Soyfoods Association of North America.

Scientific research has confirmed that substituting soy protein for animal protein in the diet can lead to beneficial effects in lowering blood cholesterol levels. Research also points that soy protein contribute towards maintaining bone health, relieving menopausal symptoms, provide protective effects against certain forms of cancer and enhancing athletic performance.

According to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 25g of soy protein per day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. If you have health issues consuming more would be advisable. To reach the 25g per day, we need to consume three to four serves of soy protein.

Soy protein is a high quality protein, equal in quality to meat, milk, and egg protein. Soy protein meets or exceeds the essential amino acid requirements of both children over the age of two years and adults and is highly digestible.

Are all Soy products have the same benefits?

As per Professor Mark Wahlqvist (President of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences), it is important to distinguish between traditional and modern forms of soy. The traditional forms of soy are ones which are characterised by tofu, (bean curd, soy is a bean) tempeh (tempeh’s principally used in Indonesia, it’s a fermented form of soy) and in Japan, traditional forms include miso soup, tofu, probably brought from China as well, and a fermented form of soy called nato. So they’re the traditional forms of soy and they’re characterised by being fairly intact, the whole bean is eaten, or has been processed by the traditional food technology, like fermentation, which probably confers important benefits.

But the other forms of soy in the West are often based on soy isolates, where the protein is used as a food ingredient. They’re used in reconstituted products, everything from meat look-alike products, to soy drinks. To read more on understanding the benefits of soy  head to Health Report

But unfortunately unfermented and processed soy products such as soy milk, soy cheese, soy ice cream and soy burgers does not contain the rich benefit of fermented soy products.

Unfermented soy products (that you should be avoiding):

• Tofu
• Soybean oil
• Soy milk
• Soy ‘meat’
• Soy infant formula
• Soy protein
• Edamame

Resources and Recommendations:

• More in depth information on Soy
• Must read book on The whole soy story
• Product rich in natural  Soy
• Delicious snack bar with natural  Soy protein
• Soy isoflavones supplement for Men
• Soy isoflavones supplement for Women

Manganese participates in many enzyme systems in the body. Needed for protein and fat metabolism, healthy nerves, healthy immune system, and blood sugar levels. Is used in energy production. Required for normal bone growth and for reproduction. Used in the formation of cartilage and lubricating fluid of the joints.

Works well with the B vitamins to give an overall feeling of well-being. Aids in the formation of mother’s milk.

Inadequate Manganese leads to:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• high blood sugar levels
• Skin rash
• Loss of hair color
• Excessive bone loss
• Low cholesterol levels
• Dizziness
• Hearing loss
• Reproductive system difficulties

Recommended Daily Intake: RDA (as per UMM for Manganese)

Children and Infants

• Infants 0 – 6 months: 0.003 mg
• Infants 7 months – 1 year: 0.6 mg
• Children 1 – 3 years: 1.2 mg
• Children 4 – 8 years: 1.5 mg
• Males 9 – 13 years: 1.9 mg
• Males 14 – 18 years: 2.2 mg
• Females 9 – 18 years: 1.6 mg

Adult

• Males 19 years and older: 2.3 mg
• Females 19 years and older: 1.8 mg
• Pregnant women: 2 mg
• Breastfeeding women: 2.6 mg

People with special Manganese needs:

• Arthritic People
• Some Diebetic People

Rich sources of Manganese:

• Nuts
• Whole grains
• Tea
• Avocado
• Brown rice
• Spices
• Mustard greens
• Kale
• Chard
• Raspberries
• Pineapple
• Romaine lettuce
• Collard greens
• Maple syrup.

Recommendation:

• Interesting read on Manganese
• High quality Supplement
• Books on Vitamin and Mineral