FitFife.co.uk

Tag: Food Supplements

  • Dry Skin Care: How to get rid of Dry Skin

    Dry Skin Care: How to get rid of Dry Skin

    What it is and what cause it

    Dry Skin feels unpleasant and stings when the weather is wet, cold or windy. Conditions that roughen skin include excessive immersion in water, dermatitis, psoriasis, shingles, chickenpox, prickly heat, goose bumps and flaking sunburn.

    Another common cause is photo-damage from years of sun exposure. tiny rough spots (keratosis pilaris), resembling goose bumps on face, chest, back, upper arms, and thighs are worse in winter and more likely with eczema and usually go in a person’s 20s.

    Treatment For Dry Skin –

    Lifestyle – More exercise and sleep sometimes improve skin quality and texture. wear rubber gloves when working with water.

    Food and Drink –

    Roughness
    Eat more foods rich in essential fatty acids and beta carotene to smooth skin.

    Cracks
    Eat more vitamin B2-rich foods; a deficiency encourages soreness and cracking

    Dry Skin
    Have more water and foods containing the skin friendly nutrients beta carotene, vitamin C and E, Zinc and essential fatty acids.

    Food Supplements to cure –

    • Borage (Sunflower) oil and Cod lever oil for roughness
    • Vitamin B complex for cracks
    • A multivitamin and mineral supplement and fish oil for dryness

    Aromatherapy

    Cracked Soles
    Before bed time, massage with two teaspoons of sweet almond oil containing five drops of frankincense, myrrh, and patchouli or benzoin oil. Slip a polyethene bag on your foot, then a sock. the next morning apply a non-adherent “burns” dressing, bandage or “heel-cracked bandage” to help to keep the moisture in and smooth the skin.

    Cracked Lips
    Mix two drops of rose oil with the contents of two capsules of evening primrose oil and apply a little of this oil in morning and night.

    Dry Skin Remedies

    Cracked Lips
    Bathe with carrot tea, this contains healing vitamin, mineral and flavonoids

    Cracked Soles
    Soften callused skin by soaking in strong chamomile tea for ten minutes. alternatively, apply a paste made from six crushed aspirin tablets and half a teaspoon each of water and lemon juice. Encase your foot overnight in a plastic bag, then a sock. The next morning, remove the softened skin with a callus file or pumice sone and work in some rich cream.

    Use a good Foot Cream to soften the foot skin that is dryer and thicker than the other parts of the body

    General Skin care

    Dry Skin
    Wear gloves and barrier cream to protect your hands. Moisturize your skin well, especially after a bath. Use a sun screening moisturizer or foundation cream by day and nourish your skin at night with a cream enriched with evening primrose or starflower oil and Vitamin A and E

    Cracked Lips
    Don’t lick sore lips as this encourage even more uncomfortable “lip licker’s dermatitis”.

  • What is Cramp and How to Treat It

    What is Cramp and How to Treat It

    What is Cramp?

    Cramp is a sudden painful tightening of the muscles. it causes period pain and labor pains, angina, irritable bowel syndrome, tension headaches, and repetitive strain injury. But here we’ll discuss calf cramp. It mostly happens in the calf muscles but it can happen and affect any part of the leg, including your thigh and feet.

    Reasons of Cramp:

    • Cramp in the lower leg is commoner in older people. Among its triggers are: being cold, dehydration, alcohol, sweating, a poor diet, insufficient UV-light exposure and not warming up and cooling down properly when exercising.
    • During a Cramp, muscles suddenly contract which causes the pain in your leg. this is known as a spasm, and you can’t control the influenced muscles.
    • Exposure to cold temperatures, especially to cold water.
    • Other medical conditions, such as blood flow problems, kidney illness and thyroid disease
    • Standing on a solid and hard surface for a long period of time or Putting your legs in unbalanced positions while you rest also cause Cramp
    • Not having enough calcium, potassium, and other minerals in your blood.

    Treatment:

    Some people swear by putting a cork or magnet beneath the mattress although the origin and usefulness of this remedy are unclear.

    Food and Drink: Eat plenty of foods rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, vitamin C and E and essential fatty acids. Magnesium is highly suggested for treatment of muscle cramps, especially for pregnant women.

    Eat oil fish (Omega 3) three times a week and benefit from the calcium in the bones by choosing canned fish with soft edible bones, or marinating fish in vinegar for 48 hours.

    Food Supplements:

    • Calcium and Magnesium
    • Vitamin B3
    • Vitamin D
    • Fish Oil

    Exercise: Stretch the cramped muscle to ease it. Help prevent cramps by doing similar stretches three times daily. You might even rub or massage the muscle while or after you stretch, and perhaps apply a heating pad to the area after stretching. Walk around for a while if you are facing leg cramps and that’s the best thing you can do.

    Massage and Heat: Rub the muscle for two minutes, and then keep it warm. Hot Soak also helps in treating cramp. You can try dry heat like heating pad.

    Herbal Remedies: Put a thermos flask of cramp bark (guilder rose) tea by your bed. to ease cramp lay a hot compress made with the tea.

  • What is Arthritis and How to Cure it

    What is Arthritis and How to Cure it

    Arthritis means pain and stiffness in the joints.

    Osteoarthritis (OA)

    This usually affects the neck, lower back, hips, knees, fingers and toes. It affects ladies most. It often appears or worsens at the menopause in ladies and is encouraged by a hysterectomy for heavy periods. The problem is roughening of the joint cartilage from aging, overuse or other damage.

    Contributory factors include an unhealthy diet and certain foods (particularly tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers, eggplant-) perhaps because they contain certain lectins, substances that can damage joints in some people.

    Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

    This begins in wrists, fingers or toes and young women are most likely to be affected. The pill lowers the risk; childlessness increases it and some people inherit a high risk. Pregnancy can improve RA for up to three months after childbirth.

    Associated problems include anemia, a poor circulation and trouble with the tendons, eyes, and thyroid gland. RA is an autoimmune disease- one that results from abnormal immune cells behavior. Triggers include certain foods (Wheat, meat, dairy produce, eggs, animal fat, sugar, coffee), stress, infections and certain chemicals (Such as leaking domestic gas)

    How to Cure Arthritis:

    Food and Drink:

    • Reduce your intake of saturated fat. Have more raw leafy vegetables (Including parsley) and foods rich in essential fats (with a good balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats)
    • Eat more foods rich in flavonoids (especially proanthocyanidins), beta carotene, Vitamin C, D and E and selenium.
    • Avoid Refined flour and excess intake of salt.
    • Eat more fruits especially the fruits contain vitamin C (For Ex. Orange, Lemon etc)
    • Identify any food sensitivity with an elimination diet. Have half a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with a teaspoon of honey in hot water twice a day.
    • Drink a glass of vegetables juice (choose from beets, carrot, cucumber and celery) daily.
    • Drink a cup of ginger tea twice a day- ginger contains powerful antioxidants.

    Exercise:

    Balance rest and exercise without over-stressing joints. Move painful joints frequently to prevent stiffening. Strengthen the muscles around the joints.

    Light Exposure: Daylight exposure helps by warming joints and stimulating vitamin D, estrogens and endorphin production.

    Heat and Cold Therapies: Help to ease joint pain with warm, cold or alternating warm and cold treatments.

    Breathing Exercises: If you are prone to hyper-ventilating, practice breathing using breathing exercises to counteract a high body-acidity level.

    Stress management: Use effective anti-stress strategies to reduce inflammation and pain.
    Massage and Aromatherapy: Massage around painful joints with carrot seed oil

    Herbal Remedies:

    Try a daily cup of tea or dose of a tincture made from one or more of the following: frankincense (Boswellia), celery seed, yarrow, ginger, coriander, black cohos, buckbean, wildyam (rheumatism root), prickly ash, burdock, feverfew, willow bark, poplar bark, elderflowers, clivers (goose grass) and stinging nettle or consult a medical herbalist.

    Food Supplements:

    • Glucosamine HCL
    • Vitamin E and selenium
    • Calcium & magnesium
    • Multivitamin
    • Vitamin C
    • Omega-3
  • What is Indigestion and How to Cure it

    What is Indigestion and How to Cure it

    Indigestion, with stomach-ache, gas, nausea or heartburn (Pain beneath the breastbone from acid reflux) may result from an over-filled stomach, gas or muscle tension or inflammation of the wall of the stomach or intestines. Causes includes a poor diet, poor eating habits, stress, infection, food-sensitivity, gallstones, lack of stomach acid and digestive enzymes (drinking during meal-times, aging, stress, illness, food-sensitivity or a Vitamin B deficiency). Occasionally other problems are to blame.

    How to Cure Indigestion

    Avoid wearing a tight belt and don’t bend or lie down after meals. Stop smoking and take regular exercise to reduce weight.

    Food and Drink:

    • Eat more food rich in vitamins B and C and zinc. this fosters a healthy digestive system and sufficient saliva, mucus, stomach guide you on how often and how much to eat.
    • Boost the flow of digestive juices by savoring the aroma and flavor of meals, having bitter appetizers (such as olives) and aperitifs (such as tonic water-or gin and tonic), flavouring food with rosemary and eating chicory, watercress or artichokes.
    • Begin your main meal with a salad as its fiber helps condition the stomach and intestinal lining. And chew food thoroughly. Counteract indigestion with papaya, pineapple, raw cabbage, dill, parsley or ginger with meals and afterward sipping chamomile or mint tea or chewing cardamom, fennel or caraway seeds.
    • Fatty foods, alcohol and caffeine encourage heartburn, as do overeating and rushing meals. Avoid foods that upset you (milk, white flour and added sugar are common culprits) and get expert help with a food-elimination and multiple challenge test if you suspect a food sensitivity.

    If antacids don’t help indigestion after a protein containing meal, try sipping water containing a teaspoon of cider or balsamic vinegar or adding such vinegar to meat, fish, eggs and cheese. This could help if your body is making too little stomach acid.

    Food Supplements to Try:

    • Health Supplements
    • Vitamin B complex
    • Multi-Vitamin & Mineral
    • Fruit & Vegetable Fiber
    • Milk Thistle

    Stress management:

    Use more effective stress management strategies, as stress can make the stomach muscles overactive, and alter acid production.

    Remember that antacids aren’t recommended for long-term use. Relax and enjoy meals as one of life’s great pleasures and avoid using food or drink to smother or drown difficult emotions. Comfort foods and alcohol can’t cure what’s wrong and may make you tired, unwell and overweight in addition to worsening your digestion.

    Try Yoga:

    Some Yoga Asans help in dealing with indigestion. There are lots of exercises of yoga help the digestive system for its proper functioning. Yogasana improve your abdominal muscles and improves digestion. Yoga not only provide strength and tones the body but also improves the rate of metabolism of the body.

    What else Doctor may suggest- If necessary, a doctor can arrange investigations such as breath test, blood tests, scans, X-ray and endoscopy (a look inside the stomach via a swallowed camera), then use drugs or surgery to treat any problem if necessary.

  • 8 Tips to Prevent Cancer

    8 Tips to Prevent Cancer

    However, there are no proven ways to prevent cancer but still you can reduce the risk by following some tips to prevent cancer. According to several Cancer researches, 4 out of 10 cancer cases can be prevented especially through lifestyle changes. There are several reasons why you should lead a healthy Lifestyle.

    There are Following Tips to Prevent Cancer

    1.Do not smoke:

    Smoking is really injurious to health and this is one of the leading causes of cancer. Tobacco contains Nicotine which is harmful for the heart and lungs. Prolong use of tobacco leads to many serious issues including Hypertension and other Heart diseases. if you smoke then try to quit it slowly and eat foods that flush nicotine out of the body

    2.Do not Drink Alcohol:

    Alcohol consumption causes cancers like Liver cancer, Colon Cancer and kidney cancer. So if you drink alcohol so it in moderation, if possible quit it.

    3.Maintain a Healthy Weight:

    Obesity is a major cause of many serious illnesses like breast and kidney cancer, Hypertension, diabetes, etc. So check your BMI regularly and keep a watch on your weight. There are plenty of ways to control your weight.

    4.Protect Yourself from Sun:

    Sun exposure is the major cause of skin cancer which is one of the most common kinds of cancer. So avoid sun exposure between 10AM to 4 PM when rays of the sun are strongest. If you have to go outside between this time then apply a good sunscreen lotion with at least 15 SPF and cover your skin.

    5.Do Some Physical activity:

    You should perform some moderate activities very often. Physical activities lower the risk of colon cancer and breast cancer. Physical activity should include aerobic exercises. Yoga is also very helpful.

    6.Eat Healthy Diet:

    Healthy eating is really very important. if your diet is lacking in some critical nutrition then you are in verge of getting serious health issues which include Cancer. Our diets should include sufficient protein, Multivitamin and minerals and some good fats like Omega-3. When your diet doesn’t have sufficient nutrition, it creates free radicals in body which damage our tissues and cells and this is one of the biggest reasons of cancer. So eat the foods which are rich in anti-oxidants.

    Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits especially the high fiber fruits and vegetables. Limit processed meats and avoid oily food as much as possible. Use good fat (Omega-3) in your diet as much as possible.

    7.Eat Foods That Prevent Cancer:

    There are number of foods that actually help you to prevent cancer. You should include them in your diet. These foods not only help you prevent cancer but also provide you nutrition which is required to prevent other diseases.

    8.Use Health/Food Supplements:

    In today’s world, It is almost impossible to get all nutrition from food only. We depend on processed foods and ready to eat packaged food. Source of food is also not good. Most of the fruits, vegetable and grains are grown using synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides etc. So the food is lacking in proper nutrition and that’s why there is a nutrition gap.

    In order to fulfill this nutrition gap, we should start using Food supplements. There are plenty of reasons why we should use Food supplements these days.

    Some of the Food Supplements which can be added to your diet are-

    • Multi-vitamin
    • Multi-mineral
    • Omega-3
    • Protein
    • Tri-Iron Folic

    But remember, there are plenty of food supplements manufacturing companies are there in market but we should use only organic Food Supplements and I highly recommend Nutrilite for the same. Nutrilite has certified organic farms where they have their own control from seed to serving.

    So if you follow above tips then I am sure you can prevent cancer and can lead a healthy life.