Month: May 2006

The New England Journal of Medicine was the first to break the news in the U.S. Cases have been reported where a person faces a troubling or traumatic situation and experiences symptoms of a heart attack soon after. In reported cases, people had just experienced an event like a home robbery, earning disturbing news about a loved one’s health, an accident, and so forth. Johns Hopkins University doctors used different tests to show how the actual effect of the syndrome on the heart differed from a heart attack.

The attacks that took place in these cases were not mere panic attacks or heart palpitations but triggered a heart failure. The state is similar to that of a heart attack causing chest pain, shortness in breath and fluid fills in the lungs. Such attacks have proved to be fatal hence, confirming that stress can indeed claim a life.

However, with proper care people recover right away without long-term harmful effects. Stress cardiomyopathy is not a traditional heart attack but an unusual heart malfunction that temporarily stuns, not destroys, heart cells. The arteries are not blocked and there are no blood clots or other blockages. Sometimes minimal damage occurs in the heart muscle but everything else returns to normal with treatment.

Recent research suggests that women are more vulnerable to sudden emotional stress effects on the heart than men, perhaps due to hormones. One researcher measured adrenaline levels in 19 otherwise healthy people and found they were several times higher than what is seen in traditional heart attacks. Other stress hormones were found at extremely high levels. It is guessed that the high levels of stress hormones hit the heart and overwhelm it by contracting the heart’s small blood vessels.

This evidence sheds new light on people who are under extreme stress or grieving and suggests the complex interplay of the processes of mind and body. We certainly feel bad all over when our hearts are broken, and now we understand why.

Peaches are known to have originated from China and later on, found their way to other parts of the world. Peaches are a great source of carbohydrates, protein, dietary fiber, vitamin C and vitamin A. Having peach in your daily diet fights deadly diseases like cancer. It has good amount of boron which encourages the estrogen level in postmenopausal women, which is great boon for women. It also stimulates your brain and prevents the chances of osteoporosis. It is also known to lower your blood pressure.

Peaches are very useful for digestion due to its alkaline content so you can say goodbye to all our stomach problems. It is a good source of dietary fiber which works superbly for constipation problems. It helps to prevent hemorrhoids which can give lot of trouble. It helps to recharge your immune system which can prevent many diseases including shingles. If you have trouble with your heart, this fruit helps to put a stop to the heart strokes. You can also avoid any constipation problem by having this fruit. It is rich in potassium, sodium and calcium which can provide a good complexion. With 88 per cent water content it is known to be thirst-quencher.

It is a great way to clean your kidney and bladder due to its laxative properties. It can perk and energize you if you have good amount of peaches. Can you believe there more than 200 varieties of peaches and more than 175 varieties of nectarines. It also contains good amount of carbohydrates which has the ever essential phytonutrients (plant-based nutrients), anti-oxidants and carotenoids. The presence of carotenoids means, it would be very useful for your eyes. Lutein and zeaxanthin filter present in peaches protects your eyes from scotching heat. It also protects your eyes from other disorders related to your age like macular degeneration and cataracts. The anti-oxidants and nectarines helps you fight diseases which are related to aging.

Home Remedies

Eating peach along with its skin before going to bed, would help you with your constipation problems.

Dried peaches are rich in iron and are very useful for anemia.

Avocado is also known as Alligator Pear originated in southern Mexico. It has become a useful ingredient for our daily skin care routine. It is rich in fat as well as protein. These fats are monounsaturated which is good for a healthy heart. The provision of vitamin E in avocado helps the heart to remain fit. It is also known to supply 60% more potassium in comparison to banana.

It is also rich in fiber, foliate (folic acid), vitamin B6, iron, copper and magnesium. Other than applying avocado on your skin, consuming it in salad form can also be beneficial for your skin. Avocado contains vitamins like A, D, and E which has penetrating qualities to improve your skin. Avocado oil is also very useful for skin care. The oil is useful to remove any sun damage or age spots. It also softens the skin and provides a moisturizing effect and can do wonders on damaged, undernourished and dehydrated skin.

Simple Recipes for Skin Care

Puffed Eyes
Cut avocado into slices and place it under each eye and relax with it for next 20 minutes. The changes would be remarkable.

Eye Cream
Make an eye cream by mixing 5 drops of almond oil in 3 ripe slices of avocado. Blend this mixture and dab it around your eyes. Keep it for five minutes then rinse.

Another method of making the eye cream is by using 1/4 cup avocado oil with 1/4 cup aloe vera gel. You could also use apricot kernel, grape seed or sesame oil.

Facial Mask
This facial mask is useful for dry skin. Mash half avocado and apply it leisurely on your face. Keep it for 15 minutes and then rinse it off with warm water.

Make a paste of ½ ripe avocado mixed with 1 tsp vegetable oil. Apply this paste on a washed and clean face. Leave it for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse it with warm water. This masque is very good for dry skin.

Smooth and Beautiful Hands
Make a paste by mixing 1/4 peeled & smashed avocado, 1 egg white, 2 tbsp. oatmeal and 1 tsp lemon juice. Apply this paste on your hand and leave it for 20 minutes. Rinse it with warm water and pat it dry. You would be thrilled by the results by using it regularly.

The more you understand about any subject, the more interesting it becomes. As you read this article you’ll find that the subject of Diet Fads is certainly no exception.

Knowledge can give you a real advantage. To make sure you’re fully informed about Diet Fads, keep reading.

It might be actresses such as Suzanne Sommers and Jane Fonda, or models such as Christie Brinkley or Kathy Ireland. It seems that a number of celebrities today offer their own weight loss programs. The programs are appealing because we see these various svelte celebrities and we want to have bodies just like them. The celebrities are also highly likable, so we have a predisposition to be accepting of their products.

However, did you ever stop to think whether these celebrities have any nutritional training? Do they have medical training? Is the information that they offer nutritionally sound? Or is it just a good sales pitch?

Nutrition experts Annette B. Natow and Jo-Ann Heslin, authors of the book Get Skinny the Smart Way, say that consumers should be leery of celebrity-inspired diet books. They point out that such books are often based upon nutritional fiction and that, while the diets outlined in these books may result in short-term weight loss, they can be far from healthy in the long run. Therefore, you might consider passing up the celebrity diet books and opting for those written by nutritional experts instead.

But celebrities aren’t the only ones preaching fad diets. For instance, there’s the so-called grapefruit diet which recommends consuming a grapefruit prior to each meal. Another fad is the cabbage soup diet, which requires you to consume all the cabbage soup you can handle. Other fads call for eating all the eggs you can…consuming only raw foods…or fasting every other day. Such diets are not only based on nutritional misinformation—they can also be dangerous.

For instance, let’s take a closer look at the cabbage soup diet. No major health organization has endorsed it. Moreover, the American Heart Association disapproves of it, noting that it can actually harm you. Promoters of this diet say that you can lose as much as 15 pounds a week by following it—what they don’t say is that most of that weight is water weight. Once you begin eating normally again, you will see your weight rise once more. Some of the side-effects of the cabbage soup diet include a feeling of weakness, stomach pains, and diarrhea.

Yet another questionable diet approach is what’s known as food combining. Such a diet assumes that you are overweight because you are not eating the right combination of food. The requirements of such a diet can seem quite arbitrary. For instance, you might be told that you can eat a banana only in the morning. This is rubbish, since your stomach can deal with a variety of different foods at one time. The idea behind such a diet is to eat food with fewer calories, but there are other methods you can use to accomplish the same goals.

Some companies even claim that you can shed pounds while you dream. They say that, if you use their product right before bedtime, you will lose weight. In actuality, no company can make such a claim with any degree of credibility. It is impossible to burn a large number of calories while snoozing. In other cases, you may be tempted to try to lose weight by consuming special milkshakes or candy bars. In essence, these products are just milk and candy with certain vitamins and minerals added. However, one rarely feels satisfied after consuming these products. As a result, you may find yourself actually consuming additional calories during the rest of the day. While you might be able to theoretically lose weight in the short-term, you’ll find it difficult to maintain the weight loss over the long haul.

The fact of the matter is that there is a great deal of money that can be made through the sale and marketing of diet products. As long as America has a large contingent of overweight people, companies will try to make a profit off of overeating. It is up to you to be savvy enough to recognize a diet fad when you see it and opt for a different approach to losing weight. You’ll find that there are really no short-cuts to weight loss. Any successful diet program takes time, patience, and determination, along with a willingness to change your eating patterns.

Knowing enough about Diet Fads to make solid, informed choices cuts down on the fear factor. If you apply what you’ve just learned about Diet Fads, you should have nothing to worry about.