The Fast Way to Beat Jet Lag

Traveling to exotic places is great–except when you first get there and collapse from exhaustion and jet lag. But you may be able to beat jet lag; you just have to skip eating before you leave home.

A new Harvard University study suggests that fasting may fight drowsiness.

Our bodies have two internal “clocks”–a body clock, which is sensitive to daylight, and a “feeding clock,” which keeps track of meal times.

Using mice, researchers altered a gene called BMAL1 that regulates the body clock. In one part of the experiment, they made the mice sleep, even through hunger–meaning unless woken, the mice could have starved to death.

More importantly, they discovered that the feeding clock could overpower the circadian clock, keeping mice up until they found something to nibble on.

Researchers say you can shift your body clock by changing your eating schedule. In particular, they say fasting can help with jet lag.

For an 11-hour time difference, “A period of fasting with no food at all for about 16 hours is enough to engage this new clock,” says lead researcher Clifford Saper. “Simply avoiding any food on the plane, and then eating as soon as you land, should help you to adjust and avoid some of the uncomfortable feelings of jet lag.”

Until time travel becomes reality or you can cross 10 time zones in an hour, it’s worth a try. We all know airport food is sub-par, anyway.

If you’re not traveling anytime soon, try this meal plan to eat right all day–no fasting required.

Beware the Bikini

When you go to the beach, you worry about sunburn, how you look in your swimsuit, maybe even sharks. But men now have something else to fear: bikinis.

A study in the Journal of Consumer Research says scantily clad women can make men do stupid things. (Did we really need a study to prove this?)

When men looked at photos of beautiful women, watched video of women running in bikinis, and touched bras, their desire for immediate gratification increased. Which caused them to seek instant reward, even when making decisions about money or food.

“It seems that sexual appetite causes a greater urgency to consume anything rewarding,” the authors suggest.

The men who handled lingerie were more likely to be satisfied with a smaller immediate monetary reward. (We see this as some sort of excuse to get out of doing the laundry. “Sorry honey, your bras make me want to spend money frivolously.” It’s worth a shot, right?)

The authors say sexy stimuli could mean the difference between selecting chocolate cake or fruit for dessert. Think about that next time you’re at Hooters.

The researchers believe the beautiful women make men’s minds shift to the here and now (yummy chocolate cake) instead of thinking long-term (trying to flatten your belly).

Whatever the reason, we’re not going to stop admiring beautiful women. We’ll deal with any consequences later.

Why lychees are good…

a) The fruit is low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. High in vitamin C ad copper

b) It is suitable for maintaining optimum health and weight loss.

c) But don’t include too many lychees in your diet if you’re interested in weight gain

WHILE BUYING LYCHEES….

a) The fruit should be firm when pressed gently; avoid those with too many black marks

b) The shell should be red to dark red, even brownish, with a leathery, though not wrinkled, outer skin

c) Preferably choose lychees, which are still attached to the stem, with shells intact

d) A pinkish flesh is a sign of freshness

First Aid Kit for Baby

Many mothers may not realize that along with taking on the name of Mommy, they will also earn the title Dr. Mom. Yes, at some point in your mothering career you will heal the sick and bandage the wounded with lots of tender loving care. To make the job of Dr. Mom easier in the coming months, you can create a baby friendly first aid kit. The time to assemble your kit is before your baby arrives. You’ll be ready for those first boo-boos and ouchies without having to make a trip to the drug store. Assembling a first aid kit geared specifically for your baby will give you the peace of mind knowing you have anything you could possibly need for an emergency together in one place and at your fingertips.
Prepackaged first aid kits are widely available. They’re economical and contain many of the essential items, but no one commercial product will contain everything you need for your baby. One easy way to build a first aid kit is to start with the prepackaged kit and add the extra items you will require for your baby.
You may want to have a large kit assembled for your home and then create mini-kits for your purse, a backpack, the diaper bag, and one for the car for when you travel with your baby. All kits need to be stored in a box that latches (lunch or tackle box) or a zippered bag, and out of baby’s reach. Well, the most important items in your baby’s first aid kit may actually be names and numbers to use in case of an emergency. Securely tape, glue, or sew the following contact information inside your kit:
Emergency Information
• Your doctor’s name and information including any after-hours or emergency numbers
• Hospital name and address
• List of any special health alerts (diabetic, high blood pressure, medical allergies, etc.)
• The number for the Poison Control Center
• The number for the local police, fire station and rescue squad
• Phone numbers of your partner, family members or friends
• The numbers of your two closest neighbors in case you need immediate assistance, such as help to care for an older child or a ride to the hospital
Here are the must-haves for your baby’s first aid kit:
• Infant/child thermometer (digital, ear or rectal)
• Children and infant’s non-aspirin liquid pain reliever (Children’s Tylenol or Advil), as recommended by your pediatrician
• Calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream for insect bites and rashes
• Rubbing alcohol to clean thermometers, tweezers, and scissors
• Petroleum jelly to lubricate rectal thermometers
• Hydrogen peroxide to clean cuts and scrapes
• Antibacterial cream (Neosporin) for cuts and for scrapes
• Tweezers for splinters and ticks; you can buy long very-pointy tweezers made specifically for removing splinters
• A pair of sharp scissors
• Child-safe insect repellent
• Children’s strength liquid decongestant
• Nasal aspirator bulb (not the long, pointy ear syringe)
• An assortment of band-aids in various sizes and shapes (cartoon characters can really help take the sting out of a boo-boo)
• Gauze rolls (1/2 to 2 inches wide)
• Gauze pads (2×2 and 4×4 inches)
• Adhesive tape
• Sterilized cotton balls
• Cotton tipped swabs
• Mild liquid soap
• An oral syringe or calibrated cup or spoon for administering medicines
• A package of tongue depressors to check sore throats
• A heating pad
• A hot water bottle and ice pack
• A small flashlight to check ears, nose, throat, and eyes
• First Aid manual: Pick one that’s easy to read with step by step instructions and gives advice for handling a wide range of emergencies
• Activated Charcoal: Keep this on hand in case of accidental poisoning, but do not use it without first calling the local poison control center or your baby’s pediatrician.

Cleansing the Body

Nowadays people are more conscious of their health. More and more people are exerting their efforts in taking a healthy lifestyle.

With this, many cleansing treatments are available online. I have heard about Master Cleansing, Colon Cleansing, etc. These promise the flushing of toxins from our body if done correctly. I have even came across an article that aids in the removal of gallstones.

Reading the article, I got really interested in trying it out but I didn’t know where to find some of the ingredients needed and just going over the procedure, I doubted if I could finish it.

There’s nothing wrong in exploring new ways to rid the body of harmful toxins. I just think it is best to consult a doctor first to find out if it is safe to do and if our body can withstand it.

Global Warming awareness

When was the last time we cared about our universe? Since the beginning of industrial era, planet Earth have continuously been fighting to the thickening cause of global warming.

Have we ever asked ourselves what is global warming and it effects? Global warming is the increased temperature on Earth caused by the influence of human change.

There are several effects that we need to consider. First, imagine the ice melt in the north pole. It will cause countless deaths if global warming continues. Second, the climate will surely be warmer. The usual summer heat might change into burning summmer heat. We wouldn’t want to stay home during summer, would we? No one would be interested to dip in the beach if the temperature is too warm. Third, many land-locked countries will experience drought. This can also cause the possible loss in the production of crops.

We should start saving the environment. Let us think a thousand times before using our natural resources. Let us be cautious of our own living. Learn to love God’s creation so our children will have a better place to live in.

Who needs dietary supplements?

They may be appropriate if you….

1) Don’t eat well or consume less than 1,600 calories a day.

2) Are allergic to particular foods.

3) Are a geriatric patient unable to consume balanced diets.

4) Are a vegetarian and don’t substitute or complement your diet appropriately.

5) Are pregnant or breastfeeding.

6) Are a woman who experiences heavy bleeding during the menstrual period.

7) Are a postmenopausal woman.

Are a chain smoker or alcoholic.

9) Have a medical condition that affects how your body absorbs, uses or excretes nutrients, such as diarrhoea, food allergy, disease of the liver, gallbladder, intestines or pancreas.

10) Have had surgery on your digestive tract and are not able to digest and absorb nutrients.

Loose Weight Healthy

ACV(apple cider vinegar) was just introduced to me by a friend. I never knew about this one before but I was really intrigue with the results it gave my friend.

Before she was 180lbs and after a couple of months drinking this product she is noe 125lbs! I was really surprised about that. I knew that she’s been trying to loose weight for more than 3 years now but none was effective to her. She may loose some but when she stop the routine she alwyas go back to that weight. But according to her ACV does not bring her back to her weight before.

What she do was she mixed 1tablespoon of ACV with half cup warm water before breakfast and she drink it within three weeks. Then she notice the slowly that she looses weight.

According to my research vinegar flushes out fat in the colon and helps the body digest the food we eat. It also was reportedly cuts out cravings. 

Well seems like this is healthy to loose weight. I am now trying this product and I never see any negative impact on my body. You guys can also try this one.

Ten Tips to Help Slim Down this Summer

Want to lose a few extra pounds for the remainder of this summer? Here are 10 tips to help you achieve your weight loss goal!

1. Drink lots of water - at least 64 ounces a day. It will help you to fill up and you won’t feel hungry as often.

2. Chew gum while cooking - it will help to keep you from snacking.

3. Eat fiber throughout the day - it will help you stay full longer and faster.

4. Eat raisins - it will help you burn more fat. Add them to cereal and salads.

5. Dance while you dress - by adding some extra moves to your daily habits you can burn off more calories.

6. Choose to eat lean proteins - foods high in protein digest slowly and can cause you to overeat.

7. Don’t empty your plate - leave some food behind to cut down on portions. Making small changes can prevent overeating.

8. Avoid alcoholic beverages - drinking alcohol causes you to burn less fat. Drinking cold water instead will kick start your metabolism.

9. Get 10,000 steps a day - buy a pedometer and see how many steps you are walking per day. If you are not walking 10,000 steps, find a way to increase your walking.

10. Workout outdoors - If you are used to going to the gym, switch up your routine and workout outdoors.

Don’t Doubt Your Body

There are many illnesses out there that still leave doctors baffled and you may be someone reading this who is having trouble getting a diagnosis. For those patients who have been on a diagnosis search for years, know that you are not alone. It is so easy for patients to become intimidated by their physicians and to doubt how they are truly feeling when the doctor can’t find anything wrong.

The patient needs to realize that only they know how they truly feel. If you suspect something is wrong, if your body is not performing as it normally would, then something is probably wrong. Trust your gut instinct and don’t stop searching. Research your symptoms, journal your symptoms and continue searching until you find a doctor who will listen and believe you. Never give up.

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