Five Compelling Health Benefits of Lemons

by admin | Apr 21, 2021 | Health Awareness

When life gives you lemons, consider keeping them. These citrus fruits are loaded with beneficial properties that can help your body function its best. From delivering key vitamins to promoting fresh breath, here are a few ways lemons can boost your health.

Provides Ample Vitamin C

Lemons provide more than 18 milligrams of vitamin C or nearly a third of your daily recommended amount. The key nutrient has been shown to help reduce the risk of serious illness, including cardiovascular disease and stroke. Vitamin C has also been shown to lower blood pressure. 

Supports Weight Loss

Lemons can help you stay hydrated, thereby reducing bloating. They may also boost your metabolism and increase feelings of fullness, both of which can help you lose weight.

Keeps Skin Looking Its Best

There’s a reason vitamin C is a common ingredient in many leading skincare products. The nutrient has been shown to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. While topical creams may be most effective, enjoying some lemon water certainly won’t hurt.

Promotes Digestion

Ayurvedic medicine promotes lemon water as a healthy way to stimulate digestion. Many people drink lemon water right when they wake up for its ability to rev the digestive system.

Prevents Kidney Stones

Lemons contain citric acid, which surprisingly can make the urine less acidic. As such, you may be less likely to experience kidney stones if you drink lemon water regularly. As an added bonus, you’ll also be staying hydrated, which further helps to prevent kidney stones.

With so many benefits to consider, freshly squeezed lemons begin to sound more delicious than ever. At the very least, adding some to your water may make you more likely to stay hydrated without sugary beverages, which is a health benefit in itself.

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How Sleep Boosts Heart Health

by admin | Jan 27, 2021 | Health Awareness

Experts have long suspected that sleep plays an important role in overall health, but new research published in the journal Circulation indicates an especially strong link between getting ample slumber and maintaining heart health. Specifically, individuals with the healthiest sleep habits slash their risk of heart failure by 42%. The condition happens when the heart can’t pump blood as well as it should, resulting in insufficient blood and oxygen to the cells. Patients experience fatigue, breathing challenges, and other health complications as a result.

The study characterizes healthy sleep as an early wake time, a duration of seven to eight hours each night, and no bouts of snoring, insomnia, or excessive tiredness. Markers of heart health included low LDL (“bad” cholesterol), reduced inflammation, and higher HDL (“good” cholesterol). These measures are commonly used to evaluate heart failure risk.

More than 408,000 participants were tracked over a decade, with 5,221 people developing heart failure. The data revealed the following trends:

• People who woke up early had an 8% lower risk of heart failure.
• People who didn’t experience frequent insomnia had a 17% lower risk.
• People who regularly got seven to eight hours of sleep had a 12% lower risk.
• People who didn’t feel sleepy throughout the day had a 34% lower risk.

Although the research couldn’t confirm whether poor sleep led to heart issues or vice versa, the researchers noted that they aimed to exclude people with existing heart failure from the study. Thus, the results in this particular study seem to suggest that poor sleep contributes to the condition, though a bidirectional relationship is possible.

The Potential Link Between Sleep & Heart Health

Other studies have examined a connection between poor sleep and cardiovascular issues, including arrhythmia, coronary heart disease, and coronary artery disease, all of which can contribute to heart failure. It’s also worth noting that two markers looked at in the study—daytime tiredness and snoring—are also potential indications of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). While the possible role of OSA in heart failure would need to be studied further, research has already linked it to other cardiovascular issues, including stroke, heart attack, and high blood pressure.  

Finding the Sweet Spot

Getting enough sleep is important to overall wellness, but it’s also important to consider that too much sleep could present health issues. Sleeping over eight hours was associated with poor cardiovascular health in the study, and other research has also linked it to cardiovascular disease. Researchers believe excessive sleep could also point to health issues such as chronic illness or depression, which could explain the correlation. For this reason, it’s best to aim for seven to eight hours a night.

Tips for Healthy Sleep

In addition to getting seven to eight hours a night, try to wake early and address any sleep challenges, such as snoring, insomnia, or sleep apnea, with a healthcare professional. You can also use the following tips to improve your overall sleep habits:

• Turn off all electronics. At least a half-hour before bed, spend time away from screens. The blue light can disrupt the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.
• Establish a winding down routine. Consider taking a soothing bath, listening to relaxing music, reading a book, or meditating.
• Turn the lights down. This can kickstart melatonin production and communicate to your body that it’s time for sleep.

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How to Maintain a Healthy Immune System Naturally

by admin | Dec 30, 2020 | Health Awareness

Your immune system is your body’s most powerful line of defense against infection and illness. It comprises cells in many different areas of your body which must all work together in harmony. The immune system is affected by many different factors, including your diet and overall lifestyle. Here are some natural approaches to help you maintain strong immunity.

Eat a Nutritious Diet

Plant-based foods deliver nutrients your body needs to support strong immune function. For instance, key nutrients such as zinc, folate, selenium, iron, and B12, many of which can be found in fresh fruits and vegetables, help the immune system do its job. Certain herbs and spices, such as cumin, oregano, thyme, and cinnamon, also have antiviral and antimicrobial properties to help keep infections at bay. Of course, vitamin C is also a well-known agent for strengthening immunity, which can be found in citrus fruit, red bell pepper, and many cruciferous vegetables. You’ll also want to get plenty of protein to supply your body with amino acids that help the body resist infection.

Control Stress

When the body is consistently stressed, it releases the stress hormone cortisol. On a short-term basis, this phenomenon helps the body react to the issue causing the stress by putting the immune system on hold. Over a long-term basis, however, it prevents the immune system from doing its job effectively. To combat chronic stress, try calming exercises such as journaling, meditating, or finding an enjoyable hobby, such as reading.

Prioritize Sleep

Insufficient sleep prevents your body from producing and distributing the cells that regulate immunity. It also raises cortisol levels, further compromising the immune system. In one study, people who didn’t sleep enough were more susceptible to the flu virus, even if they’d been vaccinated. Aim to get seven hours of quality slumber each night, and use tactics such as sleeping in a cool room and turning off electronics an hour before bed to get rest.

Get Exercise

Regular physical activity reduces the risk of both chronic illnesses and acute infections caused by viruses and bacteria. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week. Activities such as walking and cycling are ideal, but you can also mix in strength training to keep the muscles and bones strong.  

Avoid Smoking & Alcohol

High alcohol consumption has been linked to diminished immunity and longer recovery times, while smoking also interferes with immune system function. If you do drink, do so in moderation, and avoid smoking or make a plan to quit.

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Is a Low-Fat, Vegan Diet Healthy?

by admin | Dec 22, 2020 | Health Awareness

Is a Low-Fat, Vegan Diet Healthy?

Diets that avoid animal products have been the subject of debate for decades. Although their health benefits have been called into question, new research suggests a low-fat, vegan diet can boost wellness in many ways. Thus, if you’re considering limiting or avoiding animal products, improved health is perhaps one of the most compelling reasons to make the switch.

How Do Low-Fat, Vegan Diets Benefit Health?

According to a study published in JAMA Network Open in November 2020, this dietary approach helped overweight and obese individuals lose just under a pound a week over the course of four months. Compared with the control group who made no dietary changes, the vegan group consumed 355 fewer calories on average each day.

According to the study’s lead author, Hana Kahleova, MD, Ph.D., the calorie reduction and weight loss are likely because the participants who went vegan replaced high-fat, high-cholesterol animal products with plant foods, which are packed with fiber and antioxidants.

In addition to weight loss, results from the study further demonstrated improved health across three key areas: increased metabolism, reduced-fat inside cells, and better insulin sensitivity (how effectively the body converts sugar into energy). All of these markers are key indicators of health and play roles in serious health issues, including diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

Even before this most recent study, many experts have been recommending plant-based diets to improve health. For instance, in 2016, the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AAND) recommended vegan, vegetarian, and similar dietary approaches to reduce the risk of certain types of cancers, heart disease, and obesity. They state that a vegan diet, in particular, can:

• Reduce diabetes risk by 62%
• Reduce heart disease risk by 29%
• Reduce cancer risk by 18%

Moreover, a low-fat, vegan diet appears to be more effective for weight loss than other approaches. In a study of more than 60,000 participants, vegans had the lowest body mass index (BMI) of 23.6 on average, which falls within the recommended range of 18 to 24.9. Vegetarians had a BMI of 25.7, while nonvegetarians had the highest, at 28.8.

Tips for Transitioning to a Plant-Based Diet

Completely ousting animal products from your diet all at once may be overwhelming. Instead, you might consider making slow, gradual changes. For instance, you could start with the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, and plant-based oils, as well as nuts, legumes, and whole grains. The approach also allows for lean protein and fish, instead of processed or red meat.

You could also start to slowly remove animal products one by one. Some people have success focusing on replacements instead of extractions. For example, you might use sweet potato and black bean filling for tacos instead of ground beef, or make a hearty vegetable chili. Tofu also works as a substitute for many meat dishes. Even if you don’t become a strict vegan or vegetarian, Dr. Kahleova notes that a diet that focuses on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, and other whole foods is a good approach to take.

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