The New You – 5 Detox Herbs

Immune support can be achieved  from consuming herbs on a moderate basis. Read on to see how this blog promotes the health benefits of these five natural immunity boosters. For the most optimal results, the best places to purchase these herbs would be at a natural food store or your local farmers market.

Artichoke leaf

• Stimulates production of bile, the liver’s main carrier of expelled toxins
• Helps strengthen liver cell membranes so they can resist toxin absorption

Dandelion root

• Increases bile flow from the liver
• Helps flush the kidneys

Green tea

• Protects the liver from toxin damage, especially that caused by alcohol, due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties

Milk thistle seed

• Strengthens liver cell membranes
• Stimulates bile production
• Promotes glutathione production

Turmeric root

• Quells inflammation
• Elevates detox enzymes in the liver

**Calendula flower is also great for cleansing. Check out our new Nutralenda®  items we are offering now on our site – www.omgalternmed.com

No More Ice Tea = Preventing Kidney Stones

If iced tea is your go- to  thirst- quencher, you may be putting yourself at an increased risk for kidney stones, says researchers at Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine. The culprit it oxalate, a chemical found in the tea that is key to the formation of the small salt and mineral crystals, which affects about 10% of the population. Although hot tea has the same amount of oxalate as iced tea, the chilled form is often consumed in larger quantities; plus, it’s popular in warm weather, when you’re more likely to be dehydrated, a condition conductive to the formation of kidney stones. If you’re an avid ice tea drinker, try to limit yourself to one glass every few days, and be sure to drink plenty of water to help flush away the salt and mineral deposits. Also, sip some fresh lemonade or water with lemon wedges: research has shown that the citrates in lemons actually inhibit the growth of kidney stones.

Source: Loyola University

Tired + Bored = Stronger Lungs?

If you get side stitches when you work out, your breathing muscles may not be as in shape as the rest of you body. Exercise can help to train the respiratory muscles over time, but you can also increase breath control without working up a sweat, says Thomas Vanhecke, MD, a cardiologist at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan.

“Although sighs are often regarded as a sign of boredom or tiredness, they also offer a significant benefit for respiratory mechanics,” says Vanhecke. A sigh is defined as a breath three times larger than a normal breath. You probably already sigh ten to twelve times an hour, but increasing this amount may help strengthen your breath. If you’d rather have an official routine, follow a guided meditation that emphasizes sigh-like deep breathing. Or, simply focus on taking long and controlled inhales and exhales. Start by breathing in for a count of four and out for a count of four, moving up to six then and eight  and so on.

Source: Dr.Vanhecke

Chewing Gum for the Perfect 2012 Weight Loss Plan

Nicotine gum can be helpful for smokers trying to quit, so what if there was a way to formulate a gum that could help you quit overeating and lose weight faster? According to recent research reported by Science Daily, the idea of using a weight-loss ‘gum’ may not be that far-fetched.

Syracuse University scientist Robert Doyle and his research team were able to show that a hormone called ‘PPY’ (that helps you feel full after you eat) can be successfully released into your bloodstream orally. PPY is a natural appetite-suppressing hormone made by your body that is usually released after you eat or exercise. It appears to have a direct affect on your weight: research has proven that overweight individuals have lower concentrations of PPY in their system (both after fasting and eating). Science has also found that it aids in weight loss: PPY delivered intravenously successfully increased levels of PPY and reduced calorie intake in both obese and non-obese test subjects.

What makes Doyle’s study (originally published online in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Medicinal Chemistry) so notable is that his team found a way to successfully deliver the hormone to the bloodstream orally by using vitamin B-12 (when ingested alone the hormone is destroyed by the stomach or can’t be absorbed fully in the intestines) as a method of delivery. Doyle’s team hopes to formulate a “PPY-laced” gum or tablet that you would be able to take after a meal to reduce your appetite several hours later (before the next mealtime), helping you eat less overall.

In the meantime, you can help improve the effectiveness of your body’s natural fullness mechanisms by eating a balanced diet full of nutrient-dense, naturally low-calorie, high-fiber foods and exercising regularly. Consuming unprocessed, whole foods can help naturally reduce your appetite. And some research shows that combining a healthy diet and regular exercise—or exercising within an hour after eating—may help your body release more ‘hunger hormones’ (including PPY) on it’s own.

What do you think? Would you buy (and use) a weight loss gum like this if it were available? Leave a comment and tell us your thoughts!
 

Source: Science Daily

Advil vs Acupressure for Headache Relief

IF YOU’RE TIRED OF POPPING pills to ease headache, acupressure offers a natural and medication free way to get rid of pain fast. You may have already heard of the technique of squeezing the meaty part of your hand between your thumb and forefinger; this is one of the most commonly used acupressure points. Simply pinch that tender area on either hand between your opposite thumb and forefinger and press for about two-minute, or until your headache subsides. This trick stimulates the pressure point called Large Intestine-4, nd typically brings relief for traditional headaches.

If you’re suffering from a sinus headache, you’ll use a different pressure point for hands on pain relief. To target this spot called Urinary Bladder-2 firmly press the inner corners of your eyebrows with thumb and forefinger. You can rest your elbow on a desk or counter and lean into your hand to make this position easier to hold. The pressure needn’t be intense, but you should feel a bit of an ache. After a couple of moments, your sinus pressure should start to lift. For best results, repeat either treatment about once an hour., holding for two to five minutes at a time. To boost the OMG status of this treatment more try out Head Strong Massage Oil at www.omgalternmed.com  which is formulated with beet extract and lemongrass to promote lymphatic drainage as well as relieve nervous tension.

Source: Venus Elyse, acupuncturist and founder of Integrative Healing in Fairfax, California

Start Off Your New Year Rye

EATING RYE TOAST FOR BREAKFAST may be the easiest way to stop afternoon snacking. New research from Sweden reveals that rye bread helps increase feelings of fullness for up to eight hours. In the study, which was  co-authored by Hanna Isaksson, a PhD candidate at the Swedish University of Agriculture Sciences, subjects were fed a breakfast of either rye toast or wheat toast with margarine and apricot marmalade. When satiety, hunger and desire to eat were measured later int he morning, and hours later in the afternoon, eaters of the rye bread reported feeling less hungry and less interested in eating.

“The fact that satiety remained high even after a standardized lunch indicates that there are physiological effects that prolong digestion,” says Isaksson. The high fiber content in rye bread is thought to be the key factor to this prolonged feeling of fullness, but Isaksson thinks that psychology may play into the results, too; she says that people expect dark breads to keep them full for longer than light-colored ones.

Source: Hanna Isaksson

Weigh in Smart – Man vs Machine

YOU SWEAT IT OUT REGULARLY at the gym, so what gives when the cardio machine shows that you’re burning a ton of calories, but the scale isn’t in agreement? If you’re not losing weight despite burning major calories on a cardio machine, the equipment you’re using may be at fault according to Dr. Olson, a professor of exercise science at Auburn University at Montgomery.

“Unfortunately, the calorie count mechanisms in treadmills and elliptical machines are often off by 20 to 30%. So, if the readout says that you’ve cranked out 260 calories worth of exercise, a more accurate estimate could be 200 calories burned.”

To even things, out I recommend doing 30% more than your target – so if your goal is to burn off 300 calories., aim to exercise off 390. Even if your machine’s calorie reading isn’t that far off, increasing your workout time or effort should be enough to bump up your weight-loss results.

Source: Michele Olson, PhD

Holiday Brunch Calorie Burner – O.J.

With all the holiday meals going on, brunch is becoming a weekend ritual. Brunch is definitely not the healthiest meal of the week. With menu including stacks of pancakes, plate size omelettes and extra helpings of bacon this feast takes the place of breakfast and lunch and probably still pushes your calorie, fat, and carb intake over the edge. But if you do indulge in the occasional Sunday splurge, drinking orange juice can minimize some of the negative health effects of the big brunch.

No, OJ won’t burn through all of the excess calories you consume, but it can help ease the inflammation that often accompanies eating unhealthy foods. According to researchers at the University of Buffalo, orange juice helps reduce the number of free radicals in the blood after high-fat and carb-heavy meals, and it can also regulate insulin resistance. Of course, this isn’t an all-out free pass to eat whatever you want-but to keep the occasional binge from adversely affecting your health, a glass of OJ can help.

~Source: Jessica Cassity

Passionate About Pears ~ Natural Wonders

Pears are the wonder fruit.

Who knew that pears had so much to offer?

The world’s oldest oldest cultivated plant offers a variety of health benefits and is delicious and beautiful to boot!

Calms Digestion

The pectin and fiber in pears can help stop diarrhea and the cooling tannins can calm an irritated digestive tract.

Keeps You Hydrated

Pears are a watery food and when you add in the A and C vitamins and rich mineral content, they can help rehydrate you and keep you hydrated.

Improves ADHD

Because of there high fiber content, pears can slow down the sugar excitability that often accompanies ADHD. However they should be eaten in moderation because they do contain natural sugars themselves.

Helps Lower Cholesterol

Pears are high in pectin (higher than apples) which reduces cholesterol levels by bonding with dietary fat and cholesterol and removing them from the body through the intestine before they are absorbed through the bloodstream.

Boosts Immune System

Pears contain a good amount of vitamins A, K, C, B2, B3, B6 and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper so eating them is great for your immune system.

Hypoallergenic Fruit

Pears are a hypoallergenic fruit. So if you have issues with food sensitivities, you usually can eat pears with no adverse side effects. This also makes them a great fruit to introduce to infants.

Prevents Cancer

The hydroxycinnamic acid found in pears has been associated with preventing stomach and lung cancer.

Fights Alzheimer’s

The antioxidant quercetin found in the skin has been shown by a recent study at Cornell University to protect against Alzheimer’s disease. So don’t’ peel your pears!

Prevents Osteoporosis

Pears contain boron which our bodies need so we can retain calcium so they have been linked to osteoporosis prevention.

Source: MedClient

Scientific Food Studies for OMG Health

We hear all the time of foods helping us better our health and building our immune system but having a scientific study to prove this is correct makes it even better. Here are a couple of studies done on various foods that will boost you health to an OMG status of 100% Enjoy the holiday with a smile and a winter wellness attitude.

~41% is how much your risk for a stoke is lowered if you regularly use olive oil in cooking and dressings as compared with people who never use olive oil according to a new study published in  Neurology.

~Coconut oil’s lauic acid may ward off illness by boosting your immune system. Preliminary research suggest it could cut your cholesterol levels. Chrissy Barth, R.D., a dietitian in Scottsdale, Ariz.

~Freeze dried foods aren’t just for astronauts anymore-they’re a healthy way to increase your fruit consumption. Unlike traditional drying methods which can involve exposure to nutrients and antioxidant damaging heat, freeze drying involves getting produce at peak ripeness and then removing its moisture and oxygen in a low-temperature vacuum chamber. The end result: light and crispy morsels of goodness with nutrients intact.  Research by Matthew Kadely M. Sc., RD

~New research from the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle found a link between diet and Alzheimer’s disease risk. For four weeks, elderly test subjects dined on high saturated fat and high glycemic index foods or low saturated fat and low glycemic index foods. Eating the former foods increased levels of a protein often found in brains afflicted by Alzheimer’s but the latter were linked to lower levels of the protein, plus reduced brain inflammation and better problem solving abilities.

~Good news for nut lovers: Research published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that pistachios have 5.9% fewer calories than previously thought. Studies also indicate that people who eat in-shell pistachios consume 41% fewer calories than those who buy them shelled.

~A diet rich in calcium and vitamin D may help decrease your risk of developing premenstrual syndrome research shows. Women who drank the equivalent of about four servings of low-fat milk per day decreased their PMS symptoms by up to 46%. Fortified orange juice and yogurt were also shown to decrease risks.