Author: Breathe Green

There are a lot of quacks out there both in the real-life medical field and the internet that will tell you certain things about your health that aren’t true. Some of the things they may say are, though. Here are five health tips that actually work.

Use a Lime to Ease a Headache

Headaches are one of the most common ailments a human being can endure, and there are a lot of cures out there. A more natural way to go about easing a headache is to use lime. Just rub a slice on your forehead or wherever the pain is.

Use Honey To Relieve Hay Fever

Honey has many health benefits and one of them is reducing the affects of seasonal hay fever. Just by eating local honey you can start to see your symptoms go down or not even have those symptoms at all. This is because you’re desensitizing your body to the pollen that normally would have triggered hay fever symptoms.

Balance Hormones With Spearmint Tea

Mint tea is another delicious entry on this list that helps reduce hormonal imbalances, especially in women. The mint is said to help balance anti-androgen hormones, resulting in less facial hair and acne. Two cups a day is the recommendation to keep away the male sex hormones in women.

Boost Your Immunity With Dirt

Rolling around in the dirt was always awarded punishment as a child but perhaps it’s not so bad after all. Exposing yourself to the good bacteria prevalent in the dirt helps ward off anxiety and depression and helps boost the immune system.

Sugar To Get Rid Of Hiccups

While sugar may not always be the healthiest choice, a spoonful of sugar can alleviate a bout of hiccups. Sugar stimulates what’s known as the vagus nerve which in turn “tells” the brain to focus on the sugar instead of hiccuping.

BONUS TIP: Sip This Before 9am

Many people just need their alone time. For introverts, it’s a great way to “recharge the social battery”. Staying alone for a long time, however, may have harsh consequences. A study was conducted on the Neumayer III station in Antarctica for 14 months.  Alexander Stahn, an assistant professor of psychiatry with the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, concluded that prolonged isolation leads to brain damage of up to 7% of the hippocampus. The hippocampus is the part of the brain dealing mainly with memory and space. This may not seem significant, but according to the professor, it is quite a shocking percentage.

Nine explorers elected to take on the perilous study, five men and four women, and were situated in relatively isolated spots on the German compound. At the start of the study, they underwent MRI scans to determine the states of their hippocampus before entering the study. During the study, the participants completed brain function tests and provided blood samples to measure what is called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This is a protein responsible for nerve cell and synapse growth in the brain.

After the study, participants took final blood tests, MRI scans, and brain function evaluations. The results were in, and they weren’t good. The BDNF numbers took a shocking 45% drop since the beginning of the study. All of the participants had a shrunken hippocampus and a reduction in their prefrontal cortex. These results were concerning, seeing as the prefrontal cortex deals with an ordinary person’s ability to reason for simple tasks.

While these results may be shocking, they are nonetheless important to pay attention to when people are put in isolated environments such as the Antarctic or space travel where there is little to no stimulation. The results are important for taking precautionary steps in the future of research.

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According to a new study conducted by Ewha Woman’s University in Seoul, South Korea, brushing your teeth more than two times a day significantly reduces the risk of heart failure—over ten percent, in fact.

By assessing more than 160,000 participants between the ages of 40 and 79—none of them having a prior history of heart failure or atrial fibrillation, a condition which causes an abnormally rapid heart rate—EWU’s team of researchers set out to determine if improved oral hygiene could decrease these serious heart health risks.

After gathering the participants’ data from the Korean National Health Insurance System and conducting a baseline routine medical assessment between the years of 2003 and 2004, the individuals were followed up with routinely—with any changes in weight, height, lifestyle, illnesses and oral hygiene being recorded—for an average length of the next ten and a half years.

The study, published by European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, revealed that three percent of participants experienced atrial fibrillation and five percent developed heart failure over the course of EWU’s extensive research. With these results, researchers surmised that brushing three times or more each day could be credited with lowering the risk of atrial fibrillation by 10 percent and the risk of heart failure by 12 percent.

Acknowledging that the data set was made up solely Asian participants, the number of individual dental visits were not kept track of, and dental X-rays were not utilized to check for pre-existing dental gum disease, the authors of the study argued that rigorous brushing significantly reduces the amount of bacteria typically found between the teeth and the gums, thus preventing that bacteria from entering the bloodstream.

Additionally, the Oral Health Foundation recommends brushing one’s teeth at some point during the day and again right before bed.

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“Time flies.” “Where did the time go?” We’ve all heard those sayings, often from our own mouths. But despite time’s elusive and enigmatic nature, there’s actually a lot more logic behind these rueful sentiments than you might think. And when there’s logic, there’s also a chance to use it to our advantage.

The Less You’ve Lived, the Longer Time Seems

When you think about it from a rational standpoint, or better yet, from a mathematical one, this correlation is indisputable. If you’ve lived for 5 years, 1 year accounts for 20% of your life. But if you’ve lived for 20, then 1 year represents only 5%. In that regard, time works like money – $100 may be tip money to a millionaire, but to someone with $1,000 in their bank account, it’s a special occasion at a fancy restaurant.

The Less Novelty, the Faster Time Flies

Everybody knows that time flies when we’re having a good time. What most people don’t realize, however, is that time flies even more unnoticeably when we’re not having any kind of time, so to speak, good or bad – when our life becomes just one straight, endless line of monotony, devoid of anything memorable and new.

But when we’re kids, everything is new. In a single year, a child might discover more new experiences than an adult in 10. This is why our childhood days seem so much longer than our adult ones in retrospect – each one was an action-packed story rather than yet another day at the office.

Time Perception in Real-Time

But besides the retrospective reasons, time seems to speed up when we’re older because as young children, we actually take longer to process it. That’s because our working memory, attention, and executive function haven’t fully developed on a neural circuit level. In other words, as our memory becomes more sophisticated, times starts to slip away from us.

To bend time within reason and make our adulthood days linger, you need to fill them with novelty, whether that’s new routes to work, new hobbies, or new chapters.

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In today’s digital environment, many of us are constantly distracted. Taking time to unwind and practice self-care is critical to our well being. Let’s take a look at five healthy ways to deal with stress and anxiety.

1. Exercise

It’s no news that exercise is good. It provides a healthy outlet to blow off some steam because physical activity increases the production of endorphins, which are the neurotransmitters in our brains associated with feel-good emotions. Research has also found that regular exercise can aid in cognitive function and improve concentration and alertness. Exercise helps both your body and mind feel better by stabilizing your mood and releasing tension. 

People who aren’t regularly active don’t need to suddenly start running marathons. Even light to moderate walking for 30 minutes per day can help. The important thing is to get the body moving and set goals to gradually progress.

2. Meditate

Meditation and deep breathing exercises have also been shown to help people cope with stress and anxiety. It’s a way to essentially ‘shut off’ our brain, release tension, and reset. Some people get frustrated when they first begin meditation because it’s difficult to stop thoughts from wandering and concentrate only on relaxing. This is normal. There are many apps that can help with a guided meditation. Even five to ten minutes a day can be beneficial. 

3. Massage or Warm Bath

When we’re stressed our anxious, it doesn’t just affect our mind, it also affects our body. Prolonged tension can cause stiffness in our neck and back. It can cause headaches too. Therefore, taking time to relax our muscles and body is an effective way to deal with stress and anxiety. When our bodies relax, our minds tend to as well. There are many ways to do this, such as getting a massage or taking a warm bath. 

4. Get Outside

If someone is stressed about, let’s say, work, their natural instinct usually isn’t to go take a break or go for a walk. However, doing so can actually help make us more productive in the long run and, in turn, less stressed and anxious about something going on in our lives that we’re having trouble coping with. Getting outside and being around nature can help calm you. In fact, simply looking at pictures or listening to sounds of nature can help. 

5. Practice Gratitude

Unfortunately, it can be all too easy to focus on what we don’t have or what isn’t going right in our lives than what is. When we’re constantly seeking something ‘more,’ we’re inviting an endless presence of stress and anxiety to our lives because that feeling of needing more will never entirely be fulfilled. Instead, a healthy mechanism for coping with stress and anxiety is to practice gratitude. This can be as simple as writing down five things you are grateful for each day.

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Flu seasons are always rich in stories and myths about the disease, its origins, what eradicates it, how it hunts down its victims and spreads like the virus that it is. And while some of those stories have more to do with fiction than reality, others are far less embellished than you might think. 

Here are 4 flu myths that are actually surprisingly factual for this storytelling genre. 

Flu Precedes Its Symptoms

This is one of the most popular flu myths, one that is often scoffed at, especially by younger generations. But not only is this myth not a myth at all, but it represents one of flu’s sneakiest and most deceitful properties. 

Symptoms may take a couple of days to kick in after the virus has already put down its roots. This is why there’s a one-to-two-day-window to get infected by a carrier who’s still not displaying any flu symptoms. 

Exercise Battles Flu

The philosophy that sport is life isn’t just an inspirational one. Exercise bolsters our immune system, as long as it’s done within reasonable limits. And not only can exercise prevent flu in the first place, but it can also help you sweat it out before it has managed to spread to the control centers of your body and take full effect.

Timing is key, however. The rule of thumb is if you feel the flu above your chest, exercise can ward it off; if it has descended below your chest, however, exercise can actually exacerbate it. 

Flu Shots Aren’t Always Effective

This isn’t some religion-based myth. Flu vaccines take two weeks to kick in, which is quite a large window of opportunity for such an easily transmittable virus. 

Flu Evolves, and so Does the Vaccine

Not all flues are created the same. Variations and nuances are constantly emerging, and each year, the vaccine reflects scientists’ predictions of the most common versions of the virus. 

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When most people think of strokes, it tends to be a very momentous occasion. One fraught with worry and trauma. However, there are cases in which a person suffers a stroke and is completely oblivious. Their symptoms are not easily identifiable in a lot of instances. Sometimes the victim just forgets it even happened. These are called silent strokes. 

Although silent strokes have no outward symptoms, they are no joke and should not be taken lightly. These insidious strokes cause severe brain damage that is permanent. While one stroke may not be cause for such alarm, more than one silent stroke has serious consequences. Thinking and memory problems often accompany the victim as a result of more than one silent stroke. Silent strokes can also lead to more strokes. 

If it’s so difficult to pin point a silent stroke, is it even possible to diagnose one? Unfortunately, you won’t know you’re having a silent stroke unless you have your brain scanned and only if you’ve already had a silent stroke. Sometimes a doctor is able to diagnose without testing, however. Though, this is fairly uncommon. Prevention is the key. 

Needless to say, preventing a silent stroke is a good idea, if at all possible. Since a person is more likely to have a silent stroke if they have high blood pressure and irregular heartbeat it id best to check with your doctor if you have these. Ways to combat and prevent a silent stroke, it would be good to maintain a healthy diet, quit smoking and exercise regularly to maintain a healthy heart. Also checking your blood pressure regularly as well as keeping an eye out on blood sugar helps a lot too. Another indicator is cholesterol levels, so making sure those are in safe ranges is important to look out for. 

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These days, avocados are all the rage. From avocado toast to guacamole raw avocado- avocados are everywhere. Advertisements claim that avocados are good for us. But did you know that there is increasing research proving that these unusual berries are excellent sources of nutrition and are a great source of heart health? With the release of more studies on avocados, research shows that an avocado a day can keep the doctor away!

Why are avocados so special? These “super fruits” contain an essential source of “good” fat called monosaturated fat. Like nuts and fish, regular consumption of monosaturated fats can reduce the risk of heart disease and contain other cardiovascular benefits. And by replacing saturated fats with monosaturated fats, you can lower the risk of high cholesterol!

But the avocado rage is nothing new. They have a long history of providing people with nutrients and a long, healthy life. Avocados are native to mountainous regions across Mexico, Guatemala, and Central America. In these regions, healthy fats such as fish and olive oils were scarce. Avocados provided these important heart-healthy nutrients while being a delicious meal or snack!

Avocados are not only an excellent source of necessary fats. They also contain an abundance of other essential nutrients such as potassium, fiber, and essential daily vitamins. But that’s not all! Did you know that avocados contain nutrients such as leutin and zeaxanthin? These nutrients protect healthy cells, especially in your eyes! Regular avocado consumption can promote healthy vision? Who knew?

So maybe eating too many avocados is a good thing. Daily consumption of raw avocados is an excellent source of nutrients and can keep your heart pumping for many years to come. Don’t make avocados a fad- make these fun, colorful fruits an essential staple of your diet for life.

Here’s to many more avocados!

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You may realize the increased risk of developing cancer from smoking or extreme sun exposure, but there are other common cancer triggers you should know. Along with undergoing routine screenings for cancer, you should reduce exposure to common carcinogens in your lifestyle, workplace, or environment. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death, so recognizing factors that can increase risk is imperative.

Viruses

Humans do have an immune system to keep them healthy, but specific viruses and bacteria can lead to the manifestation of cancer. Hepatitis can cause undue damage to healthy cells and genes, triggering cancer.

Immunizations for HPV are now available because research has shown the human papilloma virus can lead to cancer, due to altered cervical cells. EBV or the Epstein-Barr virus is another cancer-causing agent that affects the throat lymphoid.

Diesel Exhaust

Occupational hazards and lifestyle choices may involve interaction with diesel fuel exhaust, which can trigger cancer of the lungs. The IARC or International Agency for Research on Cancer has determined that diesel fuel is a ‘definite carcinogen’ and gave the cancer-causing agent its highest rating.

Charred Meat

It may be a pastime to break out the grill to enjoy some barbecue, but that steak or chicken may come with a side of carcinogens. Foods such as poultry, fish, and beef can release compounds linked to cancer when they are cooked over an open flame. Try changing up your cooking method for meals, or be more cautious about how often you consume charred meats.

Sugar

Enjoying eating sugar can make life sweet, but consuming too much sugar can lead to developing diabetes or certain cancers. Drinking soda and munching on sugary snacks can eventually damage cells in the body, which can trigger cancer.

Opt for healthier alternatives to sugar in tea or coffee, reduce soda consumption, and eat more whole foods.

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Considering that heart diseases are the leading cause of death for both men and women, there’s no room for ignorance of heart attack symptoms. But unfortunately, that’s far from the case in the U.S., according to a recent and very telling study, presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions.

The Level of Ignorance

Heart attack symptoms are supposed to be fairly common knowledge, even for people whose medical expertise comes entirely from movies. However, the aforementioned study, whose purpose was to reveal whether the general public is prepared to undertake the proper emergency response to a heart attack, tells a different story.

The researchers, who looked at over 25,000 American adults, found that 6% of them didn’t know any of the heart attack symptoms, listed in the survey. More importantly, the study wasn’t designed to be tricky or misleading. On the contrary, it was a “yes or no” test, asking participants whether chest pain/discomfort; shortness of breath; pain/discomfort in arm/shoulder; feeling weak/lightheaded/faint; and jaw/neck/back pain, are heart attack symptoms or not.

Who’s The Most Ignorant?

The study’s revelations didn’t end there, however. It turned out the likeliest participants to be fully unaware of any of the symptoms were men, people born outside of the U.S., those whose level of education was high school or lower, and blacks and Hispanics.

Furthermore, 4.5% of participants picked “other” as opposed to calling emergency medical services in the case of a heart attack.

The Reasons Behind This Ignorance

Two possible reasons surface in the aforementioned findings.

The first one is the language barrier.

“These are the subgroups [the ones born outside the U.S.] that are most in need of, and may benefit the most from, targeted public health awareness initiatives,” said Shiwani Mahajan, the study’s lead author.

The second reason is low income, which is another common thread among the most ignorant subgroups, and a notorious roadblock to equality in heath care.

NEVER Do THIS During a Heart Attack