Holistic Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a notorious condition that may trigger cardiovascular complications such as stroke. Sadly, the disease is almost quiet with minimal symptoms, making it a high-risk illness. The best solution to keeping away high blood pressure is by being proactive with one’s health.

People can do this by adopting a lifestyle that works towards lowering their blood pressure and is free from medications. Below are some holistic ways to lower blood pressure:

Embrace Routine Exercise

Regular workout sessions can be pretty effective in maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. When someone exercises, they strengthen their heart, increasing its ability to circulate blood.

The key to lowering blood pressure through exercise is regularly performing any fitness routine. Simple activities such as morning walks or runs can be great for improving cardiovascular health.

Consume Fewer Amounts of Sugar and Refined Carbs

While eating too much salt is one of the common causes of high blood pressure, sugar increases blood pressure in more significant amounts. Moreover, sugary foods and refined carbohydrates can add to a person’s weight, increasing their risk of heart-related conditions. Substituting the intake of sugar and carbohydrates for proteins and healthy fats can lower one’s weight and blood pressure.

Increase Intake of Potassium

Potassium kills two birds with one stone in regards to lowering blood pressure. Upon consumption of potassium, the body maintains an average heart rate, consequently keeping the blood pressure low. In addition, potassium also eases the effects of salt and sodium levels that can increase blood pressure.

Potassium, however healthy, should so be consumed with care as high levels can cause kidney problems. Some food sources rich in potassium include:

Fruits like avocados and bananas
Low-fat dairy products
Potatoes and leafy vegetables
Beans
Nuts

Cut on Alcohol Intake

By watching one’s diet and getting involved in exercises, one stands a better chance of lowering their blood pressure and keeping a healthy heart. Try the above holistic methods and stay proactive and preventive in the fight against high blood pressure.

Home Remedies Backed by Science

We all want to feel better, and we often turn to home remedies when we don’t have the time or money for a doctor. But is it safe? Can these treatments do any good? Fortunately, many scientific studies prove the effectiveness of home remedies. We will cover some of the most effective and well-studied home remedies backed by science.

Chili Peppers for Pain and Soreness

Most people enjoy the hot, spicy taste of chili peppers in Mexican food. But did you know they may also help to make your body feel better? Chili pepper has compounds called capsaicinoids that trigger specific chemical reactions which lead to a temporary feeling of heat – this is what makes your tongue burn. These same chemicals are used topically for pain relief. According to several studies, they have been shown to decrease pain and soreness in various types of muscles and joints.

Ginger for Nausea

Ginger root is another common home remedy that has been scientifically proven to work. Participants suffering from post-operative nausea or vomiting were given either powdered ginger capsules or a placebo in one case. The ginger group experienced significantly less nausea, vomiting, and pain.

Eucalyptus Oil for Pain Relief

Eucalyptus oil has a compound called cineole which has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. In one study, participants suffering from musculoskeletal pain applied eucalyptus oil to the painful area. Over eight weeks, their pain decreased significantly.

Mint for Muscle Pain and Digestion

Mint has many therapeutic properties: it’s used as a home remedy for the common cold and flu, stimulates digestion, and helps calm stomach pains. Mint can even reduce pain associated with sore muscles. In one study, participants who applied peppermint oil to their skin experienced a reduced pain sensation.

Lavender for Sleep, Anxiety, and Pain

Lavender is one of the most well-known essential oils for its therapeutic properties. In one study, participants saw noticeable improvements in their insomnia when treated with lavender oil. It has also been effective as a topical analgesic to treat muscle soreness and pain.

Conclusion

The natural world is chock-full of incredibly effective home remedies. We all know that what works for one person may not work for another, but if you want to try something new, these remedies may be worth giving a shot.

Holistic Ways to Handle a Migraine

A migraine refers to excruciating head pain that varies in intensity. It’s commonly linked with sound and light sensitivity and nausea, lasting anywhere between four hours and a few days. The main causes of these are genes, as the symptoms run down through families and chronic stress. Therefore, it is important to handle them holistically to relieve the pain and prevent a re-occurrence. Some of these holistic methods include using therapy such as progressive muscle relaxation and acupuncture, using essential oils, doing yoga, and hydrating.

Therapy

Since holistic treatment methods work under the principle that all body parts are interconnected, therapy is an effective way to address migraines. This treatment type mainly involves stimulating other body parts to promote proper blood flow and induce relaxation, thus eliminating the throbbing head pain. The most common forms of therapy used in migraine treatment include acupuncture and progressive muscle relaxation.

Acupuncture is an ancient treatment method originating from ancient China. It entails using sharp needles lodged in specific body parts to stimulate proper blood flow. In a way, acupuncture effectively treats many diseases such as migraines because it minimizes pain and promotes good blood flow.

On the other hand, progressive muscle relaxation utilizes modern methods of body massage aimed at easing muscle tension. It is an effective method of lowering stress levels in individuals, thus alleviating stress-induced migraine.

Using Essential Oils

Some essential oils such as feverfew, lavender, butterbur, and peppermint are great in easing the pain and discomfort that comes with a migraine. Inhaling or applying tiny amounts of such oils goes a long way in calming the aura, alleviating nausea or pain resulting from the disease. This form of holistic treatment is known as prophylactic therapy, and it is effective in reducing the effects of other stress-related conditions.

Doing Yoga

Some studies suggest that since yoga mainly incorporates body postures, meditation, and focused breathing, it is an effective way of handling migraine. The exercise helps reduce the duration, pain, intensity, and frequency associated with migraine. Besides, yoga alleviates chronic stress and anxiety, making it an effective treatment for stress-induced migraines.

Generally, holistic treatment methods for migraines aim at addressing the root cause of the disease rather than treating the pain. However, they are great for preventing future re-occurrence and eliminating stress and tension that cause migraines.

Holistic Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a notorious condition that may trigger cardiovascular complications such as stroke. Sadly, the disease is almost quiet with minimal symptoms hence making it a high-risk illness. The best solution to keeping away high blood pressure is by being proactive with one’s health.

People can do this by adopting a lifestyle that works towards lowering their blood pressure and is free from the use of medications. Below are some holistic ways to lower blood pressure:

Embrace Routine Exercise

Regular workout sessions can be pretty effective in maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. When someone exercises, they strengthen their heart, increasing its ability to circulate blood.

The key to lowering blood pressure through exercise is to perform any fitness routine regularly. Simple activities such as morning walks or runs can be great for improving cardiovascular health.

Consume Fewer Amounts of Sugar and Refined Carbs

Increase Intake of Potassium

Potassium however healthy should so be consumed with care as high levels can cause kidney problems. Some food sources rich in potassium include:

Fruits like avocados and bananas
Low-fat dairy products
Potatoes and leafy vegetables
Beans
Nuts

Cut on Alcohol Intake

Drinking alcohol is one unhealthy indulgence to partake in, and one of the major reasons is its effect on blood pressure. Alcohol will increase blood pressure if one consumes more than the average amount of one to two drinks. Furthermore, alcohol contains sugar content that over time increase weight and raise blood pressure.
By watching one’s diet and getting involved in exercises, one stands a better chance of lowering their blood pressure and keeping a healthy heart. Try the above holistic methods and stay proactive and preventive in the fight against high blood pressure.

Holistic Ways to Handle Acid Reflux

Acid reflux is horrible and can lead to several different health problems. It can actually be life-threatening if left untreated. Fortunately, there are several natural and holistic ways that people can handle acid reflux.

Quitting Smoking

Most people do not realize that smoking can increase the chances of a person having acid reflux. Smoking reduces pressure on the sphincter of the esophagus, which allows for acid reflux. Quitting smoking will normalize this pressure.

Avoiding Substances That Trigger Acid Reflux

There are many substances that will trigger acid reflux. Spicy foods, coffee, mint, fatty foods, and alcohol can trigger acid reflux. If a person is going to indulge in these kinds of foods, they will want to make sure that they only do it once in a while to prevent acid reflux.

Ginger

Ginger can help to reduce acid reflux. To get the most benefits from ginger, a person should consume around 1,500 milligrams a day. To add ginger to the diet, a person can put it in salads, cereals, add to a stir fry, or make ginger tea.

Maintaining Weight

Managing body weight can also help to minimize acid reflux. Excess fat around the abdominal area will cause pressure to be around the stomach. This causes the stomach to have to work harder to keep the acid down. People who are overweight will want to start a diet plan to help them reduce their weight.

Herbal Tea

There are some herbal teas that will help with acid reflux. It is important to ensure that only decaffeinated herbal teas are consumed. Many of these herbal teas will help with nausea, dizziness, and digestion. Popular teas to try include green tea, fennel tea, fruit tea, licorice tea, and chamomile teas. Be sure to stay away from mint teas as they can actually cause acid reflux.

Sleeping With Your Head Elevated

Another remedy that can be done to help curb acid reflux naturally is to sleep with the head elevated. This can be done with pillows or a bed that has the ability to incline. When a person lays flat, this allows acid reflux to come up. Having that incline can help to prevent this problem.

If a person suffers from acid reflux, they should try some of the tips above to experience relief.

How a High-Protein Diet Can Benefit Older Individuals

Many people are watching what they eat to improve their health, and dropping extra pounds can be beneficial as well. When people get older, weight-loss programs are not always safe when they lead to bone or muscle loss, which is already an issue for seniors. One possible solution is a high-protein diet. Read on to learn about some new research that reveals a promising dietary approach.

A recent study that was published in the Journals of Gerontology: Medical Sciences derived some interesting findings with a group of adults over 65 who were overweight. The 96 seniors were divided into two groups. One group ate .8 grams of protein per pound of body weight, while the second group ate more than one gram of protein per pound of body weight. The difference in weight loss results was remarkable.

The control group that ate a lower-protein diet only showed an average weight loss of a half-pound, but the group that ate the high-protein diet saw significantly better results. Participants in the group lost an average of 18 pounds, and 87 percent of this weight was from body fat. Another positive effect of the high-protein program was that weight came off of areas that are problematic for developing health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic-related illnesses. These areas include the waist, thighs, buttocks, and hips.

The high-protein diet also enabled the group that ate it to maintain higher muscle mass and bone density after weight loss. In some cases, bone health even showed better numbers than before the program. In the low-protein control group, these benefits were not observed.

The results of this study show that the theory of a low-calorie, high-protein diet consisting of about 1 gram or more of protein per pound of bodyweight will help seniors manage weight without detrimental loss of bone or muscle tissue. This also shows some hope for people who struggle to lose fat in stubborn body areas. Another guideline that participants adhered to on the high-protein diet was to get adequate amounts of vitamin D and calcium.

For seniors who are considering this type of diet, the best way to increase protein intake is to eat healthy foods that include eggs, poultry, lean meats, and low-fat dairy. It’s also important for overall nutrition to add plenty of fruits and vegetables to your diet while avoiding sugar and refined carbohydrates.

Potential Holistic Alternatives to Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is an effective treatment for many cancers, but it’s not without its side effects. Aside from the unpleasantness of chemo itself, chemotherapy often leaves patients feeling tired and nauseous. It can also cause hair loss or upset your digestive tract. If you’re looking for more natural alternatives to chemotherapy, here are some promising options.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture may be a promising alternative to chemotherapy. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese practice that uses needles inserted in the body at specific points, which can help build up your immune system and strengthen it against cancer cells. It’s also been shown to relieve symptoms of fatigue and nausea associated with chemo treatment.

Diet

Some research suggests that diet may give you an extra edge when it comes to fighting cancer. This is especially true for people who are already receiving chemotherapy—in one study, patients decreased their chances of experiencing hair loss by following a plant-based diet. The anti-cancer benefits of certain foods have been well documented in other studies too. Foods like green tea or garlic can help reduce inflammation caused by chemo treatment, while others like broccoli sprouts might even stop tumor cells from multiplying (although this doesn’t seem to apply to all types of cancers).

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is a holistic treatment in which essential oils are used to promote relaxation and well-being. It’s not fully understood how aromatherapy might help fight cancer, but studies have shown that it reduces stress levels, which can improve the body’s immune response to tumors. This alternative medicine may also decrease feelings of nausea caused by chemo or pain from bone metastases (which often occur during advanced stages of the disease).

Hypnosis

Hypnosis is another alternative treatment that’s been shown to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy. In one study on its efficacy, researchers found a 50 percent reduction in pain and nausea for cancer patients who underwent hypnosis sessions while receiving chemo. Hypnotherapy also helped them sleep better during this period – a significant benefit since lower quality sleep can make your body less responsive to anti-cancer medications.

Conclusion

While chemotherapy is an effective treatment for many cancers, it’s not without its side effects. If you’re looking for more natural alternatives to chemo, acupuncture, diet, and aromatherapy may be able to help your body fight the disease while reducing symptoms like nausea or fatigue that tend to occur during chemotherapy. Hypnosis can also reduce pain caused by advanced stages of cancer and decrease feelings of stress linked with lower immune response.

The Best Supplements to Take for High Cholesterol

We all know that there are good and bad fats. In fact, it is important to have a balance of the two for optimum health. However, many people do not know how much cholesterol in the body can be toxic to your system. When we consume too much cholesterol, it can lead to high LDL levels, which causes inflammation throughout our bodies. This article will provide you with some supplements that may help reduce this problem!

1. Vitamin and Phytonutrient Supplements

When we take a vitamin, it has many different benefits. For instance, Vitamin A is necessary for the immune system as well as vision health. However, when you consume too much of this particular vitamin, it can cause damage to the liver and promote cancer growth. While eating fruits and vegetables provides us with vitamins without toxic effects, we need additional support from supplements specifically made for this goal.

2. Plant Sterols

These are found in corn, soybeans, and some nuts. They can lower the amount of cholesterol absorbed from other foods and even slow down the absorption rate within your digestive tract. These sterols help to keep LDL levels under control while maintaining HDL levels as they should be.

3. Soluble Fiber

Within the digestive tract, soluble fiber helps to lower cholesterol by holding onto bile acids. This prevents them from being reabsorbed and therefore lowers the amount that your body has available for use. Keeping these levels under control can help you avoid one of the causes of high cholesterol.

4. Omega 3 Supplements

Many people do not consume enough fish in their diets. This is one of the most common sources for the beneficial Omega 3 fatty acids. When we lack this, it causes inflammation within the body, leading to certain diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Omega 3 supplements are a great way to make sure that you are getting all of these healthy nutrients into your body.

Conclusion

These are just a few of the natural ways to reduce cholesterol levels in your body naturally. Some people may require medication, but there is no reason you should not be able to find relief using these methods. What do you think?

Resting Heart Rate and Longevity

The resting heart rate of an individual can reveal a lot about their longevity. While a normal resting heart rate ranges from 50 to 100 beats per minute, those with heart rates on the higher end of the range may be more likely to suffer from heart conditions that could reduce their lifespans.

What Factors Effect Resting Heart Rate?

Multiple factors can cause a person’s resting heart rate to be elevated. Cardio exercise is the primary way to lower a high resting heart rate, as it works the heart muscle and improves its pumping ability. The following are some factors that can affect a person’s resting heart rate.

Warmer temperatures can make a person’s heart rate go up.
High levels of stress will keep a person’s resting heart rate elevated.
Obesity also plays a role in increased resting heart rate.
Certain medications may cause an increased resting heart rate.
Both caffeine and nicotine can cause spikes in a person’s resting heart rate.

What Does Resting Heart Rate Reveal About Longevity?

In a study conducted in Sweden, older men who had a resting heart rate of 75 bpm or higher had a doubled risk of early death, even though their heart rates were within the normal range. The study also concluded every additional beat above the normal range increased a person’s chances of early death by as much as 3% on average.

An increased resting heart rate is not necessarily a predictor of early death on its own, though many people with higher ranges of resting heart rates are often overweight, smokers, and have high blood pressure. These factors alone place them at a greater risk of premature death.

Doctors Must Carefully Monitor Patients’ Heart Rates

According to the American Heart Association, rises in heart rate could mean trouble for a person’s heart function. It is important physicians monitor their patients for heart rate issues and investigate sudden and consistent increases.

Those who have a high resting heart rate should consider making lifestyle changes to lower their risks. Exercise and cutting back on red meat can both improve cardiac function. It will take time, but a person’s heart rate can begin to reduce with positive lifestyle changes.

VA Health Care and Medicare: Should You Enroll in Both?

VA health care is an integrated system providing care at selected facilities. It is a health care system for those who left active military service in honorable conditions.

Medicare is a U.S federal government-funded national healthcare program that gives coverage to people who are 65 years old or older but do not have health insurance. Younger persons with specified diseases or eligibility qualifications also benefit from Medicare.

Each healthcare system has doctors, facilities, and pharmacies that should serve its members to get treatment at subsidized rates. Sometimes there is an overlap between the types of health care needs that both plans cover.

There is a provision to allow those in VA Health Care to enroll in Medicare without renouncing the former. Many veterans are eligible. Is there a need to enroll in both VA health care and Medicare?

Reasons to enroll in VA Health Care and Medicare

Guarantee of coverage

It is not a guarantee the government will fund VA Health Care. The Department of Veterans Affairs submits a budget, but it guarantees that the federal government will allocate the requested amount. Beneficiaries receive a reduced coverage if government appropriates a lower budget. Some veterans in the lower priority group might lose their coverage.

Wider coverage

VA restricts coverage to care by doctors and hospitals within the veterans’ community care program. VA members widen their coverage by joining both VA health care and Medicare. It saves them from paying medical expenses from their pocket for care at a non-VA facility, even during an emergency. They also get an alternative to healthcare at a subsidized price if they live far from VA facilities.

Safeguards against penalties

VA coverage may end at some point when a veteran passes age 65 or decides to concentrate on Medicare. The veterans who lose their VA coverage before signing up for Medicare Part B wait for a period before getting coverage unless they have other insurance paid by an employer or another source. The waiting period without coverage can lead to penalties that Medicare adds permanently to Part B premiums.

VA Health Care is premium and deductible free. Nonetheless, access to care can be problematic, and there is no guarantee of coverage for every year. Veterans who enroll in VA Health Care and Medicare benefit from guaranteed coverage.