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Healthy Living

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Biting on a pencil cures headaches

Tension headaches can often arise from unconsciously clenching your jaw. Gently holding a pencil between your teeth forces your jaw muscles to relax, easing your headache.


Vodka cures stinky feet


Wipe your feet with a vodka-soaked rag to eliminate foot odor. Vodka contains alcohol, an antiseptic that is very drying. Alcohol destroys odor-causing fungus and bacteria and dries out the moisture that lets these organisms grow.
 

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Olives and lemons cure sea sickness

Motion sickness causes excess saliva, which can make you queasy. Eating olives or sucking on a lemon at the first signs of sea sickness can help ease nausea thanks to the tannins contained in these items.

Tomatoes cure acne

Tomatoes have a lot of vitamins C and A, antioxidants and acidic content, so they can be used to treat a variety of minor skin ailments. This cure is especially good for oily skin. Mash one small tomato into a pulp, then spread the pulp on your face and let it sit for one hour. Wash it off with tepid water and pat dry. Repeat once a day for a week.
 

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Foods that help depression

Tuna
A study in the Alternative Medicine Review found a fifth of depressed people lack B6. And there's nothing fi shy about this bit: "Tuna supplies approximately 60 per cent of your daily allowance of B6," says New Delhi-based nutritionist Dr Sonia Kakar.

Dark chocolate
Chalk one up for chocolate: "It releases pleasure enhancing endorphins into the brain and contains phenyl ethylamine, a stimulant associated with love," says Dr Kumar. The higher the cocoa content, the better you feel. So head for the darkest.

Hummus
Pack on muscle with a smile: High in protein and fibre, hummus helps avoid blood sugar fluctuations with a slow, sustained release of glucose into the blood stream. "Depression and mood swings are related to poor blood sugar control, so scarf this now!" says Dr Kakar.

Walnuts
These nuts will put a smile on your dial. "They're an excellent source of Omega-3s which help brain cells and mood-lifting neurotransmitters function properly," says Ritika Samaddar, head of dietetics, Max Healthcare, New Delhi.

Foods that up your sex drive

Bananas
Not only do they sport a happy colour, they also contain vitamin B6 that ups serotonin levels. Apart from this, they contain an alkaloid bufotenine that ups your sex drive. Feeling happier reading this aren't you?

Chilli
If your relationship's facing a libido-level slump, spice it up, literally! Chilli's capsaicin content gets the heart pumping, triggering reactions as sweaty and similar to when you're having sex. Instead of a pungent dish, try Lindt's Chilli chocolate to really heat up your nights.

Almonds
"Almonds are often associated with health, but most of us don't know that they are packed with essential fats that regulate prostaglandins, required for the production of sex hormones," says Samaddar.

Vanilla
According to Chicago's Smell and Taste Treatment Research Foundation, vanilla can boost penile blood flow. So bury into a tub before date night, not post breakup!

Foods that soothe rage

Watermelon
This juicy fruit contains citrulline and arginine, chemicals that trigger production of nitric oxide, a compound that relaxes your body's blood vessels. Watermelon is also reputed to be the only natural answer to Viagra. And you don't even need a prescription!

Ginseng tea
"Ginseng has been shown to improve the body's response to stress and decrease feelings of anxiety," says Dr Kakar. Sipping it slowly will also give you time to think over your initial reaction, which might have worse repercussions later.

Kidneys
Slip some into a mutton curry when you've banged your car on the way back home. A study in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience showed kidneys contain high levels of phosphatidylserine, which are associated with reducing stress levels and lifting mood.

Salmon
The omega-3 fatty acid in salmon, called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), isn't just good for your skin. Studies show people who eat ample amounts of DHA have a much lower incidence of depression, aggressiveness and hostility.

Foods that wake you up

Lemons
"Lemons have a wide variety of uses from curing asthma to liver stimulation, says Ekta Tandon, dietician at dailydiet. in. "To wake up, smell the fruit or lemon oil or suck on a lemon drop—it's an instant refresher, which is why it's a common base for room fresheners and scents.

Broccoli
This green contains boron, which is responsible for hand-eye co-ordination, attention and short-term memory. Boron-rich foods also maintain healthy bone and blood-sugar levels.

Apples
A recent Journal of Alzheimer's Disease research shows apples protect the brain from memory loss and senility due to their quercetin content. "They're almost as effective as caffeine as the fructose content doesn't bring you back to a slump like coffee would, says Dr Kakar.

Orange juice
"We eat oranges or drink OJ in the morning to wake us up, says Dr Kakar. "Oranges contain vitamin C that beats fatigue to keep us active throughout the day. Try eating one instead of drinking the juice to keep calories at bay.
Reproduced From Men's Health. © 2011. LMIL. All rights reserved.
 

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The nose has a left and a right side; we use both to inhale and exhale..
Actually they are different; you would be able to feel the difference.
The right side represents the sun, left side represent s the moon.
During a headache, try to close your right nostril and use your left nostril to breathe.

In about 5 mins, your headache will go.
If you feel tired, just reverse, close your left nostril and breathe through your right nostril.
After a while, you will feel your mind is refreshed.

Right side belongs to 'hot', so it gets heated up easily, left side belongs to 'cold'.
Most females breathe with their left nostrils, so they get "cooled off" faster.

Most of the guys breathe with their right nostris, they get worked up.
Do you notice the moment we wake up, which side breathe s faster? Left or right? ?

If left is faster, you will feel tired.
So, close your left nostril and use your right nostril for breathing, you will get refreshed quickly.
This can be taught to kids, but it is more effective when practiced by adults.
My friend used to have bad headaches and was always visiting the doctor.
There was this period when he suffered headache literally every night, unable to study.
He took painkillers, did not work.
He decided to try out the breathing therapy here: closed his right nostril and breathed through his left nostril.

In less than a week, his headaches were gone! He continued the exercise for one month.
This alternative natural therapy without medication is something that he has experienced.
So, why not give it a try?
 

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Would you be better off with Parkingson Disease or Alzheimer???

Gary asked Jim,
"At your ripe age, what do you prefer to get - Parkinson's or Alzheimer's?"

Jim answered, "Definitely Parkinson's. Better to spill half an ounce of Jack Daniels, than to forget where you kept the damn bottle!!"
 

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Danger of eating White Bread ....


The Swiss government has been aware of the dangers of eating white bread for decades and in order to get its populace to stop eating it, Switzerland has placed a tax on the purchase of white bread. The tax money is given to bakers to reduce the price of whole wheat bread to encourage people to switch.

The Canadian government passed a law prohibiting the “enrichment” of white bread with synthetic vitamins. Bread must contain the original vitamins found in the grain, not imitations.

Essentially, white bread is “dead” bread. Frequently, consumers are not told the truth about this and so called “enriched” flour.
Why is the color of white bread so white when the flour taken from wheat is not?

It’s because the flour used to make white bread is chemically bleached, just like you bleach your clothes. When you are eating white bread, you are also eating residual chemical bleach. Flour mills use different chemical bleaches, all of which are pretty bad.

Here are a few of them:
oxide of nitrogen, chlorine, chloride, nitrosyl and benzoyl peroxide mixed with various chemical salts.

One bleaching agent, chloride oxide, combined with whatever proteins are still left in the flour, produces alloxan. Alloxon is a poison and has been used to produce diabetes in laboratory animals.
Chlorine oxide destroys the vital wheat germ oil. It will also shorten the flour’s shelf life.

Good Nutrition:
You won’t find it In White Bread In the process of making flour white, half of the good unsaturated fatty acids, that are high in food value, are lost in the milling process alone, and virtually all the vitamin E is lost with the removal of wheat germ and bran.
As a result, the remaining flour in the white bread you buy, contains only poor quality proteins and fattening starch. But that is not the whole story as to the loss of nutrients.
Scientific Study Has Confirmed What The Swiss Have Known For Years These horrific numbers are the results of a study run by the University of California, College of Agriculture. It is obvious, from what we have learned, that white bread should be avoided.
Whole wheat, rye and grain breads made with whole wheat flour is a better way. It is a good idea to always read the labels and never buy foods that contain artificial flavors, colors, bleached flour, preservatives, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.
To certain extent our ancestors were more intelligent than us. Otherwise, they wouldn't have coined the following:

The PAR-BOILED RICE .
Atta (wholemeal wheat) floor.
Little bit of everything - "Aru suvai unavugal" (Doesn't it fit into the BALANCED DIET.principal! My wife used to tease me saying paruppu, Naiy, sambar, rasam, thayirru and finally the Paayaasam. Even the North Indian menu - the THAALI KHAANAH too has variety of everything).
The Tamil sayings: "Alavirkku meerinaal, AMIRTHAMUM nanju= Even the Nectar of God, when consumed in excess it will become poison. "Kani irukka, kaay kavarntharkka" = When ripened fruit is available, why consume an unripened one?

Back to the White bread vs. Wholemeal bread.
HIGH GLYCAEMIC INDEX Food are usually WHITE in colour. because no fibre or bleached. compared to
LOW GLYCAEMIC INDEX Food are BROWNISH or woody colour due to high content of fibre
The moment this High Glycaemic Index food is ingested, the body absorbs them immediately thus causing surge in the blood sugar level and the excess of sugar is converted into fat.glycogen and stored . Whereas, the Low Glycaemic Index food when ingested they get digested and assismilated very slowly, hence no spike of Blood Sugar level.
Whence the High Glycaamic Index food is digested and assimilated, one started to feel hungry and started eating often resulting in above said sequelae. Whereas the Low Glycaemic Index food takes long time to digest and assimilated. Hence one feels satiated for quite sometime, thus preventing him or her from over and frequent eating.
--
 

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ZURICH: The world's biggest food group Nestle is moving into traditional Chinese medicine by joining forces with Chinese pharma group Chi-Med, the Swiss group said on Wednesday.

The new entity, called Nutrition Science Partners (NSP), is to be owned equally by the two parties, said Nestle in a statement, without revealing any of the financials behind the deal.

NSP will research, develop, make and sell nutritional and medicinal products derived from botanical plants, it said.

The joint venture will also hand Nestle's Health Science division, which is handling the deal, access to Chi-Med's traditional Chinese medicine library, which with more than 50,000 extracts from more than 1,200 different herbal plants is one of the world's largest, the statement said.

Initially, the product focus will be on gastro-intestinal health -- a market worth up to $6 billion (4.6 billion euros) according to Chi-Med -- but could in future expand into metabolic diseases and brain health, Nestle said.

For Chi-Med, the deal, which is still subject to regulatory approvals, will bring "a stream of novel botanical medicines and nutritional products to market and in so doing build significant value for patients and for our shareholders," company chief executive Christian Hogg said on a conference call.

"Botanical are in the forefront in our view in the search for new medicines," the Chi-Med chief said.

Traditional Chinese plant-based medicines represented between 30 percent and 40 percent of all pharma sales in China, he added.

"This joint venture provides Nestle's Health Science with an opportunity to develop and commercialise truly innovative and scientifically validated botanical-based nutrition for personalised healthcare in gastro-intestinal health," Nestle Health Science head Luis Cantarell said.

- AFP/sf
 

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PARIS: Scientists in the United States on Sunday offered a molecular-level explanation for how a Chinese herbal medicine used for more than 2,000 years tackles fever and eases malaria.

The herb is an extract of the root of a flowering plant called blue evergreen hydrangea, known in Chinese as Chang Shan and in Latin as Dichroa Febrifuga Lour.

Chang Shan's use dates back to the Han dynasty of 206 BC to 220 AD, according to ancient documents recording Chinese oral traditions.

In 2009, researchers made insights into its active ingredient, febrifuginone, which can be pharmaceutically made as a molecule called halofuginone.

They found that halofuginone prevented production of rogue Th17 immune cells which attack healthy cells, causing inflammation that leads to fever.

A study published in the journal Nature on Sunday found halofuginone works by hampering production of proteins for making "bad" Th17 cells, but not the "good" ones.

Specifically, it blocks molecules called transfer RNA (tRNA), whose job is to assemble a protein bit by bit, in line with the DNA code written in the gene.

As for malaria, halofuginone appears to interfere with the same protein-assembly process that enables malaria parasites to live in the blood, the study said.

"Our new results solved a mystery that has puzzled people about the mechanism that has been used to treat fever from a malaria infection going back probably 2,000 years or more," said Paul Schimmel, who headed the team at the Scripps Research Institute in California.

Halofuginone has been tested in small-scale human trials to treat cancer and muscular dystrophy. Drug engineers also eye it as a potential tool for combatting inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis, which are also autoimmune diseases.

- AFP/al
 

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Maggot Debridement Therapy

Maggots are often associated with death and decay because, well, that's just how they are. These little white squirming fly larvae thrive on all things disgusting, from rotting food to putrefying flesh, which is exactly why they work so well at cleaning out infected wounds. The ancient treatment called maggot therapy, which was once considered antiquated, is now enjoying a resurgence of popularity due to the advent of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Placed in a wound, the maggots actually dissolve infected tissue, kill the bacteria and promote healing. Once all the dead and infected tissue is gone, they seek to exit the wound and are removed.
 

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Bee Sting Therapy

Most people will run away when a bee is trying to sting them, but a few crazy ones actually want to get stung! The practice of bee sting therapy involves the application of multiple stings to an area in an effort to heal conditions like arthritis. This method has been used by the Chinese for over 3,000 years, and they claim that the stings have anti-inflammatory properties.
 

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Tickle Therapy

Tickle therapy may sound like a kind of torture to those with sensitive skin, but the CosquilleArtespa in Spain believes this can have very therapeutic benefits. This isn't tickling as you know it- rather than being tickled till you squirm, this therapy is all about soft fingertip-like strokes, and is performed by two people so you get a 20 finger sensation. Fingers are gently traced around the body and often aided by feathers to provide a treatment that soothes and relaxes the senses. Isabel Aires, the creator of tickle therapy, says it "allows customers to return to a state of childhood, recalling earlier stages of pleasure and play to move to a state of well-being and relaxation." Tempted? Sounds a lot better when she puts it like that.
 

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Ear Candling Therapy

This process is also called thermal auricular therapy, probably to make it sound like a normal healing method. The attempt is absolutely futile because lighting up one end of a candle and placing the other end into your ear is something very far from normal. Most of the leading health organizations strongly dissuade people from trying this therapy.
 

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LIPSTICK INFORMATION Something to consider
Next time you go shopping for lipstick.

This comes from someone
Who works in the breast cancer unit at

Mt.. Sinai Hospital , in Toronto ..
From: Dr. Nahid Neman


If there is a female you care anything about, Share this with her.. I did!!!!!

I am also sharing this with the males on my e-mail list,
Because they need to tell the females THEY care about as well!
Recently a lipstick brand called 'Red Earth' Decreased their prices from
$67 to $9.90.

It contained lead. Lead is a chemical which causes cancer.
The lipstick brands that contain lead are:


CHRISTIAN DIOR
LANCME
CLINIQUE
Y.S.L
ESTEE LAUDER
SHISEIDO
RED EARTH (Lip Gloss)
CHANEL (Lip Conditioner)

MARKET AMERICA-MOTNES LIPSTICK. The higher the lead content, The greater the chance of causing cancer.
After doing a test on lipsticks,
It was found that the Y.S.L.. Lipstick
Contained the most amount of lead... Watch out for those lipsticks
Which are supposed to stay longer..



If your lipstick stays longer, it is
Because of the higher content of lead. Here is the test you can do yourself:
1. Put some lipstick on your hand.

2. Use a Gold ring to scratch on the lipstick.

3. If the lipstick color changes to black,
Then you know the lipstick contains lead.
Please send this information to all your girlfriends,

Wives and female family members.

This information is being circulated at
Walter Reed Army Medical Centre

Dioxin Carcinogens cause cancer,
Especially breast cancer
 

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5 Cancer-Fighting Spices

By Veronica Peterson, Editor, Healthy & Green Living

They’re pretty, delicious and drumroll please…they’re good for you! Yes, I’m talking about the secret our forefathers knew way back in the day. Spices have untapped health benefits and have recently been stealing the scene as powerful cancer preventatives and fighters. Below are five you might want to consider adding to your diet.

1. Garlic
No surprise here. The stinking rose is one of the most potent weapons in preventing cancer, particularly colon cancer. Containing the photochemical allicin, garlic stimulates the production of cancer-fighting enzymes. Daily garlic consumption can lower total cholesterol and triglyceride levels by 10 percent and has the added benefit of keeping vampires at bay.

2. Ginger
For centuries, grandma has been prescribing this knobby little root for an upset tummy but we now know that it holds anti-inflammatory properties, shows promise in treating cancer, osteoarthritis and, when used topically, rheumatoid arthritis. It can be used as an appetite stimulant, and a treatment for nausea, whether legit (flu) or not-so-legit (hangover).

3. Cinnamon
Besides being a yummy addition to coffee, cinnamon protects against Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Derived from tree bark, this wonderful spice stimulates the bodies circulatory systems. Just half a teaspoon taken daily lowers blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. It also counteracts congestion, may be useful treating osteoarthritis and improves blood circulation.

4. Turmeric
Who can resist the gorgeous yellow color of this cancer-fighting spice? Lately turmeric has been the darling of the spice world as researchers have discovered that, not only does it fight cancer, but contains an entire spectrum of other health benefits, including inflammation-fighting compounds called curcuminoids. These compounds may help prevent Alzheimer’s, arthritis, and carpal tunnel syndrome. When used topically turmeric has been known to help heal skin infections.

5. Cayenne Pepper
Arriba! Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, yet another cancer preventative. When used in mass it can cause heartburn but a little sprinkled onto everyday foods should be enough for you to see the benefits. Cayenne peppers are full of beta carotene, other antioxidants and immune boosters and helps to build healthy mucous membranes tissues – our first level of defense against bacteria and viruses.
 

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A young man sprinkling his lawn and bushes with
pesticides wanted to check the contents of the barrel
to see how much pesticide remained in it. He raised
the cover and lit his lighter; the vapors ignited and
engulfed him. He jumped from his truck, screaming..
His neighbor came out of her house with a dozen
eggs and a bowl yelling: "bring me some more eggs!"
She broke them, separating the whites from the yolks.
The neighbor woman helped her to apply the whites
on to the young man's face.
When the ambulance arrived and the EMTs saw the
young man, they asked who had done this. Everyone
pointed to the lady in charge. They congratulated her
and said: "You have saved his face." By the end of the
summer, the young man brought the lady a bouquet
of roses to thank her. His face was like a baby's skin.
A Healing for Burns:

Keep in mind this treatment of burns is being
included in teaching beginner fireman.
First Aid consists of first spraying cold water on
the affected area until the heat is reduced which
stops the continued burning of all layers of the skin.
Then, spread the egg whites onto the affected area.
One woman burned a large part of her hand with
boiling water. In spite of the pain, she ran cold
faucet water on her hand, separated 2 egg whites
from the yolks, beat them slightly and dipped her
hand in the solution. The whites then dried and
formed a protective layer.
She later learned that the egg white is a natural
collagen and continued during at least one hour
to apply layer upon layer of beaten egg white. By afternoon she no longer felt any pain and the next
day there was hardly a trace of the burn.
10 days later, no trace was left at all and her skin
had regained its normal color. The burned area
was totally regenerated thanks to the collagen in
the egg whites, a placenta full of vitamins.
Since this information could be helpful to everyone: Won't you please pass it on?
 

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Have you ever noticed gals who sit their handbags on public toilet floors -
then go directly to their dining tables and set it on the table? Happens
a lot!

It's not always the 'restaurant food' that causes stomach distress.
Sometimes "what you don't know 'will' hurt you"!

Read on...

Mum got so upset when guests came in the door and plopped their handbags
down on the counter where she was cooking or setting up food. She always
said that handbags are really dirty, because of where they have been.

Smart Mum!!!

It's something just about every woman carries with them. While we may know
what's inside our handbags, do you have any idea what's on the outside?
Shauna Lake put handbags to the test - for bacteria - with surprising
results. You may think twice about where you put your handbag.

Women carry handbags everywhere; from the office to public toilets to the
floor of the car. Most women won't be caught without their handbags, but
did you ever stop to think about where your handbag goes during the day?

"I drive a school bus, so my handbag has been on the floor of the bus a
lot," says one woman. "On the floor of my car, and in toilets."

"I put my handbag in grocery shopping carts, on the floor of the toilet
while changing a nappy," says another woman "and of course in my home which
should be clean."

We decided to find out if handbags harbour a lot of bacteria. We learned
how to test them at Nelson Laboratories in Salt Lake , and then we set out
to test the average woman's handbag.

Most women told us they didn't stop to think about what was on the bottom
of their handbag. Most said at home they usually set their handbags on top
of kitchen tables and counters where food is prepared.

Most of the ladies we talked to told us they wouldn't be surprised if their
handbags were at least a little bit dirty. It turns out handbags are so
surprisingly dirty, even the microbiologist who tested them was shocked.

Microbiologist Amy Karen of Nelson Labs says nearly all of the handbags
tested were not only high in bacteria, but high in harmful kinds of
bacteria. Pseudomonas can cause eye infections, staphylococcus aurous can
cause serious skin infections, and salmonella and e-coli found on the
handbags could make people very sick.

In one sampling, four of five handbags tested positive for salmonella, and
that's not the worst of it. "There is fecal contamination on the handbags,"
says Amy . Leather or vinyl handbags tended to be cleaner than cloth
handbags, and lifestyle seemed to play a role.

People with kids tended to have dirtier handbags than those without, with
one exception. The handbag of one single woman who frequented nightclubs
had one of the worst contaminations of all.

"Some type of feces, or possibly vomit" says Amy .

So the moral of this story - your handbag won't kill you, but it does have
the potential to make you very sick if you keep it on places where you eat.

Use hooks to hang your handbag at home and in toilets, and don't put it on
your desk, a restaurant table, or on your kitchen countertop.

Experts say you should think of your handbag the same way you would a pair
of shoes. "If you think about putting a pair of shoes onto your
coununtertops, that's the same thing you're doing when you put your handbag
on the countertops" - your handbag has gone where individuals before you
have sneezed, coughed, s pat , urinated, emptied bowels, etc!

Do you really want to bring that home with you? The microbiologists at
Nelson also said cleaning a handbag will help.

Wash cloth handbags and use leather cleaner to clean the bottom of leather
handbags.
 

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We've all heard it a thousand times: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And yet how many of us take the time not only to eat, but also to enjoy, breakfast? During the week our mornings are hectic getting ready for work, walking the dog, driving the kids to school, and running errands. But eating breakfast helps everyone stay alert and focused throughout the day. Studies show that people who eat breakfast tend to weigh less and make healthier food choices all day long than people who do not.

If you're in a breakfast rut, look to the Mediterranean Diet for inspiration. In Turkey, for instance, breakfast is not just a meal, but is a communal event. The table is set with small plates and decked with a wide variety of foods, both savory and sweet: boiled eggs or omelets, soft and hard cheeses, bread, pastry, olives, tomatoes and cucumbers, honey and jam, and meats. Families and friends sit and enjoy each other's company while sharing the delicacies on the table.

Take care of yourself by jump-starting your day-every day-with breakfast.

Pick a whole grain, a fruit, and some source of protein (an egg, nuts, or yogurt, for example) for a breakfast that will stick with you until lunch, without relying on sugar or caffeine to perk you up.
Stock your kitchen with easy choices. Keep fruit in a bowl, hard-boil eggs ahead of time, and stash whole grain breads and bagels in the freezer, so it's easy to grab and go when time runs short.
Sit down with the whole family for a relaxed breakfast on the weekend. Catch up with each other and catch your breath before the start of a new week.
Experiment with the astounding diversity of breakfast foods on the weekends: try Spain's toasted bread topped with tomatoes and a drizzle of olive oil, Tunisian chickpea breakfast soup, or tahini halva from Turkey.


Peanut Banana Bread
Make this bread in the evening so that you can put breakfast together quickly in the morning. A slice of peanut banana bread with some fresh fruit and plain yogurt will make a satisfying and easy morning meal.


Italian Vegetable Custard
Italian spices, yellow squash, zucchini, tomatoes, and cheese give this egg bake a fresh, summery flavor all year long. Serve this dish at a weekend brunch or on a weeknight as "breakfast for dinner."


Mediterranean oregano, a favorite in pizza and pasta sauces, grows among the rocks in the mountains and hill country of the Mediterranean region. The word "oregano" comes from Greek meaning joy of the mountain. Learn more about oregano and other herbs
 

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Types of Hypertension
Medications That Can Cause Hypertension
Many drugs, including some over-the-counter preparations, can elevate blood pressure (see Drugs That Can Raise Blood Pressure, below). Certain medications prescribed for autoimmune diseases — such as glucocorticoids (also called corticosteroids), cyclosporine, and tacrolimus — constrict blood vessels throughout the body, as do some cancer-treating agents. Hypertension may also be a side effect of nasal decongestants, anabolic steroids, or MAO inhibitors (a class of antidepressants), as well as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs known as NSAIDs (Advil, Aleve) and COX-2 inhibitors (Celebrex), two popular classes of pain relievers. In addition, NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors can cause kidney dysfunction, and in some cases, cardiovascular effects so discuss your personal health risks with your doctor when considering the regular use of these medications.

The decongestants found in most over-the-counter cold, flu, and allergy medicines and many weight-loss supplements can also elevate blood pressure and interfere with medications used to treat hypertension. The FDA banned one of the most common of these decongestants, phenylpropanolamine (PPA), because it was linked to an increased risk of stroke, especially in women. Fortunately, some cold, cough, and flu remedies are specially formulated for people with high blood pressure. However, it’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before taking any over-the-counter medications.

Shortly after birth control pills came on the market in the ’60s, researchers discovered they raised blood pressure, sometimes to dangerously high levels. As a result, they were found to increase a woman’s risk of having a stroke, particularly among smokers. However, these early oral contraceptives contained considerably higher doses of estrogen and progesterone than current formulations do. Today, it’s much less common for oral contraceptives to cause hypertension, and when it does occur, it’s usually among women who smoke, are obese, or are over 35. In these cases, blood pressure usually returns to normal after the woman stops taking the pill.

The ingestion of lead and cadmium can also cause hypertension.

Drugs That Can Raise Blood Pressure

Prescription Drugs

anabolic steroids

bromocriptine

ergotamine

glucocorticoids or corticosteroids (such as prednisone)

COX-2 inhibitors (such as celecoxib)

cyclosporine

disulfiram

erythropoietin

estrogens

lithium

MAO inhibitors

tacrolimus

tricyclic antidepressants
Over-the-Counter Drugs
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including aspirin, ibuprofen, indomethacin, naproxen

phenylephrine (found in nasal sprays)

phenylpropanolamine (an FDA-banned substance once found in appetite suppressants and in over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines)

pseudoephedrine (found in cold and allergy preparations)
From the Harvard Health Publications Special Health Report, Hypertension: Controlling the "Silent Killer." Copyright 2004 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. Illustrations by Marie Duprey and Harriet Greenfield, M.A.. All rights reserved. Written permission is required to reproduce, in any manner, in whole or in part, the material contained herein. To make a reprint request, contact Harvard Health Publications. Used with permission of StayWell.
 

TikeMyson

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Sun-Dried Tomato Vermicelli

The concentrated flavors of sun-dried tomatoes make it easy to get a flavorful dinner on the table quickly. Try this recipe for an easy weeknight meal. Make variations on the dish by adding different vegetables like bell peppers, spinach, celery, broccoli or peas.
 

TikeMyson

Alfrescian
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Mussels Steamed in White Wine

Steaming mussels is an easy way to get fresh seafood on the table with minimal hassle. Using wine for the steaming liquid adds extra flavor to the dish. Serve mussels alongside bruschetta and a veggie plate for a quick and satisfying meal.


Orzo Cucumber Salad

This refreshing salad is easy to prepare and comes together quickly thanks to the fast-cooking orzo. Let it rest in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of your meal.
 
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