Archive for the ‘Health Care’ Category

Drinking Milk Helps you Lose Weight

Did you know that increasing consumption of milk in our diet, we can lose weight? This he says Carmen Gómez Candela, head of the Unit of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, University Hospital La Paz (Madrid), told the newspaper El Mundo, and according to several Israeli researchers.

While people who are dieting often reduces the consumption of dairy products really are the people who most need to increase the dose. An alternative, for example, are calcium-fortified skim milks natural.
According to this research, it appeared that those who consumed more dairy products per day (about 580 milligrams of calcium) lost more weight compared to those who took a lower intake (an average of 150 milligrams of calcium). Specifically, after two years, people who consumed more milk, lost about six kilos more.

We always say that a calcium intake should be accompanied by an increased intake of foods with vitamin D to help absorption. This study gives reason to this theory, since they also claim that people with higher vitamin D blood who lost weight were more kilos.

The height is determined by 80% by genetics
What do you think influences to determine our height? Although genes are very important, other factors also play a role. Specifically, the height depends on genetics about 80%, and other environmental factors (eg diet) affect 20%.
According to a recent study published in the journal Nature, there are more than a thousand genetic variants that affect human height, but only about 180 have been identified. “It is clear that tall parents have tall children, and parents short people short people tend to have children,” said Joel Hirschhorn, Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, author of the paper.

Some of these genetic variants are related, for example, with bone mineral density or with diseases such as obesity, osteoporosis, psoriasis and diabetes. For this study, involving more than 300 researchers from several countries, who have analyzed DNA samples from about 185,000 people.

Prevention of Alcohol Consumption in Young

Health CareAlcohol consumption has soared among children. The irresponsibility of some shops and low awareness and risk perception that young people, make it rare for a teenager does not drink or have drunk alcohol at some time. Unaware that alcohol abuse is responsible for more than 60 diseases and 9,000 deaths in Spain each year.

Adolescents commonly practiced thirteen and the bottle. Unconsciousness and ignorance of the risks involved, cause every time you start this practice at younger ages. The euphoria, ease of connection and evasion are some of the reasons that young people screened for drinking. What do they know the consequences can be dire: mental impairment, difficulty thinking, school failure, decreased physical strength, and diseases such as liver cirrhosis, hypertension or heart disease.

To try to reverse this negative trend, coinciding with the campaign of the Ministry of Health on the Risks of Underage Drinking, family physicians recalled the crucial role they may have to stop this behavior. This issue, among others, was discussed last week in Valencia, in the Days of Family Medicine Update.

The group of primary care practitioners and family physicians are in a position to detect patterns of alcohol consumption among minors when they come to his office for regular checkups. Hence, in these days of update have given workshops to teach how to detect signs of regular alcohol consumption: insomnia, eating disorders, behavioral changes …

The clinical interview in the office is the key tool to empathize with the patient and to detect risk behaviors. In this regard, Dr. Ignacio Ruz says, “is to give personalized information to patients according to their willingness to change his attitude. The patient will respond better if you ask permission before advising. ” The primary care provider should focus on family circumstances that may favor the use of alcohol or other drugs.

Prevent Colds and Flu with Vitamin D

Health CareIf you want to prevent and protect against colds and flu in a recent study shows that vitamin D is important. Here in Barcelona we are lucky to enjoy plenty of sunshine, but for people living in the northern hemisphere, there is a 60% chance of having vitamin D deficiency The only way to really ensure you get enough vitamin D is to get plenty of sun and if you live in northern latitudes the lack of sufficient sunlight makes you should supplement your diet with adequate vitamin D.

In a study conducted in the U.S. earlier this year, people with low vitamin D levels had 40% more likely to have repeated colds and flu compared with people who kept sufficient levels of vitamin D. The study also shows that people with respiratory diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema and asthma, which also had low vitamin D levels had a higher risk of having a common cold and flu. In fact, asthmatic patients with low vitamin D levels were five times more likely to get colds and flu, such as those with higher levels of vitamin D in the blood.

Scientists have discovered that vitamin D is more important than just keeping bones strong and healthy. It is a major player in many aspects of our health, among others, in order to maintain a strong immune system.

Where is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin. Vitamin D is formed in the skin, sun exposure, 15 to 30 minutes a day, covers the daily requirement of this vitamin.

A part of the sun are also vitamin D in foods like oily fish and eggs. There are also small amount of mushrooms, dairy products and fortified margarines.

Improving Quality of Life

Health Informationstyle-we read a lot of times articles on the internet like, “lose weight fast”, “lose weight in a week”, “like removing a grain in a day”, “gain muscle mass quickly.” Fast weight loss diets, home remedies of doubtful credibility or overly intense exercise routine can be very detrimental to incorporate them into our way of life; however, some small changes can give us to maintain healthy habits in a more natural and permanent. The following explains 7 ways to improve your health and your quality of life.

1. Walking. A thirty minute walk can increase the burn 100 calories per day, bearing in mind that although we may lead a sedentary lifestyle burns a thousand calories per day. This activity manages to eat less. A physical activity program two hours per week will improve gradually our heart health.
2. Laugh. Studies have shown that a good laugh can help burn ten to twenty percent more calories. We suggest watching a movie or once daily humor, laughing our abdominal muscles contract and achieving speeds that take our breath more oxygen.
3. Increase intake of fruits and vegetables. The general trend in health agencies is to advise the daily intake of nine half-cup servings of fruits and vegetables for a healthy diet. Follow these tips and increased intake of caves and vegetables will help lower the chances of stroke and heart disease. We can incorporate peach half, six strawberries, fifteen white grapes or half a large carrot.
4. Opt for homemade meals. In preparing our pasta sauce with natural ingredients instead of canned soup to cook our own vegetables and seasonings our and replace canned vegetables and frozen vegetables, we are cutting ten percent of our sodium intake. Lowering the percentage of sodium in our diets contribute to better heart health and improve our weight because of fluid retention will be less.
5. Suitable fatty meal. Get an additional ten percent of omega 6 in our source of calories, lowers cholesterol, and improves blood pressure and sugar processing in the body.
6. Eliminate soft drinks. Besides helping you lose weight, eliminating carbonated beverages makes us less prone to diabetes.
7. Sleep more than seven hours. Sleep restores the brain’s activity, the body and the immune system. The more than seven hours sleep helps to fight viruses; prevent high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

Do you Know How Much Calcium you Should Consume Daily

Health CareAs we all know, calcium is vital for our health, especially that of our bones, is optimal. It is also important to prevent various diseases such as osteoporosis, one of the most feared, mostly by women.

What is calcium? It is an essential mineral for the body to function properly. It is possible that when thinking about the strength of your bones forgets your teeth are too. Thus, if you consume calcium correctly, you’ll have much stronger teeth. We refer to other important functions of this component, as it is to send nerve impulses to the brain, as well as blood clotting and regulation of the heartbeat.

The main source of calcium is, of course, food. One that we all know that is rich in calcium is milk, as well as their derivatives. Other foods that have a large presence in its composition of calcium include tofu, sardines, green vegetables, beans or beans and almonds, to name a few.

To determine whether you are getting the proper dose of calcium, recently the National Academy of Sciences in the United States made recommendations, depending on the age of the people. Thus:

- For those with between 19 and 50 years, the recommended dose is 1,000 milligrams a day.
- People who are over age 50 should consume 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day.
- In the case of pregnant women and infants, is also the recommendation of 1,000 milligrams a day.

Of course people with specific diseases or problems stemming from lack of calcium, you should see your doctor and follow what this advice. Here are some examples of foods rich in this mineral. Pay attention and take them as a guide to your daily diet:

- A cup of evaporated skim milk, 742 mgs. Of calcium.
- A cup of yogurt with 10 grams defatted protein, 354 mgs. Of calcium.
- 3 ounces (85 grams) of canned sardines with bones, 325 mgs. Of calcium.
- One cup of spinach (cooked or frozen) unsalted, 291 mgs. Of calcium.
- A cup of cabbage (cooked) without salt, 190 mg. of calcium.
- A cup of soybeans or soy (cooked) without salt, 261 mg. of calcium.
- One cup of turnip greens (cooked or frozen) unsalted, 249 mgs. Of calcium.
- One ounce (28 grams) of Gruyere Swiss cheese type, 224 mgs. Of calcium.
- One ounce (28 grams) of cheese muzarela, 207 mgs. Of calcium.

Avoid health problems of calcium deficiency, follow these tips and give us your comments.

Tips for Runners

FitnessAre you overweight and are thinking about exercising to lose those extra kilos? Those who are in this situation usually choose to go for a run, this is a simple game which does not take much equipment or the gym, though, and there are some elements that should be taken into account. Here we counted.

First of all, it is important to see the ride as pleasant and enjoyable hobby, you should enjoy it. You can go pointing the minutes, departures and distances to improve yourself and establish yourself daily goals that are reasonable. Also, remember that you may at first cost, but this is totally normal, so do not be disappointed.

On the other hand, it is essential to choose a pair of shoes of good quality, we must consider when running generate an impact on our joints, so we must reduce. In this regard, it is also advisable to avoid running on asphalt, the best are surfaces such as dirt or grass.

Something is not recommended to run very long sessions, it is best to go running 4 times a week for half an hour and gradually increasing the time to go. Do not forget, moreover, the water bottle, overweight people tend to break a sweat before, therefore, become dehydrated more quickly.

Finally, scratches may occur in areas such as armpits and English, a solution to this problem is to put Vaseline. And do not forget to stretch and applied to calm once you finish, thus avoiding injury.

Mediterranean Diet and its Beneficial Effect on Cardiovascular Disease

Health CareThe so-called Mediterranean diet consumed by populations living in areas near the Mediterranean (Spain, Greece, Italy) is characterized by high consumption of olive oil, fruits and vegetables, little or no trans fat intake, low beef, poultry and moderate consumption of pork, high consumption of legumes, nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts), grains (bread, rice and pasta, preferably wholemeal), low consumption of milk and a moderate consumption of dairy as cheese and yogurt. There is also a regular intake of oily fish when populations are near the sea and a moderate consumption of alcohol.

This pattern of consumption has shown beneficial effects in preventing cardiovascular diseases such as decreased blood pressure, decreased thrombotic tendency (thrombus or clot) and insulin resistance. It also determines the existence of a higher antioxidant status, a decrease in homocysteine levels of inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and cardiac arrhythmias.

Summer Recipe for Reducing Bad Cholesterol

Health CareHigh cholesterol occurs when you least expect it, regardless of temperature or season. Therefore, to try to act against LDL cholesterol in the summer, nothing beats a summer recipe that allows you to reduce bad cholesterol and lower the heat.

During the summer you may need to lower your cholesterol, especially LDL or bad cholesterol. It is therefore important that you adapt your diet to treat hypercholesterolemia and withstand the heat. To do this, you can implement a summer recipe.

Summer Salad against LDL cholesterol
Ingredients

* 3 red apples.
* 1 ripe pineapple.
* 100 gr. pitted green olives or pitted.
* 100 gr. lettuce leaves.
* 250 gr. cucumbers.
* 1 avocado.
* ¼ red pepper.
* ¼ green pepper.
* ½ papaya or peach.
* 10 nuts or chopped almonds.
* 50 grams of cooked corn kernels.
* ½ cup mayonnaise without cholesterol.
* Juice of 1 lemon.
* Salt to taste.

Preparation

* Peel the fruits and vegetables.
* Cut the pineapple, cucumber and diced apples, peppers, papaya or peach strips, olives and lettuce (avoid cutting knife to reduce loss of nutrients).
* Place in a bowl all pre-cut fruits and vegetables.
* Mix and set aside.
* Apart skinned avocado, procedural and mix with mayonnaise, lemon juice and salt.
* Pour the sauce over the other ingredients and mix.
* Finally, place the corn, nuts or chopped almonds and papaya or peach.
* Serve.

This recipe is refreshing, summer and all the nutrients (fiber, antioxidants, phytosterols, flavonoids and unsaturated fatty acids) that the body needs to reduce LDL or bad cholesterol. Remember that in summer you can fight against cholesterol. Enjoy!

Healthy Ideas for Treating Hypercholesterolemia

Health CareHypercholesterolemia is a metabolic disease that is necessary to try to avoid health complications. To do this, you can take into account a number of simple ideas and healthy that can help lower cholesterol.

The dyslipidemias such as high cholesterol are risk factors for the occurrence of other diseases such as heart disease, atherosclerosis, stroke, etc.. Because of this, it is important to draw on a number of simple ideas that can help lower cholesterol naturally.

* Increase consumption of foods with resveratrol. This is a powerful antioxidant that reduces the formation of LDL cholesterol and increases the formation of HDL cholesterol.
* Incorporate foods rich in flavonoids. These substances are also natural antioxidants that reduce free radical formation, preventing the fat is deposited on the inner walls of arteries.
* Drink tea to help burn fat and avoid the formation of bad cholesterol, such as java tea, green tea, red tea, black tea or white tea.
* Add high-fiber foods. These foods are able to increase the body’s cleansing, removing the fat content in foods.
* Increase consumption of foods rich in phytosterols and phytosterol-containing products. These substances help to sweep the cholesterol content in food, therefore preventing the passage of this into the blood.
* Waiver of fried foods, foods that contain margarine or butter.
* Eat foods rich in omega 3 and omega 6, which increase HDL cholesterol.

Incorporating these foods into the diet are healthy, simple ideas that can not only help lower cholesterol, but also can improve your quality of life.

Remember it is very necessary that you make daily physical activity because this mobilizes fat and reduces blood cholesterol concentration.

Why the Mediterranean Diet has Beneficial Effects?

Health Care* In the Mediterranean diet, there is a high consumption of olive oil (extra virgin) which is the main source of ingested fat. These correspond to monounsaturated fat (oleic acid) that determine a healthy relationship between the amount of monounsaturated fatty acids versus saturated. Oleic acid has antithrombotic properties, reduces DNA synthesis in arterial smooth muscle cells, reduces the susceptibility of LDL to oxidation and improves the lipid profile by decreasing the LDL / HDL (ie decreasing the risk of atherosclerosis). In addition to olive oil (extra virgin) contains several phenolic compounds (hydroxytyrosol, oleorupeina, flavonoids and catechins) with proven antioxidant properties. Also olive oil is a good source of vitamin E. One of the first studies on Mediterranean diet made in 16 populations of 7 countries with follow-up of male population for 25 years found a strong inverse relationship between intake of monounsaturated (the main type of fat in olive oil) and cardiovascular disease mortality that is, a higher intake of these oils decreased death from heart disease.

* A high intake of fruits and vegetables in the typical Mediterranean diet has beneficial effects on cardiovascular health nutritional composition of these foods because they provide large amounts of dietary fiber and vitamins, especially folate, vitamin C and antioxidants. Recent studies show a decreased risk of myocardial infarction associated with several components of the Mediterranean diet, including dietary fiber, fruit and higher consumption of olive oil, fish and omega 3. For example, one study (Indo-Mediterranean) * found that there was a fall of 52% of coronary deaths in patients with cardiovascular risk factors were fruits and vegetables (250 to 300 g / fruit / day and 125 to 150g / day of vegetables), nuts (25 to 50 g / d of walnuts or almonds, whole grains (400 to 500 g / day) and mustard oil and soy.

* Within the concept of a Mediterranean diet, moderate alcohol consumption has also been associated with the elevation of one type of cholesterol, HDL (good cholesterol) and tissue plasminogen activator, also observed a decrease in platelet aggregation and pressure pressure. Red wine would be one that would give greater protection to other alcoholic beverages. This protective effect would be given by the polyphenols it contains; of which resveratrol has a strong antioxidant activity and also reducing endothelial adhesion molecules, thereby exerting a preventive effect on cardiovascular disease.

* A low consumption of beef, a moderate consumption of poultry and pork and a regular intake of oily fish is another feature of the Mediterranean Diet. This results in a low intake of saturated fat and greater intake of omega 3 (eicosapentaenoic acid EPA and DHA docohexaenoico), which exert a protective effect on cardiovascular health because they act as potent antiarrhythmic agents. Also improve vascular endothelial function (depending on the cell walls of the arteries), lower blood pressure, and decrease platelet aggregation and triglyceride levels.

* A high intake of legumes, nuts and grains (bread, rice and pasta). unrefined, which together with the contribution of complex carbohydrates contribute to a diet with a lower glycemic index also providing vitamins, minerals and plant protection components that have a positive effect on the cardiovascular and are also associated with a reduced risk of diabetes . Dietary fiber from these foods, as well as those contained in fruits and vegetables have many positive effects. Called soluble fiber (pectin, gums, polysaccharides reserve and B-glucans) reduces the level of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and trapping bile acids in the intestine, increasing its elimination, and inducing them more training which should be used for cholesterol, resulting this way a low levels. Studies show that a daily increase of 3 grams of soluble fiber reduced total cholesterol by 0.12 mmol / l, as well as the LDL cholesterol, especially the smaller, denser LDL. Soluble fiber also has a protective effect by the substitution effect of foods rich in fat and saturated fat. It is further noted that a high fiber intake would be associated with lower levels of inflammatory factors such as the C-reactive protein. Also nuts (walnuts, almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts) would be a contribution to a better supply of healthy fats in the diet. Several studies show that frequent consumption of nuts (with a high content of unsaturated fats) are associated with more favorable lipid profile with lower LDL cholesterol.

* A moderate intake of dairy products like cheese and yogurt characteristic of this type of diet to limit intake of saturated fat. These fats have a negative impact on cardiovascular health because of their greater influence atherogenic (atheroma formation).