Well Tuned Naturally

Parasites, how familiar are you with these pesky little creatures? Though often thought to be an issue more in underdeveloped countries, parasitic infestation in people living in developed countries is thought to affect 85, possibly up to 95, percent of the population.

By definition a parasite is an organism that lives in or on another organism where it obtains benefits from the host but usually causes injury to it.

In humans, parasites can range in size from a single-celled organism to a tapeworm that can reach up to 12 meters in length.

The side-effects of parasitic infestation can be vast and often the symptoms are thought to be related to other diseases, rather than associated with the parasites. Symptoms can include, but not limited, to any of the following:

* diarrhea and/or constipation
* gas, bloating, and cramps
* itching around the nose, ears and anus, especially at night
* persistent skin problems
* excessive nose picking
* dark circles under the eyes
* grinding teeth at night
* lack of energy
* disturbed sleep
* muscle cramps or joint pain
* immune system fatigue
* post-nasal drip
* flu-like symptoms
* anemia
* food allergies
* trouble losing or gaining weight
* rumbling and gurgling in the stomach are unrelated to hunger or eating
* bloating
* intestinal obstruction
* nausea and/or vomiting
* sore mouth and gums
* headaches
* memory loss
* depression

As everyone is unique, the effect of the parasite in one person can be completely different than that of another, where some become extremely ill, while others experience no symptoms at all.

Since parasites are rampant in the environment, contacting them happens quite easily. Avenues include:

* household pets
* inhaling contaminated dust
* drinking contaminated water
* handling raw meat and fish
* ingesting undercooked meat and fish
* contaminated fruit and vegetables
* transfer from humans to foods that are ingested
* animal and human feces
* improper hand-washing hygiene practices

Parasites can have a negative effect on the body in a few of ways. First is on the tissue that they are preying upon. Once damaged the body has to repair the cells. If the damage happens at a rate faster than the body is able to repair, issues will develop.

If parasites enter the bloodstream they can travel to any organ of the body. It is often the problems that they cause here that are misdiagnosed and therefore prescribed treatment tends to be of no benefit.

The body is further challenged by the parasites from the toxins that they expel. These waste products poison our systems causing elimination organs to have to work overtime and can thus tend to immune systems becoming fatigued or weakened. They are nasty little critters.

There are precautions you can take to help limit the likelihood of becoming infested. These include things like:

Always wash your hands thoroughly after having been outside, handling raw meat or fish, dealing with pet feces, going to the bathroom, changing diapers, etc. And teach your children this practice as well, especially if they have been playing outdoors in the dirt or sand.

Drink purified water. Though most towns and cities have systems in place to treat their water, they are not foolproof. It’s best to play it safe and have your own purification system that is in place and maintained as per the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Diet plays a big role as well. The healthier your internal systems are, especially your intestinal tract, the less likely the parasites will be able to survive. To assist the body in having a top-notch intestinal tract, stay away from high-processed, high-sugar foods. Candida and parasites tend to exist together and thrive on sugar.

Eat foods that have anti-parasitic properties. These include garlic, onion, sage, thyme, pumpkin seeds, foods rich in Vitamin A such as yams, carrots, squash and green vegetables, as Vitamin A seems to be the best at helping the tissue resist parasites trying to embed their larvae.

To help transport the Vitamin A and lubricate the intestinal tract, it is advised to have one to two tablespoons a day of cold-pressed safflower, sesame or flax seed oil.

Wash your fruits and vegetables with a detergent that is safe to ingest, but that is able to kill parasites and their larvae.

If you discover that you are plagued with a parasitic infection, or for general protection against them, contact your local health food store and look for a product that contains some of the following ingredients:

* black walnut extract
* grapefruit seed extract
* wormwood extract
* cayenne
* garlic
* pumpkin seed
* cloves
* rosemary leaf and seed
* thyme leaf and seed
* cranberry juice extract
* slippery elm
* bromelain
* marshmallow root
* pau d’arco
* echinacea
* barberry
* milk thistle fruit

Due to the life cycle of the parasites and their larvae, the cleanse must be consumed long enough to kill them completely. Read the manufacturer’s directions. Some may direct you to consume the product for a period of time, stop for a few days and then continue. Others may require you to consume the product for three cycles of the moon. Others may have a more simplified regimen.

One thing is for certain, the sooner you get rid of these uninvited guests, the better you will look and feel. So take action now to have a healthier you.

As you are well aware, the human body is marvelously made with so many amazing intricacies and abilities. Amid its functioning is the work of the immune system to protect you.

Years ago, infection was the major cause of disease and death. However, with advancement in personal hygiene and ways of preventing infection’s onslaught, deaths from this source declined. Today researchers have turned their attention to inflammation as the major factor in many chronic diseases, disabilities and deaths.

Inflammation is the body’s response to harm, which can result from bacterial, viral or parasitic infection, injury or trauma, stress, genetic abnormalities, metabolic disorders and even poor lifestyle choices, amongst other sources.

When the body is assaulted, the immune system kicks into gear. Immediately white blood cells are sent to the problem area to start destroying the damaged cells by secreting various inflammation-promoting chemicals. As such, these chemicals and the heat associated with them can cause the following symptoms: redness, swelling, warmth and pain. As well, flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, fatigue and aching may also be the result of inflammation.

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Klinefelter Syndrome is one of the most common Chromosome disorders affecting males. Humans have 46 chromosomes including two chromosomes which determine sex. Females have two X chromosomes while males generally have an X and a Y chromosome. However, males affected by Klinefelter syndrome have an extra X chromosome. Consequently, Klinefelter’s patients are often referred to as XXY males or 47 XXY males. The syndrome was named Klinefelter after Dr Henry Klinefelter who first documented symptoms of men with an extra X chromosome. Klinefelter syndrome affects around one in five hundred males born.

Not every male with two X chromosomes displays symptoms of Klinefelter syndrome and the severity of symptoms varies from individual to individual. The severity of symptoms generally depends on the number of XXY cells and the level of testosterone in the man’s body. (more…)

Cellulite is the term given to the lumpy substance resembling cottage cheese which is most commonly found on the thighs, legs and butt. While cellulite can be seen on both males and females, it is more common for women as they have more body fat, which is typically stored on these problem areas, in the event of pregnancy.

Contributing Factors

There are a few different factors which typically contribute to the presence and extent of cellulite. Genetics plays a major role here, as does your gender, the amount of fat on your body, your age, and the thickness of your skin. Diet, insufficient water intake, drinking coffee, smoking, tension and stress, medication, and a sedentary lifestyle also play a factor in cellulite’s appearance.

Poor Skin Tone And Inflexible Skin Tissues

Poor skin tone, thin skin and inflexibility of the skin tissues allow the normally hidden large fat cells to make their appearance. Skin tone is necessary to keep fat cells smoothly beneath the skin. Stretched skin or thin skin does not have the ability to cover the fat cells adequately. When the connective tissues beneath the skin become inflexible, their attachment points to the skin pull the skin constantly, which gives the dimpled appearance.

Weight gain and loss of skin tone can cause the appearance of cellulite. Weight gain produces more fat cells and fills up fat cells underneath the skin surfaces. As more weight is gained, more cellulite may make its appearance. Though it’s important to understand that cellulite can be seen on a person who is not overweight if their skin tone and connective tissue become inflexible or have any of the other contributing factors.

Diet, Exercise And Massage

Your options for natural care of cellulite include diet, exercise and massage. Eating diets rich in nutrition while low in fat and sugar provides the body with the fuel it requires to keep cells healthy and functioning at their best. And healthy cells make healthy bodies.

Hydrate

Drinking plenty of water is always necessary to help the body stay hydrated and aid the body in flushing toxins out.

Work Out

Regular exercise brisk enough to break a sweat helps in many ways. Exercise is a great means to gain and maintain muscle tone, burn calories, strengthen your cardiovascular system, and aid in the removal of toxins. In addition, most people who exercise find it helps them not only feel better physically, but increases their self-esteem as well.

Massage Therapy

Massage is also a great way to keep the skin and tissues toned to prevent inflexibility and help keep the fat cells covered allowing the body to maintain a smooth look.

While there is not much you can do about your genetics, your gender or your age there is plenty you can do about the other factors that contribute to cellulite’s appearance. The degree to which the cellulite bothers you may be the factor that regulates your motivation to make some lifestyle changes in hopes of seeing its appearance fade.

Sleep apnea is a condition in which, during sleep a person pauses their breathing for a period of time that they miss at least one breath. By definition the cessation must also trigger either a change in EEG pattern and/or a blood oxygen desaturation of at least 3-4%. Both hypertension and heart failure are strongly linked with sleep apnea, and so the issue of sleep apnea hypertension is one of great seriousness.

The Major Symptom

With sleep apnea hypertension, sleepiness is considered the major symptom. Although in some cases the drowsiness and fatigue is quite mild, in most cases it is so severe that it is almost debilitating. As such, driving and traveling may become impossible because of the dangers that they pose. With this condition a person can be overtaken by sleep right in the middle of a conversation.

Seek Professional Advice

Given the seriousness of such a condition it is crucial to deal with it promptly by getting in to see your doctor. They will perform a few specialized tests which will help them to make a proper assessment and diagnosis of your condition. After assessing the severity of your sleep apnea hypertension they can determine the treatment method most suitable to your particular condition.

Standard Lifestyle Changes

Even prior to a treatment plan recommended by your doctor, anyone with hypertension can assist their body by making healthy lifestyle changes. As you will read in almost all the articles posted on this site regarding hypertension, a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, high in fiber, low in fat and sugar is key. In addition drinking plenty of water, adequate exercise and getting enough sleep, are also key factors in assisting the body in moving toward a healthy state.

It’s Up To You

For some, the thought of making lifestyle changes can seem overwhelming, and for many it may be too much to do it all at once, but just start and as you do you’ll draw yourself in to making additional changes which will only be of benefit toward a healthier you.

In many homes and for many people, salt is a staple used at most meals. For many, it’s used to such an extreme that it’s added to their food before even tasting it. If this describes you, detaching your hand from the salt shaker may pose quite a challenge, but if you have hypertension, it’s an act you really need to make.

Studies have shown that for those with hypertension, the greater the intake of salt, the higher blood pressure rises. Excess salt causes water retention and as fluid becomes stored in tissues, it puts pressure on the body. Hypertension is not the only disease aggravated by the use of excess salt, salt also plays an adverse role in asthmatic conditions, the acceleration of kidney disease, osteoporosis and even stomach cancer.

The Solution

There is only one way to escape the effects of an excess salt intake – and that is to simply quit using it. Though it may be a challenge at first, as everything will taste a little ‘off’, (or have no taste at all), but after a while you’ll find yourself questioning why restaurants and manufacturers have to put so much salt in their food. According to the DHFSA (Department of Health and Food Standards) the optimal amount of salt an adult should consume per day should not exceed five to six grams.

In addition to cutting out the salt that you yourself add to food, you need to start looking at the labels on prepared/packaged food. The amount of salt in processed foods can be staggering. It would be foolish to alter your intake by cutting out what you’re shaking onto your food, while continuing to consume the massive amount in many of the store-shelf prepared foods.

More Foods To Watch Out For

High concentration of salt is found in sausages, dried fish, processed cheese, dried soup/noodle packets and stock cubes. Some brands of tomato sauce contain high amounts of salt. Also you will want to use sparingly ketchup and soy sauce.

The Food To Consume

Probably in every hypertension-related article posted on this site you will read that you will want your diet to be focused on fresh fruits and vegetables, high fiber and low fat foods. These foods may seem unappealing at first, but once you start to manage your taste buds instead of allowing them to manage you, you will start to desire the foods that contribute to your health and wellbeing, instead of those that steal it from you.