Medical | What Steven Cousley Does

Are Energy Drinks Healthy?

Feb 282009

Energy drinks may not be as healthy as we think they are. Today you can buy energy drinks just about everywhere. You can get them in corner stores, gas stations, and bars. Because these drinks are promoted to provide mental and physical stimulation, people are buying them. But do these drinks provide what is best for our health?

There are studies showing that energy drink consumption provides relative improvement in mental and cognitive performances. These drinks also increase the alertness of the consumer. But on the down side, excessive consumption may lead to anxiety, insomnia and irritability.

What are the components of your average energy drink?

Some common ingredients would include:

• Ephedrine - a stimulant that commonly found in weight-loss products and decongestants. There are studies raising concerns and issues about its effect on the heart.

• Taurine - a natural amino acid needed by the body to help regulate heart beat and muscle contractions. Currently, researchers are trying to discover its impact as an energy drink additive.

• Ginseng - a kind of root thought to have several medicinal benefits. It is said that ginseng relieves stress and can increase your level of energy.

• Vitamin B – a group of vitamins that can change sugar to energy and also assist brain functions.

• Carnitine – an amino acid. It’s effects can be mainly on the metabolism of fatty acids in the body.

• Creatine - an organic acid which contributes to energizing the muscles for muscle contraction.

• Inositol - a member of the vitamin B complex that helps relay messages within cells in the body.

• Ginkgo biloba – came from the seeds of the ginkgo biloba tree. There are studies claiming its memory enhancement capabilities. ¬

Caffeine is also present in most energy drinks. So how does an energy drink work? Caffeine and other minerals blocks certain brain chemicals in sending its messages to the brain. This brain chemical is called adenosine which mainly involved in sleep. Thinking that the body is experiencing a problem, the pituitary gland releases adrenaline.

Adrenaline release makes the heart beat faster, eyes to dilate, and the liver to release extra sugar to the mainstream. This would provide the consumer with an extra surge of energy needed for intense physical or mental activity.

Like any other food, drink or drugs, too much is never good for you. Consuming too many energy drinks can lead to heart palpitations, anxiety, insomnia, irritability and even being jittery.

It can actually be dangerous to drink energy drinks while doing strenuous exercise, since its effects may lead to dehydration. There are also some people who mix energy drinks with alcohol. Studies showed that mixing alcohol and energy drinks would make you feel alert and sober, making you unaware of how much you actually drank. This could also lead to excessive alcohol consumption and later on to dehydration.

Drink Water For Your Health

Health, Home Remedies, Medical 1 Response »

Feb 242009

Water, the Most Abundant Health Drink

You don’t need commercial health drinks when water alone can help a person to be healthy. Many people don’t realize that clean water is the best health drink and can help them from developing various diseases caused by the unhealthy environment.

If you are into consuming commercial health drinks that cost a lot of money, now is the time to consider water as your very own health drink. Aside from being pure, you can save more money since it is the most abundant health drink available.

Why drink water?
Studies say that an average individual’s blood contains 83 percent of water. A person’s muscles have 75 percent. The brain has 74 percent. The bone is 22 has percent. If you sum it up, almost 80 percent of a person’s body is made up of water.

Experts say that there are several factors that affect the daily requirements of water for different people. These factors include:

Exercise. This is because there is a greater need for water since the body loses more when there are rigorous muscular activities on a regular basis.
Climate change. Since heat and humidity in certain areas can affect the water requirement of the person in that specific place.
Health conditions. When a person has diarrhea, experience vomiting, and fever, they need more water since the body loses a great amount of it during these times.
Pregnancy. This condition requires additional water to keep the body well-hydrated at all times.

Health benefits of water
People need an adequate supply of healthy water because it circulates nutrients around the body and removes waste products (toxins). Aside from that, it also helps avoid dehydration, and it gets people moving. It also helps relieve constipation, and beats stress. Other health benefits of drinking healthy water include:

keeping the skin soft, supple healthy and glowing;
improving the blood circulation in the body;
helping kidneys and liver to remove toxins from the system;
preventing memory loss;
eliminating instances of frequent headaches and dizziness;
increasing mental and physical performance;
aiding weight loss, and
allowing proper digestion

Safe water is a natural health drink
Experts say that to remain healthy, one of the most important things a person should consider is taking in lots of healthy water. If you are looking for a health drink, water is the answer.

The quality of tap water is no longer reliable for health purposes these days. If you want to use your own water as a health drink, it is a must to ensure that it is safe and clean. One of the ways to do this is by using a water filter. Experts believe that through the use of water filter, one can ensure that he or she is drinking healthy water for himself or herself and for his or her family.

Today, there are many brands of water filters available in the market. Majority of these comes in various shapes and sizes. Many homes will find countertop water filters will suit their needs. But before buying a water filter, you must know what is the best water filter for your water source. Once you have safe and clean water through the use water filter, rest assured that you can come up with the best health drink in the comfort of your home or office.

Black Tea Benefits for Your Health

Food, Health, Home Remedies, Medical 1 Response »

Feb 242009

Black Tea is also a Health Drink

Green tea is well known for it’s health giving properties but other teas are often overlooked. Drinking black tea can give you all the same benefits as green tea. Here are the black tea facts.

Green tea and black tea come from the same plant. In fact there are also two other teas that can also be made, namely oolong and white tea. What makes these teas different from one another is simply the way they are processed.

If you drink black tea regularly, you will have healthy arteries and increase your blood flow because it has antioxidants known as flavonoids that also give the tea this rich flavor. Your cholesterol levels will drop, you can protect yourself from certain cancers, develop stronger bones, have fresher breath and fewer cavities.

Just like coffee, black teas contains caffeine. However the caffeine content of tea is much lower. The black tea caffeine content is only 30 to 40 mg of caffeine per cup while coffee contains about 135 mg.

Another benefit of black tea is the fact that it is calorie free. Of course adding sweeteners, milk or other additives to change the flavour of tea will also add calories.

Heating is important to get the most flavour of black teas. This is because the heat helps the tea leaves impart their taste to the water. To do that, you have to allow the loose tea leaves, or bags if you prefer, to “draw” in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes before drinking. The longer you wait the stronger the flavour of the tea.

Teas is usually made and poured from a pot but you can also use tea bags in a cup. Just add water, wait a few minutes and enjoy. Remember to remove the bag from your cup before drinking to avoid it landing in your lap (or face) as you finish the last drops from your cup.

If you don’t like the taste of black tea and want to sweeten it a bit, try putting in some sugar, honey or a slice of lemon. You may even add milk similar to those who drink coffee.

You can have a snack whenever you feel like drinking black tea. This is great to have with biscuits, cake or cookies. This will even be better if you decide to have this before you go to work, as you are relaxing in the house or when you are entertaining visitors.

Black tea does not always have to be served with hot water. Once you have made your tea, allow it to go cold and serve chilled with ice and honey. Black iced tea mixed with lemon or other fruit juices makes an even healthier and refreshing drink. It is also great to serve with egg nog by mixing some eggs, ground nutmeg, milk, vanilla extract, salt and whip cream.

Aside from these three drinks, there are other mixtures you can make with black tea. Try out a few experiments on your own or search for recipes on the internet . That way, you have something healthier to offer yourself and guests whenever you have someone over.

Black tea is very popular which is why a lot of people drink it. There are many blends of black tea on the market, including the famous “Earl Grey Black Tea” . While some prefer this over coffee, little do they know that doctors and other health professionals also consider it as health drink.

What Are The Benefits of Green Tea?

Food, Health, Home Remedies, Medical No Responses »

Feb 222009

Green tea is well known to be one of the best health drinks around. The Chinese have known about the health benefit of green tea for more than 4,000 years. Recent research has confirmed the benefit of drinking green tea which is why we should drink it as well and experience it for ourselves.

The benefits of drinking green tea include regulating your blood sugar, preventing certain cancers, fighting plaque, lowering your cholesterol and slowing down the aging process.

But what makes green tea so special is the fact that it is rich in catechin polyphenols (flavonoids), particularly epigallocatechin gallate also known as EGCG.

This is a powerful anti-oxidant that does two things. First it inhibits the growth of cancer cells and second, it kills cancer cells without harming any healthy tissue. It also lowers your cholesterol which reduces the abnormal formation of blood clots, reducing the risk of either a heart attack or stroke.

Another green tea benefit is it’s ability to fight tooth decay because it inhibits the major bacteria called Streptococcus mutans from forming in between the teeth. At the same time, drinking this regularly also helps prevent gum disease and bad breath.

Some people might ask, don’t other types of tea have the same benefits as green tea? They do but what sets green tea apart is how it is processed. During processing, green tea leaves are steamed. This steaming prevents the oxidation of EGCG during later stages of processing. Other teas, such as black tea or oolong tea, are not steamed. As a result of this steaming process, green tea contains higher levels of EGCG than other teas.

So what are you waiting for? Go down to the supermarket and buy a box of green tea and start drinking it so you are able to experience its many healthy benefits. If you find the taste bland after you pour it into your cup, add some flavoring by adding sugar, honey or even a lemon wedge.

You might be wondering, when is the best time to drink green tea? Since it contains caffeine, the best time for all of the green tea effects would be first thing in the morning. You can have more at different times during the day. However it is best to avoid any drink that contains caffeine when you are hungry because this will just increase your appetite or at night because it will make it hard for you to get a good night’s sleep.

Since it will take some time to finish a box of green tea, proper storage is important. To do that, make sure this is kept in an airtight container once you open it and away from light. You can also put it in the refrigerator at a temperature between 38 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

People who are allergic to caffeine should not drink green tea. If you are pregnant, drink this in moderation. If you happen to have some left over green tea from the day before, throw it away and just make a new one because it is best to drink when it is fresh from the kettle.

Green tea just like coffee contains caffeine. This might lead you to the conclusion that this makes this drink just as bad as coffee but in reality, it isn’t because the caffeine content in green tea is fifty percent less than coffee.

There is no doubting the green tea health benefit. If you have never tried it before, it is never too late to start. Boil a pot of water and put in a tea bag or some green tea leaves.

Salt Intake and Your Fitness – Too Much Or Not Enough Sodium Can Be Bad For the Body

Health, Home Remedies, Medical No Responses »

Jan 242009

When it comes to health and fitness – the public is mostly
focused on carbs, protein and fat. But there are other
important elements of your daily diet that need to be
managed for optimal health and fitness.

One of these elements, sodium (salt), should get more
special attention. We do that here in this simple Q & A
discussion:

QUESTION: “I always hear that eating foods with too much
salt is not good for my health and fitness levels, but is
it also possible to suffer from not getting enough salt in
my daily diet?”

ANSWER: “Absolutely. For your body to function optimally,
you need at least 500 milligrams of sodium/salt per day.
It’s required by the body for transmitting nerve impulses,
helping muscles (including the heart) contract properly and
sustaining the body’s pH and fluid balance (both inside the
cells and outside) at ideal levels.

However, considering you can get that much sodium from just
1/4 teaspoon of salt, it’s not surprising that a low salt
intake is definitely not a problem in the U.S. Considering,
the estimated average sodium intake for Americans is about
4,000 to 6,000 milligrams a day – there is a higher
prevalence of too much sodium intake.

Authorities currently recommend a limit zone of under two
thousand four hundred (2400) milligrams a day to reduce the
risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
Some experts think it should be even lower.

So, what might we do?

It appears that some people are more likely to be affected
by sodium intake than others, and since we don’t know
exactly who they are, keeping sodium in check, in general,
is a good thing to do for your health and long term fitness.

An interesting note; There is new found interest in
sodium’s negative effect on bone health, adding another
reason to keep salt intake levels at reasonable
amounts(especially in women).

But, too little sodium?

Let’s face it… that’s likely not an issue for any
American.

Here’s what most fitness experts do. First and foremost -
if we add salt to any of our dishes – it’s Sea Salt – not
regular table salt.

Second – We generally buy foods that have no added salt or
- they have lower levels added – and we are even finding
healthy packaged foods that use Sea Salt instead of regular
salt.

Third – and very important – because we are active people,
our sodium intake has much less ill effect on us than it
would a sedentary, couch potato type person. We sweat more
and we use up salt as part of our electrolytes – so we
don’t give them a chance to build up in our bodies.

So, if you are an active person, who eats well, hydrates
sensibly and exercises regularly – you should not have
anything to worry about in terms of your sodium intake.

Special cases, such as family history (genetics) will have
some influence on your sensitivity to salt intake. And, for
women, your sensitivity to salt intake may vary throughout
your cycle.

—————————————————-
‘The Womens’ Trainer’ – Joey Atlas, Exercise Physiologist,
is the pro behind the Top Butt, Hip and Thigh Toning Home
Exercise Program for Women at:
http://www.ButtHipandThighMakeover.com

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