Living healthy

Petroleum jelly is a semisolid mixture of fatty substances that are a byproduct of the crude oil industry. petroleum jelly in manufactured form  A common brand name is Vaseline. Although it can soften skin, there are many reasons never to put petroleum jelly on your skin. Products containing petroleum jelly can contaminate the body, interfere with estrogen levels, and may contain carcinogenic substances. The good news is that there are much safer and better alternatives for your skin without the health issues associated with petroleum jelly. Natural emollients like coconut oil, Shea butter, jojoba oil, and almond oil are completely natural products that haven’t gone through a refining process. These oils contain many natural and healthy ingredients that nourish, moisturize, and protect your skin at the same time – something which petroleum jelly cannot do. In fact, some of those natural oils are so healthy that you can cook with them! Read on to find out why yo...

There has been a lot of debate on the time and amount of water you should be having before, with and after meals.  A lot of people have the habit of downing umpteen glasses of water along with their meals,  perhaps with the intention of washing down the food and hoping that this aids the digestive process. However, nutritionists across the world dismiss the idea strongly. Various studies show that the practice severely hampers digestion by diluting the essential gastric juices and causes an upsurge in insulin levels. The issue here is three-fold: consuming water before meals, consuming water alongside meals, and consuming water after meals. Renowned nutritionist Dr. Anju Sood says, “It roughly takes two hours to digest what you eat. The food goes through your esophagus to the stomach, then to your colon before being flushed out of your system. There is a certain fluid-solid proportion in our gastric system. If you consume water before the meals,  you are not ...

Infertility in men is usually the result of a low sperm count. According to the World Health Organization, a sperm count of over 15 million per milliliter is considered healthy, and a count below that is abnormal. While infertility is not always treatable, it can sometimes be improved with a healthy diet, supplements, and other lifestyle strategies. This article lists some of the foods that have been associated with improved fertility in men by boosting sperm count and semen volume. 1. Garlic Garlic is over the years have been associated with sperm boosting.Among its many properties are vitamin B6 and selenium, both of which play roles in healthy sperm production. Taken by many for its blood cleansing abilities, garlic prevents buildup in arteries and allows for better blood flow to your testicles 2.Bananas Banana is super rich in vitamins which help your body produce healthier sperm, as well as increase your sperm productivity. It also contains some natural anti-infla...

The best way to fight liver disease is to avoid it, if at all possible. As we observe Liver Awareness Month in 2013, here are ways to achieve liver wellness. Appropriately, that’s one useful tip for each year of the new century! Maintain a healthy weight.  If you’re obese or even somewhat overweight, you’re in danger of having a fatty liver that can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), one of the fastest growing forms of liver disease. Weight loss can play an important part in helping to reduce liver fat. Eat a balanced diet. Avoid high calorie-meals, saturated fat, refined carbohydrates (such as white bread, white rice and regular pasta) and sugars. Don’t eat raw or undercooked shellfish. For a well-adjusted diet, eat fiber, which you can obtain from fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads, rice and cereals. Also eat meat (but limit the amount of red meat), dairy (low-fat milk and small amounts of cheese) and fats (the “good” fats that are monounsaturat...

Sex remains a major factor in staying satisfied and happy in any relationship. When it comes to satisfying your partner sexually, you definitely need to consider lasting for a longer period of time so you do not leave them disappointed and searching elsewhere for that satisfaction they were deprived of. Did you know that many marriage and relationship failures are as a result of one partner being unable to satisfy their significant other? Did you also know that based on a study made by the Journal of Sexual Medicine, the average time couples spend pleasuring each other on the sheets ranges from 3 to 13 minutes? Unfortunately, various studies have proven that most women want “sex time” with their spouse or lover to last between 15 to 25 minutes, as opposed to the general believe of it lasting for hours. Regardless of these facts, it wouldn’t be a bad thing if one could last a bit longer. However, you’ll find that most people go about this method the wrong way by taking concoctions ...

The heart is a very vital homeostatic organ of the body in which other parts of the body depends on to function, so I've listed these ten ways to keep your heart healthy 1. Schedule a Yearly Checkup Your heart is in your hands. Each year on your birthday, schedule a checkup to have your blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels checked, and ask your doctor to help you reach or maintain a healthy weight. Be sure to follow your healthcare professional's recommendations, including taking prescribed medications as directed. 2. Get Physical Step, march or jog in place for at least 15 minutes a day while watching your favorite TV shows. Increase your activity by five minutes each week until you're getting a minimum of 30 minutes most days of the week. If exercise and diet do not get you to your goal, ask your doctor about adding medication. Keep your numbers in check: Get Physical water pitcher3. Drink More Water Take a water bottle with you wherever you g...

High blood pressure, diabetes or a family history of kidney failure put one in three Americans at an increased risk of developing kidney disease. But even if you don’t fit in any of those risk categories, it’s important to take care of these critically important organs. 7 secrets to kidney health You can do a number of things to keep your kidneys functioning properly and keep them as healthy as possible at every stage of life. Hydrate, but don’t overdo it.  “Contrary to popular belief, no studies have proven over-hydration as an effective practice in enhancing kidney function,” says nephrologist James Simon, MD. So, while it’s always a good idea to drink enough water, drinking more than the typical four to six glasses a day probably won’t help your kidneys do their job any better. Eat healthy foods.  Your kidneys can tolerate a wide range of dietary habits, but Dr. Simon points out that most kidney problems arise out of other medical conditions like high blood pr...

For some, a couple of beers or a glass of wine is just a way to relax and socialize with friends. For others, drinking can be a source of serious physical, mental and social problems. Alcohol affects men, women, and young people differently. There are specific health and social dangers to each group. The first step in knowing whether or not alcohol is causing problems in your life is to understand the dangers associated with drinking. The dangers that go beyond slurred speech, a hangover or making an unfortunate phone call to an ex while intoxicated. The Chemical Effect of Alcohol on the Body On an empty stomach, you can feel the effects of just one alcoholic beverage in less than one minute. This is because, unlike food, alcohol does not need time to digest. Once alcohol hits your stomach, natural enzymes called alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), cytochrome P450 (CYP2E1) and catalase work together to convert the alcohol to acetaldehyde, a poison that closely resembles formaldehyde. T...

person waking up with their hands on their face New research finds that both insufficient and excessive sleep may raise the risk of cardiovascular problems and premature death.  New research finds that sleeping too much can raise the risk of early death and cardiovascular problems.   The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that a third of the United States population does not get enough sleep. The CDC also warn that sleep deprivation raises the risk of various chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression.  But, according to new research appearing in the European Heart Journal, sleeping too much may affect health just as negatively as sleeping too little. Chuangshi Wang, a doctoral candidate at McMaster University in Ontario in Canada, and Peking Union Medical College at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in China, is the lead author of the new paper.  The health consequences of too much sleep...

An antibacterial called triclosan is common in dust and could result in dust-dwelling bacteria becoming antibiotic-resistant, researchers report. "There is this conventional wisdom that says everything that's in dust is dead, but that's not actually the case. There are things living in there," said study leader Erica Hartmann, an assistant professor of environmental engineering at Northwestern University in Chicago. The researchers analyzed dust samples from 42 athletic facilities in the Pacific Northwest region. In dust with higher concentrations of triclosan, bacteria were more likely to have genetic changes indicating antibiotic resistance. "Those genes do not code for resistance to triclosan," Hartmann explained in a university news release. "They code for resistance to medically relevant antibiotic drugs." Triclosan was widely used in antibacterial hand soaps and cleaning solutions until 2017, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administratio...

This Device could help people with diabetes avoid foot amputations and other complications. Researchers at Purdue University have come up with an insole that can be tailored to individuals with diabetes. Photo/Courtesy of Purdue University image/Kayla Wiles  When it comes to treating, managing, and preventing diabetes-related complications, it seems oxygen is a key ingredient. Along that line, researchers at Purdue University have created a customizable insole to treat diabetic foot ulcers. It’s similar to evolving medical technology with contact lenses that help prevent and treat diabetic retinopathy. In people with diabetes, a simple cut or blister on the foot can quickly become a much bigger problem. As sugar in the bloodstream accumulates around nerve endings in the hands, feet, and eyes, the oxygen supply to those areas is greatly reduced. If that simple cut or blister has trouble healing, it’ll likely become infected. Left untreated, often due to the loss of sensation...