Top 10 Diets » Alternative Medicine

Insulin Resistance and Infertility

BJ — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 21:04:35 +0000

Some things we don't talk about and some we just don't talk about enough. Did you know that insulin resistance was one of the leading causes of infertility in women.

Thousands of women suffer every year wondering why they are unable to conceive when the problem is not in their reproductive organs but in their diet.

Did you further know it was also one of the leading causes of infertility in men?

If you are trying to conceive, particularly if you are over the age of 40, insulin resistance may play a part in your problem. Modifying what you eat and the vitamin and mineral supplements you take each day could solve your infertility problems without resorting to expensive procedures, harmful and expensive drugs, and before having to wait years to be diagnosed.

To learn more about insulin resistance and fertility, visit the Infertility Treatment Blog.

IBS Help

Friend — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:25:32 +0000

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a painful condition that causes one or more of these symptoms within the abdomen; diarrhea, constipation, cramping and bloating. IBS affects the Large Intestine where stool is stored. Although IBS is very painful, it is not a disease. It is called a functional disorder, which means that the Large Intestine is not functioning properly, which causes the discomfort within the abdomen. Women are known to show the symptoms of IBS more than men. Some of these women may notice an increase in their symptoms during their menstral cycle.

Fiber is a very important ingredient in the IBS diet. Fiber can be added gradually to the IBS diet through foods like apples, carrots and whole-grain bread. Some foods such as broccoli and cabbage can cause bloating if excessively eaten, so eating the right amounts of fiber-rich foods is also crucial.

Although there is no cure for IBS, there are treatments. These treatments may include diet changes, medicines, and stress relief. Your doctor might be able to help you with a treatment plan to see what works best for you. Some things that work for one person do not always work for another.

Probiotics
The friendly bacteria Lactobacillus Acidophilus, L Rahmnosus and Bifidobacterium Longum has been proven to be very helpful for IBS. This combination worked wonders for many people and it is highly recommended that probiotics should be taken daily to maintain intestinal health.

Diets in whole grains, high in fiber, fruit, and low in fats provide some IBS sufferers ample IBS relief without the use of supplements or prescription medication. Foods that contain caffeine, like coffee and chocolate, should be avoided by IBS sufferers because they can over stimulate the lining of their colons and produce excess bloating, gas, and cramps. Those prone to diarrhea may find an increase in this symptom after caffeine consumption. Caffeine is a stimulate and not good for promoting IBS relief. Also sufferers with allergies to any food " in particular wheat, egg, and dairy, should limit or avoid foods containing these ingredients. These foods hinder IBS relief by aggravating the lining of the colon just as caffeine does. Alcohol should be avoided, as well.

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Hair Loss Prevention Products Can These Natural Remedies Save Your Hair ?

Friend — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 02:42:30 +0000

While it may or may not be comforting to learn that humans are not alone in suffering hair loss. Primates like monkey’s even dogs and cats experience hair loss. When understanding the reason for hair loss it is less difficult to locate a cure and make a change as needed. New research has uncovered the link between hair loss and nutritional deficiencies with men and women, and have also linked hair loss to such factors as Stress, diet, good hair care and genetics. I'll cover herbal treatments in this short article to pay attention to hair loss prevention products for a treatment for loss hair.

(I.) Herbs have been used for more then 2,000 years to help remedy hair loss many years before traditional medicines have been established,. Below I have made a listing of traditional herbal remedies as a treatment for loss hair.

a) Shikakai

Acacia Concinna is actually a small shrub-like tree that grows in India. Its pod-like fruit is collected, dried after which grounded right into a fine powder. It's used to cleanse hair, and is recognized to promote hair regrowth and eliminate dandruff. As a result of these benefits, this powder was named shikakai meaning "fruit for the hair".

b) Grape seed extract

Grape seed extract is a very strong antioxidant that some use as a supplement or remedy to various conditions. It has high levels of vitamin E and essential fatty acids that are needed for maintaining hair regrowth and preventing hair loss.

c) Kirin Brewery new discovery

Japanese cosmetics company Shiseido working together with the Kirin Brewery has discovered a distinctive property of an extract of hops which will help to activate the melanocyte cells that generate hair pigment.

d) Saw palmetto

Saw palmetto helps to block the formation of 5-alpha reductase, an enzyme that causes the conversion of testosterone to DHT that creates hair loss.

e) Basil extracts

Basil Extract in the natural flowers from the basil plant activly works to quickly soothe and calm skin of the scalp.

f) Pumpkin Seed

Pumpkin seeds easily block DHT, which is responsible for genetic baldness. This common seed is loaded with zinc and magnesium that have the ability to block enzymes that yield DHT causing damage to follicles and leading to hair loss.

g) Buddleja Davidii Extract

Buddleja Davidii extract contain ingredients safeguarding your skin against toxic free radicals. It can also reduce skin aging and protect your skin against the damage caused from stresses and toxins.

h) Green Tea

Green tea contains the chemical globulin that helps to reduce levels of free testosterone, so that it can't be transformed into dihydrotestosterone (DHT) within the hair follicle.

Be sure to speak to your physician or dermatologist before taking any herb supplement.

IV. Traditionally Chinese herbs have been established for over 4000 years and have offered much success to avoid or cure diseases well before the discovery of western medicine. Hair Loss is directly related to kidney deficiency syndrome in Chinese traditional medicine. Those with hair loss problems especially in their early life might have a weak Kidney. Here are a few Chinese herbs that have been proven in treating hair loss and promoting hair growth, with these great hair loss prevention products.

a) Dong Quai

Traditionally, Chinese woman used Dong Quai to bring back blood cells and increase the circulation of oxygen in the bloodstream to cells after a period. Dong Quai contains phytoestrogen which enables you to block the androgen receptor site in results of blocking the conversion of testosterone to DHT, therefore reducing the danger of hair loss due to aging.

b) Ginseng

Ginseng has been said to achieve the power of reviving and energizing the body. It assists to to stimulate circulation of oxygen in your bloodstream towards the cells in our body and also the cells in our scalp.

c) Shou wu (polygonum)

Shou Wu is a polygonum multiflorum plant. It's now being used in conjuncture with other herbals, as an active component in shampoos and orally administered to prevent hair loss and also aiding the restoration of roots and output of new hair.

d) Psoralea seeds

Study shows that psoralea extract and contact with uv light will restore hair loss and promote hair re-growth having a 33% success rate.

e) Mulberry

Chinese herbalists believe that mulberry is a superb tonic for the kidney, liver and blood that provides more oxygen within the bloodstream as well as small blood vessels in the scalp.

f) Chinese Yam

Numerous successful research has been performed in examining the benefits of the Chinese yam. Chinese yam can help nourish the liver, kidney and blood in result of preventing baldness and promoting hair growth.

g) Green tea

Green tea containing catechins inhibit the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase that converts testosterone into hair-unfriendly DHT. So drinking great tea everyday is a very effective solution for male pattern baldness.

h) Chinese foxblove root

Chinese foxblove root contains cornus, the chemical that helps to nurture the kidney, liver and blood in response to promoting hair regrowth.

i) Wolf berry

One of several natural super foods has been used in traditional Chinese cooking. Wolf berry helps to eliminate toxins in your body in result of better function from the kidney, liver and blood which help to promote hair growth.

Traditional chinese medicine believes that the benefit of nourishing the kidney and blood tonic helps for healthy hair regrowth and preventing hair loss.

For more serious kinds of hair loss, focused hair loss help will be required, and there are a variety of various hair loss prevention products on the market to help with this common problem. It's generally easier to treat a hair loss problem in the beginning than after it has progressed, so it is important to seek the assistance you need as soon as you suspect there is a problem.

References:

1. nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?id=49692

2. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair_loss

For More Free Information And For The Best Hair Loss Prevention Product On The Net.

Menopause And Weight Gain

BJ — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:43:05 +0000

Talk to women over 50 and you'll quickly find, for most women, menopause and weight gain arrive hand in hand. Unfortunately most of us gain weight at this time and while a few pounds can be explained away because of changes in our lifestyle, the tendency to gain weight in completely different parts of the body (especially the abdomen) can't be explained away quite so easily.

The truth is hormonal changes play a large role in these body changes even though the process is not completely understood. When a woman reaches menopause she stops ovulating, her monthly periods end, and while she's shouting hallelujah over this she quickly finds she is producing much lower levels of estrogen which bring on a whole new host of problems.

Less Estrogen Changes Our Shape

This new lower level of estrogen causes weight gain in animals and studies show is almost certainly the reason why our bodies begin to change shape. While women of childbearing age will store more fat on their hips and thighs, after menopause they begin to develop the larger belly instead; and like men, this puts them at a greater risk for heart disease.

And if that were not enough, we find our muscles turning to fat as we grow older, as our metabolism slows down. This of course means if we don't reduce the amount of food we consume, we are going to pack on the pounds. As sad as it makes me to say it, a person of 60 just doesn't need as many calories as a person of 40. (Let us pause for a moment of weeping.)

Hormone Therapy is One Option

Many doctors will prescribe hormone therapy to control menopausal symptoms. Most women are pleasantly surprised to hear that studies have shown hormone therapy does not promote weight gain. Though some women do find bloating and water retention are a problem at first, these are symptoms we're use too and usually subsides quickly. As an added bonus, hormone therapy can reduce the risk of heart disease because it changes where your body stores its fat and can help promote good bone health.

Though hormone therapy has been reported to increase the risk of breast cancer in some studies, all the studies to date have been done using the estrogen made from pregnant mare urine. Tri-Est is a bio-identical estrogen made from soy and has not been shown to have these risks.

Going Natural

If you are in or going through menopause and find you have begun to gain weight, here are some things you might try:

Eat a healthy, low fat diet with plenty of fiber, avoiding sugar and reducing your carbohydrate intake.
Start exercising regularly. As people get older their lives become more sedentary. Work becomes less physical, even our hobbies and vacations are less active - and what we do we do at a slower pace. Moderate physical activity each day for approximately 30 to 45 minutes will help counteract these effects.
Add Resistance training to your weekly routine. Use weights for your arms and walking or biking for your legs. These two exercises will also help maintain your bone strength.
And last but not least, learn to accept the changes to your body. If your weight is within a normal range and you are not at risk of suffering potential health complications, embrace the changes in your body as a natural part of aging.

Before you start any exercise program you should consult your doctor, especially if you have any preexisting medical conditions or you're out of shape.

Insulin Resistance and the Cortisol Connection

BJ — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:49:36 +0000

Confused about Cortisol and the Insulin Resistance Connection? Many people are until they realize there's a link between insulin levels and cortisol. They rise and fall in unison. When insulin levels rise, so do cortisol levels. When cortisol levels rise, so does insulin. So as your insulin and cortisol levels rise, it puts stress on your body - and when your body is stressed it produces more cortisol . . .

You see, insulin is sometimes referred to as the storage hormone. It's responsible for keeping your blood sugar levels within a normal range. It also functions to store fat in your cells, to store sugar in your liver, and to influence amino acids used for muscle building.

But when you're under stress, you need your energy ready to use. (That's part of the flight or fight in a human's makeup.) So your body produces cortisol (your body's stress survival hormone). Cortisol commands your body to keep energy (sugar) circulating in the blood rather than storing it in the cells by directing your body to ignore insulin's direction to store the sugar and instead to make sugar, fat, and amino acids available for conversion into energy.

So as amino acids are pulled from your muscles to produce energy, your muscle mass begins to decrease and your metabolism slows. At that point, cortisol has essentially directed your cells to be insulin-resistant.

Insulin Levels and Hunger

So cortisol has directed your cells to resist insulin, and keep the sugars circulating, and your body keeps putting out more and more insulin, trying to get the blood sugar levels down. But all this insulin has of course, increased the cortisol level. The vicious cycle continues.

Then, in an attempt to use the insulin in your blood, your body sends the signal its hungry. And you're not just hungry; you're hungry for carbohydrates - sugar. If you follow your instincts and eat carbohydrates, your body will secrete more insulin and more cortisol. And the cycle goes on and on.

So to reduce your insulin resistance you must first reduce your cortisol level. Here are some suggestions to help you naturally reduce your cortisol levels:

Foods to Avoid

Any food you are allergic to - even a slight allergy will increase stress on the body and increase cortisol.
High-glycemic starches and sugars - these would raise insulin levels and so would also raise cortisol.
Beer, wine, and other alcoholic beverages
Caffeinated foods, such as chocolate
Herbal stimulants, such as bitter orange or ephedra.

Steps to Reduce Your Cortisol Levels

Take Vitamin C, shown to reduce cortisol levels, 1 to 2 grams daily. Take half in the morning and half in the evening.
Take Cod Liver Oil (1 Tablespoon Daily) to balance blood sugar and reduce insulin resistance. (Cod Liver Oil makes cell walls more penetrable by insulin and other nutrients.)
Reduce Carbohydrate and Caffeine intake
Exercise to use excess glucose and relieve stress
Go to bed earlier - more rest will reduce stress, and lower cortisol levels.

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