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roxannerange · 7 years

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Understanding The Link Between Salt and Health

The news lately is full of articles about salt and health. Everyone seems to be getting either too much salt or not enough. So which is it? Part of the problem is how we study the connection. Fortunately, researchers on both sides of the issue are starting to agree on how best to proceed and may soon have a better answer for all of us. That answer may be that for most of us, there is no need to eat less salt than we do now.

The European Heart Journal recently published a report by researchers from the World Heart Federation, the European Society of Hypertension and the European Public Health Association that clarified that eating more than 5 grams of sodium per day increases the risk of heart disease, but there was little evidence that eating less than 2 grams per day had any health benefits. They recommended a safe range of between 3 and 5 grams of daily sodium. The good news is that the average American eats about 3.4 grams of sodium per day, an amount that has stayed the same for the last 50 years.

Of course, more research is needed, but also better research. In the past, many studies only looked at the effect of salt on blood pressure. Today more doctors and scientists are looking at the effect salt has on your total health. The researchers agreed that your overall diet is more important to your health than a single nutrient. It’s true that a low-salt diet can lower your blood pressure slightly, but it can also place stress on other parts of your body, and that can increase the risk of bad outcomes like diabetes.

Another way research into salt and health is being improved is in the way the results are collected. In the past, people whose salt levels were being studied provided only one urine sample, but your salt levels vary throughout the day and from day to day.

A much more accurate way to study salt in people is to collect multiple urine samples over many days, not an easy task, but one that the researchers recognized produces much more accurate results. Fortunately, there is a captive group of people that scientists are studying to measure their salt intake exactly: Russian cosmonauts living in a closed environment as part of the “Mars” project. This research is already yielding some surprising results, such as more salt makes you less thirsty.

Everyone agrees that we need salt to live and that it is an essential nutrient, but getting the right amount is important. The fact is that a small percentage of people are salt sensitive and are affected by salt more than others. These individuals may benefit from less salt, but the rest of us may be put at risk from that same low-salt diet. Every person has different health needs and should follow the advice of their doctor. Placing the entire country on a low-salt diet, as some have suggested, may do more harm than good.

The post Understanding The Link Between Salt and Health appeared first on Natu-Real.

source http://www.natu-real.com/understanding-link-salt-health/ from NATUREAL http://naturealcom.blogspot.com/2017/08/understanding-link-between-salt-and.html

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roxannerange · 7 years

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A Beautiful Garden Is The Perfect Place To Unwind

Life can be stressful. From the time you leave for work in the morning until the moment you pull back into your driveway at night, you are constantly subjected to outside stressors. Being able to shake off the stress of the day and relax in a beautiful garden to rejuvenate your body, mind and unwind.

Identify Plants To Evoke Sensory

When choosing plants for your garden, consider looking for plants that you can touch. Being able to physically touch the plants can help connect you with nature and can be quite relaxing. Certain types of plants are particularly good for touching.

For instance, Pennisetum has feather-like plumes that are soft to touch, whereas Stipa Tenuissima has silky, hair-like tendrils that are fun to play with. Other tactile plants include Elymus, Stachys Byzantina, and Cortadeira.

Your garden should be a feast for your senses. That includes your sense of smell. Choosing flowers or herbs that are fragrant is a great way to enhance your space. Traditional choices include roses, lilies, and jasmine. You can also use herbs to add fragrance to the space. Rosemary, lavender, sage, and thyme are all good choices. Many of these plants also have medicinal benefits or can be used for cooking, making them a versatile choice for your outdoor space. If you plan on spending most of your time outside in the evening, look for plants that are especially fragrant at night such as honeysuckle or evening primrose.

Don’t forget about the sounds that you hear in your space as well. Adding a water fountain is a wonderful way to bring the calming sound of running water into your space. Garden benches made with stone are also a good natural addition. Wind chimes can also add beautiful background noise that helps you relax. Don’t forget about the sounds of the plants themselves. Certain tall grasses can create a beautiful rustling sound in a gentle breeze that is extremely relaxing. Finally, consider adding bird feeders so that you can enjoy the sound of birds singing when you relax outdoors.

Consider Adding A Hammock To Complete Your Garden

For the ultimate in relaxation, add a hammock to your outdoor space. Even if you don’t have trees that are sturdy enough to support the weight of a hammock, you can always hang it from a hammock stand. Being able to lay outside and watch the clouds go by is an incredibly effective way to relax after a hard day.

The post A Beautiful Garden Is The Perfect Place To Unwind appeared first on Natu-Real.

source http://www.natu-real.com/beautiful-garden/ from NATUREAL http://naturealcom.blogspot.com/2017/08/a-beautiful-garden-is-perfect-place-to.html

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roxannerange · 7 years

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Advantages Of Grounding For Health

Grounding, which also goes by the name of “earthing” means to have direct contact to the earth like walking barefoot. Researchers have gone onto conclude that there are countless benefits when we ground. Some of these benefits include improvement in sleeping patterns, inflammation and decreasing pain.

It may sound strange that walking around barefoot on grass or soil can improve our health, but there are actually scientific reasons that back up these benefits. When the earth lets off negative electrons, these penetrate into our bodies when walking barefoot. The electrons offer dramatic advantages that most of us are unaware of.

• Grounding Can Decrease Inflammation And Free Radicals In The Body

Free radicals produce from the rays of the sun, electronic devices, cigarettes, x-rays and a number of chemicals. We constantly have to battle free radicals and it is near to impossible in avoiding them. The free radicals are associated with metabolic processes. However, an excess of them can result in chronic diseases and harm to our bodies.

Research has indicated that the antioxidants neutralize free radicals, which are what add to the inflammatory responses of our body’s. Grounding or earthing have antioxidant effects, which disarm free radicals that result in a reduction in inflammation.

• Improve Your Mood

Many find that a few hours spent walking barefoot in their backyard or on the beach is a real mood booster. A study conducted by Gaétan Chevalier involved participants that grounded for just 1 hour reported an improvement in mood, compared to people who are not grounded. This study concluded that more studies are required. However, with the confirmed positive effectives, grounding may be a method to lower stress, anxiety and depression.

• Grounding Can Improve Sleep

If you suffer from insomnia or chronic sleep problems, grounding may assist you in getting enough sleep in the way of decreasing your Cortisol levels. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine published a study that involved participants that grounded while sleeping with a conductive-mattress pad experienced lower levels of nighttime Cortisol and participants 24-hour Circadian Cortisol profiles also became close to normal. Cortisol is recognized as the “stress hormone,” which decreases the quality-of-sleep.

• It Accelerates Wound Healing And Tissue Repair

Reports have shown that the Tour De France racers used Earthing Recovery Bags successfully for tissue recovery and repair with outstanding results. Earthing Recovery Bag looks like a sleeping bag that cocoons the athlete in “energy” which offers healing properties. If you are in search of ways to accelerate tissue repair practice yoga, meditate or exercise barefoot and outdoors. This is a free way to incorporate grounding into your life and take advantage of the benefits that the elite athletes experience. This site has a wide range of earthing shoes that can help with grounding too.

• It Boosts Heart Health

The CDCP (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has reported on the fact that heart diseases happen to be the main causes of deaths in the U.S. These statistics include around 610,000 deaths every year. One of the grounding studies states that grounding or earthing boost heart-health by decreasing blood clumping and viscosity. In essence, grounding increases Zeta in the red-blood cells. These cells possess negative electrical charges. Once negative charges become greater, these cells repel one-another. This is what improves the blood flow in the body. People that use blood thinners should talk to their doctor before grounding on a daily basis.

• Decrease PMS Symptoms

PMS, better known as Premenstrual Syndrome are symptoms that include depression, headaches, fatigue, irritability and bloating. The traditional methods of relieving these symptoms include lifestyle changes and medications that are in most cases not effective. Grounding can relieve PMS symptoms by decreasing Cortisol. Stress is what results in increased Cortisol levels and often makes PMS a lot worse. Many women reported improvement of PMS symptoms after actively practice grounding. Other benefits of grounding are that it reduces inflammation and pain, which is commonly associated with PMS symptoms.

• Grounding Can Assist You In Recovering After Workouts

Muscle aches after a workout is typically known as DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) is a typical side-effect of new or strenuous exercise. There happen to be a number of ways to relieve this pain which includes foam rolling, massage, ice packs and supplements. One study derived from the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine has shown grounding as an effective solution to speed up recovery times after work-outs.

The post Advantages Of Grounding For Health appeared first on Natu-Real.

source http://www.natu-real.com/advantages-grounding-health/ from NATUREAL http://naturealcom.blogspot.com/2017/08/advantages-of-grounding-for-health.html

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roxannerange · 7 years

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Tips For Designing A Meditation Garden

Meditation gardens are used as a place you can go to when you need to reflect and relax. However, you want to choose the right color palette when the time comes to design a meditation garden, or a reading garden. Think about the painter Claude Monet, who was known for using pastels but avoided using earth colors, which included browns.

You want your meditation garden to have the right backdrop. Gardners have to use various types of flowers, trees and bushes when they design a garden. With that said, here are a few helpful tips for you to keep in mind.

1. Know What A Flower Means

Research the symbolism of the flowers you’re considering planting. You want flowers to attract hummingbirds and butterflies, but you also want to choose flowers that have symbolisms of viruses and traits that are positive in nature. When it comes to feng shui, some plants are better to use than others and most plants do have meanings.

For example, loyalty and patience, as well as purity are things that daises symbolize. If you want to plan an anchor tree, then go for a Magnolia tree because when it blossoms, it will symbolize peace or contentment. Ideally, plants that attract bees should be planted away from where you are going to sit in the meditation garden.

2. Night-Blooming Flowers Should Be Planted

Meditation gardens can be used in the early morning hours and evening time, which is why you should choose night-blooming flowers. If you wish, you can use moon-flowers on a trellis. Also, don’t forget to install a few solar lights on the edges of your garden because this will allow you to see at night.

3. Install Water Features And Wind Chimes

Water brings prosperity to people’s lives, especially in feng shui. Wind chimes should be used because they circulate positive energy. If you want to install a bird bath in the garden, then choose one that can circulate water. Check out these fountains from Outdoorfountainspro.com

These days you can easily find bird baths that have solar panels, which will keep the water flowing. You will find it easy to relax with the background noises of moving water and wind chimes. You will find your garden is the perfect place to begin your day or to end your day.

4. Stick With Serene Colors

Use colors such as various yellows, greens, titanium white or crimson color. Orange and reds are alright too. If you wish, feel free to match Monet’s color scheme to red asters or blue, white or pink.

Spicebush and the Monarch are nice touches too. A good tip to keep in mind is to plant plants that butterflies love. Some of the best plants include butterfly bush, butterfly weed, azalea and Iantana.

If you want a place to relax or a good place to spend time with your family, then you’ll want to plant a meditation garden. Do your best to get all your senses involved when you are working on your garden and this includes your sense of smell and taste. Plant edible flowers and herbs. Think of building a meditation garden as being a form of art that will transform your entire life once it is completed.

The post Tips For Designing A Meditation Garden appeared first on Natu-Real.

source http://www.natu-real.com/tips-designing-meditation-garden/ from NATUREAL http://naturealcom.blogspot.com/2017/08/tips-for-designing-meditation-garden.html

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roxannerange · 7 years

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Cover your nutrition bases with this popular vegetable

Whether you’re on or off the field, it’s important to fuel up wisely. Leading sports nutritionists across the country recommend potatoes as the go-to choice for fueling your body before or after a workout. To perform at your best, put potatoes on your plate. That’s because the benefits of America’s most popular vegetable go far beyond its delicious taste and versatility in the kitchen.

Up to bat and gearing up for a grand slam? Here’s how potatoes can get you there.

First Base: Carbohydrate

Did you know that carbohydrate is the primary fuel for your brain and a key source of energy for muscles? Because your body’s own stores of carbohydrate are limited and may be depleted even in a single session of intense and/or prolonged exercise it’s important to replenish them for optimal mental and physical performance. With a medium (5.3 ounces) skin-on potato containing 26 grams of carbohydrate, potatoes are a nutrient-dense carb, containing as much, if not more, of several essential vitamins and minerals than spaghetti, brown rice or whole wheat bread (compared on a per-serving basis).

Second Base: Potassium

A medium (5.3 ounces) skin-on potato also contains 620 milligrams of potassium. That’s more potassium than a banana! Potassium is an important electrolyte that aids in muscle, cardiovascular and nervous system function. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines mention potassium as an under-consumed nutrient of concern and recommends consuming foods with high levels of potassium, such as white potatoes.

Third Base: Energy

As we know, adequate energy supports optimal body functions, and it’s critical to take in the appropriate number of calories to match the demands of your day. Potatoes are more energy-packed than any other popular vegetable, with a medium (5.3 ounces) skin-on potato containing 110 calories.

Home Run!

Whether you lead an active lifestyle or compete with elite athletes, there’s an all-star potato option to fuel your body and brain throughout the day.

The post Cover your nutrition bases with this popular vegetable appeared first on Natu-Real.

source http://www.natu-real.com/cover-nutrition-bases-popular-vegetable/ from NATUREAL http://naturealcom.blogspot.com/2017/08/cover-your-nutrition-bases-with-this.html

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roxannerange · 7 years

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3 Tips for Coping with Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia affects over 10 million people in the U.S. alone. About 90 percent are women. This debilitating disorder is often misdiagnosed, leading to complications. Most patients experience chronic fatigue, severe muscle pain, sleep problems, and mood swings. Studies indicate that fibromyalgia increases the perception of pain by changing the way your brain works. People with arthritis, lupus, or injuries are more likely to develop this condition.

Currently, there is no permanent cure for fibromyalgia. However, there are ways to relieve pain and minimize its impact on your daily life. Here are some helpful tips for coping with fibromyalgia:

Make Exercise a Habit

Regular exercise lifts your mood and improves your body’s ability to handle pain. This explains why athletes have a higher pain tolerance than the general population. Don’t worry – it’s no need to spend hours in the gym to reap the benefits. Just make sure you stretch before exercising at least four times a week. Stay active throughout the day, walk the dog, play sports, practice yoga and stick to a workout regimen.

Avoid Stress

Stress is often the culprit behind fibromyalgia flare-ups. Most patients experience greater pain and fatigue when they’re stressed, nervous, or anxious. They also have trouble sleeping and feel moody. The best thing you can do is to limit stress. Avoid situations and people that make you anxious. Try pilates, meditation, yoga, deep breathing, biofeedback, and other relaxation techniques to fight stress.

Change Your Diet

A balanced diet makes it easier to control fibromyalgia symptoms and ease pain. Certain foods promote relaxation, improve sleep, and boost your energy levels. These include fresh fruit and vegetables, chia seeds, almonds, spirulina, herbs, and spices. Avoid processed and prepackaged food, dairy, aspartame, sugar, gluten, MSG and sodium nitrite, tomatoes, nightshade vegetables, corn. Also, you should eliminate caffeine from your diet. Replace coffee with Revert Tea to increase your energy and use NATUREAL Probiotic to enjoy better digestion.

There are many other things you can do to manage this disorder. Make time for yourself and learn to say no. Reduce stress in your life and maintain good sleep hygiene. Listen to your body and know your limits.

source http://www.natu-real.com/3-tips-for-coping-with-fibromyalgia/ from NATUREAL http://naturealcom.blogspot.com/2017/07/3-tips-for-coping-with-fibromyalgia.html

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