If you've ever experienced breaking out or developing a rash when you're stressed, you're not alone. According to Dr. Richard G. Fried, dermatologist and clinical psychologist, stress can trigger or worsen chronic inflammatory skin conditions like acne or psoriasis, and learning how to manage it can help you improve your skin.
In Dr.Fried's presentation at the American Academy of Dermatology's 2011 Summer Academy Meeting, he explains the link between stress and skin conditions. "Stress is personal, so what might be stressful for one person may be a non-stressor or even exhilarating for someone else," he is quoted as saying on MedicalNewsToday.com. "In terms of how stress can exacerbate or even initiate a skin condition, we are talking about distress, such as feelings of anger, anxiety, depression or tension, and how these emotional states translate to physiological problems."
When you're stressed, your neuropeptides, which protect your skin from infection, can cause your skin to itch or get irritated at the wrong time. "They travel to the brain and ultimately increase the reuptake of neurotransmitters, meaning that stress depletes the chemicals that regulate our emotions, such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine," says Dr. Fried.
This means that stress does more than just aggravate your skin; it keeps your mood level down and traps you in a vicious cycle of causing yourself more stress and more damage to your skin. Dr. Fried says it also reduces the skin barrier function, which makes your skin more sensitive and prone to irritation.
To improve your condition, he suggests learning stress management techniques, which you can use in coordination with your regular dermatological treatments. "When you are withdrawn and have more time alone, it can make your symptoms seem more pronounced and you can end up feeling worse. That's why it is so important for patients to seek a treatment plan from their dermatologist to help reduce their stress level and break the cycle of stress-related flares."
Friday, 23 September 2011
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Health Benefits of Coffee
+Brain Gains. Moderate coffee drinking—between 1 and 5 cups daily—may help reduce risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as Parkinson’s disease, studies suggest. How? Coffee’s antioxidants may prevent some damage to brain cells and boost the effects of neurotransmitters involved in cognitive function, say experts. Preliminary studies have noted that as coffee (or tea) intake rises, incidence of glioma, a form of brain cancer, tends to drop. Some researchers speculate that compounds in the brews could activate a DNA-repairing protein in cells—possibly preventing the DNA damage that can lead to cells becoming cancerous.
+Defeating Diabetes. Studies link frequent coffee consumption (4 cups per day or more) with a lowered risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Scientists suspect that antioxidant compounds in coffee—cholorogenic acid and quinides—may boost cells’ sensitivity to insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar. While most of the research didn’t assess whether the brews were caffeinated, decaf may be even better, since other studies have found that caffeine tends to blunt the insulin-sensitivity boost.
+Hearty Benefits. Some studies show that moderate coffee drinkers (1 to 3 cups/day) have lower rates of stroke than non-coffee-drinkers; coffee’s antioxidants may help quell inflammation’s damaging effects on arteries. Some researchers speculate that the compounds might boost activation of nitric oxide, a substance that widens blood vessels (lowering blood pressure). More java isn’t better: a 5-cup or more daily habit is associated with higher heart disease risks. Researchers believe excessive caffeine may sabotage the antioxidants’ effects.
+Liver Lover. Though the research is limited at best, it appears that the more coffee people drink, the lower their incidence of cirrhosis and other liver diseases. One analysis of nine studies found that every 2-cup increase in daily coffee intake was associated with a 43 percent lower risk of liver cancer. Possible explanation: caffeine and antioxidant chlorogenic and caffeic acids in coffee might prevent liver inflammation and inhibit cancer cells.
Friday, 16 September 2011
Oh Yes, Exercise!
Exercising regularly not only boosts your metabolism and helps with weight loss, but it can also reduce the risk of a host of obesity-related health problems, including prediabetes, diabetes, and heart disease.
The other benefits of exercise are as follows:
Exercising boost brainpower. Research reveals that exercise can help benefit a vital anatomical part of your brain called the hippocampus, which controls memory. The hippocampus is particularly important when it comes to learning and processing new information. Just as our muscles and bones atrophy with age, so does the brain, along with the hippocampus. It used to be thought that once a portion of the brain atrophied it was lost forever.
Protection against many forms of cancer. More and more studies show that physical activity can reduce the risk of cancers of the breast, colon, endometrium (the lining of the uterus), prostate, and lung. Of these cancers, evidence is strongest for its protecting against breast and colon cancer, two of the most common.
Prevent the common cold. There is evidence that the annoying common cold can be warded off by exercise. A brisk walk every day can boost your immune system and help you stay cold-free; it can also lessen the severity of a cold if you get one. And while the immune activity brought on by exercise lasts for only a few hours, it is the cumulative immune effect that seems to keep regular exercisers healthier.
The other benefits of exercise are as follows:
Exercising boost brainpower. Research reveals that exercise can help benefit a vital anatomical part of your brain called the hippocampus, which controls memory. The hippocampus is particularly important when it comes to learning and processing new information. Just as our muscles and bones atrophy with age, so does the brain, along with the hippocampus. It used to be thought that once a portion of the brain atrophied it was lost forever.
Protection against many forms of cancer. More and more studies show that physical activity can reduce the risk of cancers of the breast, colon, endometrium (the lining of the uterus), prostate, and lung. Of these cancers, evidence is strongest for its protecting against breast and colon cancer, two of the most common.
Prevent the common cold. There is evidence that the annoying common cold can be warded off by exercise. A brisk walk every day can boost your immune system and help you stay cold-free; it can also lessen the severity of a cold if you get one. And while the immune activity brought on by exercise lasts for only a few hours, it is the cumulative immune effect that seems to keep regular exercisers healthier.
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
New Study: Chocolate May Lower Risk of Heart Disease
If you've got a sweet tooth and love eating chocolate, you're going to love learning about the new study printed by BMJ, a global medical publisher, that found that eating chocolate could be good for your heart.
The researchers from the University of Cambridge looked at seven studies, which tested over 100,00 people, to find out if eating chocolate had health benefits. What they discovered was that five out of the seven studies showed chocolate eaters had lower risk levels for heart disease and stroke. According to their conclusions, those with the highest chocolate consumption levels experienced a 37 percent less risk of heart disease and 29 percent less risk of stroke compared to the people who had the lowest intake of chocolate.
This doesn't mean you should go out and buy a bunch of chocolate bars, though. The researchers note that more specific tests need to be done to determine whether it really is eating chocolate that decreases the risk for cardiovascular diseases and not some other common factor in the participants.
Previous research does show, however, that eating dark chocolate in moderate amounts can help lower your stress hormone levels, so no one's stopping you from grabbing a bite and enjoying a piece when you're feeling down. Just like any other food item, though, be careful not to overindulge. You might be getting heart-healthy benefits from chocolate, but if you consume too much sugar, the researchers say you could increase your risk of diabetes!
Saturday, 10 September 2011
Pound Patrol: 7 Bad Eating Habits You Should Drop to Control Your Weight
Are you having problems managing your weight? Shift to a healthier diet today by working on your eating habits! It doesn't matter how young or old you are; you are still in charge of your body. If you're having trouble getting started, scroll through the gallery below for some of the bad eating habits you should cut out of your life.
1. FOREGOING A HEALTHY BREAKFAST.For people with a heavier day ahead, they can start consuming rice in the morning. There has to be a viand that’s freshly prepared, not commercially processed or instant food. Easy-to-prepare foods are usually high in salt and fat and should be avoided. Plus, fresh fruit is always a must after every meal as it is a good source of fiber.
2. SKIPPING MEALS--ANY MEALS. Skipping the most important meal of the day is unhealthy becauseyou tend to overeat during subsequent meals or have a lot of in-between snacks. Your body thinks that it’s starving.
When you skip meals, the body slows down its metabolism as a way of coping. The more you skip a meal, the more chances of eating more until the next meal. Eat just to satisfy your body’s needs.
3. OVERLOADING ON CONDIMENTS. Condiments have to go. Similarly, when having salads, go for the light oil French dressings instead of the Caesar dressing.
4. EATING TOO FAST. In his book The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom, Dr. Phil McGraw offers a simple suggestion for people who really eat fast as a rule: wait for five minutes before digging in. Place small mouthfuls of food on your spoon. Consciously take time to taste, chew, and savor every mouthful. Take sips of water between bites.
5. GRABBING OVERSIZED PORTIONS. Dr. Phil says a smaller plate is better for eating large portions of food. At restaurants, it’s best to split your meal with a friend, or you can try using a bigger fork to eat less, as one study published in the Journal of Consumer Research shows.
6. MULTI-TASKING AT MEALTIME. Even if you eat while on the move or while standing, you should still designated an area in your home where you can take your meals--and only take them there. Avoid doing anything else while eating, says Dr. Phil. This distracts you from your eating, making you unaware of how much you are consuming.
7. OVEREATING AT PARTIES. When headed for a party, chow down on low-calorie foods before you go. Focus on the people and the conversation, not the food. Sit away from the buffet table.
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
Ditch the Diet Mentality: Brain Cells Prompt You to Eat When Starved, Says StudyIf you've ever tried going on a diet to lose weight, you know how hard
If you've ever tried going on a diet to lose weight, you know how hard it is to stick to it. Lets admit that! A study suggest that your brain's hypothalamus contains "hunger-inducing neurons" that eat parts of themselves when you're starving. When this happens, they signal your brain that you're hungry and prompt you to grab a bite.
This process of neurons eating themselves as autophagy and reveals how tests done on mice show that blocking it can help fight hunger and battle obesity. After autophagy occurs, lipids containing agouti-related peptides (AgRP) create free fatty acids that boost AgRP levels and increase hunger signals. Singh's new experiment with mice shows that by blocking autophagy in these neurons, the AgRP levels stayed the same and helped change the mice's body chemistry, making them eat less and become leaner.
Having elevated levels of fatty acids in your bloodstream can change your metabolism, as well, this time with negative effects: you will be more prone to overeating until it becomes a "vicious cycle" that changes your energy balance.
This process of neurons eating themselves as autophagy and reveals how tests done on mice show that blocking it can help fight hunger and battle obesity. After autophagy occurs, lipids containing agouti-related peptides (AgRP) create free fatty acids that boost AgRP levels and increase hunger signals. Singh's new experiment with mice shows that by blocking autophagy in these neurons, the AgRP levels stayed the same and helped change the mice's body chemistry, making them eat less and become leaner.
Having elevated levels of fatty acids in your bloodstream can change your metabolism, as well, this time with negative effects: you will be more prone to overeating until it becomes a "vicious cycle" that changes your energy balance.
Tuesday, 30 August 2011
Processed Food Pitfalls
1. Palm Oil
When a regular fat like corn, soybean, or palm oil is blasted with hydrogen and turned into a solid, it becomes a trans fat. These evil anti-nutrients help packaged foods stay “fresh,” meaning that the food can sit on the supermarket shelf for years without ever getting stale or rotting. Eating junk food with trans fats raises your “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and lowers your “good” HDL. These fats also increase your risk of blood clots and heart attack. Avoid palm oil and other trans fats like the plague, and kiss fried foods goodbye too, since they’re usually fried in one of these freakish trans-fatty oils.
2. Shortening
Ditch any food that lists shortening or partially hydrogenated oil as an ingredient, since these are also evil trans fats. In addition to clogging your arteries and causing obesity, they also increase your risk of metabolic syndrome. Choose healthier monounsaturated fats, such as olive, peanut and canola oils and foods that contain unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids instead.
3. White Flour, Rice, Pasta, and Bread
When a whole grain is refined, most of its nutrients are sucked out in an effort to extend its shelf life. Both the bran and germ are removed, and therefore all the fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Because these stripped down, refined grains are devoid of fiber and other nutrients, they’re also easy to digest — TOO EASY. They send your blood sugar and insulin skyrocketing, which can lead to all sorts of problems. Replace processed grains with whole grains, like brown or wild rice, whole-wheat breads and pastas, barley, and oatmeal.
4. High Fructose Corn Syrup
The evil king of all refined grains is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). The amount of refined sugar we consume has declined over the past 40 years, but we’re consuming almost 20 times as much HFCS. According to researchers at Tufts University, Americans consume more calories from HFCS than any other source. It’s in practically EVERYTHING. It increases triglycerides, boosts fat-storing hormones, and drives people to overeat and gain weight. Adopt my zero-tolerance policy, and steer clear of this sweet “poison.”
5. Artificial Sweeteners
Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), saccharin (Sweet'N Low, SugarTwin), and sucralose (Splenda) may be even harder on our metabolic systems than plain old sugar. These supposedly diet-friendly sweeteners may actually be doing more harm than good! Studies suggest that artificial sweeteners trick the brain into forgetting that sweetness means extra calories, making people more likely to keep eating sweet treats without abandon. Nip it in the bud. Scan ingredient labels and ban all artificial sweeteners from entering your mouth.
6. Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Benzoate
These preservatives are sometimes added to soda to prevent mold from growing, but benzene is a known carcinogen that is also linked with serious thyroid damage. Dangerous levels of benzene can build up when plastic bottles of soda are exposed to heat or when the preservatives are combined with ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Don’t risk it, people
7. Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)
BHA is another potentially cancer-causing preservative, but it has been deemed safe by the FDA. Its job is to help prevent spoilage and food poisoning, but it’s a major endocrine disruptor and can seriously mess with your hormones. BHA is in HUNDREDS of foods. It’s also found in food packaging and cosmetics. BHA has many aliases. You can look them up. Or you can follow my advice and DITCH processed foods altogether.
8. Sodium Nitrates and Sodium Nitrites
No that’s not a typo. These two different preservatives are found in processed meats like bacon, lunch meat, and hot dogs. They’re some of the worst offenders, and they’re believed to cause colon cancer and metabolic syndrome, which can lead to diabetes. Protect your health by always choosing fresh, organic meats.
9. Blue, Green, Red, and Yellow
The artificial colors blue 1 and 2, green 3, red 3, and yellow 6 have been linked to thyroid, adrenal, bladder, kidney, and brain cancers. Always seek out foods with the fewest artificial chemicals, especially when shopping for your kids. Look for color-free medications and natural food products that don’t contain artificial colors like these.
10. MSG
Monosodium glutamate is a processed “flavor enhancer.” While glutamates are present in some natural foods, such as meat and cheese, the ones exploited by the processed-foods industry are separated from their host proteins through hydrolysis. The jury is still out on how harmful MSG may be, but high levels of free glutamates have been shown to seriously screw with brain chemistry. Don’t fall prey to chemical flavor enhancing. Just play it safe and flavor your food naturally.
When a regular fat like corn, soybean, or palm oil is blasted with hydrogen and turned into a solid, it becomes a trans fat. These evil anti-nutrients help packaged foods stay “fresh,” meaning that the food can sit on the supermarket shelf for years without ever getting stale or rotting. Eating junk food with trans fats raises your “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and lowers your “good” HDL. These fats also increase your risk of blood clots and heart attack. Avoid palm oil and other trans fats like the plague, and kiss fried foods goodbye too, since they’re usually fried in one of these freakish trans-fatty oils.
2. Shortening
Ditch any food that lists shortening or partially hydrogenated oil as an ingredient, since these are also evil trans fats. In addition to clogging your arteries and causing obesity, they also increase your risk of metabolic syndrome. Choose healthier monounsaturated fats, such as olive, peanut and canola oils and foods that contain unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids instead.
3. White Flour, Rice, Pasta, and Bread
When a whole grain is refined, most of its nutrients are sucked out in an effort to extend its shelf life. Both the bran and germ are removed, and therefore all the fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Because these stripped down, refined grains are devoid of fiber and other nutrients, they’re also easy to digest — TOO EASY. They send your blood sugar and insulin skyrocketing, which can lead to all sorts of problems. Replace processed grains with whole grains, like brown or wild rice, whole-wheat breads and pastas, barley, and oatmeal.
4. High Fructose Corn Syrup
The evil king of all refined grains is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). The amount of refined sugar we consume has declined over the past 40 years, but we’re consuming almost 20 times as much HFCS. According to researchers at Tufts University, Americans consume more calories from HFCS than any other source. It’s in practically EVERYTHING. It increases triglycerides, boosts fat-storing hormones, and drives people to overeat and gain weight. Adopt my zero-tolerance policy, and steer clear of this sweet “poison.”
5. Artificial Sweeteners
Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), saccharin (Sweet'N Low, SugarTwin), and sucralose (Splenda) may be even harder on our metabolic systems than plain old sugar. These supposedly diet-friendly sweeteners may actually be doing more harm than good! Studies suggest that artificial sweeteners trick the brain into forgetting that sweetness means extra calories, making people more likely to keep eating sweet treats without abandon. Nip it in the bud. Scan ingredient labels and ban all artificial sweeteners from entering your mouth.
6. Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Benzoate
These preservatives are sometimes added to soda to prevent mold from growing, but benzene is a known carcinogen that is also linked with serious thyroid damage. Dangerous levels of benzene can build up when plastic bottles of soda are exposed to heat or when the preservatives are combined with ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Don’t risk it, people
7. Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)
BHA is another potentially cancer-causing preservative, but it has been deemed safe by the FDA. Its job is to help prevent spoilage and food poisoning, but it’s a major endocrine disruptor and can seriously mess with your hormones. BHA is in HUNDREDS of foods. It’s also found in food packaging and cosmetics. BHA has many aliases. You can look them up. Or you can follow my advice and DITCH processed foods altogether.
8. Sodium Nitrates and Sodium Nitrites
No that’s not a typo. These two different preservatives are found in processed meats like bacon, lunch meat, and hot dogs. They’re some of the worst offenders, and they’re believed to cause colon cancer and metabolic syndrome, which can lead to diabetes. Protect your health by always choosing fresh, organic meats.
9. Blue, Green, Red, and Yellow
The artificial colors blue 1 and 2, green 3, red 3, and yellow 6 have been linked to thyroid, adrenal, bladder, kidney, and brain cancers. Always seek out foods with the fewest artificial chemicals, especially when shopping for your kids. Look for color-free medications and natural food products that don’t contain artificial colors like these.
10. MSG
Monosodium glutamate is a processed “flavor enhancer.” While glutamates are present in some natural foods, such as meat and cheese, the ones exploited by the processed-foods industry are separated from their host proteins through hydrolysis. The jury is still out on how harmful MSG may be, but high levels of free glutamates have been shown to seriously screw with brain chemistry. Don’t fall prey to chemical flavor enhancing. Just play it safe and flavor your food naturally.
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