A diet rich in Fruits and Vegetables can improve Heart Health

New research shows that eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables can produce better cardiovascular health.

It is known that whole foods rather than processed health products are generally the best delivery vehicle for high-quality nutrients while potassium, magnesium and fiber are key nutrients in fruits and vegetables that boost heart health.

Researchers said that people on the fruit and vegetable diet, as well as those on the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, had a lower risk of cardiac damage compared with the control group.

In another small study, it was found that even one meal high in saturated fats can hamper our ability to mentally focus.

The researchers stated that people should eat more fruits and vegetables, especially those dark in color.

However, Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and chief medical officer for Step One Foods said,“If you isolate the vitamins from blueberries, for example, and put them in a pill, it won’t be the same as getting the exact same amount of vitamin C from a bowl of blueberries.”

In other words, it is difficult to boil cardiovascular health down to the individual compounds that can be found in our food or in a supplement bottle.

“Pharmaceuticals are easy because you take a pill once or twice a day, then you go back to the doctor and measure the results,” she said. “Why not take the food-as-medicine idea to its full extent?”

How to remove stubborn ear wax with natural remedies

Ear wax is a fatty substance produced in your ear canal. The wax, medically known as cerumen, cleans your ears, protects them from infection and lubricates the ear canal to stop it from becoming too dry.

Normally, ear wax will dry up and fall out of your ear over time. However, some people produce more than necessary, and the excess can accumulate in the ear canal and cause buildup or blockage. This is known as impacted ear wax.

Impacted ear wax is especially common among the elderly because wax tends to become harder and less mobile, so it is less likely to work its way out. Hearing aids or earplugs can also prevent extrusion and cause blockage.

Impacted ear wax may cause the following:

• A feeling of fullness in the ear

• Earache

• Difficulty hearing or hearing loss

• Ringing in the ear, known as tinnitus

• A feeling of itchiness in the ear

• Discharge from the ear

• Odor coming from the ear

• Dizziness

Natural remedies to effectively remove ear wax at home

Ear drops are liquid solutions, known scientifically as cerumenolytic agents, help thin, soften, break up, or dissolve ear wax, so it can leave the ear.

Drops are available over the counter. Typically, up to five drops are used at a time, one to two times daily, for three to seven days.

One study suggests that using them for five days is more likely to completely clear the excessive wax than no treatment at all.

There are other ways you can remove ear wax at home with natural substances, though they will likely take longer to work than ear drops.

Oils, such as baby oil, mineral oil, coconut oil, olive oil, or glycerin, a natural compound derived from vegetable oils or animal fats, can be used to soften and remove ear wax. Alternatively, you may also be able to remove ear wax with a baking soda solution.

However, it is important to note that these natural softening agents can sometimes have adverse effects, because they may only loosen the outer layer of the wax, which can then lodge deeper into the ear canal.

If your impacted ear wax symptoms do not improve after using these methods for a week or two, check in with your healthcare provider.

In addition, you should not attempt home remedies like ear candling, which drip hot wax into your ear.

Also, do not pick it out: trying to manually remove the wax yourself with your finger or other objects can make the blockage worse.

In fact, some blockages can occur when you try to clean your ears with cotton swabs and accidentally push the wax deeper. While Q-Tips are commonly used, they should be avoided. 

How to reduce pain with Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory disease that can affect people with psoriasis. It can be mild, but it can also cause severe pain and swelling in the joints. It can affect any joint in the body or many joints at the same time. Some treatments that help control the pain and swelling can also reduce the chances of long-term damage to the joints.

Besides drugs and medical treatments, there are natural ways to help relieve the pain:

1. Walk more.

You can keep your joints more supple and strong by exercising regularly. Walking is a relatively low-impact way to do it. You may prefer to ride a stationary bike. Exercise can also help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, which can also reduce the stress you put on your weight-bearing joints.

2. Consult physical or occupational therapists. 
The exercises you will do in this type of therapy can help you move easier and do everyday activities.

3. Reduce unnecessary strain on your joints.

Start looking for ways to avoid putting unnecessary strain or pressure on already-sore joints and reduce some of the pain you may be experiencing. For example, you can reduce the amount of strain you put on the finger joints by using both hands to lift objects, rather than relying on just one hand. You might also find some relief in a brace, split or other type of support device.

4. Rest.

One of the best ways to reduce the pain caused by psoriatic arthritis is to take the stress off your joints and rest them. Sit back or lie back and remove the weight from your aching joints.

5. Get a massage.

A massage can temporarily reduce the pain associated with psoriatic arthritis.

6. Consider complementary therapies.

The tiny needles used in acupuncture might help to relieve the joint pain. Or the relaxing techniques used in reiki can help feel calm and reduce the pain. Reiki is a Japanese stress reduction technique in which the practitioner uses his or her hands to channel energy into another person.

How to Stop Comparing to Others

Comparing yourself to others made you feel lost. It deprives you of joy and makes you feel miserable. The self-doubt you are feeling played out in many areas of your life. Dates are doomed to failure because you do not feel good about yourself from the start and you feel truly worthless.

Here are some tools you can help yourself:

Name your inner critic

Give your inner critic — that critical voice inside that points out all of your perceived inadequacies — a name. It is agonizing to hear how this voice in your head berates you and thinks you are never good enough. Naming gives it less power. You can recognize when she speaks up. Start a conversation with her. Be your own best friend and discuss her feelings.

By following this rule, you can understand where some of your insecurities coming from and unpack these feelings.

Keep a record of achievements

When you compare yourself to others, you focus on all of their strengths and achievements and ignore your own so keep a record of all the good things you have done.

It does not matter what they are: if it is something you feel proud of, make a record of it. Soon, you will have a bulging folder of things you have accomplished over the weeks.

Looking at all achievements, both big and small, bolsters your self-esteem.

Practice self-care

Self-care can involve honest and continuous introspection. It is a process of looking inward and seeing what you find. You can jot down your thoughts, particularly when in a self-esteem spiral. Once these thoughts are on the page, you can observe them and decide whether or not they are true or just a result of feeling inadequate. Then you are able to unpack them and decipher where they may have come from.

It is not always easy. Confronting some of your darker feelings is hard, but looking them straight in the eye gives you the power to begin moving forward.

Shaking off comparison can allow you to enjoy life. It is important to regularly look inward to confront uncomfortable emotions.

Breaking free from comparison is not a linear journey. There are bumps in the road, moments of insecurity and doubt. There will always be someone prettier, more talented, intelligent, bubbly, or outgoing. The trick is knowing the unique value of what you bring to the world.

How to lose weight and keep it off long-term

Losing weight involves eating right - the right balance of healthy fats, carbs, and proteins and cuts out processed foods. 

The eating plans that are most recommended by dietitians include the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet. A regular diet of processed, simple sugars that spike our blood sugar levels can easily lead to weight gain.

Cut out processed carbs and sugars

We should limit or cut sugar and processed carbs out of our diet. Most processed foods are made up of simple carbs, which can be digested quickly. This leaves us full for a shorter period of time and can lead to overeating and weight gain.

It also spikes blood sugar levels, which over time can strain arterial walls and hinder the body's ability to control insulin. This can lead to conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Eat the right carbs: Fiber and resistant starch

Complex carbs are important because we process them slowly, which can leave us feeling full for longer and stave off hunger pains. They are also proven to help protect against coronary heart disease. 

Fiber and resistant starch are two types of complex carbs that we should include in our diet. Foods that are a good source of both include peas, lentils, beans, whole grains and cold pasta.

Eat more vegetables

Vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber, which means we can eat a lot, feel full and not spike our blood sugar levels.

Leafy greens, especially, are loaded with essential vitamins and minerals. This can help reduce the risk of nutrient deficiencies.

Limit saturated fats

Saturated fats are most ubiquitous in processed foods including meats, cheeses and baked goods. These calorie-dense, low-fiber foods are needed to avoid when trying to lose weight.

Reducing saturated fats can also lower cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. We should focus on healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats from fish, seeds, and nuts.

In addition, there is some research indicates that intermittent fasting works for weight loss. But it is better to choose fiber-rich foods and get enough protein in the diet, because it can help handle hunger pains during the fasting period.

However, even when we follow the above steps, if there is anything harder than losing weight, it is keeping it off long-term. The most sure-fire way to keep the weight off long-term is to choose a sustainable eating plan.

It can also help to lose weight gradually. If we lose too much weight, too fast, our body may retaliate by increasing levels of ghrelin, the hormone that signals hunger. In fact, there are many functions at play in our body and brain that makes it especially difficult to keep the weight off.

Experts recommend losing weight at a rate of 0.5% to 1% of our body weight per week (BW/wk). For a 180-pound person trying to lose 40 pounds that would mean it would take 25 to 50 weeks to reach their goal weight of 140 pounds.

How to cope with Job Loss Anxiety

Now job losses are accumulating at a staggering rate due to the pandemic. 

“Anxiety and fear are the names of the game right now when it comes to job security,” said Dr. Gail Saltz, associate professor of psychiatry at the New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill-Cornell School of Medicine.

Employment brings not just financial stability but also a sense of purpose. And so it is more important than ever to be mindful of our mental health.

“With work, we feel a greater sense of self-esteem, advocacy and a sense of purpose. There are monetary reasons and financial reasons for working, but it’s also a way to feel connected to others,” said Brittany LeMonda, a senior neuropsychologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

LeMonda said it is crucial for people who have lost their jobs to find a way to draw the line between expressing their anxiety and giving themselves a break.

“Allowing ourselves to feel whatever those feelings are — frustration, anxiety, sadness — is important,” she said. “But it’s also important to come to terms with accepting that this is the situation that we’re in right now.”

Saltz said that it is helpful to distinguish between productive and unproductive thoughts when it comes to employment anxiety. People need to think creatively about how to manage their situation.

“This anxiety isn’t serving anyone well, but the thoughts can be super sticky,” Saltz said. “The more one can say, ‘Well, of course I have worries, this is a difficult situation,’ the more likely it is to recede. That’s just the way the brain works.”

Besides, physical activity, meditation, mindfulness, breathing exercises, yoga and generally taking care of yourself are ways to cope with the anxiety of job loss.

It is important to monitor not just yourself but also other people you care about. Reach out when appropriate. “If you see someone that you’re worried about, say something,” said Dr. Victor M. Fornari, vice-chair of child and adolescent psychiatry at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, New York.

How much water we need to drink?

Water can work wonders for our health.

Water comprises about 60% of our body weight and allows our internal organs to perform at their best. Water regulates our body temperature, keeps our joints lubricated and carries nutrients to our cells. Water also provides moisture to skin, ensuring a bright and radiant glow.

If we are not adequately hydrated, we may experience nausea and loss of appetite and may find it difficult to concentrate and perform physical tasks.

The Institute of Medicine in the US recommends that women aim to consume 2.7 liters (or 91 ounces) of fluids daily, and men drink 3.7 liters (or 125 ounces). But the institute's recommendation accounts for water-rich foods like watermelon, oranges, apples, grapes, cucumbers, lettuce, celery and cabbage. It also includes all fluids and soups in addition to pure water. And so it may actually come down to a daily goal of about 9 cups (or 72 ounces) of fluids for females and 12½ cups (or 100 ounces) for males.

Besides activity level, body composition and even climate play a role in one's water needs, since muscle cells have a higher concentration of water than fat cells, someone with more lean muscle mass will have higher water needs — and may need to consume more water — than someone with more fat mass.

Other factors to consider include pregnancy and breastfeeding, both of which increase fluid needs, as well as illness and extreme temperatures (both hot and cold).

While alcohol does have a diuretic effect and can increase the risk for dehydration, coffee and tea provide fluid are hydrating. But for health and wellness, it is best to avoid sugar-containing beverages as much as possible.

If the amount we drink exceeds our fluid needs, it provides no additional benefit. In fact, endurance athletes who drink too much water, in the absence of electrolytes, run the risk of hyponatremia, a life-threatening condition characterized by low sodium levels in the blood that occurs with overhydration.

How effectively lower blood pressure without medication

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects over 100 million people, according to the most recent guidelines by the American Heart Association (AHA).

Hypertension is often symptomless, and if left untreated, could lead to serious health threats like heart disease, heart attack or stroke.

Common causes of hypertension include a lack of regular exercise, a high-sodium diet, being overweight and smoking cigarettes. Working to make positive changes in these areas can have a big impact on your blood pressure.

The best ways to naturally lower blood pressure are regular exercise, adopting a heart-healthy diet and better stress management:

Maintain a healthy weight

If you are overweight, research found that losing 10 pounds can reduce blood pressure by as many as 12 mm Hg.

One way to maintain a healthy weight is with physical activity. Regular exercise trains the heart to expand and contract, which in the long-term helps the heart pump more efficiently, resulting in lower blood pressure.

To get these benefits, it is recommended to have at least 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity each day. This can be a combination of aerobic exercise like walking, jogging, or bike riding as well as strength training with low weights and high repetitions.

Strive for a balanced diet

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet can help people overcome hypertension by encouraging people to limit the intake of sodium, sugar and saturated or trans fats while increasing the variety of foods rich in nutrients like potassium, calcium, and magnesium. This well-rounded plan is heart-healthy and has been found to significantly reduce blood pressure for those with hypertension. This is because the DASH diet focuses on foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains and fish while discourages fast food, packaged items and processed snacks.

Limit alcohol consumption

Drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure, so drinking in moderation is key.

Moderate drinking is considered no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. A standard drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits.

Manage stress

Excessive stress has been known to contribute to hypertension.

Furthermore, chronic stress is associated with a higher risk of many types of heart disease: coronary artery disease, heart failure and heart rhythm disorders like tachycardia.

Beyond regular physical activity, here are a few ways you can manage stress:

• Guided meditation
• Mindful breathing
• Yoga
• Getting better sleep

Drinking or smoking while pregnant may affect newborn's brain development

Researchers found that drinking or smoking of any level while pregnant influenced the brain development of the mothers' newborns. Negative long-term effects of excessive prenatal alcohol or tobacco exposure (or both) increase the risk for multiple adverse outcomes.

The study examined the link between prenatal exposure to alcohol and tobacco smoking and brain activity in newborns. The researchers conducted an electroencephalogram (EEG, which is a noninvasive test of brain function and activity reflecting electrical activity in the brain's cortex and is commonly used to examine and predict effects of in utero exposures and associations with development of the brain at later ages) on 12 regions on the newborns' scalps while they were sleeping.

The findings suggested drinking or smoking in early stages and then quitting, or doing so at low, moderate or high levels all impacted newborn brain development.

They found that infants whose moms smoked during pregnancy had decreased activity in the right-central area of their brains, compared with newborns who weren't exposed to tobacco while in the womb.

Also, newborns whose mothers quit drinking before the second trimester, or were in the low to high continuous drinking groups, had increased low frequency EEG power in the left temporal section of their brain compared to infants with no prenatal alcohol exposure.

"Already we can see there was an alteration in the development of brain processes that can be quantified during sleep when babies are just a few days of age," said senior author William P. Fifer, a professor of medical psychology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City. "Babies of those moms who even had low levels of alcohol or tobacco exposure still had some alterations in the brain activity."

Previous studies have shown the effects alcohol and tobacco exposure have on specific areas of the brain involved in the baby's ability to regulate their heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and temperature, Fifer said.

Prenatal alcohol exposure is the leading cause of preventable intellectual disability and smoking during pregnancy is one of the most modifiable causes of post-birth disease and death.

"All of those are extremely important to survive those first few months," he added.

Childhood trauma impacts health for the rest of life

A study found that a strong association between the number of adverse childhood experiences a person experienced in childhood and the mental and physical health issues they faced later in life.

The adverse childhood experiences include psychological, physical or sexual abuse, violence against mother, and living with household members who were substance abusers, mentally ill or suicidal, or ever imprisoned. Even one such experience a child faced can be associated with increased health risk, having four or more carries twice the risk of heart disease and stroke, seven times the risk of substance use disorder and 12 times the risk of self-harm attempt.

Besides having higher rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, alcohol dependence and marital problems, the data further bolstered by rising rates of depression, anxiety and suicide among youth.

Jane Stevens, who leads an international network of the Adverse Childhood Experiences survivors, said, “People growing up thinking that what happened to them as children was their fault, because that’s how the brain of a child works. Unless you’re disabused of that, people carry that even to death.”

Given that a high percentage of children experience at least one such experience during childhood, getting a better grasp of the root cause of childhood trauma is critical.

How to Self-Care?

Self-care is a way you live your life. Everyone must care for and maintain their bodies and minds for optimal well-being. This includes how you relate to yourself each and every moment of the day.

Self-care means paying attention to your emotions and giving care and attention to them. Engaging in self-care is a way of signaling to ourselves that we matter in our own lives. You do not need a lot of time, money, or exotic new activities to improve your self-care. The specific activities vary between individuals. The goal is to figure out which self-care strategies work best for you, learn how to use these strategies and implement them in your regular routine so you can boost your well-being not only today but forever. Look for small ways you can incorporate it into everyday life:

Self-talk.

Self-talk does a lot to shape our mood, our stress levels and whether we feel overwhelmed or in control. But we do ourselves a disservice by overlooking this critical component of self-care.

Eating a healthy diet.

The food we eat has the potential to either keep us healthy or contribute to weight gain or diseases such as diabetes. 

In addition, it can also keep our minds working and alert. Eating the right foods can help prevent short-term memory loss and inflammation, both of which can have long-term effects on the brain and, in turn, the rest of the body. Some of the most amazing self-care foods include fatty fish, blueberries, nuts, green leafy veggies and brassicas, like broccoli.

Getting the sleep the body requires.

Sleep can have a huge effect on how you feel both emotionally and physically. Not getting enough can even cause major health issues. But stress and other distractions can wreak havoc on our sleep. We can handle this by:

• Meditating or finding some other form of relaxation to reduce stress.

• Distracting from stressors and find ways to emotionally process your experiences. To balance out your favorite distractions, look for activities that help you process the experiences of your life. Self-care needs to involve time to think your way through your stressors and to feel the emotions that come with them.

• Exercising or engaging in some form of physical activity to take care of your physical and mental health. Daily exercise can help you both physically boosting your mood and reducing stress and anxiety, not to mention helping you shed extra weight.

Avoiding excessive use of tech devices.

Spending too much time using digital technologies can negatively impact your psychological, social and physical health such as having musculoskeletal problems and eye strain.

Getting in Daily Steps can reduce Risk of Diabetes and High Blood Pressure

Researchers say walking daily can reduce our risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, stress and bolster our immune systems.

The standard recommendation for physical fitness is 10,000 steps a day. But even a fraction of that can work.

Researchers found that people who walk between 4,000 and 8,000 steps a day can reduce their risk of death from cancer or heart disease by two-thirds while people who walk more than 12,000 steps per day can lower those risks by nearly 90 percent.

In another study, researchers found that the middle-aged participants who walked the most steps per day over an average of 9 years had a 43 percent lower risk of diabetes and a 31 percent lower risk of high blood pressure.

Researchers also reported that every set of 1,000 steps taken daily over the course of 9 years lowers the risk of obesity by 13 percent in middle-aged women. And those with the highest step count were 61 percent less likely to have obesity, compared to women who walked the least.

How to prevent brain aging

• Constant learn and keep brain active

• Walk rapidly for 45 minutes three times a week

• Sleep eight hours a night may help prevent memory loss

• Eat a balanced diet, do not smoke and maintain healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels

• Reduce stress level