Daily Health News Blog

It takes more than just eating fruits and vegetables for proper nutrition. It is a complete lifestyle. You need to know what proper nutrition is, so you can plan out what to eat on a weekly basis. Are you ready to learn about better nutrition? Whatever your answer, read on for some helpful tips. Vegetables, no matter how they are packaged, are a good, low-calorie choice. These foods provide you with minerals and vitamins that your body needs and that leave you full. Consider making a salad of fresh vegetables or a pot of soup made from vegetables to ensure you get a proper amount of healthy servings each day. Make time and be motivated if you wish to succeed at your diet and exercise plans. That means if you want to make your weight loss program a success, you need to make sure that you have ample amounts of both. Motivation is important, if you want to exercise, chances are you will find time to do it. You need to find the right time to exercise. Make it easy on yourself by choo

Based on the work of a British physician in the 1950s, the HCG diet combines daily injections or liquid supplements of a hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), with severe calorie restriction (500 a day). Proponents claim HCG produces fast and hunger-free weight loss and that it targets “problem” fat areas (the belly, hips and thighs), while preserving, or even increasing, muscle mass. It has been called a miracle—and a scam. HCG is produced in small amounts in both men and women; more is produced during pregnancy. Doctors use it, legitimately, to treat infertility. More dubiously, however, some doctors prescribe it as a weight-loss aid. A number of websites now sell nonprescription “homeopathic” formulas that you take as drops, pellets or sprays—a more “convenient” option. What you need to know • There’s no good evidence that the diet works. Controlled studies have shown that people lose the same amount of weight when they restrict calories to 500 a day, whether they

Browse through a sporting-goods store or website, or simply look around a gym or health club, and you’re likely to see the thick, stretchy shorts and tights (and sometimes tops) known as compression garments. A cross between skintight bike shorts and a girdle, they are super snug—typically 15 percent smaller than your regular size—and made of bands that hug muscles, thighs, buttocks, and calves. The shorts come in various lengths, but are usually mid-thigh and worn under regular shorts. Marketers claim that the garments help athletes and exercisers improve their game or workouts, speed recovery, and prevent delayed-onset muscle soreness. They’re also supposed to reduce the risk of certain injuries by warming, supporting, and increasing blood flow to muscles, all of which also contribute to enhanced athletic performance. Putting them to the test In recent years these claims have been tested, but only in small studies involving young athletes. For instance, an Australian stud

If you have rheumatoid arthritis, you should know that a growing body of research suggests that what you eat may play a role in reducing -- or exacerbating -- the inflammation and other symptoms that characterize rheumatoid arthritis. Are there foods to avoid? Some types of omega-6 fatty acids, a kind of polyunsaturated fat that's found in many snack foods, fried foods, margarine, meats, corn oil and safflower oil, can increase inflammation.  Like omega-3s, however, omega-6s are essential for your health, so don't try to eliminate them from your diet. The key is to consume more omega-3s than omega-6s. A simple way to do this is to cut down on the amount of snack foods and meat that you eat.  There is also some evidence that frying or grilling meat at high temperatures produces compounds that can increase inflammation. Baking and broiling are better options; they're more heart healthy than frying.  If you suspect that certain foods worsen your symptoms, you may e

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in most developed countries around the world, and the number of cases is rising constantly as a result of both modern lifestyles and increased overall longevity. While developing the condition can have a devastating impact on the sufferer's life, modern medicine has developed several effective treatments for heart disease, ranging from drugs and lifestyle improvements right through to surgery. Of course, prevention is always better than cure, so before we look at some of the symptoms of cardiac disease we'll look at some of the ways you can help your body ward off the risks. Living a healthy lifestyle can go a long way to reducing the chances of developing cardiac problems, but there is unfortunately an element of inherited risk, so even those with excellent overall health may find that they're genetically programmed towards heart disease in later life. Thankfully, the greatest influence genetics has on heart diseas

Is white wine as "heart healthy" as red wine? Here’s what you should know about the heart health benefits of white wine. The answer is  probably  -- though researchers continue to debate the question. Some studies have indicated that red wine is modestly better for the heart than white wine (or beer or spirits) because it contains resveratrol -- a polyphenol (plant chemical) associated with cardiovascular benefits, including reduced risk of heart attack. Resveratrol is found in the seeds and skin of grapes, which are crushed together with the pulp to make red wine. White wines, on the other hand, are made with just pulp and therefore contain very little resveratrol. But recent studies have shown that the pulp does contain other polyphenols that may be heart healthy. Moreover, although red and white wines differ in polyphenol composition, both contain similar amounts of alcohol -- which is known to increase level s of HDL ("good") cholesterol and prevent bl

Use of cranberry-containing products appears to be associated with prevention of urinary tract infections in some individuals, according to a study that reviewed the available medical literature and was published by  Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication. For generations, people have consumed cranberry juice, convinced of its power to ward off urinary tract infections, though the exact mechanism of its action has not been well understood. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common bacterial infections and adult women are particularly susceptible. Cranberry-containing products have long been used as a "folk remedy" to prevent the condition, according to the study background. Cranberry-containing products tend to be more effective in women with recurrent UTIs, female populations, children, cranberry juice drinkers, and people using cranberry-containing products more than twice daily. Scientific studies done in humans -- have concluded that cranberr