10 Easy Remedies That Can Heal Your Headache Fast... 1. Large Glass of Water. Sounds too easy, right? Well it works more often then you think. Dehydration is one of the MOST COMMON causes of headaches, so a glass of cool, clear water might be all you need to start relieving pain. 2. Deep Massage. You probably already know about massages and how they help to relieve stress & tension. However, what you didn't likely know is that a firm massage on the head, face, AND neck can quickly get rid of headache pain. 3. Aromatherapy. This is quickly becoming one of the most well known headache remedies around. Why? Because it actually WORKS. Sandlewood, peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender, and a wide assortment of other natural oils can be used to reduce, if not completely eliminate pain. These scents can be found in oils, candles, and even soaps. 4. Take a Hot Shower. Stand in the shower and allow the hot water to cascade down your neck and back. This should loosen your muscles and allow for better blood flow. Also, this would be a good time to use the aromatherapy "soap" that was mentioned in headache cure #3. 5. Ice Pack. You can use an ice pack, a cold towel, a bag of frozen peas, or anything else that's really cold. Apply this cold item to the back of your neck (or wherever the pain is located) and allow it to sit for about 5 to 10 minutes. This technique should help reduce any inflammation, not to mention help numb the pain a bit. 6. Using Pressure Points. One of the most underrated of all headache cures & remedies is using pressure points. It sounds far-fetched, sure, but it can provide great results if done correctly. Try It Out: Find where the bones of your "index" finger & thumb meet (the fleshy area). Apply pressure to this spot for 2 minutes. 7. Relaxing & Resting. Sometimes a headache is just your body telling you that you're overworked and way too stressed. Lie down in a dark room, shut your eyes, and just relax for awhile. Once this particular headache "attack" goes away, you should try to dial down your stress a bit and look for ways to relax and enjoy life just a bit more. (This is another one of those headache remedies that is much too often overlooked) 8. Diet. Do certain foods you eat always seem to trigger a headache? Then it's time to dump these items from your daily diet. Everyone reacts differently to foods (and the ingredients they contain) so it's important to take a CLOSE look at what you're eating and when these "attacks" occur. If need be, keep a headache diary. 9. Calcium Supplement. This can help to relax your muscles and increase bloodflow, which should help to alleviate pain a bit. A large glass of orange juice should do fine if you are without supplements. Many experts recommend taking a supplement which has both magnesium & calcium for maximum headache relief. 10. Exercise. Depending on the severity of the attack, this is one of those headache cures which might not be that easy to do. But regardless, you should definitely consider doing this before AND after the headache. Exercise will increase circulation & bloodflow throughout the body, allowing more blood & more oxygen to reach your brain. Exercising regularly should GREATLY help to PREVENT headaches from returning.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Headaches
I found this to be very interesting cause who really knows...
The term refers to hens that are not raised in cages, but it does not necessarily mean they have access to the outdoors. There is no standard definition of “cage-free,” but it generally implies that the birds are free to perform natural behaviors. Many cage-free claims are not certified, though some cage-free eggs are certified by American Humane Certified label. Products carrying this label are certified to come from animals that were never confined in cages or crates, were not subjected to de-beaking (in the case of poultry) and were slaughtered according to specific requirements designed to minimize suffering. It does not permit the use of sub-therapeutic antibiotics or hormones. “Certified Humane Raised and Handled” and “Animal Welfare Approved” are the two leading humane certification systems, although the Food Alliance follows similar standards. “Certified Humane” does not mean animals had access to pasture, but “Animal Welfare Approved” does. This refers to the rapidly growing industry that raises and feeds fish for human consumption in tanks or large wire pens anchored in coastal areas or other large bodies of water. Also called aquaculture, fish farming is expanding to offset the global decline in the wild fish catch. Fifty percent of seafood sold in the U.S. is now farmed. Ironically, feeding carnivorous farmed fish such as salmon requires harvesting millions of tons of smaller wild fish, such as anchovies and sardines, to produce fishmeal and fish oil. Catfish and other farmed fish are fed mostly soybeans and corn, while farmed tilapia eats a variety of algae, seaweeds and other aquatic plants. The use of open ponds and net pens or cages allows ocean water to flow freely through them. These enclosures pollute local waters with fish waste, excess feed and antibiotics and spread disease and parasites to sensitive wild marine species. The rapid growth of farmed shrimp ponds has led to deliberate destruction of thousands of coastal acres of mangrove forests that serve as fish nurseries, protect against storms and provide local economic livelihood. In the United States, this term applies only to poultry and is regulated by the US Department of Agriculture. It indicates simply that the animals have been “allowed access to the outside.” The USDA does not specify the quality or size of the outside range nor the duration of time an animal must have access to the outside. This term technically refers only to animals fed a diet of natural grass and other forage, not grain, but it often includes other healthier farm practices not associated with industrially produced meat, such as local butchering, more range time for livestock and less crowded conditions. The three leading “grass-fed” labels, certified by the Food Alliance, the American Grassfed Association or the USDA, require that animals eat a diet exclusively of forage. Some companies that market their meat as “naturally raised” or grass-fed actually feed their animals grain for significant periods. USDA’s grass-fed marketing standard requires only that animals “must have continuous access to pasture during the growing season.” It does not necessarily mean that the animals spent their entire lives in pastures or on rangeland. Some cattle marketed as USDA grass-fed actually spend part of their lives in confined pens or feedlots. This means that the animals were never given hormone treatments. To boost profits, some farmers give hormones to beef cattle and sheep to speed their growth and to dairy cows to increase milk production. The USDA does not allow hormones to be used on chicken or hogs. The European Union does not allow hormones in any meat. The extensive use of hormones (see rBHG-free below) in meat and dairy may increase the risk of cancer in humans and result in higher rates of infection in animals. Products labeled “organic” cannot come from rGBH-treated cows. There is no specific hormone-free certification, though organic and grass-fed labels do not allow hormone use. These are USDA-defined terms. To qualify as “lean,” 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of beef must have fewer than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat, and fewer than 95 milligrams of cholesterol. To be labeled “extra lean,” 100 grams of beef must have fewer than 5 grams of fat, fewer than 2 grams of saturated fat and fewer than 95 milligrams of cholesterol. The USDA defines a natural product as one that contains “no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed.” Processing must not fundamentally alter the product. The label must include a specific explanation such as “no artificial ingredients; minimally processed.” All fresh meat qualifies as natural. This term does not include any requirements that animals be raised in sufficient open space or that it has no added hormones or antibiotic; it is not the same as organic. The term can mislead consumers to think that the product is healthier and more humane than it is. Processed meats such as ham, bacon and hot dogs often contain nitrates, which are added to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and to enhance color. Eating meat that has been treated with nitrates may increase the risk of cancer and other health problems. Vegetable-based nitrates (e.g., celery, salt) are a safer bet. Food labeled organic must be third-party certified to meet USDA’s criteria. Organic foods cannot be irradiated, genetically modified or grown using synthetic fertilizers, chemicals or sewage sludge. Organic meat and poultry cannot be treated with hormones or antibiotics and must be fed only organically grown feed (with no animal byproducts). Organic meat animals must have access to the outdoors, and ruminants must have access to pasture. There are two ways to identify organic fruits and veggies: by the “100% organic” or “organic” label and by the unique Price Look-Up (PLU) code sticker. (link to Enviroblog post on this: http://www.enviroblog.org/2009/09/are-you-looking-for-the-9-when-you-produce.html Instead of a 4-digit number beginning with a “4,” organic produce has a 5-digit number that begins with a “9.” Animals raised in a pasture can roam freely in their natural environment, where they are able to eat nutritious grasses and other plants that their bodies are adapted to digest. There is no specific pasture-raised certification, though certified organic meat must come from animals that have continuous access to pasture. In addition to sodium, artificial coloring and flavor enhancers, processed meats often contain preservatives, such as nitrites, to reduce foodborne illness retard spoilage from microorganisms and rancidity from fat oxidation. Examples are: sausage, bacon, smoked ham, hot dogs, packaged lunchmeats, pepperoni and salami. Note: You won’t see the word “processed’ on the label! The American Cancer Society and the World Cancer Research Fund recommend limiting consumption of processed meats; research has linked them to colorectal, kidney and stomach cancer. These products are from animals not treated with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), also known as recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST). rGBH is a genetically engineered hormone approved by the FDA in 1993 that when injected into cows artificially increases milk production by 10 to 15 percent. There are health concerns for both cows and humans exposed to the drug. Buying organic dairy products is another way to avoid rGBH since its use does not meet the organic criteria. This is one of the two main types of fats that appear in foods. Unlike unsaturated fat, it has no double bonds between carbon atoms in its chemical structure, so the fatty acids are saturated with hydrogen. Fat is a necessary part of a healthy diet, but excessive saturated fat has been associated with health problems. Fats in animal-based foods are predominantly saturated. The World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urge people to limit intake of saturated fat. This chemical preservative and color fixative is typically added to processed meats to lengthen shelf life, make the color more appealing and add a smoky flavor. Processed meats made without these additives are safer; they are likely “cured” with naturally occurring vegetable-based nitrates that are less harmful to human health. The “wild fish” label indicates that the fish was spawned in the wild, lived in the wild and was caught in the wild. “Wild-caught fish” may have been spawned or lived some part of their lives in a fish farm before being returned to the wild and eventually caught. For sustainable fish, consult the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s list of the most sustainable seafood choices, or look for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) label.
Cage-free
Certified Humane
Farmed Fish
Free-range
Grass-fed
Hormone-free/No added hormones
Lean/Extra Lean
Natural
No nitrites/nitrates
Organic
Pasture-raised
Processed meats
rBGH-free
Saturated Fat
Sodium nitrate/nitrite-free
Wild-caught/Wild Fish
8 rules to hydration
Finding something healthy to drink used to be as simple as turning on the faucet, but now even water is complicated. You can choose from bottled or tap, sweetened naturally or artificially, vitamin-enhanced or subtly flavored. “There are more types of water beverages on the market today than ever before,” says Gary Hemphill, managing director of the Beverage Marketing Corporation, a research and consulting firm. “People want healthy options, including fewer calories, natural ingredients and added benefits.” But does your latte count toward your fluid needs? Can water help you lose weight? And just how much is a person really supposed to drink? Read on for the answers. 1. You don’t really need to drink eight glasses of water a day. The 8-glasses recommendation is not a hard-and-fast rule, says Heidi Skolnik, MS, a certified dietitian-nutritionist and coauthor ofNutrient Timing for Peak Performance. The Institute of Medicine recommends that women have about 11½ cups of fluids a day (15½ for men), but at least 20 percent of that typically comes from what you eat, taking the drinkable number down to about 9 cups. And remember, a cup isn’t much, just 8 ounces (a standard soda can is 12). But don’t get obsessed with the numbers. “Your needs fluctuate from day to day depending on how active you are, what types of foods you’re eating and how often, and what the weather is like,” says Skolnik. A better way to judge your water needs: Take a quick glance down the next time you’re in the ladies’ room. “If you’re hydrating right, you should be going every two to three hours and your pee should be a lemonade color,” she adds. If it looks more like apple juice and is a bit pungent, get sipping. 2. Drinking coffee—or any caffeinated beverage—won’t make you dehydrated. “In the past few years, research has shown that caffeine does not have the same drastic diuretic effect we once thought,” says Michael Bergeron, PhD, director of the National Institute for Athletic Health and Performance at the Sanford University of South Dakota Medical Center. In fact, one study found that caffeine only causes you to urinate as much as drinking waterdoes. So 8 ounces of joe is still 8 ounces of fluid, and every drop of it counts. 3. Water alone isn’t a weight-loss aid. For those of you chugging water thinking it’s going to help melt off those pounds, better not concentrate all of your efforts there. “There’s no scientific evidence that drinking water is going to make you feel fuller,” says weight-loss researcher Barbara Rolls, PhD, a professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State University and the author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan. Her research found that water helps when it’s part of a high-volume food like a vegetable or soup. One of her recent studies found that women who ate vegetables like broccoli in place of more calorie-dense foods like rice or meat ate significantly fewer calories overall. “Water-rich foods look bigger, and that can help trick your brain into thinking you’re eating more than you really are,” adds Dr. Rolls. What drinking enough can do is ensure you’re not mistaking thirst for hunger, which can help keep your appetite in check. “Having any no-calorie drink while you eat can help you slow down so you’re not just attacking your food,” explains Skolnik. 4. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. The thirst mechanism usually kicks in when you’re about 1 to 2 percent dehydrated—measured by a change in body weight based on sweat loss. Your body maintains a certain amount of sodium in the blood and overall fluid, and if either one of those levels is out of whack, the thirst sensors in your brain will send warning signs that it’s time to drink up. Actual dehydration happens when you’ve lost at least 2 percent of your body weight, but you can feel the effects (headaches, nausea, dizziness) sooner. So make sure to drink up all day long. 5. You can drink too much water. “Drinking water faster than your kidneys can process it can upset the balance of electrolytes in your blood, possibly causing swelling in the brain, seizures, coma and even death,” says Dr. Bergeron. In 2007, a California woman died of water intoxication after drinking nearly 2 gallons of water in three hours as part of a radio contest to see who could drink the most water without urinating. On a less dramatic level, overhydration can have some of the same warning signs of dehydration, including nausea and headaches. Although it’s unlikely that in the normal course of life you’ll overhydrate to a dangerous level, keep in mind that your kidneys can process no more than 1 liter (34 ounces) per hour. So don’t drink too much at once. 6. You don’t need a sports drink every time you exercise. Heading out for a 30-minute power walk? You probably don’t need to guzzle down a Gatorade. “Sports drinks have a place if you’re exercising intensely for an hour or more, or sweating profusely,” says Skolnik. “Otherwise you probably already have all the carbs and electrolytes you need.” Consider this: A brisk 30-minute walk burns about 170 calories; 2 cups of a sports drink has 100 calories. Which means that about 60 percent of your workout expenditure just went down your throat. 7. Cold water is no better for you to drink than warm. Another weight-loss misconception: Your body has to work harder to absorb cold water, which will speed up be well now your metabolism. “There’s no scientific data to back this up,” says Lona Sandon, RD, an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. “The change in your metabolism is so negligible that it won’t make a real difference one way or another.” If cold tastes better, you’re more likely to sip it, so go ahead and add the ice. To boost your metabolism, hit the gym. 8. All plain bottled water is basically the same. The bottles may look different, but water is essentially water. What is different is the source. Some is bottled municipal tap water (like Aquafina or Dasani), some comes from natural springs (like Poland Spring), some is imported from natural water supplies (like Fiji Water or Evian). Bottom line: It comes down to price, convenience and taste. (One exception is Smartwater, which is tap water enhanced with electrolytes.)8 Rules of Hydration
Find out how much water your body really needs—and how to get it
By Alyssa Shaffer Posted June 29, 2010 from Woman's Day August 2010
8 Calorie-Burning Myths Debunked
When it comes to losing weight, we all do some pretty wacky things to burn a few extra calories, like “forgetting” to eat before the gym, scarfing down celery by the bunch and jogging half naked in the winter (OK, maybe not the last one.) The bad news? Most of these strategies are a waste of time and, worse, may even stall weight loss. To help uncover the truth about burning calories, we’ve turned to diet and fitness pros to discover which habits to skip—and what you should be doing instead. 1. Celery, cucumbers and iceberg lettuce have negative calories.
The concept goes something like this: some veggies are so low in calories that they require more energy to digest than they contain. The result? Eating celery, cucumbers or iceberg lettuce can give you a “negative calorie balance.” Sounds great in theory, but “the calories you need for digestion won’t ever exceed the number of calories any type of food contains,” says Los Angeles-based nutritionist LeeAnn Smith Weintraub, RD. However, these non-starchy, low-calorie veggies can still help you lose weight since their fiber and water content will keep you feeling full for longer. So go ahead and pile them on generously when you hit the salad bar for lunch. Photo: iStock 2. Doing cardio on an empty stomach burns more total fat for the day.
It sounds like it makes sense: Your body needs energy for a morning run, so not eating beforehand forces your body to dip into its fat stores for fuel, allowing you to burn more fat. Exercise physiologist Brad Schoenfeld, CSCS, author of Women’s Home Workout Bible, spent years researching the theory, hoping to confirm it as fact. Instead, he found that while you do burn more calories from fat if you exercise sans snack, ultimately it doesn’t matter because, as he notes in the Strength and Conditioning Journal, “if you burn more fat during a workout, your body physiologically adjusts to burn less fat post-exercise—and vice versa. So it all evens out.” Sports nutritionist Cassie Dimmick, RD, adds, to eat or not to eat before a workout is a personal preference, but "most experts advocate pre-gym noshing because it provides the fuel you need to exercise longer and harder and therefore burn more calories.” She recommends opting for a filling, nutrient-rich snack, such as a piece of fruit, applesauce or a slice of whole wheat toast with peanut butter. Photo: Martin Mark Soerensen / Thinkstock 3. All calories are created equal.
You’ve heard “a calorie is a calorie,” meaning your body processes them all the same way regardless of where they come from. But not so fast: 100 calories of chocolate cake are not the same as 100 calories of carrots. As it turns out, your body burns nearly 50% more calories after eating a meal packed with whole foods versus an equivalent meal made of processed fare, according to a 2010 study published in the health journal Food & Nutrition Research. During manufacturing, processed foods are broken down and stripped of many nutrients, making it easier for the body to digest them. On the other hand, whole foods, such as multigrain bread, apples or zucchini, contain good-for-you nutrients like fiber that the body has to work overtime to break down, temporarily boosting metabolism. Plus, “eating smarter calories via foods packed with filling fiber or satisfying protein, like a chicken breast instead of potato chips, will help you naturally eat less over time,” explains Weintraub. Photo: Shutterstock 4. Always work out in the fat burning zone.
The "fat burning zone” has a nice ring to it, right? Using this function on cardio machines keeps you working out at a slow, steady pace—around 60% to 70% of your maximum heart rate—and this low-intensity form of exercise is thought to help your body burn a higher percentage of calories from fat. (So if you burn 100 total calories, 60 of those may come from fat and 40 from carbohydrates in your body.) The problem? The total number of calories burned is the only thing that matters—not what type of calories—and working out at a low intensity ultimately burns fewer calories since you're not pushing yourself as hard as you should be. In order to maximize calorie burn (and, ultimately, fat loss) in less time, do high intensity interval training instead, says Schoenfeld. To try it, alternate one or two minutes of easy running (or pedaling) with a quick one-minute burst of speed (you should be breathing heavily at the end of the interval.) Repeat intervals for a total of 20 minutes, and do two to three interval workouts per week for the best results. Bonus: Studies show intense workout sessions stoke metabolism for up to 24 hours after you've left the gym, burning at least 100 extra calories throughout the day, Schoenfeld says. Photo: Ron Chapple / Thinkstock 5. To lose weight, you should only focus on cardio.
When it comes to dropping pounds, the first thing many of us think about is sweating it out by running or cycling. However, “strength training actually has more of an effect on helping you lose weight than cardio,” says Schoenfeld. Charleene O’Connor, a Florida-based personal trainer, agrees: “There’s a reason that if you go into a gym, you’ll see lean people lifting weights,” she says. “Building lean muscle raises your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories when you’re doing anything, whether that’s running or just sitting at your desk.” But that doesn’t mean that you should abandon your cardio routine. Cardio workouts keep your heart-health in check and burn lots of calories in little time, so continue to hit up your favorite Spin class—just keep in mind that a routine that mixes cardio and one or two strength workouts a week is the best way to maximize results. Photo: Ron Chapple / Thinkstock 6. Eating six small meals a day boosts your metabolism.
While most of us were raised with the notion that we should eat three square (read: large) meals a day, many people now believe that it's better to eat smaller portions more frequently in order to help keep your metabolism stoked all day. But does grazing on six mini meals really burn more calories? While conflicting evidence does exist, a 2009 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found no differences in weight loss among dieters who ate three or six times a day (total daily calories was the same for both groups). And, after reviewing 18 studies on the topic, the International Society of Sports Nutrition concluded that meal frequency doesn’t boost metabolism or encourage weight loss. However, researchers did note that eating frequently may help keep between-meal hunger at bay. Bottom line? Settle on an eating plan that keeps you satisfied and full so you're less likely to binge due to hunger. “I find that many of my clients do well with three regular meals and one or two small snacks,” notes Weintraub. Photo: Shutterstock 7. Working out in cold weather burns more calories.
OK – we'll admit that this one’s half true. Because shivering from cold temperatures revs up calorie burn, you will torch more as your body works to heat itself up. However, the difference is negligible at best, says O’Connor. “Trying to shiver away calories is not a smart—or effective—strategy,” says Schoenfeld. So when the mercury plummets, be smart and bundle up—the miniscule bump in calorie burn isn’t worth increasing your risk of frostbite or hypothermia. Photo: Shutterstock 8. You have to burn 250 calories every time you work out in order to lose weight.
To lose a pound a week, you have to cut 500 calories a day, and some health experts suggest achieving that by eating 250 fewer calories while burning 250 more daily. However, losing weight isn’t about what you burn day-to-day, but rather what you do over the course of a week—or even a month—allowing you the flexibility to make up for days when your diet gets derailed. That means if you’re not feeling well one day and skip a workout, it won’t make a big difference in the long run, says Schoenfeld. The next day, just stay at the gym 10 minutes longer or try a higher-intensity yoga class. “As long as you’re burning more calories in the long term, you’ll lose weight,” he says. Photo: Shutterstock8 Calorie-Burning Myths Debunked
Learn the truth about negative calories, working out on an empty stomach and more
By Jessica Girdwain Posted August 04, 2011 from WomansDay.com
