Saturday, April 11, 2009

Green Tea, Can It Actually Reverse The Aging Process?

Lately there has been a lot of talk about green tea and its superior antioxidant abilities or effects. Numerous products are now hitting the shelves from vitamins to nail polish treatments all with hints of green tea advertised all over them. The question though is can green tea really reverse the aging process?

Many scientists and doctors are currently researching this perplexing situation. It is well believed that green tea has antioxidant polyphenols like ECGC that do display the ability to ward off and even retard certain cancers and precancers like actinic keratoses.

I have to say certain cancers because only a few types of cancers have been scientifically tested to date. This is due to the continuously growing astronomical costs of medical research and the fact that this sort of testing takes years before results are accepted as proven. Many stages of research will also be required before much human testing can be done.

From the current research, though we can elucidate that green tea has remarkable antioxidant properties and has been proven to prevent and retard mouth and laryngeal cancers. This is due to the fact that the polyphenols contained in green tea inhibit the free radicals produced by cellular activities and environmental damage (like from UV radiation). These free radicals when left on their own actually cause aging.

Various antioxidants from fruits like Goji and acai berries, blueberries and grapes to black, white and green teas have been found to exhibit excellent abilities in slowing down or stopping the damage caused by these free radicals.

Only one antioxidant, however, has actually been proven to reverse free radical damage, the polyphenols of green tea. Some people say that to experience the great antioxidant and free radical quelshing properties of green tea that one must drink large, copious and unrealistic amounts. This is not true.

In one experiment it was shown that just chewing the leaves has the ability to ward off and reverse or retard oral cancer. In another experiment in Japan a salve was prepared from minced green tea leaves and applied to patients that were burned from radiation exposure. The salve was found to promote healing, reduce scarring and retard cancerous and precancerous cellular growth.

That should be enough to state that green tea does exhibit great antioxidant abilities and that since free radicals are what bring on the aging process that green tea polyphenols like ECGC can inhibit these free radicals and quite possibly inhibit the aging process. There is even a story of a Chinese herbalist whom lived 252 years because they ate Goji berries every day. Goji berries are revered for their high levels of antioxidants.

Now, since this story cannot be proven and is just lore we cannot accept that as fact, but green tea has one of the highest levels of antioxidants of any natural food or supplement and therefore should be seen as a great antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-aging treatment with great potential whether it be in the form of hot tea, leaves for chewing, or a salve for exterior application.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/

Friday, February 13, 2009

3 Best Acne Anti Aging Skin Care Solutions

If you want a radiant and younger looking skin, this article will help you get the basics right. You might think that you can solve your skin problems by grabbing that expensive product or by undergoing a painful cosmetic surgery. But fact of the matter is, simple changes in your lifestyle can act as a good acne anti aging skin care solution. A clear, blemish free skin symbolizes youth and health, therefore all of us desire to have radiant and glowing complexion. For radiant skin you need to take proper care of your skin and it is important for you to follow health practices. This article will show you 3 best acne anti aging skin care solutions you can try practically wherever you are.

#1: Change your diet

Make sure you stop consuming fried food; instead switch to food that is rich in fiber. Raw vegetables and fruits are a great way to cleanse your body; they will help in bringing a healthy glow to your skin. For younger looking skin you should consume anti-oxidant rich fruits and vegetables, and it’s advisable to use olive oil when cooking meals. Fish is particularly good for your skin as it contains omega fatty acids. Make sure you eat decent amounts of fish like salmon, or tuna on a regular basis for firmer skin. It’s also wise to drink lots of water and fresh juice for healthy looking skin, and try to avoid aerated or carbonated drinks as much as possible. Also, it is a good option to stay away from chocolate and coffee. Try green tea and other herbal tea instead; they not only refresh, but also energize you to keep you going the entire day. Fish oil and primrose oil can help you balance hormones and can also lead to a younger, radiant skin. Consuming these wonder oils can improve skin tone, texture and moisture.

#2: Wash your face regularly

You should wash your face whenever possible. If you live in a region where you tend to perspire a lot, it is advisable to keep washing your face every couple of hours. Perspiration leads to the growth of certain type of bacteria which encourages the growth of pimples on your face. You can use a mild soap to wash your face; try and wash your face more than twice a day preferably with an oil-free cleanser. Also, it is crucial that you wash your face before going to bed. This way you can remove all the impurities collected throughout the day, and washing your face once you get up can help your skin rejuvenate itself. That said, do not overdo the washing or your skin may lose its protective layer of natural oils.

#3: Avoid rubbing your face.

Don’t ever rub the acne affected area; rubbing would make the situation even worse. It could lead to irritation and when it does clear up with time, it will leave back spots which can be difficult to get rid of. For great skin, all you need to do after washing your face is pat it dry with the help of a soft towel. Do not use hard towels and scrubbers on your face. If you want you can put medication on the affected area once your face dries. Cleansing your face may give you good results as well.

The abovementioned 3 acne anti aging skin care solutions can help you get younger looking skin in no time. But remember, beauty starts from within; therefore make sure to follow a healthy lifestyle to get the glowing and radiant skin you have always wanted.

Authors : Ray A. Rubio

http://www.isnare.com/?aid=315612&ca=Aging

An Exercise Plan For Older People That’s Proving Promising

So much of the time we hear about exciting research… valuable scientific finds… and then nothing more. Does anyone take what is learned in the lab and try and apply it to the real world to get results for real people?

Researchers at the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health, collaborating with those at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health (HSC) have done just that. The teams have recently completed evaluating data from the Active for Life® program — finding that exercise plans for older people that have been tested in the labs can actually be implemented by organizations in the community.

Active for Life® is involved with taking promising research based techniques and bringing them into community settings.

This program, funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and based at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health is intended to encourage physical activity among mature adults — particularly middle aged and older people among us who lead a rather sedentary lifestyle.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tells us that Americans can increase their number of healthy years just by living a healthy lifestyle — including eating right, not smoking and being more active.
Sadly, almost 64% of adults age 65 and older don’t get the 30 minutes of exercise per day recommended to keep aging bodies in top form. The need to get more people up and moving is serious, which is why the team feels so strongly about delivering lab tested programs to people who can truly benefit.

The program involved studying data on participants in two Active for Life® programs, Active Choices or Active Living Every Day.

Active Choices uses telephone coaching that follows a face to face meeting to create an activity plan, supply exercise logs and a pedometer and set goals for getting active in everyday life. The client receives regular mail and telephone “pep talks” for six months to help build habits and reinforce changes. The focus of this approach is an individualized program with lasting support, but the participant is also invited to regular health events

Active Living Every Day, the other program studied, involves a six month intervention that uses facilitated group sessions to help participants find ways to get regular activity into their daily routine. The goal is to learn how to find the time for 30 minutes of moderately intense activity on most days. The encouragement of the group, kept small by design, forms a wonderful support system that lasts long after the program ends.

The team of researchers, among them Dr. Sara Wilcox of the University of South Carolina, looked at data on just about 6,000 subjects from 12 different sites, who were part of these programs from 2003 to 2007.

The team found that the programs produced significant increases in the total amount of physical activity, and improvements in intensity, moderate to vigorous intensity in particular. Those in the Active Living Every Day also reported a lower level of stress and depression (probably due to the social support structure created around the study).

Participants in both programs showed more satisfaction with their body appearance and function, and small drops in weight as well.

"This initiative was different because it showed that community-based organizations could put these two programs in place, reach a large number of older adults, and produce meaningful changes." says Wilcox.

Meaningful changes like:

- help controlling weight.
- contributing to healthy bones, muscles and joints.
- reducing falls among the elderly.
- lessening anxiety and depression.
- reducing the need for hospitalizations, doctor visits and medicines.

Even those who are frail or old could see an improvement in their condition by getting started with an exercise plan. Slowly and sensibly of course. The findings from the Active for Life® program are published in the October issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Authors : Kirsten Whittaker

http://www.isnare.com/?aid=317496&ca=Aging

Stay Young With Andorra’s Secrets For a Longer Life

Is it any wonder that the natives of Andorra have the longest life expectancy in the world? Clean air. Take your breath away mountain views. Well off, with nearly non-existent levels of crime (one prison with 50 inmates for the whole country), over 700 years of peace and a temperate climate of cold snowy winters and warm, dry summers; this tiny nation may indeed hold the secret to stay young, live longer and better.

At just 2.5 times the size of Washington, D.C., the country sits tucked between France and Spain, a landlocked nation of narrow valleys surrounded by the staggering Pyrenees mountains.

With a population of just over 82,000, Andorra has been a democracy since March 1993. Tourism accounts for 80% of the income of this well-to-do country, the banking sector; with its “tax haven” status also contributes to the prosperity of the country.

And if all this makes you want to pull up stakes and move… this next bit of news will surely tip the scales. Andorrans live longer than anyone else in the world according to the World Health Organization. The average life expectancy for natives in this almost hidden little country is 83.5 years — compared to U.S. life expectancy of 78.14 and the United Kingdom’s 78.85.

Maybe we could learn a thing or two from these people.

Recently BBC reporter Paul Henley made a brief visit to this mountainous country recently to try and find out what sets them apart from the rest of the world. And what he found were plenty of reasons for the long, healthy lives of Andorra’s population.

For starters, there is a great emphasis on staying physically active. These people do hard, active work well past the age we’d retire. Every one of the seven parishes of the country has state of the art public (free to use) leisure centers.

It’s not uncommon to see people in their 80s and 90s very active — either taking fitness classes at the centers, taking care of cattle in rough terrain or in some other active occupation.

Another important difference is the diet…

In Andorra people tend to eat the classic Mediterranean diet — lean meats, fresh veggies, fruits, olive oil is used in cooking.

People know what’s healthy and seek it out. Restaurants offer delicious healthy foods as well. Interestingly, Andorrans do drink a good deal of red wine (even in the hospital), and continue to smoke cigarettes — completely unexpected considering their longevity numbers.

One other key to living longer here is the quality of the health care the citizens receive. The World Health Organization estimates that Andorra has the third best public health system in the world. The same report ranks the UK as 24th, Canada at 35th and the U.S. 72nd.

The hospital appeared to reporter Henley more like a private clinic, and the doctor’s there are now used to performing surgery on people in their eighties and nineties.

“They go back to their normal lives. And a very frequent question, before the operation, is ‘how soon will I be able to walk in the mountains again, to tend my garden, to go into the woods and gather mushrooms?”” says Luis Pallares, an Andorran consulting surgeon.

Centuries of peace and a lack of violent crime complete the picture, giving Andorran citizens a peace of mind and ability to compromise that may well be part of the secret that allows them to stay young and has them living so much longer.

Authors : Kirsten Whittaker

http://www.isnare.com/?aid=317470&ca=Aging

Tips When Buying Tea Clothing For Your Aging Baby

Tips When Buying Tea Clothing for Your Aging Baby

If you are a first-time mom, you really want to buy more tea clothing for the first baby as an after effect of your excitement. To give you an idea on how to shop for tea clothing, here are some tips on how to avoid wastage of money and materials.

Avoid Buying Many Sets of Sizes for Newborns

It is more advisable to purchase just a few pairs for your baby. After all, your baby will grow fast and the newborn sizes will no longer fit to your baby in a month. You might want to keep tags of the tea clothing to guide you whether your newborn can still wear that size.

Check for Easy Opening

To make it easy for you to change your baby, choose tea clothes that have full snap bottom opening or maybe with a zipper long enough at the front of the tea clothes. If the tea baby clothing is meant for a pull over the head of the baby, make sure that the opening of the neck are stretchy enough to avoid tugging it over to your baby’s head. It is a precautionary measure, although your baby is able to bend in quite a lot of shapes. It will be easier for you to change your baby without having to go to a contortionist.

Comfort Is the Key

The snaps, elastics, and zippers are the most common sources of your baby’s discomfort when these are not properly placed or are too tight against your baby’s skin. It is advisable to search for tea clothing with a fabric layer between the skin of your baby and the zipper. Be sure the elastics are properly covered. Also, check if there are rough edges in snaps that may be against your baby’s skin.

Layers Are Good for Your Baby

Your baby normally needs an additional layer in his tea clothes compared to kids and adults, unless if the weather’s really hot. There are tea kids clothing available for much bigger kids; all of which do not fit to have additional layers. Select the tea clothing that allows you to put on layer and you can add or take away tea clothes for your baby to feel comfortable. If your place has a cold environment, think about purchasing fleece snowsuit as a replacement for thick and heavy tea clothes. The tea clothing that is bulky is not giving comfort to your baby.

Choose Hazard-free Tea Clothing

Most of the manufacturers of baby clothes have been very careful in the kind of tea clothing that they are producing for babies. However, there are instances when dangerous items just slip through and reached up to the stores. When you are buying tea baby clothes, double check and see if there are loose buttons, appliqués, pulls of zipper that are almost detached, and embellishments that may be chewed. Keep in mind that full drawstrings in baby’s clothes are prohibited as mandated by the safety standards of the federal.

Pure and Honest Kids is the best website to visit when shopping for tea clothing for your baby. They also have other stylish tea clothes that suit your baby’s clothing needs. Other product lines include tea kids clothing.

Authors : Molly Ridenhour

http://www.isnare.com/?aid=321786&ca=Aging