Foods to Break Up Blood Clots Naturally

By admin | Published: December 30, 2010

When you’re young, you don’t necessarily give much thought to your health. You may have the fleeting thought of things that you should do or what your older years may be like, but they are short and sweet. Generally speaking when you are young you tend to be concerned with being in shape and you may head to the doctor for the occasional illness. As you get older, you start to realize just how precious your health really is. The very things that we took for granted when we were young are no longer things that we can take for granted anymore.

Fortunately as you get older and you pay more attention to matters of your health, you are also more in tune to the way in which your body works and what may go wrong. One thing that many people worry about or find to be an issue as they get older is blood clots. Blood clots may form as a result of many different conditions or health issues, and therefore they are quite common. It’s important to try and thin out the blood a bit to ensure that blood clots are not an issue. Though there is medication available for this, you can also find wonderful help from the very foods that you eat.

What’s the Problem with Blood Clots?

Your blood is meant to flow through your body and circulatory system with great ease. When the blood clots, this is indicative that there is a very real problem. There may be something amiss with your circulatory system or with the blood itself. Blood clots may form as a result of injury, of a heart condition, or many other health conditions. The blood clots may occur because of injury to the blood vessels or because there is a blockage in the blood flow. The problem is that oftentimes blood clots may cause or be related to something as serious as a heart attack. Therefore this is a health condition for which an individual needs to take things very seriously.

How Can Food Work?

The great part about turning to food to help break up blood clots is that it works naturally. Any of the food options that you chose help to thin out the blood in the way that it is meant to be. This means that blood flows normally and you take yourself away from any risk that may have been present before. Many times a patient will feel frustrated as they will be told which foods or actions to avoid to prevent blood clots. However they may not be told which foods can actually help work towards keeping the blood flowing naturally without ever having to worry about blood clots as an issue. These foods ensure that Vitamin K is not absorbed into the blood as that can be a real problem towards the development of blood clots.

What Are the Best Foods?

You can find a great number of foods when you see a list and resource such as this. Foods that are high in salicylates are often the best bet for thinning out the blood and ensuring that blood clots do not form. These foods include: strawberries, grapes, blueberries, oranges, prunes, cherries, and a variety of different spices including dill and oregano. Garlic and onions always work well in this capacity, as do those foods that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, olive oil, almonds, and avocados. You can turn to sources of Vitamin E and Vitamin B6 though there is still some discussion as to if these are as effective as the other options. Eating a healthy diet that includes these food options is your best bet for breaking up blood clots naturally.

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Foods to Help Thin the Blood

By admin | Published: December 14, 2010

There are many functions going on within your body that you are likely not even thinking about right now. Your organs are working as they should, your blood is flowing, your heart is pumping-these are all functions that we somehow take for granted. The truth is that when we consider the way in which our bodies work, we may not even give much thought to how things work or the manner in which they do. This is all important to our very well being, but not something that the untrained professional even has knowledge on.

You don’t necessarily stop to think about the way in which things work, unless of course you have some sort of a problem. When you have a health problem, then all bets are off and you want to get as involved as possible in the education of what’s going on within your body. One such area that many people tend to pay much attention to is the thinning of the blood. Though this isn’t always a bad thing, it is something to be mindful of and keep educated on.

What’s the Issue?

Most of the time, we look at thinning of the blood as a rather positive thing. When we try to thin the blood, we are working to avoid blood clots in a variety of different ways. Blood clots can cause the very organs that we depend upon to stop working properly. These clots can create a real danger and lead to many different health conditions. We want to be sure therefore that we work to keep the blood thin enough to move and circulate throughout the body in the manner which it was intended to.

On the flip side, you do want to be mindful however not to thin the blood too much. If you have been prescribed an anticoagulant, you are already using medication to ensure that blood clots do not develop. Any further measures to thin the blood may be dangerous and lead to other health problems. Therefore you want to be careful in your measures and know what you are doing.

What Foods Can Thin the Blood Naturally?

There are a list of foods that can actually help to thin the blood. You want to be sure that this is in your best interest, but if you are working to prevent blood clots then this can be an excellent measure. Here is the list of foods that can help to naturally thin out the blood:

Salicylates: The way in which these work is to help block Vitamin K, and that’s an important part of the process. These substances are found through aspirin or aspirin like substances, but they can naturally occur in some of the foods that we eat. Foods that happen to be high in salicylates include: curry and cayenne pepper, ginger, paprika, thyme, licorice, peppermint, dill, oregano, raisins, cherries, cranberries, tangerines, blueberries, and grapes.

Vitamin E: As you want to be sure that Vitamin K does not get absorbed into the system if you are working to avoid blood clots, this is an important nutrient to take in. Vitamin E works to almost counteract Vitamin K absorption and is therefore an important substance. There are many foods rich in Vitamin E, but be careful of those that are also high in Vitamin K such as spinach because these will create a counter effect.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Not only are these foods important at keeping your blood cholesterol levels in check, but they are also important when it comes to thinning out the blood. Sources of Omega-3 fatty acids include mackerel, salmon, anchovies, walnuts, and avocados.

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What is the Ice Cream Headache?

By admin | Published: December 4, 2010

There are certain foods that trigger great memories. When you eat turkey, it often makes you think of Thanksgiving. There may be some sort of traditional or cultural dish that makes you think of home for the holidays. When you eat a hot dog, it may cause you to think of the ball park or a great baseball game. If you drink a glass of lemonade, it may take you back to a lazy summer day. Another great summer memory is often elicited by eating your favorite ice cream cone.

Nothing reminds you of fun summer days like an ice cream cone or a dish of your favorite flavor. This is what celebrates the season for many people. It also happens to be a favorite sweet treat for many people and so they enjoy it year round. Though it’s high in calories, it’s often so delicious that it’s hard for people to resist. If you’ve eaten ice cream at any point in time, then chances are that you know not to eat it too fast though or else you will suffer.

What is the Ice Cream Headache?

You dig into your favorite ice cream and you do so with great speed because it’s delicious and you want to eat it up. No sooner do you get it to your mouth that you feel that familiar pain that you have faced before. That terrible stabbing pain in your headache slows you down and makes you feel simply awful. So why does this happen? How does the ice cream headache happen anyhow?

Ice cream headaches happen because when something cold touches the roof of your mouth, it triggers that cold headache. This in turn causes a dilation of blood vessels in the head. The dilation may be caused by a nerve center that is located above the roof of your mouth. When this nerve center gets cold, it tends to overreact, and it tries to almost “heat” your brain. So you see the science, but it doesn’t help that awful pain that you suffer each time.

How Do You Avoid It?

Quite simply put, the very best way to avoid the ice cream headache is to slow down with your eating. Easier said than done when you have a bowl of Rocky Road or a cone of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough staring back at you. Though you may be tempted to jump right in, know that it will almost always cause that quick and painful headache. The good news is that the headache usually goes away as quickly as it came on, so the pain that you suffer is short lived. It does happen with other cold substances such as snow cones for example, so know that it’s not just isolated to ice cream cones for the majority of the pain.

Are They Harmful?

Though in that moment you may feel as if your head is about to explode, the reality is that you are going to be just fine. You know that quick and fleeting pain because you have probably felt it before. Everybody from kids to senior citizens is susceptible to ice cream headaches, and therefore they make up a very common reaction to a very frustrating problem. They won’t hurt you and they are just the body’s way of reacting to a nerve being stimulated by a cold substance. So enjoy your ice cream, but dig in a bit slower than usual and you may just be able to avoid the all too common ice cream headache.

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The Connection Between Soy and Estrogen

By admin | Published: November 30, 2010

There is so much conflicting information out there for us to absorb. The truth is that depending on where we get our information from, there may be great conflict to what is filtered in. You may hear something on your favorite news channel that proves a certain fact, then you turn to another channel and it’s a totally different story. It’s hard to grasp and therefore you may feel inundated with very confusing information.

Never is this more true than when it comes to news reports on food. One day you hear that drinking wine or black coffee is good for you. Then the next day you hear that drinking either substance may cause the development of a health condition later on. So what’s a person to do? How do you take in so much information and figure out what is true and what is false? There are a whole lot of myths out there and it can be very confusing for a standard person to understand without a medical degree. This is particularly true when it comes to the connection between soy and estrogen levels-particularly as they result to the development of breast cancer.

So What’s the Real Problem?

When you hear about soy, you tend to think of it as a nutritious and healthy food, right? Well that’s the way that it was for years, until of course studies came out saying that it could increase a woman’s overall estrogen levels and lead to breast cancer. The problem as some experts see it, is that soy happens to be high in phytoestrogens which are plant estrogens. Soy is the most complete plant and source of protein that one can find in nature. However as a result of that, these phytoestrogens are what make this food questionable to some people. If the estrogen levels rise as a result of the consumption of too much soy, then the theory is that there could be a greater chance for the development of breast cancer. Therefore this fact which is still argued in terms of real estrogen levels that can gather in a woman’s body, are still being debated. This is however what has caused so much controversy and disagreement.

How Do You Know What To Do?

A woman may turn to soy as a source of estrogen if she is on hormone replacement therapy, particularly after a hysterectomy or after menopause. She may turn to soy as a source of protein if she is doing her part to avoid eating too much red meat. There are a variety of reasons why a woman may turn to soy as a food source, and therefore the rule of thumb is to avoid consuming too much. Everything is better in moderation, and eating soy in a reasonable amount is believed to be safe. The problem is that many medical experts will disagree on what makes for a reasonable level, and herein lies the problem.

Claims Dismissed By Many

Though some doctors and medical professionals will still look to soy as the “enemy”, many others have dismissed the claims. The amount of soy that would have to be consumed is rather large to cause too much estrogen to develop in the body. Therefore the notion that eating soy will automatically raise estrogen levels, which will in turn lead to breast cancer, is dying down. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, and talk to your doctor if you are concerned. It may be wise to go easy on the soy if you have a family history or predisposition to breast cancer or fluctuating hormone levels. However most medical experts will tell you that soy is a great food to include in the diet, and that it can be done safely.

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Curing Hay Fever and Colds with Food

By admin | Published: November 16, 2010

That runny nose, those itchy eyes, that sneezing and coughing-it must be hay fever season. For many people, certain times of year may be so difficult to make it through because they bring about some terrible and unbearable symptoms. Alternatively just making it through cold and flu season can be difficult for many others. Though the symptoms tend not to last as long with a cold as they for hay fever, there is often very little that you can do to cure the problem and get yourself back on track.

You may feel as if your symptoms will go on forever, but there are ways of getting help. If you feel like you’ve tried every medication out there, then you may need to look for a more natural way of getting help. Know that there is help to be found for both hay fever and colds, but you often want to look at what you are eating to do so. Home remedies, particularly certain foods, can bring about great relief and allow you to feel like yourself much faster.

Is There Anything That You Should Avoid?

One thing that many people fail to think through is the fact that some of the foods that you eat may be actually causing the problems that you have. It goes without saying that a diet loaded with fatty or fried foods, or those rich in additives and preservatives aren’t good for you. Not only can they cause you to feel run down, but they can also ensure that your body doesn’t even work properly. This can contribute to the development of a cold or even make your hay fever worse. There may also be foods that you eat that you are actually allergic to without even realizing it. These may cause the allergic reaction that you are familiar with and therefore you want to do your part to really analyze your diet. Foods that are common include wheat, gluten, sugar, and even dairy.

What Are Some Surprises?

One of the best food sources to turn to for help with hay fever and cold symptoms include those that are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Foods in this category include avocado, walnuts, almonds, flaxseed, salmon, and olive oil can be excellent for getting rid of the symptoms of both a cold and hay fever. Another substance that many people don’t realize the healing effects of are hot peppers. The active ingredient in these is called querticin and though you may not have ever heard of it, you will quickly realize the healing effects of it when your symptoms go away. You may also find that reishi mushrooms tend to act as a natural antihistamine.

Stick With Some of the Basics Too

There are some tried but true methods to getting rid of the symptoms of a cold or hay fever. Turning to food that are rich in Vitamin C and beta carotene will provide tremendous help. Foods such as sweet potatoes, spinach, oranges, lemons, kale, and green beans tend to be favorites for relieving symptoms. Turning to garlic is a tried and true method and it proves to be quite helpful time and time again. Garlic has natural antiseptic and antibiotic properties and this will make your symptoms go away much faster and more naturally. You may also find that yogurt works tremendously well as it happens to have a natural antihistamine effect.

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The Connection Between Meat and Kidney Stones

By admin | Published: November 6, 2010

There has been an increase in vegetarians in the past few years. You see new websites and recipe books popping up each and every day that speak to the vegetarian. Those who have giving up meat for some reason or another seem to be in some sort of elite club. There are however still a good majority of people who eat meat. They may enjoy the taste of it or be simply unable to deny themselves a big juicy burger from time to time.

Though many of us are eating healthier, we also tend to turn to meat as a main protein source. The truth of the matter is that there are plenty of other sources of protein out there, but many of us are unwilling or unable to find them and utilize them. So though many communities and organizations alike try to convince people to quit eating meat or at least limit their intake, some people aren’t budging. This is a very personal choice; however it can at some point influence your overall health. Learning what these instances are is an important part of the process and will help you to make the very best decisions for your overall health.

Meat and Kidney Stones

Though it’s not necessarily a certainty, there is a very strong connection between meat and kidney stones. First and foremost, any excess amount of protein in the body can lead to the development of kidney stones. Secondly many meats that people eat tend to be very high in fat and that can also contribute to the problem. When people hear initially that there is a connection between too much meat and the potential development of kidney stones, they tend to panic. Though this is understandable, it is important to understand that this connection does not result in an absolute certainty. If you consider that there are plenty of people out there who eat meat and never develop kidney stones, then you want to be sure that you dig much deeper for this information.

Are You Already Prone?

The key to understanding how this works is to determine if you are prone to developing kidney stones in the first place. Too much protein or even fat for that matter in the system won’t necessarily cause kidney stones to develop. However if you happen to be prone to kidney stones through a family history or genetics, another health condition, or any other factors, then you may have something to be concerned with. If you are in fact prone to the development of kidney stones, then you may want to really watch your meat consumption. You may want to eliminate or at the very least cut back on red meat consumption as it puts an unhealthy amount of fat and protein into the system. This is all bad because the actual calcium stones that develop can do so as a result of too much animal protein in the body. Though this isn’t the only factor, it most certainly accounts for a fair amount of cases of kidney stones.

Learn Your Options

If you want to avoid the potential development of kidney stones or if you simply want to lead a healthier lifestyle, do your part to cut down on your meat consumption. This doesn’t mean that you have to go completely vegetarian, but you can make some simple adjustments. Limit your red meat consumption as it can be rather high in fat. Consider having a few meals a week that utilize other protein sources such as beans, soy, or legumes which present a nice healthy alternative to animal protein. These are changes that are good towards the prevention of kidney stones, and towards a healthier lifestyle in general.

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Good and Bad Foods for Ulcers

By admin | Published: October 30, 2010

There are some health conditions for which you have control over, and some for which you do not. When it comes to certain stomach conditions, you often have a good amount of control over the symptoms that you may suffer from. Fortunately making some dietary changes or lifestyle adjustments can be an important part of healing what ails you. When it comes to something like an ulcer, this may be something genetic and therefore rather unavoidable in many instances.

Though you may not be able to control the onset or occurrence of the ulcer itself, you can do your part to avoid any flare ups with that ulcer. Though ulcers may develop, often without your control or knowledge, the reality of the situation is that you want to control the symptoms or the irritation of what is already there. You may live for years without any real problems or associated flare ups, but then they come out of nowhere. Though the ulcer may be there to stay, you may very well be able to get things under control utilizing the right tools and methods.

Avoid The Ulcer from Worsening

Though the ulcer may be there to stay, there is much you do to control just how bad it is. As you can see here and from many recent studies there is little connection between the development of ulcers and the foods that you eat. This is contrary to what many doctors and patients alike believe, but is important to remember when it comes to prevention. Though the ulcer may be present, it’s on you as a patient to do your part in preventing the ulcer from getting worse. This is due in large part to the foods that you eat and the lifestyle that you lead, and this is something for which you do maintain a great deal of control. So rather than worrying about prevention of the ulcer, it may be wiser to worry about controlling your symptoms or preventing the ulcer from getting any worse.

The Right Foods Can Help

Eating a healthy and nutritious diet just makes good sense and falls in line with a proper healthy lifestyle. However many wonder what makes up a good healthy diet. One that contains the right amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, low fat dairy products, and the right kinds of fat is just what the doctor ordered. Opting for fiber rich foods will help to keep the gastrointestinal tract working properly and ensure that you do not suffer from the common flare ups or other symptoms that are common with ulcers. Eating balanced meals in smaller amounts more frequently throughout the day can be of great help as well. Making the right food choices and opting for things on the food pyramid for example are what will help you to live comfortably and pain free with an ulcer.

Avoiding the Wrong Foods

Though there is little that you can do to avoid the ulcer from forming, there is much you can do to prevent it from flaring up or causing problems. Avoiding bad food choices is a big part of this and therefore you must consider what this in fact means. Staying away from fatty or fried foods, overly acidic foods, or those foods that contain little nutritional value but much fat and a whole lot of calories can help to guide you. Avoiding potential triggers such as alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco which can ultimately burn the ulcers and make the symptoms unbearable is always a wise choice. Enjoying your meals rather than gulping them down is another wise choice.

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Foods that Can Cause and Help Heartburn

By admin | Published: October 16, 2010

Have you ever had that terrible feeling? The one in which your stomach feels like it’s almost filled with acid. Then it often travels up to the throat where you feel a sort of burning that is indescribable and so very difficult to contend with. The truth is that acid stomach and heartburn are very closely related in their symptoms and their cause. You may be prone to this type of upset, or you may be reacting to something that you ate. Even stress can cause that sort of burn and pain and therefore it’s very important to keep under control if you wish to be and stay healthier.

There happen to be certain foods that can cause heartburn or an upset stomach, and therefore you need to be in tune to these. There are also certain foods that can actually help this same upset and burn, and therefore you want to stay on top of that as well. If you want to maintain a healthier outlook and avoid that upset stomach, know what to eat and what not to eat.

Foods That Are Off Limits

There are certain foods that are common culprits for causing heartburn and acid stomach. You may have eaten these without any problem in the past. You may have even recognized that they caused an upset stomach but assumed that it was an isolated incident. Knowing what these foods are, recognizing that they work as common triggers, and knowing how to avoid or limit them can be very important.

Chocolate happens to be a very common food that causes heartburn or upset stomach. It’s not just limited to chocolate specifically because it may be anything with caffeine. Theobromine is the chemical found in chocolate that can cause to the heartburn, and you want to know about this so that you know how to avoid it. This relaxes the esophageal sphincter and allows acid to flow back up into the throat. So if you have problems with chocolate or caffeine for that matter, you are not alone and now you know why.

Fried or fatty foods can also be delicious, as well as calorie laden. These foods slow down your digestion and wreak havoc on your overall gastrointestinal tract. They are also loaded with fat, particularly if you have a fatty food that is fried on top of it. These foods can be very difficult to contend with and therefore are suggested to stay away from if you have ever suffered from acid stomach or heartburn of any kind.

Acidy foods can be another very common culprit. The very acid that they contain are what can cause the same sort of reaction within your stomach. So foods such as citrus fruits or tomatoes can cause as much acid coming back up as they did going down. If you want to avoid heartburn, then stay away from these acidy choices. It only makes good common sense and can work to prevent any problems down the road.

Other substances such as alcohol or tobacco can cause an acid stomach as well. They weaken the digestive tract and can cause acid to enter into the esophagus where it does not belong. Avoiding alcohol and tobacco is a good idea in general for your health and well being, and especially when it comes to heartburn.

So What Can Really Help?

First and foremost, you should bump up your fiber intake if you want to help any sort of acid stomach that you are working to avoid. Fiber can help to keep the stomach and the gastrointestinal tract working as it should, and should ensure that no acid backs up into the system where it does not belong.

Another important food to consider is milk. Drinking a glass of milk after eating a potential trigger food can work wonders in calming things down. It can keep restore the balance and get the system working normally again. This is the most common food to look to if you happen to be suffering from any sort of heartburn or related problem.

Keeping a healthy diet with the right food choices can be the single best way to ensure that heartburn doesn’t return. Avoiding large meals is an important way to keep heartburn away. So too is doing your part not to eat too close to bed time, as that will help you to avoid that pain and burn.

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Choosing a Natural Allergy Treatment

By admin | Published: October 15, 2010

Allergies can be a seasonal annoyance or, for some people, a year round problem.  Many people are turning to natural allergy treatment to take care of allergy symptoms and avoid taking drugs constantly.  Choosing a natural allergy treatment means avoiding many side effects that are common to allergy medications, such as drowsiness and lightheadedness.  Allergy treatment shouldn’t leave you unable to function; natural allergy treatment is a good way to avoid this.

Plenty of herbs and other natural remedies for allergies have been shown to be effective in treating allergies.  Some common teas, including chamomile and green tea, have antihistamine effects.  Ginger and garlic are also popular options for a natural approach to treating allergies.  These are simple to use and completely safe, as well as being free of unwanted side effects.

You can use natural allergy treatment to directly deal with symptoms of allergies.  Apply oatmeal to skin reactions, or try a saline nasal spray to clear nasal passages and help reduce inflammation.  These sprays wash pollen and other allergens out of the nose for quicker reduction of the reaction.

Choosing a natural allergy treatment is easy if you know what kind of allergies you have and how to best fight the annoying symptoms of a reaction.  These safe treatments are the best choice if you are worried about side effects, and generally work best for people with milder allergies.  Severe allergies may be dangerous and even life threatening, so continue to follow your doctor’s advice for the best way to treat them.

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The Best Home Remedies for Allergies

By admin | Published: October 15, 2010

Depending on your type of allergy, you may be able to skip the drugs and try some home remedies for allergies that are safe and also work very well.  These treatments can be used for mild allergies that respond well to natural allergy treatments; more severe allergies may still need medical intervention.

Some popular teas can be used as home remedies for allergies, including chamomile, ginger and green tea.  Drinking these regularly can act as a natural antihistamine and prevent allergy symptoms from occurring.  Use the freshest teas whenever possible for the strongest effect.

To help with the discomfort of skin allergy reactions, oatmeal is a natural choice.  It can be added to a bath or applied as a paste to the affected area.  This is one of the simplest and easiest to use home remedies for allergies, and well supported by the evidence.  Oatmeal relieves itching and soothes irritation due to contact dermatitis allergic reactions.

There are many other home remedies for allergies, some more effective than others.  One of the most effective is the use of a saline solution to clear the nasal passages and help reduce swelling.  This is probably the most popular choice for nasal allergies such as hay fever.

Using natural remedies for allergies is a good way to help relieve some of your symptoms, and although they can work very well on their own, you may still need an allergy medicine to completely relieve your symptoms.  Use both natural and medical treatments together for the best results.

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