GHS Natural Health Blog

It’s 3pm your stomach emits a violent growl that says, ‘what happened to lunch?’ Nutritionist Elizabeth Yarwood* explains why a quick fix fat-drenched morsel or brain-snapping sugary snack is not your best option.

According to a study by the Centre for Culinary Development (CCD), snacks are increasingly becoming time-savvy meal replacements, instead of the between-meal or after-work options they once were.

“Snacks are less and less the hunger soothing bridge between formal meals,” says CCD CEO Kimberley Egan. “They have become valuable gastronomical events in their own right.”
The good news is, snacking is now more acceptable than ever. The bad news? Some popular snack choices might actually be doing you more harm than good.

Research by Australian consumer magazine Choice has revealed only a handful of the hundreds of snack bars marketed as ‘healthy’ actually contain any real nutritional value. In fact, many were found to be loaded with high levels of sugar, salt and saturated fats, with one popular yoghurt and nut bar delivering even more kilojoules than a Mars Bar.

Further, most of the ‘fruit’ ingredients promoted in health bars come from a laboratory instead of an orchard, and so contain none of the beneficial nutrients found in real fruit.

For snacks to be a legitimate hunger bridge between meals, the CSIRO says they need to add to your daily nutritional requirements of fibre, calcium, vitamins or protein. It also suggests packaged options should be less than 600 kilojoules per serve.

SMART SNACKING:

*Elizabeth Yarwood is a degree qualified nutritionist who is passionate about using diet and nutrition to improve quality of life.

Restricting the simple sugar glucose from your diet, while avoiding vitamin supplements, may extend your lifespan, according to German researchers.

While your body needs glucose, a sugar found in high amounts in sweets, too much of it is harmful.

When the researchers used a chemical to block worms’ ability to process glucose, their lifespan was extended by up to 25 percent, which is equal to 15 human years.

The beneficial effect came from an unlikely source: free radicals. Typically, free radicals are thought to cause damage to your body, and many consume antioxidants and vitamins to fight them.

However, when the worms were unable to use glucose for energy, they increased energy power from other cells — a process that generated more free radicals than normal.

In response, the worms generated enzymes that fought the free radicals and strengthened their long-term protection against the damaging molecules.

The study also points to a reason why antioxidants may not be beneficial in the long run.

When some of the worms were given antioxidants, the free radicals were neutralized. However, this also prevented the worms from generating the beneficial, long-term defences.

Reference: Mercola

The medicinal benefits of herbs have been well documented. Many of the spices that we use to flavor our food can also help to heal us. In this article, we will discuss some of the most common herbs and how they can benefit us more than just my simply spicing up our favourite meals.

Garlic: Garlic is a very healthy herb. It has shown to significantly reduce the amount of fatty deposits in the arteries by up to 50%. It also helps to stop clots from forming. Garlic can easily be added to dishes to make them more tasty. If you have a problem with “garlic breath,” you may want to use a supplement.

Mint: There are many, many types of mint. The most popular ones are spearmint and peppermint. For individuals who are interested in growing their own herbs, mint is an easy one to grow. Of all herbs, mint is probably the one with the most documented evidence. Mints are fantastic for soothing stomach pain. They are also great for obtaining fresh breath.

Basil: Basil works well in helping to improve memory, and calm the nervous system. It also is an effective herb to clear the lungs, remedy ear aches and treat fungi infections.

Lavender: The herb lavender is known to help alleviate headaches and to help individuals who suffer from insomnia fall asleep. Using this herb in oil is a perfect way to administer it.

Marjoram: Marjoram is great for soothing and calming.

Parsley: Parsley is well known for its diuretic properties. It is especially good for women going through menopause who are retaining water. There is also some evidence that parsley helps to lower high blood pressure in very mild cases.

Rosemary: Rosemary is an excellent herb to take when one is suffering from poor circulation, headaches or memory lapses. It is also good for fighting bad breath.

Yarrow: Yarrow not only has bodily healing properties, it also is great in attracting beauty. Butterflies are attracted to this herb, making it a good way to entice them to your garden.  Yarrow is also excellent for treating skin abrasions and cuts. It also helps to promote healing. Some individuals use yarrow to treat physical problems ranging from hemorrhoids to headaches.

Wormwood: When mixed with caraway or peppermint, wormwood can be used to sooth stomach pain and irritable bowel syndrome. It is best taken as a tea. It is important to note that wormwood has been declared unsafe by the FDA, due to thuione, which is found in wormwood and is dangerous for the liver.

Garlic, mint, basil, lavender, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, yarrow and wormwood are all herbs with outstanding healing properties. They are also all very easy to grow, making it very simple for an interested person to grow their own and benefit from them all year long.  There is no need to purchase them expensively in the store, when you can successfully grow them yourself.

Because many people enjoy having their food seasoned with herbs, it is really never difficult to incorporate them into one’s diet, which makes them incredibly convenient to consume. Be sure to add fresh herbs whenever you can and benefit from both their delicious flavor and their healing properties.

Read about hair loss, types and causes and how you can treat it with proper nutrition and natural tips.

Hair is very significant to the appearance for men and women. It is a normal process to shed 50-100 hairs daily, when shampooing and brushing the hair. For whatever reason if the hair loss is bigger and persists for long time, you should be worried and look for possible causes. Hair loss, occasional or chronic and the progressive thinning and ageing of the hair is a common male most cases the process is reversible, apart from cases of genetic tendency and serious illness. For a treatment to be successful it has to positively affect all the factors, which stimulate hair growth, to support, to restore and protect the hair from the root and along entire shaft.

Hereditary hair loss or Androgenetic Alopecia

Hair loss (androgenetic alopecia or hereditary hair loss) is caused primarily due to the impact that androgens have on the hair follicles. There is a genetic predisposition for this particular category of hair loss to take place which could also be expressed at a very young age. Not only is it the main cause of androgenetic alopecia as it accounts 50-70% of all cases, but it also responsible for 40-50% of all female hair loss. The main factor that affects hair loss is the male hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The hair follicles at the top of the head are particularly sensitive to the effect of this hormone. DHT shortens the hair growth cycle reducing the follicle size thus leading to shedding of hair.

In males, hair loss happens in following time frames that are interrupted by remission phases. The hair becomes more and more thin and short and is finally changed into indiscernible fuzz with distinct signs of balding especially at the top of the head. The sooner the hair loss begins, the faster the process becomes. In females, hair loss occurs in seasonal spurts and follows a slow process. The hair becomes thin and dull and fall out in a diffuse manner all over the top of the head at first broadening the parting. In succession a true alopecia is observed and it ceases just about 1 cm away from the hairline.

Other types of Hair loss

Non-hereditary hair loss occurs mostly in women and is predominately caused by hormonal disorders (pregnancy, menopause) by uncommonly stressful situations and overtiredness by “crazy” unhealthy diet or malnutrition (low vitamin, protein and trace mineral intake) by mechanical damage (repeated shampooing with “tough” shampoos, blow drying, excessive combing, hair bands) or chemical damage (hair coloring hair perms). Other factors that intensify the condition are the excessive sebum secretion, the intense dehydration of the scalp, UV radiation, pollution and environmental conditions (drought, wind). Finally there are cases of hair loss that are directly related to numerous conditions and the use of specific drugs. These cases are referred to as pathogenic hair loss and need the medical assist of a dermatologist.

Nutrition: Proper hair nourishment and invigoration

Your daily diet affects the healthy form and the quality of your hair. The everyday intake of nutrients that are implicated in the appropriate growth of the hair is requirement that must be met through our regular diet.

One of the key factors of hair loss is a diet rich in fat. The combination of a diet low in fat and the intake of food rich in protein (lecithin, wheat germ oil, brewer’s yeast), amino acids that are involved in the formation of hair’s keratin, minerals and trace elements that are involved in the development of hair (silica, zinc).

Hair loss natural treatment

Generally, anxiety, stress and extreme exhaustion are all factors that affect good health of the hair and their growth. Keep in mind that a healthy life style, resting, a good night’s sleep, stress management and regular eating habits can indisputably contribute to healthy hair growth.

Aromatherapy is one of the natural therapies that can also be beneficial to hair wellness. Shampoos and solution with the appropriate essential oils are used to combat safely baldness and promote hair regrowing. They have antibacterial, tonic and antiseptic attributes and aid good condition of scalp. Thyme, Rosemary, Lavender, Jojoba and Cedarwood oil are considered by dermatologists as the most effective essential oils that can naturally treat hair loss and improve hair health.

The acne industry is a greedy trade. All they are after is lots of money while acne sufferers live in pain and misery. In this article you will discover a secret acne cure that the greedy acne industry is to selfish to tell you.

There are so many acne solutions on offer it is hard to know which one will or won’t work. Curing acne effectively becomes a guessing game. A very boring and painful one. The only way you can really find a cure is through trial and error. Essentially this means trying things out and seeing if it works to clear your spots. If it doesn’t, move onto the next treatment. However, there is an easier way…

A better way is to find someone who has already tried many acne treatments and eventually after many years found a cure for themselves. This method produces faster results than any other, and one I personally used to find my acne cure. I basically asked lots of questions to ex-acne sufferers and pieced together a cure for myself.

What I found is that the best way I could prevent acne was to do three simple things.

1. I found that not eating sugar and vegetable oil stopped 80% of all my acne. I discovered that eating lots of healthy nutrient packed food and taking some supplements got rid of 15% of my acne.

2. I found that not eating sugar and vegetable oil stopped 80% of all my acne.

3. I also found out that I had a harmful fungi infection, which I got rid of and that took care of any remaining acne (the last 5%)

It is so simple to stay acne free with these three easy steps that practically anyone can do it. This is a simple acne cure that the acne industry doesn’t want to tell you. And with good reason. They make miraculous amounts of money with their ‘magic solutions’ that make you come back for more in the hope that maybe it’ll work after a few more weeks or months.