Good Bacteria: How Probiotics Can Boost Your Internal Health

Good Bacteria: How Probiotics Can Boost Your Internal Health 
By Brenda
Many medical health care professionals claim antibiotics to be 'the lifesaving drugs' of the twentieth century. No doubt, antibiotics are the most widely used and the most talked about class of drugs ever used, on the vast majority of people and animals, across the globe. What does the term antibiotics actually mean though?

Here is Wikipedia's definition of the word term meaning for antibiotic. An antibiotic is a chemotherapeutic agent that inhibits or abolishes the growth of micro-organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, or protozoans. Antibiotic is now used to refer to substances with anti-bacterial, anti-fungi, or anti-parasitical activity.

Antibiotic's widespread overuse has recently been questioned over the last decade, by many concerned health care experts, due to their apparent, and oftentimes, ineffectiveness. And, many health care scientists are also beginning to recognize the fact that, unfortunately, not all the bacteria that dwells inside our bodies aim to harm us.

Antibiotics do perform a sometimes useful function in killing off large numbers of harmful bacteria in our bodies that can lead to life threatening infections. It is a self sacrificing trade-off, however, as there is no discrimination between the chemotherapeutic killing off of all bacteria, whether it be good or bad germs, in the gastrointestinal tract.

Since the 1940's, modern medicine has mainly focused on the killing off of harmful disease causing bacteria via newly discovered antibiotics. This practice came about with not much understanding of the role, in the advantages, that good micro-organisms (bacteria) played in maintaining good health.

Good bacteria (probiotics), is a modern new term used to describe live, beneficial organisms (bacteria) which, when taken in adequate and consistent amounts, offers many different health benefits to the host. Two very subtle improvements are often noticed right away, in a stronger immune system and a healthier digestive tract.

"Probiotics is not a fad," says Gary Huffnagle, an immunologist at the University of Michigan and author of "The Probiotics Revolution." It is really is a new scientific understanding about how the body works."

Do an internet search on the word term 'probiotics' and you will find that there has definitely been a shift, now days, in the way medical scientists think about bacteria (germs). It is finally getting a much deserved, more focused awareness and attention than ever before.

Probiotics have been found to aid with the absorption of nutrients, production of vitamin K, and helps with the necessary and balanced maintenance of good bacteria in the intestines. They are also believed to inhibit the overgrowth of disease causing harmful bacteria, by crowding them out. Probiotics can be the most helpful to those who have just recently taken antibiotics, by re-establishing colonies of good bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract which, sometimes, can be quite difficult to do.

The best sources of good bacteria (probiotics) comes from fermented foods, beverages, or supplements. Probiotic supplements are available in many health food stores either in capsules, powders, or liquid forms. And, while many nutritional experts agree that most of us would benefit in some way from a daily dose of probiotics, learning how to ferment your own foods or beverages at home is a more superior source of good bacteria nutrition. Not all probiotic supplements can necessarily be trusted to deliver what they say they can.

Besides, learning to ferment your own food and beverages at home can be a healthy, fun, and nutritious hobby. Most experts on this subject will agree, that anything you can easily make at home is far better for you than any commercialized product that you could buy. The reasoning behind this idea, is that you will have more control over the whole process in what you are ingesting, and you also have the option of buying the most natural ingredients to use for the end product.

Here is a small list (there are many more that are not listed) of different types of fermented foods and beverages:

1.yogurt
2.aged cheeses
3.kefir
4.kombucha
5.pickles and olives
6.sauerkraut
7.sourdough bread
8.soy sauce
9.vinegar

Studies have shown that good bacteria can help protect us from diarrhea, colitis, urinary tract infections, irritable bowel syndrome, and Chron's disease. Probiotics may also help treat kidney infections and stones, ulcers, and allergies. Some even argue that good bacteria can help protect us from cancer, colds and flu, and help lower cholesterol.

All-in-all, probiotics have been reported to help many different health conditions, from diabetes to migraine headaches. And to think, that as a culture, we have been overly obsessed with killing germs all around us by bleaching and soap washing everything in sight. 

We are just now beginning to understand that there are certain types of germs, or bacteria, that are actually good for us, and they are our friends. Will our awareness of this knowledge benefit human health in the long term, I believe so. 

Health Insurance Comparison

Health Insurance Comparison - How To Find The Best Health Insurance 
By Michael 
Many people struggle today with the everyday task of paying for their gas in their car. Rising costs of living have also taken away hundreds of dollars a month out of the regular person's pocketbook and have made it harder to pay for essential things such as health insurance. There are many people that have this kind of coverage through their workplace but many do not. Here are a few ways to do your own health insurance comparison to find the best health insurance policy for you.

Health insurance comparison companies have sprung up all over the country. Whether or not they are advertising with billboards or in newspapers, these companies are trying to garner the interest of people that are passing by or reading the local newspaper in order to get the business for their clients which can also save the consumer money as well.

The Internet is also one of the places that you will find these health insurance comparison companies in great quantity. Whether you see them on search engines using pay per click advertising or you see them on classified websites or even websites that you visit on a regular basis in their advertising such as an e-mail account, they are there to earn money but they can also be very helpful for you if you are trying to save money on your health insurance premiums.

Take for instance the rise of the full-page ad in most advertising forms. You have a multiblock advertisement which shows similar companies that are selling similar things. They all have a way to contact them whether it be by mail or an 800 number. Why these types of advertisement are apropos to health insurance comparison advertising is that these companies will actually do the comparison shopping for you opposed to you having to call and write down all of the information. If the company is Internet-based, they will be able to send you a printout via e-mail that you can look at and decide for yourself which choice would be best for you and your family.

A word of warning regarding these companies is that some of them can be fraudulent and are just trying to take your information and sell it to other people who will bombard you with uncountable calls and e-mails selling other products that may or may not be related to the health insurance industry. Therefore, do your due diligence and make sure that the company that you are asking for help is a legitimate company that is a member of the Better Business Bureau and has no complaints against them before you decide to do business with them and access their health insurance comparison data. With that said let's go on to a few other things.

The first thing you want to look at is the size of the company itself. This can be done by simply going to a search engine or looking in a magazine and seeing which companies have the largest advertising budget. These companies will more than likely have the lowest premiums because they have the largest subscriber base to their particular insurance.

The next thing that you would do is to go to each of the health insurance companies websites in order to determine which benefit packages that they have. Most of them will have a multiple amount of packages to suit the needs of the many consumers that are looking for coverage.

Then take each one of their policies including all of their different levels of coverage and print them out so that you can see them on your kitchen table. Draw a line between the ones that look the most similar ends then circled the price points regarding the monthly fees that you will have to pay.

Now you need to consider your own needs. Consider how many times you think that you would go to the doctor and the possibility of you going in for a major medical operation. Using these factors, and the factors of your family, you can determine which one would be right for you.

The last thing that you do is look at the premiums that you will be paying and see what you will have to do in order to compensate. For instance, if you would like to go for one of the better packages, more than likely in your health insurance comparison, you will find that your premiums will be very high which means your monthly money that you have to support your family will be far less.

The final verdict on which one you pick is a juggle between what you believe your family should have and what you believe you can afford. But only by placing out on your kitchen table a printout of all of the health insurance policy rates and what they cover can you make a factual determination using this health insurance comparison technique. 

Article Source: http://www.article-outlet.com/

Medical Health Insurance:How To Get The Cheapest Policy

Medical Health Insurance: How To Get The Cheapest Policy 
By Michael 
One of the largest expenses in today's modern society is the cost of health insurance. Over the last hundred years, the population has increased so dramatically that any country would have difficulty providing universal health care, especially with all of the modern advances that we have today and the large sums of money that most medical doctors and hospitals make. Here are a few tips on how to get the cheapest medical health insurance policy available today without racking your brain too much.

Before you go on a long winded tour of the Internet or your local Yellow Pages in order to find out where in the world you're going to get medical health insurance coverage, there are few things that you ought to run by your frontal lobe in order to determine exactly what pathway you wish to take when searching for this inevitable necessity that all adults and children must or should have in our ever-changing society. Health insurance is very important and you won't really understand how important until you are in a situation where you are with out it and end up in the hospital and receive a bill for 50 or even $100,000 that you have to pay out of your own pocket because you did not decide to get any coverage at all.

One of the first things you must consider is how many people are in your family. If you are a single person then your premium each month will be very small in comparison to what it would be for a family of say 10 people. If you are single then you have many other choices available to you that most people do not. However, if you are a family person and you need to have coverage for your many loved ones, then there are a few more considerations that you need to take into account.

Most families are not consistent of one age group but multiple age groups with multiple variations of problems that may occur. For instance, if you have many infants, then you must take into account how many different problems come when raising a child from the years of one to two years of age. If you have children in elementary school, those problems will be different than those of your teen children and so on.

Once you have taking into account how many people you will need to put on your policy, then you need to consider what kind of a policy that you should have. There are many policies that have and exceptional amount of coverage that costs a lot of money. If you do go to the doctor regularly, then this medical health insurance will be very beneficial because you will be saving money in the long run. However, if you do not go to the doctor very frequently and are typically a healthy person and the members of your household are also healthy, then you may be better off with a premium that is lower that offers fewer benefits because you will not need them on a regular basis.

The next thing to consider is the premium itself. If you're lucky enough to find a company that will give you a medical health insurance policy that is affordable and gives you almost if not full coverage for all of your medical, dental, and even vision care needs, then you should pay a premium that you can afford that will give you these kinds of benefits. However, most companies are not out there to give you the best policy for less and therefore you must pick and choose between what they have to offer and what you can afford. When doing so, always take into account what you think your family will need or if you are an individual than take into account how many times you think you will be going to the doctor and choose your policy accordingly.

The last thing to consider is why you need a policy. If you are relatively healthy all of the time, then you should go ahead and get a policy that is a bottom level policy in price and in benefits. At least then you would have coverage. If you have more people to consider, I would consider getting the middle ground policy which will cost a marginal amount yet cover everyone in the family. If your family is habitually going to the doctor or the dentist, and it is probably your best bet to choose a higher and policy with the most benefits in order to save your family money in the long run as they make those frequent trips to the doctor. It is up to you to make a good decision and you will do so after reading this when choosing your next medical health insurance policy. 

Article Source: http://www.article-outlet.com/

Aloe Vera Benefits To Your Health

Aloe Vera Benefits To Your Health 
By Shakil 
Aloe vera is a plant that is a member of the lily family. It has very succulent type appearance. The water storage capacity of these plants is very impressive as they can almost double in size after a heavy rainfall period. Also this plant is self repairing which means that if for whatever reason there is a tear in a leaf the plant will almost immediately begin to repair itself to prevent moisture loss. The dry regions of Africa is where the majority of aloe plants can be found. 

There are literally hundreds of different varieties of aloe plants however only a handful are considered to offer great nutritional value and potential health benefits. The barbadensis miller variety of the aloe is considered by many to be one of the most beneficial as far as nutritional and health benefits are concerned. Aloe is primarily consumed as a drink but it is used in many other commercial applications and it is a great skin moisturizer as well as useful in providing the scalp with nutrients and thus can help people with dandruff problems.

Aloe has been reported to offer many health benefits including greater energy levels and endurance, improved immune function and better digestion. Aloe Vera gel has over 78 nutrients including over 20 minerals, several amino acids and numerous vitamins. Scientists are only just beginning to discover the power of Aloe Vera gel and its potential health benefits. However those that use aloe vera regularly in their diet report many health benefits. 

In fact there are many that grow the plant right in their backyard. If the region you live in has dry climate then this plant could grow well there. Once the plant matures they simply slice a leaf off and extract the gel and mix it with a fruit drink or smoothie of some sort. There are many that believe aloe vera is the best herb as far as health benefits are concerned. It has been shown to be effective at reducing the levels of bad cholesterol, helping people with arthritis since it has powerful anti inflammatory properties and it also has the effect of alkalizing and neutralizing the generally acidic environment in most people's bodies.

It can also be useful at lowering blood pressure and providing the body with a great surge of essential nutrients that the body can absorb easily and use right away. Aloe vera can also be used in many first aid kits since it has great antibacterial properties and it has also been used to make many bandages. It is also great at lubricating the digestive tract and helping to keep you regular. It is critical to keep the colon moving because if things do start to get clogged then you may be setting yourself up for many potential health problems so if you suffer from constipation then aloe may help you.

Athletes can benefit from drinking aloe as it is a natural energy booster and will help to give you greater endurance. This is a far better alternative than taking risky supplements that can have many negative side effects. Aloe vera gel can also be applied directly to the skin as it is a fantastic natural moisturizer.

It is best to look for an aloe supplement that is made free of pesticides as these products tend to be of higher quality, look for the organic kinds if possible. Aloe vera gel can also be used as a preservative, for instance by dipping some of your fruits or vegetables in the gel it can increase shelf life significantly especially if the fruits and vegetables are of the organic type which tend to ripen and spoil much faster. Consider aloe vera gel as a natural herbal supplement to help you attain better health. 

Article Source: http://www.article-outlet.com/

Nutrition Food Pyramid - Health Guides

Nutrition Food Pyramid - Health Guides 
By Matthew 
The Food Pyramid has been used for decades to show people what type (and how much) of individual foods they should eat every day for optimal health. Redesigned in 2005, the new pyramid sports a rainbow of colored, vertical stripes that represent the five major food groups, plus fats and oils.

Not sure what the colors stand for? Here's a quick reference:

Orange - grains.
Green - vegetables.
Red - fruits.
Yellow - fats and oils.
Blue - milk and dairy products.
Purple - meat, beans, fish, and nuts.

The food pyramid is a used to illustrate the variety of foods people need to eat to stay healthy. The skinnier the band of color, the less foods you need to consumer in that category, and vice versa. As you will notice, eating a variety of healthy foods is best. The goal is to eat foods from each color band each and every day.

As you'll notice when reviewing the new pyramid, some bands are fat on the bottom and get thinner as they reach the top. Why? Because foods are not created equal. While apple pie contains apples, it is not as good for you as a freshly picked apple straight form the tree! The same is true for a tomato vs. ketchup. The less nutritious variety of the food is depicted at the top thinner part of the pyramid, with the more nutritious item featured on the bottom.

One of the most important aspects of the food pyramid is the way it explains how many servings of individual categories a person should eat every day. This includes:

Grains:
It's important for children to eat 4-6 ounces of grains every day, depending on their age, while adults need more than 6 ounces to meet their daily requirements. Remember, whole grains are best.

Vegetables:
Vegetables are especially important to a healthy diet. Children should eat 1/2 to 2 cups per day with adults consuming 2 1/2 cups or more.

Fruits:
Fresh fruit is a very important nutrient for a well balanced diet. Keep in mind that while fruit juices and packaged fruit count on the slimmer part of the pyramid, fresh fruit is always best. So, how much fruit should you eat every day? Children need 1-1/2 cups per day, and adult 2 or more.

Milk and Other Calcium-Rich Foods:
Calcium builds strong teeth and bones and should be consumed on a daily basis. Children need a minimum of 1-2 cups of milk (0r other calcium rich food) every day, while adult (especially women) should be consuming 3 or more cups of dairy a day.

Meats, Beans, Fish, and Nuts:
For all of the iron and other important nutrients you need to stay healthy eat 3-5 ounces per day (for children) and 5-8 ounces (for adults).

Not sure that you're eating the right amounts of food every day? Be sure to check your diet against the new food pyramid guidelines on a regular basis to ensure that you're eating a well balanced diet for optimal health and fitness. 

Article Source: http://www.article-outlet.com/

Improving Health With Air Conditioning

Improving Health With Air Conditioning 
Do you suffer from allergies that cause your eyes to itch, your nose to run and your throat to be sore? If so, an air-conditioner will improve your health considerably. Air conditioners filter the air as it comes into the room, so all that pollen, dust and smoke gets filtered out.

Allergens come into the home by various means such as a door or window opening, pets coming inside, or even the type of carpet on the floor. If your air conditioner is the type that re-cycles the same air, then it will filter the air that is in the room, removing dust and other allergens. Air-conditioning goes a long way towards keeping the air inside the home clean and pure so that even asthmatics will notice an improvement in their breathing.

Some people are allergic to sudden temperature changes, humidity or mould. An air-conditioner maintains an even temperature and reduces humidity; less humidity means that mould will not be a problem, since it needs humidity to thrive.

Elderly people are more prone to suffer from heat-stress, so an air conditioner will certainly be beneficial to them, keeping the temperature at a comfortable level no matter what the weather.

Do you need air conditioners to improve your health? Find out more about the energy-efficient Gen III reverse cycle air conditioning with Fresh Air technology from Advantage Air (http://www.advantageair.com.au).

Diet – Healthy Eating And Exercise

Diet – Healthy Eating And Exercise 
Our life and health is impacted every day by the food we eat. Your body needs a constant supply of energy to fuel your heartbeat, breathing, digestion and to help repair body tissue. This energy is measured in calories. To maintain a healthy balance with calorie intake and fat intake in mind, you need to find a balance in the food you choose to eat. 

There are five main food groups which people should be eating a varied mixture of on a daily in order to maintain healthy eating. Starchy foods make up one of these groups. Starchy foods refer to bread, potatoes, rice and pasta. These foods are your main source of carbohydrates and make up half of your daily energy intake. You need a sufficient amount of starchy food just like you need a strong amount of dairy products. Dairy products are rich in protein and your best source of vitamin D and Calcium. As well as starchy foods and dairy products you also need some intake of fats and sugar. Your fat intake should not exceed 35% but you should not cut it out of your diet completely as fat is the most energy dense nutrient that your body can get. 

Probably the most important out of the five food groups however is fruit and vegetables. It is said that you should have at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. There is strong evidence that by doing this you are reducing the risk of things such as heart disease.

There is strong evidence that suggests by eating healthy you are reducing the risk of illness such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease and several types of cancer, including bowel cancer. Having a healthy diet is important and can potentially extend your life. 

Healthy eating can however be overlooked when it comes to dieting. The image of slim women is all that greets us in fashion magazines, the music industry and the film industry. These images are burned into our minds as what we should all look like and women and men across the country are doing anything they can to lose weight, including risking their health.

Every where we look there are new diet fads appearing, this is especially evident across the internet. The list of these diets seems never ending and most offer a quick fix to lose weight fast. One of these diets is the Atkins diet. On the Atkins diet you are encouraged to eat all types of meat, cheese, eggs and fats (butter or oils); completely throwing out the fact you are supposed to keep your fat intake down to around 35%. You are also told to limit the amount of carbohydrates you eat on this diet, which again throws out the fact that carbohydrates make up half of your daily energy intake. 

Another diet fad that has grown in popularity is the liquid diet. Even though medically it is only really safe to go on this diet if you are going to undergo a medical procedure such as a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy; people are using it as a way of losing weight fast. In certain cases of extreme obesity, a liquid diet is used to make the person lose weight. A liquid diet either partially replaces meals or completely does meaning that your only intake will be fluids such as teas and juices. 

A liquid diet could possibly disrupt the natural flow of your body and will not provide you with enough nutrients, energy or protein to get you through the day. A liquid diet will also not teach individuals the requirements of healthy eating to maintain weight loss over a long period of time. 

Diet fads are growing more popular but these are just quick fixes and will not help you in a long term sense. The best way in order to loss weight as well as keeping a good balance of the five food groups is to eat the right foods in the right quantity. Cut out sugary snacks and replace them with more fruit intake; vary your diet so you aren’t eating the same things over and over. 

As well as eating the right type of food you should also start a regular exercise programme which will get you in shape faster than any diet fad will. Regular exercise will not only keep you healthy it could also be the reason as to why you live longer as taking regular exercise will help to prevent against things such as diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancer. 

Medical guidelines state that healthy adults should be getting at least 30 minutes of intense activity five days a week. This exercise can be anything from walking, mowing the lawn, dancing, cycling, any type of sport, aerobics or even weight training. The key to exercise is finding one that best suits you. 

Exercise combined with a good diet, which incorporates all of the five food groups is all you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to lose the weight that you want.

Helen Cox is the webmaster of Article Alley, home of all your Health and Fitness article needs.

Please feel free to republish this article providing this resource box remains intact with a working hyperlink to our site.

Healthy Living For Healthy Pregnancy

Healthy Living For Healthy Pregnancy 
By Jonathon 
Pregnancy can be an enjoyable, but also frightening experience. You're filled with joy and excitement at the prospect of bringing a new life into this world, but at the same time you can be forgiven for panicking about lifestyle and other health implications for your unborn. In this article we'll examine the best lifestyle you can lead during pregnancy to strike a balance between a healthy baby, a healthy mother and a happy mother.

The important of a happy mother during pregnancy is often underrated. It's so important to ensure that mom is happy throughout her pregnant months to allow her to fully love and appreciate her child when he or she finally arrives. Draconian diet plans which require ditching all of life's pleasures definitely aren't the way to go about it, but at the same time it is important to ensure you don't jeopardize the health of the baby.

A good starting point would be to cut down smoking and drinking alcohol. It is better if you stop altogether, and find other ways to satisfy your cravings. It's perfectly ok, for example to replace a cigarette with a chocolate bar during pregnancy. Of course this isn't the best advice health-wise, but as far as your baby's concerned, anything is better than cigarette smoke. On top of that, alcohol is definitely not recommended either, and it is a good idea to think about other ways to quench your thirst. Fruit juices and water are good alternatives; but again, don't be adverse to the odd fizzy drink here and there if that's what you like. It's a case of cutting out what's really bad for you and the health of your baby, but making sure you're not completely tied and restricted to health food.

Other than that, you should try as far as possible to maintain a healthy balanced diet, and try to remain as active as possible for as long as possible. Obviously you won't be able to head down to the gym after six or seven months, but it's a good idea to keep walking, and keep yourself busy to keep healthy.

Many mothers-to-be freak out when they find they are pregnant and ditch everything for a strict diet of greens. Of course, that's fine, but pregnancy can be hard enough as it is without having to worry about a strict healthy diet plan. As long as you avoid the really bad, like alcohol and cigarettes, you can afford to have a few luxuries in your diet that could not be considered highly nutritious. Organize your diet around you, because a healthy and happy mother always equates to a healthy and happy baby. 

Article Source: http://www.article-outlet.com/