Month: December 2019

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Five Herbs to Block Joint Pain

Joint pain can be caused by many different things, from arthritis to bursitis to injury. Even certain diseases like mumps, hepatitis, and the flu can cause troubling joint pain. And with six different types of moveable joints in your body, you’ve got a lot of potential pain points. Whatever the cause or the location, the result greatly impacts your ability to perform throughout the day.

OTC or even prescription medications can help to relieve joint pain, but they come with troubling side effects and can interact with other medications you may take. It’s always best to start with the least invasive method of pain management first and work your way up to the harder stuff if necessary. Luckily, there are several natural herbs that can effectively block joint pain without causing unwanted side effects.

Following are five of the most commonly available herbs that can soothe painful joints. But first, we take a look at the bodily process that actually causes joint pain. (Hint: it points to our bodies’ tendency to take protective actions too far.) Stick with us to the end and you’ll be well-armed with natural analgesics, both topical and oral, that can straight-up improve your quality of life. Many of these may already be hanging out in your pantry.

The Driver of Joint Pain: Inflammation

Inflammation is a complex process that can be both harmful and helpful. It is the body’s response to infection or injury and attempts to isolate the damaged part of the body from other healthy areas. That response is critical to fighting off foreign invaders. Inflammation is a key component of healing – think of the inflammation you experience after exercise. The result is that your muscles rebuild stronger than ever.

However, chronic inflammation is associated with almost every disease known to man. When left unchecked, inflammation causes more problems than it solves, including crippling joint pain. That’s why popular OTC medications, notably ibuprofen, do more for inflammation than for the pain itself. The following herbs are known to reduce inflammation and swelling, thereby relieving suffering.

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If You Eat Celery Every Day, This Can Happen to Your Body

Celery is often thought of as the quintessential diet food, flavorless and stringy but so low in calories as to guarantee you’ll shed pounds. And in truth, celery is really good for weight loss. But it offers much more than that. Celery is so good for you that after you read this article, you’ll want to both eat it and slather it on your skin!

You may think that there is so much water and fiber in celery that it couldn’t contain much else, but in reality celery is an excellent source of several important vitamins and minerals. For starters, it is particularly high in vitamin K and molybdenum.

Present in lesser but still significant amounts are folate, potassium, manganese, and pantothenic acid. When you eat celery, you’ll also net vitamins A, B2, B6, and C, copper, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium.

Ready to find out what all that goodness can do for you? Read on and prepare to be surprised. Some of these benefits, especially #6 and #7, may just change the way you think about caring for your body.

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If You Eat Onion Every Day, This Can Happen to Your Body

Onions have been popular for a really long time. As far back as the Egyptians of 2500 B.C., we can see evidence that the onion was worshipped. It was said to represent eternity due to its construction of concentric layers. We can’t promise that eating onion will give you an eternity, but it surely can improve the quality of your life.

Onions are highly nutritious, featuring good amounts of protein and fiber as well as vitamin C, selenium, folate, and various antioxidants. Even the tear-inducing sulfuric compounds in onions, notably allicin, deliver health benefits such as reducing your risk of cancer. Eating some onion every day can really do a body good.

Today, onions are one of the most versatile ingredients around, and they appear in tons of savory recipes. You might not even know they are there in many cases, but we can guarantee there is some amount of onion in the majority of the foods you eat, even if it is just the onion powder in your favorite spice blend.

So before you think, “I just don’t like onions,” and scroll by, know that there are tons of ways to get onion into your diet, and just as many reasons why you really should. Some of these, especially #5, are truly incredible.

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Eat Beetroot Daily and This Can Happen to Your Body

Beets are nutritious and flavorful, versatile enough to be eaten on their own or as a tasty addition to salads, juices, or dips. If you don’t care for the flavor – beets do have a distinct earthy quality – there are also ways to disguise the taste yet still enjoy the benefits. And as we’ll explain, there are many reasons to make beets a daily habit.

First of all, beetroot (the red bulb underneath the green shoot and leaves) has a ton of vitamins and minerals yet few calories. It is particularly high in folate and manganese, but also contains a good amount of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and iron. There is about 1.7 grams of protein in each 3.5 ounce serving, as well as 2 grams of fiber, all for just 44 calories.

But the nutrition is just the beginning. We’ve examined what can happen to your body if you make the choice to eat some beets every day, and it’s really exciting. From disease prevention to weight loss, there is no shortage of compelling reasons to try.

We think you’ll find #2 especially interesting.

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7 Arthritis And Cancer Causing Foods to Avoid

It’s relatively common knowledge that diet plays a huge part in your lifetime risk of developing cancer. But new research indicates that it might also factor into the occurrence of arthritis. The root cause of this painful joint condition has not been fully understood in the past, but it has often been linked to wear and tear. People who have physically demanding jobs or are obese seemed to be at higher risk.

But now it appears that the balance of bacteria living in your gut, which is influenced directly by diet, can be an inciting factor in the development of arthritis. In turn, the chronic inflammation and lower activity level found in arthritis patients can lead to the development of cancer.

In mouse studies, researchers noted that obese mice tended to have more harmful bacteria in their guts than lean mice. The bacteria led directly to chronic inflammation and progressive joint deterioration. When the gut biome was shifted toward a healthier balance of good bacteria, the joint damage was halted and often reversed.

Researchers think a high-fat Western diet, nicknamed the “cheeseburger and milkshake” diet, could be the culprit. More research in humans is necessary, but in the meantime, avoiding the following 7 foods will reduce both your risk of cancer and your arthritis pain. At the end, we’ll share a supplement that could work in concert with a healthy diet to balance your gut biome even more!

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If You Eat Salad Every Day, This Can Happen to Your Body

Too often we think of salads as the forgettable first course to a real meal, or the exclusive domain of dieters. We ignore the fact that salad is an infinitely customizable dish, packed with flavor and nutrition, which can actually be quite filling and satisfying. Eating some salad every day provides a host of health benefits, including weight loss, but encompassing so much more.

Salads can also be unhealthy, depending on how you build them. Too much fatty dressing or rich cheese can kill some of the health benefits. But we’re not saying to skip the tasty toppings all together. The key is in the proportion of ingredients. The right balance of your favorite greens, vegetables, fruits, and proteins is sure to create a thrilling flavor profile that doesn’t need a ton of dressing.

And don’t forget – if you don’t have the time or energy to toss your own diverse salad at home, you can buy them prepared almost anywhere food is sold, including fast food restaurants. Still not convinced? We’ve got a list of reasons why eating some salad every day is a fantastic habit to pick up.

You’re going to love #5!

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11 Foods To Get Rid Of Knee Pain Naturally

You probably never realized how much you rely on your knees until they started to hurt. Chronic knee pain is so difficult to manage precisely because your knees are engaged whether you are standing or sitting, walking or biking, climbing stairs or trying to find a comfortable position in bed. Yep, when your knees hurt, it can take over your entire day.

Whether caused by arthritis, bursitis, or injury, there are many remedies for pain and inflammation that can help get you moving again. Unfortunately, many OTC and prescription drugs come with hefty side effects that can eclipse the original complaint. Acetaminophen, for example, is the leading cause of liver failure worldwide.

You may be surprised to learn just how much your diet can affect pain levels, especially when it comes to inflammation. We have collected 11 foods that do wonders for knee pain. Incorporating more of them into your daily diet can reduce your dependence on pain medication and keep you healthier overall.

We think you’ll love #11 enough to eat it every day, but be careful with #7 – it’s only edible in certain forms!

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7 Best Homemade Natural Painkillers

We are fortunate to have access to several kinds of over-the-counter pain relievers, because daily life comes with bumps, bruises, and aches. Sometimes chronic conditions like arthritis, sciatica, or spinal stenosis can be behind the pain. Our first instinct is usually to reach for some acetaminophen (Tylenol), Motrin (ibuprofen), or naproxen (Aleve). They all do the trick.

However, despite relentless marketing to the contrary, these medications all come with side effects and are extremely toxic in doses uncomfortably close to the effective dose. It is easy to overdose. In fact, acetaminophen in the number one cause of preventable liver failure worldwide. Nothing else even comes close. These medications certainly have their place, but why not attempt a natural remedy first?

The 7 best homemade natural remedies on our list are all quite effective and come with virtually no dangerous side effects. You’ll be shocked to learn the old-timey dinner recipe that actually relieves pain.

And while we’re at it, did you know that people have actually been making tea with a close cousin of aspirin for many hundreds of years? Read on for these and other fascinating facts about natural painkillers.

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7 Foods That Could Kill Cancer

You probably know that diet is one of the most important elements of cancer prevention. Along with exercise, it’s one of the few things you can control since genetics and environment are largely determined by someone or something else.

Of course, if you’re still smoking cigarettes or using tobacco in any form, think about getting some help to quit.

When it comes to diet, in general you simply need to focus on eating whole, organic foods over processed and pesticide-laden ones. However, there is some nuance to it. There are certain nutrients that have been shown to be especially good at striking down cancer cells.

Following are 7 foods, elements of food, or ingredients that should take center stage in any diet meant to prevent cancer or support recovery from it.

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This is What Happens When You Drink Coffee on an Empty Stomach

Are you a zombie? Not an actual dead person that walks the streets, but someone who can’t function in the morning without a coffee?

Then listen up. Your morning coffee could be causing your body to react in ways you may have never thought possible!

From gallbladder retraction to anxiety, blood pressure to concentration levels, that morning cuppa joe may not be as rejuvenating as you think! Before you wake up and put that pot on, take a minute to think about whether it’s going to kickstart your day, or kickstart health problems!

Here are seven issues with your morning routine.

1. Causes Gallbladder Contraction

If you get gallstones often, then you are going to want to avoid drinking coffee on an empty stomach. Doing so can cause your gallbladder to contract, which means it shrinks in size and stops functioning correctly.

You may notice a loss of appetite, sharp pain, vomiting, jaundice, and diarrhea. While it’s not always something about which to be concerned and can be a regular digestive process, it can be painful and uncomfortable!