The ABC of Vitamins

The word vitamin speaks for itself.

In 1912 Cashmir Funk, a Polish scientist first named that special substance he found in food as 'vitamine' from the two words 'vita' meaning life and 'amine' from thiamine, a compound isolated from rice husks. Today, we all know that vitamins are important for our health. They are needed for normal growth and body function.

Vitamins are a group organic substances occurring naturally in small amounts in every organism. They may be water or fat soluble. Vitamin A, D, E, and K are fat soluble, while B and C are water soluble.

Vitamin A 

Also known as retinol, vitamin A is important for your eyesight, skin and mucous membranes, bone and teeth, and immune defense system. Avoid taking high dosage of vitamin A when you're pregnant. It's found in diary products, eggs, liver, orange-colored fruits and vegetables like carrots and apricots.

Vitamin B

There are many types of vitamin B, namely thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pyridoxine (B6), cobalamine (B12). Even pantothenic acid and biotin are actually vitamin B. Generally they're important for energy metabolism, nerve function, and red blood cell formation. They're found in a variety of foods, mainly cereal and diary products, leafy vegetables, poultry, beef, fish. Except vitamin B12 that are not found in plants. That's why vegetarians are prone to B12 deficiency.

Vitamin C

Also known as ascorbic acid, is a major antioxidant in our body important for immune system, tissue repair, skin health, and cartilage formation. It is found only in fruits and vegetable especially citrus fruits.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is needed for absorption of Calcium and bone health. It's found in liver, eggs yolk, milk, and fatty fish. The skin can make vitamin D when exposed to enough sunlight.

Vitamin E

It is an antioxidant and protect the cell wall from damage. It is also important for reproductive function. Vitamin E is found in wheat germ and vegetable oil, cereal, liver, eggs yolk, green plants, and milk.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is needed for blood clotting. It is found in leafy green vegetables, butter, cheese, and egg yolk. The bacteria in our digestive tract also produces vitamin K and prolonged antibiotic therapy can cause deficiency.

The most important source of vitamins is our diet- not from supplement pills or injections. You can not hope to replace a healthy and balanced diet with a bunch of high dosed supplements.

As stated before, vitamins are required only in a small amount. Taking high dosage of vitamins surpassing the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) will not not make your body function better. In fact, it can lead to over-dosage, especially for vitamins that are fat soluble because they are accumulated in our body, mainly in the liver.

Fighting the Sun: Sunscreen and Other Options

Know your enemy: ultraviolet radiation

It's not the sun that you actually want to fight, it's the ultraviolet radiation. The highest concentration of ultraviolet occurs between 10 am to 4 pm. So these are the times when you want to avoid getting exposed to sunlight, or at least use extra protection if you can't do so.

There are two types of ultraviolet that can harm your skin: UVA and UVB. UVA rays may penetrate deep into your skin, suppress your defense system, and eventually be responsible for wrinkles and age spots. UVA rays can even penetrate glass and clouds so you still need to protect yourself even when it's cloudy or you're in a place with a lot of windows. UVB rays may burn your skin. Prolonged exposure to both UVA and UVB rays raises the risk of getting skin tumors and malignancy, such as squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma.

A good sunscreen offers protection from all types of UV light, but there are other ways to protect yourself from the sun. Protective clothings like long sleeve shirt, long pants, sunglasses, and wide-brimmed hat can also considerably reduce the harmful effects of UV exposure.

What is SPF?

remember to take other protective measures against ultraviolet

Every sunscreen have a SPF (Sun Protection Factor) number. This number measures how well the sunscreen deflects UVB rays. There's no standard for measuring protection against UVA. Theoretically, the higher the SPF, the better. Sunscreens with an SPF of 2 to 14 can advertise protection from sunburn, but they don't reduce skin cancer risk or early skin aging. 

In general, look for water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Broad spectrum sunscreen means it provide protection to both UVA and UVB. Apply the sunscreen evenly and thick enough onto your skin around 30 minutes before going outdoors. Always remember that even water-resistant sunscreen will wear off after awhile. Reapply sunscreen after two hours or immediately after swimming.

Always remember that sunscreen use must be accompanied by other preventive measures, such as protective clothing and avoiding midday sun, in order to actually reduce the risk of skin cancer and premature skin aging.

Beginners Guide to Stop Smoking

Not going to discuss about the negative effects of smoking in this entry. There's too many of them and you can look it up for yourself in the internet. Therefore, I will assume you already know that smoking is gravely injurious to your health. The number of deaths caused by smoking still exceeds the number of deaths caused by auto accidents, suicide, homicide, cocaine, and AIDS combined.

To learn how to stop smoking effectively, you need to know why is it so hard to stop. People get addicted because cigarettes contain nicotine which is a type of stimulant. People claim that it relaxes the nerves, keeps them awake and clear-headed, but clearly the negative effects outweighs these subjective properties.

You need to realize and admit that you have a problem. If you think you can just quit within a day or two, going down from several packs a day to zero in 24 hours, you're wrong. Nobody does that. It takes courage and strong will to even begin to have the commitment to quit. If you feel you can't do it yourself, don't hesitate to look for help either from friends and family or from healthcare professional.

The first step: establish a reason why you should quit.

It can be because you want to live a longer, healthier life. Or you want to do it for the sake of your newborn baby. In any case, list these reasons down and keep it in your quit smoking diary.

Second step: set up a reasonable dateline.

Reasonable meaning you need to realize how high is your degree of addiction. Generally, people who have smoked longer and in higher quantity takes longer to stop. I have to stop smoking within 6 months, for example. Do not set up a cut-down date. Aim to stop completely.

Third step: prepare yourselves for withdrawal.

Like any addiction, expect to experience symptoms like nausea, headaches, anxiety, craving, and even depression within the first two days from your last cigarette. These symptoms gradually ease over several weeks to one month. Nicotine replacement in forms of gum or patches will help you in fighting the withdrawal symptoms.

Fourth step: celebrate success daily.

Mark down your calendar for each day you stay smoke free. This gives you a sense of accomplishment and encourage you to go further.

Fifth step: find other ways to manage your stress.

Listen to music, spend time with friends and family, try yoga or meditation. Find an alternative other than smoking to manage your stress.

Have you had enough yet? You're halfway done.

Sixth step: eat enough and eat healthily.

Don't worry about the weight gain. It's normal to gain a few pounds when you're trying to quit smoking. It's a sign that your body is trying to recover itself to its former state. You will experience better taste and improved appetite.

Seventh step: do not seek other forms of addiction.

Stay away from alcohol, caffeine, and other stimulants. It's self explanatory. You don't want to move on from one form of addiction to another.

Eight step: don't give up, try again if you fail.

Relapse is very common and most people takes more than one try to quit entirely. If you slipped off somehow, set up a new dateline within the next month. In the mean time, look back and find the reason why you failed in the first place.

Ninth step: talk it out.

Tell your friends and family that you're quitting. If you're experiencing problems, let them know.

Final step: reward yourself.

Use up the money that you have saved from not buying cigarettes and reward yourself with something fun. Get a vacation trip, buy a new phone, watch your favorite sport live. Whatever floats your boat.

How Your Body Works: The Respiratory System

The human respiratory system consists of a complex set of organs and tissues designed to capture oxygen from the environment and transport the it into the lungs. These include the nose and pharynx, the trachea, and the lungs. Knowing how these organs work will give better understanding on respiratory diseases.

Air passes from our nostrils into the throat (pharynx), down through the opening of the vocal cords (glottis), into the windpipe (trachea), passing through the left and right bronchi. The bronchi in turn branch into smaller branches called branchioles which finally terminates in small sac like structures of the lungs called alveoli. Only in the alveoli does actual gas exchange takes place.

Nose and Pharynx

Within the nose inhaled air is conditioned by warming and moistening. Hairs and hairlike structures called cilia trap dust particles and purify the air. The nasal chambers open into a cavity at the rear of the mouth called the throat (pharynx). Tonsils and adenoids are pockets of lymphatic tissue inside the pharynx which trap and filter microorganisms.

Trachea 

After passing through the pharynx, air passes through the opening of vocal cords (glottis) down to the windpipe (trachea). A thin flap of tissue called the epiglottis folds over the opening during swallowing and prevents food from entering the trachea. 

human respiratory system

The trachea has smooth muscle and rings of cartilage that maintain its structure and prevent it from collapsing. At its lower end, the trachea branches into two large bronchi. Both left and right bronchi also have smooth muscle and cartilage rings. The right bronchi is usually more straight than the left one, making it easier for aspirated food or foreign material to enter it. The bronchi then branch into smaller bronchioles, forming a bronchial tree before they eventually terminate in the air sacs known as alveoli.

Lungs 

Human lungs are composed of approximately 300 million alveoli, which are small sac like structures that are surrounded by a network of capillary blood vessels. Oxygen can pass through the alveoli walls and enters the red blood cells inside the capillaries to bind with hemoglobin. In exchange, carbon dioxide leaves the capillaries and enters the alveoli.

When a person inhales, the rib muscles and diaphragm contract to increase the volume of the chest cavity. This increase leads to reduced air pressure in the chest cavity, and air rushes into the alveoli, forcing them to expand and fill. During exhalation, the rib muscles and diaphragm relax, the chest cavity area diminishes, and the internal air pressure increases. The compressed air forces the alveoli to close, and air flows out.

Normally an adult person breathes 12-20 times per minutes. Breathing rate is determined by the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood. A high carbon-dioxide concentration leads to an increased breathing rate and the person will feel short of breath.

Foods to Lose Weight

A common misconception is that people believe simply cutting down the amount of food they eat per day or even skipping meals entirely will help them to lose weight quickly and effectively. Starving yourself is a bad idea. It will take toll on your overall health and it may even be counterproductive by causing cravings and slowing down your metabolism.

Research has shown a variety of foods, most of them you can get from your nearest grocery shops, can boost your metabolism, reduce sugar craving, fight off hunger, and eventually lose the pounds. Moreover, these foods are high in vitamins, minerals, and natural antioxidants to add up to their many benefit.

Below are several examples of these so called super foods.

1. Eggs
These are high in protein which will make you feel full longer and help regulate your blood sugar level. Eggs are best served hard boiled or scrambled without oil. If you're worried about cholesterol, separate the yellow and only eat the whites.

2. Apples
Every heard 'an apple a day keeps the doctors away'? Apples are rich in fiber and these support healthy digestive system required for weight loss.

3. Cinnamon
This spice is more than just smelling nice, it also helps you to control your insulin and fight off hunger.

4. Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil helps you burn more calories by boosting your metabolism. Add a teaspoon to your salad dressing, milk, or oatmeal.

5. Soup and Salad
Having tomato soup or fruit and vegetable salad as your appetizer will make you eat less calories. They're high fiber with higher vitamin contents, especially in salads compared to overcooked foods.

You can get most of them from the nearest grocery shops.

6. Nuts
Almonds, walnuts, and pecans are especially good for your body. It's true that they're high in calories, but these nuts are high in omega fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamin B. All of which are important for regulating metabolism.

7. Green Tea
Green tea is high in the antioxidant cathecins which helps you burn fat faster. It's not the caffeine that helps you lose weight.

8. Chili Pepper
Besides their invigorating taste, chili contains capsaicin that will increase your metabolism. Sprinkle sme red pepper into your omelet or scrambled eggs.

9. Cereal
Like fruits and vegetables, they're high in fiber and will make you feel full longer. Best eaten for breakfast.

10. Lean beef
Eat these for dinner. Again the key is to consume enough protein. The amino acid leucine in lean beef will make you lose more fat, but less muscle mass.

Metabolic Syndrome and Related Conditions

What is metabolic syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome (also known as metabolic syndrome X, syndrome X, cardiometabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance syndrome) is a combination of risk factors that raises the risk for cardiovascular disease and other health disorders like stroke and diabetes. Studies indicated that almost as high as 25% of the United States people suffers from metabolic syndrome and this number increases to around 35% as the population ages.

The term 'metabolic' is used to describe alterations in the normal biochemical processes in the body that occurs with these multiple condition. Metabolic syndrome occurs when a person has three or more of the following: 

• 

  abdominal obesity or apple shaped belly

  Abdominal obesity
• Triglyceride level ≥150 mg/dL
• HDL cholesterol <40 mg/dL in men or <50 mg/dL in women
• Systolic blood pressure ≥130 mm Hg
• Diastolic blood pressure ≥85 mm H
• Fasting glucose ≥100 mg/dL
• Insulin resistance or glucose intolerance

Having only one of these conditions doesn't mean you have metabolic syndrome, but having one increases your odds for getting another one.

"Standalone, each one of the conditions that made up metabolic syndrome is already a serious health problem. Combined, the risk of contracting a serious disease increases even more."

Although metabolic syndrome is a serious condition, with aggressive lifestyle changes, you can delay or even prevent the development of serious health problems. Weight reduction, physical activity, healthy diet, and regular monitoring of blood glucose, blood cholesterol, and blood pressure are beneficial to people with metabolic syndrome.
 
Risk factors of getting metabolic syndrome are increasing age, racial background (Hispanics and Asian are at a greater risk), obesity, family history of diabetes and other diseases like hypertension or polycystic ovary syndrome in women.

Know Your Cholesterol

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a chemical compound that is normally produced by the body and its structure is a combination of fat and steroid. It is not necessarily a harmful substance. Instead it is a basic component of the cell membrane and for hormone production. Most of the cholesterol in our body is produced by the liver (around 80%), while the rest comes from our food. Meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products are the main sources of dietary cholesterol. Animal liver is especially high in cholesterol, while fruits and vegetables contain little or no cholesterol.

"LDL is the bad cholesterol, while HDL is the good one."

A typical burger and fries meal may contain up to 12 g of saturated fat which increases LDL cholesterol.

Types of cholesterol

There are four types of cholesterol found in the human body. They are low density lipoproteins (LDL), high density lipoproteins, very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and triglycerides.

LDL cholesterol is also known as the 'bad' cholesterol. High levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood can cause the formation of cholesterol plaques in the walls of blood vessels, causing problems like coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. Cholesterol plaque can eventually causes thickening of the blood vessel walls and narrowing of the arteries. This is known as atherosclerosis.

HDL cholesterol is also known as the 'good cholesterol'. High levels of HDL cholesterol helps our body to get rid of the bad cholesterol, thus preventing the formation of plaque. That's why the higher your HDL levels are, the better.

A high LDL/HDL ratio (high levels of LDL and low levels of HDL) increases the risk to contract atherosclerosis. Conversely, a low LDL/HDL ratio protects the blood vessels from plaque formation.

VLDL is pretty much similar to LDL. It consists of mostly fat and not much protein, unlike HDL.

Triglycerides are carried by very low density lipoproteins. The levels might increase after consumption of alcohol or high calorie food. Excess glucose is also transformed into triglycerides and this is why people with diabetes tend to have high levels of it. 

Total cholesterol is the sum of LDL cholesterol, HDLcholesterol, and VLDL cholesterol. The VLDL levels are usually calculated as approximately one-fifth of the triglycerides levels.

The desirable levels of total cholesterol is <200 mg/dL (<5.2 mmol/L). Levels of 200-239 mg/dL (5.2-6.19 mmol/L) is considered borderline, while levels ≥240 mg/dL (≥6.2 mmol/L) is considered high. Starting from the age of 20 everyone should get their cholesterol levels checked at least once every five years.

Basic Knowledge About Diabetes

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease in which blood sugar levels are above normal. An organ in our body called the pancreas produces a hormone called insulin. Insulin helps control the sugar level in your blood and help glucose to get into the cells of our bodies. Glucose is the main energy source for our cells. Even though you have high levels of it in your blood, your body cannot make use of it without insulin. In short, your cells are starving even though you have abundant energy source.

diabetes is having too much sugar in your blood

When you have diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes sugar to build up in your blood. Diabetes can cause serious health complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations. In 2009, diabetes was the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

What are the types of diabetes?

There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, previously known as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes, account for about 5% of all diabetes cases. In this type of diabetes, the cells of the pancreas can no longer make insulin because the body's immune system has destroyed them. Type 2 diabetes, previously known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes, account for about 90% to 95% of all diabetes cases. This type of diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance in which the body can not properly use insulin. Over time the pancreas loses the ability to secrete enough insulin in response to meals.

What are the risk factors for diabetes? 

• Being overweight or obese.
• Having a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes.
• Being African American, American Indian, Asian American, Pacific Islander, or Hispanic American/Latino heritage.
• Having a prior history of diabetes in pregnancy or birth of at least one baby weighing more than 9 pounds.
• Having high blood pressure measuring 140/90 or higher.
• Having abnormal cholesterol with HDL ("good") cholesterol is 35 or lower, or triglyceride level is 250 or higher.
• Being physically inactive—exercising fewer than three times a week.

blood sugar monitor

When should I be tested for diabetes?

 

Anyone aged 45 years or older should consider getting tested for diabetes, especially if you are overweight. If you are younger than 45, but are overweight and have one or more additional risk factor, you should consider getting tested.

What are the symptom of diabetes?

Many people have no signs or symptoms of diabetes. The symptoms can also be very vague that you might not notice them until you have suffered the complications. Initial signs of diabetes are

• increased thirst
• increased hunger
• fatigue
• increased urination, especially at night

Over time, you may also develop weight loss, blurred vision, slow healing sores. More serious findings are kidney problems, heart problems, or loss of consciousness.

What is the treatment for diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes is treated by healthy eating, exercise, and insulin injections. For type 2 diabetes, the treatment consists of healthy eating, exercise, routine blood glucose testing. In addition, people with type 2 diabetes often requires oral medication, insulin, or both to control their blood sugar levels.

People living with diabetes may see endocrinologists, who may specialize in diabetes care; ophthalmologists for eye examinations; podiatrists for routine foot care; and dietitians and diabetes educators who teach the skills needed for daily diabetes management.

10 Simple Ways to Reduce Wrinkles

There are cheaper and more practical ways than applying expensive night creams to help keep the lines off your your features. Here's how:

1. Lay on your back when you're sleeping. Laying on your side causes wrinkles on your cheeks and chin, while facing down gives you a furrowed brow.
2. Avoid repeating the same facial expressions or maintaining it for long periods of time. Forcing your facial muscles to overwork forms grooves which eventually become wrinkles. Wear reading glasses to prevent you from squinting or sunglasses to avoid glares.

   

   wear reading glasses to avoid squinting

3. Don't wash your face too often. If you do this, you wash away the natural oils and takes away moisture that protect against wrinkles.
4. Drink enough water. Hydration is important to maintain healthy skin.
5. Eat more fish, especially salmon. Cold water fish contains high level of omega 3 fatty acid that will nourish and keep your skin to look and feel younger.

6. 

   drink enough water

   Eat or apply soy. Soy may help protect or even heal your skin from some of the sun's photoaging damage.
7. Drink cocoa. Epicatchin and catechin in cocoa protects your skin from sun damage, improve circulation and make the skin look and feel smoother.
8. Get enough sleep. When you are sleep-deprived, the body produces more cortisol, a hormone that breaks down skin cells.
9. AHA, retinoids, vitamin C. Most of these antioxidants can be found in fruit. Applying them topically in form of mask will help reduce those fine lines.
10. Don't smoke. Avoid second-hand smoking as well. Cigarette smoke breaks down skin collagen and elastin. Your skin will be thinner and more fragile.

Adult Vaccination At A Glance

The importance of vaccines.

Prevention is always the smarter and more cost-efficient step than treatment or rehabilitation. Vaccinations have saved the world from diseases like smallpox, polio, and diphteria. In fact, the reason why we never have to worry about most infectious diseases anymore is because we have developed an effective vaccine.

Vaccines give our immune system the opportunity to develop the tools to fight off the organism that causes a disease without having to suffer the disease itself. In this way vaccines are incredibly important for your personal health.

Influenza vaccine is given once every year.

 

Adults need vaccinations too.

Despite the success of vaccinations in children, many people still don't realize that vaccines work for adults too and the extent is not only limited to preventing infectious disease. For example, the HPV vaccine is proven to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer in women.

"It's never too late to get vaccinated."

The only reasons why you should not get vaccinations are if you are allergic to any component of the vaccine, has had a serious adverse reaction on previous vaccination, or if you suffer diseases that weakens your immune system.

One example of an important vaccine for adult is the influenza vaccine. It is recommended to be given once a year because the virus changes every so often every year. Therefore we have to retrain our immune system to fight it.

To learn more about other adult vaccinations such as tetanus, chickenpox, HPV, shingles, MMR, pneumonia, meningococcal, and hepatitis you can visit the CDC site and get a complete schedule. Or, you can consult your physician for the right vaccines for you.

Aging Gracefully

What is the secret to aging well?

This is the question we often find ourselves asking as we sail through our years. There is no definite answer to this question because it depends on your personal views on life. But one thing is certain, everyone is capable of achieving it. 

Nobody says getting old is going to be as easy as a walk in park.

As the age increases, people are faced with many emotional struggles. Fears of losing one's independence, loss of loved ones, chance of contracting serious illness like cancer or Alzheimer are only but a few examples. Aging gracefully is an ongoing process full of challenges, and like any other challenges in life, your attitude matters.

Don't listen to the media. Myths of ageless beauty or dying happily at home with the best possible care are misleading examples. Replace these stereotypes with your own image and standards. You don't have to be rich and beautiful in order to attain happiness in your old age.

Accept changes. 

stay active physically and psychologically

Psychological health plays a major role in accepting the fact that your life won't s remain the same. Aging changes everyone. One needs to anticipate these inevitable changes that comes with aging. You will need help in your daily activities, your memory is not what it used to be, your children grow up, and so on.If you can't cope with changes, depression ensues.

Always try to stay active both physically and psychologically.

Find activities that suit your ability. Read a lot. Watch the news. Get a pet like a dog or a cat. Grow plants. Call your families when your friends are not around anymore. Stay positive and continue to look forward because the best is yet to come. Never stop your efforts in giving meaning into your life.