Naturally Improve Your Vision

Lutein is a natural plant pigment and antioxidant that is good at improving eyesight. It is found in green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, peas, broccoli, egg yolks, and corn. Lutein is good at protecting and strengthening the eyes. It accumulates in the macular region of the retina in the eye and acts like internal sunglasses since it filters out the sun's ultraviolet rays. The antioxidant property of it helps to maintain cells and tissues for good health. A study done by the North Chicago VA Medical Center found that patients with age-related macular degeneration improved their vision significantly after taking 12mg of lutein each day for a year.

Naturally Lower Blood Pressure with Potassium

Potassium is a mineral that is found in clams, poultry, and in almost every fruit and vegetable. It is found abundantly in potatoes, dried peaches, avocados, and bananas. It is good at lowering and controlling blood pressure. There are potassium supplements that can be used, but it is better to obtain potassium through foods. Too much potassium can be harmful for older people, because kidneys are less effective at removing potassium from the blood as a person ages. It is best to consult a healthcare professional before taking an over-the-counter potassium supplement.

Natural Ways to Treat Allergies

There are many natural ways to reduce and prevent allergy symptoms without the use of medications. There are vitamins, herbs, foods, drinks, and easy common things that you can do at home so that you don't have to suffer from allergies.

There are several vitamins, minerals, and herbal remedies that are good at relieving allergy symptoms and strengthening the immune system. Vitamin B5, vitamin A, and Omega-3 Fatty Acids can help to relieve allergy symptoms, such as congestion, coughs, and runny nose. Quercetin is a plant compound that can be found in foods, such as onions, apples, and citrus fruits, that can prevent the secretion of histamine. Histamine is a chemical that the body produces during an allergic reaction that causes sneezing and other symptoms. Butterbur is a herb that is good at relieving hay fever symptoms. Licorice root, astragalus, and capsicum are also good at curing allergy symptoms.

There are foods and drinks that can be used to easy allergy symptoms. Spicy foods, such as hot ginger, cayenne pepper, onion, and garlic, can help to reduce mucous secretion, which can help to clear nasal passages. Honey can be used to help allergies. Taking 1 or 2 teaspoons of locally grown natural honey before the allergy season starts helps the body to get used to pollen before the allergy season is full blown and helps the immune system. Teas such as green tea and Mint Medley herbal tea work well to ease congestion.

There are easy things that can done at home that can help allergies. Cleaning carpets, bedsheets, floors, and curtains at least once a week reduces pollen and allergy in your home. Dust mites are another cause of allergies that are commonly found in bedding, carpets, and pet dander. It is good to wash bedding in hot water and dry them in a hot dryer to kill dust mites. It is also a good idea to enclose mattresses, box springs, and pillows in airtight zipped plastic or special allergy proof plastic. Using an air conditioner can help to clean, recirculate, and dehumidify the air.

Giving pets a regular bath can help to reduce allergies. Washing your hair regularly can help to reduce allergies because hair can hold a lot of pollen when you go outside. Wearing sunglasses when you go outside can reduce the amount of pollen entering the eyes. Nasal Rinses are very effective at removing the pollen stuck in the nasal passages. Doing a nasal rise will drain out some bacteria and mucous and help to reduce allergies.

The Facts of Swine Flu

Swine flu is an influenza virus that usually only affects pigs but the virus mixed genes with another influenza virus to create a new type of virus that is also able to infect humans. The current swine flu virus is so different from other viruses that humans have been exposed to in the past that there is very little to none natural immunity to it. The body would have a hard time defending itself against the virus and there are no vaccines for the virus yet. The antiviral medicines Tamiflu and Relenza could help if the medicine is given within two days after symptoms begin. Health authorities are recommending the medicines mainly for people that have more severe symptoms. Most people who have caught the virus have recovered from it.

Common symptoms of the disease include fever, muscle pains, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, chills, headaches, weakness, and diarrhea. If you are having symptoms it is recommended to isolate yourself from everyone else and stay home to prevent spreading the disease. Get medical help immediately if the symptoms become severe.

The virus can be transmitted form person to person by sneezing, coughing, and physical contact, such as shaking hands, kissing, or any kind of touching. You can try to prevent contracting the disease and spreading it by washing your hands or using alcohol based cleansers frequently throughout the day, not shaking hands or having any physical contact with someone, and avoiding contact with people who have symptoms of the flu. Avoid touching your nose, mouth, and eyes as much as possible. You cannot get the disease by eating pork.

Fight Insomnia with Cherries

It is found that cherries can be used to help you sleep better. They contain a high amount of the hormone melatonin. Melatonin naturally makes you feel tired. It is also produced by the body during sleep and during night hours to regulate sleeping patterns by the pineal gland. Melatonin does not have any negative side effects and is safe and natural. It is found in the skin of cherries and eating just a few cherries works just as well as taking pills to fight insomnia. It is best to eat a handful of cherries right before bedtime to get a good rest.

The Health Benefits of Omega-3s

Omega-3s are a family of unsaturated fatty acids that are important for good health but are not naturally made by the body. They are mostly found in fish and offer good healthy benefits for the heart, eyes, joints, and brain.

Omega-3s have been found to reduce the rate of fatal and nonfatal heart attacks and can slightly lower blood pressure levels. It can reduce heart attacks by reducing inflammation and blood clots. It also slows the buildup of plaque in the arteries that can cause a heart attack. It can lower blood pressure by making it possible for blood to flow better in the veins through the reduction of plaque buildup.

Omega-3s can protect against the development and progression of retinopathy, which is the deterioration of the retina. DHA is in the omega-3 group and it is used by the photoreceptor cells of the retina in the eye. Not getting enough omega-3s in your diet can cause vision problems.

When it comes to the joints, omega-3s can improve morning stiffness and joint pain related to rheumatoid arthritis and reduce inflammation in the joints.

Omega-3s have an effect on the brain because they can increase the grey matter in the brain that is related to mood and behavior. This could help depression and improve mood and emotions.

Grapefruit Juice Not Good for Prescription Medications

Grapefruit juice is not good for people taking certain prescription medication. The juice has natural enzymes that can block the body's ability to break down certain drugs and this can cause the drug's levels to increase to high levels and increase the risk of side effects. Just one glass of juice can be enough to cause problems. It is good to check the prescription label for grapefruit caution.

Benefits of Soy Yogurt

Soy yogurt is a healthier form of yogurt because it is made with soy milk from soy beans instead of cow’s milk. The natural compounds in the yogurt can help to control blood sugar levels by slowing down carbohydrate digestion. Also, the yogurts are usually all-natural, organic, and dairy free.

Heart Doctor Pioneer Michael DeBakey Dies

Dr. Michael DeBakey, the famous cardiovascular surgeon that pioneered the bypass surgery and inventor of many devices to help people with heart problems, has died at the age of 99 from natural causes at the Methodist Hospital in Houston, TX. In 1932, while he was still in medical school, he invented the roller pump, which later became the most important part of the heart-lung machine. The machine takes over the responsibilities of the heart and lungs during surgery. He was also the pioneer in the development of artificial hearts and heart pumps to help people waiting for transplants. He had helped to create more than 70 surgical instruments in his lifetime.

In the 1950s, DeBakey was the first person to perform the replacement of arterial aneurysms and obstructive lesions. He had developed bypass pumps and connections to replace parts of diseased arteries.

He had performed more than 60,000 heart surgeries in his career that lasted 70 years. His patients had included the Duke of Windsor, the Shah of Iran, King Hussein of Jordan, Turkish President Turgut Ozal, Nicaraguan leader Violetta Chamorro, President Kennedy, President Johnson, and President Nixon. He was a consultant when Russian President Boris Yeltsin had surgery.

He served as the chairman of the President’s Commission on Heart Disease, Cancer, and Stroke during President Johnson’s administration. He had helped to establish the National Library of Medicine and was the author of more than 1,000 medical reports, papers, chapters, and books on surgery, medicine, and similar topics.

In 1953, he performed the first Dacron graft to be able to replace part of occluded arteries. In the 1960s he started coronary artery bypasses. In 1966, he was the first person to successfully use a partial artificial heart. In the 1990s, he helped to create the Michael E. DeBakey Heart Instititute at Hays Medical Center.

Natural Ways to Treat Migraines

There are several ways to effectively treat migraine symptoms naturally without using prescription medications. There is an extract of the butterbur plant that can reduce the number of migraines a person gets when it is used regularly. The vitamin B2 can reduce the frequency and length of time a person suffers from a migraine when 400mg of it is used each day.

Acupuncture and biofeedback can also be very helpful. Having acupuncture done twice each week can help to prevent migraine symptoms and biofeedback can reduce migraines by 56 percent.

Natural Remedies for Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry Eye Syndrome is one of the most common reasons that people to go an ophthalmologist. The condition causes stinging red eyes, blurred vision, and sensitivity to light. There are natural treatments available that can give long-term help.

A person can help symptoms of dry eye syndrome by eating more Omega-3s. Omega-3s are fatty acids that would reduce inflammation. It is advised to eat about 2,350 mg of this weekly.

Make sure you get enough sleep. During sleep a thin layer of mucous, oil, and water coats the eye and provides moisture and protection. Getting enough sleep gives the eye enough time to replenish the film.

An ophthalmologist can insert punctual plugs. The plugs are sesame seed-sized and are placed into the tear drainage ducts to keep tears from escaping and retain moisture.

Natural Cold Cures

A study says that knowing and keeping track of your BMI could help fight off colon cancer. The National Cancer Institute studied the health history of more than 200,000 women and found that 50 to 71 year old women who were a little overweight increased their chances of getting cancer by 29% as compared to lean women. Being moderately overweight increased risks by 31% and being obese increased risks by 49%. Fat cells produce and release hormones that could cause cancer cell growth.

The Benefits of Water and Longevity

Water is one of the most important natural elements on earth. There are a lot of reasons that we need water for our basic survival and water has a lot of benefits that keep us healthy. Here are some of the benefits.

The human body is made up of between 55 to 75 percent of water and almost every cell in your body needs water to function properly. Lean people have more water in their bodies because muscle holds more water than fat. Your body is in constant need of replenishing itself. When you breathe you lose two to four cups of water. When your feet sweat you lose a cup of water. When the rest of your body sweats you lose two cups of water.

You have to lose 10 percent of your body weight in water to be considered dehydrated but just 2 percent can affect you physically and cause tiredness and lack of energy. Dehydration can cause problems in blood circulation because when you are dehydrated the blood is thicker and your body would have to work harder to circulate.

Getting enough water can lessen the chance of kidney stones, keep joints lubricated, prevent and lessen the effects of colds and flu, and help prevent constipation. It detoxifies the liver and kidneys. It also keeps the digestive system in order and flushes out the waste from your body. You shouldn’t have much sugar in your diet because it slows down the rate that fluid is absorbed into your body. Studies have shown that people who drank at least 5 glasses of water per day had a 41 percent less chance for a heart attack.

Water is very good for your skin because it acts as a purifier and removes toxins and waste from your body. Drinking water also helps to moisturize the skin and give it a fresh and healthy glow.


Water can aid in weight loss because it acts as a natural appetite suppressant. When you drink enough water it is easier for you body to burn and get rid of fat cells. When you don’t get enough water it is a lot harder to lose weight.

Water has a lot of benefits that are crucial to life and survival. It is recommended to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water per day. Drinking water can help you to live a long and healthy life.