Acai berry fruit has a very powerful antioxidant which could fight the damaging effects of free radicals that cause cell damage or decreased function of body cells and increase the risk of premature aging.

The fruit which comes from Central and South America is a favorite for the health and diet programs in the United States in recent years.

Acai berry is a natural source of antosianin. which is one type of very strong antioxidant, a pigment that can be found in the fruit berries, red wine, and other healthy foods. Antosianin also helps eye function vision especially at night.

In addition to a strong antioxidant, acai berries also contain essential fatty acids, amino acids and plant sterols which are compounds that resemble cholesterol. Sterols help to maintain a safe level of cholesterol in the normal range. Some compounds are also useful to help maintain prostate health and strengthen the immune system.

Dr. Perriconne Nicholas, one of the herbal health experts who frequently appear in the Oprah Winfrey Show, include acai berries in a list of 10 great foods that can make you look younger, healthier, and prolong life.

He says that the acai berry juice contains an extraordinary antioxidant concentrations that can help fight premature aging, with 10 times the antioxidant power than red grapes and 10-30 times the antosianin level of red wine. Also contain unsaturated fats, diet food, fiber and Phytosterol that can help keep your cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal health.

Lots of people suffer from acid reflux and have tried to over the counter antacids and medications with little or no relief. Doctors are just going to give us prescriptions for expensive medications, which might work but they are costly and some people just can’t afford them, so they continue to suffer. The good news is that the cure could be as close as making some simple changes to your diet. There are foods that cause acid reflux, and if you are eating these foods on a regular basis, then avoiding them may be all that’s needed to take care of your acid reflux.

Below you could find a list of usual foods that cause acid reflux symptoms in some people. Take a look at this list and see if there are foods on it that you eat on a regular basis and try some alternatives to see if these help reduce your acid reflux symptoms.

High Fat Foods
Dairy foods that are high in fat such as whole milks, cottage cheeses, and many other high fat cheeses can be an almost instant trigger for acid reflux. Try using non fat milk and low fat cottage cheese. Some processed cheese foods are low in fat and taste almost as good as their real cheese counterparts. Check the labels.

High fat meats like marbled steaks and other cuts of beef, ground beef, dark chicken and turkey meat and their skins can all be foods that cause acid reflux in you. Alternatively, you can find cuts of beef that are less marbled and closely trimmed, ground sirloin is typically lower in fat, and boneless, skinless chicken and turkey breasts are a wonderful and healthy alternative.

Fried foods, especially those found at any fast food restaurant, are also foods that cause acid reflux in most people. Try finding foods that are fried in lower fat oils like peanut oil. They still may cause some discomfort, but it is possible that they won’t cause as much discomfort as the others.

Fruits and Veggies
Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruits and their juices can irritate the esophagus and cause symptoms of acid reflux. Try fruits like apples and apple juice, which have been known to actually relieve heartburn.

Onions have been known to cause acid reflux, especially when eaten raw. If you love the taste of onion but they cause you pain, try using onion powder as an alternative.

Tomatoes are full of acid and should be avoided. This also includes products made from tomatoes like sauces, salsa, and condiments. There really is no alternative for tomatoes, but some other condiments and vegetables could replace them and still be satisfying.

Beverages
Coffee, both caffeinated and decaffeinated, can trigger acid reflux in many people and should be avoided. Try a cold glass of apple cider and 20 minutes on the treadmill for a morning pick-me-up.
Sodas and other carbonated drinks can cause symptoms of acid reflux. Water is the best alternative to soda, especially on hot summer days.

Alcohol, especially beer, can be damaging to the esophagus and cause acid reflux. This is where a lifestyle change may be necessary. When you go out volunteer to be the designated driver and have fun watching everybody else act like drunken idiots. You’re likely to win at darts more often this way, too.

There are other foods that cause acid reflux symptoms, too. The best way to figure out what is causing your acid reflux is to keep a journal and then avoid the foods that you find are your triggers. If this doesn’t help, then a trip to the doctor to discuss your acid reflux is recommended.

To help you gain extra pounds of healthy weight you could eat weight gain diet foods. Skinny people need to know what kind of food and how much to eat. Eating the wrong foods such as high carbs like fries, chips and other junk food is a sure way to create future health problems downstream like hypertension, heart diseases and diabetes. We will look at some of the proper weight gain diet foods you should include in your daily diet and the portions you should be consuming to gain weight quickly and healthily.

There is a right way to eat for weight gain. Instead of eating everything within the 3 basic meals, distribute your food intake into 5 or 6 meals – 3 main and 2 light ones. This would aid your calorie intake and maintain a healthy balance.

Gaining weight simply means that you have to eat more than what your body requires for the day. This is translated to eating more than your daily calorie requirement to maintain the calorie-burning activities you perform. Eating just enough to meet your daily needs would only keep your weight constant, and would not add any additional weight. Studies have found out that to make a person to gain extra 1 pound, the person needs to increase his/her calorie intake above what he/she needs by 3500 calories. Assuming the additional weight gain is achieved within a week, this equates adding 500 calories per day to the meals consumed. An average male adult requires about 2000 odd calories per day. If you want to know the exact calorie counts you need to consume you could go see your doctor.

If you are interested in the kind of weight gain diet foods you can try the following:

1. Milk (3 Glasses)

Milk is packed with protein, the ingredient necessary to put on muscle mass. Start the day with a glass of milk, drink it over the next few meals until you are done with more than 3 glasses.

2. Fruits & Vegetables (5 Servings)

Eating fruits and vegetables help prepare our bodies for healthy weight gain. They are rich in fiber and vitamins, and aid us in digesting our weight gain diet foods.

3. Breads

Choose hearty and dense breads such as oat bran and whole wheat rather than light white breads. Eat them with generous servings of peanut butter and jam.

4. Cereals

Cereals make great weight gain diet foods. Eat more dense cereals such as muesli, grape-nuts, granola, shredded wheat and bran or wheat chex. Avoid flaked cereals. Remember to use low fat milk instead of water when preparing hot cereals and garnish with nuts and dried fruits.

5. Beverages

Drink more filling beverages like shakes, milk, fruit juices instead of water, tea, coffee and sodas. Go for the higher calorie content.

There are a wide variety of possible problems that one can have with the digestive system. They may include a number of organs. Here we are discussing a basic sluggishness, weakness or inability to digest and / or assimilate our food nutrients. Symptoms might be bloating, flatulence, frequent burping, discomfort after eating, pain in the abdominal area. Ulcers and gastritis will require more specific instructions.

SOME POSSIBLE CAUSES

1. Hereditary weaknesses in the digestive organs. This does not mean that you are doomed to suffer. You can learn how to live wisely and not suffer at all from such a problem.
2. Poor dietary habits which have weakened our digestive system.
3. Nutritional deficiencies.
4. Blockages in the spinal nerves, which regulate the functioning of the digestive organs.
5. A lack of digestive enzymes and / or friendly bacteria in the intestines.
5. Emotional tension, which is affects these organs.

EFFECTIVE NATURAL SOLUTIONS

1. Eat properly and at regular times of the day, so that your digestive system can prepare itself.
a. Do not eat between meals.
b. Eat only when hungry.
c. Do not eat again until the previous meal has been digested.

2. Do not drink liquids with the meal. They dilute the digestive juices.

3. Follow the guidelines for proper food combining, especially concerning not eating sweet fruit with or after the meal.

4. If you have serious problems, then eat only one food at each meal for a period of time.

5. Do not eat food cold from the refrigerator.

6. Chew slowly making your food a liquid in your mouth before swallowing.

7. Garlic and lemon aid in the digestion of vegetables and proteins. (Watch out if you have an active ulcer).

8. Occasionally fast or eat only one food (apples, peas, watermelon, grapes, brown rice) for a few days. This will help your digestive system to rest and detoxify and revitalize itself.

9. Drink hot or warm water between meals (at least 3 hours after the meal and 15 minutes before).

10. Herb teas often help: mint, chamomile, anise, garlic.

11. Make sure that you have one or more bowel movements everyday.

12. Engage in some light activity after eating before lying down to rest.

13. Get plenty of daily exercise and take walks in nature if at all possible.

14. Never eat when emotionally upset. Do some breathing or relaxation first and then eat.

15. Learn to massage your own abdomen with shiatsu or “ambuko” massage. (Be sure that you do not have appendicitis)

16. Massage the soles of your feet where there are the reflex points for the various digestive organs. You can use a foot roller or round bottle to roll the bottom of your foot on in order to stimulate these points.

17. Spiritual Healing is especially beneficial. Place your hands on your abdominal area and send light, love and healing energy through your hands to your organs and yourself.

18. Harmonize your emotional life by changing beliefs and attitudes through reading, self-analysis, meditation, prayer and group work.

19. If your liver or gall bladder is sluggish you can use a castor oil pack to stimulate your liver, gall bladder, stomach and small intestines. (This method is described by Edgar Cayce in various books.)

20. Consult a yoga teacher for specific exercises, which relax, tonify and rejuvenate the organs of digestion, assimilation and excretion.

21. Do deep relaxation daily and contact the peace in the center of your being.

When we care for our bodyPsychology Articles, it serves us more joyfully.

A good defense against most illness is a healthy immune system. Once you’re sick however, some illnesses can actually use your powerful immune system against you. This is known as a Cytokine Storm.

DEFINE A CYTOKINE STORM

Messengers in your body that regulate your immune response to sickness are called cytokines. When cytokines over-stimulate your immune system to produce an exaggerated response to a pathogen, a Cytokine Storm has begun.

Cytokine Storms can be dangerous. High fever, inflammation and redness along with nausea and weakness are symptoms
of a cytokine storm. If the storm is concentrated in the lungs and airways, the mucus and inflammation has the potential to block airways and result in death. Many believe that the high death toll among otherwise young and healthy adults during the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918 was due to the Cytokine Storm response.

AVOID IMMUNE BOOSTERS DURING A CYTOKINE STORM

During a serious viral infection, immune boosting foods and herbs are best avoided. Oregano, Aloe Vera, Pau d’arco, Elderberry and Echinacea are some of the herbs which are immune boosters and would offer an initial relief followed by more severe symptoms in this instance. Sambucol (which is Elderberry juice), Chlorella algae, Spirulina, Chocolate, Kimchi and Honey are additional foods that can increase cytokine production and should be avoided during a Cytokine Storm. Normally these foods are a good resource for treating less severe colds or flu but are to be avoided when the symptoms are severe.

FIGHT PATHOGENS WITH ANTI-VIRALS

Use Antipathogenic herbs – also known as anti-virals – to fight a virus. These include Garlic, Olive leaf extract, Grapefruit seed extract, Ginger, Mullein, Pine needles, Eucalyptus (inhaled) and Apple Cider Vinegar.

BALANCE IMMUNE RESPONSE WITH IMMUNOMODULATORS

Select herbs and foods that are known as immunomodulators. These can help bring the immune response back into balance or normal range. Olive Leaf Extract, Chamomile and Ginseng fall into this category.

TREATMENTS TO EASE SYMPTOMS

Cytokine Storms characterized by symptoms of bronchial inflammation and excess mucus can have those symptoms eased by the administration of anti-inflammatory treatments. Apple Cider Vinegar, Curcumin (extracted from Turmeric), Ginger, Marshmallow, Mullein, Mustard, Onions, Plantain, Pine Needles, Pleurisy Root, Red Clover, Yarrow or Eucalyptus (inhaled) are helpful in dealing with these symptoms.

APPLICATIONS

Most herbs can be made into a pleasant tea to drink. Many herbs and Apple Cider Vinegar (diluted with water) can be heated to a simmer in water using the steam as a medicinal vapor. Mustard and onions can be applied via a plaster to the chest. It is also possible to deliver the benefits of onions in a soup. A slow heating and burning of herbs (as an incense) can release their essential oil which is carried by smoke to the lungs of those that inhale it.

Rest and plenty of fluids are also very helpful in recovery. Keep a close watch on the symptoms and their progressions and seek the help of medical personnel should you determine the situation is life-threatening.

This information is given as a reference to the reader and not considered a substitute for medical examination. The reader will exercise common senseHealth Fitness Articles, seek to be informed and assume all liability in the use of these methods.

by: Kay Morrison