Blood Disorder Month: Let’s Learn About Basic Blood Health
Blood and circulatory health are necessary for a long and happy life. Now that Blood Disorder Month is upon us, let’s take some time to explore the different ways blood health can go wrong. Fortunately for most of us, blood health is something we can invest in through healthy living and care from a trusted physician. Learning about how some of the common blood disorders work can help you start living in a way that promotes blood and circulatory health for life.
High Blood Pressure - Nobody is quite sure exactly why high blood pressure happens, but we do understand the common risk factors that predispose people to HBP. Unhealthy lifestyle factors like sedentary living, obesity, poor and/or salty diet, alcohol and drug use, stress, and other chronic conditions can all contribute to high blood pressure. The reason HBP is bad is because it tends to portend narrowing of the arteries.
The increased pressure that results from pushing a static quantity of blood through a shrinking volume of blood vessels does damage to the arteries, and to the heart, which has to fight against the restricted flow. Fortunately, HBP can be regulated with various medications, as well as a common B12 supplement. Even though high blood pressure commonly crops up as we age, it doesn’t have to lead to stroke and heart attack like it did when we didn’t understand it as well as we do today.
Iron Deficiency - Iron deficiency is another common blood disorder. It’s a big deal when it occurs because our bodies need iron to create new red blood cells. The symptoms of early iron deficiency include weakness and listlessness, but the condition can be (though rarely is) fatal. Iron deficiency is most often seen in women during menstruation, but it can also result from a bone marrow disorder and other more serious causes. It’s easy to check for iron deficiency, so talk to your doctor if you’re feeling out of sorts. This can be easily diagnosed and, in most cases, corrected.
Blood Cancers - There are several kinds of blood cancer which, though not as common as the blood disorders so far discussed, are very serious. It’s important to understand how these diseases manifest in symptoms, so you can catch them early if you happen to develop one. The main three blood cancers are leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. Coughing, chest pain, fever, chronic infections, itchy skin, night sweats - all these and more can mean that you’re dealing with some kind of blood cancer. Of course, all of these symptoms can result from more benign causes. As always, if you have recurrent symptoms, get them checked out by an expert.
Blood Clots - There are several kinds of blood clotting disorders. Most commonly those with atherosclerosis can be at risk for blood clots, because their blood vessels become narrower and more prone to obstruction. Diabetes and obesity are two other significant risk factors. Healthy living and supplementation with products from Standard Process can definitely help.
There’s no way to be 100% sure that you’ll never develop a blood disorder, but it’s important to know that healthy living will go some way in preventing their development. Our bodies are complex machines, but they work according to rules that are fairly well-understood. If you have a family history of blood disorders, let your doctor know and have these checked out early and often. Find out about lifestyle and genetic factors which can put you at risk for these and related disorders. If you don’t have any imminent danger of developing a specific disorder, live as healthy a life as you are able and you’ll maximize your chances of staving off these illnesses for good.
Americans consume a lot of sugar. How bad is it? On average, we consume 130 pounds of sugar each year, the equivalent of 3,550 lbs of Skittles over their lifetime. Compare that to the 1820s, when the average person consumed 20 grams a year.
What makes this alarming that that some research suggests that sugar and sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup are linked with various issues such as metabolic problems, changes to the female reproductive cycle, heart disease, and obesity.
But there are alternatives, such as xylitol and stevia from Now Foods, which are all natural, non-sugar plant byproducts offering fewer or zero calories per serving, may be ideal for diabetics, people with high cholesterol, and people worried about cavities or eroding the enamel of teeth.
Are these sugar alternatives right for you? Let’s take a look!
What Is Stevia?
Stevia is a plant that grows natively in South America but is not cultivated throughout the world. The popularity of stevia is in part because of its taste, which some compare to licorice, and also that it contains zero calories.
The taste of stevia comes from the a group of compounds known as steviol glycosides. In many countries, only the use of “high purity” plant extracts containing 95% or greater steviol glycosides are allowed for use as a food additive; other stevia products are only allowed as a “supplement.” This is mainly due to a lack of long-term research about its potential effect on the human body.
What Is Xylitol?
Xylitol is an alcohol derived sugar that is found in fruits and vegetables. It is much closer to what you known as a traditional sugar, however it does have a few advantages, such as having about a third of the calories and disrupts the function of bacteria in the mouth. In fact, xylitol can be found in some oral health products and has been found to reduce cavities. But unlike stevia, xylitol may affect blood sugar levels, although its effect is less than traditional sugars.
Sugar Substitutes Aren’t Always The Answer
Before using a sugar substitute, make sure to consider if you also need to cut back on sweets. Research shows that sugars, as well as other tasty foods, can change the behavior of the brain and can cause addiction-like symptoms, such as loss of control, cravings, and tolerance to sweets that can cause you to eat too much, gain unhealthy weight, and develop health problems.
If you’re ready to make the switch from sugar to xylitol or stevia, now is probably a better time than never. NOW Foods offers several options for both xylitol and stevia, including liquid sweeteners, bulk bags, flavored varieties, travel-size packets, and a lot more. Use each to taste, but always remember that despite having fewer calories or a lower impact on blood glucose levels doesn’t necessarily make them healthy. Moderation and a healthy diet may provide your the greatest chance at supporting a healthy diet and lifestyle.
The Most Interesting And Unconventional Ways To Cook
Cooking is fun and rewarding. You get to choose the fresh ingredients you want and see the process of making food unfold right before your eyes. Everyone should learn to cook is what we’re saying. Yet, sometimes we all take cooking too seriously. To make things more interesting, why not get a little silly and try some unconventional ways to cook your food?
The Most Interesting And Unconventional Ways To Cook
Ready to try something a little weird? Here’s a list of the top 3 interesting and unconventional ways to cook some delicious meals.
Dorm Room Grilled Cheese
College kids tend to be resourceful when it comes to eating. If you give them one or two ingredients, they can typically make it work. For dorm room grill cheese, you actually need just a few very conventional ingredients that should be obvious: bread, butter, cheese, tin foil, and an iron. Pick whatever cheese you like. Also feel free to add any other fillers, like deli meat, etc.
Directions
Turn on your iron in a safe place. Butter one side of each piece of bread and place it facing the tin foil so it doesn’t stick and turns golden brown. Add your cheese in the middle between the unbuttered sides of bread. Wrap it up in tinfoil - or skip the tinfoil if you aren’t worried about ruining your iron - and heat for around 5 minutes on each side. Before flipping, carefully open the foil to check that your bread is browning.
Note: You can do this in a hotel, apartment, or anywhere you have an iron.
Dishwasher Salmon
Got a small load of dirty dishes and feel bad about running a full dishwasher cycle? Kill two birds with one stone by cooking your salmon on the top rack while you clean your dirty dishware. All you will need is a 12 inch cut of aluminum foil, 6-ounce salmon fillets, and a few optional dressings.
Directions
Get your salmon and place two fillets side-by-side on each square of foil. Fold up the outer edge, then drizzle the salmon with lemon juice and pepper. Now tightly wrap the fillets so that when you push down on the foil, no air can escape. Place these on the top rack of the dishwasher and run with detergent for a “normal cycle,” or about 50 minutes. If your dishwasher as an “eco” setting, the fish may not cook correctly; and using too high of heat may overcook it. If you wrapped the salmon properly, no detergent or water should get inside the foil.
Beer Can Chicken
Here’s one for the people that always manage to dry out their bird. All you will need is a whole chicken, a regular 12 ounce can of beer, and a grill. If you aren’t sure where we’re going with this one, get ready for the upsetting part: You’re going to stick the open beer can up and into the backside of the chicken.
Directions
Start with a standard whole chicken (around 4 pounds) and rub it with olive oil, then season with salt, thyme, and black pepper. Next, take a beer can and let it reach room temperature. Open and drink or drain half of the beer. Now, carefully insert the beer can into the chicken so it stands upright and place it on the cool side of the grill. Every 15 minutes read the temperature of the chicken at the thickest part until it reads a little over 160 Fahrenheit. Total cook time should take about 90 minutes.
Finally, let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes, then very carefully remove the beer can as it may be incredibly hot. Your chicken should now be very juicy!
There you go, just a few interesting ways to try cooking your next meal. It isn’t glamorous and won’t win you a spot as a top chef, but it is a good way to mix things up and even impress your friends and family.
Drink These Herbal Teas To Put Your Mood Back In Order!
Struggling to focus during a meeting? Make a pot of black tea!
Wake up on the wrong side of the bed and want to yell at everyone? Drink passionflower tea!
Can’t focus on your normal responsibilities? Sip some peppermint or green tea!
There is a tea for just about every occasion. Not only does tea take only a few minutes to brew, but it is also a great alternative to coffee and soda. More than that, many tea varieties contain potentially beneficial medicinal properties.
Keep reading and discover the herbal tea that is right for your mood.
An Herbal Tea For Every Mood
Herbal teas are exactly what they sound like: Herbs bought from a brand like Mountain Rose Herbsthat you steep in hot or boiling water for as long as you prefer (steep longer for a stronger cup), then sip it the early morning, during a meeting, or before bed.
Which herb you choose matters, however. Each plant has unique properties that make it more or less ideal for your current mood, depending on the situation, which you’ll see below.
Low Energy
Black tea is a good source of natural caffeine with up to 90 mg per 8 oz cup. This is about half that of a cup of coffee, so it is a much better choice than coffee while still providing that boost of energy you look for throughout the day. Moreover, the stronger taste of black tea is also satisfying if you’re a fan of taking your coffee black.
Too Much Energy
Just like low energy can ruin your morning, too much energy can lead to a bad night’s rest and thus leads to another bad morning. For sleep support, try lavender and chamomile tea. Research has shown that both herbs contain compounds that help to regulate nervous system responses to provide a sense of calm and relaxation.
Anger, Stress, And Anxiety
Passionflower is a flowering plant that only blooms for a single day each year. While the bloom is particularly beautiful, the rest of the plant deserves attention too. Inside the root, leaves, and stem are potentially beneficial medicinal compounds that support a healthy response to stress, frustration, and anxiety without impairing normal cognitive functions.
Brain Fog
Green tea contains L-theanine, caffeine, and a compound known as epigallocatechin gallate that when taken together may support a healthy attention span, memory, and a lower risk of being distracted, according to research.
Water
Sometimes your mood is just the result of dehydration. The brain is about 75% water and researchers suggest that when you aren’t properly hydrated you suffer from impaired memory, motor skills, and fatigue. So if you don’t have tea handy, consider a glass or three of water and see if that doesn’t put your mind and body straight.
A Word About Quality Tea
Not all herbs come from quality farms. Plants will absorb synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or industrial waste found in nearby areas that leak into the soil. Remember, what is sprayed onto the plant or added to the soil can end up in your hot cup of tea.
So if you’re looking for the healthiest tea possible, check out Mountain Rose Herbs, or other popular brands like Red Rose, Stach, Tazo, or Twinings. Each brand’s offerings can taste a little different depending on the region or the species of herb, so experimentation is encouraged.
Feel free to to mix different teas together to experience a unique flavor combination or to gain a certain potential medicinal effect. Buying loose leaf tea is best for this if you want to control how strong your tea will be. But you can also put multiple tea bags together in the same cup if you prefer a stronger drink. Tea is generally considered safe to drink a few times a day; however, as with all things, moderation may be key if you’re drinking tea for a medicinal effect.
