10 Immune Boosters

Pomegranates

The juice from the biblical fruit of many seeds can reduce your risk of most cancers, thanks to polyphenols called ellagitannins, which give the fruit its color. In fact, a recent study at UCLA found that pomegranate juice slows the growth of prostate cancer cells by a factor of six. "Drink a cup a day," says Bowerman.


Chili peppers

"Chilis stimulate the metabolism, act as a natural blood thinner, and help release endorphins," says Gunnar Petersen, certified strength and conditioning specialist and a celebrity trainer. Plus, they're a great way to add flavor to food without increasing fat or calorie content. Chilis are also rich in beta-carotene, which turns into vitamin A in the blood and fights infections, as well as capsaicin, which inhibits neuropeptides (chemicals that cause inflammation). A recent study in the journal Cancer Research found that hot peppers even have anti-prostate-cancer properties. All this from half a chili pepper (or one tablespoon of chili flakes) every day.

Ginger

Contrary to popular belief, ginger—a piquant addition to so many Asian dishes—isn't a root, it's a stem, which means it contains living compounds that improve your health. Chief among them is gingerol, a cancer suppressor that studies have shown to be particularly effective against that of the colon. Chop ginger or grind it fresh and add it to soy-marinated fish or chicken as often as you can. The more you can handle, the better.

Blueberries

"This potent little fruit can help prevent a range of diseases from cancer to heart disease," says Ryan Andrews, the director of research at Precision Nutrition, in Toronto, Canada. One serving (3.5 ounces) contains more antioxidants than any other fruit. Drizzle with lemon juice and mix with strawberries for a disease-fighting super snack.

Cinnamon

Known for making desserts sweet and Indian food complex, cinnamon is rich in antioxidants that inhibit blood clotting and bacterial growth (including the bad-breath variety). "Studies also suggest that it may help stabilize blood sugar, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes," says dietitian Nancy Clark, author of Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook (Human Kinetics, 1996). "What's more, it may help reduce bad cholesterol. Try half a teaspoon a day in yogurt or oatmeal."

Sweet potatoes

Often confused with yams, this tuber is one of the healthiest foods on the planet. In addition to countering the effects of secondhand smoke and preventing diabetes, sweet potatoes contain glutathione, an antioxidant that can enhance nutrient metabolism and immune-system health, as well as protect against Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, liver disease, cystic fibrosis, HIV, cancer, heart attack and stroke. "One sweet potato a day is a great alternative to the traditional variety," says Clark


Tomatoes

"I think of tomatoes as the 'fighting herpes helper' for the divorcé crowd," says Petersen. Their lycopene content can also help protect against degenerative diseases. "Cooked tomatoes and tomato paste work best," he says. Shoot for half a tomato, or 12 to 20 ounces of tomato juice, a day.

Figs

Packed with potassium, manganese, and antioxidants, this fruit also helps support proper pH levels in the body, making it more difficult for pathogens to invade, says Petersen. Plus, the fiber in figs can lower insulin and blood-sugar levels, reducing the risk of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Select figs with dark skins (they contain more nutrients) and eat them alone or add them to trail mix. Newman's Own Fig Newmans are also a quick and easy way to boost the immune system. Aim for four figs per week.

Mushrooms (reiki, shiitake, maitake)

Delicious when added to brown rice or quinoa, these mushrooms are rich in the antioxidant ergothioneine, which protects cells from abnormal growth and replication. "In short, they reduce the risk of cancer," says Bowerman, who recommends half a cup once or twice a week. "Cooking them in red wine, which contains the antioxidant resveratrol, magnifies their immunity-boosting power."

Sources: http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cold-and-flu/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=100203917&imageindex=9

Move to Boost Mood Find a therapist

What would you say about a remedy for depression that lifted your mood, restored your energy, realigned your brain chemistry, improved your sense of self—and cost nothing?

Then put on your walking shoes or find a workout class. Researchers are finding that physical activity works at least as well against mild to moderate depression as any other treatment. It may be an alternative to current forms of treatment or a complement to them, even in severe cases.

Right now, mental health experts are carefully building a scientific dossier on exercise as therapy for depression. Already, mounting evidence indicates that regular activity combats depression on many fronts:

Animal studies show that exercise alters neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine in the brain's frontal cortex and the hippocampus, both involved in circuits of emotion; the changes are similar to those produced by antidepressants.
It appears to stimulate the vagus nerve, improving function of the brain's emotion-sensing network as well as of the heart. The vagus nerve is increasingly recognized as an important pathway of depression.
By acting on neurohormones that govern the stress response, exercise seems to improve the ability of the body to tolerate stress and to meet changing demands. A dysregulated stress response, perhaps stemming from early psychological trauma, is implicated as a cause of depression.
Exercise has definite cognitive effects; it changes people's perception of themselves, providing a sense of personal mastery and positive self-regard. It also reduces negative thinking.
Exercise keeps on working, making it especially promising for preventing depression recurrences. People who continue to exercise have continuing reductions in symptoms.
A push to document the effect of exercise in depression began after a report by the U.S. Surgeon General linked physical inactivity to numerous modern diseases. James Blumenthal, Ph.D., professor of medical psychology at Duke University, was one of the first to step up to the plate, testing a four-month program of aerobic exercise in people diagnosed with moderate to severe depression.

The patients, sedentary men and women over 50, worked out for 30 minutes three times a week in groups. Their response was compared with that of similarly depressed patients who received either standard therapy with Zoloft or drug and exercise combined.

Patients in all three groups experienced equally significant reductions in depression symptoms, and remission rates were comparable—60% to 65%. Surprisingly, combining two effective treatments, drug and exercise, added no benefit.

In fact, the only difference among the groups was in speed of response. The medication-alone group began improving within a few weeks; the exercisers took a few weeks longer.

But the effects of exercise lasted longer. Six months after treatment ended, fewer patients in the exercise group had relapsed into depression. Among the patients no longer depressed, only 8% of the exercisers relapsed, compared with over 30% in the medication group. "That was a big surprise," Dr. Blumenthal confides.

Contrary to his own expectations, he found that exercise was beneficial against severe depression. "Those with moderate to severe depression responded as well as those with mild depression," he says.

Adherence rates to exercise programs turn out to be at least as good among the depressed as among the general population, and they are comparable among those getting medication and those exercising. Only 20% of patients dropped out of the Duke exercise program sometime before the full 16 weeks.

There is a large pool of people looking for an alternative to current therapies, says Andrea Dunn Ph.D., exercise psychologist at the Cooper Institute for Aerobics in Dallas. In recruiting patients for a study, she found "many people who knew they had symptoms of depression but didn't want to take drugs." Besides, medication doesn't work in 30% to 35% of cases.

How exercise works against depression may be tied to its effect in improving aerobic capacity of heart and lungs. Depression and heart disease are linked through many channels. Even mild depression is a serious risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. Depression increases the mortality of pre-existing heart disease. People with depression have low heart-rate variability, indicating diminished ability of the heart to respond to stress. And exercise lowers mortality of heart patients.

Exercise undertaken to combat depression improves aerobic capacity and cardiovascular fitness, and Dr. Blumenthal makes a strong case for aerobic activities such as walking and jogging. "It was a surprise to us but we found that the largest improvements in aerobic capacity correlated with the greatest reductions in depression."

Still, there's more to the effect of exercise than fitness level. Several studies show that resistance exercise, or weight training, is as effective against depression as aerobic activity. At the very least, both likely restore a sense of personal effectiveness. Both may also act on neurotransmitters and on the vagus nerve.

So to help yourself or someone you love, together take a 30-minute walk daily.
Source www.psychologytoday.com

Time for Health

SHIASTU SELF MEASSAGE

Click the image to enlarge. Try and feel the difference.I will be pubilishing some health related topics. So do keep checking

Self-Diagnose “Carpal Tunnel” (Repetitive Stress Injury) Syndrome

I’m usually not a self-diagnosis advocate. Self-diagnosis is tricky at best because you will never be an objective observer of a system you’re in; just ask Shrodinger’s Cat. However, self-diagnosis can be a good step toward knowing when to bring in the big guns for a real diagnosis, a.k.a. someone with an MD plaque on the wall of their office.

This is a quick list to glance over if you work play use computers a lot. I wouldn’t freak just yet if you have one or two of these symptoms, but if they start adding up, you may want to seek help from a pro.

Sleep interruption from numb hands
Pain in Hand and Wrist
Weakness in Hand and Wrist
Pain Radiating up the Forearm
Poor Circulation, Hands falling asleep
Cold Hands - Forearms warm
Loss of Hand Grip Strength
Loss of Feeling in Fingers/Thumb
Dropping Objects, Clumsiness
Loss of fine motor skills in hands
Aching Shoulders and Neck