Healthy World Digest, #28, July 2011

"Healthy nuggets of information to keep your motor humming."

Welcome to the 28th issue of our newsletter.

In this issue:

* Great herbal remedy for migraine

* Strength exercise for fat loss

* Sweet potatoes for cancer

* Supplements for antiaging

* Hidden cause of belly fat

* Oh those wonderful fruits

* Fight inflammation with food

* Fighting fat with herbs

An especially exquisite herb is being touted as an effective long term migraine cure. Butterbur is a shrub that grows in marshy areas. It has been used medicinally for hundreds of years. Now it’s being seen as a godsend by migraine sufferers.

How does Butterbur work?

It is believed to relax blood vessels whose constriction can lead to migraines.

But it does not work as an instant silver bullet. It may take days or weeks for butterbur to begin to relieve so be patient.

Get it in capsule, powder, extract, tincture and soft gel form. Take as directed. I would take a little more than directed at first, as long as you deem this safe, and then take as directed.

Using herbs for migraines makes a lot of sense. For more, visit our page on herbal remedies for migraines

* Strength exercise for fat loss

It’s quite simple. Testosterone helps build strength and muscle. As importantly, exercises that increase strength and build muscle help increase testosterone.

As we get older, even in our 20s, major reasons for fat and weight gain include the loss of muscle, strength and testosterone.

So, make sure to strength train and muscle build. It helps burn fat for men & women. Specifically, try to do weight training.

I notice all too many people doing endless hours of cardio. It is hypnotic.

Weights, well, they’re harder.

Here’s a strategy that I use that all the weightlifting manuals discouraged. I do weights after cardiovascular training. Yes, that does slightly weaken me but I also end up doing my tough bodybuilding while the feel good endorphins are whizzing around my body.

For more on strength training and weights, visit our page on weight training exercises

* Sweet potatoes for cancer

So, let's see, chocolate is good for you. Coffee is healthy. Tea is great. Oh, happy days.

We all kind of know that sweet potatoes are healthy so it’s not a big wow that we’re told that components in sweet potatoes starve cancer cells. Just about a cup daily should help out.

Click for more on cancer herbs

* Supplements for antiaging

We are all understandably obsessed with anti-aging. The basic formula is quite simple. Exercise, drink lots of water, eat real food and do try to relax some.

Additionally, there could be a couple of extremely helpful supplements to help us stay young.

Both cetyl l-carnitine and alpha lipolic acid (ALA) have been shown to improve the intra-cell mitochondria. Essentially, that’s like stalling or reversing aging at the cellular level, a very exciting prospect, indeed.

* Hidden cause of belly fat

Of course there are several reasons for that stubborn belly fat. It's is often hard to exercise or diet away. But why?

One probable answer is - stress. That’s right, stress can lead to retention of belly fat. Reason?

In ancient times, the biggest cause of stress for our ancestors was lack of food. And so we developed a defense against wasting away while waiting for future meals.

Our bodies learned to release a hormone, cortical, which enables our bodies to hold on to fat. That’s a good thing.

But it's a good thing for our ancient ancestors.

But now, food want is relatively rare. However our bodies react to stress just as our ancestor's bodies reacted tens of thousands of years ago.

Right body. Wrong time.

Anything you can do to manage stress will greatly aid weight management and overall health. I like to play sports, do yoga, joke around.

* Oh those wonderful fruits

Is it so hard to replace some of those Snickers bars and donuts with fresh fruit? OK, sometimes it is.

But fruits are delicious to most people and provide benefits that no candy bar can.

For example, papaya provides a great energy boost, the fiber in pears help you lose fat and the antioxidants in plums help you stave off aging.

So, I’m not saying NEVER munch a Mars bar but do try to grab what’s in the fruit bowl too. Your body will thank you.

Which bring me to…

* Fight inflammation caused by common food

Inflammation is bad, really bad. It is being credited with causing heart disease, cancer and other serious disorders. It even leads to wrinkles.

Well guess what one of the most inflammatory common foodstuff is? Sugar.

Table sugar, whether spooned out of your sugar cup or taken in thru numerous foods, acts like gasoline being poured onto a fire in your body. In fact, when you eat sugar, your body acts as if it has been invaded and goes into crisis alert.

Maybe you shouldn’t grab that Mars bar.

Try and curb your sweet tooth by having some fruit. You can also replace table sugar with all natural, low carb stevia. It is now available in many grocery stores.

For some good herbals for inflammation, visit our page on anti-inflammatory herbs

* Fighting fat with herbs

There are many herbs that help fight fat gain. Here are 3 of the best ones.

Apple pectin supplement provides fiber and nutrients to speed fat our of your body. Take 500 mgs 3x daily.

Grape seed extract is good for elevating metabolism. Take 150 mg daily.

Forskolin extract aids many conditions. One of its benefits is that it helps transfer fat out of your body. One warning, however, it is not safe for pregnant women.

We have a very excellent page on herbal weight loss remedies

Comments? Ideas? Feedback? I'd love to hear from you. Just reply to Healthy World Digest and tell me what you think.

See you next month!

Sal

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