Natural Health Advisory

According to the CDC, approximately 1 in 3 U.S. adults—an estimated 68 million people—has high blood pressure. Furthermore, less than half (46%) of people with high blood pressure have their condition under control. If not adequately addressed, hypertension (high blood pressure) can lead to a heart attack, stroke, or severe kidney disease. Therefore, whether you already have hypertension or just the possibility of it, these are 5 big issues you need to address head-on.

1. Do you really have hypertension? Blood Pressure Chart to the rescue!

The first big issue to consider is whether or not you truly have high blood pressure. To accurately assess and interpret your own blood pressure measurements, you need to utilize a blood pressure chart and blood pressure log. You can download our free blood pressure chart and log here: Blood Pressure Chart: Understand What Your Blood Pressure Numbers Really Mean.

Lower your blood pressure with our FREE 18-page report, The Best DIY High Blood Pressure Diet: Top 8 Foods to Lower Blood Pressure. Learn how to reduce blood pressure naturally without the use of drugs simply by eating these eight delicious foods. Get your download today!

After you download the blood pressure chart, you’ll need to start tracking your blood pressure levels. But, having your blood pressure checked at a doctor’s office is often an inaccurate way to determine your TRUE blood pressure reading. In fact, studies indicate measuring your own blood pressure at home is superior. Why? Blood pressure readings at the doctor’s office tend to be elevated compared to blood pressure readings at home due to the anxiety or fear of actually being at a clinic or having the measurement done in front of a doctor or nurse. Learn more about home blood pressure monitoring here: A Home Blood Pressure Monitor and a Reliable Blood Pressure Chart Offer Superiority for Knowing Your True Risk.

Last, using a home blood pressure monitor will all be for naught if you are not getting accurate blood pressure readings. It’s essential that you learn how to measure your own blood pressure readings correctly with your home monitor. For detailed instructions on how to do this, read our article, 13 Cardinal Rules for Getting Accurate Blood Pressure Readings.

2. Could a magnesium deficiency be to blame for your high blood pressure?

Magnesium is the great “relaxation” mineral the body uses in over 300 enzymatic reactions. But more importantly, an adequate supply of magnesium is absolutely required by your body for effective blood pressure control. So, could your hypertension or pre-hypertension be caused by a magnesium deficiency? How could you know or find out? To answer these questions, read our article, What You Must Know About Low Magnesium Symptoms.

3. What would be some simple natural high blood pressure remedies to try first?

A number of natural remedies stand out as potentially effective high blood pressure remedies that would be worth trying:

• Fight High Blood Pressure Symptoms with Garlic
• Spice Up Your Life With These High Blood Pressure Remedies!
• High Blood Pressure Remedies in the Dairy Isle?
• High Blood Pressure Remedies for Children and Teens

4. What is the heart disease therapy no one wants you to know about?

If you want to lower your risk for having a heart attack, reducing your blood pressure is critical! In fact, 69% of people who have a first heart attack and 74% of people with chronic heart failure have high blood pressure.[1] In addition, if you have diabetes or if you’ve been told you have atherosclerosis or coronary artery disease, you’re heart attack risk increases dramatically. But, there is an alternative therapy that has been proven by scientific studies to successfully treat heart disease (even though no conventional doctor is talking about it!). Find out if you are just the right candidate for this therapy: The Therapy Nobody Wants You to Know About Found to Successfully Treat Heart Disease.

5. What inexpensive test can give you a picture of your true cardio risk?

The best time to detect coronary artery disease (or atherosclerotic heart disease), the number one cause of death in the Western world, is in an early stage long before there are any of the well-known symptoms. And the one and only way to do this is by finding out your coronary calcium score with CT Cardiac Calcium Scoring. This is important because many heart attacks occur suddenly and without warning. But, what makes this test even more remarkable is that it takes less than ten minutes, it only cost about $99 and it can often be ordered directly by patients without a doctor’s referral! Learn more about CT Cardiac Calcium Scoring here: Coronary Artery Calcium Score: The Best Way to Know if You Have Early Atherosclerotic Heart Disease

Do YOU have a question about high blood pressure?

Do you have a question about home blood pressure monitoring, CT Calcium Scoring, natural hypertension remedies, or other alternative therapies? If so, you can post your inquiry here and our experts will respond with helpful tips to guide you.

You can also use our doctor and practitioner database to find an integrative health professional in your area – someone who can walk hand-in-hand with you to help lower your blood pressure and reclaim your health.

---

[1] Circulation. 2012;125(1):e2–220.

Originally published in 2013, this blog has been updated.

The post 5 Big Blood Pressure Issues to Consider appeared first on Natural Health Advisory.

from Natural Health Advisory http://ift.tt/1GYswL5

Natural Health Advisory

It’s no big news that stress is bad for your health, but what does stress cause to happen in the body? How precisely does the body react to stress?

Being stressed out all the time can contribute to high blood pressure, affect your immune system, raise inflammation, exacerbate symptoms of chronic health issues, and more. Even daily hassles can hurt your health in numerous ways.

A growing body of research is showing that chronic stress is dangerous for your brain too.

• It can accelerate the progression of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease development.[1]
• It can greatly impact memory and behavior (even for healthy people without cognitive impairment).[2]
• It can damage nerve cells themselves, cause changes in the function and structure of certain areas of the brain, and suppress factors that are protective in the brain.[2]

Some of the known pathways linking stress to neurodegeneration include high levels of cortisol, a hormone produced during stress; elevated levels of inflammation; and impaired glucose metabolism.[1,2,3] All of these factors are known to cause damage to the brain and are associated with cognitive decline.

More evidence of the link between stress and Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers from the University of Florida Health published a study in The EMBO Journal in June 2015 that adds another piece to the puzzle. They conducted studies on a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease and on human cells.

They found that a hormone we produce in the brain under stress, called corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF), increases the production of amyloid beta proteins. Amyloid beta is what collects in the brain, causing amyloid plaques—hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.[4]

Through complex experiments, the researchers found that when human cells are treated with CRF, an enzyme called gamma secretase becomes more active, which in turn causes a significant increase in amyloid proteins.[4]

Put simply, stress causes an increase in the hormone CRF, which causes a build up of amyloid proteins. These amyloid proteins eventually can lead to Alzheimer’s disease.[4]

The findings of this study add to the growing body of evidence that stress may be a contributing factor in Alzheimer’s disease.

How to reduce your stress

If you find yourself overwhelmed and stressed often, as many of us do, you’ll want to start implementing strategies now that reduce the impact of stress on your life and your body.

Reducing stress is one of our Top 9 Health Tips of All Time: How to Implement the Health Strategies Choices That Matter Most. In that free guide you’ll find a list of some of the top strategies for reducing stress.

These include starting a meditation practice, practicing deep-paced breathing, or supplementing with ashwagandha. This herbal remedy will help you feel less stressed, and it will also lower levels of the cortisol, which is known to impact the brain. Read more about using ashwagandha to lower stress here.

Share your experience

Are you stressed? Do you have techniques that work for you to reduce stress in your life? Share your tips in the comments section below.

---

[1] Rev Neurosci. 2014;25(6):785-804.

[2] Front Psychiatry. 2014 Apr 23;5:40.

[3] Expert Rev Neurother. 2014 Feb;14(2):123-5.

[4] EMBO J. 2015 Jun 12;34(12):1674-86.

The post What Does Stress Cause? Everything from High Blood Pressure to Cognitive Decline appeared first on Natural Health Advisory.

from Natural Health Advisory http://ift.tt/1RoSKH6

santé nature innovation

Dès que les premiers froids arrivent, j’ai toujours cette sensation désagréable au niveau des mains : elles m’apparaissent plus fragiles et moins douces. Exposées au vent de l’automne, ou au froid piquant de l’hiver, elles semblent se dessécher à vue d’œil.

Je suis certain que, vous aussi, vous avez déjà ressenti cela.

C’est pour cette raison qu’en cette période une crème pour les mains est un must pour hydrater et protéger notre peau face aux agressions.

Oui mais voilà, choisir une crème hydratante pour les mains peut devenir un vrai casse-tête !

Elle doit être non grasse, parfumée mais pas trop, et surtout réparatrice en cas de callosités. Le tout si possible dans une formule sans pétrochimie ni silicones, et bien entendu sans perturbateurs endocriniens ni conservateurs agressifs car on appliquera cette crème au moins deux fois par jour…

Autant dire qu’il n’est pas évident de trouver la crème adaptée.

C’est pourquoi vous vous dites peut-être : et si je fabriquais ma crème pour les mains moi-même ?

Est-ce difficile ? À vrai dire, non !

En réalité, toute crème repose sur une émulsion d’eau et d’huile. C’est vraiment comme une mayonnaise : il faut le tour de main !

Comment prendre soin de vos mains au quotidien

Mais vous pouvez prendre de bonnes habitudes (ou faire les bons achats !) même si vous n’êtes pas encore à l’aise avec la fabrication de vos propres cosmétiques. Avant de vous livrer ma recette, voici donc quelques conseils pratiques pour bien prendre soin de vos mains :

• L’huile et le savon : à chaque lavage, pensez à placer à côté du savon ou du liquide moussant un flacon d’huile vierge d’argan ou de jojoba. Ajoutez quelques gouttes d’huile dans les mains tout en vous les savonnant. Vous atténuerez ainsi l’effet agressif du lavage et vos mains seront ensuite toutes douces.
• L’émulsion facile :si vous n’aimez pas la cosmétique maison et que vous avez peur de rater votre crème, rien ne vous empêche d’opter pour la solution facile… Choisissez un flacon en plastique de 50 ml au moins, avec bouchon pression (un bouchon dispensaire, comme sur les flacons de gel douche avec leur petit trou). Nettoyez-le bien. Versez-y 3 cuillères à soupe de gel d’aloe vera de qualité [1], et 3 cuillères à café d’huile d’olive, d’argan ou de noyaux d’abricot. Ajoutez encore 6 gouttes d’huile essentielle de lavande vraie ou de petit grain bigarade (la feuille de l’oranger). Fermez le flacon et agitez fortement. Vous obtiendrez un gel crémeux blanchâtre qui remplacera à merveille toute crème pour les mains. Il vous suffira éventuellement de l’agiter un peu avant chaque application. Très peu de produit suffira à hydrater et protéger vos mains jusqu’à 3 fois par jour.
• Le shopping éclairé :vous préférez acheter une crème pour les mains prête à  l’emploi ? Très bien. Dans ce cas il vous faudra redoubler de prudence sur sa composition. Il faut que dans la liste des 5 premiers ingrédients vous trouviez au moins le nom latin de 2 huiles végétales nobles et protectrices comme l’argan (Argania spinosa), l’amande douce (Prunus amygdalis), le sésame (Sesamum indicum), le beurre de karité (Butyrospermum parkii)… Si vous avez un doute, vous pouvez faire confiance à des soins mains lauréats de la Mention Slow Cosmétique [2]. Dans tous les cas, ne déboursez jamais plus de 14 euros pour une crème pour les mains, cela ne peut pas se justifier au niveau dermatologique.

Ma recette de crème pour les mains :

 

Si vous avez envie de vous lancer, cette recette de crème pour les mains « slow cosmétique » me paraît idéale pour débuter !

D’abord parce qu’elle est facile à réaliser, et aussi parce que vos mains sont moins délicates que votre visage : si jamais vous ratez légèrement votre texture, vos mains s’en remettront plus facilement !

Cette recette permet de réaliser une crème pour les mains légère et non grasse. Elle ne nécessite que très peu d’ingrédients et l’émulsion est presque inratable : elle utilise un émulsifiant relativement très efficace, à base d’esters d’huile d’olive. L’émulsifiant joue le rôle de l’œuf dans la mayonnaise. C’est lui qui permet de lier durablement l’eau et l’huile pour créer une crème.

Attention ! Les recettes de crème contiennent de l’eau et la crème obtenue sera donc sensible aux éventuelles bactéries. À titre préventif, il vous faudra désinfecter tout votre matériel avant de commencer. Pour ce faire, vaporisez un peu d’alcool sur vos ustensiles ou faites-les bouillir quelques minutes.

Crème pour les mains à l’aloe vera

 

Pour un flacon en plastique ou un pot en verre ou en plastique de 50 ml au moins (à récupérer) :

Dans un bain-marie ou une petite casserole, faites fondre à feu très doux :

• 2 petites cuillères à soupe (ou environ 20 ml) d’huile d’amande douce
• 1 cuillère à café de paillettes de cire émulsifiante à base d’olive appelée Olivem 1000® (cet émulsifiant se trouve sur commande dans certaines drogueries ou sur Internet).

Dans un autre récipient au bain-marie, faites chauffer et mélangez bien les liquides suivants :

• 3 cuillères à soupe (env. 30 ml) d’eau minérale ou d’eau florale de votre choix (rose, lavande, fleur d’oranger)
• 1 grosse cuillère à café de gel d’aloe vera prêt à l’emploi (le premier ingrédient doit être Aloe Vera Barbadensis Miller).

Avec un thermomètre de cuisine, mesurez la température des deux mélanges. Une fois les deux phases à 65°C, retirez du feu.

Ajoutez progressivement la phase aqueuse aux corps gras fondus tout en remuant le mélange avec un petit fouet pour faire une émulsion, comme une mayonnaise.

Ne cessez pas de mélanger jusqu’à ce que la crème épaississe.

Une fois l’émulsion prise, ajoutez pour la conservation et le parfum :

• 8 gouttes d’huile essentielle de lavande vraie, de niaouli ou de petit grain bigarade au choix (pour la conservation, l’action réparatrice et le parfum à la fois)

À l’aide d’un entonnoir ou d’une grosse seringue, versez la crème bien lisse dans un flacon pompe en plastique ou dans un pot en verre ou en plastique de 50 ml au moins, préalablement désinfecté. Laissez reposer au réfrigérateur pendant 12 heures. La crème épaissira dès le lendemain.

Consommez cette crème dans les 6 à 10 semaines.

Remarque importante :

 

Cette crème contient 8 gouttes d’huiles essentielles pour 50 ml, ce qui garantit une conservation naturelle malgré la présence importante d’eau dans la recette. Notons que l’on peut remplacer ces 8 gouttes d’huiles essentielles par 8 gouttes du conservateur cosmétique Cosguard que l’on trouve dans les magasins spécialisés en cosmétique naturelle. On aura alors une crème sans parfum et se conservant 8 semaines au lieu de 6.

Merci d’avoir choisi de faire la révolution dans votre salle de bains avec moi. Et, d’ici à ma prochaine lettre, prenez bien soin de vous !

Julien KAIBECK

PS : Si vous n’êtes pas abonné à Beauté au Naturel, je vous invite à le faire en inscrivant votre adresse de messagerie électronique dans la case ci-dessous.

Cette lettre d’information est gratuite. Votre adresse email restera strictement confidentielle et ne sera jamais échangée. Vous pouvez vous désinscrire à tout moment. Consultez notre politique de confidentialité.

from Santé Nature Innovation http://ift.tt/1NLYee2

santé nature

En bref, la santé naturelle, c'est la santé de nos mitochondries. Et voilà le hic, car nos mitochondries sont au nombre de dix millions de milliards. Or, si chacune produit ce que nous attendons tous, l'ATP, l'adénosine triphosphate, l'énergie, elles...

from Votre santé par la nature http://ift.tt/1GTJNF0

Natural Health Advisory

If you have osteoporosis or osteopenia and want to use natural medicine to keep your bones as strong and healthy as possible, consider using probiotics as a key component of your natural treatment for osteoporosis. While experts who study these healthy bacteria have been suggesting for years now that probiotics can be used to treat osteoporosis, only recently have preliminary research results showed that probiotics can be a helpful natural treatment for osteoporosis.

In one of the latest studies linking probiotics to strong and healthy bones, researchers at Michigan State University found that a natural probiotic supplement increased bone formation and bone strength in male mice. Although they’re still not sure exactly how probiotics work to improve bone health, the researchers reported in the Journal of Cellular Physiology that they believe the mechanism is related to way probiotics greatly reduce inflammation in the gut.

Researchers wonder, could probiotics be an alternative to conventional osteoporosis drugs?

The Michigan researchers have been studying probiotics in their hope to find a natural treatment for osteoporosis as an alternative to conventional pharmaceuticals, which can disrupt the natural remodeling of bone tissue over the long term and can cause negative side effects like unusual bone fractures and joint and muscle pain. They knew that osteoporosis can result from intestinal inflammation and that probiotics can have anti-inflammatory effects. They therefore examined whether treating healthy male mice with a probiotic with known anti-inflammatory activity could enhance bone density. 

Discover what causes osteoporosis and learn natural remedies for osteoporosis symptoms with our top five osteoporosis guidelines in our FREE 13-page report, Osteoporosis Guidelines: Natural Remedies for Osteoporosis Symptoms!

Researchers used a probiotic strain known to decrease inflammation as a potential natural treatment for osteoporosis

The mice were given a natural probiotic supplement containing a specific strain of Lactobacillus reuteri. This strain of lactobacillus has previously been shown to lower levels of the inflammatory marker TNF-alpha in the intestines. After four weeks of oral supplementation, the probiotic significantly lowered inflammation in the intestinal tracts in the male mice, as expected. It also significantly improved bone health; bone mineral density increased, new bone formed, and bones became thicker in both the spine and the femur. Markers of bone formation, such as the number of bone-building cells known as osteoblasts, also increased.

“We know that inflammation in the gut can cause bone loss, though it’s unclear exactly why,” said lead author Laura McCabe, a professor in Michigan State University’s departments of Physiology and Radiology, in a February 14, 2013 news release. “The neat thing we found is that a probiotic can enhance bone density.”

Surprisingly, the same results were not observed in female mice. There was no increase in bone density when the researchers repeated the experiment with female mice, an anomaly they are currently investigating. Whether a different dose of the lactobacillus reuteri or a different probiotic strain altogether would be effective in female mice is yet to be determined.

Probiotics benefit overall health and treat other conditions in addition to osteoporosis

Despite the negative findings in female mice, most natural and integrative health practitioners recognize that the many benefits of probiotics make them important supplements for overall well-being as well as for plenty of other specific medical conditions in addition to osteoporosis. With their ability to boost immune function and lower inflammation, probiotics have the potential not only to increase your bone density as a natural treatment for osteoporosis, but also to improve your general health, protect you from infections, decrease allergies, ameliorate digestive disturbances, and treat many types of inflammatory conditions. For more information on probiotics and how to use them effectively, see the following:

• Benefits of Probiotics–More Than Just Digestion, These Healthy Bacteria Help With Allergies, Eczema, the Common Cold, and More
• Guide to the Best Probiotic Supplements – The Key is to Match the Strain to Your Condition
• Stomach Problems Linked with Osteoporosis Symptoms

Probiotics should be one of the key components of an effective natural treatment plan for osteoporosis

To effectively use a natural medicine plan for treating or preventing osteoporosis you will need to use several key therapies simultaneously and over a long period of time. These include the increased use of magnesium, Vitamin D, strontium, weight bearing exercise and other key components such as a probiotic discussed here. Access our e-book Osteoporosis Relief: Natural Remedies for Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment for a complete review of which treatments are best for you.

---

[1] J Cell Physiol. 2013 Aug;228(8):1793-8.

Originally published in 2013, this blog has been updated.

The post Natural Treatment for Osteoporosis: Probiotics are Becoming a Key Component appeared first on Natural Health Advisory.

from Natural Health Advisory http://ift.tt/1GEhvPg