Cascia Talbert's Blog, page 38

Nutmeg and the Human Circulatory System

by LouAnn Moss

Nutmeg is the underground ground or seed spice of many species of the family Myristica. Myristica fragrans is a medium-sized evergreen shrub cultivated primarily for two culinary spices derived from the fleshy flesh of its fruit: nutmeg, from the ground spice, and mace, in which the ground spice is used as a topping for many foods. It’s also a commercially mined source of a powerful fragrance oil and nutmeg paste. It’s a spice that pairs well with many foods and drinks.

This spice isn’t actually a spice at all, even though it has a distinctive nutmeg flavor. The true nutmeg spice is the cinnamomum zeylanicum or the “earthy” variety of nutmeg and not the ground variety. Earthy flavors generally aren’t pleasant, but nutmeg adds just the right hint of spicy to foods that might otherwise be bland. If you use the nutmeg grater to grate nutmeg into your food, you can intensify its flavor several times and really get the most out of it. This article contains several ways to make use of that grater.

Indonesian spices and their products: One of Indonesia’s most popular selling points is its exotic spices and products. From Indonesia’s tropical and subtropical forests, these natural treasures come in a wide variety of fruit, flower, bark, root products. Some are more common than others. For example, nutmeg and cloves rank high on lists of Indonesian spices and products that are grown and sold throughout the country.

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For years, nutmeg has been popular for the unique flavor it lends to foods and drinks, including the classic English tea. Modern research has shown that nutmeg spice contains antioxidants that can help prevent cell damage and protect against certain cancers. Nutmeg extract also has essential oils that are said to improve blood flow and stimulate the circulatory system. However, nutmeg has other healing powers in some Asian cultures, especially those that practice Ayurveda, a traditional medicine system based on traditional plant and animal remedies. For example, the ancient Persians believed that the spice added to chestnut oil kept the wearer warm while he slept.

As for nutmeg’s purported cholesterol lowering capabilities, recent studies have shown that nutmeg does lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, but doesn’t significantly change HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Some studies have shown that nutmeg may reduce blood sugar levels, but results were not entirely consistent. Most agree that more research is needed to validate these claims.

Other uses: Nutmeg has been widely used in flavorings and aroma therapy for hundreds of years. In the US, it’s often added to teas and other drinks. Some people use it to flavor food, although there’s no sound scientific evidence that it has any health benefits in this setting. The flavor people most prefer is the hot spicy variety. It’s important to use high quality ingredients when using nutmeg in this way.

Antioxidants: Several studies have looked at nutmeg extracts and their ability to fight free radicals in the body. Free radicals can cause a variety of health problems including cancer. Antioxidants can protect against free radical formation, which in turn protects against the development of cancerous cells. Some studies have found moderate, beneficial effects on blood pressure levels.

However, one nutmeg-related study suggests that myristicin, a compound in nutmeg that seems to be beneficial, may be the main source of its antioxidant effect. This substance is also known as carotenoid and was one of the compounds that gave nutmeg its Mediterranean name. Another substance, ergosterol, is thought to work similarly, although it is not contained in nutmeg. As with other antioxidants, myristicin and ergosterol seem to have some independent properties and fewer studies have looked at their interactions together.

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The article Nutmeg and the Human Circulatory System by LouAnn Moss appeared first on Healthy Moms Magazine.

How to Manage Stress and Emotional Eating While Staying at Home

by Susan Bowerman, M.S., RD, CSSD, CSOWM, FAND – Senior Director, Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training, Herbalife Nutrition Susan

As we continue to diligently practice social distancing and following “Safer at Home” guidelines, it’s likely that many of us will feel additional stress while navigating our “new normal.” This pandemic has undoubtedly added stress to all of our lives but learning how you cope with it can make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger. Since May is mental health month, it’s a great time to be talking about stress management.

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Getting stressed out occasionally is one thing, but when stress becomes chronic—when we face, for instance, unrelenting work demands, anxiety over our health or constantly worry about our finances—it can really take a toll on our body and our minds.

Boredom and stress can trigger emotional eating, particularly when you’re stuck at home and surrounded by food all day long. Whether you’re ordering in comfort foods that are higher in calories than your usual meals or cooking at home with limited ingredients you have on-hand, you may be eating differently than you used to. Stress eating, or emotional eating, however, can creep up on you without your knowing it, and could negatively impact your health.

So, what is stress eating? It’s pretty much what it sounds like—it’s when you eat in order to escape whatever bad feelings you’re experiencing, in the hope that food will make you feel better. Sometimes it’s a conscious decision, but more often it’s just a mindless response to a vague, negative emotion that you can’t quite put your finger on. Stress can bring on fatigue or depression, so heathy eating might take a back seat to foods that are comforting. Those high calorie comfort foods can stimulate the release of certain chemicals in the brain that make us feel good, but also make us want to keep eating. In a vicious cycle, overeating can lead to weight gain—increasing stress and which, in turn, can lead to more overeating.

The most important thing everyone should be doing right now is taking the best possible care of themselves. Here are five ways to curb your stress and practice good eating habits to keep yourself healthy:

Own up to your feelings. You know that emotions are the trigger for your stress eating, so why not acknowledge them? It’s OK to feel mad, lonely or bored sometimes. The feelings may be unpleasant but they’re not dangerous, and you don’t always need to ‘fix’ them. Let your emotions come and go without judging them.Find alternatives for eating. A brisk walk or a cup of herbal tea might work instead. If you feel the need to eat, try hard crunchy foods – they help relieve stress by putting tight jaw muscles to work. Try snacking on a handful of almonds, soy nuts or baby carrots.Eat regularly and don’t skip meals. Give yourself permission to eat. When you’re stressed it’s easy to put meals off or even skip them all together—but energy levels will suffer as a result, and you might even end up overeating when you do finally eat. If stress is an appetite-killer, try eating smaller amounts of food more often during the day.Cut back on caffeine. People often feel a lack of energy when they’re stressed and turn to caffeine as a pick-me-up, but it can disrupt your sleep at night. If caffeine keeps you awake at night, drink decaffeinated coffees and teas.Practice ‘mindful eating:’ When you eat mindfully, you try to become more aware of your internal signals of hunger and fullness, and also become more in tune with what triggers you to eat in the first place. Mindful eating can help you avoid overeating and allow you to enjoy your food more—even when you eat less. You can also learn to pay more attention to what you’re choosing to put into your body.

Remember, this is not the time to be restricting your intake, but a time to focus on eating the most nutrient-dense foods you can in order to optimize nutrition to support a healthy immune system. Stay hydrated, get adequate rest and exercise, and use methods such as meditation to help you relax.

For more nutrition tips from Susan Bowerman visit http://www.IamHerbalifeNutrition.com/.

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The article How to Manage Stress and Emotional Eating While Staying at Home by Susan Bowerman, M.S., RD, CSSD, CSOWM, FAND – Senior Director, Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training, Herbalife Nutrition Susan appeared first on Healthy Moms Magazine.

Finding Encouragement

by Andrea Crawley

What is encouragement? Encouragement comes in many forms and it is one of the most important elements in effective leadership. Simply put encouragement is having the courage to take a risk or follow our leaders’ example. Sometimes people are afraid to try new things for fear that they may fail. This type of fear can keep people from trying at all.

There are many ways to give encouragement. You can give encouragement by sharing what you have heard from others. Encouragement sentence examples include: I had the pleasure of… I learned how to… I met the man of my dreams…

When you are giving encouragement to someone, consider using “I” to get their attention. Try this if you are leading a team or task force. Each time you “I” use the “you” instead of just “you”.

You can also give encouragement by describing what it was like for you to witness or perform a specific act or event. Describe it in detail, including details such as the emotions you felt and the details about the others involved. It is also a good idea to describe what it felt like for you to witness the event. Sometimes when something so important happens to others, it can seem impossible to find the words to say. If you cannot think of anything else to say simply say that you enjoyed it and hope that others will too.

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Encouragement comes in many forms. Simply saying thank you or asking how others are doing can go a long way. When you are in an uplifting situation, such as at a job interview, you can use this sort of encouragement to get the best possible response. The person you are encouraging will likely already feel great about their job.

There are many other ways that encouragement can help. You might have a hard time getting through a project or task alone. Encourage your friends or family members to get together with you. You may find that having a group of support is much more helpful than simply talking to your friends on your own. Sometimes all it takes is some encouragement from others to get motivated to get things done.

No matter what your situation or level of difficulty, there is always the chance that others will be better suited to your needs than yourself. If you need someone to speak up for you to get through a difficult time, encourage that person. They may even be able to provide some additional encouragement to make it through the tough times. Never turn to alcohol or drugs to help cheer you up or keep you going. It is much healthier and wiser to look for encouragement from others.

Encouragement doesn’t mean that you have to give it to everyone. It is not necessary to say anything bad about anyone to get their attention. In fact, that is one of the worst things that you can do if you give in to the temptation to be critical. People get discouraged when people tell them that they are worthless; so instead of saying anything harsh, why not speak positively and let them know that you care and that you are willing to work hard for them.

When you give others encouragement, they often will start to give you encouragement back. As you continue to move forward with your goals and your dreams, others will begin to give you encouragement. This is a great way to continually push yourself to new heights. You will find that once you let others see just how capable you are, then you will become that much more motivated to accomplish your goals.

The best place to find encouragement is from those that you know and trust. Your family and friends are the ones who know you best. They have suffered with you in the past and understand what it is like to have a loved one go through a difficult time. They can be there to listen and offer encouragement and sometimes this is enough to keep you on track. It is not easy for anyone to watch someone else suffer but if you know someone close to you has been in your shoes, they will understand what it feels like to suffer and then offer their support. It can be very comforting to have such a source of encouragement.

You don’t need to spend all of your encouragement in person. Sometimes it is even more important to hear from the voicemail or email of someone else because technology can easily take the emphasis away from us. There are many inspirational quotes that can be found throughout the web and in print that offer us encouragement and motivation. Inspirational quotes are often the best source of inspiration because they are usually from personal experience and because they are oftentimes inspiring quotes. Sometimes you will need to look further than your own life in order to find true encouragement and motivation.

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The article Finding Encouragement by Andrea Crawley appeared first on Healthy Moms Magazine.

Back to Business in a COVID-19 Environment and Autoimmunity

by Dr. Chad Larson

By Dr. Chad Larson, NMD, DC, CCN, CSCS, Advisor and Consultant on Clinical Consulting Team for  Cyrex Laboratories

With so many uncertainties lingering in this new Covid-19 environment that the entire world is faced with, most people are feeling a heightened level of vulnerability to do everyday things that were once taken for granted. Picking up food and household items at the grocery store, going to the post office, dining out or even a family walk to the park spikes anxiety and fear of becoming another statistic of this viral-beast pandemic. For the 23.5 million people with autoimmune disease, the risk is of even greater concern, with many keeping completely quarantined to date. If you need a way to keep your business organized, then consider using Identity Resolution software.

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Although numbers, information and directives on how to protect ourselves against Covid-19 change on a daily basis, there’s one thing that most experts seem to agree on: this virus is not going away any time soon, we are simply flattening the curve through social distancing and COVID 19 disinfection. As businesses begin to open back up by using commercial cleaning and sneeze guards companies and people prepare to re-enter the workplace, they should not let their guard down. Getting a bulk hand sanitizer to be placed at the entrance of your establishment would attract those health-conscious customers. This is especially important for the most vulnerable, including those with autoimmunity (AI).

In addition to continuing social distancing, the key thing for those with AI is to manage triggers that can cause worsening of their immune system dysregulation and autoimmunity flare up. The following tips can help guard your immune system in preparation for returning to the workplace and the public forum in general:

Keep your gut healthy – The health and integrity of the intestinal barrier is vital for those with AI. If the intestinal barrier gets compromised, a broad variety of inflammatory antigens would be allowed to enter the system, potentially causing the immune system to respond and exacerbate autoimmunity.

In this current pandemic climate, there are multiple factors that can contribute to gut barrier integrity. Food choices can either help or hurt the gut barrier and, ultimately, the immune system. Inflammatory foods (processed foods) and immune reactive foods (gluten, dairy, sugars, etc.) can weaken the gut barrier, while healthy phytonutrient-rich foods can strengthen the gut barrier. The added benefit of this is that a healthy, nutrient-rich diet gives us ultimate brainpower, which I’m sure your boss or clients will appreciate!

Get good sleep – Exhaustion is a symptom of many autoimmune diseases. It is important to listen to your body. Our bodies heal, regulate and reset during sleep. Without adequate sleep, our bodies weaken and can break down, often leading to sickness, as you become more vulnerable to acquiring viruses and infections. Covid-19 can hit those with existing medical conditions extremely hard. AI can bring added complication to an already-tricky virus.

As you get back to the workplace and become exposed to others, you want to keep your immune system at its healthiest. Plus, a good night’s sleep generally yields a more productive worker. Conversely, it is also important not to lose sleep due to overworking. Have boundaries and know when to shut down your computer, for tomorrow will bring a boost in productivity with adequate sleep. We have also been using a really good service for call answering which has saved us a lot of time so have a look into that if this is something that you would find useful.

Relax your stress level – I won’t be unreasonable as to suggest eliminating stress, since that seems unrealistic in these unprecedented times. But try to take off the added edge through practicing yoga, meditation, warm baths or home Jacuzzi soaks. Try to avoid conversations that heighten your anxiety and stress as well. While social distancing, you might also try emotional distancing from any elements in your life that have a negative impact.

Also relative to the current situation, stress causes stress-eating (especially immune reactive foods) and excess alcohol consumption, which can also open up the tight junctions of the intestinal barrier, circling us back around to the first suggestion to keep your gut healthy.

Try to avoid exposure to harsh chemical cleaners – As we continue to hear the words, “wash for 20 seconds” and public businesses and retail stores are supplying hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes aplenty, we are walking a fine line between fighting this virus and our bodies turning on us by fighting their own cells. Through the overuse of antibacterials and other cleaning agents, we can alter the balance of our intestinal bacteria that has taken centuries to develop. Cyrex Labs offers the Array 14 – Mucosal Immune Reactivity Screen to test for possible outcomes of compromised immune tolerance such as intestinal barrier dysfunction, food and chemical immune reactivity and autoimmunity. This could be helpful if you suspect you have autoimmunity related to chemical exposure. In the meantime, try to use non-antibacterial soap and warm water to wash your hands using the 20-second suggestion. This is just as effective at killing bacteria.

The post COVID environment is ripe for an uptick in autoimmunity due to broken barrier systems from all of the above, increased pathogen exposure and excess exposure to a variety of cleaning chemicals. It is more important than ever, in this environment, to nurture your immune system and do all that you can to keep it balanced.

Dr. Chad Larson, NMD, DC, CCN, CSCS, Advisor and Consultant on Clinical Consulting Team for  Cyrex Laboratories . Dr. Larson holds a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Southern California University of Health Sciences. He is a Certified Clinical Nutritionist and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He particularly pursues advanced developments in the fields of endocrinology, orthopedics, sports medicine, and environmentally-induced chronic disease.

 

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The article Back to Business in a COVID-19 Environment and Autoimmunity by Dr. Chad Larson appeared first on Healthy Moms Magazine.

Dealing With Indigestion Symptoms

by LouAnn Moss

Indigestion is commonly known as acid reflux. There are many reasons for an upset stomach including improper eating habits. Some of the main causes for indigestion consist of eating foods that are hard to digest. Eating too fast or having too much food at a meal. Too little water is another cause of indigestion.

Many foods cause indigestion and one of them is spicy foods. Spicy food increases the amount of acid in your stomach and causes indigestion. If you eat spicy foods on a regular basis, then you should start taking some measures to control this so that indigestion does not occur as often. You should try to cut back on spicy foods so that indigestion does not become a problem.

Some of the common medicines used to help reduce the pain from indigestion and the burning feeling are antacids and antibiotics. Antacids work by neutralizing the acid levels in the stomach. They can be taken with meals to help stop indigestion and the discomfort that accompany it. Antacids can also be taken in liquid form to help treat severe indigestion.

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Some of the other medications available for treating indigestion and the burning feeling are antacids and antidepressants. Antacids work by neutralizing the acid levels in the digestive tract. Antidepressants are used to treat the symptoms of chronic digestive disorders. Both medications have similar effects, but antidepressants are generally considered safer than antacids.

If the patient finds that there is an increase in the frequency or severity of their indigestion and the episodes don’t respond to traditional treatments, they should visit their family doctor. The doctor will perform a series of tests to determine if the symptoms are caused by a more serious medical problem. If it is determined that indigestion is the cause of the symptoms, then the doctor may prescribe medications to treat the condition. One of these medications is called histamine receptor antagonists.

Histamine antagonist medications work by blocking the actions of histamine. Histamine is a chemical that occurs naturally in the body and is responsible for the feeling of pain and discomfort that comes with diarrhea, heartburn, and excessive flatulence. Antibiotics can sometimes make the symptoms of indigestion worse, so the doctor may prescribe a combination of both. Once the doctor determines the exact cause of the indigestion, he can prescribe a treatment that is most effective. He might suggest that the patient try a homeopathic remedy first, such as a Hops extract.

There are also natural remedies for indigestion that people have reported having success with. Some of these include drinking large amounts of water after meals, avoiding spicy or citrus foods, eating warm toast or other food, and taking fiber supplements. These measures will relieve the bloating that is associated with indigestion and will often help the person feel full more easily. These measures can be very helpful when the person has to travel or spend a lot of time sitting. For instance, if a person has to stand for long periods of time in the same position, such as doing factory work, then having a stool softener would be a good idea.

Often the person suffering from indigestion is suffering from another condition, such as acid reflux disease, which makes it difficult to keep from feeling full. Acid reflux disease occurs when the valve between the stomach and the esophagus does become damaged, allowing acid from the stomach to leak into the esophagus. This can cause a burning sensation when the person eats. When eating is difficult, this can cause a person to experience indigestion symptoms which often make it difficult to eat at all. Taking the proper measures to avoid indigestion symptoms will help to prevent this from happening.

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A Healthy Approach to Snacking

by Susan Bowerman, M.S., RD, CSSD, CSOWM, FAND – Senior Director, Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training, Herbalife Nutrition Susan

Most of us are making more trips to the kitchen simply because we’re spending more time at home.  Whether its due to boredom, in need of a distraction, or we’re dealing with something a little deeper like anxiety or depression, the temptation to eat has heightened for most of us.

Straying too far from our usual diets potentially can create for unhealthy consequences. “Snack foods” tend to have a bad rap because they’re often high in fat, sugar, salt and calories. Prior to the safer-at-home guidelines, many health-conscious consumers already stayed away from these types of products; however, more recently people have been stocking up on whatever is available at the grocery stores. Even as states start to open up, the important thing to remember is that choosing the right foods – even when we’re snacking – will allow us to maintain our health during these uncertain times.

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If you’re worried about how much you’re eating throughout the day, here are five tips to help you snack smartly, from registered dietitian, Susan Bowerman:

You may be dehydrated, not hungry

Before heading to the cupboard to satisfy a craving, pour yourself a glass of water first. The truth is that you may actually be mildly dehydrated, and your body is really just craving fluids. You can also try a light watery snack, like a piece of fruit.

Healthy snacking can help you to work more nutritious foods into your day

The more often you eat, the easier it will be to work in your daily servings of healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, and calcium-rich dairy products. Use this opportunity to turn snacking into a healthy practice by preparing snacks that provide a mix of low-fat protein (like beans, dairy or poultry) and healthy carbohydrates (like fruit, veggies, and whole grains). The carbs will get digested first and satisfy your hunger right away, and the protein will give your snack a bit more staying power.

Snacks can fuel your physical and mental energy

It’s actually normal to get hungry about every three to four hours.  When you eat regular meals and snacks, it can help keep your blood sugar more stable throughout the day. That’s a good defense against between-meal dips in blood sugar that can sap your mental and physical energy.

Eat that second lunch

The afternoon stretch between lunch and dinner can be a difficult time, so having something a little more substantial like a protein shake, a cup of cottage cheese with some fruit, or even a low-calorie frozen meal can help keep hunger in check. Then you can do your cutting back at dinner time. And, if after-dinner snacking is a problem for you, try brushing your teeth after dinner. It works as a great signal to stop eating.

Re-think your snacking habits

If you’re eating unhealthy, high-calorie foods like sweets, chips, and sodas keep in mind that these high calorie snack foods can contribute to weight gain and they offer little, if any, nutritional value. You also should think about the reasons you’re eating and identify whether it’s something other than hunger. If you tend to snack when you’re not hungry (maybe you’re bored, stressed, angry or tired), it’s a habit you might want to think about breaking.  Think of other ways to deal with your emotions – take a walk, call a friend, write in a journal or spend a few minutes meditating.  Taking a break for a few minutes will give you time to evaluate whether you’re truly hungry or not.

For more tips from Susan, visit www.IAMHerbalife.com.

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The article A Healthy Approach to Snacking by Susan Bowerman, M.S., RD, CSSD, CSOWM, FAND – Senior Director, Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training, Herbalife Nutrition Susan appeared first on Healthy Moms Magazine.

Signs That You Are Experiencing Excessive Fatigue

by Tammy Jones

The two major symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are fatigue and sleepiness. Physical and mental fatigue can certainly occur together, but they usually occur together as well. When a person doesn’t get adequate rest, insomnia may occur, or if they simply have a lack of physical stimulation. The best way to treat fatigue is to try to improve both of these areas. But how can you do that?

There are a number of different reasons that fatigue occurs. But the two most common causes of fatigue are depression and poor mental activity. In order to properly treat fatigue, you need to treat both of these causes. You also need to try to avoid the causes of fatigue, and in some cases, you may be able to improve your fatigue through treating only one of them. Here’s a look at the fatigue causes and their solutions.

Depression is a very common symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome. It’s difficult to treat depression, which is a very serious condition. Most doctors will prescribe antidepressants, both for mild to moderate cases of depression and for more severe cases. But sometimes, even the best medication isn’t enough. In this case, you might want to consider looking into another solution.

Anxiety is another very common symptom of fatigue. People experience excessive anxiety from time to time, especially when a stressful event occurs. Chronic anxiety can cause extreme fatigue, which is why it is such a problem. If your anxiety is related to stress, then you may want to examine the relationship between your anxiety and your fatigue. You may need to cut down on your anxiety in order to feel better. But in some cases, your anxiety alone can cause fatigue.

Finally, another very common health condition that causes fatigue is sleepiness. People are often tired during the day. But sleepiness can sneak up on you. That’s why you should examine your sleep habits. If you find yourself having more than 3 hours of sleep per night, that may be a sign of sleepiness. Make sure that you get plenty of restful sleep in order to avoid sleepiness.

Poor sleep hygiene is also a major cause of fatigue. Having poor sleep hygiene can affect sleep quality, which can lead to fatigue. So, it’s important to make sure that you have a good sleep hygiene. Getting a lot of sleep can help avoid fatigue.

All of these conditions are common among people who have chronic fatigue syndrome. If you think you have any of them, you should see your doctor right away. Your doctor can give you medications to help alleviate your fatigue, such as over-the-counter medicines or prescription sleep aids. Sometimes, these medications can be very effective.

If your fatigue persists even after you have taken these medications, then you may have severe fatigue that needs medical attention. If you experience fatigue symptoms like extreme tiredness or lethargy, severe fatigue may be the culprit. It’s always best to talk to your doctor so that you get the right diagnosis for your case. Once you know what the cause of your fatigue is, you can find the proper treatment.

Severe fatigue may accompany other health issues, so you should definitely mention these to your doctor. Some of the illnesses that can cause fatigue include cancer, heart disease, depression, diabetes, infections, and stress. Some people feel that their fatigue just goes away during quiet times. However, if your fatigue gets worse, you should mention it to your doctor.



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There are many symptoms that can point to fatigue. People who have excessive fatigue may also experience muscle pain, headache, anxiety, memory loss, irritability, and sleeping problems. Some symptoms may not show up right away, so you may not necessarily have fatigue unless you have experienced one or more of these symptoms. Some people may be tired all day, but if they do have other symptoms like falling asleep after only a few minutes of sleep, then that could be a sign of another condition. This is why it’s important to mention any symptoms you may have to your doctor.

Excessive fatigue can lead to physical problems as well as mental exhaustion. If your physical fatigue makes it hard for you to perform daily tasks like walking or working out, then you may have physical fatigue. On the other hand, mental fatigue makes it difficult for you to concentrate or take your own decision. Both types of fatigue can lead to poor judgment and decision making, which can lead to physical problems. If you have extreme fatigue both physically and mentally, then it is possible that you may have a mental illness.

Some signs that you may be experiencing exhaustion include feeling very tired all of the time, losing interest in hobbies or activities you used to enjoy doing, headaches, stomach pain, lack of concentration or memory, depression, anxiety, and muscle pain. Extreme fatigue is also a symptom of another disease called sleep apnea. This sleep disorder causes pauses in breathing that last for ten seconds or more during sleep. Sleep apnea can cause low oxygen levels in the brain, which can cause confusion, drowsiness, and loss of consciousness. If you experience excessive fatigue along with any of the symptoms mentioned above, then it is important that you visit a doctor so that you can get a proper diagnosis of the condition that you may have.

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Weekend Reflection #35- Blogging

by Cascia Talbert

This week was crazy and it is hard to believe that just a few days ago I was back home. (Wisconsin) Now I’m here again in uncomfortable but warm California. I’m homesick already.

My kids crack me up every day. Courtney is turning into a beautiful young lady way too quickly. But she still reminds me that she’s still a kid. Just last night she decided she wanted to snuggle with Mommy on the couch. I wonder when she will get too old for that. Ciara had a fever of 102.9 late last night and scared me half to death. I was up with her all night and had to stick her in a cool bath in order to get the temperature down. She’s fine now, thank goodness. Conan is getting better at expressing what he wants. Most of his sentences begin with, “I want.” But they usually end with ” cookies, crackers or pizza.” Because of his multiple food intolerance he can’t have tomatoes so last night we ordered a pizza with creamy garlic sauce just for him. Feeding my son is very challenging.

Okay I titled this meme “Blogging.” and I am going to stick with it. I’ve been active on the blogosphere for quite some time now but am still unhappy with the progress of my blog. I’ve read tons of ebooks about how to stay on top of the blogosphere I’ve even fell for Internet products and software that claim to rocket your blog to the top and increase your traffic and readership overnight. Yes I’m a sucker. I will not disclose how much money I’ve spent. But it was probably too much.

All the experts say that the best way to make your blog popular is by doing these things.

1. Write original content
2. Visit similar blogs and comment
3. Join forums related to your blog’s topic
4. Start a meme and stick with it

Okay here is my progress on these four tips. Nearly 98 percent of my posts are original content written by me. Maybe I need to write better articles or more articles? I try to make 3 posts a day but with three children, dealing with my anxiety and depression and all the housekeeping involved with being a stay at home mom sometimes it is difficult. That is why I am up at four in the morning writing this post. I don’t know if I should sacrifice sleep for my blog. Do you?

Number two, “visit similar blogs and comment.” I visit all the blogs that follow mine about every other day or so. Sometimes I spend a couple of hours visiting blogs and commenting on them. I also make sure I visit everyone that comments on my blog. I’m trying to visit new blogs too. I think I need to designate one day a week to finding different blogs to visit and comment on. Maybe that will increase my readership. What do you think?

Join forums. Okay I’ll admit I am not an active member of any health, parenting or women’s forums. Do these actually work? If you are an active member of a forum please share your tips. I haven’t tried this one. Maybe I should.

Start a meme and stick with it. Here is my meme that I started months ago. I even use Mr. Linkey’s. This is my 35th Weekend Reflection and I still don’t have any participants. Hmmm, sounds like something is wrong here. Maybe I should start a different one.

Blogging is frustrating but also addicting. It is frustrating for me because I still don’t have as many visitors or readers as I would like. My technorati ranking isn’t that great and I’ll admit I get a bit jealous when I see blogs with 50+ followers, feedburner reader stats of over 100 and technorati rankings over 500. How do you do it? I don’t even advertise my feedburner or technorati stats because I am embarrassed by them. Please help me out. I need all the tips I can get to reach my blogging goals. Maybe I just need to be more patient.

To participate in this meme add your link to Mr. Linky’s. Then make a blog post reflecting back on your week with a link back to Weekend Reflection Sponsored by Healthy Moms. I will visit everyone that participates.

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The article Weekend Reflection #35- Blogging by Cascia Talbert appeared first on Healthy Moms Magazine.

What is Pancreatitis?

by Tiffany Pratt

>Acute pancreatitis, also known as pancreatic cancer, is an inflammation of your pancreas characterized by acute inflammation. It occurs when your pancreas is injured or inflamed. This is actually a form of cancer, and not a bacterial infection like ulcerative colitis or chronic hepatitis. Actually, the virus triggers the inflammation in your pancreas, causing it to expand and then rupture.

This rupturing can occur either internally or externally. Internal symptoms of pancreatitis usually occur when you have a liver disease, like hepatitis C, or have a history of liver disease in your family. For external symptoms, they usually occur during an acute surgical episode. There are some risk factors for both types of pancreatitis, which include: having an infection in your system, having high blood sugar, obesity, and being male (a male hormone regulates pancreatic production). As you can see, there are many things that can increase your risk for pancreatitis, but it’s important to note that not all of them do – and those that do may not point to pancreatic cancer.

In addition to risk factors, there are other signs and symptoms of pancreatitis that should be looked for and reported to your doctor. These include the need to drink lots of water (because this is where most of your insulin is made), frequent urination, painful urination, dark urine due to blood passing through the urethra, dark-colored stool or jaundice, loss of weight, vomiting, or both. These can occur in either one or both the legs. If you have these symptoms, you should call your doctor immediately, as you may need to be rushed to the hospital.

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Of course, the most common symptom of pancreatitis is the need to frequently drink lots of water. This can be very problematic, because most doctors do not recommend that patients start drinking extremely low-fat or low-sugar diet drinks, unless they are suffering from acute pancreatitis, which is clearly a life-threatening condition. But even if your doctor does not recommend or require you to change your diet, you should still change your lifestyle habits by consuming more water and increasing your activity.

You should also ensure that you are getting enough nutrients, especially iron. Iron is necessary for several functions in your body, including the production of digestive enzymes. A lack of iron in your system can cause iron-deficiency anemia, which can lead to serious complications, such as pancreatitis, if left untreated. If you feel that you’re suffering from iron-deficiency anemia, speak with your provider about a blood test that will determine if you have high levels of iron in your blood. If so, you may need to take an iron supplement to ensure that your body is getting the right amount of iron.

There are two types of disease that can affect the small intestine – acute and chronic. Acute pancreatitis describes inflammation of the pancreatic duct, which typically occurs during an acute bout of pancreatitis. Chronic pancreatitis occurs over time and is sometimes referred to as chronic pancreatitis. Symptoms may include a loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting, weight loss, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, and increased abdominal blood flow.

If you’re experiencing any of the pancreatitis symptoms mentioned above, you should consult your doctor immediately. If you have diabetes type 1, you should only seek treatment after you have been tested for pancreatitis, as not having diabetes type 1 will usually prevent you from developing pancreatitis. If you have diabetes type 2, you’ll need to be tested for pancreas disease before receiving treatment for pancreatitis, so that your doctor can determine how healthy your pancreas may be. Treatment options for pancreatitis depend on the diagnosis of your pancreas disease. Your doctor will likely prescribe medication to reduce the pain symptoms that come with pancreatitis and to help improve your pancreatic function.

Once diagnosed with pancreatitis, most patients will need to be hospitalized in order to receive an intravenous line to replace lost fluids and to provide an adequate number of electrolytes. If your abdomen feels painful when you’re trying to move it or coughing, you may need to undergo a surgical procedure in which part of your large intestine is removed (lectomy) or if your physician sees that your vomiting blood is excessively frequent and blood clots. However, if you experience excessive abdominal pain and nausea along with abdominal swelling, weakness, or fluid loss, you will probably need to undergo outpatient surgery in which a laparoscope is used to take out a section of your intestine.

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The article What is Pancreatitis? by Tiffany Pratt appeared first on Healthy Moms Magazine.

Using Mustard Seed for Spicy Foods

by Andrea Crawley

Mustard seeds, sometimes called “pinkmustard” are the tiny round seeds of different mustard plants. The seeds are generally about 1.5 to 2.5 millimeters in diameter and can be brightly colored from pale yellow to dark purple. This vegetable is most cultivated in Southern Africa where it is a traditional crop. The other important place for growing mustards is in China, Japan, and Korea. Some hybrids of mustards are also grown in various parts of the world.

Mustard seeds can be used to make mustard seed oil, mustard seed dip, or mustard seed dressing. The yellow mustard seed is the common variety used for making mustard seed dressing. In this preparation, the seeds are boiled in water, strained out, and allowed to cool, then ground coarsely. The resulting liquid is then filtered to remove the solid residue. Dried yellow mustard seed can be stored for about one month.

Mustard seeds can also be prepared as a condiment for dishes such as sandwiches and omelets. To prepare mustard seed or condiments, mustard seeds are soaked in water for about an hour. Once soaked, the seeds are ground into fine dust by hand before adding to prepared mustards. This preparation makes excellent hot and sour mustard. Dried mustard seed dust can be sprinkled on stews or served on sandwiches instead of the usual pickling spread.

Mustard seeds can also be used to make mustard seed margarine. This popular recipe uses mustard seeds with a hint of brown color to give a hint of sweetness to any dish. Margarine made from brown Indian mustard seeds tastes best when eaten straight from the bottle or mixed with milk. For extra flavor, it can be served as a dipping sauce or eaten as is. The brown, Indian mustard seed can be substituted with white or other kinds of seed oils for this recipe.

Mustard seed can also be mixed with water and squeezed to make juice. The resulting extract is then used as a vegetable juice or used as a seasoning for stews and vegetables. The extract adds a bit of mustard flavor without being too overpowering. Because the seeds are mildly flavored, it is commonly used as a food seasoning but it can be adapted to other uses if desired.

Black mustard seeds can be sifted and combined with water to make a paste. The resulting mixture is then brushed onto food to enhance its flavor. The paste adds a touch of color to a variety of foods. Common uses are: marinades for fish; to spice up cold salads; , and as a topping on burgers and hot dogs. Because of its smoky flavor, black mustard seeds make a great addition to stir fries or stir-fry dishes.
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A variety of spices make mustard seeds a versatile spice. They can be combined with other spices to create new combinations that have fresh, intense flavors. For example, the combination of cinnamon, cumin, cloves, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, and fennel brings out the smoky flavor in whole garlic cloves. This spicy seed mixture can also be added to a chili recipe to give it an intense chili flavor.

Mustard seed is a natural, slow-release plant that is cultivated throughout much of India. It can be found in different parts of the country such as: north, central, eastern, western, and northern parts of the country. The yellow-green seeds are usually ground into powder and stored to be used for cooking, although freshly pressed seed is rare and expensive. Seeds are also readily available at health food stores in most areas of the world. It is also available dried to make pickles, salami, and mustard oil. Many countries have mustard plants, and even areas native to the country have introduced it to others cultures.

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The article Using Mustard Seed for Spicy Foods by Andrea Crawley appeared first on Healthy Moms Magazine.