Written by Gloria Tsang, RD
Published in April 2008(HealthCastle.com) Tea is the most commonly consumed beverage in the world after water. Among all varieties of tea - black, green, white, oolong, red, herbal - which one offers the most health benefits?

Benefits of Tea
Numerous studies have demonstrated the anti-cancer properties of antioxidant polyphenols. Some studies have suggested that tea’s polyphenols may reduce the risk of gastric, esophageal and skin cancers, if one consumes 4 to 6 cups daily. Another study showed that just 2 cups of tea may lower the risk of ovarian cancer by 46 percent in women. Other studies have found that polyphenols help prevent blood clotting and lower cholesterol levels. One Japanese study found that green tea lowers death rates from heart disease.

Tea: Black, Green, White or Oolong?

Black, green, white, and oolong teas derive their leaves from a warm-weather evergreen tree known as Camellia sinensis. The leaves from this tree contain polyphenols. The more processing tea leaves undergo, the darker they will turn. Green tea and white tea are the least processed tea. They are simply steamed quickly. According to Dr. Doug Balentine, Director of Nutrition Health with Lipton, white tea is derived from the young new leaves from the Camellia plant in early spring. These young leaves contain no chlorophyll, so they are silvery white. Black and oolong teas are partially dried, crushed and fermented. As we have mentioned before, regardless of the processing method, black, green, white and oolong teas all contain polyphenols. In fact, tea ranks as high as or higher than many fruits and vegetables in the ORAC score, a score that measures antioxidant potential of plant-based foods.

What about Herbal Tea and Red Rooibos Tea?

Herbal tea is not derived from the leaves of the Camellia plant and so does not have the particular health-promoting properties. Indeed, most herbal teas in the market are NOT tea at all. They are only infusions made with herbs, flowers, roots, spices or other parts of some plants. The proper term for this type of beverage is “tisane.”
The recently popular South African red Rooibos tea also falls within the herbal tea or tisane category. “Red Rooibos tea is not really tea as it is not derived from the Camellia plant,” Dr. Balentine said. They may not contain the same beneficial flavonoid compounds as found in black and green teas. In fact, Dr. Balentine said that “no scientific evidence yet has shown the health benefits of red Rooibos tea.”

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Learn about a lesser-known benefit of exercise - exercise helps you detoxify your body. Walking, running, trampoline exercise, swimming and other types of exercises are described in terms of detoxification.Exercise detoxification is an effective method of cleansing many vital organs simultaneously and should become a regular part of your life. When was the last time you got some exercise?
In past generations, people had physically demanding jobs. Even the less demanding desk jobs required walking to do filing and going to meetings. With the progress of computers and telecommunications, many people can do their jobs today by sitting at their desk and using technology to do their filing and participate in meetings. Without benefit of exercise, this has made most of us much more sedentary. (more…)

by Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP - womentowomen.com

Like Cinderella, the lymph labors quietly in the shadows to clean up the mess made by virtually all the other systems of the body. Widely regarded as a lesser sister to the circulatory system, the lymphatic system is actually a crucial player in your body’s ability to ward off disease and heal from injury.

The lymphatic system is recognized by doctors in Europe and the Far East for its importance to preventive health care. They understand how lymphatic function supports every other system in the body, including the immune, digestive, detoxification and nervous systems. In fact, many believe that poor lymph health underlies a host of conditions, from cellulite to cancer. (more…)

First federal guidelines set minimum amount of activity adults need
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Get moving: The nation’s new exercise guidelines set a minimum sweat allotment for good health. For most adults, that’s 2 hours a week.

How much physical activity you need depends largely on age and level of fitness.

Moderate exercise adds up for sluggish adults. Rake leaves, take a quick walk around the block or suit up for the neighborhood softball game. More fit adults could pack in their week’s requirement in 75 minutes with vigorous exercise, such as jogging, hiking uphill, a bike race or speedy laps in the pool.

Children and teens need more - pretty brisk activities for at least an hour a day, say the government guidelines being released Tuesday. (more…)

By far the most important step in the elimination of belly fat is the cardio workout!

by Gail M. Davis

Excess belly fat can be attributed to many things including menopause, beer, and food consumption, but the health risks are the same, regardless of the cause. Breast cancer, heart disease, and diabetes are just three of the many health concerns attributed to too much belly fat. The worst part of this problem is not the visible fat but the deep fat surrounding the abdominal organs. The good news is that you can improve this problem by following some simple steps. Let’s look at a few of the now.

There is no substitute for eating healthy foods in healthy amounts! Make it a priority to learn about food pyramid recommendations, nutrition fact labels, and proper portion sizes. Study this information, commit it to memory, and practice it on a daily basis. (more…)

By Alicia Potter - CNN.com

They survive cold season without a sniffle. They fly in germ-packed airplanes unscathed. And they somehow avoid stomach bugs that decimate the office. Wish you could be one of these women who never get sick? Try one or — even better — all of these seven secrets, and you may join this club come flu season.

1. Get a massage

For the past three years, Mindy Hardwick, 38, of Lake Stevens, Washington, has dodged all the major bugs while volunteering at schools and a juvenile-detention center. Her secret weapon: a monthly massage. Hardwick even sailed through a move (selling her first house) without the post stress blahs. “It’s got to be the massage,” she says. “I’m convinced it’s like taking medicine.”

Most studies show that massage can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and heart rate — and lowering these is likely to cause your stress level to drop, one key to building immunity. Health.com: What kind of massage is best for you? (more…)

What are moisturizers?

Moisturizers or moisturizing creams are special cosmetic products indicated to prevent and or treat dry skin although not all products are as effective as claimed. Some moisturizers are formulated to intend to treat certain skin conditions.

What ingredients are commonly used in moisturizers?

Humectants such as urea, glycerin, alpha hydroxy acids, lactic acid and emollients such as butyl stearate, glycerin, lanolin, mineral oil and petrolatum are commonly used although some others such as vitamins, minerals or plant extracts may also be used. Humectants are used to absorb water from the air and keeps the moisture to the skin preventing loss of moisture. Emollients water-based or oil-based are used to smooth and lubricate rough skin. The oil-based leaves some residue on the skin while the water-based does not. (more…)

Infrared saunas are frequently recommended by medical professionals to relieve pain and even to prevent illness. We believe very strongly in the health benefits of a sauna, and particularly, those of infrared saunas. There is a wide body of both scientific and anecdotal evidence regarding the effectiveness of sauna heat therapy. We are pleased to provide a review of some of the confirmed and believed benefits of infrared sauna use. It is not our intention to provide medical advice. The information contained below was gathered from sources believed to be reliable and it is intended for general information purposes only. As with any decision about your personal health, we recommend that you personally research the topic of heat therapy and the benefits of saunas, and discuss your findings with your physician, to determine if the use of a sauna is right for you.  The Lake Norman Medical Spa and Rejuvenation Center at the Center for Advanced Medicine and Clinical Research in Hunterville, NC offers Infrared Saunas.

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Light therapy involves exposure to intense light, which enters the eye, hits the retina and is transmitted by nerve impulses to the pineal gland which controls melatonin secretion, and thereby sets the body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm. Depending on when the light is presented, the circadian rhythm, which controls sleep timing and daytime alertness, is shifted ahead or delayed. Bright light therapy rapidly reduces daytime melatonin levels and may enhance the effectiveness of serotonin and other neuro transmitters. Bright light therapy consists of sitting close to the light box with eyes open so the light shines on the user’s face. Looking directly at the light is not necessary. One is free to read, write or eat a meal while staying oriented towards the light. It can be a pleasant time to meditate, or listen to music. Sitting within the 10,000 lux range, 20 to 24 inches, for a 30-minute session soon after awakening is enough time, and equals sitting in the 2,500 lux range or at about 40 inches for a 2 hour session. Intensity levels are changed by moving towards or away from the light. Treatment can last between 15 minutes to three hours. Once adjusted to light therapy, one gets a fairly good intuitive feel for adjusting the session length to get the desired results.

A positive response usually begins 2 to 4 days after beginning light therapy, and it could take up to several weeks to get the full beneficial effect. If patients do not respond to treatment, they may need a longer duration of morning light, or a trial of evening light. Some people can skip treatments for one to three days, occasionally longer, without ill effects, but most have symptoms returning quickly when treatment is interrupted. Light therapy can make our winters happier, healthier, less stressful, and brighter!

In the face of a growing obesity epidemic in the United States, researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have new study results that indicate that how much fat a person has is not as important as where that fat is located when assessing risk for cardiovascular events and metabolic disease.

“We are facing an obesity epidemic, which obviously affects many things – metabolic abnormalities, cardiovascular disease, etc.,” said Jingzhong Ding, M.D., lead researcher and an assistant professor of gerontology. “Now we are finding out that where the fat is distributed is of high importance.”

The findings of the study, funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the National Institutes of Health, will appear in the September issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a publication of the American Society for Nutrition. (more…)