Brain Foods That Help You Concentrate

Ginseng, Fish, Berries, or Caffeine?

Adopted from WebMD

Listen to the buzz about foods and dietary supplements and you'll believe they can do everything from sharpen focus and concentration, to enhance memory, attention span, and brain function. But do they really work? There's no denying that as we age chronologically, our body ages right along with us. The good news? You can increase your chances of maintaining a healthy brain -- if you add "smart" foods and beverages to your diet.

Caffeine Can Make You More Alert

There's no magic bullet to boost IQ or make you smarter -- but certain substances, like caffeine, can energize and help you focus and concentrate. Found in coffee, chocolate, energy drinks, and some medications, caffeine gives you that unmistakable wake-up buzz -- though the effects are short term. And more is often less: Overdo it on caffeine and it can make you jittery and uncomfortable.

Sugar Can Enhance Alertness

Sugar is your brain's preferred fuel source -- not table sugar, but glucose, which your body metabolizes from the sugars and carbohydrates you eat. That’s why a glass of something sweet to drink can offer a short-term boost to memory, thinking processes, and mental ability. Consume too much, however, and memory can be impaired -- along with the rest of you. Go easy on the sugar so it can enhance memory, without packing on pounds.

Protein & Brain Function Connection?

One of the great benefits of protein is that it generally makes you feel satisfied longer than carbohydrates and fats. Eating a diet rich in lean and low-fat protein is good for weight loss and overall health -- though it's hard to draw a connection with brain function.

Fish Really is Brain Food

A protein source associated with a great brain boost is fish -- rich in omega 3 fatty acids, essential for brain function and development. These healthy fats have amazing brain power: higher dietary omega 3 fatty acids are linked to lower dementia and stroke risks; slower mental decline; and may play a vital role in enhancing memory, especially as we get older. For brain and heart health, eat two servings of fish weekly.

Add a Daily Dose of Nuts, Chocolate

Nuts and seeds are good sources of the antioxidant vitamin E, which is associated with less cognitive decline as you age. Dark chocolate also has powerful antioxidant properties, and contains natural stimulants like caffeine, which can enhance focus and concentration. Enjoy up to an ounce a day of nuts and dark chocolate to provide all the benefits you need without excess calories, fat, or sugar.

Add Avocados and Whole Grains

Every organ in the body depends on blood flow, especially the heart and brain. Eating whole grains and fruits like avocados can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and enhance blood flow, offering a simple, tasty way to fire up brain cells. Whole grains, like popcorn and whole wheat, also contribute dietary fiber and vitamin E, while avocados have fat -- but a good-for-you, monounsaturated fat that contributes to healthy blood flow.

Blueberries Are Super Nutritious

Research in animals shows that blueberries help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of age-related conditions such as Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Studies also show that diets rich in blueberries significantly improved both the learning capacity and motor skills of aging rats, making them mentally equivalent to much younger rats.

Benefits of a Healthy Diet

It may sound trite but it's true: If your diet lacks essential nutrients, it can decrease your ability to concentrate. Eating too much or too little can also interfere with your ability to focus. A heavy meal may make you feel lethargic, while too few calories can result in distracting hunger pangs. Benefit your brain: Strive for a well-balanced diet chock full of a wide variety of healthy, wholesome foods.

Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements?

Store shelves groan with supplements claiming to boost health. Although many of the reports on the brain-boosting power of supplements like vitamins B, C, E, beta-carotene, and magnesium are promising, they’re inconclusive. Researchers are cautiously optimistic about ginseng, gingko, or vitamin, mineral, and herb combinations and their impact on the brain. A daily multivitamin is OK, but check with your doctor before taking other supplements.

Get Ready for a Big Day

Want to power up your ability to concentrate? Start with a meal of 100% fruit juice, a whole grain bagel with salmon, and a cup of coffee. In addition to eating a well-balanced meal, experts also advise:

• Get a good night's sleep.
• Exercise to help sharpen thinking.
• Meditate to clear thinking and relax.

Health Benefits of Green Tea

7 Health Benefits of Green Tea

Want to enhance your health in surprising ways? Drink green tea.

We're not talking about a new health discovery here. This beverage has been used for thousands of years by the Chinese. It has proved itself for centuries as worthy of being included in our diet for its health properties.

Not only has this drink been endorsed for ages, but modern science also has discovered astonishing facts about what it may be able to do for your health.

There are a lot more benefits to drinking green tea than are listed below, but here are seven:

1. Drink it to help shed extra pounds.

A study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in November, 1999, is encouraging. It shows that this drink may enable people to burn more calories.

2. This ancient brew may help combat signs of aging.

That's because it contains large amounts of vitamins E and C which are antioxidants. Antioxidants have the reputation of being able to combat free radicals that damage cells. Cancer, heart attacks and diabetes can result from damaged cell membranes.

In April, 1999, researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland revealed that green tea may ease the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

3. This drink may help asthma sufferers.

Because it contains theophylline (a muscle relaxant), it can help the muscles surrounding bronchial tubes to relax. This helps asthma sufferers to breathe with less restriction.

4. Green tea may help lower blood pressure.

High blood pressure makes you susceptible to heart attack and stroke. This ancient brew may also keep blood clots from forming.

5. Green tea has been reported to help in the fight against cancer.

Doctors from the prestigious Mayo Clinic found that green tea extract given to four leukemia patients seemed to help three of them experience regression of the disease. And even the fourth patient showed some improvement. The reason the doctors tried green tea extract is that a 2004 test tube study showed that leukemia cells were killed by the extract.

By the way, in Japan there are fewer reported cancer deaths. Could it be because the Japanese drink a lot of green tea?

6. Drinking this beverage my help lower cholesterol.

Lowering cholesterol with no side effects has been reported in studies using green tea. Your ability to fight heart disease and ward off stroke is tied in with your cholesterol count.

7. This brew may help your body fight infections.

The New York Times reported in April of 2003 that the immune system's ability to fight disease may be strengthened by drinking green tea. Microbiologist Milton Schiffenbauer, professor at Pace University (New York) stated, "Our research shows tea extracts can destroy the organism that causes disease. If we can stimulate the immune system and at the same time we are destroying the organisms then it makes sense to drink more tea."

Now that you've learned 7 ways green tea has been shown to help your health, why not give it a place in your daily diet? It's not a magic cure, but this proven ancient beverage may just help you to be healthier.

Heart Diseases

Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread instead of jelly and jam and eat it regularly for breakfast.

It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also those who have already had an attack, if they do this process daily, are kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that due to the increasing age the arteries and veins which lose their flexibility and get clogged are revitalized.

Bad Breath

People of South America, first thing in the morning gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water. So their breath stays fresh throughout the day.

Brighten you Smile – Teeth Whitening Home remedies

Adopted from WEBMD

Have your pearly whites lost their luster due to teeth stains? Stained teeth can occur naturally as we age, but some common foods, drinks, and even mouthwashes can cause teeth stains. Use these secrets to whiter teeth to restore your bright smile.

Some people still prefer the age-old home remedy of baking soda and a toothbrush to gently whiten teeth at home. Also, some foods such as celery, apples, pears and carrots trigger lots of saliva -- which helps to scrub away stains on your teeth. Chewing sugarless gum also triggers saliva, which help eliminate teeth stains. A bonus from all that saliva: It neutralizes acid that causes tooth decay. With teeth, more saliva is better all around.

To Keep Teeth White, Don't Light Up

There's another reason to watch what you eat – some common foods can cause tooth discoloration. Here's an easy way to tell if a food might be at fault: Anything that can stain a white cotton T-shirt, can stain teeth, say dentists. Coffee stains teeth, for example. Other top offenders are beverages such as tea, dark sodas, and fruit juices. These teeth stains develop slowly and become more noticeable as we age.

Think As You Drink

They may be packed with disease-fighting antioxidants, but a glass of red wine, cranberry juice, and grape juice also stain teeth easily. That doesn't mean you should give them up, but remember to brush or rinse your mouth after you drink. These aren't the only teeth-staining foods to be aware of...

The deep color of these fruits and veggies give them their nutritional punch. But blueberries, blackberries, and beets leave their color on teeth as well. Eat up for your health, and prevent tooth stains by:

• Brushing teeth after eating.
• Rinsing your mouth with water.

Medications That Can Stain Teeth

The antibiotic tetracycline cause gray teeth in children whose teeth are still developing. Antibacterial mouthwashes -- containing chlorhexidine and cetylpyridinium chloride -- also stain teeth. Some antihistamines, antipsychotic drugs, and antihypertensive medications cause tooth stains, as can iron and excess fluoride. If bleaching doesn't help, ask your dentist about dental bonding, in which a tooth-colored material is applied to teeth.

Rev Up the Powered Toothbrush!

One simple strategy can help maintain white teeth: brush. Brush at least twice and floss at least once daily. Even better, brush after every meal and snack. Brushing helps prevent tooth stains and yellow teeth, especially at the gum line. For best results, try a powered toothbrush. Both electric and sonic toothbrushes may be superior to traditional toothbrushes in removing plaque and surface stains on teeth.

How does HIV cause AIDS?

HIV is not an easily transmitted virus. The virus is reasonably fragile and skin is an effective barrier. To cause infection HIV has to pass through a break in skin, or through mucous membranes (the lining of internal organs such as the vaginal wall). It is not transmitted through casual contact such as sharing eating utensils or touching someone with HIV. The most common ways that HIV is transmitted [link to HIV article] are through sexual contact and through sharing needles or other equipment used to inject drugs. It can also be transmitted from mothers to infants. This can occur while the fetus is still in the uterus, but the greater risk is during childbirth. Cesarean section reduces the risk of transmission to an infant during birth. Giving HIV drugs to the mother before and during childbirth can reduce the risk of transmission to an infant from about 25% to less than 2%. HIV can also be transmitted through breast feeding. This risk can be reduced two ways. Bottle feeding eliminates this risk. In the developing world, this is often not practical, and can increase the risk of other infections. Recent data suggest that the risk of HIV transmission through breast feeding is greatest when infants are fed solid food or even water or animal milk before age 6 months. An alternative formula feeding in settings in which formula feeding is difficult or impossible is to exclusively breast feed infants until the age of 6 months.

Use of condoms by men has been shown to reduce the risk that men will transmit HIV to male or female sexual partners. Condoms also reduce the risk to men of acquiring HIV infection if they have sex with an infected partner. The success of male condoms has led to efforts to provide female condoms that can be used in the vagina (or in the anus). Though these appear to work, they are much less widely used than male condoms.

Remember: No effective HIV vaccine has been developed, despite the investment of millions of dollars of research efforts. At present, the news on development of HIV vaccines is discouraging. So keep your self aware and safe...

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Loose Weight - Live Longer

Daily in the morning, 1/2 hour before breakfast on an empty stomach and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup water.

If taken regularly it reduces the weight of even the most obese person.

Also drinking of this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.

Tea - A cup of Wellness

Some of the strongest evidence of tea’s health benefits comes from studies of heart disease. Scientists have found that those who drink 12 ounces or more of tea a day were about half as likely to have a heart attack as non-tea drinkers.

“Stress” your skeleton

Anything that gets your blood pumping is good for your heart and overall health, but weight-bearing physical activities, such as walking, jogging, lifting weights and playing racquet sports, are best for keeping bones strong. When you jump, run or lift a weight, it puts pressure on your bones, which sends signals to build new cells that, ultimately, strengthen your skeleton.

Don’t forget vitamin D

Vitamin D is to calcium what PayPal is to eBay: you need vitamin D to “lock in” calcium from food and get it into your bones. Vitamin D comes from two sources: the sun (UV light interacts with chemicals in your skin to produce it) and foods, including fortified dairy products, egg yolks, salmon, tuna and liver. Health experts recommend a daily intake between 200 and 800 IU of vitamin D per day. Some experts think the daily value is too low and recommend 1000 IU—which generally requires taking a supplement since only a handful of foods are natural sources of vitamin D [fatty fish like salmon, sardines and mackerel; egg yolks supply a little] and fortified milk provides only 100 IU of D per cup.

Bone Problems - Get enough calcium

Ninety-nine percent of the calcium in your body is stored in your bones and teeth, keeping them strong; the other 1 percent circulates (via your blood) through the body and participates in important functions, including muscle contractions, blood clotting and hormone secretion. These reactions are necessary for life, so if your diet is low in calcium, your body draws the mineral from “banked” stores in your bones, to keep blood calcium levels normal. Over time, all this borrowing makes bones brittle. Indeed, lots of Americans aren’t getting enough calcium. Research suggests that many women consume daily less than half of the 1,000 to 1,300 mg of calcium recommended to build and maintain healthy bones. Dairy foods are the best sources of calcium. A cup of milk or yogurt supplies about 300 mg of calcium—so eating three (or four) servings of dairy will provide the recommended daily intake. Some green leafy vegetables, such as kale, are also good sources. Calcium-fortified juices and soymilks supply significant amounts of the mineral too.

If you don’t get enough calcium from foods, you may need to take a calcium supplement.

7 Most Effective Exersices

No. 1: Walking

Why it's a winner: You can walk anywhere, anytime, either on a treadmill or with no equipment other than a good pair of shoes.

How to: Beginners should start by walking five to 10 minutes at a time, gradually moving up to at least 30 minutes per session. As you progress, lengthen the time of your walks before boosting your speed or incline.

7 Most Effective Exersices

No. 2: Interval Training

Why it's a winner: Adding interval training to your cardio workout can boost fitness, burn more calories, and help you lose weight. The basic idea: Vary the intensity of your aerobic workout to challenge your body instead of loafing in your comfort zone.

How to: Push up the pace for a minute or two, then back off for 2-10 minutes, depending on the length of your workout and how much time you need to recover. Do this throughout the workout.

7 Most Effective Exersices

No. 3: Squats

Why it's a winner: Squats work multiple muscle groups — the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteals — at the same time.

How to: Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and your back straight. Bend your knees and lower your rear as if you were sitting down in a chair, keeping your knees over your ankles.

Squats: Technique Tip

Practice with a real chair to master this move. First, sit all the way down in the chair and stand back up. Next, don't sit all the way down; barely touch the chair's seat before standing back up. Lastly, graduate to doing squats without a chair.

7 Most Effective Exersices

No. 4: Lunges

Why it's a winner: Like squats, lunges work all the major muscles of the lower body. Lunges also help improve your balance.

How to do it: Take a big step forward, keeping your spine straight. Bend your front knee to approximately 90 degrees. Keep weight on your back toes and drop the back knee toward the floor — but don't let it touch the floor.

Lunges: Extra Challenge

Try stepping not just forward, but back and out to each side, with each lunge.

7 Most Effective Exersices

No. 5: Push-ups

Why it's a winner: Push-ups strengthen the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core muscles.

How to: Face-down, place hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Place toes or knees on the floor, creating a smooth line with your body, from shoulders to knees or feet. Keeping rear-end muscles and abdominals engaged, lower and lift your body by bending and straightening your elbows, keeping your torso stable throughout the move.

Push-ups: Too Hard? Too Easy?

Beginners may start doing push-ups leaning into their kitchen counters, then working their way down to a desk or chair, onto the floor with knees bent, and on the floor on their toes. To make it harder, put your feet on a stair, bench, or couch while maintaining good form.

7 Most Effective Exersices

No. 6: Abdominal Crunches – Method A

Begin by lying on your back with feet flat on the floor and palms supporting your head. Press your low back down. Contract abdominals and raise first your head (tucking your chin slightly), then your neck, shoulders, and upper back off the floor

Abdominal Crunches – Method B

Do crunches with your feet off the floor and knees bent. This technique may help you avoid arching your back; it also engages your hip flexors.

Abdominal Crunches: Troubleshooting

Keep your neck in line with your spine. Don't stick your chin out. Don't hold your breath. To keep chest and shoulders open, keep your elbows out of your line of vision.

7 Most Effective Exersices

No. 7: Bent-Over Row

Why it's a winner: The bent-over row works all the major muscles of the upper back, as well as the biceps.

How to: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, bend knees, and flex forward at the hips, then engage the abdominals and extend spine to add support. Hold weights beneath the shoulders with hands shoulder-width apart. Flex elbows and lift both hands toward the sides of body. Pause, then slowly lower hands to the starting position.

Bent-over Rows: Tips for Beginners

Beginners should perform the move without weights. If you have trouble doing this exercise standing up, support your weight by sitting on an incline bench, facing backward.

7 Most Effective Exercises

Adopted from WBMD

No. 1: Walking

Why it's a winner: You can walk anywhere, anytime, either on a treadmill or with no equipment other than a good pair of shoes.

How to: Beginners should start by walking five to 10 minutes at a time, gradually moving up to at least 30 minutes per session. As you progress, lengthen the time of your walks before boosting your speed or incline.

No. 2: Interval Training

Why it's a winner: Adding interval training to your cardio workout can boost fitness, burn more calories, and help you lose weight. The basic idea: Vary the intensity of your aerobic workout to challenge your body instead of loafing in your comfort zone.

How to: Push up the pace for a minute or two, then back off for 2-10 minutes, depending on the length of your workout and how much time you need to recover. Do this throughout the workout.

No. 3: Squats

Why it's a winner: Squats work multiple muscle groups — the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteals — at the same time.

How to: Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and your back straight. Bend your knees and lower your rear as if you were sitting down in a chair, keeping your knees over your ankles.

Squats: Technique Tip

Practice with a real chair to master this move. First, sit all the way down in the chair and stand back up. Next, don't sit all the way down; barely touch the chair's seat before standing back up. Lastly, graduate to doing squats without a chair.

No. 4: Lunges

Why it's a winner: Like squats, lunges work all the major muscles of the lower body. Lunges also help improve your balance.

How to do it: Take a big step forward, keeping your spine straight. Bend your front knee to approximately 90 degrees. Keep weight on your back toes and drop the back knee toward the floor — but don't let it touch the floor.

Lunges: Extra Challenge

Try stepping not just forward, but back and out to each side, with each lunge.

No. 5: Push-ups

Why it's a winner: Push-ups strengthen the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core muscles.

How to: Face-down, place hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Place toes or knees on the floor, creating a smooth line with your body, from shoulders to knees or feet. Keeping rear-end muscles and abdominals engaged, lower and lift your body by bending and straightening your elbows, keeping your torso stable throughout the move.

Push-ups: Too Hard? Too Easy?

Beginners may start doing push-ups leaning into their kitchen counters, then working their way down to a desk or chair, onto the floor with knees bent, and on the floor on their toes. To make it harder, put your feet on a stair, bench, or couch while maintaining good form.

No. 6: Abdominal Crunches – Method A

Begin by lying on your back with feet flat on the floor and palms supporting your head. Press your low back down. Contract abdominals and raise first your head (tucking your chin slightly), then your neck, shoulders, and upper back off the floor

Abdominal Crunches – Method B

Do crunches with your feet off the floor and knees bent. This technique may help you avoid arching your back; it also engages your hip flexors.

Abdominal Crunches: Troubleshooting

Keep your neck in line with your spine. Don't stick your chin out. Don't hold your breath. To keep chest and shoulders open, keep your elbows out of your line of vision.

No. 7: Bent-Over Row

Why it's a winner: The bent-over row works all the major muscles of the upper back, as well as the biceps.

How to: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, bend knees, and flex forward at the hips, then engage the abdominals and extend spine to add support. Hold weights beneath the shoulders with hands shoulder-width apart. Flex elbows and lift both hands toward the sides of body. Pause, then slowly lower hands to the starting position.

Bent-over Rows: Tips for Beginners

Beginners should perform the move without weights. If you have trouble doing this exercise standing up, support your weight by sitting on an incline bench, facing backward.

Sexual Desire

Sexual Desire – Supplements and the Science – V / V
Adopted from WBMD

Keeping Your Libido Healthy

Pills aren't the only answer. If flagging sexual desire is the problem, "find something that adds spice," Hutcherson says. "Find something interesting that stimulates your mind, since the brain is the largest sex organ."

Her libido-boosting suggestions:

• Sleep in the bedroom. Have sex anywhere else -- the den, kitchen, or laundry room.
• Seize the moment wherever, whenever, it hits.
• Buy something new. New lingerie definitely qualifies.
• Send hot sizzling notes to each other during the day.
• Buy a sex toy. Read an erotic novel together. Watch an erotic video.

"There are so many things, you can never run out of ideas," Hutcherson says. "What helps most -- the best aphrodisiac -- is going on a field trip to an adult store together. Try different things, touch, giggle, have a good time. You find you can't wait to get home to try them."

Protecting Your Sexual Desire

To keep your libido in prime form, you've got to walk, jog -- do some kind of aerobic exercise daily. Maybe it doesn't sound sexy, but a two-mile walk every day keeps the blood flowing, Saigal says.

Losing weight (if you're obese) and eating a low-fat diet also helps restore sexual function, he adds. "You'll feel better about yourself, and your partner will be more interested in you. You'll also help your heart." And that’s very sexy.