Top 5 Herbs to Help You Lose Weight

By Carolyn Occhipinti, Staff Writer on Monday, July 18, 2011

Still trying to shed those extra pounds? Crash diets are not the answer. Check out the top five herbs that will help you lose weight the healthy way.

Are you exercising and eating right, but not seeing weight loss results? You may need a natural boost with herbs!

Feeling hungry all the time and having an insatiable appetite are two of the biggest challenges to losing weight. If this sounds like you, you're in luck. Herbs for weight loss are appetite suppressants because they trick the body into thinking its full^[1].  Other herbs help the body process food efficiently, resulting in more energy to burn more calories. With these two herbal effects, you are setting yourself up for the best way to burn excess fat.

Classification of Herbs -- How They Help Burn Excess Fat
Herbs, that enhance weight loss, restore the body to its most natural state. These herbs act by flushing toxins out your body that slow down fat burn. They also help you consume less, so the body doesn’t have to work as hard to process vitamins and nutrients out of what food you do eat.  The following are the four classifications of herbs for weight loss^[2]:

Diuretics -- These types of herbs help you excrete excess water that your body does not need. During this excretion, you rid your body of toxins that slow down bodily functions.

Cathartics -- Restores gastrointestinal balance. Regular bowel movements help you consume fewer calories because your body is better able to digest the food you eat.

Stimulants -- Fatigue can slow you down physically inside and outside of your body. A lack of energy keeps you from exercising and slows down bodily functions, which both result in less calorie burn.  Stimulant herbs boost up the energy to speed up bodily functions, giving you more motivation to work out and burn more calories.

Appetite Suppressants -- These herbs help emotional eaters, cravers and insatiable appetites by:

• Boosting mood
• Increasing satisfaction
• Expanding in the stomach to leave less room for food

Reach Your Weight Loss Goal with These Herbs
Green Tea
Green tea raises metabolic rates and boosts fat oxidation, according to Dr. Abdul Dulloo, of the University of Geneva in Switzerland^[3]. One of his studies found that green tea extract with caffeine produced more energy than just caffeine.  What does this mean for you? Green tea can help your body use fat efficiently by increasing your metabolic rate to give you enough energy to make it through the day or exercise (to burn even more fat).

Guar Gum
Guar Gum will help you feel full faster and reduce hunger. It’s also a laxative, so what you do eat will be used by your body and then excreted as soon as your body is done with it.

Flax Seed
If you’re looking for an herb with vitamins, phytonutrients, protein and fiber, you have found it! This is great herbal remedy for cravings and appetite control.  When ingested, this herb will expand as much as five times. That means, if you take it 30 minutes before you eat, you’ll already be on your way to feeling full.

Gymnema Sylvestre
Calling all sugar addicts! This will be your key to weight loss by stopping your sweets cravings.  This herb is great for pancreas health and functioning. It will help your body maintain blood sugar levels so that you don’t have drastic level changes, which can cause cravings.

Fennel
If you’re looking for a diuretic that expels water weight, and also improves energy and decreases appetite, fennel is your herb. You can take it in pill form or as a tea, just be careful to take it as directed, as it can be toxic.

Check with Your Medical Doctor
While herbal remedies are relatively safe, it’s important to consult your physician to discuss starting an herbal regimen. Herbs can have serious side effects and can have drug interactions with other herbs and prescription drugs.

Sources

1. ^[1] - Over-the-Counter and Herbal Remedies for Weight Loss, WebMD
2. ^[2] - Herbs for Losing Weight, eMedicinal
3. ^[3] - Dr. Abdul Dulloo, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

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Nutrition Has Huge Effects On Menopause Symptoms

By Carolyn Occhipinti, Staff Writer on Friday, August 12, 2011

Explore some natural ways to beat the symptoms of menopause and regain control of your life.

During menopause, women experience a variety of symptoms which range from slightly annoying to completely disrupting to their everyday life.  These symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, anxiety,depression, nausea, bouts of diarrhea, insomnia and fatigue.  In addition, women are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer, osteoporosis and heart disease during this time.  Diet can have a big influence on the level of intensity of menopausal symptoms, in addition to lowering a woman’s risk of other health conditions.  Knowing which foods to add to your diet and which foods to avoid can help you manage menopause symptoms and decrease your risk of dangerous health conditions.

Foods that Reduce Menopausal Symptoms
During menopause, estrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate, causing a hormone imbalance in the body. This hormone imbalance is the root of all evil when it comes to the irritating and life changing symptoms of menopause.  Keeping these hormones balanced can help reduce the discomforts.  Certain foods contain plant-based estrogen-like properties that can fool the body into thinking it has higher levels of estrogen.  Many of these foods help to protect the body from serious health conditions, in addition to reducing the chance of weight gain.

Soy – Soy-based foods, as well as soy isoflavones supplements, are effective in lowering the number and severity of hot flashes in women.  Approximately 75 percent of menopausal women in the U.S. suffer from hot flashes; as compared to about 8 percent of women who live in countries where people eat a diet rich in soy.  In one study, it was found that adding soy to the diet decreased the number of hot flashes in women by 52 percent.  Another study found that adding soy to the diet decreased a woman’s chance of breast cancer and other hormone-sensitive cancers.  Soy is also beneficial for lowering bad cholesterol and protecting the heart.

Women who substitute soy products for meat or dairy are also more likely to lose weight since soy is naturally low-fat and low in calories.  Enjoy soy in a variety of ways including soy milk, soy cheese, tofu or soybeans.  Soy isoflavones supplements are also a good way to increase the amount of soy in your diet.  Taking one to two 40 milligram tablets a day will help relieve menopausal hot flashes.

Fruits and Vegetables – Not only are fruits and vegetables high in vitamins, minerals and fiber and low in calories, but they, too, can fool the body into believing it has more estrogen than it actually does.  Fruits and vegetables contain phytoestrogens, a plant-based form of estrogen.  Eating enough of these healthy foods may reduce hot flashes, as well as other menopausal symptoms, and also reduce your risk of heart disease and some cancers.  Fruits and vegetables also contain boron, which is a mineral that increases the body’s ability to maintain estrogen.  Boron also reduces the amount of calcium lost each day; so your bones stay strong and healthy.

Eating at least one serving of fruits or vegetables at each meal is the best way to make sure you benefit from the vitamins and minerals within.  Good sources of phytoestrogen and boron include:

    * Strawberries
    * Apples
    * Grapes
    * Oranges
    * Plums
    * Carrots
    * Cucumbers
    * Lettuce
    * Sweet potatoes
    * Asparagus

Flaxseed – Adding ground flaxseeds to your foods may reduce hot flashes and night sweats, while also reducing your risk of cancer and heart disease.  Flaxseed is one of the richest known sources of phytoestrogen lignans, as well as a plant-form of omega-3 fatty acids.  Try mixing up to 1 teaspoon a day into your favorite salads, dressings, soups or smoothies.  Flaxseed oil does not contain phytoestrogen, so skip the oil and stick to flaxseeds themselves.

Foods that Increase Menopausal Symptoms
Certain foods increase menopausal symptoms because they upset the balance of hormones, increase your risk of rapid weight gain or upset your digestive system.  Try to avoid or eliminate the following foods that increase menopausal symptoms.

Sugar -- High-sugar foods cause your blood sugar to spike and increase the amount of insulin released by the pancreas.  The increased insulin rapidly turns calories into fats in the blood. It also stimulates the enzyme that takes fat from the blood and places it into the cells.  In other words, too much sugar stimulates the body to store all its calories as fat.  Weight gain and increased risk of heart disease can result.  Also, too much sugar depletes magnesium in the body. This results in an imbalance of estrogen and progesterone, which leads to many of the menopausal symptoms.  A diet high in sugar also affects your energy levels and often leaves you feeling fatigued.

Simple Carbohydrates and Starches -- Carbohydrates from processed foods, like white bread, cookies and crackers, and high-starch foods, like potatoes, white rice, white pasta and corn, can cause your body to react much the same way as it does to sugar.  They spike sugar levels and cause an overproduction of insulin.  Reduce the amount of simple carbohydrates and starches in your diet and replace them with whole-grain and whole-wheat foods in addition to fresh fruits and vegetables.

Caffeinated Beverages -- Coffee, tea and soda all contain high quantities of caffeine, which not only play havoc with your hormones, but can also dehydrate the body and deplete it of essential nutrients like calcium.

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Don't Let Impotence Get You Down

By Michael Angelo, Senior Editor on Monday, July 18, 2011

Impotence is a major health concern among men today and there's never been more ED medicines or supplements on the market than there is now. Keep reading to learn more.

As many as 30 million American men suffer from impotence^[1]. Since sexual performance influences men's self-image quite strongly, impotence, especially in younger men, may be rather underreported. What exactly is impotence and why is it an epidemic? Do prescription medications cure impotence or merely treat it? Is there even such a thing as an effective cure for impotence?

The exact definition of impotence has changed over the years, but it's generally synonymous nowadays with erectile dysfunction, the term more in use today in the United States. Both impotence and erectile dysfunction refer to the inability to maintain or in some cases even obtain an erection^[1]. Some further classify impotence into primary and secondary forms. Primary impotence refers to men who have never been successful in obtaining an erection, while secondary impotence, the more common form, refers to men who had normal erectile functioning at one point but have lost this over time^[2].

One reason why impotence and erectile dysfunction can be difficult to treat is because there can be both physical and psychological causes to it, sometimes occurring simultaneously. However, while mental and emotional causes can give rise to impotence on their own, this scenario is far less frequent^[3]. By some estimations, up to 80 percent of all impotence cases are the result of physical causes. The most common physical sources of impotence are reduced blood flow to the penis and reduced neurological sensation. Both situations, however, can be caused by an enormous number of ailments, making it difficult at times to pinpoint exactly what's giving rise to the reduced circulation or neurological dysfunction^[4].

Major diseases and illnesses quite frequently give rise to impotence^[5]. Diabetes, for example, especially when untreated, can result in damage to the blood vessels within the penis, making it difficult or impossible to have or keep an erection. Diabetes can also cause neuropathy, reducing sensation to the penis. Since many cases of diabetes have few if any symptoms at first, impotence can often be one of its first indicators. Other diseases such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease, thanks to their damaging effects on the nervous system, can also give rise to impotence. Hormonal deficiencies can also contribute to impotence; testosterone is key to both sexual desire and in normal sexual functioning, and so at times treating a lack of testosterone will clear up a case of impotence^[6].

Lifestyle choices such as smoking, alcoholism, recreational drug abuse, a high-fat and/or high-cholesterol diet, or lack of exercise can also result in impotence^[7]. Smoking, obesity, and too much cholesterol can all produce a narrowing of the arteries, reducing circulation and therefore the chances of having an erection. Recreational drug abuse can result in not only lowered circulation but also neuropathies that prevent the signals that trigger erections from getting where they need to be. Exercise has been proven to be an easy, healthy, drug-free way to improve circulation and thus reduce the frequency of impotence.

Furthermore, a plethora of OTC and prescription medicines have been known to cause ED, including: diuretics, antidepressants, tranquilizers, antiarrythmics, amphetamines, barbiturates and anti-seizure medications^[8].

Prescription medications can temporarily treat certain cases of impotence. These drugs work by inhibiting a particular phosphodiesterase enzyme, PDE5, which is highly prevalent inside the penis. Phosphodiesterase enzymes degrade a chemical messenger, cyclic guanosine monophosphate, or cGMP, which relaxes smooth muscle and allows for more blood flow. Blocking these enzymes results in increased blood flow to the penis, allowing for easier erections. Another medication beginning to see more use in treating impotence is alprostadil, a vasodilating drug. Vasodilators open blood vessels and allow more blood to reach affected regions^[9].

While some medications can successfully treat impotence, it's important to remember that impotence itself may be a warning of more serious underlying conditions. It can be the initial stages of a disease, or it can mean we need to choose a healthier lifestyle. It's important to talk with your doctor if you suffer from impotence. Together you can determine what's causing it and work to treat the impotence symptoms as well as any underlying causes for it.
 

Sources

1. ^[1] - Erectile dysfunction, MedicineNet.com
2. ^[2] - Treating Impotence Without Drugs, AskMen.com
3. ^[3] - Erectile Dysfunction; Psychological Causes, WebMD
4. ^[4] - Erectile Dysfunction; Physical Causes, WebMD
5. ^[5] - Erectile Dysfunction, National Kidney & Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse, NIDDK
6. ^[6] - Relationship Between Testosterone and Erectile Dysfunction, National Center for Biotechnology Information, NIH.gov
7. ^[7] - Erectile Dysnfunction (ED), FamilyDoctor.org
8. ^[8] - Medications That May Cause Erectile Dysfunction, ClevelandClinic.org
9. ^[9] - What Does Viagra Do, Exactly?, Discover Health, HowStuffWorks.com

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Beat Stress the Natural Way with Herbal Remedies

By Marcelina Hardy, Staff Writer on Monday, July 18, 2011

Stress is such a common issue with modern lifestyles that most people don't realize how dangerous it can be and how easy it can be to manage. This article discusses the best herbs and activities for reducing and managing your stress.

Does bothersome stress make you feel on edge and ill? It’s time to stop ignoring it. Neglecting your stress could lead to death. People with high levels of stress hormones could be five times more likely to die from diseases than those with low stress levels, according VU University Medical Center in The Netherlands^[1].

Not only does it have serious physical effects, it also lowers productivity, decreases life satisfaction and causes relationship problems.

Stress isn’t always bad though. Having some level of stress provides motivation to be productive and do well on activities. It’s high levels of stress that cause problems.

Are Your Stress Levels Too High?
You don’t need a special test to determine your stress levels are hazardous to your health. You most likely have been having the telltale signs for a while.

You will notice detrimental stress effects in four areas of your being: emotional, behavioral, cognitive and physical.

Emotional Stress Signs:

• Moodiness
• Irritability
• Feelings of loneliness and isolation
• Depression
• Feelings of being overwhelmed

Behavioral Stress Signs:

• Change in appetite
• Change in sleep patterns
• Isolative
• Procrastination
• Alcohol or drug use
• Nervous habits

Cognitive Stress Signs: 

• Worry
• Memory problems
• Lack of concentration
• Poor judgment
• Pessimism
• Anxiety

Physical Stress Signs:

• Aches and pains
• Gastrointestinal problems
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Chest pain
• Frequent colds
• Decreased or lack of sex drive

Managing Stress
Stress management techniques can greatly improve your life. Deep breathing, meditation, exercising, eating right and prioritizing without overwhelming yourself can start the fight against stress.

When you can’t avoid stressors your body needs help with its stress response. When you’re presented with a threat, your body prepares to fight or flee the situation. Your heart beats faster increasing your blood pressure, your muscles tense, you may sweat, along with other get ready to act symptoms.

These bodily processes over time become chronic and are what causes problems. To combat your body’s response to stress, you can take medication, but some of the side effects of these prescription drugs can be as irritating or as damaging as the effects of stress.

Herbal Remedies for Stress
Many herbal remedies exist that will help your body remain calm in stressful situations that have been in use for years^[2].

Julie Brannon, an herbalist and owner of Bailey’s Naturals, an Herbal Apothecary in Safety Harbor, Florida, identified two classes of herbs that help with the regulation of bodily responses to stress: nervines and adaptogens.

Nervines
“[Nervines are] a class of herbs that act on the central nervous system by reducing anxiety and tension symptoms. The standouts are scullcap, passion flower, and lemon balm. They are perfectly safe for daytime use in appropriate doses.

Valerian root is often put in this class, but it is technically a sedative, and should only be used prior to bed, unless it is combined with other herbs to dilute its action for daytime use. Valerian also contraindicates for people on prescription antidepressants and MAO inhibitors,” she said.

Adaptogens
“This is a classification of herbs that have a regulating effect on the body, assisting in a balanced response to stress and lessening the negative effects. They are particularly beneficial for adrenal function, which can be dramatically depleted by long-term chronic stress. These herbs include ginseng (preferably American ginseng), astragalus,schizandra berry and ashwaganda, to name a few,” she added.

Deciding on a Type of Anti-Stress Herbal Remedy
If your stress is short-term, you would most likely benefit from nervines because they're effective in giving you quick calming effects, Brannon recommends.

She also suggests that if you’re enduring chronic stress, the adaptogens will help correct overburdened and depleted adrenals, which will help you feel less fatigued, improve memory, mood and reduce frequency of headaches associated with stress. Adaptogens need to be taken daily with results experienced within a week or two.

Use Herbal Remedies with Caution
Herbs in general are a safe alternative to prescription drugs, Brannon said, but just because something is labeled "herbal," doesn't necessarily mean it's safe.

Become educated about the condition you're trying to treat, and research which herbs might be useful. Exercise particular caution if you're taking any prescription or over-the-counter meds, and work with a qualified natural practitioner, Brannon finished.

Sources

1. ^[1] - Stress increases 'risk of death five-fold,' The Telegraph
2. ^[2] - Stress Herbs, herbs.org

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