Reishi the medicinal mushroom

The Reishi mushroom has a wide range of therapeutic effects

 Reishi a godsend mushroom for people who suffers from cardiovascular disease.

 

Already after the first dose, a few hours later, at significantly reduced blood cholesterol levels. Extract wood fungus is able to normalize pressure as low and high. Its use is very important as a reduction agent after a stroke or heart attack. Reishi promotes reduction of myocardial oxygen starvation, prevents the development of heart failure. Can Reishi mushroom buy in a pharmacy. It’s publishing in the form of alcohol or water extracts, capsules, powder.

The Reishi mushroom is quite effective in the treatment of lung diseases such as bronchitis, asthma, tuberculosis. The treatment is long-term, but side effects, not causes. Also Reishi is used for the relief of allergic conditions. Contained in a wood fungus substance lanoitan has a delaying effect on the formation of antibodies.

In folk medicine the Reishi mushroom is known as a strong anti-cancer agent. It is successfully used in treatment of cancer of the pancreas, esophagus, lung, prostate, brain, liver, kidneys. Members of the fungus active substances inhibit tumor development, rendering a dampening effect. Patients using Reishi, more resistant to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. After the procedure is not observed a sharp drop of the blood and the reduction of immunity. In addition, increases the effectiveness of chemotherapy.

The mushroom is advisable to use as an aid in diabetes. The long reception helps lower blood sugar, which gives the possibility to reduce the dose gipoglikemicakih funds. The drug can prolong and exacerbate the effects of insulin.

This mushroom has a positive effect on Central nervous system, causing the production of endorphin. Tree fungus is able to calm the nervous system, not causing drowsiness. This activity is observed during wakefulness, increased mental performance, and the dream becomes more strong and calm. It can apply for General health, so he has a lot of useful substances and vitamins needed by the body.

Source: colorfulthoughts

Nice Day for a Green Wedding: How 5 Couples Did It + Resource Guide

How to plan your eco-friendly wedding?

If you’d asked me in college whether I would consider wearing a traditional white gown with a train to my future wedding, I would have arched my brow, put my hands on my hips, and scoffed, “You have got to be kidding.” What planet- and self-respecting modern woman would be caught dead in white silk, taffeta and lace — symbols as they are of the whole odious wedding industrial complex? And who says I’ll get married, anyway?

 

And then came Eric. Eric, with whom I converse in funny voices. Eric who is passionate about beets, reads E.F. Schumacher and asked me with a straight face if I’d be down for spending our wedding night in a chrome Airstream camper van (sorry, babe, but no).

I’ve already found the dress (details of which are top-secret, although I will admit it’s white with perhaps a teensy train). The real question now is how to do the deed, because while I’ve mellowed over the years, the wedding industry hasn’t. The typical American wedding is a doozy for Mother Nature — multiple rounds of intricate dead-tree invitations, guests flown in from all over the globe, exotic foods, rental cars, and an elaborate, expensive, ethically-suspect gown worn for a grand total of eight hours, tops.

It can seem like there’s no such thing as a wedding without pomp, excess, and a cake taller than your flower girl. Isn’t the phrase “green wedding” an oxymoron?

Actually, no. Lest we forget: there’s always the original “green” wedding: throw on a cocktail dress, tie some cans from the blue bin to the back of your bike, and pedal down to the nearest courthouse. Then again, that sort of simplicity won’t work for everyone (such as, for instance, your doily-crazed Aunt Bertha).

Thankfully, the wedding world is a lot wider than it used to be, and it’s perfectly possible to have an all-out soiree that still sits right with your conscience. To help flesh out the possibilities, I’ve spoken with newlyweds in five cities across America to share a glimpse of what they’ve found on the matrimonial frontlines.

Source: life.gaiam

Fun Things To Do This Summer Without Involving Alcohol!

Embrace yourself summer is coming!

Can you still socialize without drinking alcohol? Hell, yes!

Do you want new experiences this summer? Here are some fun activities to try during summer Free-drinking!

 
Write down a scary goal and a date when you’re committed to achieving it.

Go for a nature hike (weekend mornings are best).

Sign up for a challenging event/ whether it’s a 10K or something more challenging like an Iron Man!

Attend at least one educational seminar.

Smile, it’s easier to smile than frown. When you smile, your body feels different and the world reacts back positively to you.

Read, read, read. Biographies give great perspective.

Hate reading? Sign up for Audible. I double my productivity listening to books when cooking, eating, cleaning, and driving.

No money? Join your local library.

Start a side business. Research successful entrepreneurs in your field—find out what makes them successful and make an 18-month transition plan by replicating what worked for them.

Rather than taking a sick day, take a wellness day. You should be rewarded for taking good care of yourself.

Grow some herbs (the legal kind). There’s something amazing about growing your own food.

Get smarter through daily brain training games.

Join a men’s group or women’s group.

Start a blog.

Take a course in writing, art, or photography.

Try yoga or Pilates.

Join Cross Fit, boot camp or another specialized gym program.

Start meditating.

Start a 15-minute morning routine of breathing, stretching, visualization, and journaling.

Phone an old friend.

Go mountain biking.

Learn a martial art like Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Get a massage.

Go for a weekly sauna session.

Learn a musical instrument.

Take singing lessons, even if you can’t sing.

Write notes for your loved one and leave them around the house.

Attend a sporting event.

Join a book club.

Host social events, like a poker tournament.

Revisit your favorite childhood board game, like Monopoly, with friends.

Join a local public speaking group.

Learn to play chess.

Take a healthy cooking class.

Reflect on what your passions and values are and what you were placed on this earth to do.

Go to a comedy club.

Donate your time to a nonprofit organization, such as a soup kitchen.

Adopt a pet from a shelter or look after someone else for a day.

Spend time playing or drawing with kids.

Teach someone else how to go for 30 days without alcohol.

Write a handwritten note to someone who’s powerfully affected your life.

Learn a language.

Go to the beach.

Take up carpentry.

Visit an old folks’ home.

Volunteer at an animal shelter.

Plant a flower or a tree.

Develop a relationship with a local farmer.

Learn how to grow your own vegetables.

Take time to think, strategize, and ponder about your health, wealth, love, happiness—not what color car or size of TV you should buy.

Source: colorfulthoughts

Is Drinking 8 Glasses of Water Enough?

You get a fountain of answers when asking nutrition experts whether we need to drink the oft-advised eight glasses of water each day: Eight is enough or not enough or more than enough or not even the right question.

 

“The research question has been raised whether there is actually scientific evidence for drinking eight to 10 glasses of water each day,” said JoAnn Hattner, a clinical nutrition professor at Stanford University.

The best answer about eight glasses? A resounding, “It depends.”

For instance, a good number of nutritionists suggest we need a varying amount of water based on body weight. A common recommendation is to divide your weight in half and that’s the number of ounces you need each day.

Sports nutritionists will chime in, “Not so fast.” They recommend adding back 10 ounces for every half hour of daily exercise. That totals to 85 ounces a day for a 130-pound woman who takes an hour-long yoga or Pilates class. If she skips the class, then roughly a half-gallon of water will suffice.

Nutritionists agree the body needs water and fluids for optimal health. Making a point to drink water throughout the day will produce such happy results as feeling more energetic and less hungry. Water flushes toxins out of the body and keeps your organs functioning at peak levels.

To be more savvy about water consumption is to be a sipper rather than a guzzler. Here’s the problem with guzzling: If you drink too much fluid at once—say, two or three glasses in the morning—you can overload the kidneys without actually hydrating the body.

A healthier strategy is to consume eight ounces every one to two hours (a particularly good idea if you are constipated). Hydration through sipping helps the body do things like deliver an adequate blood supply to the skin.

“It’s always better to space it out,” confirmed Monique Ryan, a Chicago-area nutritionist based in Evanston.

One major bonus of spacing out your water intake: Fewer bathroom runs.

There is no exact healthy number of bathroom breaks in a day; it varies as much as our names or even fingerprints. But going more than three hours without a bathroom break during daytime hours likely means you are not drinking enough water.

On the other hand, awaking to urinate twice or more during sleep indicates you need to seek a health practitioner’s attention. Overnight frequency, especially at younger adult ages, is not to be taken lightly.

Things are more fluid
 
While eight glasses of water has been a standard goal for decades—some people “credit” the tally from the popular Dr. Stillman Diet of the 1970s—a new and welcome wrinkle is the range of beverages that nutritionists now count toward your daily hydration total.

“What’s really changed is that caffeine is not considered as severely dehydrating,” said Ryan, author of the book Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes (Velo Press). “Caffeinated drinks can count as about half water.”

That means your 16-ounce morning coffee can count as one of the recommended eight to 10 cups of water. Or half of your soda is equal to six ounces of water. It appears caffeine itself is not the diuretic agent once believed, though it does prompt most people to urinate more frequently. The result is 50 percent fluid loss.

One caveat: Some people, if they are honest about it, likely lose most of that coffee and then some to agitated bladders. They may find that drinking espresso without the milk of a latte or water of an Americano-style cuts down on personal fluid loss.

In any case, Ryan was quick to add that this reversal of thinking is “not a directive to drink caffeine.”

And certainly no practitioner recommends the excess sugar (10 teaspoons per 12-ounce serving) of regular soda or additives of diet soda.

Some consumers say they prefer soda to water because soda is colder and more refreshing than a room-temperature bottled water. One idea is to look for the newer water bottles with cores that can be frozen and then inserted to keep the water cool all day. While conclusive research proves elusive, preliminary studies show people who drink cold water will burn an extra hundred calories or so compared to individuals who consume the same amount of room-temperature water.

Carbonated drinks often hit the spot, but rather than pushing the cola button on a vending machine, consider a sparkling water with a splash of juice or fresh-squeezed lemon, lime or orange.

Equal to water
 
Jackie Berning, assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and nutritionist for several Denver-area professional sports teams, said she tells her athlete-clients that beverages such as juice, milk, soy milk and herbal teas can match water, ounce for hydrating ounce. She and other nutritionists mention provisos about juice (drink 100 percent varieties, consume only 6 to 8 ounces daily because of high caloric content, don’t use it to quench thirst) and various milks (require more work in the digestive tract than water).

A notable exception is beer, wine and other alcoholic drinks, which don’t count in the hydrating column. Research shows alcohol blocks a hormone that otherwise helps the body stay hydrated. In fact, a frequent suggestion is to consume a full glass of water for every alcoholic serving.

Ryan cautioned that consuming alcohol after exercise may also inhibit muscle recovery.

So much for the post-workout beer? Your choice, but you might reconsider having more than one.

Ultimately, each of us needs to get in the flow of our personal health and energy levels.

“You are the best judge of whether you are getting enough fluids in your day,” Hattner said. “It’s more than monitoring your thirst, [which actually becomes less reliable as a hydration alert in adulthood, compared to grade-school and teenage years]. If you are feeling lethargic, it may well be from lack of hydration.”

Let’s all drink to that, whether it adds up to eight glasses of water each day or not.

Source:life.gaiam

Drink Lemon Water Instead Of Pills If You Have One Of These 15 Problems

A lemon contains 64% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin C, while also containing phytochemicals such as polyphenols and terpenes.

 

Many experts suggest that you should start the day with a glass of warm lemon water. To prepare it, boil some water, leave it to cool down and add some freshly squeezed lemon juice. A glass of warm lemon water in the morning can provide your body with essential nutrients and improve your overall health. Lemon juice is rich in vitamins B and C, antioxidants, phosphorus, protein, volatile oils, flavonoids, carbs and potassium. The juice has powerful antibacterial and anti-vital properties which will strengthen your immune system and help it fight infections and diseases.

Starting your day with warm lemon water can improve your digestion, fight hunger cravings, stimulate weight loss and creates an alkaline environment in your body, effectively regulating your pH balance and reducing acidity.

Here’s what warm lemon water can help you with:

1.Heals acne

Lemon water will reduce the acidity in your body and prevent acne breakouts. Wash your face with lemon water to eliminate acne and improve the condition of your skin.

2.Suppresses appetite

Lemon water suppresses your appetite due to the rich vitamin and enzyme content which regulates your blood sugar levels and helps you maintain healthy weight. It also contains pectin, a fiber that aids digestion and improves your digestive system.

3.Flushes out kidney stones

Lemon is rich in potassium, a mineral that can increase the citrate levels in your urine and prevent oxalate formation.

4.Boosts your immune system

Lemons are a great support to the lymphatic system, which in turn helps the immune system eliminate pathogens.

5.Gallbladder pain

Drink a glass of lemon water along your lunch to eliminate gallstones and reduce the pain caused by them.

6.Cold and flu remedy

As a natural antioxidant full of vitamin C, lemons can boost your immune system to fight colds and flu. They also have powerful antibacterial and antiviral properties which is why drinking warm lemon water in the winter is the best protection against seasonal diseases.

7.Gerd

Some people claim that lemon water can reduce the effects of GERD (Gastrointestinal Reflux Diseases) and bring you much needed relief.

8.Hardens finger nails

Lemon water strengthens your finger nails and clears up the white spots that often appear on them.

9.Fights food poisoning

Drink a glass of lemon water every day in order to prevent food poisoning when travelling abroad.

10.Treats fibromyalgia

Combining lemon water with yoga can relieve the exhaustion caused by fibromyalgia.

11.Reduces inflammation

Lemon water reduces inflammation in the body due to the powerful anti-inflammatory properties.

12.Relieves sore muscles after workouts

Drink a glass of lemon juice after a strenuous workout to reduce the muscle soreness later.

13.Reduces joint swelling and pain

Lemon water reduces uric acid in our joints, effectively preventing swelling and pain and inflammatory conditions such as gout.

14.Reduces alcohol cravings

Consume lemon juice at parties to avoid drinking alcohol and a splitting headache in the morning.

15.Treats colitis
Colitis is a condition which occurs due to imbalance of the acid\alkaline levels in your body. The condition can be cured by drinking lemon water regularly which will balance your pH levels and reduce the acidity in your blood.
Source: myhealthybook

How To Choose The ” RIGHT” Watermelon This Summer!

Summer time is fully on its way! For me, it screams – yeah, watermelon time! As I simply adore watermelons, I am looking forward to eating them fresh every day, making watermelon slimming smoothies and nice refreshing drinks!

 

But for many of us it is also time to learn how to choose your best watermelons to go into your smoothies and shakes! I know that choosing a juicy, tasty, fully ripe and a sweet watermelon isn’t an easy task – unless you learn simple tips and tricks of the craft!
 

 5 Simple Important Tips for Selecting Your Watermelons

If you are on a fruit diet and you fancy a watermelon day, make sure you have learnt how to find the finest watermelon for a sensational fruity experience. It is perhaps interesting to know that watermelons are actually officially both fruit and vegetables (it is part of the same veggie family as cucumber, squash and pumpkin)! Majority of people perceive it only as fruit as it is sweet by nature! This fruit with a great slimming potential deserves our full attention. Here is how to select the best one of its kind:

1. FEEL YOUR WATERMELON WEIGHT – the ripest and the juiciest watermelons should be heavy by size due to their high water content! Lift your watermelon and compare its weight to other watermelons of equal size – the heavier it is, the riper.

2. CHECK OUT YOUR WATERMELON SHAPE – a nice watermelon should be cylindrical or spherical. If a watermelon has an eggplant shape, that is an indication of water deficiency during its growth.  A watermelon should be firm and shouldn’t have larger bruises or dark sports. However, some small scratches are fine. Lumps or bumps mean water and sun irregularities. Watermelon top should look fresh and not dried out!

3. CHECK OUT YOUR WATERMELON COLOR – always inspect your watermelon for color. A perfect, ripe watermelon should be dark green and dull. Don’t take shiny watermelons as they aren’t ripe enough!

4. CHECK OUT YUR WATERMELON SPOTS – turn your watermelon and check its underside. It should have a yellow spot known as the field spot. The darker the spot, the better. If the field spot is white, then the watermelon isn’t ripe enough, try another one!

5. CHECK OUT YOUR WATERMELON FOR SOUND EFFECTS – and eventually try the famous sound effect or the knock-knock test!  This seemingly funny test can provide somewhat subjective yet helpful insight into the maturity of your watermelon. If you feel a vibration through your watermelon, it is probably ripe enough while a flat, dull sound means that it is potentially overripe.

When picking your watermelons, simply pay attention to its weight, shape, color, spots and sound – also, know what to look for when selecting pre-cut watermelons. Choose pieces with bright red flesh and dark brown or black seeds. Avoid pieces with white stripes and white seeds, they are not ripe enough!

 And with this summer watermelon crash course you are fully ready to enjoy your mouthwatering summer red devil delight!
Source: dietoflife

Miracle Drink – NO PAIN in 1 Week (Joints, Legs & Back)

Muscle and joint pain is a pain. Back, leg and joint pain are some of the most common complaints by people as they age…but everyone is susceptible to the – at times – miserly discomfort brought on by body pains.

One of the most common things people do when experiencing this pain is pop pain relievers…a lot of them. Consider this number: 50 million: that’s how many people take acetaminophen (e.g. Advil) each week. Not each month. Not each year. Each and every week. Guess whose pockets are getting lined?

Imagine how many other people are popping dangerous painkillers (e.g. Vicodin, Oxycodone)? Well, you don’t have to imagine because we have another statistic to share: 1.7 million. This isn’t the number of people that take painkillers; it’s the number of people – in 2007, keep in mind – that abused painkillers.

Please be aware that we are not assailing the fact that many people are in severe pain and, at times, need a strong medication to alleviate that pain. Nor are we assailing people that buy over-the-counter medications or other alternatives. (This writer has a bottle of Aleve for a sprained wrist on his desk). Instead, it’s the degree to which we’ve became dependent upon them when other, natural alternatives would suffice.

Fortunately, we are witnessing a sort-of “awakening,” one that puts natural health in its rightful place. The truth is that we will never, nor should we ever, abandon traditional medicine. Vaccinations, prescription medications, medical apparatuses… all of these products have prevented illness and saved and/or extended countless lives. But why not take advantage of natural alternatives when able?

Bear in mind that nearly every type of bodily pain can surface from poor, unhealthy life choices. Further, stress and bad posture are other reasons that one may suffer from various body pains. To prevent pain, it is necessary to practice proper posture and abstain from unhealthy and dangerous activities.

That said, this brings us to the focus of the article: a wonderful, natural alternative for back, leg and/or joint pain. It’s effective, quick and healthy – and there is no reason not to try it.
 

Miracle Drink – NO PAIN in 1 Week (Joints, Legs & Back)

If you can make Jell-O, you can make this cure. Because here is all that is needed:

– 1 cup of water

–  ½ cup of sugar or sugar substitute

– 1 large box of Jell-O (or the generic variety, doesn’t matter) Make sure not to mistakenly purchase the individual packets, which also come in a large box!

– A pan or mold

No gimmicks, no tricks, that’s every ingredient: water and Jell-O (or the generic kind).

Here are the simple instructions:

– Filter 1 cup of water (for best result, use cold and filtered water) and boil.

– Mix the boiled water with the sugar or substitute and stir until dissolved. Pour into a glass or mold.

– Mix one-half of the box of gelatin into the boiled water mixture and stir.

– Refrigerate the mixture until jelled.

– Tightly seal the leftover gelatin with plastic wrap

This mixture should be taken every day for approximately 30 days and on an empty stomach. After about a week, there should be a lessening of the pain experienced. For added flavor, you may consider adding honey, juice or yogurt.

Why is this mixture effective at relieving pain?

It’s quite simple, really. Our bodies are composed of bones, cartilage, collagen and tendons; the consumption of gelatin (after digestion) can effectively decrease the amount of inflammation in these areas of the body. Furthermore, gelatin contains properties that are good for the immune system. The inflammation reducing properties of gelatin are terrific for preventing painful ailments such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis.

It is very important that the gelatin product is prepared in the correct way. It is also important to ensure any leftovers are tightly sealed in order to prevent deterioration. When the mixture begins to deteriorate, the properties that help combat hip, joint and back pain are further reduced; hence making it essential that the leftover product is stored properly and not left out. Jell-O and other prepared gelatin products have a shelf life of about two weeks when the product is properly sealed and refrigerated.

Use the above recipe, which should be good for about a two-week supply. Repeat the process and take the recommended daily amount – again, on an empty stomach.

 Source:powerofpositivity