HEALTH BENEFITS OF VEGETABLE SOUP

In order to stay fit and healthy, vegetable soups are considered to be very beneficial. A healthy soup is low in fat, minimum salty and is fresh. Here are the health benefits of vegetable soup listed.

• Vegetables soups are combination of great nutrients and energy.
• Vegetable soups help to restore essential water balance in the body.
• Vegetable soups help to keep blood pressure in control.
• Regular consumption of vegetable soups helps in weight control as it contains low fat and less calories.
• Risk of heart diseases and cancers is found to be declined with a regular consumption of vegetable soups.
• Helps to digest our foods properly and provides energy to our organs.
• A soup chock-full of vegetables that includes a small amount of meat or poultry can provide a satisfying and healthful meal. Researches have shown that some compounds in chicken soup are anti-inflammatory and lessen the production of mucus which lessens stuffy nose and cough.

Advantages and sources of Vitamin D

We have been learning since childhood that vitamin D is one of the essential nutrients for our body and, sun and foods are the sources of vitamin D. But many people are unable to get enough of this nutrient. We know that the intake of vitamin D prevents us from rickets by helping to develop healthy bones. Not only this, but there are few other benefits of vitamin D. Here are the list of health benefits of vitamin D to human body:

• Boosting immune system : Since, vitamin D is one of the nutrients which helps to increase the immune system of the human body. low intake of vitamin D results in lack of immunity against cold, flu and other infections.

• Reduction of body fat : Vitamin D helps burn body fat by increasing insulin sensitivity. When your cells are more sensitive to insulin, your body will store less fat.

• Reduction of risk of heart diseases : To different numbers of factors influencing heart disease, low vitamin D levels is the another factor which increases the risk of heart disease. Low vitamin D levels can increase the body fat storage, obesity and high blood pressure, which are linked to heart diseases.

                            

Sources of your daily vitamin D dosage:

• Direct Sunlight
• Egg yolks
• Vitamin D rich mushrooms
• Vitamin D fortified milk
• Vitamin D fortified orange juices
• Vitamin D supplements
• Low calorie, fortified cereals
• Cheese and butter

Stress: how to deal with it?

Stress is a natural reaction and an automatic response to the events that make us feel threatened, fearful or upset our balance in some way. Faced with danger, the body kicks into gear, flooding the body with hormones that elevate our heart rate, increase our blood pressure, boost our energy and prepare us to deal with the problem. The stress response is mainly considered as an emergency action. After sensing fear or threat, a nervous system of a human body releases stress hormones which prepare body for the emergency action. 

Rising of blood pressure, pounding of heart at higher rate, being shorter to breath, and senses becoming more sharp etc. are the reactions in response to stress. Increased strength and stamina speeds up the reaction time and enhances focus preparing us to either flee from or fight with the situation.

Signs of stress:

• Negativity
• Memory  related problems
• Unable to concentrate
• Anxiety
• Unhappiness
• Sense of isolation
• Agitation
• Sleep problems
• Aches
• Digestive problems
• Dizziness and frequent cold related infections
• Nervousness
• Irritation and anger related issues
• Weight issues

In order to avoid short term and long term health problems, reducing and managing your stress is the must. Here are some points which could help in reducing stress levels.

• Identify the stress causing problem and develop a plan to address it. Imagine its importance, for example, 'if done what happens, if not, what happens'. Then branching out, deal with the problem specifically eliminating the non-essential points.
• Manage your anger related issues. Since, short temper is a contributing factor for increasing stress levels, walk away or back off from the situation where you think you cannot control your anger anymore.
• Building a strong relationship can reduce the level of stress since talking about your hard time to someone close to you like your family members will help you to get rid of unnecessary stressful situations.
• Get enough of rest because lack of proper relaxation time enhances the stress level in the body.
• Learn to accept the things you cannot change. There are many invincible situations in life that you can do nothing about. So learn to accept the things you cannot do anything about, this helps in management of stress in an efficient way.
• Develop healthy eating habits and exercise regularly, at least for 30 minutes per day. Working out regularly releases a hormone called endorphin which reacts against the pain and stress mechanism of the body.

Causes of stomach pain

Stomach pain is the common type of pain experienced by everybody, in general. Most of the times, a stomach pain could be temporary which is very short lived. But the pain could be serious sometimes due to the infections and the other different factors associated with the varieties of organs located in the stomach. To raise awareness about the causes of stomach pain, this article is focused on the most likely reasons for stomach pain, in reference with various other genuine websites' article about the leading causes of stomachache. 

Next time when you feel some kind of dull ache around your stomach existing for a longer period of time, be sure if the listed points are the causes for the pain and consult the physician accordingly.

From humanhealth.com

• Gallstones: Gallstones are stones that form in the gallbladder, a tiny sac that hangs out under the liver, disgorging bile as needed to digest fats.These stones cause swelling and can block the duct into the intestine, resulting in pain. Gallstone pain tends to strike the right side of the upper abdomen, particularly after fatty meals.

• Pancreatitis: Inflammation of the pancreas can cause burning pain in the upper or middle abdomen. Some people even have shooting pain that drives right through to their back. You may lean forward or lie on your back to try to relieve the pain, which may subside into a dull ache, nausea, and vomiting. Too much alcohol can be a culprit, as are gallstones (the gallbladder and pancreas deliver their digestive juices into the intestine via the same duct). It often requires hospitalization.

• Gerd: Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, can cause pain in the upper stomach and lower chest, aka heartburn. The cause? A valve that separates the stomach from the esophagus is weak, allowing food and acid from the stomach to splash upwards. Eating too much food or the wrong type of food (fatty, for instance) can make it worse. Losing weight, watching what you eat, and medication like antacids, H2 blockers, and proton pump inhibitors, can also help.

• Medication side effects: No drug is without side effects and sometimes that includes abdominal pain. Oral bisphosphonates, a popular class of drugs that helps preserve bone density and prevent osteoporosis, can cause swelling—and therefore pain—in the lower esophagus. Pain medications known as NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen and aspirin can also cause swelling in the stomach lining and may even lead to ulcers.

• Diverticulitis: Diverticulitis is an inflammation of “diverticula” or pockets that form in the lining of the intestine, usually the colon. “These look like punched-out holes in the lining of the colon that tend to get inflamed or obstructed with stool or other foreign material,” says Dr. Kaul. Symptoms can include cramping in the lower abdomen, which may respond to antibiotics. A high-fiber diet can help. In more severe cases, it can cause abscesses, bleeding, and even perforations, resulting in severe pain, or even the need for surgery or a hospitalization.

Extracted from: www.health.com
Other details and more causes of stomach pain : www.health.com (18 reasons why your stomach hurts)

KNOW ABOUT DIABETES

Diabetes is a very common disease which is a chronic health condition in which the level of glucose in the body elevates. Diabetes can be classified into two types : Type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is an uncommon type in which a body fails to generate insulin and affects mostly children. The common type of diabetes is type 2, where your body is unable to produce enough insulin or the produced insulin is unable to work properly. 90% of the diabetics are type 2 diabetics. This type 2 diabetes grow usually after the age of 40. Type 2 diabetes is characterized by the insulin resistance of the body which increases sugar level in the blood.

The usually studied symptoms of diabetes are:

• being physically inactive

• increased tiredness and fatigue

• intense thirst

• frequent infections

• slow healing of cuts and wounds

• frequent hunger

• unclear or blurred vision

• nausea and vomiting

• body weight issues

• irritability

• loss of feeling in the feet

It is also observed that an individual with a family history of diabetes might also become prone to diabetes.

The problems caused by diabetes can range from heart disease to kidney failure to losing toes and fingers to nerve damage. A diabetic person is more likely to develop a heart disease than a non-diabetic one. But, keeping the diabetes under control helps to protect the health of heart as much as possible. Since diabetes causes high level of glucose in the blood, which affects the walls of the arteries and make them more likely to develop fatty deposits which are called atheroma, if built up in your coronary arteries, you may suffer from a coronary heart disease which triggers a heart attack.

Reducing the risk of developing diabetes for a non-diabetic:

• develop healthy eating habits
• control weight
• develop a habit to work out or perform different physical activities
• eliminate frequent consumption of sugar related items, as just one sweetened drinking in a day increases your diabetes risk by 25%

Reducing the effect of diabetes on the heart:

• do not smoke or drink
• develop healthy eating habits i.e. a balanced diet
• do physical activity as much as you can, consistently
• control your weight
• the drug treatment of diabetes is not fully effective, so it depends on you to control your glucose level by exercising and eating a balanced diet.

For detailed information : Complete Information Sheet of Diabetes

New to humans: MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome)

MERS is a respiratory disease accompanied by inimical health conditions like high fever, respiratory illness, cough and shortness of breath. MERS is a new type of disease to humans and was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012, and hence named Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). This disease can affect anyone from any age group. About 36% of the people suffering from MERS have been reported dead.

MERS is caused by a family of viruses called corona virus which contains variety of viruses ranging from their capability to stimulate common cold to deadly MERS in humans. This disease is often called atypical pneumonia since it is not caused by a usual bacteria or viruses from the group of corona viruses. The disease is transferred by close contact with an infected person. MERS is reported to emerge in middle east part of the world in the countries like Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE. The report published by World Health Organization (WHO) on June of 2015, has stated that the number of people infected from MERS, after the September of 2012,  is about 1321 in which about 466 have died in minimum. 

Also, according to WHO, Camel is the source of storing maximum number of these types of viruses but the role of camel and the mechanism of transmission of these viruses from camel to a human is still unclear.

Symptoms of MERS:

• fever
• cough
• runny nose
• shortness of breath
• some people can also suffer from nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, pneumonia and develop kidney failure

People who have weak immunity system, and previously been diagnosed with heart diseases, diabetes, chronic lungs infections and kidney diseases are at greater risk of being infected more seriously. To prevent the disease, it is requested to consult your physician as soon as possible if you find yourself developing the symptoms listed above, especially if you are travelling or staying in the countries in middle east of the world. 

The vaccines for treatment of MERS have not yet been discovered but medical care is provided to lessen the symptoms and relieve the signs. So, it is very important to take account on the precautions to protect yourself against the disease.

• Avoid the habit of touching your eyes, nose, mouth with unwashed hands because it is the great source of viruses and bacteria entering your body.
• Frequently wash your hands with soap and clean water.
• Avoid close contact, through any ways with the sick person
• For the citizens from outside the middle east regions, pay maximum attention in different issues including food and beverage consumption while travelling to these areas.

Thyroid Health

As you know, the different cells in the human body have their respective crucial functions and are fully operational. These cells are highly influenced by one of the largest endocrine glands in human body, the thyroid. Located at the front of the neck, thyroid's main role is to monitor the functioning of different cells in the body. By producing different hormones and using them to deliver different messages respectively to the different cells, this butterfly shaped gland, though small in size, has a greater responsibility in regulation of metabolism by instructing almost every cell about the consumption of nutrients and oxygen. 

The follicles situated in the thyroid stores the hormones which is sent out to the blood by thyroid. Triiodothyronine(T3), Thyroxine(T4) and Diiodothyronine(T2) are the three types of hormones stored in the follicles of thyroid. Out of these, Triiodothyronine(T3) and Thyroxine(T4) are the two of the most important hormones which interact with all other hormones produced  in the body like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol and even insulin. Correct amount of T3 and T4 hormones excels in the control of metabolism in the body and is one of the key factors in proper health and fitness. Imbalance in the amount of either of the hormones gives way to certain thyroid related disorders, which are caused by the communication breakdown between the thyroid gland and its monitor; a pituitary gland located in the brain, due to various factors like certain diseases or chemical imbalance, hence the thyroid gland releases too many or too few hormones.

Hyperthyroidism:

Hyperthyroidism occurs when the organ sends out too many of the hormones into the blood and causes the functions in the body to accelerate rapidly. In other words, the cells become overactive and the metabolism rate is pumped up, signalling the following symptoms to be experienced:

• Faster heart beat rate
• Weight loss
• Constant hunger
• Difficult to sleep
• Anxiety
• Irregular menstrual periods in women
• Hot and sweaty
• Frequent bowel movement

Hyperthyroidism. if not treated properly could lead to heart failure.

Hypothyroidism:

Just as opposite of hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid sends out too few hormones. In other words, the cells lack the hormones required to function effectively, hence there is listless growth of cells and metabolism rate slows down. The following symptoms could be signaled if a person suffers from hypothyroidism:

• Weight gain
• Fatigue and lack of energy causes sluggishness
• Sensitivity to cold
• Depression
• Hair loss
• Swollen joints

There are medical treatments for both types of thyroid disorders. So, it is requested to visit the physician as soon as possible, when you experience the listed symptoms too frequently.

For in depth knowledge and body maps concerning thyroid, browse: http://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/thyroid-gland