Archive for September, 2007

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5 Reasons You Need to Laugh More

In my quest for a healthy lifestyle you may wonder why I’ve just ordered several comedy DVDs from sitcoms such as One Foot in the Grave, Rab C. Nesbitt and Black Adder. Well, it’s because I truly believe laughter is the best medicine.  People with a sense of humor are much happier.

I’ve been finding that TV has been pretty depressing lately, the news is full of reports of shootings, stabbings, beatings and people having limbs blown off. Rarely are there any news items to make us laugh, smile or generally feel good about society.

There’s loads of health benefits associated with laughter, here’s a list of just 5.

1. Stress-busting Tears

When’s the last time you laughed so hard you cried? If it’s been a while, now’s the time to start. When we cry, whether it’s through sorrow or joy, it helps us reduce stress.

2. Immune Fighting Saliva

Dr Lee Berk of California’s Loma Linda University tested the saliva of people after a laughing fit. It was found that after laughing, people had higher levels of immunoglobulins which help us fight off disease.

3. Oxygenate the Blood

When you laugh so hard your belly hurts, you’ll be interested to know that your lungs are having to work harder than normal, meaning your blood become enriched with oxygen.

4. Reduce Stress and Heart Disease

Michael Miller, cardiologist at University of Maryland had subjects watch a stressful scene from Saving Private Ryan one day and a funny scene from There’s Something About Mary the next.

Using an ultrasound machine to monitor blood vessel linings it was found that they narrowed after people watched Saving Private Ryan but expanded after There’s Something About Mary.

When the blood vessels narrow stress hormones like cortisol are released causing blood clots and potentially heart disease. When the vessels expand the opposite happens, healthy chemicals such as nitric oxide are released and blood clots reduce.

5. Increased Tolerance to Pain

Are you a bit of a woose? A study carried out in 1987 by Rosemary Cogan at Texas Tech found that people who watched 20 minutes of comedy could tolerate more pain than those who watched an informational tape or no tape at all.

Question: What makes you laugh?

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Posted in Misc

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How to Buy Your Health Products Cheaper with CouponChief

amazon offersLike most people, I love a bargain. The problem is finding these bargains. When I got the chance to review CouponChief I jumped at the chance after having a look through the site. It’s really well laid-out with various categories including Health & Beauty. You can also browse by merchant, where you can expect to see sites like Bodyshop, BodyBuilding and Amazon.

The sort of offers you’ll see are % discounts, free shipping and $$ vouchers. I noticed that with Amazon you can save $10 if you spend $29 with Pearlessence. I think that’s a pretty good deal. When you consider the amount of holidays and birthdays you end up having to buy gifts for it’s great to have a place that you can just pop into and see what coupon codes are available.

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Buy Cheap Supplements

Over the years I’ve noticed some “anomalies” when it comes to the price of health products. Many companies take advantage of the fact that people want to take care of their bodies and will often pay a lot of money for a “magic pill” instead of just eating healthily.

Here are a few examples of cheap and not so cheap supplements I’ve come across over the years.

Saw Palmetto and Pumpkin Seeds v Prostate Care

When flicking through a vitamin catalogue I noticed that the company was selling two products which at first glance are very different. One was a bottle of “Saw Palmetto and Pumpkin Seeds” caps whilst the other was for “Prostate Care”. It made me chuckle when I looked closer at the ingredient list and saw that they are exactly the same product. The only difference was the price. The “Prostate Care” product was much more expensive.

Tea Tree Essential Oil v Tea Tree Aromatherapy Oil

When buying some tea tree oil the other month for my sun burn I found myself rather confused. Sitting next to each other was a bottle of “Tea Tree Essential Oil” and a bottle of “Tea Tree Aromatherapy Oil”. Both of these products were by the same company, both products contained 100% Tea Tree Oil and both contained exactly the same amount of oil. Yet the aromatherapy oil was a lot more expensive.

OK, I’m not an expert on aromatherapy but I have dabbled with it over the years, for the life of me I can’t figure out why there’s a price difference. Does it cost more to print the word “Aromatherapy”?

OptiMSM v OptiMSM

MSM is a product I’ve started to take again as it’s supposed to be beneficial for your hair, skin and nails. When I bought my MSM a couple of years ago I found out that one of the major manufacturers is OptiMSM who sell their powder to other companies. These companies then package the powder into capsules, cream and mix it in with other products such as Glucosamine. When shopping around I noticed that Swanson sold this exact same MSM considerably cheaper than other brands Swanson stocked at the time.

I find it amazing that companies will charge different amounts for the same product all because they think they can get away with it.  Do yourself a favor and avoid buying expensive supplements based on branding.  Although there is the risk of cheap supplements being of inferior quality, buying cheap supplements should be done after you have done your research.

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Posted in Vitamins and Minerals

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How to Relieve Sinus Pressure

Anyone who has had a cold or who has suffered from seasonal allergies knows all too well about sinus pressure. It can be very painful and exhausting.

There are many ways to relieve the pressure. Drug stores have a whole section dedicated to clearing up clog sinuses. There are nasal sprays and strips, liquid medicines, pills, and soothing bath treatments all designed to help you breath again.

What causes sinus pressure or sinusitis?

There are different types of sinusitis. Acute sinusitis is short term and is usually caused by a bacterial and viral infections. The condition will not last more then 30 days.

Chronic sinusitis is caused by things such as allergies,a poorly functioning mucous membrane, or a small sinus cavity. If a bacterial or viral infection last long then 30 days, if may be considered chronic.

There are a number of things that can cause the sinuses to become stuffy. Dehydration, poor air, stress, bacteria, fungus, hormones (pregnancy often trigger nasal congestion), and allergies.

Remedies and Cures

It is important to determine what is causing the sinus inflammation. If it’s a viral infection, like a cold, chances are that it will clear on its own. If it is a bacterial infection, you can get a prescription for an antibiotic.

You will want to check for allergens. If you noticed that your nose starts getting stuffy around Fluffy then you may have pet dander allergies. Dust and pollen are also common allergens.

Once you figure out what that cause of the sinusitis is, you can choose a treatment. There are a few home remedies that can help you feel better. However, if your sinus pressure comes with a fever or a headache, then you should see the doctor.

To treat allergies related sinusitis, find what’s causing it and remove it. If your pet Fluffy is the problem, the doctor can prescribe an allergy medicine so you can keep her.

If you have a cold, try eucalyptus. Place the oil in a bowl of warm water, place the bowl on your lap. Then, take a towel and drape it over your head and bowl. This will also work with lavender sandalwood and tea tree oil. The idea is to breathe in the vapors created by the warm water and essential oil.

Tea tree oil will work well if you have a cold or a bacterial infection. Tree tea oil has antibacterial properties.

Pouring salt-water up your nose with a neti pot will also help to rinse out the sinuses. This can be done several times a day, it will also help to moisten the sinuses. I try and use my neti pot once a day because of the amount of dust in my house due to DIY, it seems to be working very well.

Dry air is a common cause of sinus irritation. A humidifier will help to introduce water vapor into the air.

When dehydration is the cause, drink more water. The average person should be drinking at least eight 8 oz. glasses a day.

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Posted in Health

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