Amish Health Secrets May Be Tied To Their Lifestyle

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Amish health secrets have only recently caught the attention of people, when a study came out that Amish children living in a community in Indiana had the lowest incidence of allergies, even lower compared to their popular European counterparts who used to hold the distinction.

Amish health secrets have to do with their lifestyle

In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers conducted a study on a similar group of people called the Hutterites that shared the same ancestral origins as the Amish, but were not found to have the same health disposition as the Amish.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Arizona in Tucson, where they were looking for a suitable comparison for the Amish and they found the Hutterites and began to study their differences and unique health traits.

Farming practice?

Initial findings of the tests point to the farming practices of both the Amish and Hutterites, but the distinction came with the Amish having small farms and their livestock dwelling and barns were located right beside their homes while the Hutterites separated their dwellings far from their farms.

The proximity of the Amish’s farms with their shelter exposes them to more microbes into their homes which the researchers found that microbe population in Amish homes were six times more than those of the Hutterites.

Allergies and asthma

During the study, the researchers found that 5% of Amish children has asthma, while the Hutterites had 21%. The immune system of Amish children also more enhanced compared to the Hutterites.

The Hutterite children had more white blood cells called eosinophils which are linked to allergies, while the Amish had more of the type called neutrophils, which are known to repel microbes in the bloodstream.

The Amish children were also more exposed to livestock and cattle compared to the Hutterites, which may have served to strengthen their immune systems by creating more antibodies against a number of disease –causing microbes.

What’s more, the gene profile of the Amish children showed different gene expressions that signals restraint instead of aggression, compared to the Hutterite children.

Researchers agree that even while the tests only covered 30 participants from each community, they hope to further press on with more tests to see a more defined picture of their immunology and outlook in life.

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Booty-Licious Form: 9 Moves For Your Butt

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Moves for your butt often make the most out of bodyweight and lifting routines that focus attention towards the glutes, in order to provide it with proper butt-shaping moves that would ensure the best form you can have for your butt.

Moves For Your Butt Means To Move Your Butt

Truth be told that the only way to blast your butt is to move it. Exercise and lifting routines that engage the glutes are the best routines that you can use to maximize your goals.

Remember, having well-shaped glutes is a sign of good muscle conditioning, but are you aware that a less-appealing butt is a sign of poor exercise activities? Here are ways to spark up inactive glutes.

The glutes is one of the most noticeable body part that gets a lot of attention, both in the aspects of fitness and aesthetics. You may not be aware but your buttocks is a muscle group that needs to be worked out to get its fuller shape and firmer build.

Butt Exercises Also Increase Performance

It may sound surprising, but indeed, butt exercises can also enhance athletic performance, especially when you are into track and field events like running and jumping events.

The major muscle groups that make up the butt – the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus – are key players that help increase strength for competition.

Basic Booty-shaping Mechanics

Work your glutes from both the contracted and stretched positions, Reason being that your glutes and hamstrings are maximizing their full range of motion.

Varied pull-through hinge mechanics, as this applies horizontal force and resistance to allow the glutes with significant tension for both horizontal and vertical resistance.

Improve spinal alignment and posture. This helps provide balance and targeting the right glute and hamstring muscles accordingly.

Maximize the use of squat exercises. from Bulgarian squats, split squat and weighted lunges, it will help provide both resistance and tension for the glutes

Butt-shaping Toning Exercises

Here are some of the most common yet effective butt-shaping workouts you can use to incorporate to your training.

Hip Drive

Keeping your legs together, sit down you your knees and make sure both feet. As you engage the glutes as you lift your buttocks and rise up to a kneeling position, then slowly lower down while keeping glutes engaged.

Bottom’s Up Lunge

Assume a hip drive position to start, then begin to start by moving your left foot forward as our right foot stays in a kneeling position. Engage the glutes to stand as you pull the left heel, then continue on with engaging the hamstrings and the glutes as you lift.

Single Leg Glute Bridge

Lie down on your back with the knees bent with the soles of the feet on the floor. Start extending one leg and as you exhale, engage your glutes and push your hips up as high as you can. Hold for one second then lower down slowly to the starting position. Repeat the process with the other leg.

Hydrants With Leg Extension

Get down on all fours and spread the knees hip-width apart.  Maintain a 90 degree angle with the left knee, then lift the right leg by extending it to the right side. Hold for two seconds then slowly return back to the starting position. Do several reps and perform the same process with the other leg.

Perfect Squat

Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Extend arms forward. Push the hips back and sit down like sitting on an invisible chair, then stand up while squeezing the glutes.

Squat To Double Pulse Lunge

Grab hold of 10 to 15 lb weights, stand with feet apart shoulder level. Lower the hips until they are parallel to the floor. Push with the heels and return to standing position. Step with the left foot back and come into a lunge. Hold for 2 seconds and pulse twice.

Cross Lunge To Squat

Using the same weights, start by standing with the right leg crossed behind the left, lower to a curtsy with the ball of the left foot. Push with the left heel to stand then drop to a squat.

Pelvic Thrust

Lie on the floor face up and place feet shoulder width apart on a bench placing both hands on the hips. Push the pelvis up with the heels and hold at the top for 2 seconds. Go down through a 5 to 10 count movement while stopping an inch above the floor.

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Cuban Researchers Fight Lung Cancer With Own Technology

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These Cuban researchers fight lung cancer without prejudice to their country’s economic standing since it had fairly no access to most Western technologies since it was placed on a trading lockdown from the US and decided to develop their own.

Cuban researchers fight lung cancer by focusing on prevention

Despite the lack of access to modern technologies, the Cuban government under the leadership of former leader Fidel Castro, did not rely on foreign knowledge to help them and went on to successfully develop a potent vaccine for lung cancer.

In a report released recently by the World Health Organization, Cuba’s state-run health system is so effective that the United States spends five times more per person in terms of healthcare, yet Cuban have slightly longer average lifespan compared to Americans.

One primary reason for this is that Cuba focuses on prevention rather than cure or remedies and vaccination for all Cubans is free.

Focus on leading killer disease

With most Cubans relatively living on a staple of tobacco, it could not be denied that lung cancer has been the known as the third leading cause of deaths by cancer and Cubans admit that.

Dr. Camilo Rodriguez, one of the lead researchers for the state-run Center for Molecular Immunology (CIM), the leading hub for biotechnology research says that Cuba produces no less than 70% of medicines that circulate in the country and produce their own vaccines for no less than 21 different diseases, including several types of cancer and debilitating diseases.

But one particular vaccine has caught the attention of the Western world and this is the lunch cancer vaccine that was developed at the CIM.

Breakthrough in lung cancer prevention

They call it CIMAvax and may not be just a vaccine that wards off cancer cells in the lungs, rather it inhibits the growth of diagnosed tumors and could even be dubbed as a therapeutic vaccine that treats lung cancer.

CIMAvax functions more like immunotherapy as it takes advantage of the body’s immune system to fight cancer.

Other countries like Japan and several in Europe are participating in clinical trials for CIMAvax and the US has also expressed its interests to take part as well. The Food and Drug Administration is hopeful that the US participation could start by this year.

The American Cancer Society attributes smoking as the leading cause of lung cancer, where it accounted for 80% of the deaths as a result of smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.

Image Credit: Researcher Dr. Camilo Rodriguez – CNN

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The Doctor Who Beat Big Tobacco Keeps On Fighting

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The doctor who beat big tobacco, Dr. Brownwyn King, has seen the fruits of her hard-earned labor with the growing funding and support of ongoing drives to battle the world-wide epidemic of tobacco-use that has accounted for the loss of millions of lives worldwide.

The doctor who beat big tobacco is unrelenting

In a recent announcement by the world’s second biggest insurer AXA, the insurance giant decided to withdraw its investments in the tobacco sector, worth more than 1 billion Euros.

Thanks to the unrelenting representations of Dr. Brown that led the AXA leadership to divest its holdings form tobacco investments in support of the global call to educate and instill awareness of lung cancer and tobacco smoking as a primary cause of this deadly disease.

King is a doctor of medicine and is the current head of the Global Task Force for Tobacco Divestment of the Union for International Cancer Control.

Fruits of labour

In a press statement issued by AXA late May this year, Deputy Chief Executive Officer Thomas Buberl issued the official declaration of the insurance firm to let go of all of its investments on the tobacco industry.

“We strongly believe in the positive role insurance can play in society, and that insurers are part of the solution when it comes to health prevention to protect our clients. Hence, it makes no sense for us to continue our investments within the tobacco industry. With this divestment from tobacco, we are doing our share to support the efforts of governments around the world. This decision has a cost for us, but the case for divestment is clear: the human cost of tobacco is tragic; its economic cost is huge. As a major investor and a leading health insurer, the AXA Group wants to be part of the solution, and our hope is that others in our industry will do the same.” Buberl says in the press statement, who is also the incoming CEO of AXA.

Tobacco as a global health hazard

According to the World Health Organization, smoking is the leading preventable cause of death all over the world. It is responsible for the deaths of 6 million people every year including some 600,000 who die from exposure to second-hand smoke.

Thanks to the courageous and determined efforts of Dr. King, millions of lives may soon be saved and pulled away from the clutches of death from lung cancer and other tobacco-related diseases.

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Flossing Your Teeth Surprisingly Unsubstantiated

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Flossing your teeth has long been a practice for many years and has even been recommended previously by health authorities that claim it does have beneficial effects on teeth, until now.

Flossing your teeth lacks hard evidence to support it

In a recent release of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans of its 2015 version, flossing is no longer a part of the recommendations, claiming that there has been no compelling evidence to support flossing.

The United States government acknowledges that fact that there has been no research findings that support claims on the effectiveness of flossing and that the US government could only make recommendations of the sort if there is evidence to support it in researches and studies.

Taken down in latest guidelines

In a published review from the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, experts claim that majority of researches have not given credence to the benefits of flossing and its effects on removing plaque from tooth enamel.

Mixed reactions

But many sectors do not seem to buy the idea that flossing is a bad idea, claiming that it also does not pose any danger for the teeth, so they might as well maintain a status quo,

The American Dental Association and the American Academy of Periodontology still cites some proof to claims that flossing prevents plaque buildup and also helps prevent tooth decay and gingivitis.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Dental Association, in their official website, continue to recommend brushing and flossing as two of the most essential ways to care for the teeth.

“Flossing is the only material that will fit right in between two tight teeth and it will go in between to clean them,” says Dr. Larry Levin, vice-president of the Canadian Dental Association.

Levin added that oral health also involves several factors like sugar in one’s diet, enamel strength, genetics and consumption of flouridated water.

Majority of adults have tooth decay

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research reveals that 92% of adults in the United States aged 20 to 64 have dental caries in permanent teeth that could lead to decay in teeth and could result to worsening tooth cavities and eventually, tooth loss.

The World Health Organization in a report on oral health, points out that dental cavities are the most common of oral diseases worldwide, including oral cancer, oral infectious diseases and periodontal disease.

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Common Habits To Cut For Fat Loss

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Habits to cut for fat loss are often the most difficult ones to deal with and try to shake of your system, especially since you have grown accustomed to it and has been running your life all these years.

Habits to cut for fat loss need to be addressed

If you feel that you have done everything that you can to lose fat, but is clearly not seeing it no matter what, then for sure there is a point of failure in one or more of your daily activities and sometime unknowingly, it could be a habit that you have been doing in the past.

But truth be told that it is more than just your diet, it also has to do with our lifestyle or your eating habits.

It’s about time to get into grips with reality and stop denying the fact that you may be having some habits that run counter to your quest for fitness, fat loss or even your dream of having those six- pack abs.

Processed food versus whole foods

If you are a fan of canned goods, chips, cakes and cookies, then you should try to consider breaking free from it. Processed foods are high in calories and often have large amounts of sugar in them or other food additives that contribute to fat gain.

If you want to take the route to healthier living and a better body form, then this is something that you have to sacrifice first. Just by cutting down on processed foods, studies show that you will be able to shed of some 10 to 15 pounds in a couple of months.

Eating like someone is chasing you

You better believe it when your mom told you to savor your food instead of just gulping it down as you put it in your mouth.

A study published recently in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests that eating slowly and chewing your food properly lowers the risk of obesity as it aids in curbing down the appetite.

Not getting enough sleep

The stomach produces hormones that stimulate appetite, these are leptin and ghrelin. Ghrelin is the ’hunger hormone’ that is produced in the gastrointestinal tract and signals the body that the stomach is empty and thus needs to have food in it.

Leptin, on the other hand, is the hormone that signals the body when to stop eating.

Too much caffeine

Drinking too much beverages loaded with caffeine like energy drinks or carbonated soda beverages. It increases the production of the hormone cortisol that is responsible for the body to crave for sugary and junk foods.

Not enough water

There’s still no substitute for water. Water is a basic need of the body and could not be replaced by soda drinks, fruit juices or processed drinks that would make you thirsty, instead of quenching your thirsts because of the sugar it contains.

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Protect Your Mass: Options For Lean Muscle

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The best options for developing lean muscles is to intensify your workouts, increase lifting and add more time to daily workouts thinking it would speed up your fitness goals, and protect your muscle mass

Your efforts will be for naught if you fail to take notice of steps to protecting your muscle mass and it may take some effort to ensure that muscle gain is not only limited to the gym.

For many CrossFit enthusiasts, the need to be physically fit also relates to the body’s need to stay healthy and nutrition is a very important aspect the needs to be considered by every CrossFit practitioner.

Protecting Your Muscle Mass With Proper Nutrition

Protein is a key contributor in protecting the muscles mass and gaining it for the body. Simply put, it is the protein storehouse for the body. In order to develop muscle mass, the body needs a certain amount of protein to be able to add gains or ‘feed’ it. Consuming less amount of protein than needed, the body starts to consume protein from muscle tissue, which could affect your performance on your next Workout of the Day (WOD).

The good news is, it is easy to track the amount of proteins you consume and it may take a little bit of work at first by having to read through food labels and doing some calculations but as time goes, you develop the habit if doing it and the calculations can be done with your eyes closed.

Protein requirement for the body

As standard, experts agree that the body needs 1 gram of protein for every pound of bodyweight per day, so in order to maintain healthy protein levels, a 150 pound person may need to have 150 grams of protein consumed per day.

Knowing the right amount of proteins that you find in your day-to-day meals is important so you may know what type of foods to eat and at what amounts.

Meal preparation and planning is important so you do not get to miss out on essential nutritional values for your body.

Here are some of the most common food products with their protein contents;

• A quarter pound of beef burger has 20-25 grams of protein
• An order of standard-cut sirloin steak can give you 25-20 grams of protein
• An egg contains 6 grams of protein
• Three tablespoons of hummus has 4 grams of protein
• A serving portion of beef jerky has 15-20 grams of protein
• A glass of whey protein shake has around 25-30 grams of protein
• One breast of lean chicken can provide you with 25-20 grams of protein.
• One standard fillet size of commercial salmon contains 20-25 grams of protein
• A handful of nuts have about 7 grams of protein.
• An egg contains 6 grams of protein

Protein supplements can also be a good source of protein, especially for those who actively work-out. Among the most popular ones are whey proteins, branched chain amino acids, protein powders and protein shakes, among others.

Make sure to get good quality proteins from reliable brands when it comes to protein supplements, so a little amount of research is important to get you the information you need for supplements that can ensure you are protecting your muscle mass.

Below is a good diet guide to help you plan and implement your programs.

Option A

• Meal 1: 3 medium-sized buckwheat pancakes mixed with 1 scoop of  protein powder
• Meal 2: 1 cup of Greek yogurt mixed with 2 oz. of granola
• Meal 3: 6 oz. of fajita-style steak strips and two wheat tortillas, onions, peppers and olive oil
• Meal 4: (pre workout) 1 cup of cottage cheese, 1 medium apple
• Meal 5: (post workout) 1 scoop of whey protein powder.
• Meal 6: 6 oz. of lean ground beef made into hamburger, whole wheat bun, low-fat cheese, 3 cups of mixed vegetables and 1 cup of strawberries

Option B

• Meal 1: ¾ cup of oatmeal (dry) mixed with either skim milk or water, 2 eggs scrambled
• Meal 2: 1 scoop of whey protein powder, 2 oz. of almonds
• Meal 3: 2 slices of whole wheat bread, 2 slices of low-fat cheese, 6 oz. of turkey deli meat, lettuce, tomato,  1 medium banana
• Meal 4: (pre workout) 1 scoop of whey protein powder, 1 medium apple
• Meal 5: (post workout) 1 scoop of whey protein powder.
• Meal 6: 6 oz. tilapia, ½ cup wild rice (dry), small side salad with olive oil and vinegar

Option C

• Meal 1: 2 slices of whole wheat toast with 3 tablespoons of natural peanut or almond butter, 2 cups of Greek yogurt
• Meal 2: 4  to 6 oz. of beef jerky, 1 oz. of walnuts
• Meal 3: Medium salad with 6 oz. of shredded chicken and ¼ cup of sunflower seeds, 1 medium sweet potato
• Meal 4: (pre workout) 3 egg whites and 1 whole egg, ½ cup of blueberries
• Meal 5: (post workout) 1 scoop of whey protein powder.
• Meal 6: 6 oz. of lean ground beef, tomato sauce, 2 oz. of whole wheat pasta (dry ), small side salad

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