InHealth Digest Issue 1

+ July 2020

www.inhealthdigest.com

digest

coronavirus can vitamin D play a role in resistance to the virus?

immunity boosting foods to keep you healthy

5 benefits of drinking detox tea

best ways to boost your home workout results

ALYSON, stroke survivor.

180 111

YOUR NUMBERS COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Lowering your high blood pressure could save you from a heart attack or stroke.

If you’ve stopped your treatment plan, restart it or talk to your doctor about creating one that works better for you.

Start taking the right steps at

ManageYourBP.org

+ digest PUBLISHER Rico Marques CONTRIBUTORS Uttoran Sen Leo Eigenberg Eddie Lomax Ron Butters Carolyn Barber Awnish Todi ADVERTISING inhealthdigest@gmail.com

CONTACT US Interested in advertising with us but don’t have an ad? No problem. Our team can handle all custom ad design needs.

Contact us for more information. inhealthdigest@gmail.com The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

2

July 20 20

inhealth digest

“

“

Not all heroes wear capes.

4

July 2 02 0

inhealth digest

Immunity Boosting Foods

By Uttoran Sen

T

he immune system of our body is one of the most important systems supporting the efficient functioning of the human body. The immune system not only is the first shield against viruses and diseases that might affect us but also if a virus enters our body, it is the job of the body defense system to immediately go into action and destroy these unwanted germs and viruses from affecting our body. One might wonder why in a situation where two people are exposed to the same environment one might get sick and the other remain healthy, the difference is the immune system, more than likely the person who is well has a much better and stronger immune system than the one that fell sick. Now the question arises, can we do something to improve and strengthen our immune system? And the answer is, yes it is believed that certain foods can give you a stronger and better immune system, keep you healthy and defend you against disease and illness..Foods play the most important role in keeping you fit and your immune strong to defend and protect your body. The following foods are especially known as immune boosting foods and have properties that will strengthen your immune system Garlic & Onions: Garlic and onions are some of the best foods for a healthy body immune; garlic and onion have antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. Garlic and onion are known to increase immune function. They also provide sulfur in a diet which gives a healthy liver function to the body, as well as fight infections.

Vegetables: Vegetables especially broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, are vegetables which are a good source of beta-carotene; these vegetables are also a good source of vitamin C and calcium in our diet. Broccoli is rich in glucosinolates and works as a natural antioxidant in the body.

Spinach and Leafy Greens: Spinach and other greens are also rich in beta-carotene, and provide vitamin A, Vitamin C and Calcium to the body. The antioxidants found in spinach help strengthen our immune.

Orange Vegetables: Orange vegetables like sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkins and carrots are very good sources of vitamin A. Carrots increase your body’s production of T-cells and natural killer cells. Sweet Potatoes also increase your T-cells and NK-cell count.

Kiwi Fruits and Oranges: Kiwi Fruits and oranges are very good sources of immunity boosting vitamin C. These fruits help the body produce a higher level of anti bodies and white blood cells, which help protect your body against infections.

Mushrooms: Mushrooms also increase the amount of white blood cells in the human body, white blood cells are part of the immune system. Beta glucans present in mushrooms help prevent infections.

Turmeric: Termeric is a herb that has a detoxifying effect on the human body as well as enhancing the human immune system.

Horseradish: Horseradish has established its self as a food effective against infections, it contains special oils that have antibiotic properties.

Salmon: Salmon and other sea foods contains Omega-3 fatty acids. These Omega-3 fatty acids cause our body to fight bacteria more effectively.

The best way to keep a good healthy immune is eat a proper diet, eat a lot of greens and vegetables and at least 50% of these should be raw. Other foods that boost the immune system also must be taken. A healthy immune system means a healthy body.

inhealth digest

July 2020

5

5

By Leo Eigenberg

Benefits of Drinking Detox Tea

Detox tea can be a very useful option to cleanse the system. Detoxification has the ability to benefit the health in many different ways, such as clearing the skin, soothing stress, and helping with weight loss. Without an occasional detox, the body can experience issues related to hormonal imbalances, kidney and liver problems, or brain dysfunction. Let’s take a look at a few of the positive benefits of detox tea:

Boost energy

Remove toxins

Weight loss

The body’s cells and tissues will see a natural build-up of chemicals, environmental pollutants, pesticides and heavy metals over time. This can have a negative impact on the body because it lowers the ability to fight disease. A regular detox can help to improve the immune system and cleanse the liver naturally. The more effective liver helps to lower disease-causing inflammation.

The positive benefit of boosting energy levels and metabolism can mean you are left feeling that much more energized. Any worthwhile detox tea will include active ingredients like vitamins and minerals, HCA (hydroxycitric acid), catechins and flavonoids. HCA is particularly helpful because it has the ability to suppress the appetite to further help in the process of weight loss. Additionally, the natural and healthy ingredients

A regular drink of detox tea can help to boost energy which is useful for removing the feeling of brain fog, mood swings and fatigue. Also, certain teas like mint and rosemary can be useful for improving all-round mental alertness.

inhealth digest

July 2020

7

is this type of tea are a lot more effective at keeping the stomach full compared to eating unhealthy snacks.

can lead to the skin absorbing pollutants that leave the skin dull and dry.

A detox tea in the morning can be a useful solution to naturally nourish the body and help it fight-off daily pollutants.

Improve digestion Detox tea is great for improving digestion and particularly useful for issues like constipation, nausea, bloating and gas. The detox process will help to eliminate the build-up of waste material in the area of the stomach.

Overall, a regular detox tea is a simple solution to cleanse the body.

It is very easy to prepare at home and most teas taste great. Also, the benefits are even more effective when combined with a healthy diet and workout routine. Check out rococofinefoods.com for some great detox tea options.

Good skin Similar to having a negative impact on the body’s cells and issues, the build-up of toxins will also attack the skin. Simply being out and about

“A detox tea in the morning can be a useful solution to naturally nourish the body and help it fight-off daily pollutants.�

inhealth digest

July 2020

9

cover story

COVID-19

Can vitamin D play a role in resistance to the virus?

It’s the topic that’s on everyone’s mind and the reason for the chaos we now call everyday life; coronavirus or COVID-19 as most health professionals refer to it. This respiratory disease is causing mass panic among the mass population and people everywhere are either looking for a cure or ways to help defend against this vicious new enemy. Could supplements, particularily vitamin D be the answer?

By the editors Currently, there’s no cure or treatment for COVID-19. No studies have investigated the effect of vitamin D supplements or vitamin D deficiency on the risk of contracting the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Still, multiple studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency can harm immune function and increase your risk of developing respiratory illnesses.

Additionally, some studies have indicated that vitamin D supplements can enhance immune response and protect against respiratory infections overall.

A recent review that included 11,321 people from 14 countries demonstrated that supplementing with vitamin D decreased the risk of acute respiratory infections (ARI) in both those who were deficient in vitamin D and those with adequate levels.

Overall, the study showed that vitamin D supplements reduced the risk of developing at least one ARI by 12%. The protective effect was strongest in those with low vitamin D levels.

Moreover, the review found that vitamin D supplements were most effective at protecting against ARI when taken daily or weekly in small doses and less effective when taken in larger, widely spaced doses.

Vitamin D supplements have also been shown to reduce mortality in older adults, who are most at risk for developing respiratory illnesses like COVID-19.

Keep in mind that there’s no scientific evidence that taking supplemental vitamin D can protect you from developing COVID-19. However, being deficient in vitamin D may increase your susceptibility to overall infection and disease by harming immune function.

This is especially worrisome given that many people are deficient in vitamin D, especially older individuals who are most at risk of developing more serious COVID-19-related complications.

For these reasons, it’s a good idea to have your healthcare provider test your vitamin D levels to determine whether you have a deficiency in this important nutrient.

cover story Depending on your blood levels, supplementing with 1,000–4,000 IU of vitamin D per day is typically sufficient for most people. However, those with low blood levels will often require much higher doses to increase their levels to an optimal range.

Though recommendations on what constitutes an optimal vitamin D level vary, most experts agree that optimal vitamin D levels lie between 30–60 ng/mL (75–150 nmol/L).

Summary Evidence that vitamin D supplements reduce the risk of developing COVID-19 is lacking, but having healthy vitamin D levels can enhance immune health. Plus, vitamin D supplements may protect against respiratory infections in general.

“Evidence that vitamin D supplements reduce the risk of developing COVID-19 is lacking, but having healthy vitamin D levels can enhance immune health.�

Home Workouts

Get the maximum benefits from the comfort of your home

By Eddie Lomax

S

ome exercisers, or people thinking about starting an exercise program, think at home workouts are inferior to joining a gym. They think they need a room full of shiny equipment to reach their fitness, fat loss and physique building goals.

I prefer at home workouts over gym workouts for more reasons than I care to go into here. Let’s just say, not joining a gym can be an advantage. Now you can plan the workout they way that works for you without be restricted to the gyms idea of fitness, large crowds or outdated fitness philosophy. Let’s go over three ways to get the most from your home workout.

Crank Up The Intensity Some exercisers get it into their head that to improve fitness, burn fat and build muscle their workouts need to be longer and longer. Two hour long bodybuilding split-routines and hours of aerobic exercise are the goals. An quite frankly, if you want to go this route at home, be my guest if you have the time.

But if you want to get the most from your at home workout in as little time as possible... crank up the intensity. And by intensity I mean working at near maximum output. Keep your rest periods low and blast through a quick 20 - 30 minute workout. Even a bodyweight only workout done at a fast pace will improve fitness, burn fat and build muscle in a short period of time.

Workout For Time If your at home workout is getting a little boring, boost effectiveness and keep it fresh by working out for time. Instead of doing the typical sets, reps and rest periods like you are taught in gyms... do sets of

time. For example: Pick three bodyweight exercises and do each for 30 seconds each. Keep going through the full circuit, resting when necessary, for a full 10 minutes. I guarantee racing against the clock will spice things up and improve full body strength, cardiovascular and respiratory endurance as well as mental toughness.

Combine Bodyweight Calisthenics With Your Cardio If your at home workouts consist of getting on a treadmill or riding an exercise bike, it won’t take long before you are bored to tears. Mix things up, and improve full body strength and physique, by inserting some bodyweight exercise circuits into your workout. Not only is this more fun, but it is more effective for building the strong, lean, athletic body you want.

So let’s say you are going to ride the exercise bike for 20 minutes.

Every 5 minutes jump off the bike and complete a circuit of three bodyweight exercises for 10 reps each. Then jump back on the bike and repeat for the rest of the time.

What you’ll find is that this will break up your breathing patterns, challenge all the muscle in your body (not just the legs from riding the bike), make the workout go faster and produce more RESULTS like more fat burned and more muscle.

Performing at home workouts gives you freedom. You can do what you want, when you want. But more importantly, you can get the most out of your workouts by doing things you wouldn’t normally be able to do at the gym. And what you’ll find is the workouts become something you look forward to because they are interesting and produce real results you can see, feel and use.

Manuka Honey What is it and what makes it so special?

By Ron Butters

M

Manuka honey is a monofloral honey that is predominantly produced in certain areas of New Zealand. It is different from all others types of honey because the bees source the pollen and nectar almost entirely from the flowers of Manuka Trees (Leptospermum Scoparium). These trees are closely related to the Tea Trees; and occur naturally throughout New Zealand and southeast Australia but are particularly common in high densities in the drier eastern coastal area of the North Island of New Zealand.

Like all other honey varieties, Manuka Honey demonstrates anti-bacterial properties resulting from the presence of hydrogen peroxide and the natural acidic pH. Some batches of the honey have demonstrated additional anti-microbial activity unique to Manuka variety; this additional trait has been termed the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF). This UMF has been Manuka Honey’s claim to fame. High quality honey that demonstrates this special trait is considered medicinal grade honey and has been shown in laboratories tests to kill even antibiotic resistant microbes.

Regular versus UMF Active Honey Not all Manuka Honey possesses the special UMF trait. A sample of each batch of the honey must undergo rigorous laboratory testing to determine if that batch demonstrates any antiseptic properties over and above those attributed to the peroxide and acidic pH. Only about 10% of all the batches produced are found to be UMF active. A batch produced in an area in one season may be UMF active and a batch produced in the same area the next year may not be UMF active. It is not clear why only some batches in some seasons develop the special UMF activity. All batches of honey that do show UMF activity are termed UMF Manuka Honey or Healing Honey while those batches which do not develop any UMF activity are termed regular honey. It is important to understand this distinction when purchasing this special honey for therapeutic use.

UMF Manuka Honey Association (UMFMHA). All producers of this honey are required to be licensed by this association. The UMFMHA maintains samples of each batch of honey produced and performs testing on each batch via a third party to determine the UMF activity in the batch. Additionally, the association also sets guidelines on labeling of relevant products to ensure a simple and standardized label format. In general this format dictates that all active manuka honey products should have a UMF followed by a number (from 1 to 20) on the label. The number denotes the UMF activity with 20 being the most active. So a honey labeled UMF 5 has less UMF activity than a honey labeled UMF15. As a guideline, any batches that are UMF10 or higher are considered medicinal grade honey. The standards and compliance procedures established by the UMFMHA are in addition to the regular food safety procedures administered by the government of New Zealand.

Health Benefits of Manuka Honey The aboriginal people of New Zealand have known about the tremendous health benefits of this special honey for centuries. It has a remarkable ability to treat wounds when applied topically. The compounds which make up the UMF activity of the honey are able to penetrate deep into the skin to neutralize even deep seeded infections. The honey also tends to stimulate tissue regeneration; thereby minimizing scarring.

This honey has also been used as a treatment for acne and it is also very beneficial for treating tooth infections. After tooth extraction, application of the honey has been shown to minimize the risk of developing a dry socket; which is a painful condition thought to result from premature dissolving of the blood clot after the tooth is removed. There is also evidence indicating that Manuka Honey can alleviate gastric ulcers. You should always first consult with a health care professional before using Manuka Honey to treat any health conditions.

UMF Honey Association In an effort to standardize laboratory testing and protect consumers from counterfeit products, the Manuka industry in New Zealand formed the 18

July 2 02 0

inhealth digest

Reclaiming

Your Mental Health

By Carolyn Barber

What is good mental health? We are all more or less mentally healthy, and this usually varies through our lives especially as we deal with difficult life events, change and so on. Whether we call this psychological wellbeing, happiness, contentment, positive mindset, all these terms relate to good mental health.

20

July 2 02 0

inhealth digest

With our physical health, it’s part of our everyday discourse to be aspirational. We want to feel physically fit, energetic, strong, balanced in our weight, eating a healthy diet, supple, resilient and not prone to minor ailments. Sure we complain about our problems, and talk about how we can’t do all the things we know we ought to do. We know it’s not easy to stay physically healthy without working at it, especially if we’ve experienced health problems. We know that even if we reach the peak of physical fitness, we can’t maintain this for the rest of our lives without paying attention to it.

Research tells us that good mental health is even more beneficial than good physical health. A positive mental outlook increases the rate and speed of recovery from serious, even life threatening, illness. Psychological resilience and wellbeing gives people the strength to turn problems into challenges into triumphs.

Yet whenever I ask a group of people to tell me what words come into mind in relation to ‘mental health’, their responses are about mental ill-health! It’s as if the term has been hi-jacked to become totally problem-focused.

In the meantime, we’re experiencing an epidemic of mental ill-health.

About 1 in 4 people are experiencing some form of common mental health problem such as depression, anxiety and various stress related symptoms. GP surgeries are overwhelmed with such problems, mental health services are only able to provide support for the 1% of the population with much more severe mental health difficulties, and there’s a

plethora of largely unregulated services, treatments and remedies out on the private market. A recent research study showed that the majority of long term sickness absence from work resulted from stress related conditions.

The trouble with focusing on the problems and the pain, is that that’s what we become experts in. We’re looking for cures and treatments to fix the problem, instead of focusing on what makes for good mental health.

We know that physical health is multi-dimensional - no-one imagines that pumping iron to build your muscles is a recipe for overall physical health, although it will certainly make you stronger for certain activities.

So what are the essentials of good mental health?

Connection is certainly one of the best known. Having positive close relationships is good for our mental health, as is having a wider network of friends, colleagues and acquaintances which will vary over time. Giving to others is another really important aspect of connection, improving our sense of self worth and wellbeing.

Challenge is about learning and development, it’s how we grow. For children, everyday brings new challenges, yet as adults we often become increasingly fearful of change, unwilling to learn new skills or put ourselves in unfamiliar situations. So expanding our comfort zone, sometimes in small ways if we’re feeling particularly vulnerable, will help develop our self-confidence and sense of personal achievement.

Composure means a sense of balance, and ability to distance ourselves from our thoughts and emotions.

It means our ability to respond rather than react. This could be described as our sense of spiritual connection, which may come through a particular belief or faith, or may be found through connection with nature.

A mentally healthy person will feel an inner strength of spirit, and find ways to support that.

Character relates to the way in which we interpret our experiences and our responses to them. We all have our own personal story, or stories, which we may or may not tell others. We may cast ourselves as the hero, the victim or the villain, and however we do this will impact generally on our mental health. Someone who has experienced severe life trauma may have great difficulty piecing together their story at all, leaving them feeling literally fragmented. Good mental health means having a strong sense of personal values, awareness of our own strengths, skills and resources, and personal stories of learning from mistakes, survival, success and appreciation.

Creativity represents the fun, childlike aspects of our mental health. As children we are naturally creative and we play. As we grow into adulthood, our creativity and playfulness is often discouraged or devalued, and this can cause great frustration, literally diminishing the capacity of our brain to function as well as it could. Exploring creative activities has often been found to have a powerful therapeutic effect, and good mental health certainly depends in part on opportunities to bring fun, playfulness and creativity into our lives.

These 5 C’s of good mental health offer a framework within which we can think about our mental health in the same way as we might our physical health.

It’s pretty damned hard to be a perfect specimen of physical health,but then who needs to be perfect? Just like our physical health, our mental health is a work in progress and always will be.

In years gone by, many people with physical illnesses were treated cruelly because of ignorance and shame. I recall when cancer was spoken in hushed whispers as the Big C. Nowadays mental ill-health is the ‘elephant in the room’ which we need to be looking at long and hard, exposing to practical common sense and intelligent discussion.

World Mental Health Day on October 10 has been a timely reminder that good mental health really is something we can aspire to for everyone. Let’s make it so!

“A mentally healthy person will feel an inner strength of spirit, and find ways to support that.”

Yoga Not just for fitness

By Awnish Todi

Over the past few decades, a very common misconception has taken root in the minds of people. There is a belief that Yoga, is all about fitness and exercise. An added misconception is that Yogasanas (or Asanas) are simply body movements and poses that are complex to perform but make the body supple.

Yes, asana or postures do make the body supple. Just like stretching and other forms of body movements do. But Yoga and yogasanas are so much more than just fitness tricks.

I

In the West, somewhere around the 19th Century and 20th Century, Yoga was introduced by Indians to the people, so that they too may benefit from it. As expected it was a great success. But there began a commercialization of yoga, in order to make it more appealing to the public. Yoga went from being an art, to a training session.

Yoga is a way of life. It is not a ritual to be performed, it is a habit that one makes a part of life. The ultimate aim of Yoga is to achieve liberation or Moksha.

But yoga has a huge impact on our day-to-day lives.

5. Hatha Yoga It is a system of physical techniques supplementary to a broad conception of yoga. There is a belief that Lord Shiva himself was the creator of Hatha Yoga.

This school of yoga is what deals with physical exercise and asana or postures. Hatha yoga is more known as a physical exercise in the world.

Benefits of Yoga Yoga has physical benefits, is something which is common knowledge.

But the real power of yoga is seen through its benefits on the mental and other aspects of human life.

The following are some of the major benefits of yoga.

• Perfects your posture Yoga helps make you stand up straighter and walk taller. The whole slumped shoulder problem goes away. Also, it makes you look far more graceful and toned.

Let us now look at some more important facets of yoga.

Schools of Yoga

In Hinduism, there are the following types of Yoga, which are to be practiced. Please note, here Yoga doesn’t talk about postures. Yoga is in fact a practice. As I mentioned earlier, it is a way of life. These schools of yoga were thus, part of life.

1. Jnana Yoga Jnana means ‘knowledge’ in Sanskrit. In the ancient times, when there was a system of ‘Gurukul’ (students stayed with teachers and gained knowledge), this was the initiation of the student into education and the realm of knowledge. The teachings included information about everything under the sun. This Jnana yoga became the foundation for yogic understanding and knowledge.

• Makes you happier Practising yoga, even simple breathing exercises or pranayama, helps to pump more endorphins and dopamine into the system. These are some hormones that make you feel happier. The more yoga you practice, the higher your chances of feeling happy and uplifted.

• Helps you focus Whenever you find yourself incapable of focusing, try practicing yoga and meditation. Meditation makes you concentrate and brings to you an increased observation power.

• Improves Balance

2. Bhakti Yoga Bhakti or devotion, is an essential aspect of yoga. Through this form of yoga, one expressed love and devotion towards God. Here God is the Supreme Being. It does not refer to any symbolic God, simply universal energy. The idea was to move the yogi, towards spiritual awakening.

What yogasanas do mainly, is that they direct your body’s energy in a particular direction. Practicing yoga and doing the correct postures, helps direct more energy into various directions. This helps improve your balance.

• Relaxes muscles

3. Karma Yoga Karma means Duty in Sanskrit. In the Hindu religion, the importance of performing ones duty or Karma, was of the highest importance. Disciplined actions and all duties had to be performed with great reverence. It is said to be the most effective way to progress in spiritual life.

4. Laya Yoga or Kundalini Yoga It is the form of yoga performed by way of regular practice of meditation, pranayama, chanting mantra and yoga asana. It is called the yoga of awakening. One becomes aware of oneself and more conscious of the surrounding. It focuses on compassion to others and healing of the body, mind and soul.

26

July 2 02 0

If you are someone prone to muscle tension or pulling of muscles (hamstring, shoulder, etc.) then yoga can help make your body supple. Your flexibility naturally improves and you can do more activities with ease.

There are many more medical benefits too. However, there are few tested proofs that can be stated. For example, people suffering from asthma and bronchitis, are told to practice pranayama as it helps to control their breathing, which improves lung capacity. These are tested facts.

Another essential point to bear in mind is that Yoga, should only be performed, after attaining some initial training from a yoga guru or instructor. This is because we may try to do some postures and end up causing serious injuries, if they aren’t done appropriately.

inhealth digest

5 Basic Principles of Yoga Asana (postures)

Pranayama (Breathing control)

Shavasana (Relaxation)

Sattvic (Right Diet)

Dhyana (Meditation)

IF YOU SMOKED,

GET SCANNED.

Thanks to a new scan, lung cancer can now be detected early when it’s more curable.

Talk to your doctor or visit SavedByTheScan.org

+ digest

www.inhealthdigest.com