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These are the foods your body really needs to stay healthy.

By Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD | 2023

One of the most important ways to stay healthy is to adopt habits that strengthen immunity. Getting enough sleep, managing stress, being active, washing your hands properly, and eating well all support your immune system.

While no food or supplement can “cure” or even 100% prevent you from catching a virus, like SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, or the flu, some foods help bolster immunity.

Here are some immune-strengthening foods and how to incorporate them into your regular meals and snacks.

Citrus Fruits and Red Bell Peppers
Vitamin C, the superstar nutrient in citrus, is famous for supporting the immune system. While vitamin C can't prevent illness, it can shorten the length of a common cold. Vitamin C is necessary for your diet because your body doesn't naturally make the nutrient.

Vitamin C supports your immune system in the following ways:

Protecting your DNA and your body's proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates from damage
Making certain enzymes in your body work
Getting infection-fighting cells to the infection site
Getting rid of cells that are done clearing an infection
You need to consume 100–200 milligrams daily to maintain a healthy level of vitamin C and reduce your risk of illnesses.1

One medium orange provides 70 milligrams, a medium grapefruit contains almost 80 milligrams, and a half cup of raw red bell pepper packs 95 milligrams.…

How is it that we hear so much BAD and GOOD about SALT in our Diet folks? Because we are talking about Two Different Kinds of Salt - completely different - the Unhealthy and the Healthy; the Synthetic and the Natural; the Chemical and Not Chemical. Medicos are absolutely right in telling us to AVOID Common Commercial Table and Cooking Salt but not to Avoid ALL Salt like the plague. Because one is Corrupted and the other is Genuine, provided by NATURE. And hence, it has so many Benefits.

The Hidden Dangers Of Common Commercial Table Salt!

For clarity, we shall look into these things in detail, and you will see what I mean. How good would that be? Because you don't want to be missing out on the many-fold Benefits. TRUE Uncontaminated Salt is VITAL for our Health and our health can actually be compromised without it, whereby we are not functioning at our best. True Knowledge is Power, so let's not throw the baby out with the bath water hey? You will see the distinction between the two. I will address the Bad one first, then the Healthy one.…

Anxiety is one of the most difficult health disorders to deal with, mainly because it makes you feel out of control and unable to make changes. But that’s a myth, to say the least.

During my second year of college, after parents separation, depression and anxiety, I was at a crossroads: I had been put on various medications for depression and anxiety. It was around this time that OCD started to kick in. Suddenly, everything had to be perfect and if it wasn’t, anxiety got worse. Every little thing became a huge deal in my mind, and I felt nothing like the person I used to be. I knew something wasn’t right. This wasn’t my natural self and certainly wasn’t what I wanted to be. None of the medications were working to full capacity despite two years of attempts to get them right. I knew nothing of Natural Health, and yet something within me said there had to be a better way.

As I began to study Natural Health, I discovered some of the easiest answers were also the most effective. I went from suffering panic attacks, brain fog, debilitating depression to vibrant health that has lasted over 10 years of my life.…

By SunnySkyz - Based on Survey!

A new study suggests that frequent gardening may be linked to increased health benefits.

According to the study posted on ScienceDirect, gardening just two or three times a week maximized the benefits of better wellbeing and lower stress levels. Gardening Encourages Family Togetherness, and it Keeps You Company if you live on your own too - I love to do this, my plants are great company. Folks, you don't have to have a lot of Plants to do this!

Benefits Of Gardening - Discover Them

The research explored why residents engaged with gardening and the extent to which they recognized any health benefits from the activity.

A questionnaire was distributed electronically within the UK, with 5,766 gardeners and 249 non-gardeners responding. Data was collated on factors including garden typology, frequency of gardening and individual perceptions of health and well-being.

"This is the first time the 'dose response' to gardening has been tested and the evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the more frequently you garden – the greater the health benefits," said Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) wellbeing fellow and lead author Dr Lauriane Chalmin-Pui. "In fact gardening every day has the same positive impact on wellbeing than undertaking regular, vigorous exercise like cycling or running.…

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Discover the Health Advantages for Digestion and Weight Reduction.

I've been researching articles on this topic today. Shall I share with you what I found?

Slow Down, You're Eating Too Fast
by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD

Have you ever noticed how long it takes most thin people to eat their meals? My sister was always the last one to finish her meal, and it drove the rest of the family crazy. We were sure it was her ploy to get out of clearing the table or doing the dishes! It was not until years later that I realized her slow eating is the secret to her slim figure.

Most Westerners eat too fast, and, as a result, they take in too many calories before they realize they've eaten enough. It takes approximately 20 minutes from the time you start eating for your brain to send out signals of fullness. Leisurely eating allows ample time to trigger the signal from your brain that you are full. And feeling full translates into eating less.

Recent research presented at a meeting of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity showed that overweight men and women took in fewer calories when they slowed their normal eating pace.…

From The Guardian Website - Past Edition

Dawn Chorus Day is a good time to celebrate the benefits to mental and physical health of birdsong.
Let us all speak up for protecting the different Species of Birds needing our voice.

A Beautiful Nightingale Photo by National Geographic

When I hear the first willow warbler of the spring, the first cuckoo, or the first booming bittern on my local patch, I feel an enormous sense of comfort and satisfaction. As the poet Ted Hughes wrote about the annual return of swifts, “They’ve made it again, which shows that the globe’s still working…”

It’s International Dawn Chorus Day on Sunday 5 May, and this year the RSPB has released a single of birdsong (currentlyat number 11 in the charts) as part of a campaign to draw attention to the situation facing British birdlife. Populations of once-common species such as the house sparrow, starling and swift are falling fast, while the nightingale, turtle dove and grey partridge are rapidly sliding towards extinction in Britain.

Climate change, intensive farming and pollution are just some of the genuinely existential threats to the future of our birds.…

DO YOUR TASTE-BUDS FAVOR GREEK AND ITALIAN CUISINE? MAYBE YOU LIKE OREGANO BUT HAVE NOT HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF TRYING IT FRESH - IT'S REALLY NICE, AND ALL YOU NEED IS A FEW LEAVES. I FOUND THIS EXCELLENT ARTICLE BY A 2nd GENERATION HOME GARDENER WITH LOTS OF EXPERIENCE TODAY. HER NAME IS Amy Andrychowicz from GetBusyGardening.Com

How To Grow Oregano Successfully - Surprise Yourself!

Growing oregano is easier than most people think, and require very little care. In this post, I’ll show you everything you need to know in order to have your biggest and best crop yet!

Oregano is a delicious, useful, and a surprisingly low maintenance herb to grow at home.

Once you understand how to care for it, even a beginner can get it established, and keep it going for years in their garden.

This guide is designed to help you discover exactly what it takes to grow oregano.

You’ll find tons of information, including soil, sun, water, and fertilizer requirements, tips on harvesting, pest control, and much more.

Temperature: 60-80°F
Flowers: Purple, pink, or white, blooms in late summer
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Water: Allow soil to dry between waterings, do not overwater
Fertilizer: General purpose plant food in spring and summer
Soil: Fast-draining, fertile soil

The sprawling, hardy growth and drought tolerance makes it popular as a low-maintenance ground cover.…

I HOPE NOT TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE WHEELING TROLLEYS FULL OF SOFT DRINKS OUT OF SUPERMARKETS WITH THEIR KIDS WHEN THESE THINGS ARE BETTER KNOWN.

Chemicals In Fizzy Drinks - Perilous To Health!

MY COUSINS WERE ALLOWED TO HAVE LOTS OF FIZZY DRINKS I WASN'T BROUGHT UP WITH -
I WISHED WE COULD HAVE MORE, HOWEVER, OUR FAMILY EXPERIENCED BETTER HEALTH TO THEIRS AND TO THIS DAY, I THANK MY MUM FOR HER WISDOM WHEN RESEARCH WASN'T AROUND. SO I'M INCLUDING THIS ARTICLE IN MY BLOG TO BENEFIT OTHER FAMILIES OUT THERE.

Why You Should Be Worried About The Chemicals In Your Soda
By Riley Cardoza

It's hard, we know, and the addictive properties of the Caffeine in every can certainly don't make giving up soda any easier. But hear us out. Doubling up on soft drinks every week means doubling your risk of pancreatic cancer, according to a study in the American Association for Cancer Research's journal. Drinking a standard can of cola is like pouring 39 grams of sugar straight down your throat, and there's nothing sweet about what it'll do to your waistline. Even if you go for the sugar-free options, a recent study in the journal Stroke found that artificially-sweetened drinks lead to increased risk of strokes and dementia.

IF YOU READ THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE, YOU WILL GAIN SOME INSIGHTS AND BE GREATLY ENCOURAGED, THAT IF WE MAKE GOOD CHOICES AND PRACTICE THEM ON A DAILY BASIS, WE WON'T BE SO VULNERABLE TO INFECTIOUS AILMENTS THAT COME OUR WAY BECAUSE OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM WILL BE FENDING THEM OFF SUCCESSFULLY MOST TIMES. NOT SO, WITH A COMPROMISED AND WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEM - due to poor habits - THAT WILL SURCOMBE TO CHALLENGES MORE OFTEN - SOMETIMES VERY OFTEN.

The pandemic has made many of us think more about our immune system and how to support it. While we can’t control everything that happens, there are some things we can do to help

Covid has prompted many of us to take more responsibility for our health. Online searches for ‘how to boost your immune system’ have rocketed during the pandemic. So, what can we do to stay healthy as we head into autumn?

Well, all the experts that Positive News spoke to stressed one thing: the importance of getting jabbed. “The obvious thing we can do to improve immune response is to get vaccinated,” says Charles Bangham, a professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Imperial College London.…

Researchers in Germany have found that a one-hour walk in nature reduces
stress-related brain activity.

The amygdala is the brain region involved in stress processing. It has been shown to be less activated in people who live in rural areas, compared to those who live in cities, hinting at the potential benefits of nature.

Nature Walks Are Good For Your Brain

However, no study so far has examined the causal effects of natural and urban environments on stress-related brain mechanisms.

"But so far the hen-and-egg problem could not be disentangled, namely whether nature actually caused the effects in the brain or whether the particular individuals chose to live in rural or urban regions," says Sonja Sudimac, predoctoral fellow in the Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience (LMGEN) and lead author of the study.

To address this question, researchers from LMGEN examined brain activity in regions involved in stress processing in 63 healthy volunteers before and after a one-hour walk in Berlin's Grunewald Forest and a busy city street using functional magnetic resonance imaging.

The results of the study revealed that activity in the amygdala decreased after the walk in nature, suggesting that nature elicits beneficial effects on brain regions related to stress.…