Why Reproductive Health is Important at EVERY Age!

If you’re a woman of childbearing age or a man of a responsible age to sire a child, then it’s important that you take care of your reproductive system in order to avoid fibroids and cysts (for women), as well as low sperm count and sexual impotence (for men).

If you’re an older woman or an older man, you also need to take good care of your reproductive system in order to especially avoid ovarian and breast cancer (in women) or prostate enlargement and prostate cancer (in men).

And as simple as it may seem, your diet has a significant impact on your female or male reproductive system and its overall health at every stage of your life.

Some of the key diseases linked to poor reproductive system health include:

Dysmenorrhea (painful periods) , Fibroids, Cysts, Sexual impotence, Prostatic Adenoma (enlarged prostate), Prostate Cancer, Breast Cancer

The best thing about all this, though, is that YOU have the power to improve and maintain the health of your reproductive system just by paying attention to what you eat and making better food choices.

Here are five(5) superfoods that are great for YOUR reproductive system health:

1. Tomatoes (preferably ripe): Contain lycopene, which causes cells to reproduce in an orderly manner, as well as significant amounts of Vitamins A & C, Folate and Potassium.

2. Mung Bean (Green Soy):  Rich in protein, Vitamins B1, B2, B6, calcium, phosphorous, iron & magnesium.

3. Soybeans: Contain two (2) anticarcinogens (prevents cancer) – Isoflavones and Saponins.

4. Adzuki:  Rich in protein, Vitamins B1, B2, B6, calcium, phosphorous, iron & magnesium.

5. Feijoa (if you can’t get Feijoa you can try Guava which is a family food to it): Rich in Vitamin C, contains fibre, folate and potassium and is particularly good during pregnancy, for goiters (goitres) and constipation.

 

You should also check out these 3 Best Kept Secrets about ‘Foods and Their Healing Power’ for some amazingly simply food facts to a healthier you.

Information Source: “Encyclopedia of Foods & Their Healing Power”

Image Credit: GreenFlames09/flickr.com

 

 

Why You Should Really ‘Eat Your Greens’!

According to Aine McAteer on Oprah.com, “Greens are powerful antioxidants, which are known to protect the body from damage from toxins in the environment and the foods we eat. Antioxidants neutralize these toxins and clear them from the body.”

That’s not all they do, though. In her article titled, ‘Embracing all things Green‘, she provides a short summary of 5 other amazing things that green vegetables do for our bodies that will leave you embracing your green vegetables for real.

She’s not the only one talking about ‘The Power of Green Foods’, as you’ll see from this fitday.com article and the ‘Eat Your Greens‘ video below.

And in order to show you just how easy, delicious and rewarding having your green vegetables daily can be, why not check out my Naturally Sweet Cole Slaw Vegetable Salad Recipe which I LOVE preparing and eating, knowing that I am enjoying my greens while benefiting from all the good and healthy things they provide and do for my body.

 

Mental Tip – MENTAL ILLNESS, MENTAL HEALTH & WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY

Is mental illness a fact or fiction?

Do you have control over your mental health?

Are you or someone you know who suffers from mental illness in denial?

One of the best and most effective ways to treat with mental illness is to make yourself aware of it. World Mental Health Day was celebrated on October 10, 2012 and this year’s theme was “Depression: A Global Crisis.” Are you suffering from depression? You may be surprised by the findings! Take the Depression Quizz in this article, learn the signs of depression and see if you or someone you know is suffering from depression. “To ignore the evidence, and hope that it cannot be true, is more an evidence of mental illness (William Blasé).”

Through ignorance many people have, knowingly or unknowingly, hurt and in some instances destroyed the lives of persons with mental illness and their families. And educational level was no filter against stigma and discrimination. In fact, one of the most surprising global discoveries made by the World Heath Organization (WHO) is that stigma against persons with mental illness was higher in urban areas and among people with higher levels of education. Surprising, huh!! So please educate yourself about mental illness, become a part of the solution and help end the stigma against persons with mental illness. Remember, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step ( Lao Tzu).”

For additional quick tips, information and resources for your total health and well-being visit, MPSE Health or check here for blog posts from previous weeks.

Mental Tip – AVOID NEGATIVE PEOPLE

Very few people realize how the people they associate with can positively or negatively affect their health. If you’ve ever been around a motivational speaker, for example, have you noticed how after listening to that person you feel as though you can conquer the world? On the other hand, if you’ve had occasion to be in the company of a negative person, you might remember how tired you felt around that person. That tiredness you felt was physical manifestation of the negative energy that person was transmitting to you.

At various stages in your life, you will meet negative people. Recognizing the behaviour of a negative person, realizing it for what it is and learning to manage or deal with negative people – at work, at home, on a committee, in your church – will help you maintain your inner peace and preserve your health.

Your mind and body operate very much like a computer system; Garbage In, Garbage Out (GIGO). If you eat the right foods and exercise regularly, you will look and feel good physically and mentally. If you keep company with positive individuals you are more likely to experience positive emotions and have a positive outlook on life. This does not mean that you will not have challenges and disappointments in life. What it does mean, is that you will handle or confront those challenges and disappointments in a positive manner that will allow you to make good of the challenge or disappointment.

Here are 5 Effective Tips to Deal With Negative People.

Spiritual Tip – MAKE TIME FOR GOD.

Dedicate 30 minutes to God each day in prayer and thanksgiving. Everyday we are blessed with 1440 minutes to live our lives as we please. 30 minutes only amount to a mere 2% of our entire day. God, the giver of life, deserves some of our day.

Life can be challenging and so we often have many wants, needs and aspirations. Make sure that while you ask God for your wants and needs, you also make time for two (2) important things:

1. Praise God for who He is.
During this time of praise and worship, do not ask God for anything. Just praise Him for being your God. This is the equivalent of saying to God, “…hallowed be your name”. Think of it this way. We do not like friends who always want something when they see us. We want friends who would just like us for who we are and appreciate spending time in our company without asking or needing anything. Well God didn’t tell me this (smile) but I am sure He also would like us to just spend time with Him not seeking anything for ourselves.

2. Thank Him for your daily blessings.
“You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.” — G. K. Chesterton

I guess the point that G.K. Chesterton is making is that we need to be thankful for both the small and the big things in our lives. Why? Consider this. Suppose you didn’t have feet? Well you wouldn’t be able to dance, much less walk. So giving thanks before walking isn’t that weird. Is it? Suppose you didn’t have hands? Well you wouldn’t be able to swim or fence or sketch etcetera. So again, giving thanks for being able to do all those things is quite fitting, enables you to develop a grateful spirit and opens you up to receive even more from the universe.

For additional information on how you can improve your overall health visit http://www.mental-physical-spiritual-health.com

Physical Tip – FOODS for YOUR URINARY SYSTEM

Foods for the URINARY TRACT:
Eggplant, Canteloupe, Celery, Watermelon, Melon, Cranberry, Hazelnut, Blueberry, Asparagus.  And your daily 8 glasses of water.

The kidneys are primarily responsible for filtering and eliminating toxins and waste from the body.  When your kidneys fail, however, harmful toxins and wastes build up in your body. Dialysis is the treatment used to replace the work of your failed kidneys.  It is a tedious and fatiguing treatment, which requires you to visit a dialysis center three (3) times a week for 3 to 5 or more hours each visit. DON’T LET YOUR KIDNEYS FAIL YOU!!!

What is the Urinary Tract (System)
“The Urinary System or urinary tract (also called the excretory system) is the organ system that produces, stores, and eliminates urine. In humans it includes two (2) kidneys, two ureters, the bladder and the urethra. (Wikipedia)”

Urinary Tract (System) diseases you can PREVENT:
1. Urinary Tract Infection
2. Kidney Stones
3. Prostatitis (swelling of the prostate gland; unique to MEN)
4. Kidney Failure
5. Bladder Cancer

 

For additional information on how you can improve your overall health visit MPSE Health and for delicious recipes, great gift ideas, book & product reviews, as well as inspirational Catholic & Christian articles visit the Catholic Contributor.

Mental-Emotional Tip – CONTENTMENT!

Contentment

In the natural ebb and flow of life and living, there are high points and low points, seasons of plenty and seasons of scarcity. Happiness is not derived from the abundance, number or type of material things we have.

Contentment is the ability to be happy in both the sparse and abundant seasons of our lives and it is not dependent on our circumstances.  We need to develop this spirit of contentment in order to positively contribute to our overall health, happiness and well-being.

Let this truly inspirational video by Joyce Meyer on Contentment be a blessing to you!

 

 

For more self-help tips on how you can improve your overall health, delicious recipes, personal book & product reviews and Catholic & Christian articles visit the Catholic Contributor or MPSE Health