Monday, May 22, 2017

便秘 Constipation

每日排便一次身體最健康。如果便秘,食物停留體內時間變得太長,它們會腐爛和帶有毒性,導致消化不良口氣等等不良反應。偶然便秘怎麼辦?
吃蔬菜和全穀物
盡量多食蔬菜和全穀物,確保能攝取足夠纖維加速腸道蠕動!
保持水分
飲足夠水能保持身體濕潤。盡量避免汽水和其他帶糖飲品,因為這些飲品或會令便秘情況惡化。綠茶具有輕瀉效果,值得一試。身邊常備一杯清水,經常檢查嘴和嘴唇。如果乾了,即說明你脫水了,是時候補充水分。
天然補充劑
有幾種天然補充劑具有輕瀉作用,能有效緩解便秘症狀:

礦物鎂幫助將水分吸入你的腸道,讓大便鬆軟,去得暢順。需要時每日最多可攝取800毫克礦物鎂,便秘問題迅速解決。你也可以每日補充200-400毫克,腸胃更健康。
維他命C
服用500毫克或以上維他命C 同樣具有輕瀉作用。如果服用超過2000毫克,建議使用緩衝型維他命C。
泛酸(維他命B5)
每日1至3次,每次服用500毫克 泛酸能直接刺激腸道功能,解決便秘煩惱。泛酸也對肌膚有保濕作用,女士們立即體現一下吧!

It is healthy to have at least one bowel movement daily. If the food you consumed stays in your body for too long, it would be rotten and toxic. So what can you do if you come across constipation?

Eat veggies and whole grains.
If you are eating too little fiber, eat more veggies and whole grains. Start the day with a bowl of whole-grain cereal. 

Stay hydrated. 
Unless you want to try pushing out hard little rocks, you want to stay well hydrated. Sodas and sugar will make the problem worse. Tea works and has a mild laxative effect to boot. Keep a glass of water on hand and check in with your mouth and lips every so often. If they are dry, you’re dehydrated and it's time to drink.

Recommended Supplements
For symptomatic relief, there are several natural laxatives that are healthy.

Magnesium 
The mineral magnesium draws water into your bowel, helping to loosen the stool. You can take up to 800 milligrams (mg) a day for a few days here and there. Most likely your constipation problem will be solved.  You can also take 200-400 mg every day  and your whole body will feel better.

Vitamin C 
In doses over 500 mg, vitamin C can have a laxative effect. If taking over 2,000 mg a day, use a buffered vitamin C.

Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)
Pantothenic acid 500 mg 1-3x day directly stimulates bowel function. Pantothenic acid has moisturizing effects on the skin as well.  Ladies you want to try?

Sunday, May 14, 2017

指甲外觀變化告訴我們什麼? What Are Your Fingernails Trying to Tell You

指甲的外觀變化可能有很多原因:
顏色和紋理變化
白色/淺淡色指甲可能暗示你有貧血。
指甲上有白點可能與缺乏礦物質鋅或其他營養有關。
指甲白色也可能與肝臟疾病相關。
指甲變黃可能是呼吸系統不暢順或指甲受到真菌感染所致。
指甲變厚或畸形表示可能有真菌感染,即俗稱的“香港手/香港腳”。
指甲上有平衡溝槽或線條,可能暗示疾病已經破壞了指甲生長 - 這通常由糖尿病、循環系統疾病、營養不良或高燒引起。
指甲點蝕(有很多下陷的小點)可能與牛皮癬有關。
指甲彎曲到甲床裡,變成杯子形狀,即所謂“茶匙指甲”,這表明缺鐵性貧血。

一些簡單解救法:
指甲脆弱或裂開:
服用優質多種維他命補充劑。如果需要,可添加額外的生物素(每天250-1,000 mcg)和鈣質。
指甲真菌感染:
早晚在你的指甲上塗抹茶樹油,堅持一個月或以上。茶樹油是天然抗真菌藥,效果顯著。

Changes in the appearance of fingernails can mean many things. The following are some nail changes which may be associated with different illnesses.

Color and texture changes:
White/pale nail bed can indicate anemia.
White dots or marks on the nails can indicate zinc or other nutritional deficiencies.
White nails can indicate liver disease.
Yellow nails can indicate respiratory or nail fungal infection or any illness that slows nail growth.
Thick or misshapen nails can indicate a fungus, similar to "athlete's foot."
Horizontal grooves or lines across the nail can indicate Illness has disrupted nail growth — usually caused by diabetes, circulatory disease, malnutrition or high fever.
Pitting can indicate psoriasis.
"Spoon nails" that curve into the nail bed and make a small cup or depression can indicate iron deficiency anemia.


Treatment
Weak or Splitting Nails
Get outstanding overall nutritional support with a good powdered multivitamin. If needed, add extra biotin (250-1,000 mcg a day) and calcium.

Nail Fungal Infections
Rub tea tree oil on your fingernails morning and night. Tea tree oil is a natural antifungal. 

Friday, May 12, 2017

認識腎結石 Get To Know Kidney Stones

腎結石是最常見的尿道疾病之一。

腎結石如何形成?
腎結石或由疾病、感染或礦物質代謝或排泄困難所引致,通常在腎臟或尿道相關部位形成小石塊。
腎石大多數由草酸鹽形成。

當腎石侵入腎臟組織時,尿液中會出現血液。而當輸尿管(尿液從腎臟傳遞到膀胱的管道)被腎石阻塞時,病人經常會感受到下腹部和腹股溝劇烈疼痛。

腎結石的其他並發症可能包括尿流阻塞,持續性腎臟感染和持續性腎臟組織損傷,嚴重者甚至導致喪失腎功能。不過,大多數腎石會經尿液排出體外,但情況嚴重時謹記要馬上就醫!

冷知識:腎結石是遺傳性的嗎?
腎結石傾向於家族遺傳,五名患者中有四名是男性,患者年齡介乎20至30歲之間。認識腎結石(二)如何預防腎結石?

預防腎結石的常規治療包括限鈣飲食(富爭議性)和使用利尿藥,與及服用能減緩尿酸形成的藥物。腎結石也可以手術切除,並能透過無創技術使用狹窄的聚焦聲波衝擊波來打散和分解結石。

一些營養補充劑也有助舒緩(特別是預防)腎石症狀,其中比較有用的補充劑包括鎂、維他命B6、鉀和檸檬酸鹽。

多飲水是良方
每日多飲清水能幫助清洗體內可能形成腎石的晶體。 一項研究顯示,60%的腎結石患者,透過大量飲水,能有效消除腎石或控制腎石形成。



Kidney stones are one of the most common urinary tract disorders.

How Kidney Stones Form
Stones commonly form in kidneys or related parts of the urinary tract as a result of disease, infections, or difficulties with mineral metabolism or excretion.

Most stones are formed from oxalate.

When a stone erodes tissue, blood appears in the urine. When one lodges in the ureters (the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder), severe pain—very severe pain—in the lower abdomen and groin results.

Other complications may include obstruction to urine flow, persistent kidney infections, and progressive tissue damage with loss of kidney function. Most stones are passed in the urine, but others require medical treatment.

Are Kidney Stones Hereditary?
Kidney stones tend to run in families, and four of five patients are male, usually between the ages of 20 and 30.

How Do You Prevent Kidney Stones?
Conventional medical treatment to prevent kidney stones may include dietary calcium restriction (although this is controversial), diuretics, and sometimes pharmaceuticals to slow uric acid formation.

Kidney stones can also be removed surgically, while a noninvasive technique uses narrowly focused acoustic shock waves to break up stones.

Complementary and alternative medical treatment of kidney stones (particularly prevention) may involve the use of certain dietary supplements, including magnesium, vitamin B6, potassium, and citrates.

Magnesium & Vitamin B6
Both magnesium and vitamin B6 are used by the body to convert oxalate into other substances. Consequently, it should come as no surprise that a B6 deficiency can lead to an increase in kidney stones, relating to elevated urinary oxalate.

This doesn’t mean that you need to be vitamin B6-deficient in order to benefit from supplementation. Research shows a reduction in elevated urinary oxalate following supplementation in some people who are not necessarily B6-deficient. Many studies demonstrate that supplementing with magnesium and/or vitamin B6 significantly lowers the risk of forming kidney stones, and even helps reduce the incidence of recurrences.

Suggestions for doses of magnesium and vitamin B6 in the treatment of kidney stones vary. Common recommendations include 200 to 400 mg of magnesium daily. Magnesium citrate may be the best form, since citrate itself reduces kidney stone recurrences. Take magnesium with meals.

Recommendations for vitamin B6 range from as low as 10 to 50 mg to as high as 1,000 mg daily for those with elevated urinary oxalate. At the higher level, supplementation should be monitored by a physician.

Potassium
Potassium reduces urinary calcium excretion, which is important since increased levels of urinary calcium also add to the risk of kidney stones. Those who eat high amounts of dietary potassium appear to be at low risk of forming kidney stones. Fortunately, most Americans get plenty of potassium in their diet, but if a healthcare provider recommends potassium, the citrate form—as with magnesium—may be best.

Citrates
Citric acid is a natural substance found in citrus fruit. Research suggests that citric acid in the form of mineral citrates (a mineral combined with citric acid) may protect against kidney stone formation.

If you suspect you have kidney stones, see a doctor immediately. If, on the other hand, you want to prevent the recurrence of kidney stones, any of these dietary supplements may be useful and are advisable.

Calcium Confusion
Although most kidney stones are caused by calcium oxalate, calcium is still important to prevent osteoporosis, especially in women. Furthermore, low dietary levels of calcium have been shown to increase the risk of getting kidney stones since there’s less calcium available to bind with oxalates.

In fact, research shows that dietary calcium actually helps prevent kidney stones. At the same time, calcium supplements have not proved protective against kidney stone formation, perhaps because they were not taken with meals to prevent oxalate absorption.

If you have a family history of kidney stones, take calcium supplements with meals. Those with a personal history of stones should only take calcium supplements on the advice of a healthcare professional.


Drink Up
An important measure for helping to wash out formed crystals that may form stones is a high fluid intake. In one study, a high fluid intake and elimination of “dietary excesses” controlled stone formation in 60 percent of patients with kidney stones. But what you drink is as important as how much liquid you consume. Grapefruit juice increases the risk, while both coffee and tea may decrease it. Cola drinks are implicated as a possible kidney stone culprit as well.

扯鼻鼾 Snoring

當喉嚨組織在放鬆狀態下開始振動並在睡眠中發出聲音時,就會扯鼻鼾。如果扯鼻鼾情況嚴重,則可能導致失眠、破壞睡眠質素並引起煩躁。 幸而有許多簡單有效的天然補救措施可以舒緩這問題。 胡蘆巴 胡蘆巴是一種很好的天然療法,可防止因消化問題引起的扯鼻鼾。胡蘆巴對睡眠呼吸暫停也有效。 維他命C...