INSAF

  15 share It’s a topic of conversation that many people aren’t keen on; however, it’s a very important bodily function.   Mucus   (also known as snot, phlegm and boogers) works as a lubricant, so to speak, for the body. The mouth, noise,   sinuses , lungs, gastrointestinal (GI) tract and the throat all contain tissues that produce mucus. The mucus that these tissues create actually work to protect the surfaces of these parts of the body, thus preventing the tissues underneath them from becoming dried out. Mucus also works to prevent the body from becoming infected with viruses, bacteria and other germs. When something enters the body that shouldn’t with the intention of making an individual sick, the mucus traps the foreign pathogen, preventing it from entering the body and infiltrating the   immune system . In other words, mucus prevents illnesses. Believe it or not, that gross, gooey and green stuff which seems to be prod...

Probiotics are live bacteria and eating or drinking them can have a profound beneficial effect on your health. Before you say "ewww," let's look at the science and why the right bacteria is essential for our well-being. The human gastrointestinal (GI) tract is filled with millions of microbes known as microbiota. Your microbiota is specific only to you and was started at birth when you acquired the bacteria from your mother. Over the years it continued to evolve depending upon your gender, geography, health and diet. If you took antibiotics, it probably knocked out your good intestinal microbial environment for at least a month. Some strong antibiotics affect the gut for up to four years. Probiotics are bacteria found in foods and a number of digestive illnesses are helped by taking them. They prevent the growth of bad bacteria, they lower intestinal pH (thereby preventing bad bacterial growth), and they increase the production of mucin, which acts as a blockade and...

Simple and innovative ways to stay fit with home exercise. Nice video. " https://www.mylifestages.org/videos/Video_Player.page?bctid=1152233777001&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=May2015 "

It is estimated that 10 million Americans have osteoporosis. 80% of these are women. About one in two women over 50 years of age will suffer an osteoporotic fracture in her lifetime. Those are staggering numbers considering that the disease can be dramatically slowed if not prevented altogether. Diana Antoniucci, M.D. opens new window   of Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation shares these important facts, below.   In women, osteoporosis commonly starts after menopause. Estrogen helps maintain good bone density. But as estrogen levels drop after menopause, bone breakdown increases, contributing to the development of osteoporosis.   Simply put, osteoporosis is the weakening of bone due to a decrease in bone density. Although any bone can be affected by the disease, the spine and hips are the greatest concern because fractures of either of these can lead to significant pain, temporary or permanent disability, and decreased function. This is why preventing osteoporosis ...

Courtesy: Harvard Health Letter POSTED APRIL 22, 2015, 4:35 PM Heidi Godman ,   Executive Editor,   Harvard Health Letter One morning not long ago, my teenage daughter started to black out. After an ambulance ride to our local hospital’s emergency department, an electrocardiogram, and some bloodwork, she was sent home with a follow-up doctor appointment. We got the good news that Alexa is perfectly healthy, but should avoid getting too hungry or thirsty so she doesn’t faint again. And I’m feeling lucky that she didn’t need to be hospitalized, because a   research letter in this week’s   JAMA Internal Medicine   points out that hospitalization for low-risk fainting can do more harm than good. Doctors use something called the   San Francisco Syncope Rule   to identify individuals who are at low risk for serious short-term problems after fainting and who don’t need to be hospitalized. Yet up to one-third of fainters at low risk are still hospi...

A desire to stay active and a natural aversion to pain send nearly 800,000 Americans to orthopedic surgeons each year for a hip or knee replacement. And we're seeking these operations much earlier in life. According to Dr. Scott Martin, associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School, this isn't a healthy trend. "A lot of joint replacements are being done because they can be," says Dr. Martin. Every surgical procedure carries the risk of complications — or even death. Because the average joint that's replaced only lasts 10 to 15 years, having the procedure done at age 50 instead of 70 means there's a good chance you'll need. a second procedure when you're older and at higher risk for complications. Here are four tips that can help you extend the life of your natural joints and keep the need for replacement in the very distant future. Tip #1: Lose weight One of the most important ways to care for your joints is to stay at...

No one is "perfect." Yet many people struggle to be, which can trigger a cascade of anxieties. Perfectionism may be a strong suit or a stumbling block, depending on how it's channeled, as clinical psychologist Jeff Szymanski explains. Dr. Szymanski is the associate instructor of psychology at Harvard Medical School and executive director of the International OCD Foundation. "The core of all perfectionism is the intention to do something well," says Dr. Szymanski. "If you can keep your eye on intention and desired outcome, adjusting your strategy when needed, you're fine.... But when you can't tolerate making a mistake, when your strategy is to make no mistakes, that's when perfectionism starts veering off in the wrong direction." In its most severe form, perfectionism can leave you unable to complete any task for fear of making a mistake. To help you prioritize the projects and activities that mean the most to you and keep your pe...