5 Surprising Hacks That Help You Lose Weight

If losing weight is one of your New Year's resolutions, these five surprising tricks may help.

Installing a mirror in your kitchen or dining room could help you lose weight, according to a study published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research.

Food psychologists claim that literally watching what you eat is but one of many small changes that can prevent you from piling on the pounds. And, as we fight to lose the extra weight we gained over the Christmas period, surely every little helps.

So what other home hacks could help us get trim for 2016? Read more

5 Ways the Moon May Affect Your Health

You may not believe that the moon has magical powers, but Jordan Davidson says that the moon can impact your health in five ways.

It can seem like weird things tend to happen during a full moon—just ask any labor and delivery nurse, psychiatric hospital worker, or teacher with 25 first-graders testing her patience. Anecdotes abound about the ways that lunar cycles affect everything from births to road rage to crime. (Check out how your birth month affects your mood.)

But what does science have to say about the moon's so-called magical powers? Could it really be responsible for the way we act and feel? We looked at studies and asked the experts and concluded that the answer is a resounding "maybe." Read more

10 Ways to Naturally Remove Plaque and Tartar from Teeth

Good dental care is necessary if you want to keep your teeth for your entire life, but it doesn't necessarily need to be done by a dentist. Instead, you can use one or more of these ten ways to naturally remove plaque and tartar from your teeth.

Plaque is a sticky, soft film of bacteria that builds up on your teeth, dental fillings, gums, tongue, dentures and crowns.

When multiple layers of plaque combine with minerals present in your saliva, it hardens into a white, chalky calcified substance called tartar.\

It create a breeding ground for the oral bacteria that feed on sugars from the food you eat. Plus, it forms acid during this process that breaks down the tooth enamel, leading to dental cavities. Bacteria also produce toxins causing various periodontal (gum) problems.

Several factors contribute to plaque buildup, such as improper oral hygiene, bad brushing technique, poor food choices, heredity and lack of professional care. Read more

How to Beat a Cold with Homemade Elderberry Elixir

Lisa M. Rose shares a recipe for elderberry elixir that you can use to treat winter colds.

It’s 4 a.m. You wake up, chilled and feverish. In denial, you toss and turn, hoping that you haven’t caught that cold going around the office. Instead of ignoring the symptoms, reach for this homemade elderberry elixir. Medical research has shown that taking an elderberry-based tincture within the first 48 hours of a virus’ onset can shorten the duration of symptoms by as much as four days. Keep a stockpile of this syrup on hand for whenever illness strikes. It tastes way better than the cherry-flavored stuff, it’s all natural, and in under an hour you can make a batch large enough to keep you and your family healthy all winter long. Or if you’re too sick to make a bottle, there are store-bought versions like Urban Moonshine’s Herbal Immune Zoom that are quite nice, too. Read more

Horror Movie Health Warning: They Really Do Curdle Your Blood

Horror movies really do curdle your blood. A Dutch study has found that watching a scary movie lifts the level of protein factor VIII, which contributes to blood clotting.

The “bloodcurdling” horror film has long been an advertising staple in the movie industry, alerting fans to the most gruesome Hollywood releases. And now, thanks to a group of enterprising if tongue-in-cheek researchers, the effect has been proven as a medical reality. Read more

7 Natural Remedies for Respiratory Problems

When you have respiratory problems, these seven herbs and plants can soothe the lungs and heal respiratory infections.

Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician, was right when he pronounced, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” This has been confirmed by decades of research showing the healing power of food, as well as, inversely, its potential to cause some serious health problems. So many diseases, as well as the exponential rise in chronic disease in recent decades, can be linked to our eating habits today.

We live in a world full of pesticides, antibiotic-laced meats, and processed foods that are manufactured to be addicting. On top of this, the birth and rise of chemical-based medicine has completely wiped out natural remedies that seem to be more effective. Chemical-based medicine, according to many, is also responsible for the massive rise in various diseases. Read more

3 Ways to Make Your Own Deodorant

If you want to give your underarms some attention while avoiding chemicals, try these three recipes for making your own deodorant.

Antiperspirants often rely on aluminum compounds, known to cause neurological problems, to swell your sweat glands shut. But the thing is: Sweat itself does not smell. Body odor comes from the bacteria that feast on your sweat; inhibit the bacteria, and you will stay shower-fresh all day. Most people don’t perspire all that much during routine activities.

Health-food stores sell an assortment of Natural Deodorants That Actually Work. You’ll see they often contain baking soda, tea tree or other natural essential oils, or potassium alum, an aluminum salt that doesn’t have the same health effects as the aluminum compounds, such as aluminum chloride, used in conventional antiperspirants, according to the Environmental Working Group. All are quite effective natural bacteria inhibitors, and the oils add a pleasant—and safe—aroma (unlike synthetic fragrance). It doesn’t get any more natural, though, when you can make your own at home. Here are three recipes to try for yourself! Read more

The Wonders of Ginseng

Jerimiah Johnson says that ginseng has many therapeutic properties.

ReadyNutrition Readers, this installment is going to focus on the wonders of Ginseng as a natural food supplement that can serve you in a plethora of extraordinary capacities.  To make it a part of your diet is to give yourself an arsenal of weapons usable against a variety of ailments.  We’re going to give you the basics on its physical properties and manifold uses.  As with all things, prior to using Ginseng consult with your family physician.  He or she will determine if its use is contraindicated for you according to any prescription medications or any condition he or she has diagnosed you with previously.

Ginseng has several species that hold these incredible benefits.  Panax ginseng is the species that most are familiar with.  This species is found in Europe and Asia, especially in Russia and Korea.  The supplements are labeled as either Siberian Panax ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) or Korean Panax Ginseng respectively.  There are minor differences as per the offshoots mentioned: strength of concentrations, chemical compositions, and growing season parameters. Read more

How Broccoli Can Fight Cancer

A compound in broccoli "halts the growth of colon and prostate cancer cells - AND makes treatment more effective," according to a new study.

Children and adults alike are encouraged to eat their greens, with five-a-day considered the dietary gold standard.

The list of benefits from eating fruit and vegetables is endless.

But now, a team of scientists have added weight to the argument of making broccoli among your five-a-day.

They found a compound in the green vegetable not only helps prevent cancer, it can also help treat the disease.

Sulforaphane, which is also found in other cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts, was found to inhibit the development of colon and prostate cancer cells. Read more

3 Artificial Chemicals That Are Making Us Fat

Michael Ravensthorpe examines three artificial chemical that are making us fat.

In 2006, Felix Grun and Bruce Blumberg, two developmental biologists at the University of California, Irvine, published a research paper about artificial chemicals known to contribute towards obesity. These chemicals, which the researchers named “obesogens,” are foreign compounds that compromise the balance and development of lipid metabolism, often by disrupting endocrine function.

Since 2006, peer-reviewed studies have identified approximately 20 substances as obesogens. Worse still, at least three of these substances are commonly found in the average American household. How many of the following obesogens are you aware of? Read more