<p>New Year's resolutions are a testimony to an unrelenting desire to be better. While many of us wish for improvements, only 40 to 45 percent of Americans write down intentions to actualize positive changes in their lives. Studies show those who do are ten times more likely to achieve their goals than those who only dream. As popular as resolutions are, many of them get dropped like the Times Square ball before the confetti is swept away. Understanding how to create and keep healthy resolutions can make success easier and, in the process, you can cultivate conviction to benefit your body and mind.</p> <h2>1. New Year's Resolution Success Rates</h2> <p>Adults who make at least one resolution each year most commonly aspire to health management goals such as losing weight, starting or increasing exercise, and stopping tobacco use. This data shows how many stick to this personal goal as the year goes on:</p> <ul> <li>after one week: 75 percent,</li> <li>two weeks: 71 percent,</li> <li>one month: 64 percent, and</li> <li>six months: 46 percent.<strong><strong> </strong></strong></li> </ul> <p>Research indicates less than half of those who set New Year's goals continue to maintain them past the end of June. This minority discovers and implements ways to succeed at setting and attaining their goals. They prove that it is possible to overcome challenges, setbacks, and apathy to make long-lasting changes for better health.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/1053953266-1024x680.jpg" alt="success rates New Year's resolutions" width="1024" height="680" /><span class="image-caption">Cn0ra / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>2. The Comfort of "Now"</h2> <p>Perhaps the most formidable enemy of successful resolutions is our inclination toward inertia. It is often difficult for us to push for changes because a part of us is so accustomed to where we are at present, even if where we are is not ideal. The changes we want to experience may feel abstract and require shaking up our routines for an uncertain outcome. With resolutions, the desire for improvement has to motivate us more than the pleasure or ease of the moment. We must be willing to forfeit the comfort of "now" to reach toward a new way of living.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/485924412-1024x680.jpg" alt="how to make and keep New Year's resolutions" width="1024" height="680" /><span class="image-caption">stanciuc / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>3. High Hopes or False Hopes</h2> <p>Setting too many or unrealistic resolutions can be a setup for failure. Any lifestyle adjustment requires time, energy and emotional strength; attempting to channel your inner resources into multiple changes simultaneously is likely to exhaust rather than inspire you. Impractical expectations regarding the time and resource requirements, as well as the consequences of change -- known as false hope syndrome -- can also derail the best of intentions.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/529176249-1024x681.jpg" alt="New Year's resolutions" width="1024" height="681" /><span class="image-caption">maya13 / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>4. Doctors' Resolution Suggestions</h2> <p>Can't decide on a resolution? The American Medical Association released a list of resolutions that could help us make significant improvements to our health. This group of physicians encourages Americans to:<strong><strong> </strong></strong></p> <ul> <li>increase physical activity,</li> <li>understand your blood pressure readings,</li> <li>learn about your type 2 diabetes risk,</li> <li>cut back on processed foods,</li> <li>take medications exactly as prescribed and do not share them,</li> <li>nix nicotine and tobacco,</li> <li>drink alcohol moderately or not at all, and</li> <li>manage stress.</li> </ul> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/143919905-1024x683.jpg" alt="New Year's resolutions diet" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">kupicoo / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>5. Make SMART Resolutions</h2> <p>Undertaking positive changes for your health begins with how you think. The first step -- which has probably led you to this article -- is acknowledging that you want or need to treat your body differently. Next, you will want to set clearly defined resolutions. Turn your hopes into tangible SMART strategies: ones that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound. Vague resolutions lead to vague results. For instance, cutting back on refined carbs is a commendable goal, but it is not SMART. Replacing sugary drinks with water for one month is unambiguous, observable, doable, practical, and time-oriented. Linking your resolution to a goal, such as normal blood sugar levels, may further motivate you.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/962953374-1024x423.jpg" alt="SMART New Year's resolutions" width="1024" height="423" /><span class="image-caption">valentinrussanov / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>6. Take It Easy</h2> <p>Minor, incremental adjustments are more likely to lead to sustained progress than drastic dietary and lifestyle overhauls. Twenty minutes of walking in place daily is more practical for a beginner to commit to than one hour of intense Zumba three times a week. The victory you achieve with meeting small goals can spur you on to reach for bigger ones. Little steps are also less likely to cause injury, keeping you physically capable to keep achieving, and they make it easier to gauge what works or does not work for you.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/504366959-1024x684.jpg" alt="health New Year's resolutions" width="1024" height="684" /><span class="image-caption">PeopleImages / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>7. Rally Support</h2> <p>Make family and friends aware of your resolutions for better health. Those who truly care about you will encourage you to avoid temptations and hold you accountable. If you need a wider community, social media lets you connect with groups of people who have committed to a healthier lifestyle. Emotional support is a powerful motivation to keep going.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/07/897892972-1024x683.jpg" alt="healthy New Year's resolutions" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">FatCamera / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>8. Be Flexible</h2> <p>A hard-line ultimatum to break long-held habits may not hold up long. Replacing unhealthful habits with new ones takes time, and you may lapse. Every day -- even every hour -- is a chance to begin anew, to continue toward better health or get back on track if you have skipped a day at the gym or snuck a few cookies. Any time of the year is ideal for enhancing your well-being, so it is never too late to get started or start again.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/882354068-1024x683.jpg" alt="flexible New Year's resolutions" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">AleksandarNakic / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>9. Discover Your "Why"</h2> <p>Knowing the reasons behind your goals is as important as the goals themselves. Ask yourself why your health resolutions matter to you. Do you want to lose weight to have knee surgery? Do you want to exercise to fit into a special outfit? Remembering your "why" will help keep you encouraged to stay the course to healthier living.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/1048005776-1024x683.jpg" alt="why New Year's resolutions" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">marekuliasz / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>10. Enjoy Your Journey</h2> <p>Healthy living is a continuous goal. Pursuing and maintaining wellness should reduce, not add, stress to your life. When we enjoy something, we tend to apply ourselves more fully and experience a higher level of fulfillment. Take pride in knowing that you are creating a richer life for yourself and those close to you. Do whatever you need to make the journey fun, whether it's sharing your progress online, choosing hiking over the treadmill, or planning celebrations when you reach your milestones.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/904172104-1024x662.jpg" alt="New Year's resolutions" width="1024" height="662" /><span class="image-caption">pixdeluxe / Getty Images</span></p>

Wellness is associated with your lifestyle. Wellness depends on many factors, such as proper weight control, good nutrition, avoiding risk factors such as alcohol abuse and smoking and exercise. People who manage their lifestyle are more productive, healthier and have fewer workplace absences.

Since lifestyle is the leading factor determining your general health, it is important to set healthy goals and have control over your life. The choices you make have a huge influence on your wellness; therefore consistent self-care is vital. While medicine can cure the disease, the wellness lifestyle encourages you to take responsibility for your life.

Wellness is not an absence of diseases. It is an approach developed to achieve the balance between social and emotional functioning. Wellness is a process through which you start making choices towards a healthier lifestyle.

Wellness is a positive approach to life, which emphasizes the importance of the mind and spirit. A wellness-oriented lifestyle means that everything you feel, say and do has an impact on your health.

Lifestyle

The lifestyle category is the intersection between life, technology, and DIY. Here you can expect to find recommendations on the best gadgets to give as gifts for under $49.99. What's a better way to say "I care about you" than giving your friend a Crash Safe survival tool?

Or maybe you want to splurge on yourself? You can learn about what tech products are going viral in America right now. Take the Google Wifi system that covers your whole home in the most secure and unwavering wifi, for example. Because you'll find that this is one gift you'll never want to give away.

Alternatively, you can check out articles on how to save money through savvy DIYs that actually apply to your busy life. Forget macrame and macaroni art, learn how to prevent thousands of dollars in car repairs. Information like this is bound to make you happy. Just probably not your mechanic.

Wellness

Creating Healthy New Year's Resolutions and Keeping Them

Using aerial silks is no longer confined to mesmerizing circus acts; studios now offer this beautiful art as an increasingly popular way to work out.

<p>When you see acrobats gracefully float on fabric, you are watching a performance incorporating aerial silks. This art form is also called aerial ribbons or tissues and aerial contortion. Using aerial silks is not confined to mesmerizing circus acts anymore; dance studios and fitness centers teach silks training as an increasingly popular way to work out. This challenging, innovative regimen promotes physical and mental health in many ways. Practicing with aerial silks can increase focus, strengthen muscles, improve circulation, and much more.</p> <h2>1. History of Aerial Silks</h2> <p>Aerial silks performances are one of the most popular physical disciplines incorporating the use of hanging apparatuses -- aerial arts. The practice may have developed in a French circus school around 1959, where a student presented an act using a long ribbon of fabric. From that time until 1998, many artists experimented with fabric in their performances. In the 1990s, a group of French and British acrobats inspired by this art form helped spread it around the world. Many historians credit Andre Simard and Cirque du Soleil with the invention of aerial silks in the 1980s. At the least, this world-renowned group certainly made the art form popular.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1008331" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/shutterstock_711612445-1.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="666" /></p>  <h2>2. How are Aerial Silks Used as Exercise?</h2> <p>Fitness using aerial silks entails climbing two long pieces of fabric secured from a high ceiling and practicing a variety of postures and movements while suspended in air. Aerial yoga and suspension training are recent trends based on hanging fabric performance art. Additional apparatuses include:</p> <ul> <li>aerial hoops or lyras,</li> <li>aerial straps, and</li> <li>corde lisse, a fabric covered rope.</li> </ul> <p><img class="attachment-large size-large" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/996697676-1024x803.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="803" /><span class="image-caption"> rbv / Getty Images</span></p>  <h2>3. Full Workout</h2> <p>Regular physical exercise is essential to good health. Many active people limit themselves to one or two types of exercise, but Harvard Medical School suggests we need to incorporate stretching, strengthening, aerobics, and balance routines in our workouts. Aerial silks provide a total body workout that covers all these important types of exercise.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large size-large" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/491230912-1024x684.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="684" /><span class="image-caption">sundrawalex / Getty Images</span> </p> <h2>4. Mental Health Benefits</h2> <p>Twenty percent of Americans have a mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder. A large study published in 2018 discovered people who exercise regularly, regardless of age or socioeconomic background, report fewer mental health issues than those who do not exercise. Aerial silks can help improve mood by increasing blood flow and oxygen to the brain through movement and deep breathing. The act of learning new, unconventional movements and positions can help you overcome fears and increase self-confidence. Psychological research at the University of Texas at Dallas suggests doing unfamiliar, mentally challenging things can provide broad mental and social stimulation. Practitioners often report an increased sense of empowerment, strength, bravery, and confidence after a few aerial silks classes.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large size-large" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/846331236-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" /> <span class="image-caption">AleksandarNakic / Getty Images</span></p>  <h2>5. Stronger Muscles</h2> <p>Aerial arts provide an anaerobic workout in which you use your own body weight and work with and against gravity. This helps to promote agility and tone core and postural alignment muscles. Aerial exercise is effective cross-training that helps build strength and flexibility, which can prove beneficial in other areas of activity. Aerial silk workouts stretch the fascia, the soft, thin layer of tissue that surrounds muscles. This myofascial release helps relax contracted muscles and stimulate the stretch-relax of the muscle and the overlying fascia. </p><p><img class="attachment-large size-large" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/867351234-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption"> milan2099 / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>6. Spinal Decompression</h2> <p>Spinal research explains that fluid travels to different parts of our spinal discs in response to alternating between flexed and extended postures. This release of fluid helps bring nutrients to the discs and alleviate pressure on them and nerves. Being suspended on fabric during aerial exercises gently stretches and elongates your spine, which can help relieve lower back pain. </p><p><img class="attachment-large size-large" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/834738694-1024x684.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="684" /><span class="image-caption"> patchareeporn_s / Getty Images</span> </p> <h2>7. Enhanced Lymphatic Drainage</h2> <p>The lymphatic system makes lymph fluid, which carries nutrients to and cellular waste away from cells. A blocked or clogged lymphatic system may result in weakened immunity, fatigue, weight gain, back pain, or depression. Aerial silk exercises can help clear blockages and facilitate healthy drainage of lymph fluid throughout the body.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large size-large" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/07/656955358-1024x355.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="355" /><span class="image-caption"> SomkiatFakmee / Getty Images</span> </p> <h2>8. Stress Relief</h2> <p>Aerial silk practitioners often experience deep relaxation in their body and mind after completing a class. Floating in the air tends to impart a feeling of freedom that helps you release worries. The intensity of the workout necessitates total focus, which forces you to put troubles aside. Aerial silks can boost creativity and self-esteem, both of which are potent stress relievers.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large size-large" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/1070120748-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption"> lenina11only / Getty Images</span></p>  <h2>9. Improved Focus</h2> <p>Concentration skills are necessary to carry out our daily duties successfully. Focus requires cultivation through consistent training. Practicing aerial arts can help you learn to focus more intently as you discover how to control your body's movements while suspended in the air. Performing basic and more advanced moves calls for increased concentration because you cannot allow your mind to wander during the activity.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large size-large" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/08/840509340-1024x540.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="540" /><span class="image-caption"> Yuri_Arcurs / Getty Images</span></p>  <h2>10. Cautions</h2> <p>People with shoulder injuries should not attempt aerial silks exercise. Individuals who are very overweight or have serious health issues should consult a physician before attempting this activity. Working out with aerial silks carries a risk of dizziness, bruising, shoulder injury, and fabric burn. Seek the advice and supervision of an experienced instructor before undertaking this activity. </p><p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-45797" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/shutterstock_458894845.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="667" /></p>

Fitness is a condition that helps people feel and do their best. Fitness helps our bodies perform what we need, whether it is enjoying a walk, doing household tasks or running a marathon. When you set your fitness goals, you should consider your skills, age, fitness level and health. When you start out slowly, you will slowly progress to the higher levels.

&nbsp;
Whether you are new to fitness or a fitness-guru, you should always start with a warm-up and end with a cool-down. A warm-up includes ten to fifteen minutes of low-intensity activity, such as jogging, walking, arm circles, trunk rotations or knee lifts. A cool-down includes ten minutes of low-level exercise, slow walking and stretching. As a rule of thumb, you should try to perform moderate intensity activity most days of the week, for example, do brisk walking.

&nbsp;
Fitness is available to anyone. Everyone can increase their level of fitness if they have motivation and willingness to adjust their lifestyle to their fitness goals.

Fitness

The Wrap on Aerial Silks

<p>Celery juice is enjoying celebrity status as actors and fitness gurus hail its miracle-working wonders. Tens of thousands of social media posts chime in to raise a glass to this incredible healing tonic-for-whatever-ails-you. The juice reportedly acts as an elixir, curing infertility, skin problems, mental health issues, and even cancer. As popular as this drink has become lately, there is surprisingly little medical research to confirm all the claims about it. Is celery juice worth all the celebration?</p> <h2>1. Why All the Hype About Celery Juice?</h2> <p><i>Goop</i> contributor Anthony William, who goes by the title "The Medical Medium," maintains that he received insight regarding celery juice from a supernatural source. William has no medical or nutrition training, yet he has acquired a massive following that trusts in his unconventional science. Celebrities, Instagram influencers, and health bloggers have picked up on William's claims and thrust the green sensation into the limelight. When it comes to health trends, our culture seems to be increasingly drawn to novel ideas without checking for facts. Is celery juice just one more example of a passing, unverified trend? A lack of evidence doesn't immediately mean something isn't healthful, and the vegetable does have its benefits.</p> <p>[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1024"]<img class="attachment-large" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/855648530-1024x683.jpg" alt="trends Celery juice" width="1024" height="683" /> Detry26 / Getty Images[/caption]</p>  <h2>2. What Science Says About Celery</h2> <p>Celery does carry powerful health-enhancing properties. A <i>Molecular Nutrition &amp; Food Research</i> study found celery contains several compounds with remarkable antioxidant attributes that help restrain free radical activity. One particular flavonoid, apigenin, shows anti-inflammatory potential. The <i>Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary &amp; Alternative Medicine</i> reports celery might help prevent cardiovascular and liver diseases, rheumatic disorders, and urinary tract obstruction. The vegetable also helps lower blood glucose, lipids, and pressure. Experimental research suggests it has antifungal characteristics, as well.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/09/530573048-1024x768.jpg" alt="science and juicing" width="1024" height="768" /></p> <p>BlackJack3D / Getty Images</p>  <h2>3. Digestive Health</h2> <p>The antioxidant properties of celery juice make it useful for promoting gastrointestinal health. These characteristics, along with oils and tannins, contribute to the production of protective mucus that coats tissues in the digestive tract, helping prevent ulcers and reducing issues such as irritable bowel syndrome.</p> <p>[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1024"]<img class="attachment-large" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/922677946-1024x585.jpg" alt="digestion Celery juice" width="1024" height="585" /> Natali_Mis / Getty Images[/caption]</p>  <h2>4. Easier Nutrient Assimilation</h2> <p>Celery juice concentrates many of the nutrients of the plant into a bioavailable form the body can absorb quickly. Juicing provides a simple way to intake the vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that may be more appealing than chewing stalks. For picky eaters who would normally turn away from eating celery whole, this may be an effective way to sneak added nutrition into the diet.</p> <p>[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1024"]<img class="attachment-large" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/514829263-1024x683.jpg" alt="nutrients Celery juice" width="1024" height="683" /> phasinphoto / Getty Images[/caption]</p>  <h2>5. However, You Miss Out on Fiber</h2> <p>Juicing celery deprives you of the vegetable's insoluble fiber. This fiber serves an important function, sweeping through the digestive tract to help eliminate trapped toxins and plaque. It slows down sugar absorption and helps regulate blood glucose levels. Insoluble fiber also helps promote satiety, the feeling of fullness after eating, and it feeds the beneficial bacteria in our digestive tracts. The fiber in celery is an integral part of its health-boosting package, but it gets discarded in juicing.</p> <p>[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1024"]<img class="attachment-large" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/520022717-1024x683.jpg" alt="fiber celery " width="1024" height="683" /> FlairImages / Getty Images[/caption]</p>  <h2>6. Juicing Can Squeeze the Wallet</h2> <p>Compared to eating the food whole, juicing typically requires three times the amount of ingredients to produce one serving. If you choose organic celery, this could prove significantly more expensive than the alternatives. Effective juicing equipment adds an extra cost of hundreds of dollars. If you skip the homemade aspect, pre-made juices will put a huge dent in your grocery budget, too.</p> <p>[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1024"]<img class="attachment-large" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/157399494-1024x890.jpg" alt="juicing celery " width="1024" height="890" /> john shepherd / Getty Images[/caption]</p>  <h2>7. Potential Exposure to Chemicals</h2> <p>Celery has been on the Environmental Working Group's "Dirty Dozen" list for several years. Over 95 percent of conventionally grown celery samples tested positive for synthetic pesticides. Evaluators found up to 13 chemicals on a single sample. Choosing organic celery can help you minimize exposure to these toxic substances, but again, the swap comes with a cost.</p> <p>[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1024"]<img class="attachment-large" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/155372894-1024x683.jpg" alt="Celery" width="1024" height="683" /> Pgiam / Getty Images[/caption]</p>  <h2>8. Consumer Beware</h2> <p>Celery belongs to a group of foods that are known to induce allergic reactions. Symptoms may range from a headache and rashes to anaphylactic shock. Individuals who are allergic to mugwort and birch pollen should avoid celery and its juice. People who take anti-clotting medication should consult their physician about celery consumption, as it contains the blood-clotting component vitamin K. Celery may increase photosensitivity, and ingesting high amounts may cause skin inflammation. Individuals with kidney problems should not consume celery juice. People facing surgery should not use this product for at least two weeks before a procedure, as it may interact with anesthesia and adversely affect the nervous system.</p> <p>[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1024"]<img class="attachment-large" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/06/626789142-1024x458.jpg" alt="consumer Celery juice" width="1024" height="458" /> angusben / Getty Images[/caption]</p>  <h2>9. Making Celery Juice</h2> <p>To make fresh celery juice, place two or three washed stalks in a juicer and process. Although it is ideal to consume fresh juices immediately, you can refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. If you do not have a juicer, you can chop the stalks and process in a blender with some water. Strain and enjoy. Drink celery juice alone or enhance the flavor by adding spices, herbs, or other juices. Celery juice works well with other vegetables and fruits in juicing recipes. Use the freshest ingredients possible for maximum nutritive benefits.</p> <p>[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1024"]<img class="attachment-large" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/918342064-1024x683.jpg" alt="making Celery juice" width="1024" height="683" /> ~Userc0373230_9 / Getty Images[/caption]</p>  <h2>10. Celery Juice: Good or Not-So-Good?</h2> <p>The verdict? There's limited research on the effects of celery and celery juices on humans. Nonetheless, fresh celery juice -- ideally from organic sources -- may be beneficial for people who are not sensitive to it. It can be an addition to an overall healthy diet that includes a variety of healthful, whole foods. However, medical and nutrition experts agree that eating celery in its solid state avails us of the full benefits that celery has to offer, and is the better option, in most cases.</p> <p>[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1024"]<img class="attachment-large" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/1091337550-1024x768.jpg" alt="Celery juice" width="1024" height="768" /> Voyagerix / Getty Images[/caption]</p>

Celery Juice: It's Trendy, but is it Worthy of the Hype?

<p>The functions of protein in the human body are diverse and essential for vital processes and structures. Proteins are chains of amino acids. The body can make some amino acids but others, essential amino acids, must come from food. The digestive process breaks down food into a variety of nutrients and waste. Proteins are broken down into amino acids, which are then recombined to form the specific proteins the body needs.</p> <h2>1. Hemoglobin</h2> <p>Hemoglobin is a protein inside red blood cells. It contains iron within a structure called a heme group and the iron provides blood's red color. Hemoglobin binds oxygen through heme groups. The lungs then pick up oxygen and transport it throughout the body in the arteries. Hemoglobin releases oxygen to cells, then red blood cells travel back to the lungs through the veins to pick up more oxygen.</p> <p><img class="alignnone wp-image-1007852 size-full" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/1011146724.jpg" alt="hemoglobin protein" width="1200" height="800" /></p> <p>Mohammed Haneefa Nizamudeen / Getty Images</p>  <h2>2. Blood Plasma</h2> <p>Plasma is the liquid component of blood and contains two important proteins -- albumin and fibrinogen. If a blood vessel is damaged, fibrinogen goes through several chemical reactions to become a solid protein called fibrin, which forms a mesh or clot to stop escaping blood at the damage site. Albumin keeps water in the bloodstream to balance the amount of liquid in blood vessels. It also transports bilirubin to the liver. Red blood cells age and become damaged so they are broken down to form new cells. Bilirubin is a waste substance created as hemoglobin in the red blood cells breaks down.</p> <p><img class="alignnone wp-image-1007853 size-full" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/505655501.jpg" alt="blood protein" width="1200" height="800" /></p> <p>Jezperklauzen / Getty Images</p>  <h2>3. Immune System</h2> <p>The immune system depends on protein to mount a defense against pathogens and maintain the barriers that keep pathogens and harmful substances out of the body. Specialized white blood cells called B lymphocytes circulate in the bloodstream and produce antibodies, proteins essential for fighting off viruses or bacteria. The complement system within the immune system uses proteins on cell membranes to guide various types of white blood cells wherever they are needed to fight infection.</p> <p><img class="alignnone wp-image-1007854 size-full" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/155387469.jpg" alt="immune system protein" width="1200" height="990" /></p> <p>theasis / Getty Images</p>  <h2>4. Muscle Movement</h2> <p>Chains of two proteins, actin and myosin, form myofilaments that make up the fibers in muscle cells. The two proteins work together to generate muscle contractions in the presence of calcium ions. Ferritin is a protein in skeletal muscle, bone marrow, the liver and the spleen that stores iron and release it as needed.</p> <p><img class="alignnone wp-image-1007855 size-full" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/157483710.jpg" alt="protein cells" width="1200" height="900" /></p> <p>theasis / Getty Images</p>  <h2>5. Myoglobin</h2> <p>Myoglobin is a protein similar to hemoglobin, but it is found in muscle cells instead of red blood cells. Both proteins possess heme groups to bind oxygen. Myoglobin stores oxygen within muscle cells and only develops in the bloodstream after damage to muscle tissue. The body must filter myoglobin out of the bloodstream after a muscle injury. A structural component of myoglobin becomes a toxin in acidic environments such as urine, so acute kidney damage can occur when the body releases myoglobin into circulating blood.</p> <p><img class="alignnone wp-image-44010 size-full" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/865515598.jpg" alt="what is protein" width="1200" height="801" /></p> <p>franckreporter / Getty Images</p>  <h2>6. Protein Types in Cell Membranes</h2> <p>Cell membranes made of phosphlipids surround every cell. Three categories of protein molecules are present in the cell membrane as well. Peripheral proteins on the membrane surface attach temporarily to fulfill specific purposes. Integral proteins exist on the surface and within the membrane. Lipid-bound proteins remain entirely within the phospholipids and do not access the surface at all.</p> <p><img class="alignnone wp-image-1007856 size-full" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/1040982546.jpg" alt="membranes protein" width="1200" height="675" /></p> <p>markusblanke / Getty Images</p>  <h2>7. Cell Membrane Protein Function</h2> <p>Proteins in cell membranes have a variety of functions. They can act as channels for substances to enter the cell or carry substances through the membrane. Some membrane proteins are enzymes that facilitate chemical reactions. Receptor proteins bind with specific substances or molecules on the cell surface. Insulin is a receptor protein the pancreas creates to make cell membranes accept glucose entry. Nerve impulses travel by binding neurotransmitters to protein receptors on neurons.</p> <p><img class="alignnone wp-image-1007857 size-full" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/950028170.jpg" alt="cell membrane protein" width="1200" height="900" /></p> <p>selvanegra / Getty Images</p>  <h2>8. Communication and Hormones</h2> <p>Cytokines are small proteins that enable communication between cells. The immune system creates cytokines to stimulate T cells when fighting an infection. Many hormones are actually protein molecules, such as erythropoietin, which the kidneys produce to stimulate red blood cell production in bone marrow. Human chorionic gonadotropin, HCG, is a protein hormone produced in early pregnancy, for which many pregnancy tests can screen.</p> <p><img class="alignnone wp-image-1007858 size-full" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/927559200.jpg" alt="hormones protein" width="1200" height="750" /></p> <p>selvanegra / Getty Images</p>  <h2>9. Structure</h2> <p>The cytoskeleton is a network of protein filaments that acts as a structural framework within cells. Some cells have protein microtubules, cilia and flagella, on their outer surfaces. These microtubules move the cell or fluids in the cell's surroundings. Keratin is the structural protein in skin, hair, and nails. Collagen is another structural protein within muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. The elastin protein often works with collagen. The former provides flexibility within tissues such as the lungs, blood vessel walls, and skin while the latter adds strength.</p> <p><img class="alignnone wp-image-1007859 size-full" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/157522299.jpg" alt="enzyme protein" width="1200" height="675" /></p> <p>theasis / Getty Images</p>  <h2>10. Enzymes</h2> <p>Enzymes are long amino acid chains folded and twisted into complex shapes. Each unique enzyme structure facilitates a specific chemical reaction. Enzymes initiate or increase the speed of reactions, but the reaction does not consume the enzymes themselves, so they move on to catalyze new reactions as soon as a previous reaction completes. Every system in the body uses enzymes, and chemical reactions and processes take place continuously.</p> <p><img class="alignnone wp-image-1007860 size-full" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/157564643.jpg" alt="protein" width="1200" height="900" /></p> <p>theasis / Getty Images</p>

Functions of Protein in the Human Body

<p>The human brain is one of the wonders of our anatomy. What appears to be a simple organ is, in fact, an incredibly complex structure with multiple parts that work both with each other and with information received from the rest of the body. Healthy brain function is essential for thought, reasoning, memory, speech, movement, and life itself.</p> <h2>1. The Three Parts of the Brain</h2> <p>Since the parts of the brain all work together to help humans grow, learn, and process their experiences, it is difficult for those without in-depth knowledge of neuroscience to ascertain what part of the brain is responsible for which actions. Though they still don't know everything, scientists agree the brain has three main parts. The cerebrum is the largest and is divided into right and left hemispheres; the cerebellum is located under the cerebrum and helps control balance and movement; the brainstem connects the rest of the brain to the spinal cord and regulates essential survival-related functions.</p> <p><img class="alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/1073771348-1024x683.jpg" alt="brain thinking" width="1024" height="683" />asiseeit / Getty Images</p> <h2>2. Functions of the Left and Right Hemispheres</h2> <p>When people picture the human brain, the cerebrum is probably what most envision. The large mass splits into the right and left hemispheres that are joined by the corpus callosum, a bundle of nerve fibers that can transmit neural messages between the two halves. The right hemisphere controls the left side of the body, and the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body. Though there can be some overlap, each hemisphere does different things. In general, the left hemisphere is responsible for understanding and using language when we listen, speak, read, or write. The right hemisphere provides spatial awareness of surroundings and our physical positions within space. Both hemispheres play critical roles in different types of memory. The neuron-dense surface of the cerebrum is called the cortex.</p> <p><img class="alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/868595732-1024x683.jpg" alt="brain anatomy" width="1024" height="683" />Steve Debenport / Getty Images</p> <h2>3. The Lobes of the Hemispheres</h2> <p>Each cerebral hemisphere has four lobes: frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital. Each lobe can be further divided into specialized areas researchers believe are critical for performing particular functions. The frontal lobe is the main center for personality, judgment, and emotions. Scientists believe the areas responsible for self-awareness and intelligence also reside in the frontal lobe. In the left hemisphere, the frontal lobe is where you will find Broca's area, a collection of neurons responsible for the production of speech. Damage to this area can make communication difficult.</p> <p><img src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/12/517371498-1024x683.jpg" alt="hemisphere brain" width="1024" height="683" />eli_asenova / Getty Images</p> <h2>4. The Temporal Lobe: Memory</h2> <p>Moving to the side of each hemisphere of the cerebrum, we come next to the temporal lobe, the site of the neurons that control hearing and memory acquisition. This is the location of a specialized region, Wernicke's area. Damage to this region can result in problems with understanding speech. The temporal lobe also contains parts of the brain vital to understanding visual input, such as recognizing faces and categorizing objects.</p> <p><img src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/660606306-1024x1024.jpg" alt="brain memory" width="1024" height="1024" />calvindexter / Getty Images</p> <h2>5. The Parietal Lobe: Sensory</h2> <p>The parietal lobe sits in the upper back of the cerebrum. This is where the brain processes information received from sensory inputs such as taste, touch, pain, and temperature. The integration of this sensory data is what helps a person understand a concept. Because it is so important for interpreting sensory data, the parietal lobe is also important for navigating spatial relationships and manipulating objects.</p> <p><img src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/1090533716-1024x768.jpg" alt="sensory brain" width="1024" height="768" />mgordeev / Getty Images</p> <h2>6. The Occipital Lobe: Vision</h2> <p>The occipital lobe is at the very back and bottom of the cerebrum and is responsible for processing visual sensory information from the eyes. Though the eye takes in visual data, the image is only fully processed and interpreted in the brain. Signals from the eye travel along the optic nerve, ending up in the occipital lobe where the brain forms an understanding of what the eye is seeing. Damage to this area can lead to visual problems including difficulty recognizing colors, identifying objects, and reading and writing.</p> <p><img src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/10/866612478-1024x683.jpg" alt="vision brain" width="1024" height="683" />CoffeeAndMilk / Getty Images</p> <h2>7. The Cerebellum: Movement and Balance</h2> <p>Smaller than the cerebrum, the cerebellum is nonetheless an important part of the brain when it comes to movement, balance, and maintaining posture. The cerebellum receives sensory information and uses it to regulate motor movements. A healthy cerebellum produces smooth and balanced voluntary muscular activity and helps us learn new motor skills. In addition to other types of memories, the cerebellum processes skill memories, which are learned actions that have become almost automatic. Examples include tying a shoe, playing a musical instrument, and riding a bicycle.</p> <p><img src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/959016450-1024x681.jpg" alt="balance brain" width="1024" height="681" />courtneyk / Getty Images</p> <h2>8. The Brainstem: Critical Functions</h2> <p>Like an important intersection in a big city, the brainstem is a critical region; all information to and from the body must pass through it. In humans, the brainstem is divided into three parts: the medulla oblongata, the pons, and the midbrain. These three parts work together to control some of the most basic functions of the human body including breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, reflexes, and swallowing. In addition, the brainstem maintains consciousness. Because the brainstem controls functions essential for life, injuries to this area can be particularly devastating.</p> <p><img src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/1036013024-1024x1024.jpg" alt="functions brain" width="1024" height="1024" />marina_ua / Getty Images</p> <h2>9. The Pineal and Pituitary Glands</h2> <p>In addition to being the center of the human nervous system, the brain is also an important player in the endocrine system since it is the home of the pineal and pituitary glands. The pineal gland produces melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone derived from the amino acid tryptophan that helps organisms regulate their circadian rhythms. The pituitary gland is often called the "master gland" because it regulates other important glands in the endocrine system including the adrenal, thyroid, and reproductive glands. The pituitary gland also secretes hormones important for bone and muscle growth.</p> <p><img src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/853192146-1024x1024.jpg" alt="glands brain" width="1024" height="1024" />newannyart / Getty Images</p> <h2>10. The Hypothalamus: Linking the Nervous and Endocrine Systems</h2> <p>The hypothalamus is one of the "deep structures" of the brain. This almond-sized part sits near the base of the brain and communicates with both the brainstem and the cortex. Though it is small, the hypothalamus is the master of the autonomic nervous system, coordinating several critical functions including body temperature, thirst, hunger, sleep, and emotional responses. Through the secretion of neurohormones and neurotransmitters, it also controls the activity of the pituitary gland, linking the nervous system and the endocrine system.</p> <p><img src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/1053259780-1024x881.jpg" alt="parts of the brain" width="1024" height="881" />normaals / Getty Images</p>

<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="92tae" data-offset-key="46n9t-0-0">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="46n9t-0-0"><span data-offset-key="46n9t-0-0"><span data-text="true">The human brain is a topic that has intrigued creators throughout history. They imagine creative scenarios involving the keeping, transplanting, and removal of this organ. The reason that creators find it fascinating is its association with our thoughts.</span></span></div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="92tae" data-offset-key="58po4-0-0">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="58po4-0-0"><span data-offset-key="58po4-0-0"><span data-text="true">Our brain is the center of our nervous system. As such, it controls most of the functions in our body. </span></span><span class="complexword"><span data-offset-key="58po4-1-0"><span data-text="true">However</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="58po4-2-0"><span data-text="true">, some functions, like the heart pumping blood, happens </span></span><span class="adverb"><span data-offset-key="58po4-3-0"><span data-text="true">independently</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="58po4-4-0"><span data-text="true"> of the brain. </span></span></div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="92tae" data-offset-key="91v4-0-0">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="91v4-0-0"><span data-offset-key="91v4-0-0"><span data-text="true">Brains are susceptible to damage, disease, and infection. It is vulnerable to degenerative disorders like Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and </span></span>multiple sclerosis<span data-offset-key="91v4-2-0"><span data-text="true">. It is also susceptible to psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia and depression. Many of the conditions that affect our brains are hereditary. What this means is, we are </span></span>genetically predisposed<span data-offset-key="91v4-4-0"><span data-text="true"> to them. Knowing your medical history is a great way to protect this central organ. Doctors use medical imaging, like EEGs, to scan the brain and make accurate diagnoses. Doctors treat some of its conditions can with therapy, instead of medication.</span></span></div>
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Anatomy

<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="8v4h4" data-offset-key="1smsj-0-0">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1smsj-0-0"><span data-offset-key="1smsj-0-0">Anatomy is a branch of biology. This branch of science in particular deals with organisms and their biological structure. Human anatomy, along with physiology and biochemistry, forms the basis of medicine.</span></div>
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<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8jihb-0-0"><span data-offset-key="8jihb-0-0">Some parts that make up the body's structure are </span><span class="adverb"><span data-offset-key="8jihb-1-0">incredibly</span></span><span data-offset-key="8jihb-2-0"> complex. Take the circulatory system, for example, which contains the heart and blood vessels. This system </span><span class="complexword"><span data-offset-key="8jihb-3-0">handles a lot of responsibility.</span></span><span data-offset-key="8jihb-4-0"> many crucial functions. It transports blood, nutrients, waste products, immune cells, and clotting cells. It is also </span><span class="adverb"><span data-offset-key="8jihb-5-0">closely</span></span><span data-offset-key="8jihb-6-0"> tied to the lymphatic system and our immune system. </span></div>
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<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8jihb-0-0"><span data-offset-key="8jihb-6-0">As you can see, no one part of our anatomy functions completely separate from the others. </span>All the parts of the structure must get along in order for the body to function.</div>
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Brain

The Parts of the Brain

<p>Chakras are an aspect of early Indian religious traditions. According to belief, these internal energy centers correspond to different colors and areas of the body. Each also governs a different part of life. The word <i>chakra</i> translates to "wheel" or "circle," and people often visualize the seven centers as spinning discs at each energy node. Similar ideas exist in most cultures, but the concept of chakras is the most detailed and has been adopted by people throughout the world.</p> <h2>1. What are Chakras?</h2> <p>The concept of chakras comes from the idea that all life is made up of both a physical and an energetic body. The energetic body or subtle body reflects our psychological, emotional, spiritual, and mental energies. The chakras are where the energy of the subtle body concentrates. The seven main chakras line up along the spine from the seat to the top of the head. Practitioners believe balanced chakras free from blockages allow energy to move through the body, leading to a harmonious life.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/888072420-1024x665.jpg" alt="what are chakras" width="1024" height="665" /><span class="image-caption">quickshooting / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>2. The Root Chakra</h2> <p>The root, or base, chakra sits at the base of the spine, near the tailbone, and is associated with the color red. Its main focus is on security and physical survival. People who are insecure about their living conditions or money often have an unbalanced or blocked root chakra. Physically, the root chakra governs the pelvic bone downwards, as well as sex organs. Imbalances in this chakra may manifest physically as knee or foot pain.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/927447792-1024x683.jpg" alt="chakras and wellness" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">Gwengoat / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>3. The Sacral Chakra</h2> <p>The sacral chakra lies between the base of the spine and the navel. Its color is orange, and its focus is creativity, emotions, and sensuality. This chakra allows us to enjoy life. A blocked or imbalanced sacral chakra can lead to addictions or an inability to enjoy the good things at all. Physically, this chakra encompasses organs of the abdomen, including the kidneys and urethra, and in women, the uterus and ovaries. Illnesses of these organs can also be a sign of imbalance.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/927447308-1024x683.jpg" alt="spine chakra" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">Gwengoat / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>4. The Solar Plexus Chakra</h2> <p>The solar plexus chakra is in the diaphragm. Its color is yellow, and it influences how you present your power, will, and confidence to the world. People who lack confidence often have solar plexus imbalances. Physically, this chakra governs the digestive system and metabolism. Imbalances can manifest as digestive issues and control problems, such as not having enough, or needing too much, control over your life or other people.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/927447306-1024x683.jpg" alt="solar plexus chakra" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">Gwengoat / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>5. The Heart Chakra</h2> <p>The heart chakra is located in the center of the chest and is green. Its focus is on loving the self and others and everything that comes from that love, such as grief, forgiveness, relationships, and compassion. It also connects our upper, spiritually-focused chakras to the lower, earthly ones. The cardiac system and lungs are associated with the heart chakra, as well as the immune system. Imbalances in this chakra often come from emotionally-charged experiences and can manifest as defensiveness, jealousy, and an inability to connect to others.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/927440554-1024x683.jpg" alt="heart chakras" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">Gwengoat / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>6. The Throat Chakra</h2> <p>The throat chakra is blue and resides at the center of the throat. It governs sound, communication, and expression. People who cannot express themselves or are staying silent about something important often see imbalances in this chakra. The throat chakra connects to the shoulders, neck, mouth, and jaw, as well as the thyroid. Imbalances manifest as issues within these areas, especially sore throats, speaking too much, or a fear of speaking.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/927440556-1024x683.jpg" alt="throat chakra" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">Gwengoat / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>7. The Third Eye Chakra</h2> <p>The third eye chakra is located on the forehead, between the eyebrows. Its color is indigo, and it is the center of intuition and imagination. The third eye chakra allows us to access mystical states and psychic gifts and links to the eyes and brow. Imbalances can manifest as migraines or vision problems and difficulty sleeping. They can also lead to a person rejecting the spiritual or living in a fantasy world. Flighty people often have third eye imbalances.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/927426350-1024x683.jpg" alt="third eye chakras " width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">Gwengoat / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>8. The Crown Chakra</h2> <p>The last chakra is the crown chakra<em>. </em>It is located at the top of the head and associated with both deep purple and white. This chakra connects to higher states of consciousness and gives us access to the divine. It brings wisdom, clarity, bliss, and the ability to transcend our limitations. The chakra governs the brain, head, and upper spine. Imbalances can physically manifest as mental illness or neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's. Imbalances may appear as closed-mindedness and disconnection from the body or spirit.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/927426358-1024x683.jpg" alt="crown chakras " width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">Gwengoat / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>9. Other Chakras</h2> <p>The seven chakras are the main ones that govern our lives, but other chakras do exist. Some are minor, including other centers in the body that help move energy to our limbs and elsewhere. Others connect the energy of our body to higher energy sources like the earth and the divine spirit. The earth star and soul star chakras are two such centers the metaphysical community is beginning to more widely discuss.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/527892316-1024x706.jpg" alt="chakras energy" width="1024" height="706" /><span class="image-caption">Activedia / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>10. Healing Your Chakras</h2> <p>Unblocking your chakras and bringing them into balance can help you live a harmonious life. Some also believe this can ease physical ailments. There are many ways to balance individual chakras; for example, standing barefoot on the earth is though to balance the root chakra. A regular meditation practice can help balance all chakras. Reiki and other energetic practices can also help heal chakras. Lastly, examining where the imbalances come from and working to fix these areas will not only balance chakras but also generally improve your life.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/09/910121710-1024x707.jpg" alt="healing chakras" width="1024" height="707" /><span class="image-caption">wundervisuals / Getty Images</span></p>

What are the Chakras?

<p>Plenty of people are addicted to delicious, spicy foods, celebrating the many cuisines around the globe with high-heat specialty dishes. Sichuan from China, berbere from Ethiopia, and Chenoi from India are especially revered for their spice and heat. Common spices used to increase the heat factor of the world’s best-loved spicy dishes include green and red chilis, curry powders, jerk seasonings, harissa, and Creole spice blends. These hot spices deliver big flavors, but they also come with surprising health benefits.</p> <h2>1. Support Heart Health</h2> <p>Various studies over recent decades note that the people of countries known for spicy cuisine experience fewer incidences of heart disease than those in many other countries. Chili peppers, in particular, appear to promote heart health. They contain a substance called capsaicin. This hot and spicy substance helps reduce bad LDL cholesterol in the body, which promotes heart health.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/134641753-1024x681.jpg" alt="heart health spicy foods" width="1024" height="681" /><span class="image-caption">Tim Graham / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>2. Offer Pain Relief</h2> <p>There’s scientific evidence that the capsaicin in hot and spicy foods can help reduce pain caused by inflammation, thanks to its natural anti-inflammatory properties. Moreover, the capsaicin is known to block pain signals from traveling to the brain. This temporarily provides respite from various types of pain. Many patches and creams available over the counter contain capsaicin.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/1051934600-1024x683.jpg" alt="pan relief spicy foods" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">Astrid Stawiarz / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>3. Boost Metabolism and Burns Calories</h2> <p>Many people break out into a sweat while eating hot and spicy foods like Indian vindaloo or Sichuan hot-pot. It turns out this sweating, much like the results of a good workout, helps the body to burn calories. The New York Times reported eating a spicy meal can increase the body’s calorie-burning activity by 8%. The potent heat of spicy foods boosts metabolism, forcing it to work faster. Dieters often turn to spicy foods to help them achieve their weight-loss goals.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/184626795-1024x650.jpg" alt="burning calories spicy foods" width="1024" height="650" /><span class="image-caption">pengpeng / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>4. Enhance Bone Health</h2> <p>Many types of hot peppers are high in nutrients such as vitamin C and vitamin A. Deficiencies in the latter can contribute to reduced bone health. Although vitamin D, calcium, and protein are vital compounds bones need, vitamin A is equally important for maintenance. People low in vitamin A suffer bone fractures at a higher rate than people who have an optimum level of this vitamin.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/1020416114-1024x967.jpg" alt="peppers spicy foods" width="1024" height="967" /><span class="image-caption">yulka3ice / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>5. Settle the Stomach</h2> <p>Spicy foods might wake up and “set fire” to your mouth, but there’s evidence to suggest these foods help settle and soothe the stomach while they're at it. Many people who suffer periodic stomach aches may find relief after eating a spicy meal. Studies show spicy ingredients reduce the production of gastric acids that can upset the stomach. These ingredients may also help decrease the risk of peptic ulcers.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/671426088-1024x1024.jpg" alt="stomach spicy foods" width="1024" height="1024" /><span class="image-caption">Graphic_BKK1979 / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>6. Boast Antibacterial Properties</h2> <p>Cumin and turmeric are ingredients that are found in many spicy dishes from around the world—especially in the cuisines of Mexico and India. Research shows these ingredients have strong antimicrobial properties. They have the power to combat harmful bacteria in the body. These ingredients may even be able to help combat powerful pathogens like E. coli.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/907613746-1024x683.jpg" alt="antibacterial spicy foods" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">fcafotodigital / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>7. Could Prevent Cancer</h2> <p>There is evidence that ingredients in many spicy foods could help reduce the risk of some cancers. Capsaicin in chilis, for instance, has been shown to reduce the growth of cancerous tumors and possesses the power to kill potentially deadly leukemic cells. This avenue of treatment requires more research, but the current evidence is promising.</p> <p><img class="alignnone wp-image-44531 size-full" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/shutterstock_604893899.jpg" alt="cancer spicy foods" width="1000" height="669" /></p>  <h2>8. Enhance Your Mood</h2> <p>There is significant evidence that eating spicy foods can make you happier. According to scientific research, many types of spicy foods promote the body’s feel-good hormones, like serotonin. These hormones help people cope more effectively with negative emotions like sadness, anger, and stress. Phaal curry and spicy Korean barbecue wings could offer respite from a bout of work-related stress or minor mood disturbances.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/636783578-1024x683.jpg" alt="mood spicy foods" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">Todor Tsvetkov / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>9. Support Immune System Health</h2> <p>Some hot ingredients like chilis are high in vitamin C, one of the best vitamins for support of the immune system, which provides the frontline defense against illness and many serious diseases. The body cannot make or store vitamin C, so it is important to regularly eat foods that offer this nutrient.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/877049056-1024x683.jpg" alt="immune system spicy foods" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">cegli / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>10. Promote Longevity</h2> <p>A study in China followed 500,000 people. It found those who ate spicy foods regularly lived 14% longer than participants who did not enjoy a spicy diet. Spicy foods offer a wide array of health benefits that, in combination, could promote longevity. It is important to note that the positively affected individuals in the Chinese study ate spicy foods nearly every day.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/854700098-1024x683.jpg" alt="spicy foods longevity " width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">lechatnoir / Getty Images</span></p>

What Are the Health Benefits of Spicy Foods?

<p>Vitamin K has a well-established reputation for promoting blood clotting. Its letter comes from the German word <i>koagulation</i>. Most newborn babies receive a shot of vitamin K as a preventative measure against hemorrhaging. This coagulating function has long overshadowed other crucial aspects of the micronutrient's worth, such as its contribution to strong bones and heart, lowering cancer risk, and protection from diabetes, calcification and internal bleeding. A growing body of research is bringing to light the immense benefits of this otherwise "forgotten vitamin", a catalyst behind many physiological processes.</p> <h2>1. What is Vitamin K?</h2> <p>Vitamin K is a group of compounds. Two forms appear in nature: K1 (phylloquinone or phytonadione) which occurs in plants, and K2 (a family of molecules known as menaquinones), which are synthesized within our intestinal tract and present in animal products and fermented foods. A synthetic form, K3 (menadione) is no longer used to treat vitamin K deficiency.<strong> </strong></p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/518284762-1024x683.jpg" alt="what is vitamin k" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">digicomphoto / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>2. How Does the Body Process Vitamin K?</h2> <p>Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning the body needs fat to properly absorb it. Like others, vitamin K is stored in the liver and fat cells. However, vitamin K differs from other fat-soluble vitamins in that the body stores very little of it and lack of regular intake can quickly deplete the supply. Through a process known as the vitamin K cycle, the micronutrient gets reused several times for protein synthesis.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/157315276-1024x1024.jpg" alt="K vitamins" width="1024" height="1024" /><span class="image-caption">comotion_design / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>3. Vitamin K Deficiency</h2> <p>Leading vitamin K researcher Dr. Cee Vermeer believes almost everyone has vitamin K deficiency. While most of us consume enough from our diets to maintain sufficient blood clotting, we do not get enough to protect us from a slew of other health issues. However, clinically significant vitamin K deficiencies are uncommon and typically limited to people who take medications that interfere with metabolization of the vitamin. Individuals with malabsorption disorders are at greater risk of vitamin K deficiency as well. National data indicates that only 25 percent of Americans receive 90-120 mcg of vitamin K, the estimated average requirement (EAR), from what they eat. Deficiency could potentially have far-reaching effects including</p> <ul> <li>arterial calcification,</li> <li>cardiovascular disease,</li> <li>varicose veins,</li> <li>osteoporosis,</li> <li>leukemia and prostate, lung, and liver cancers,</li> <li>tooth decay, and</li> <li>pneumonia.</li> </ul> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/07/871584980-1024x579.jpg" alt="health benefits vitamin k" width="1024" height="579" /><span class="image-caption">Tinpixels / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>4. Vitamin K Benefits: Blood</h2> <p>Vitamin K transports calcium throughout the body to help regulate blood clotting. It is a key player in the production of four of the 13 proteins necessary for coagulation. Research suggests that vitamin K performs a major role in platelet aggregation. This nutrient also promotes blood circulation in peripheral bodies and tissue.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/08/860621344-1024x640.jpg" alt="blood clot vitamin K" width="1024" height="640" /><span class="image-caption">Thomas-Soellner / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>5. Vitamin K Benefits: Brain</h2> <p>A 2013 study published in <i>Neurobiology of Aging</i> suggests vitamin K is integral to brain development. Vitamin K-dependent proteins are directly involved with cognitive function. The micronutrient also works in the nervous system by enabling the metabolism of sphingolipids, a class of fats present in brain cells. Vitamin K appears to help stall degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's by enhancing memory.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/97873871-1024x680.jpg" alt="brain vitamin K" width="1024" height="680" /><span class="image-caption">haydenbird / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>6. Vitamin K Benefits: Bones</h2> <p>Researchers have discovered that vitamin K contributes to building bone. The nutrient is a cofactor for the production of many proteins such as osteocalcin. Low vitamin K levels are associated with low bone density, while vitamin K supplementation appears to promote improvements in bone health. Study results suggest a connection between increased vitamin K consumption and lower risk of hip fracture in adults, as well as higher bone mineral density in women.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/10/508696482-1024x683.jpg" alt="bones vitamin K benefits" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">Jan-Otto / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>7. Vitamin K Benefits: Kidneys</h2> <p>A government multi-ethnic population study correlated vitamin K deficiency with chronic kidney disease. Another clinical trial concluded that most people who undergo dialysis do not get enough of the micronutrient. The vitamin is a catalyst for biological processes that inhibit vascular mineralization. Low levels appear to play into the development of calciphylaxis, the accumulation of calcium in small blood vessels of skin and fat tissues, including kidney tissue. Vitamin K supplementation shows potential for reducing this buildup in individuals with renal failure.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/903413222-1024x683.jpg" alt="K" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">Natali_Mis / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>8. Vitamin K Benefits: Heart</h2> <p>Arterial mineralization is also a risk factor for coronary heart disease due to its negative impact on the elasticity of blood vessels. An observational study in the Netherlands noted that dietary vitamin K1 inversely correlates with coronary calcification in postmenopausal women. Another, larger study in that country found a similar inverse association between vitamin K1 intake and severe aortic calcification in middle-aged and older men and women.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/184990068-1024x768.jpg" alt="vitamin K benefits heart" width="1024" height="768" /><span class="image-caption">adventtr / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>9. Vitamin K Benefits: Cancer Fighter</h2> <p>Researchers theorize that vitamin K can help fight myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) that sometimes progress into acute myeloid leukemia. A 16-week clinical trial in which MDS patients received supplemental vitamins K2 and D resulted in a 30 percent improvement in anemia and platelet counts. Research also suggests the nutrient helps to inhibit tumor growth and reduce suffering related to oral, liver, nasal, stomach, prostate, and colon cancers.<strong> </strong></p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/578818802-1024x683.jpg" alt="vitamin K" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">twinsterphoto / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>10. Vitamin K: Risk Concerns</h2> <p>Vitamin K has low toxicity potential in forms K1 and K2. The Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies has not reported any negative effects resulting from the nutrient's consumption. The FNB has not established an upper intake level. However, some situations call for precautions with this vitamin. For instance, some drugs can impact vitamin K levels adversely. People with blood disorders and pregnant women need to be especially careful consuming this vitamin in food or supplement form. These individuals, as well as those with a history of heart disease or stroke, should consult their physician before modifying vitamin K intake.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/1055095272-1024x683.jpg" alt="vitamin K benefits" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">asiseeit / Getty Images</span></p>

Get To Know the "Forgotten" Vitamin K

<p>One of the most difficult parts of living life is losing somebody we love. The pain and grief can feel like an ever-present weight that pervades every moment. Learning to manage grief in a healthy way can be a struggle. Everyone processes loss and grief differently. Healing occurs at different rates. Some people feel that certain forms of grieving are disrespectful to those we have lost. Despite this, the most important part of handling grief is realizing that there is no one correct way to do it.</p> <h2>1. What Grief Brings</h2> <p>The raw, intense emotions that grief brings may, to some, seem impossible to handle. Others may not even realize they are grieving. Loneliness is common, as is withdrawing from social situations and other people. Guilt frequently accompanies grief and is one of the hardest feelings to bear. Some people feel anger targeted at whomever they hold responsible. That can be themselves, the deceased, a friend, a family member, or another target. Many people experience a loss of appetite, feelings of apathy, and sadness.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/10/908957470-1024x683.jpg" alt="grief" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">praetorianphoto / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>2. Complicated Grief</h2> <p>Some individuals experience feelings of grief that do not appear to ease with time. In some cases, the symptoms may even worsen. The medical community refers to this as complicated grief. Many people with complicated grief feel extreme guilt and wish they had passed along with their loved one. They experience deep sadness and depression and may completely isolate themselves for months and years following their loss. Treating complicated grief is similar to learning to manage normal grief, but it may require additional support from friends and family. Additional professional care may also be beneficial.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/12/487729535-1024x684.jpg" alt="sadness manage grief in a healthy way" width="1024" height="684" /><span class="image-caption">PeopleImages / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>3. The First Steps</h2> <p>One of the first things to do when feeling grief is recognize that it’s normal. Almost everyone experiences grief following a loss. Different cultures and societies grieve differently, but nobody should ever feel pressured to grieve in a manner that isn’t comfortable. If a person needs to grieve loudly and openly, that’s perfectly normal. On the other hand, some people may need to go about their day to day activities and grieve internally -- and this also ok. It isn’t a matter of learning which emotions to suppress or subdue, but rather allowing the grief to come and go naturally. Pressure to grieve a certain way can prevent a person from ever properly learning to live with the loss.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/10/843530334-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="managing grief in a healthy way" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">laflor / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>4. Expressing Grief and Mourning</h2> <p>Grief is unavoidable and trying to repress it or ignore it can lead to feeling even worse. Many outside influences affect the way we feel we should grieve. Allowing ourselves to mourn openly and outwardly without feeling restrained or restricted can release many of the emotions we may bottle up inside. Some people cry, some people yell, and some people laugh. Whatever form our mourning appears in, it’s an integral part of reducing the intensity of grief and expressing ourselves.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/939518380-1024x789.jpg" alt="mourning manage grief in a healthy way" width="1024" height="789" /><span class="image-caption">RapidEye / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>5. Find Support</h2> <p>After a loss, many people begin to withdraw from others, especially individuals they associate with their grief. However, one of the best methods of learning to live with loss can be confiding in other loved ones. They provide a support structure that can help us continue forward. Even people who have never experienced loss can act as an anchor for those lost in their grief. The support can come from friends, family, support groups, or communities.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/157195498-1024x683.jpg" alt="managing grief depression " width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">quavondo / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>6. Live Normally</h2> <p>After a loss, many people lose their will to continue. Beyond removing themselves from society, they may even withdraw from activities as basic as getting out of bed in the morning -- these actions feel almost impossible when weighed down by grief. Allowing ourselves to continue and try to live normally isn’t disrespectful to those we lost. Living normally isn’t a sign that we are forgetting them or leaving them behind. They will always be a part of our lives. However, nobody should force themselves to do anything with which they are not comfortable. If performing daily duties is too difficult, it’s fine to start small and slowly work back up to a normal level.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/912969272-1024x485.jpg" alt="manage grief" width="1024" height="485" /><span class="image-caption">Pinkypills / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>7. Live Healthily</h2> <p>Disrupted sleep, loss of appetite, and a general loss of interest accompany grief. These can all dramatically affect our health an ultimately prevent us from healing. Living a healthy life may seem irrelevant and useless after a loss, but it does help many people. Exercise routines provide structure during a disorienting time. Healthy foods provide the energy necessary to continue. Involving a friend or family member with meals or exercises can provide additional motivation and alleviate feelings of loneliness or abandonment.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/1036366486-1024x624.jpg" alt="healthy living manage grief in a healthy way" width="1024" height="624" /><span class="image-caption">kali9 / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>8. Find a Balance</h2> <p>Grief and its accompanying emotions have a way of spreading through every moment of our lives. However, healthy grieving is often an active process -- finding a balance between grieving and not grieving can be the difference between healing and letting grief swallow us. Gently finding moments and pockets where we don’t actively grieve can help us slowly move forward. Many people find it helpful to carry keepsakes so that even when not actively grieving, they can feel like they are honoring the loss.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/925240208-1024x480.jpg" alt="balance manage grief in a healthy way" width="1024" height="480" /><span class="image-caption">gawrav / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>9. Counseling</h2> <p>Because there is no one way to grieve, it can be difficult for many people to discover the best method for them. The training professional counselors receive allows them to help people discover their own healthy way to grieve. For some people, this may take the form of exercises or routines. Others may simply need a person with whom they can talk through their feelings. Counselors can also help with other aspects of life that may have become difficult since the loss.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/12/874205566-1024x683.jpg" alt="counseling manage grief in a healthy way" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">asiseeit / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>10. Unpredictable</h2> <p>Regardless of how we handle our grief, it is a completely unpredictable force. No matter how much time has passed since the loss, grief can swallow us suddenly like a tidal wave. All it takes is a single memory to return the pain. Ultimately, the best thing to do is not allow these moments to dictate our lives. Grief is a part of life, but it does not have to define who we are or how we live day-to-day. Instead, treat these moments as signs that the loss has become a part of you and that your loved one is always close.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/932096974-1024x683.jpg" alt="unpredictable manage grief in a healthy way" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">recep-bg / Getty Images</span></p>

Manage Grief in a Healthy Way

<p>Herbalism is the use of plants for medicinal purposes. For thousands of years, cultures have sought to cure diseases and looked to herbs as the answer. Humans began using herbs medicinally as early as the Paleolithic age 60,000 years ago. Over the years, people studied plants and herbs more closely and began to record the effects of healing herbs in journals called herbals. This tied the history of herbalism with the beginnings of modern medicine. Many modern-day pharmaceutical drugs make use of plant-derived compounds.</p> <h2>1. Examples of Herbalism</h2> <p>Due to thousand of societies with differing languages using herbalism throughout the millennia, it is difficult to list every single herb and its effects. However, even now, herbalism remains popular around the world. Teas containing chamomile treat sleeplessness and anxiety, as well as gastrointestinal issues. Holy basil has antimicrobial benefits and is meant to fight off infection. Watercress is a popular salad ingredient that may prevent cancer and contains a large amount of vitamin K. However, modern science questions many of the benefits of herbs.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/928024706-1024x683.jpg" alt="health and wellness healing herbs" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">damircudic / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>2. Ancient Herbalism</h2> <p>The earliest written accounts of herbalism date back to ancient Sumeria who, along with Ancient Egypt and the Indus Valley, was one of the first major civilizations. A clay slab listed 12 recipes for various drugs that used around 250 plants between them. Herbs such as poppy, henbane, and mandrake appeared on the tablet. Other cultures also had herbals listing plants, their uses, and possible combinations. Ancient Egypt, India, and China have detailed and translatable journals that provide modern insight into cultural herbalism.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/471340011-1024x662.jpg" alt="egypt healing herbs" width="1024" height="662" /><span class="image-caption">Tolga TEZCAN / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>3. Egypt</h2> <p>Unfortunately, a perfect translation for Egyptian hieroglyphs does not exist. Translators continue to attempt to decipher the Egyptian language and convert it into modern day ideas. This has led to debates throughout history as to the exact meaning of Egyptian herbals. The Ebers Papyrus is one of the only remaining texts that contains medicinal uses for herbs. It mentions treatments for such issues as “disease of the limbs” and references herbs such as garlic, willow, and castor bean. Egyptians used garlic as an antibiotic, willow for pain relief, and castor oil for everything from a laxative to an eye brightener.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/182694158-1024x632.jpg" alt="Egypt healing herbs" width="1024" height="632" /><span class="image-caption">xxmmxx / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>4. India</h2> <p>The holy books from ancient India, the Vedas, contained many of the culture's uses for herbs. Some of the herbs are now common ingredients in Indian recipes. For example, turmeric, a flowering plant from the ginger family, appears in many modern Asian dishes, but ancient Indian herbalists originally used it as a folk medicine. Many Indians used peppercorn as currency and traded it to other cultures. It had value because people believed that it could cure insomnia, sunburn, toothaches, and many other issues. Ramesses II, also known as Ozymandias, was an Egyptian pharaoh whose servants filled his nostrils with black peppercorns during his mummification.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/185297364-1024x683.jpg" alt="indian healing herbs" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">DustyPixel / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>5. China</h2> <p>Emperor Shen Nung wrote a book on roots and grasses around the year 2500 BCE. This book lists 365 dried plant parts that he believed had medicinal effects. Many people around the world still use some of the herbs listed in the book. For example, ginseng has culinary and medicinal uses. Modern studies fail to find its exact medicinal purposes, but some suggest it positively affects memory, fatigue, and menopause symptoms. The book also listed cinnamon bark as having many medicinal effects, leading to its value as a traded good.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/136252963-1024x683.jpg" alt="China healing herbs" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">WEKWEK / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>6. Rome and Greece</h2> <p>Many ancient Roman and Greek texts survived the ages and contain suggested uses for herbs. The best-known examples appear in Homer’s <i>The Iliad</i> and <i>The Odyssey</i>. The epics describe 63 plants from around the world, including garlic and castor beans. One of the most prominent plant researchers was Dioscorides, a Greek physician and botanist. He traveled with the Roman Army as a medic and, during his time with them, wrote about many herbs that would inspire medical practice during the Middle Ages and beyond. In his writings, there were 657 drugs with plant origins.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/171583557-1024x683.jpg" alt="ancient healing herbs" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">duncan1890 / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>7. Spread of Herbs</h2> <p>More opportunities for trade increased the spread of herbs. Many colder or wetter areas could not grow certain herbs. Trading allowed the Slavic people and the English to gain access to herbs such as rosemary and garlic. Interestingly, garlic remained popular among many cultures for centuries, with the notable exception of the English. They despised its smell and taste and refused to use it as medicine. This continued for hundreds of years, even after the colonization of America. As such, Americans also despised garlic for almost 300 years.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/07/121306579-1024x683.jpg" alt="culture healing herbs" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">gaffera / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>8. Middle Ages</h2> <p>Because of the work of early physicians, beginning in the Middle Ages, areas devoted to healing and herb-growing began to appear. Many monks would translate and copy ancient texts containing medical knowledge. As a result, they began to grow medicinal herbs, and the monasteries acted as centers for healing. Therapy focused on 16 specific medicinal plants. Wise men and women used sage to improve cognitive function. Mint was a popular treatment for indigestion and nausea. Some people marketed spells and concoctions along with herbs. This led to many people viewing herbalism as witchcraft in the late Middle Ages.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/112859663-1024x683.jpg" alt="healing herbs middle ages" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">Stieglitz / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>9. Early Modern Era</h2> <p>Due to the efforts of the monks in the middle ages, during the 16th and 17th centuries herbals became widely available in languages other than Latin and Greek. During this time, the demand for compound drugs increased dramatically. Physicians began to combine herbs with animal matter and various other materials. As European colonization efforts continued, texts and herbs from other countries also became available. The Badianus Manuscript was an Aztec herbal that suggested using nettle for nosebleeds. It also contained instructions for compound medications that could treat lightning strikes.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/95235227-1024x685.jpg" alt="medication healing herbs" width="1024" height="685" /><span class="image-caption">nikamata / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>10. Modern Era</h2> <p>The 19th century marked a turning point in the use of medicinal herbs. Researchers were able to isolate the alkaloids from plants such as poppy, strychnos, and ipecacuanha. This led to the isolation of chemical substances responsible for the medicinal benefits of many herbs. Creating drugs out of these substances was called "pharmacy." As technology improved, so too did the drugs pharmacists could create. Now, many health organizations view herbs as alternative medicine, with modern research questioning many of their benefits.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/1036131880-1024x710.jpg" alt="healing herbs modern" width="1024" height="710" /><span class="image-caption">Hiraman / Getty Images</span></p>

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<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bf7ku-0-0"><span data-offset-key="ad8go-0-0">There are a lot of strange methods doctors used to swear by. Medical history is chock-full of risky procedures with high mortality rates. </span><span class="hardreadability"><span data-offset-key="ad8go-1-0">Some ingredients thought of as medical essentials, like mercury and black salve, are these days proven to be dangerous</span></span><span data-offset-key="ad8go-2-0">. Before anesthetic, the best surgeons were the ones who could work the fastest. Crowds used to gather around individuals unfortunate enough to </span><span class="complexword"><span data-offset-key="ad8go-3-0">require</span></span><span data-offset-key="ad8go-4-0"> their teeth pulled. Doctors could make money by charging an observation fee.</span></div>
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<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3fj5k-0-0"><span data-offset-key="3fj5k-0-0">Looking far back enough, nobody knew about germs and bacteria. People thought sickness traveled through the air as miasma. They defined this miasma as pollution and noxious odors. The theory was that disease epidemics stemmed from rotting organic matter. Though this theory was later disregarded, believing in miasma kept things somewhat clean. People worked to remove anything rotten from their towns. </span><span class="hardreadability"><span data-offset-key="3fj5k-1-0">The miasma theory of disease was also responsible for doctors wearing beak-like masks to ward off the plague</span></span><span data-offset-key="3fj5k-2-0">. Because they believed odors caused disease, the beaks contained berries and flowers.</span></div>
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Conditions

"Condition" is a general term for particular abnormal diseases that negatively affect a part or all of the body. Conditions are not due to any external injury. Therefore, a broken bone does not classify as a condition, whereas Herpes, OCD, Shingles, and Ulcers do.

Medical conditions are classified by specific symptoms and signs. While each person's experiences can vary, there are consistent signs and symptoms that doctors will look for when diagnosing their patients. We always recommend that people seek a professional diagnosis. Afterward, supplement medical advice and opinion with accurate and easy to read information.

Most people only spend an average of a couple minutes with their doctor during a checkup. Oftentimes patients don't receive the fullest explanation of their diagnosis. Easily search through the vast amount of articles that Facty Health offers for ones that address your specific needs. From there, allow us to help you with those unanswered questions.

Medical History

A History of Healing Herbs and Their Uses

<p>If you're a fan of French cuisine, you may already be familiar with chervil. A member of the parsley family, this bright green herb has a light, delicate flavor similar to tarragon or anise. Delicious in salads or sprinkled on soups, chervil is a great addition to any dish. However, in addition to being tasty, chervil confers several health benefits and has many medicinal uses.</p> <h2>1. Chervil can help soothe eczema</h2> <p>Eczema is a condition that causes dry, irritated skin. It can be painful and itchy and is often chronic. Eczema can appear on any part of the body but often affects the face, neck, elbows, wrists, knees, or ankles. Chervil has anti-inflammatory properties that can help soothe the itch and swelling of eczema. Apply fresh juice from the herb to affected areas for relief, create a fresh poultice, or mix chervil into lotions or creams.</p> <p><img src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/136359824-1024x683.jpg" alt="eczema chervil" width="1024" height="683" />HeikeKampe / Getty Images</p> <h2>2. Chervil is good for digestion</h2> <p>Perhaps the French were onto something when they elevated chervil to one of the centerpiece herbs of their cuisine. The tender, fragrant leaves of chervil boast thousands of years of use as a digestive aid. Chevril is low in calories but very high in fiber, which is critical for regular and healthy bowel function. Chervil's mild taste and pleasant fragrance make it easy to use in a spring tonic or as a finishing touch on egg, fish, or poultry dishes. As an added benefit, adding a little chervil makes your dishes both delicious and digestible.</p> <p><img src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/165941200-1024x1024.jpg" alt="digestion chervil" width="1024" height="1024" />mammuth / Getty Images</p> <h2>3. Chervil is a nutritional powerhouse</h2> <p>Why take a supplement when you can eat your nutrients instead? If you are looking for an easy way to add a delicious and nutritious punch to some of your favorite dishes, chervil is a tasty solution fresh or dried. The dried herb is low in calories but high in essential nutrients like calcium, potassium, zinc, manganese, iron, and magnesium. Fresh chervil contains these nutrients and is also a great source of riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), and thiamin (vitamin B1).</p> <p><img src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/865515598-1024x684.jpg" alt="nutrition chervil" width="1024" height="684" />franckreporter / Getty Images</p> <h2>4. Chervil is packed with antioxidants</h2> <p>Eating foods rich in antioxidants confers all kinds of health benefits. A variety of antioxidants may be good for your heart health, for lowering the risk of many common infections, and can even help ward off cancer. Antioxidants offer anti-aging benefits, as well. Chervil contains a plethora of antioxidants including vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E. Chervil also contains polyphenolic flavonoid antioxidants like lutein, which is excellent for eye health, and apigenin, which may be able to lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease.</p> <p><img src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/519678526-1024x681.jpg" alt="antioxidants chervil" width="1024" height="681" />Neyya / Getty Images</p> <h2>5. Chervil may help treat high blood pressure</h2> <p>Maintaining healthy blood pressure is one of the most important factors in preventing heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular ailments. Chevril is a traditional herbal choice for lowering blood pressure. The exact mechanism is not known, but the herb also has diuretic properties that can help ease fluid retention leading to bloating or discomfort. Chervil tea can improve circulation, encouraging an overall healthier circulatory system.</p> <p><img src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/10/889114012-1024x689.jpg" alt="chervil blood pressure" width="1024" height="689" />PeopleImages / Getty Images</p> <h2>6. Chervil is an antiseptic</h2> <p>Chervil is high in many beneficial volatile essential oils. One of these essential oils is eugenol, which is also known as oil of cloves. Dentists often use oil of cloves during routine dental procedures thanks to its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties and because of its ability to ease pain. Chervil may also be helpful for treating skin rashes, minor wounds, and insect bites. Prepare a simple poultice to apply to minor skin ailments by crushing fresh chervil leaves and adding a few drops of vinegar and salt.</p> <p><img src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/shutterstock_134643890.jpg" alt="chervil" width="1000" height="667" /> </p> <h2>7. Chervil is helpful for easing menstrual symptoms</h2> <p>Chervil has a whole host of benefits that can help make that time of the month more comfortable. The herb has long been used in traditional medicine to help ease menstrual symptoms such as cramps and bloating. Thanks to its diuretic properties, chervil can help ease uncomfortable fluid retention for a bloat-free period. Chervil is also rich in iron and can help ward off sluggishness and tiredness due to anemia. Though eating foods rich in iron is part of a balanced diet in general, it is especially important for women to make sure they are getting sufficient iron during their monthly cycle, and chervil is a painless way to up your intake.</p> <p><img src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/07/503117005-1024x683.jpg" alt="menstrual chervil is" width="1024" height="683" />SolStock / Getty Images</p> <h2>8. Chervil is useful as an expectorant</h2> <p>During the colder months of the year, it seems inevitable that you may catch a cold or two. The fatigue, stuffiness, and sore throat are all unpleasant symptoms, but nothing can ruin a good night's rest like a bad cough. Chervil can act as an expectorant, to help ease cough and related symptoms. Expectorants help loosen thick mucus and make coughs more productive. In addition to its expectorant properties, a hot cup of chervil tea will soothe a sore throat and ease a stuffy nose.</p> <p><img src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/07/511995626-1024x683.jpg" alt="tea chervil is" width="1024" height="683" />portishead1 / Getty Images</p> <h2>9. Chervil can be helpful for weaning mothers</h2> <p>When it's time to wean a child off of breastfeeding, the mother's body can often use a little help to recover from the hormonal shifts and challenges of childbearing and nursing. Traditional practitioners recommend several herbs including chervil to help naturally and gently decrease milk supply, to ease the weaning process and prevent engorgement.</p> <p><img src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/890847246-1024x568.jpg" alt="weaning chervil is" width="1024" height="568" />Delmaine Donson / Getty Images</p> <h2>10. Use chervil to create an at-home face treatment</h2> <p>Help keep your skin looking smooth and radiant with a face treatment made from fresh chervil. Bursting with powerful vitamins and antioxidants, chervil has the potential to deliver potent anti-aging benefits to your skin and promote the development of new skin cells. Unlike some skin treatments, chervil also has a fresh, pleasant smell that makes using it in a mask or tonic an enjoyable experience. As with any skin treatment, always spot test first to make sure you don't have a sensitivity to the essential oils or other compounds in the herb.</p> <p><img src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/175417362-1024x683.jpg" alt="chervil is" width="1024" height="683" />GlobalStock / Getty Images</p>

Health Benefits of Chervil

<p>We all know that feeling you get when you hear a strange sound in the middle of the night: your heart races, your eyes dilate, your entire body tenses. Whether the sound turns out to be an intruder or just your dog moving around in the other room, what you are experiencing is fear. We know it affects the mind, but in addition, fear impacts your health in some surprising ways.</p> <h2>1. Inability to Relax</h2> <p>Thinking back to that hypothetical noise you heard in the introduction, remember how you usually feel once the sound stops. You rarely feel rested or comfortable -- even if you are relieved to find that the sound was just your pet, you will most likely still be awake for a while. Once the body experiences the fear response, it is slow to relax. It is preparing itself for the next sound or the next time it needs to get ready to fight or flee, which makes it very difficult for you to settle afterward. This only gets worse when the fear sensation is very strong or continues for a very long time.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/10/936117884-1024x683.jpg" alt="relax fear" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">PeopleImages / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>2. Anxiety and Panic</h2> <p>Anxiety is often situation-based, and is, in simple terms, often a fear of the body's reaction to fear. If a person feels fear when giving a speech in front of their oral communications class, for instance, they may in future associate such situations with fear, and avoid giving speeches as often as possible. This can lead to anxiety (sweaty palms, a racing heart, or nausea) or even an anxiety disorder, which can then manifest itself as panic attacks when one is in a situation that reminds them of the one that prompted their fear.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/11/936011660-1024x684.jpg" alt="anxiety fear" width="1024" height="684" /><span class="image-caption">PeopleImages / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>3. Weakens Immune System</h2> <p>The body's fear response includes an upsurge of adrenaline and cortisone. Long-time exposure to these chemicals and other related hormones can take a toll on the immune system, making it weaker and less able to fight off infections, viruses, or other illnesses. While fear does not directly cause you to get sick (in most cases), prolonged fear does not put the body in the best position to defend itself from the germs that would like to invade it.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/990213258-1024x683.jpg" alt="immune system fear" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">chee gin tan / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>4. Sharpens Survival Instincts</h2> <p>When one is afraid, their body carries out what is known as the fight or flight response. This is a primitive instinct handed down to us from our ancestors, who often had to decide whether to fight off a predator was coming for them or run the other way. When we get scared, our heart races and all of the blood moves from our extremities to the core of our body, so that the most vital functions can continue to be carried out as we run or fight for our lives. For some people, the sensations this causes can be just as scary as the situation itself.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/489039729-1024x569.jpg" alt="survival instinct fear" width="1024" height="569" /><span class="image-caption">peepo / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>5. Depression</h2> <p>Being scared for an extended period can lead to not only anxiety but also depression, near-constant feelings of sadness, moodiness, and fatigue. When caused by fear, depression occurs most often in people who feel these sensations on a daily basis and feel they cannot do anything about it, such as someone who has a phobia of elevators but must take an elevator to their office every day.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/09/948864358-1024x683.jpg" alt="depression fear" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">baona / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>6. Phobias</h2> <p>Prolonged fear about a particular object or situation can eventually lead to a phobia of that object or situation. Bad experiences, such as getting bitten by a spider, can cause phobias, or they can seem to develop without cause, like a fear of birds even when one has never been harmed by one. Phobias can quickly expand, leaving an individual afraid of not just of the type of spider that bit them, but of all spiders, or even of insects in general.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/1056345050-1024x684.jpg" alt="phobias fear" width="1024" height="684" /><span class="image-caption">Mikolette / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>7. Heart Damage</h2> <p>Perhaps one of the most detrimental bodily effects of fear is damage to the heart and cardiovascular system. Heightened fear on a long-term basis can eventually -- after months or years -- lead to serious heart problems. The organ becomes overworked and stressed from the constant bombardment of stress hormones and ceases to function properly. Luckily, as this happens over time, there is always a chance to reverse this damage before it starts or grows serious.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/07/949054764-1024x683.jpg" alt="heart damage fear" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">PeopleImages / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>8. Lack of Confidence</h2> <p>If one is afraid much of their time, this can leave them feeling less confidence. People who experience fear regularly often begin to turn in on themselves as their self-confidence shrinks to minuscule levels. This can lead to not only missed opportunities but also depression and anxiety.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/964172586-1024x683.jpg" alt="confidence fear" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">HRAUN / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>9. Missing Out</h2> <p>Fear can make people miss out on doing things that might be good for them. Not only might they skip <span style="background-color: #f5f6f5;">directly health-related events such as medical check-ups, but they may also avoid friend or family gatherings and other activities important to overall well-being. </span></p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/10/905523846-1024x639.jpg" alt="missing out fear" width="1024" height="639" /><span class="image-caption">PeopleImages / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>10. Worsens Memory</h2> <p>Finally, fear can negatively impact memory. The brain is so busy getting ready to fight or flee that it doesn't record memories as effectively, and it often can't concentrate on anything except the fear it is feeling. The body is trying to protect you with these processes, but in the end, it only leaves you more worried, scared, and scattered.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/1056814272-1024x683.jpg" alt="memory fear" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">andresr / Getty Images</span></p>

Mental health is a state of psychological and emotional well-being. It can also be seen as the absence of mental illness. A healthy brain is important for people of all ages. However, the prognosis for many patients dealing with mental illness is pretty good, and many people live healthy and happy lives by effectively managing their symptoms.

Just like medicine that is focused on physical ailments, there are varying degrees of severity to mental illnesses. Some illnesses range from very minor to extremely debilitating. And just like physical ailments, the sooner a patient can be accurately diagnosed and receive treatment, the better.

Maintaining good mental health and wellness is beneficial, but not easy. There can be a lot of reasons why a person develops a mental illness. The cause could be genetic, environmental, stress-based, situational, or the result of unresolved past trauma.

Unlike physical ailments, there is a stigma behind mental illness due to the fact that it is fairly invisible. You never know who is dealing with what unless they choose to tell you. In addition to this, it's a newer school of medicine than physical ailments and is constantly evolving and being re-written. The mental health section of Facty Health is a good place to learn more about specific mental illnesses, their symptoms, and their treatments.

Mental Health

How Fear Impacts Your Health

<p>Cytokines are small proteins that act as chemical messengers for communication between cells. Almost every cell in the body is capable of secreting cytokines, the many families of which are made up of proteins, peptides, or glycoproteins. Each family is produced for a specific function and matches a receptor on the surface of its target cell type. The functions of these proteins include regulating immune responses or inflammation and stimulating blood cell production. Cytokines have both local and systemic effects and may act on the same cell from which they were released, or other nearby cells.</p> <h2>1. Chemokines and Interferons</h2> <p>Chemokines, one type of cytokine, send messages to other cells through a process called chemotaxis. The messengers initiate the immune response by alerting other cells of threats and guiding them to the site of injury or infection. Interferons are proteins secreted in response to bacteria, viruses, parasites, or cancer cells. They inhibit virus replication by immediately signaling nearby cells to shield themselves from the virus and activating natural killer T-cells to destroy infected cells.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/474211060-1024x768.jpg" alt="cytokines cells" width="1024" height="768" /><span class="image-caption">PeopleImages / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>2. Tumor Necrosis Factor</h2> <p>Tumor necrosis factor, or TNF, are cytokines that act on abnormal cells and attack cancer cell lines. They produce rapidly in response to infection by gram-negative bacteria and may cause fever and inflammation lasting up to 24 hours. TNF activates the liver to produce proteins the body needs for systemic immune responses to severe or widespread infection.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/08/869034346-1024x575.jpg" alt="cytokines cells" width="1024" height="575" /><span class="image-caption">nopparit / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>3. Interleukins, Lymphokines, Monokines</h2> <p>Interleukins are a large and varied category of cytokines produced by leukocytes, especially T-cells. Their function depends on the type of white blood cell with which they interact. Lymphokines coordinate the immune response through communication with other cells. Monokines come from monocytes or macrophages and fulfill many of the same functions as lymphokines. Cytokines secreted by T-cells and macrophages coordinate the entire network of interacting cells during an immune response.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/862601694-1024x768.jpg" alt="what is a cytokine" width="1024" height="768" /><span class="image-caption">Meletios Verras / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>4. Erythropoietin</h2> <p>Erythropoietin or hemopoietin is a cytokine secreted by the kidneys to trigger red blood cell production in bone marrow. A constant supply of erythropoietin is secreted to compensate for normal turnover of red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen, so when oxygen levels are too low, the body tries to correct this by stimulating the production of additional blood cells. Colony-stimulating factors, or CSFs, are another type of cytokine necessary for differentiation of blood cells from stem cells in the bone marrow.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/11/172221293-1024x551.jpg" alt="bone marrow cytokines" width="1024" height="551" /><span class="image-caption">jpa1999 / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>5. Acute Inflammation</h2> <p>They cause acute inflammation as part of the healing process by pulling leukocytes, such as neutrophils, monocytes, and macrophages, from circulating blood. The body also activates other leukocytes known as mast cells at the site of infection or injury. Interactions between cytokines and leukocytes cause nearby blood vessels to widen and become porous so additional white blood cells and blood components can reach the site quickly.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/08/843026312-1024x733.jpg" alt="blood cytokines" width="1024" height="733" /><span class="image-caption">gilaxia / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>6. Initiating an Immune Response</h2> <p>T-helper cells identify pathogens or foreign substances in the body then release cytokines into the bloodstream. As they travel through, they trigger other cells to mount an immune response and activate T- and B-cells. Activated macrophages surround and break down foreign material, engulf and kill microorganisms, and remove dead cells. This is the start of the cascade induction that results in many cytokine cells being released from multiple cell types; a continuous feedback loop escalates an immune response until the compounds can eliminate the threat.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/08/911317676-1024x791.jpg" alt="immune system cytokines" width="1024" height="791" /><span class="image-caption">image_jungle / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>7. Chronic Inflammation</h2> <p>Anti-inflammatory cytokines regulate inflammation. For example, some interleukins prompt inflammation while other types reduce inflammation to maintain balance during an immune response. Arthritis, joint disease, and chronic pain can result from excessive cytokine production, unbalanced cytokines, or erroneous production without a pathogen or injury to target. Excessive pro-inflammatory cytokines correlate with osteoarthritis, while anti-inflammatory cytokines, especially TNF, that damage tissue appear to be a cause of rheumatoid arthritis.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/512749661-1024x709.jpg" alt="inflammation cytokines" width="1024" height="709" /><span class="image-caption">Yuri_Arcurs / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>8. Cytokine Interaction</h2> <p>Cytokine interaction with cells and each other is complex. <i>Pleiotropism </i>refers to different effects from the same cytokine, depending on the target cell type. <i>Redundancy</i> occurs when multiple cytokines have the same effect, while<i> synergism</i> means the combined effects are greater than either one individually. <i>Antagonism</i> is the action of one cytokine inhibiting other cytokines. They locate and attach to designated cell receptors quickly and function for a short time, so new cytokines can be released as the immune response adapts to changing circumstances.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/182506763-1024x768.jpg" alt="interaction cytokine" width="1024" height="768" /><span class="image-caption">Henrik5000 / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>9. Immunotherapy</h2> <p>Cytokines are part of cancer immunotherapy or natural cancer treatment, which some doctors use to treat leukemia, lymphoma, melanoma, bladder, and kidney cancer. Scientists manufacture these cytokines in a laboratory; then, doctors administer them to cancer patients. The treatment requires giving patients more cytokines than the body would produce naturally, with the goal of augmenting the immune response to overcome cancer cells. Immunotherapy is an option for other illnesses and medical conditions, as well.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/819568470-1024x683.jpg" alt="therapy cytokines" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">luchschen / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>10. Balanced Cytokines and Health</h2> <p>A healthy, nutrition-rich diet is essential to maintaining a proper balance of cytokines. Lack of sleep, nutritional deficiencies, and a sedentary lifestyle contribute to poorly balanced cytokine production, which could compromise the immune system. Acute stress over a short time lowers production of inflammatory cytokines while increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines, but chronic stress results in higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Chronic stress is a risk factor for many negative health conditions including inflammatory disease, depression, and fatigue.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/931543246-1024x683.jpg" alt="health cytokines" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">Marilyn Nieves / Getty Images</span></p>

Immune System

What Are Cytokines?

<p>You don't have to be a doctor to recognize the negative effects of stress on your body. It makes you feel anxious and out of control, and over time these feelings can become much more than just a mental state. Even just a few weeks of stress can take a physical toll, not to mention a mental one. This effect gets even worse as the period of stress stretches out longer, making prompt relief from stress a health imperative.</p> <h2>1. Addictive Behaviors</h2> <p>Consistent stress can lead to engaging in addictive behaviors. These behaviors can include the obvious ones, such as drinking or smoking to help alleviate feelings of pressure. They can also include overeating, even to the point of developing disorders such as bulimia. These addictive behaviors are coping mechanisms the brain utilizes to try to restore order. As you could probably guess, though, such practices only make stress worse in the end.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/1025313128-1024x683.jpg" alt="stress coping mechanisms " width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">D-Keine / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>2. Insomnia</h2> <p>Stress can cause one to both want to sleep all the time, and be unable to sleep at all. Insomnia is a common complaint among people who are stressed. They often lie in bed for hours each night, unable to fall asleep because their body is tense or thoughts keep running through their minds. Some people attempt to treat this with sleeping pills or other medications, but in the end, it is much better to engage in self-soothing behaviors such as yoga, meditation, or simply deep breathing.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/1035551340-1024x684.jpg" alt="insomnia stress" width="1024" height="684" /><span class="image-caption">Adene Sanchez / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>3. Changes in Eating Habits</h2> <p>Stress can affect your eating habits in two different ways. For some people, the appetite disappears. This is usually accompanied by nausea or a general feeling of a "nervous stomach". Others, though, end up eating more when they are under a lot of stress. Researchers think this is because of hormonal changes in the body during stressful times. Alternatively, it could have something to do with the feeling of comfort and control offered by some foods, especially the delicious, greasy ones.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/155035324-1024x683.jpg" alt="eating habits stress" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">MediaProduction / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>4. Changes in Exercising Habits</h2> <p>Just as one might want to eat more when stressed, they also tend to want to exercise less. When you are stressed, you rarely feel like exercising, other than to vent frustrations. But studies show exercise is actually one of the best ways to handle stress. It helps rid the body of extra adrenaline and cortisone caused by high-stress levels, and it helps you feel more energized and in control.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/950932388-1024x576.jpg" alt="exercise stress" width="1024" height="576" /><span class="image-caption">piranka / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>5. Anxiety</h2> <p>If stress has gone on for a long time or begins to manifest itself in ways that are more detrimental to your daily life, then it may be anxiety. Symptoms of anxiety include stomach aches, feelings of paranoia or always being "on edge," dizziness, moodiness, and even full-blown panic attacks. When stress continues uncontrolled, it can quickly become anxiety, which is much more difficult to manage, as it tends to have longer-lasting physical and mental effects.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/886493974-1024x683.jpg" alt="anxiety stress" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">skynesher / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>6. Depression</h2> <p>Another result of extended, unchecked stress is depression. Depression symptoms include despondency, sadness, moodiness, lack of energy, fatigue, and a general feeling of being unhappy or ill at ease. Some people are more prone to depression than others due to their brain chemistry, but anyone can get depressed, especially if they spend much of their time focusing on problems. Depression is a serious condition, and if you suspect that you or someone you love has progressed to feeling that general quality of life is extremely low, or if thoughts of self-harm surface, contact a professional immediately.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/920534530-1024x683.jpg" alt="depression stress" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">gawrav / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>7. Weakened Immune System</h2> <p>The body's stress response can take a toll on our internal processes just as much as it can the rest of our body. Long periods of stress that include raised hormone levels can lead to a weakened immune system, which makes it easier sickness to take hold -- anything from the common cold to a serious virus, which only serves to make us even more stressed.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/1024725016-1024x683.jpg" alt="immune system stress" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">svetikd / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>8. Withdrawing from Friends</h2> <p>When we are stressed, we tend to be moody and tend to withdraw from our friends and family. While this seems logical (if you don't feel like being around yourself, why would you want to be around anyone else?), it is highly detrimental. Studies show people under stress felt better, not worse, when they pushed themselves to spend time with their friends, family, and loved ones.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/10/908957470-1024x683.jpg" alt="withdrawal stress" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">praetorianphoto / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>9. Exacerbates Other Health Conditions</h2> <p>We have already mentioned that stress weakens the immune system -- this affects not only potential incoming illness but also existing ones. Chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia, arthritis, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can all get worse when one is under high amounts of stress. While stress does not directly cause these conditions (although researchers are investigating its connection to IBS), it can make the symptoms more severe than they would be otherwise.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2019/01/951679818-1024x683.jpg" alt="IBS stress" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">FatCamera / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>10. Constant Feeling of Being Run-Down</h2> <p>Let's face it: stress never feels good. Being under a lot of stress for a long time can make you feel tired all the time, even if you get enough sleep at night. Feeling "off" so often can make you feel run-down and world-weary all the time, which severely darkens your attitude toward life in general. If you are experiencing constant stress, it is imperative you find a way to deal with it, for the sake of your mental and physical well-being.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large size-large" src="https://facty.mblycdn.com/uploads/2018/11/889491548-1024x707.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="707" /><span class="image-caption">PeopleImages / Getty Images</span></p>

Stress is the natural response of the body to challenging events, causing your mind to be focused and alert. However, when stress doesn't subside, the effects can be serious.
Stress can disrupt your sense of well-being and lower the quality of your life. It is a medical problem that can be overwhelming and persistent, which interferes with your normal functioning. Most commonly, stress is related to work, family, personal issues or housing.

The most common symptoms of stress include physical complaints, fears and worries, rapid heart rate, upset stomach, and the avoidance of social interactions. While the cause of stress is uncertain, the problem is often a result of a combination of factors including brain chemistry, genetics, life events, and personality.

There are special stress therapies that address both the social environment and emotional needs of a person who is experiencing stress. Your doctor will evaluate all your symptoms in the context of your situation and life events, all while helping you overcome stress and prescribing suitable treatments.

Ailments

An "ailment" is a general term for minor to moderate physical illnesses, diseases, and disorders. In Facty Health, many different diagnoses fall under the ailment category. For example, acid reflux, eye disorders, skin problems, and GI problems, are considered an ailment.

In this category, you can discover natural home remedies for common symptoms. You will find that there is probably a miracle ingredient hiding in your pantry right now. Learn what foods to stay away from and which foods can help ease certain conditions. You can even learn to spot the early warning signs of some of the more severe diseases. Expect to find detailed and interesting information about the types of ailments, their symptoms, causes, and treatments.

If you have questions about a specific ailment or you just have a general curiosity for medicine, this would be a good place to start.

Stress

The Effects of Stress

<p>The human body is a strange beast. There are some things it does that even experts have no explanation for. One of the most common is yawning. We all yawn, and we all know when we're doing it. We do it when we're tired, we do it when we're bored. For such a small question, there's a huge amount of debate around it. While nobody really knows exactly why we yawn, there are a few theories that can go a little way in explaining.</p> <h2>1. It Wakes Us Up</h2> <p>One of the main hypotheses of why we yawn is the arousal hypothesis. Due to the fact we yawn more when we're tired, scientists hypothesize that yawning helps us to wake up. Increased fidgeting and stretching reset the range of sensitivity of the eardrum. When the eardrum is able to function right, we're more able to function in the world around us.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://cdn2.facty.com/uploads/2018/09/637000664-1024x683.jpg" alt="yawn" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">jkitan / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>2. It Also Cools the Brain</h2> <p>Another theory of yawning proposes that yawning cools down our brains. Yawning is responsible for us inhaling a larger amount of cool air, which cools the blood that's going to the brain. According to those with this hypothesis, before we yawn, the body experiences a rise in temperature. It is, however, a theory that doesn't have a lot of evidence. While that's the case, medically induced fevers have been known to spur on increased yawning rates. So, a temperature change may have something to do with it.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://cdn2.facty.com/uploads/2018/09/913004136-1024x683.jpg" alt="yawning" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">PeopleImages / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>3. It's Evolutionary</h2> <p>Some have theorized that yawning is an ancient reflex. This is due to yawning or yawning-like behavior having been observed in most vertebrates. If yawning is a behavior that's been passed down via evolution, then it must also be a social behavior. In this theory, which is related to the arousal theory, yawning is a way of telling others that we're becoming lower in energy or vigilance. Thousands of years ago, this would have been an important way for tribes and sects to stay focussed. Protecting each other is such an innate human behavior, but that doesn't explain why we pass the yawning on.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://cdn2.facty.com/uploads/2018/09/698396520-1024x683.jpg" alt="why do we yawn" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">loveguli / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>4. Increase in Cortisol</h2> <p>Cortisol is a hormone that increases with stress. Stress triggers yawning, which could also very well be part of the evolution of the species. Removal of the adrenal gland also prevents yawning behavior. The adrenal gland and stress are so heavily linked. If you've ever heard of the "fight or flight response", for example, it's a stress-induced adrenaline rush to blame. Additionally, if stress does play a part in yawning, it may also explain why we yawn when we're feeling uncomfortable.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://cdn2.facty.com/uploads/2018/09/929736050-1024x683.jpg" alt="stress yawn" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">chabybucko / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>5. Decrease in Dopamine</h2> <p>Because yawning is evident in cases where hormones are altered in some way, it is clearly somehow related to empathy. As a result, dopamine is also known as "the happy hormone". Individuals who have depression or anxiety have what is understood to be a chemical imbalance in the brain. Doctors will usually subscribe antidepressants as a treatment, as they tend to increase the amount of dopamine in the brain. Where dopamine comes into yawning is studies on patients who have Parkinson's disease. As a result of low dopamine levels, individuals with Parkinson's don't yawn as frequently as others.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://cdn2.facty.com/uploads/2018/09/814790792-1024x684.jpg" alt="dopamine yawn" width="1024" height="684" /><span class="image-caption">anurakpong / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>6. Too Much Caffeine</h2> <p>We know caffeine as the go-to for most of us when we have to wake up early or quickly. That said, too much caffeine can have an adverse effect on us, making us tired instead of waking us up. This is because, as with most substances, our body needs more and more of it to keep on going. When the caffeine wears off, you might experience a rapid energy drop and consequential yawning. The caffeine crash is one of the worst parts of any day, and the more coffee you consume, the more exhausted you'll become. The yawning is merely a symptom of a greater disease—coffee.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://cdn2.facty.com/uploads/2018/09/516320442-1024x683.jpg" alt="caffeine yawn" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">cyano66 / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>7. Deeper Breathing</h2> <p>When we're bored or tired, we don't breathe as deeply as we usually do. Have you ever noticed when your pet is asleep that their breaths get shallower and slower? The same science explains this. Deep breathing causes your heart rate to increase, pushing more blood to the brain. This is theorized to be due to our bodies taking in less oxygen when we're tired, yawning helps us to bring more into the blood. As a result, we feel more alert.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://cdn2.facty.com/uploads/2018/09/1001487236-1024x683.jpg" alt="breathing yawn" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">Deagreez / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>8. Why is Yawning Contagious?</h2> <p>There's a name for a yawn that passes from person to person. We call this universal phenomenon "contagious yawning". And it is 100% scientifically proven echo phenomenon. What that means is that yawning is an automatic imitation of another person, likely linked to the pack mentality. Although exactly why we "catch" yawns still needs far more research.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://cdn2.facty.com/uploads/2018/09/698582206-1024x683.jpg" alt="contagious yawns" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">Seregraff / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>9. Is it Evidence of Empathy?</h2> <p>While there are studies that "prove" otherwise, the theory that contagious yawning is related to empathy still counts. As well as pack mentality, echo phenomena or mimicry might also be a product of empathy. This could explain why children with autism spectrum disorders are seemingly immune to yawning when they see someone else doing so. It could also explain why neuro-typical children don't seem to pick this up until they are several years old.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://cdn2.facty.com/uploads/2018/09/486815668-1024x683.jpg" alt="evolution of yawning" width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">Lisa5201 / Getty Images</span></p> <h2>10. Can I Prevent a Yawn?</h2> <p>You can try. Stifling a yawn is hard if it's contagious, however, if it's due to fatigue, there are ways to counteract it. One of the ways you can go about keeping from yawning is to inhale deep breaths through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Similar to the way you would when exercising. An alternative way is to drink an iced beverage or to keep the environment that you're in cool. If this doesn't help, you might just be tired.</p> <p><img class="attachment-large alignnone" src="https://cdn2.facty.com/uploads/2018/09/160494375-1024x683.jpg" alt="preventing yawning " width="1024" height="683" /><span class="image-caption">Laures / Getty Images</span></p>

Everyone’s favorite Mythbuster, Adam Savage, once said: “the difference between screwing around and science is writing it down!” So true, Adam, so true. As long as you record your observations, you’re a scientist. Scientists gather knowledge, make observations, write them down, and test their theories. This process is known as the scientific method.

There are three main branches of science: physics, chemistry, and biology. These sciences combine with other fields to make specializations. For example, if you wanted to be a doctor, you would study human biology and organic chemistry. If you wanted to be an astronomer, you would study astronomy and astrophysics.

Those that study the sciences will tell you how closely related math, science, and engineering are. The acronym, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), refers to the close relationship between these fields. People in STEM industries help to shape our understanding of the world. Without STEM, our quality of life would be poor. Not only would we be without cell phones and computers, but we also wouldn’t have vaccines and surgery. At this point in history, it is hard to imagine what our lives would look like without it.

Answers

What is Communism? Why do hurricanes happen? Why do we yawn? Where can you find the answers to these questions and so many more? Facty Answers is the place to go when you want to learn something new or the answer is just on the tip of your tongue. Sometimes you might already know the answer, but you may want to double-check or read in greater detail about it. Our site contains accurate and easy to digest information, perfect for a busy lifestyle.

Learning doesn't have to stop when you finish school. Keep your brain young and energized with a stream of new and interesting information. Take in facts from all school subjects ranging from Grammar to Biology. Instead of searching through pages of research or getting lost down a click-hole, use your time productively and find what you're looking for. It doesn't stop there, use Facty Answers to find great quotes or book recommendations. Impress your friends and coworkers with a wide scope of general knowledge. Be a star at your local pub's trivia night. Finally, win that game of Trivial Pursuit with your family.

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Science

Why Do We Yawn and is it Really Contagious?

Digestion

<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="13kvn" data-offset-key="bilg0-0-0">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bilg0-0-0"><span data-offset-key="bilg0-0-0"><span data-text="true">Your digestive system turns the food you eat into parts it can use for energy and nutrients. The first part of the digestive system is the mouth. Food gets broken down in the mouth through chewing. Saliva also helps to break down food. The stomach is an organ with strong walls that hold in food while it breaks them down further. The intestines are the last steps of the digestion process. These long tubes are responsible for absorbing most of the food's nutrients.</span></span></div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="13kvn" data-offset-key="97lur-0-0">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="97lur-0-0"><span data-offset-key="97lur-0-0"><span data-text="true">Your digestive system is susceptible to certain problems. Ailments like GERD, IBS, and food poisoning target the digestive tract. Luckily, this is one of the systems in your body that is the most </span></span><span class="complexword"><span data-offset-key="97lur-1-0"><span data-text="true">impacted</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="97lur-2-0"><span data-text="true"> by the foods you eat. Diets like the Bland, BRAT, Ketogenic, and Atkins diet have origins in medicine.</span></span></div>
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Hormonal

<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="13kvn" data-offset-key="bilg0-0-0">
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="13kvn" data-offset-key="bilg0-0-0">
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="13kvn" data-offset-key="bilg0-0-0">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bilg0-0-0"><span data-offset-key="bilg0-0-0"><span data-text="true">Hormones are the mail carriers of your body. They make sure that every part gets the important messages it needs to function. Hormones are responsible for regulating digestion, metabolism, sleep, growth, and reproduction. Without them, your body would not be able to perform basic tasks. Estrogen, Progesterone, and Testosterone all have unique functions. These hormones need to be in balance for your body to function.</span></span></div>
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bilg0-0-0"></div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="13kvn" data-offset-key="cmlrf-0-0">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="cmlrf-0-0"><span data-offset-key="cmlrf-0-0"><span data-text="true">There are periods in your life when a hormonal imbalance is natural. For example, the changes you go through in puberty </span></span><span class="passivevoice"><span data-offset-key="cmlrf-1-0"><span data-text="true">are brought</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="cmlrf-2-0"><span data-text="true"> on by a spike in hormone levels. This spike is natural and necessary for growth. However, prolonged periods of hormone imbalance might be a cause for concern. This is because hormone imbalances can result in an array of problems. Conditions like insomnia, low mood, low libido, and indigestion are just a few examples. One of the most effective ways to maintain a healthy balance is with diet and exercise. </span></span></div>
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Natural Health

<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="13kvn" data-offset-key="bilg0-0-0">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="bilg0-0-0">
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="13kvn" data-offset-key="dd1to-0-0">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dd1to-0-0"><span data-offset-key="dd1to-0-0"><span data-text="true">Natural health is a form of alternative medicine that uses natural ingredients. Many people use natural medicine </span></span><span class="complexword"><span data-offset-key="dd1to-1-0"><span data-text="true">in addition</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="dd1to-2-0"><span data-text="true"> to traditional medicine. Naturopaths tend to reach for fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices. As a nutritionist would, naturopaths customize their recommendations for each person. Depending on what symptoms someone is experiencing, they will need a different diet. When you get down to it, they help you make healthy choices! </span></span></div>
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<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="13kvn" data-offset-key="essck-0-0">
<div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="essck-0-0"><span data-offset-key="essck-0-0"><span data-text="true">More advanced natural practices include acupuncture, applied kinesiology, ayurvedic medicine, and reflexology. </span></span><span class="complexword"><span data-offset-key="essck-1-0"><span data-text="true">However</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="essck-2-0"><span data-text="true">, most naturopaths begin by making simple diet and lifestyle changes. Many ingredients in your kitchen can relieve symptoms of the common cold. You can even treat cold sores, IBS, and acne this way. Because this type of medicine is </span></span><span class="adverb"><span data-offset-key="essck-3-0"><span data-text="true">relatively</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="essck-4-0"><span data-text="true"> cheap and harmless, it may be worth trying.</span></span></div>
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Why Do We Yawn and is it Really Contagious?

1. It Wakes Us Up

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