Inhaling steam to help relieve your allergies and asthma.

All of us know that water is good for us. Dehydration could affect people suffering with asthma and allergies. One researcher believes that when there is insufficient water vapor in the lungs then there is  a tendency for the airways to constrict and also more mucus is produced.

Home remedies of drinking hot water and inhaling steam from a hot kettle has helped to give relief to those having an asthma attack.

How does the steam help those with sinus, asthma, allergies, bronchitis?

1. Steam moistens the air and so relieves throat irritation.
2. Steam relieves congestion of the mucus membranes.
3. Steam relaxes the muscles and relieves coughing.
4. Steam keeps the mucus membranes moist.
5. Steam loosens secretions and stimulates mucus discharge from the throat and lungs.

Health benefits of steam bathing

5 Criteria To Choose The Best Nutritional Supplement

There are so many brands of nutritional supplements in the market. How do we know which one is the best for me and my family? There are 5 important criteria to consider before deciding which particular brand to buy in order to get the quality we need.

1. Complete - A little bit of every nutrient is better than lots of one or two

A good supplement provides the full range of nutrients - vitamins, minerals, a variety of antioxidants such as bioflavanoids, alpha lipoic acid and coenzyme Q10. Alpha lipoic acid and Coenzyme Q10 are more costly nutrients and many "multi"-formulas do not include them. All these antioxidants work in different areas of the body and are designed to neutralize different kinds of free radicals.

2. Balance - Nutrients work best together in synergy - not alone

A good supplement provides nutrients in balance so that our bodies can enjoy the benefits of the nutrients when they work in synergy. Excessive amounts of one nutrient can sometimes hamper the absorption of another. You don't want to choose a supplement like a smorgasbord where you go to the local pharmacy and buy different supplements and putting them together yourself.

Vitamin E is the most potent antioxidant within the cell membrane. Vitamin C is the most potent antioxidant within the plasma. Glutathione is the most potent antioxidant within the cell itself. All of these antioxidants need the B cofactors and minerals to neutralize the free radicals. Glutathione needs sufficient selenium otherwise it will not able to do its job properly.

Vitamin C replenishes Vitamin E so that it can be used over and over again. Alpha lipoic acid, another potent antioxidant replenishes Vitamin E and glutathione. So when you provide all these antioxidants together, one plus one is not two, but instead adds up to ten or even twenty.


3. Potent - Too much of any nutrient is harmful but too little is ineffective
We need only a very small amount of each micronutrient. A good supplement provides sufficient amounts for optimal health. These amounts are often higher than the RDA levels. RDA or Recommended Dietary Allowances are the minimum nutrients needed to prevent acute deficiency diseases like scurvy, pellagra, rickets, etc. RDA levels are not optimal levels of nutrients needed in our diets to reduce the risk of degenerative diseases.

For example the RDA for Vitamin C is 60 mg daily. This will prevent scurvy, however according to medical literature you won't see any health benefit until you supplement between 1,000 and 2,000 mg of Vitamin C. To get that much in our diets we would need to eat eighteen large oranges or eighty avocados daily.
A good supplement should then provide the nutrients we normally get from our food but at levels we cannot obtain from our foods.

4. Bio-Available - What doesn't get absorbed and used is wasted

Vitamins and minerals can come in various forms. Some are more readily absorbed and used by the body than others. A good supplement always uses the most bio-available form. for example, chelated minerals are those bonded to amino acids and are more readily absorbed than mineral salts.


5. Safe - Above all, do no harm

A good supplement avoids nutrients like iron and preformed Vitamin A which can be harmful on long term use. A good supplement is also manufactured to more exacting standards to ensure purity and uniformity in every tablet. Products that are made to pharmaceutical standards are best as opposed to those manufactured according to food standard.

NSF International is an independent not-for-profit organization committed to making the world a safer place for consumers. It helps to certify a wide range of products ranging from food, water, different consumer products including dietary supplements.

NSF does not just evaluate the data submitted by manufacturers or analyze just a sample of the product. They conduct product testing in their own accredited laboratories to ensure that the actual contents of the product match those printed on the label. If you consume a dietary supplement that has been certified by NSF you can be confident that the contents are being regularly checked by one of the most respected certifiers in the world. NSF conducts annual audits and periodically retests each dietary supplement product to ensure continued compliance against the toughest testing standard in existence.

Visit NSF's listing page for a list of NSF certified supplements.

How Vitamin C helps hayfever

Vitamin C lowers histamine level

During an allergic attack like hay fever the Vitmain C level drops while the histamine in the blood rises.

Histamine is released when a person who has a sensitive immune system inhales pollen or dust.

This causes itching, runny nose and sneezing.

According to research at the Arizona State University the people who consume 2,000 mg of Vitamin C per day have a blood histamine level 40 percent lower than those who consume the RDA (US Recommended Daily Allowance.)

Vitamin C doesn't block the histamine receptors like the anti-histamine drugs, which is what gives the quick relief.

Vitamin C lowers the levels of histamines in the blood.

It is safe to say that Vitamin C help prevent or lessen allergy symptoms over the long term. It doesn't act as a quick treatment for existing symptoms.

Vitamin C and bioflavonoids together work better

Bioflavonoids are the substance that give fruits and vegetables their rich colour. They work in synergy with Vitamin C. This means when use together you will get more benefit.

The best bioflavonoid for hay fever is quercitin. It helps stablilise the cell membranes of those cells which discharge histamine into the blood stream.

It is a natural anti-histamine helping to reduce inflammation of the nasal passages, the bronchial airways and the throat.

Foods which has this nutrient include red and yellow onions, shallots, squash, courgettes and broccoli.

Vitamin C rich foods - guave, bell peppers, strawberries, cabbage, kale. kiwi and oranges.

More Bananas!

Here are more banana remedies to keep sickness at bay!

Constipation- High in fiber, including bananas in our daily diet can help us help restore normal bowel action without resorting to laxatives.

Heartburn- Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body. So the next tiem you have heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Hangovers - One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Morning Sickness - Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Strokes - According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40 percent.

So a banana really is a natural remedy for many of our ills we encounter in today's stressful lives.

Bananas mut be the reason why monkeys are so happy all the time!

Going Bananas!

Have you ever wondered what people see in the banana?

After reading this you'll never look at a banana the same way again.

Research has shown 2 bananas provide enough energy for a 90-minute work out. it gives an instant and substantial boost of energy. So the next time you feel hunger pangs grab a banana!

It is a must in our daily diet. It can help us overcome or prevent a number of illnesses and conditions.

PMS-Forget the pills. The Vitmain B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Blood Pressure-This tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium, yet low in salt making it perfect to beat blood pressure. The US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Giving up smoking- The B6, B12 found in bananas as well as the potassium and magnesium helps the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.