HEALTH AND WELLNESS

AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE AND BLOOD MS is a chronic, inflammatory disease of the central nervous system [CNS], which is the brain and spinal cord. Many physicians believe that MS is an autoimmune disease. This term refers to a group of diseases in which the immune system goes awry and attacks certain tissues of the body. The cause of MS is unknown, but viral infection has been considered as a possible triggering factor. The end result, it seems, is that components of the immune system target the myelin sheath covering the nerve fibers of the CNS, leaving plaques or lesions on the myelin, which is an important fatty substance. Indeed, the name multiple sclerosis refers to the multiple patches of scar tissues appearing on the nerve fibers. Myelin shields certain nerve fibers, providing a form of electrical insulation. So when myelin breaks down, electrical impulses may be completely blocked, or they may short-circuit to adjacent nerves, producing an abnormal impulse. And because damage can o

I do think about it [the consequences of taking steroids]…But like, it’s what I want now.”-John, a weight lifter. Are you happy with your appearance? Would you like to have the muscular body of a star athlete or the lean figure of a top model? Do you take sports seriously and want to improve your strength and speed? If you answered yes to any of the above, then you may be tempted to take some of the pills or portions that your peers promise will help you to achieve your goals more quickly. The journal American Academy of Family Physicians states: “Approximately 1 million adolescents [in the United States] between the ages of 12 and 17 years have taken potentially dangerous performance-enhancing supplements and drugs.” The most popular performance-boosting drugs are known as ANABOLIC STEROIDS. What are they? Why do people take them? And how can you resist their appeal? GIVING NATURE A BOOST “Anabolic steroids,” explains a report f

What would I do without tomatoes! Exclaims the Italian housewife. This is a sentiment shared by countless other cooks around the world. Indeed, the tomato features in recipes of many cultures. Homes gardeners grow it more than any other food. But is it a fruit or a vegetable? Botanically the tomato is a fruit because it is a berry containing seeds. However, most people think of it as a vegetable, as it is usually eaten with the main course of a meal. This tasty food has a fascinating past. COLORFUL HISTORY In Mexico the Aztecs cultivated the tomato for food. During the early 16th century, returning Spanish conquistadores took it to Spain and, borrowing the Nahuati word tomatl, called it a TOMATE. Soon Spanish enclaves in Italy, North Africa, and the Middle East were enjoying the new delicacy. Later that century the tomato reached northern Europe. At first it was thought to be poisonous and was grown as a decorative garden shru

Most of the progress in understanding sleep mechanics has been made in the last 50 years. What has been learned explodes some long-standing misconceptions. One is the assumption that since many bodily functions slows down during rest; sleep is little more than a state of inactivity. By studying brain-wave patterns, medical researchers have learned that there are repeated cycles and stages of sleep. Far from being inactive, the human brain runs at high speed during certain periods of sleep. Healthful sleep involves going through these cycles four or more times every night and spending a sufficient amount of time in each cycle. A normal night’s sleep is most easily divided into 2 types: what is commonly called REM [rapid eye movement, or dream] sleep and non-REM [nondream] sleep. You can tell a person is in REM sleep when the bulge of his eyeballs can be seen rapidly moving under his eyelids. Non-REM sleep can be further divided into 4 stages. After lying down,

One can survive for several weeks without food but only about five days without water! Up to three quarters of our body weight is water. For example, the brain is 75 to 85 percent water, and the muscles are 70 percent water. Among other things, water helps us to digest and absorb food, carrying nutrients to the cells. It removes toxins and other waste, lubricates joints and the colon, and regulates body temperature. But did you know that drinking enough water is also a factor in weight loss? DRINKING WATER TO LOSE WEIGHT First of all, water has no calories, is fat free and cholesterol-free, and is low in sodium. Second, it is an appetite suppressant. Third, water helps the body to metabolize stored fat. How? Well, when the kidneys do not have enough water, they cannot function properly. The liver steps in as a backup, but doing so hinders its ability to metabolize fat effectively.https://mysticrealityfacts.blogspot.com.ng/2017/09/nutritional-values-of-pizza.html The fat thus remains st

Vitiligo, also known as LEUKODERMA is triggered by the loss of pigment-producing cells in the skin. This results in the formation of white spots and patches on the skin. Sometimes Sarah speaks of humorously of her skin condition. She says with a smile, “I was born black, became white, and now I’m just confused.” She has VITILIGO. With some patients the condition never progresses beyond the appearance of one patch. With others, however, it spreads over the body quickly. Still others may suffer a slower form of vitiligo that continues to spread over many years. Vitiligo is neither physically painful nor contagious. Not all cases of vitiligo may be as obvious as Sarah’s because it is most noticeable on dark-skinned people. But there are many people afflicted to one degree or another. Statistics show that between 1 and 2 percent of the population is affected. Vitiligo knows no racial boundaries and affects men and women equally. Its cause is still unknown. While there is no sure cure fo

Every day your body wages war against enemies that are silent and unseen but potentially deadly. Foreign invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites, threaten your health. Most microbes do not cause disease. This article focuses on microorganisms and other infective agents that threaten your health. You are not likely to be aware of those battles because your immune system repels or destroys most of the invaders before the onset of symptoms. Sometimes, however, the harmful germs gain the upper hand. If so, you may need to bolster your defenses with medicine and other treatments. For thousands of years, people knew virtually nothing about the dangers of microscopic or other small harmful organisms. However, when 19th-century scientists confirmed the link between germs and disease, we became better equipped to defend ourselves. Medical researchers have since eliminated or greatly reduced the threat of some infectious diseases, including smallpox and polio. Recently, however, ot