Tout dans la vie est une question d'équilibre d'où la nécessité de garder un esprit sain dans un corps sain.

Discipline-Volonté-Persévérance

Everything in life is a matter of balance therefore one needs to keep a healthy mind in a healthy body.

Discipline-Will-Perseverance.

E. do REGO

Sunday, September 30, 2012

La Propolis



Propolis



Autres noms : cire de propolis, résine de propolis, baume de propolis.
Indications

Voie externe - Traiter l’herpès génital et la vaginite; traiter la gingivite; accélérer la guérison des plaies de la muqueuse buccale; prévenir la carie dentaire. 
Voie interne - Prévenir et traiter les infections des voies respiratoires, traiter les verrues.
Voie externe - Contribuer à la guérison des brûlures, des plaies et des affections de la peau ou des muqueuses (particulièrement les infections de la bouche et de la gorge). 
Voie interne – Renforcer le système immunitaire.

Pour plus de détails, voir Recherches sur la propolis.

Posologie de la propolis

Il n’existe présentement aucun consensus sur la normalisation des produits thérapeutiques à base de propolis. On trouve la propolis sous forme de morceaux bruts, de capsules, de comprimés, de gomme à mâcher, d’extrait fluide ou sec, de teinture, de rince-bouche, de dentifrice, de pommade, etc. De plus, certains sirops, remèdes à base de plantes ou suppléments vitaminiques et minéraux en renferment des quantités variables.

Par voie interne

Infections des voies respiratoires
  • Traditionnellement, les cliniciens (surtout européens) recommandent de prendre 1 g de propolis pure, de 1 à 3 fois par jour. Pour les extraits, suivre les indications du fabricant ou d’un professionnel de la santé.

Par voie externe

  • Rince-bouche (plaque dentaire et gingivite). Les produits du commerce renferment des pourcentages variables de propolis. Se rincer la bouche durant 60 à 90 secondes, de 1 à 2 fois par jour.
  • Pommade (brûlures, plaies cutanées, infections vaginales, herpès génital, etc.). Les pommades du commerce renferment des pourcentages variables de propolis. Appliquer sur les parties atteintes, 4 fois par jour, durant 10 jours.
N.B. Cesser les applications de propolis en cas de réactions allergiques. De même, interrompre le traitement si l’on n’obtient aucun résultat au bout de 2 à 3 semaines. Un traitement à la propolis ne devrait pas être prolongé au-delà de 3 semaines.

Description de la propolis

PropolisLa propolis est un enduit dont les abeilles se servent pour recouvrir toutes les surfaces intérieures de la ruche afin d'en assurer l’étanchéité, la solidité et l’asepsie. Elles la fabriquent à partir de diverses résines qu’elles recueillent sur les bourgeons et l’écorce des arbres (surtout sur les peupliers et les conifères), et auxquelles elles ajoutent de la cire et des sécrétions salivaires.
La propolis joue un rôle hygiénique en créant une couche protectrice contre les invasions microbiennes ou fongiques. L’ouverture, nommée le « trou d’envol », qui se trouve à l’entrée de la ruche, est constamment ajustée et remodelée à l’aide de propolis afin d’adapter ses dimensions et son orientation en fonction des conditions climatiques. Ce passage constitue par la même occasion une sorte de chambre de stérilisation à l’entrée de la ruche, d’où le nom propolis qui signifie, en grec ancien, « devant » (pro) la « cité » (polis).
Dure et friable à 15 °C, la propolis devient molle et malléable aux alentours de 30 °C, puis collante ou gluante à des températures plus élevées. Sa couleur peut varier du jaune clair au brun très foncé, presque noire, en passant par toute une gamme de bruns suivant les types de résines recueillies par les ouvrières. Elle possède une saveur âcre, voire amère, et dégage une odeur douceâtre liée aux résines aromatiques qu’elle renferme.
On attribue généralement les propriétés thérapeutiques (antiseptiques, antibactériennes et antioxydantes) de la propolis à sa teneur en flavonoïdes (pinocembrine, galangine et pinobanksine notamment). Cette teneur peut cependant varier beaucoup d’un produit à l’autre, notamment en fonction du lieu de la récolte.

Historique de la propolis

En Égypte, la propolis servait à l'embaumement. Elle était également connue des Grecs anciens puisque Aristote la présentait, dans son Histoire des animaux, comme un « remède aux affections de la peau, plaies et suppurations ». Elle connut un regain de popularité au XIXe siècle lorsque les médecins de l’armée anglaise l’employèrent pour désinfecter les blessures et faciliter leur cicatrisation durant la Guerre des Boers en Afrique du Sud.
En raison des résines végétales qu’elle renferme, la propolis est depuis longtemps considérée dans l'herboristerie traditionnelle comme un remède utile pour combattre les infections de toutes sortes, tant par voie interne que par voie externe.
Signalons par ailleurs que la propolis entrait dans la composition du vernis utilisé par le célèbre luthier Stradivarius.

Recherches sur la propolis

Bien que l’on ait mené relativement peu d’essais cliniques avec placebo visant à démontrer l’efficacité de la propolis, ses vertus antimicrobiennes, antivirales, anti-inflammatoires etantioxydantes sont bien documentées par des essais in vitro et sur des animaux1-7.
Efficacité incertaine Herpès génital. Quelques données in vitro indiquent que la propolis est efficace contre le virus de l’herpès. On ne dispose cependant que d’un seul essai clinique auprès de 90 sujets, et sa méthodologie laisse à désirer. Au cours de cette étude, une pommade à la propolis (3 % de propolis), a été plus efficace qu’une pommade à l’acyclovir (médicament classique pour le traitement de l’herpès) et qu’un placebo pour guérir les lésions de l'herpès génital et en atténuer les symptômes8.
Efficacité incertaine Vaginite. Selon 2 essais de faible qualité méthodologique, la propolis serait utile pour traiter lavaginite (94 patientes en tout)9,10.
Efficacité incertaine Gingivite, plaies et infections de la muqueuse buccale. Des essais in vitro indiquent que la propolis est efficace contre divers pathogènes susceptibles d’infecter la cavité buccale (bactéries et champignons). Quelques essais cliniques indiquent que la propolis, en usage topique, favorise le processus de guérison des plaies et des infections de la muqueuse buccale (gingivite, parodontite, abcès, blessures, champignons)11-15 et peut réduire la récidive d’aphtes chez les personnes qui en souffrent de façon récurrente (usage interne)16.
Efficacité incertaine Prévention des caries. Les vertus antiseptiques de la propolis étant bien documentées, on trouve, surtout en Europe, des dentifrices et des rince-bouche qui en renferment à titre d’agentanticarie. Plusieurs essais sur des animaux ont donné des résultats prometteurs, mais les quelques essais sur des humains ont donné des résultats mitigés. Selon l’auteur d’une synthèse sur les propriétés anticarie de la propolis, ces résultats divergents sont probablement attribuables à la composition variable des propolis utilisées au cours des essais17.
Par ailleurs, au cours d’une étude préliminaire sans placebo menée en Arabie Saoudite,on a observé que la propolis pouvait réduire l’hypersensibilité dentaire18. Un essai sur des dents humaines indique que c’est en agissant à titre de scellant, que la propolis pourrait avoir cet effet, c’est-à-dire en comblant les petits canaux (tubules) qui se trouvent sous l’émail19.
Efficacité incertaine Infections des voies respiratoires. Les données issues d’études cliniques manquent de solidité. Selon un essai mené auprès de 50 sujets, la propolis a réduit la durée des symptômes durhume20 plus rapidement qu’un placebo. La propolis, sous forme de pulvérisation nasale, a diminué le nombre de rhinopharyngites chez les enfants traités par rapport à un groupe témoin n’ayant reçu aucun traitement (94 sujets)21. Cependant, la qualité méthodologique de ces 2 études est faible.
Un essai de bonne qualité méthodologique a été mené auprès de 328 enfants d’âge préscolaire : par rapport à un placebo, une préparation (Chizukit®) à base d’échinacée, de propolis et de vitamine C a réduit le nombre et la gravité des infections des voies respiratoires22. L’échinacée et la vitamine C pouvant avoir aussi des effets sur les symptômes de ces infections, il est difficile de déterminer quel a été le rôle propre à la propolis dans ces résultats.
Efficacité incertaine Verrues. Un essai a été mené en Égypte sur 135 personnes ayant des verrues. Elles ont pris durant 3 mois de la propolis (500 mg par jour), de l’échinacée (Echinacea purpurea, 600 mg par jour) ou un placebo (voie orale). Dans le cas des verrues vulgaires et planes, la propolis a été nettement plus efficace que le placebo et l’échinacée pour guérir les participants. Dans le cas des verrues plantaires (sous le pied), aucun des 3 traitements n’a été efficace.

Divers

Otite. Au cours d’un essai de faible qualité méthodologique, un traitement à base de propolis et dezinc a été plus efficace qu’un placebo pour réduire les otites récurrentes chez des enfants24.
Asthme. Par rapport à un placebo, la propolis a atténué sensiblement le nombre et la gravité des crises nocturnes d’asthme, a amélioré les fonctions respiratoires et diminué les mécanismes de l’inflammation (46 sujets)25.
Cancer. Selon l’auteur d’une synthèse, la propolis pourrait être un traitement adjuvant intéressant ducancer, notamment vu ses propriétés antitumeur documentées par des essais in vitro et sur des animaux26. Les recherches se poursuivent, mais aucun essai clinique n’est venu confirmer cette hypothèse.
Usage traditionnel Usages traditionnels. Quelques essais cliniques ont confirmé plusieurs des usages traditionnels de la propolis, par exemple pour le traitement de brûlures (aussi efficace qu’une crème médicamentée)27, de lésions oculaires post-herpétiques28 et de la giardase (aussi efficace qu’un médicament)29. La giardase est une infection intestinale attribuable au parasite Giarda intestinalis.
Des données in vitro indiquent que la propolis possède une action antifongique comparable à celle de l’itraconazole, un antifongique de synthèse classique30, et qu’elle peut augmenter l’action bactéricide de la clarithromycine pour lutter contre Helicobacter pylori, la bactérie qui cause lesulcères gastriques31. Il semble qu’elle puisse également améliorer l’efficacité de certains antibiotiques couramment employés contre la salmonelle32.

Précautions

Attention

  • Le risque de développer une allergie à la propolis augmente avec la durée du traitement. Ne pas utiliser pendant plus de 2 ou 3 semaines consécutives.
  • Il existe un risque d’allergie croisée en cas d’allergie au baume du tigre (Tiger Balm®) ou au peuplier baumier33.

Contre-indications

  • Personnes allergiques aux produits de l’abeille.

Effets indésirables

  • Réactions allergiques. Plusieurs cas ont été rapportés, quelques-uns graves, notamment en Italie et au Canada34-39.
  • Quelques cas de troubles gastro-intestinaux mineurs et temporaires ont été rapportés.

Interactions

Avec des plantes ou des suppléments

  • Aucune connue.

Avec des médicaments

  • Comme nous le mentionnons dans la section Recherches, la propolis pourrait améliorerl’efficacité de certains médicaments antifongiques ou antibiotiques.

Réviseure :
Cécile Bertin,Ph.D (mai 2011)
Recherche et rédaction : PasseportSanté.net
Mise à jour : mai 2011

Friday, September 28, 2012

Snacks good for your hips…


This month we’ve been polishing up our clean routine, taking care of our bodies as well as our hearts and minds, and integrating sustainable practices into our daily lives. All this cleaning has made us...hungry of course! So it’s time to talk about some clean routine snacks that are good for your brain — as well as your hips.
Although snacking often gets a bad rap, used wisely it can be a useful tool for both energy balance and weight maintenance. Adding clean snacks to your routine can help keep your metabolism revved throughout the day, provide sustenance to get you through your workout (and re-fuel post workout), provide an opportunity get more fruits and veggies in your day — and keep you from over-indulging at the next meal.
Don’t think you’re a snacker? If you can go between lunch and dinner without being ravenous by 5 p.m. then perhaps that’s the case. But if dinner time rolls around and you’re cramming in any food you can get your hands on, then you might be in need of some smart snacking. Going longer than about 3 or 4 hours without a snack starts to slow down your metabolism and skew your blood sugars — not to mention increasing the likelihood of overconsumption during the next meal.
Here are some tips to help you make smart snacking a part of your clean routine:
Make sure the snack you choose is what you want in terms of salty, sweet, crunchy, or smooth — this will help make sure you feel satisfied.
The ideal snack should be around 200 calories. Remember: a snack is not a meal.
Plan your snacks in advance. This can save you time and can also save you from making poor choices…or having no choice at all!
Try to get some fiber and/or protein to help decrease cravings more than a high fat or high sugar snack would.
Carry healthy snacks with you at all times.
Snack strategically, not mindlessly!
Partiality aside, Vega makes some mean and clean snack options like Vega One, Vega Energizing Smoothie, Vibrancy Bars, and Vega Sport Protein or Endurance Bars — all of which are highly nutritious and can be taken on the go. Other clean snacking options:
Hummus with fresh veggies
1 ounce of raw nuts = (approximately) 16 almonds, 22 peanuts, 11 walnut halves, 25 pistachios, or 16 cashews
A serving of fruit like berries, melon, a small apple, orange, or banana. Try dipping in a raw nut butter for a protein boost
A small home-made smoothie
A cup of vegetable soup
Trail mix with an ounce of nuts and dried fruit
2 cups of air-popped popcorn with a dash of cayenne pepper
Handful of SaviSeeds or sunflower seeds

Break a sugar addiction within a week using three easy steps



by Brad Chase 

(NaturalNews) Refined sugar is a drug that is similar to opiates in its power to become addicted to it. The Journal of Psychoactive Drugs stated in a study published in 2010 that sugar releases euphoric endorphins in some people's brains in a manner very similar to that of certain drugs which are commonly abused.

"Sugar addiction" follows the same pathways in the brain that a habit-forming drug does. Fortunately, sugar cravings can be stopped within a week of withdrawing from the white crystals.

The entire scope of drug addiction has been observed in people with sugar addiction. There are cravings, an escalation of tolerance levels, and dramatic withdrawal symptoms associated with sugar addiction that parallel that of both prescription and non-prescription "street" drugs. In addition, sugar addicts often become narcotic addicts, according to the above study.

The study, performed at California State University, found that children of alcoholic parents often had a "sweet tooth," and were more likely to become alcoholics themselves when they became adults. There are also genetic markers connecting sugar addictions with alcoholism, bulimia, and obesity.

Raw, organic fruits and vegetables form the first step in breaking a sugar addiction

The first step in breaking a sugar addiction is to make sure all fruits and vegetables consumed are 100 percent organic. Organic fruits and vegetables are full of natural sugars, or complex carbohydrates. Not only does organic produce taste better, the complex carbohydrates break down slower than simple carbohydrates do. This means the body does not send "craving" messages as quickly to the brain.

Substitute pastries with whole grain bread and raw honey

While those on an ancestral diet may cringe at the suggestion, a person who is just beginning to transition from the Standard American Diet (SAD) by breaking a sugar addiction can dramatically reduce sugar cravings by eating a slice of homemade whole grain bread drizzled with raw, unpasteurized local honey.

Whereas someone on the SAD might normally reach for a quart of their favorite ice cream and the better part of a bag of cookies for an evening snack, homemade bread with raw honey is a wiser, healthier choice.

According to MyFitnessPal.com, there are approximately 290 calories in just one cup of a commercial brand of vanilla ice cream, along with 16 grams of fat and 30 grams of refined sugar. By comparison, a 1.5 gram slice of homemade whole grain bread contains 100 calories, 1.5 grams fat, and 18 grams of complex carbohydrates.

Drizzling a whole tablespoon of raw honey onto the slice of bread adds 70 calories and 15 grams of sugar. Rather than eating 28 grams of refined sugar from a cup of vanilla ice cream alone, sugar cravings are reduced by eating 15 grams of raw honey.

In addition, the destructive chemicals in refined sugar are replaced with the scientifically proven anti-microbial, anti-oxidant and appetite-regulating benefits of raw honey.

Break the need for crunchy snacks with raw nuts and trail mixes

Raw nuts and seeds along with natural trail mixes made with dried, unsweetened fruit are perfect for the person who is breaking a sugar addiction. Raw nuts and seeds offer protein, energy, and healthy plant fats.

Trail mixes, as long as they do not contain added candy or sugar- sweetened fruit, contain an interesting combination of complex carbohydrates, proteins, and good fats which help tide an individual over until meal time. There is just enough natural sugar in trail mix to offer an energy boost without a sugar spike.

Type 2 diabetes breakthrough: Imbalance in gut bacteria likely cause

by Sherry Baker, Health Sciences Editor 

(NaturalNews) We've all heard the news about the enormous, world-wide epidemic of type 2 diabetes. Not only is this form of diabetes (which results from the body's inability to effectively use insulin) soaring among adults, it is now hitting children and teens as well. The World Health Organization (WHO) says the cause is primarily excess body weight and weight physical inactivity.

But breakthrough research just published in the journal Nature strongly indicates another, bottom line cause has been discovered - an imbalance of "good" versus "bad" bacteria in the intestinal tract appears to trigger type 2 diabetes.

Sound familiar? Natural health advocates have long insisted that a healthy digestive tract is crucial to preventing and treating diseases and that making sure there's a healthy balance between the "good" bacteria and the disease-promoting kind is key. In recent years, this concept has been backed up by numerous studies linking the overuse of antibiotics, which wipe out the "good" germs in the gut, to serious ills. Researchers have also found that promoting a healthy internal flora rich in the "good" kind of bacteria is beneficial in a myriad of ways - including boosting the immune system to fight flu and treating Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. And research recently published by Austrian scientists in the Journal of Clinical Investigation suggests an unhealthy balance of gut flora could cause obesity and metabolic syndrome which have long been linked to type 2 diabetes.

"We have demonstrated that people with type 2 diabetes have a high level of pathogens in their intestines," lead researcher for the Nature study, Jun Wang from the University of Copenhagen'sDepartment of Biology and Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, said in a media statement.

The research team pointed out the 1.5 kilograms of bacteria that each of us carries around in our intestines have a huge impact on our well-being. If the equilibrium of what is known as this "microflora" in the gut is disrupted, health can suffer. For their study, the scientists zeroed in on the intestinal bacteria of 345 people from China. The 171 research subjects who had type 2 diabetes were found to have "a more hostile bacterial environment in their intestines" than those not suffering from the disease. The study suggests this kind of out-of-balance gut flora could increase resistance to different medicines as well as likely be the trigger for type 2 diabetes. The scientists identified specific biological indicators in the gut flora that could eventually be used to identify those at risk of type 2 diabetes as well as to diagnose the disease.

"We are going to transplant gut bacteria from people that suffer from type 2 diabetes into mice and examine whether the mice then develop diabetes," another of the lead scientists behind the project, professor Oluf Borbye Pedersen from the University of Copenhagen, stated.

What can you do to keep your internal flora healthy and balanced? For starters, avoid antibiotics as much as possible. Also, eat a healthy diet that includes prebiotics (naturally occurring substances found in thousands of plants species that foster a healthy environment in the colon that's hostile to the "bad" bacteria) and probiotics (the "good" bacteria that is found in fermented foods like kefir, yogurt and sauerkraut that can crowd out bad bacteria and replenish the "good" kind that can be wiped out by antibiotics).

Eating yogurt regularly found to help lower blood pressure


by Jonathan Benson, staff writer 

(NaturalNews) The benefits of consuming probiotic-rich yogurt extend a whole lot further than just promoting digestive health, according to a new study presented at a recent medical conference in Washington, D.C. It turns out that people who regularly eat yogurt as part of a healthy diet tend to have a lower risk of developing high blood pressure, a condition that can cause more serious problems like stroke, heart attack, congestive heart failure, kidney damage, or blindness later on down the road.

Researchers from Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, studied and tracked more than 2,000 adults who were part of the Framingham Heart Study, all of whom did not have high blood pressure at the start of the study. Participants answered questionnaires at three intervals during the study, and the study team evaluated and compared rates of yogurt consumption to rates of high blood pressure during a 14-year follow-up period.

Upon analysis, the team, which was headed by Dr. Huifen Wang, Ph.D., found that participants who ate the equivalent of at least one serving of yogurt every three days were 31 percent less likely to develop high blood pressure than participants who ate no yogurt at all. Levels of systolic blood pressure, which indicate the force of blood against arterial walls while the heart is beating, were also generally lower among those who ate yogurt compared to those who did not.

"Higher yogurt intake, as part of a healthy diet pattern, may be beneficial for blood pressure control and hypertension prevention," said the research team about the findings.

Eating yogurt without taking blood pressure medication even more beneficial

Overall, the amount of yogurt consumed by participants that experienced blood pressure benefits was relatively low, averaging as little as one-third of a serving of yogurt per day. But even more surprising was the researchers' observation that those participants who ate yogurt but were not taking any blood pressure medications actually fared better in the blood pressure department than those who ate yogurt as well as took the medications.

What this means is that blood pressure medication may be completely unnecessary for many people who simply revamp their diets to include foods like yogurt that appear to improve blood flow and ease arterial inflammation and other factors that can lead to high blood pressure. When consuming yogurt, be sure to look for organic, grass-fed varieties that have not been homogenized, and that preferably contain part or full fat content.

Fructose consumption shown to damage liver by altering energy balance



by John Phillip 

(NaturalNews) Mortality from diseases of the liver has increased over the past half-century to secure a place as one of the top, leading causes of death each year in the United States. One hundred years ago, liver disease was virtually unheard of except for the occasional death from alcoholic cirrhosis. Today, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common diagnosis caused by an inability to effectively clear fat stores from the organ. Metabolic function quickly becomes compromised and liver failure can be a potentially fatal result.

The skyrocketing rise in the number of overweight and obese individuals is a significant contributing factor to the epidemic of deaths recorded from liver disease. Prior research bodies have implicated increased use of fructose, and its super-charged twin, high fructose corn syrup with weight gain and NAFLD. Fructose consumption in the U.S. has more than doubled in the past 30 years and is found in fruits and vegetables, whereas HFCS is a mixture of glucose and fructose that is used as a sweetener in many processed consumer food products including bread, cereal, and soda.

Researchers publishing in the journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, Hepatology, found that obese patients with type 2 diabetes who consume higher amounts of fructose, display reduced levels of liver adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a compound involved in energy transfer between cells. The scientists determined that elevated uric acid levels are associated with more severe hepatic ATP depletion as fructose consumption is increased.

Excess fructose consumption can compromise liver function leading to organ failure

To conduct the study, researchers evaluated 244 obese and diabetic adults from the Look AHEAD Study, with dietary fructose consumption estimated by a food frequency questionnaire. The scientists assessed changes in liver ATP content using an IV-delivered fructose challenge, and then compared patients with low fructose consumption (fewer than 15 grams per day) to those with high fructose consumption (greater than 15 grams per day).

The researchers determined that participants with the highest intake of dietary fructose had lower liver ATP levels and a greater change in ATP content following the fructose challenge as compared to those who consumed a lower amount of fructose. Patients with high uric acid levels displayed lower ATP stores in response to fructose. This means that fructose consumption is directly correlated to metabolic liver function and is a significant determinant in how well the liver performs its more than 300 critical functions necessary to sustain life.

The study team concluded "High fructose consumption and elevated levels of uric acid are associated with more severe depletion of liver ATP. Our findings suggest that increased dietary fructose intake may impair liver 'energy balance.'" This study reinforces the wealth of scientifically validated research to avoid excess fructose consumption from sweetened beverages and processed foods to avoid weight gain and risk of NAFLD and liver failure.

Sources for this article include:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hep.25741/abstract
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/Diabetes/34864
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120913104121.htm

About the author:
John Phillip is a Certified Nutritional Consultant and Health Researcher and Author who writes regularly on the cutting edge use of diet, lifestyle modifications and targeted supplementation to enhance and improve the quality and length of life. John is the author of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan', a comprehensive EBook explaining how to use Diet, Exercise, Mind and Targeted Supplementation to achieve your weight loss goal. Visit My Optimal Health Resource to continue reading the latest health news updates, and to download your Free 48 page copy of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan'.

Et si on mangeait moins de viande?


Par Lise Bergeron

Mise en ligne : 27 septembre 2012

Réduire sa consommation de viande est non seulement bénéfique pour la santé, mais aussi pour la planète, concluent des chercheurs de l'Université de Cambridge.

Photo: Shutterstock
Encore une fois, la viande en prend pour son rhume dans la presse scientifique. Cette fois, c'est une équipe de chercheurs britanniques qui enfonce le clou: «La consommation de viande rouge et transformée est une source majeure de gaz à effet de serre, et une consommation élevée de ces produits augmente le risque de maladies chroniques. Notre objectif était de voir comment une réduction de la consommation de viande se répercuterait sur l'environnement et la santé», écrivent les auteurs de l'étude, publiée en ligne par le British Medical Journal.

Pour l'environnement et la santé
L'équipe de l'Université de Cambridge a mesuré les rejets de CO2 entraînés par les gros et les petits mangeurs de viande, et les a comparés avec ceux des végétariens. Résultat: en coupant de moitié leur consommation de viande rouge et de charcuteries, les Britanniques réduiraient d’environ 28 millions de tonnes la production de CO2, ce qui entraînerait une chute de 3 % des émissions de gaz à effet de serre (GES).

Les chercheurs rappellent également que de récentes méta-analyses ont démontré des liens entre consommation de viande et risque accru de contracter plusieurs maladies. «En réduisant l'apport en produits carnés, l'incidence des maladies cardiovasculaires, du diabète de type 2 et du cancer colorectal chuterait de 3 à 12 % dans la population du Royaume-Uni», notent les scientifiques.

Pour la nutritionniste Anne-Marie Roy, qui est aussi vice-présidente de l'Association végétarienne de Montréal, il n'y a rien de nouveau sous le soleil: «Cette étude vient simplement confirmer des données qu’on avait déjà. On sait depuis des années que les végétaux, peu ou pas transformés, nous protègent des maladies chroniques et sont moins coûteux en ressources que les produits animaux. Il est grand temps de changer notre culture alimentaire centrée sur la viande et de mettre les végétaux à l’honneur.»

Comment réduire sa consommation de viande
Le site Lundi sans viande donne des recettes et une foule d'idées pour réduire sa consommation de viande, tout en respectant un bon équilibre alimentaire et en compensant par d’autres sources de protéines. Voici quelques trucs.
  • Adoptez les légumineuses (pois chiches, lentilles, fèves, etc.). Faites, par exemple, un pâté chinois ou une casserole de riz aux lentilles, un chili sin carne aux haricots rouges ou des croquettes de pois chiches.
  • Mangez des noix (amandes, noix de Grenoble, pacanes, etc.) et des graines (de tournesol, de citrouille, de sésame, etc.). Ajoutez-en dans vos salades, mangez-en sous forme de beurre ou en collation.
  • Incorporez du tofu dans vos recettes. En cubes dans vos soupes ou dans un sauté de légumes, ou émietté dans la sauce à spaghetti.
  • Remplacez le jambon par du végépâté, de l'hummus ou du baba ghannouj (purée à base d'aubergine) dans vos sandwichs.
  • Choisissez un resto qui offre des plats sans viande.
L'avenir appartient-il aux végétariens?
L'étude de l'Université de Cambridge s'ajoute à celle publiée en Suède le mois dernier à l'occasion de la Conférence mondiale sur l'eau qui réunissait à Stockholm des scientifiques de 120 pays. L'objet des discussions: les enjeux entourant la consommation d'eau potable et la pénurie anticipée de cette ressource à mesure que la population mondiale augmente.  

Le rapport publié par le Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) est catégorique: il faut revoir radicalement nos méthodes de production alimentaire si on veut arriver à nourrir les neuf milliards d'humains qui peupleront la Terre d'ici 2050. L'élevage du bétail, notamment, est très énergivore, puisqu'il faut de 5 à 10 fois plus d'eau pour produire des protéines animales que pour obtenir des protéines végétales. De plus, le tiers des terres arables de la planète servent à l'alimentation des bêtes.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Cool Rowing Movements

by Ben Bruno – 9/26/2012

Cool Rowing Exercises
For most trainees, "back day" typically includes at least one variation of the row. This pleases the strength coach in me as it shows at least some consideration of balanced programming. However, the meathead in me is often dismayed by the gross lack of effort put forth into these rows.
Doesn't anyone watch Pumping Iron anymore? That scene of Arnold and Franco banging out heavy-ass sets of T-bar rows just weeks before the Mr. Olympia? When it comes to back training those guys absolutely , and there's a lot to be learned from that.
But what about lighter, controlled rowing variations? Are they even worth doing?
Good question. To that end, there are really two main reasons to do rows:
This not only looks badass, it also helps provide a stable foundation for other compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and presses, thereby allowing you to lift more weight and in turn build more muscle all over.
This part isn't nearly as sexy, but it's still extremely important in terms of improving posture and warding off shoulder problems so that we can continue to train hard and remain injury-free.
So even if all you care about is point number 1, point number 2 should still be important to you because you can't build serious muscle if you're laid up with a shoulder injury. On the bright side, improving your posture will also go a long way towards making your chest appear bigger, so it's not entirely unsexy.
While rows can certainly help with both these goals, training for size and training for optimal shoulder health and function aren't the same. They aren't mutually exclusive either, and there's definitely some overlap, but .
The prescription for building a thick upper back via rows is pretty straightforward:
  • Row big weights
  • Eat big
  • Rest
  • Row slightly bigger weights
  • Rinse and repeat
Going back to point number 1, from a size perspective, good technique doesn't appear to matter much. Often guys with the biggest backs, like the aforementioned Arnold and Franco, will sling massive weights with technique that would make the form police pull out their ticket books and have the YouTube warriors coming out of their parents' basements in droves to cast stones.
That being said, it's one thing if you're trying to build elite level size and strength, in which case you may need to take some chances and push the limits. But for those who lead normal lives and want to balance getting bigger and stronger with staying healthy and pain-free, I strongly advocate using controlled form.
Bear in mind that I'm not coming at this from some holier-than-thou pedestal. I've conjured up my inner Franco and done more than my fair share of fugly rowing – if you even want to call it that – with heavy weights, and while I definitely packed on some muscle doing that, I've also hurt myself too.
The thing is, I'm hoping you can avoid my mistakes.
Look, you still need to focus on building strength and handling progressively heavier weights over time to pack on any appreciable amount of muscle, but your rows should always look like, well, rows – not a monkey humping a football.

For point number two, when the goal is improving posture and balancing out the shoulder girdle, form becomes of paramount importance. Bench pressing (and its variations) promotes scapular protraction and shoulder internal rotation, so to offset that we need to employ exercises that focus on scapular retraction and shoulder external rotation.
Rowing helps promote scapular retraction in theory, but you have to be meticulous with the form, and that can be hard to do when the weight gets really heavy.
Bottom line is some rowing variations lend themselves better to heavier loading while others are more "feel" movements. Both are important, and both have value. If all you did was heavy rowing all the time, you'd probably be pretty muscular, but you'd also be more susceptible to injury.
Conversely, if all you did was lighter "feel" exercises, you might be more injury-resistant, but you probably wouldn't have much meat on your upper back.
The key, like with most things in life, is to strike a balance to give you the best of both worlds.
You're likely familiar with the mass-building rowing staples – barbell rows, T-bar rows, heavy dumbbell rows, etc. – so I'll use this article to share some more feel-type rowing movements that don't necessarily lend themselves to crazy poundages, but will still pay big dividends in your training program. None of these exercises require any specialized machines either, so they should be doable for most of you.
Don't get me wrong, these exercises will still undoubtedly build muscle, so don't think of it as boring prehabby-type stuff and just half-ass it and go through the motions. You should still be pushing hard and looking to add weight and/or reps over time, but only as long as it still looks good and you feel the right muscles – namely the lower traps, middle traps, and rhomboids – doing the work.
On that note, think about keeping your shoulders "down and back" and pulling with your elbows, not your hands, and avoid shrugging your shoulders up as you row. It also really helps to pause each rep at the point of contraction and really focus on squeezing the mid-back to ensure that you're using the intended muscles and not just relying on momentum.
Without further ado, here are the exercises.


1. Batwing Rows

Cool Rowing Exercises
I first learned about batwings from Dan John. It's essentially an isometric chest-supported dumbbell row where you focus on retracting your scapula and pulling your elbows back as hard as you can.
Batwing rows are similar, except one arm does an isometric hold while the other rows. It also helps to do them on an incline bench to allow your arms to extend fully during the rows without touching the floor.
Do each rep slowly and deliberately with a full range of motion and an exaggerated contraction. If you're doing them correctly, you should feel a huge burn in your upper back.
Remember that you have to do both sides, so err on the light side at first as far as weight is concerned and make sure you're nowhere near failure after the first arm because it catches up to you quickly. As a point of reference, if you're using 40-50 pound dumbbells, you're doing very well for yourself. Start around 20-30 pounders and go from there.
As an added bonus, this also functions as a nice core exercise too, as you have to brace to keep from rotating on the bench.


2. Chest Supported Row/Reverse Fly Combo

Cool Rowing Exercises
Lame name, I know. I'm not good with thinking up cool names for exercises, so if you've got something better, I'm open to suggestions.
This is a great exercise though, so frankly, I don't care what it's called.
Lie face down on an incline bench with dumbbells in each hand, just like with the batwing row. From there, row up, straighten your arms out to the sides and slowly lower down to the starting position in a reverse fly motion.
Here's what it looks like in action.
From a muscle-building standpoint, this exercise gives you the benefits of rowing for the upper back while also allowing you to overload the rear delts with more weight than you'd otherwise be able to use if you just did reverse flies on their own.
From a shoulder health standpoint, it kills two birds with one stone, allowing you to work the scapular retractors and shoulder external rotators in one movement.
That's a win-win.


3. Decline Inverted Rows

Inverted rows with suspension straps are not only an awesome back builder, they're also great from a shoulder health standpoint because they target both scapular retraction and shoulder external rotation at once.
The shoulders are free to move through a natural range of motion as the hands move from pronated (palms down) to supinated (palms up), which introduces an external rotation component while you perform a closed-chain row.
If that wasn't enough bang for your buck, it's also one hell of a core exercise.
A typical progression would be to start with your feet on the floor, move to elevating your feet on a standard weight bench, and then start adding external load.
If you're to the point of adding weight though, you might also want to try elevating your feet on a higher box to make it harder and change the angle of the pull.
When you elevate your feet on a standard weight bench, your body starts parallel to the floor when the arms are full extended, but as you row up, the head comes up higher than the feet.
There's certainly nothing wrong with that, and I often do them that way myself, but one potential drawback is that there's a strong tendency to cheat, especially when you're trying to push yourself. The main problems I see are trying to create momentum by attempting to hump the ceiling, excessive shoulder shrugging, and poking the head way forward, which makes it nearly impossible to achieve full scapular retraction.
Elevating the feet higher seems to help take care of these issues and makes it easier to keep good form – provided you're strong enough to do them, of course. You'll end up pulling a little lower into your body than a typical inverted row too, which encourages keeping the shoulders down and does a better job of hitting the mid back.
Elevate the feet high enough so that your torso is parallel to the floor (or even at a slight decline) at the topof the rep as opposed to the bottom. Obviously the higher the box, the harder it is. Don't go too high, though, as it will reduce the range of motion. A typical bench is usually between 16-18 inches, and even going to a 24-inch box makes a huge difference, as you can see in this video.
If you're currently at a stage where you're adding weight to inverted rows but still don't feel that you're getting much out them, or if you're ignoring inverted rows altogether because you think you're beyond them, give these a shot.


4. Dumbbell Rows (1.5 Reps)


Dumbbell rows are a great exercise, but stronger lifters will often find that their gyms don't have big enough dumbbells to accommodate them. If that's the case, you've got a few options.
Cool Rowing Exercises
  • Do a shitload of reps with the heaviest dumbbell available, a'la Kroc Rows.
  • MacGyver a barbell and do one-arm T-bar rows to get a similar training effect with more loading potential. (See left.)
  • Make a lighter weight harder by using "1.5 reps"
All three of these choices could work in the right scenario, but since this article is focusing on lower weight "feel" type movements, I'll focus on the "1.5" rep technique.
Row up, pause, come halfway down, row back up, pause again, and come all the way down. That's one rep.
Confused? This video should help.
It won't take much weight for these to be extremely challenging – especially if you refrain from using body English – and the "1.5" rep technique means more work for the scapular retractors. Try pulling lower into your body (just to the side of your belly button) to help reinforce the idea of keeping the shoulders down and back.
If you're strict and don't allow your torso to rotate, it's also a great core exercise.


5. Seated Barbell Band Rows

I actually came across this one almost by accident. One of my online personal training clients was looking for an exercise to mimic seated cable rows, but he didn't have a cable machine or a specialized rowing handle in his home gym. With that in mind, I thought about it and went to the gym to mess around a little bit and try to figure something out, and this is what I came up with: seated barbell band rows.
I'm glad that happened because I really like this exercise, and even though I have a cable station, I've been doing them this way.
I like them for a couple of reasons:
  • The bands offer accommodating resistance, so it's harder at the point of contraction. While this doesn't mimic the strength curve very well, it makes for one heck of a contraction and really forces you to accelerate through the row.
  • Using a barbell forces you to keep your lats contracted throughout the set to keep the bar from tipping. You'll have to try it to see what I mean, but the bar wants to wiggle around on you, so to keep that from happening, you have to brace your lats and core. It's hard to describe, but the feeling is very different from using a specialized rowing handle.
  • With a regular seated cable row, your feet are usually placed in front of you. This isn't a problem necessarily, but it often leads to rounding at the lumbar spine on the eccentric phase if you aren't careful or don't have good hamstring flexibility. With this version, it's much easier to keep a neutral spine.
  • Because the barbell is heavier than a normal seated row handle, it works the shoulders quite a bit too. Think of doing an isometric front raise while you row.
  • When you use a traditional close-grip "V" handle like most people when doing cable rows, it usually leads to internal rotation of the shoulder as you row into your stomach. With a wider grip, you can keep that from happening as much.
As far as the form goes, it's almost identical to a regular seated cable row. I like to hold the barbell using a thumbless "false" grip because that helps me engage my back more and reinforces pulling through my elbows by literally making the hands function merely as hooks, but that's just personal preference.
I realize this looks like a pretty wussy exercise, but I urge you to try it before rushing to judgment. It's actually much tougher than you might think. To progress it, you can use a thicker band and/or move farther away from the anchor point. You can also add small weights to the end of the barbell, but don't crazy as it's not meant to be a shoulder exercise.


Pulling It All Together

Certainly, don't abandon your basic heavy rows – and if you're not doing them already, please start – but try adding some of these exercises into the mix to balance things out.
You could do them at the end of your workouts after your heavier upper body work to pull everything together (pun totally intended) or on separate days when you're looking to build additional volume to correct imbalances you've already developed without stressing your body too much.
How you choose to implement them is up to you and will depend on the type of program you're following, but just make sure you do some of this stuff to give you the optimal blend of upper back size and shoulder health to ensure you keep crushing it for the long haul.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Five best healthy foods for lowering your stress levels fast


by J. D. Heyes 

(NaturalNews) Most of us would agree that life is a busy endeavor, which can lead to lots of stress. And the busier we get, the more stress we have to deal with.

Fortunately, there is a medicine-free way in which you can reduce a significant portion of that stress, all from the comfort of your own kitchen and dining room. Here are six excellent, healthy foods that can help you lower your stress levels naturally:

Grab a couple handfuls of almonds daily. Almonds, and other nuts, are so good for so many different reasons - among them; their ability to reduce your stress level.

"Nuts are loaded with vitamin E, which boosts immunity," says Health and Living. "A healthy immune system means you're less likely to fall victim to that cold that's making its way around the office, and a healthier you means a less stressed you, too."

According to Anna Magee and nutritional therapist Charlotte Watts, authors of the book The De-Stress Diet, "Nuts are crammed with B vitamins, zinc, magnesium, and omega oils, nutrients that are depleted when anxiety is high. As a source of healthy fats, nuts have also been shown to curb appetite, naturally balance blood sugar levels, reduce sugar cravings, and support the metabolism."

Use caution; however, in terms of the amount of almonds and other nuts you consume, writes Lisa Collier Cool for Yahoo! Health.

There's no fish like oily fish. Fish like salmon, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, is the perfect dinner de-stress option. "Omega-3s have been shown to boost mood and brain function, and can aid significantly in dealing with anxiety and depression," Health and Living says.

"A 2011 study from Ohio State showed a 20 percent reduction in anxiety among medical school students who took omega-3 supplements," Cool notes. "The researchers made this surprising discovery during research to test their theory that omega-3s would lower stress-induced levels of cytokines, compounds that promote inflammation in the body, which can lead to illness and heart attack."

Oily fish also contain a host of vitamins and minerals - B vitamins, zinc, and magnesium - "that help reduce sugar-addiction cycles and counteract the damaging effects of stress on the body," says Dina Spector of BusinessInsider.com.

Oh, yes - chocolate. Not that the other foods aren't good (and good for you), but seriously, who can resist a little chocolate?

Few of us can but that's all right because a little chocolate goes a long way towards reducing our stress levels.

"Too much indulgence is likely to keep you from your weight-loss goals, but a small portion of chocolate as a pick-me-up isn't such a bad idea," Health and Living says. "This sweet treat helps to boost serotonin levels, which plays a key role in dealing with stress. In a study conducted by Duke Medical Center, researchers found that lower levels of serotonin actually cause a more extreme reaction when the body encounters stress."

How much is just enough?

"Research has shown that 40g of dark chocolate a day can help us cope with stress by releasing 'happy chemicals' known as beta endorphins in the brain," says Spector. "When it comes to a treat, dark chocolate can be a good snack choice to stave off cravings for less healthy choices, while providing a much-needed energy boost without the agitating effects of caffeine."

From chocolate to... spinach. Well, Popeye knew a little something about nutrition after all.

"Spinach and other dark leafy greens like Swiss chard and kale are loaded with magnesium, which has been credited as a major stress fighter, helping to relax muscle fibers and put you at ease," saysHealth and Living.

"There's no such thing as a chill pill, but some foods contain body-boosting nutrients that help soothe stressed-out nerves," adds Whole Living, noting that green leafy foods contain folic acid, which helps "make dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure."

Oranges - for sunshine in your life. Oranges, along with Brussels sprouts, broccoli, red and green peppers and strawberries contain lots of vitamin C, which "boosts your immune system and fights brain-cell damage resulting from constant exposure to cortisol," says Whole Living.

"Stress makes our body release even more free radicals than when we are in good mood. Interestingly, vitamin C helps to keep the free radicals in control, and repairs the body. Basically, it helps protect the body from the cumulative effects of stress," adds Dr. Lee Dobbins, a physician who specializes in weight loss-related issues.