Why Flat Feet Treatment is Important?

Flat feet is a medical condition when the arch of the foot collapses and the entire sole of the foot touches the ground. It is also called fallen arch or pronated foot. It is a fairly common foot problem about 20-30% of the population never develops a full arch on one foot or on both feet.

It can be hereditary or it can develop at a later age.  Some flatfooted people have flexible flatfoot when an arch appears when the toes are rolled back or the person is standing on his or her heel. People with arthritis and diabetes can develop fallen arch too. Obesity and foot or ankle injury are risk factors too.

An early sign of flat feet is when the shoes wear unevenly. Flat feet can be painful. A flatfooted person can develop pain in the ankle (inner side with some swelling), the arch of the foot, the foot in general, the calf, the knee, the hip and the back.

There are various ways to decrease the pain. For a swollen ankle an anti-inflammatory drug and an ice pack can be temporary relief. People with flat feet often wear over-the-counter or custom-fitted arch supports. Sometime wearing extra wide shoes helps too. Wearing a night splint will also reduce the pain especially for those who also have plantar fasciitis (pain and inflammation in the ligaments in the soles of feet). There are excises for flatfooted people which could strengthen the arches.  You can find plenty of videos on YouTube.

If you don't take care of your foot problem you can make it worse and end up with Achilles tendonitis, arthritis in the foot (feet), arthritis in the ankle(s), plantar fasciitis.

What is Testosterone? – How Can I Increase it Naturally

I often hear on the radio commercials about drugs improving the testosterone level. I decided that I really want to find out what is testosterone, why do I need it and how can I increase it naturally. After age 40 the testosterone level gradually decreases so being close to 50 I really can benefit from boosting my testosterone level.

Testosterone is a male hormone but in a smaller amount it also can be found in women. Testosterone affects sexual features and development and it's also affects the brain, bone and muscle mass, fat distribution, the vascular system, energy levels, genital tissues and sexual functioning.

Most of the testosterone is made by the testicles in males and by the ovaries in females and in small amount by the adrenal glands. The pituitary gland controls the level of testosterone in the body. This hormone tells the body to make more testosterone if needed.

You can increase your testosterone level naturally by watching your diet. Limit your carbohydrate intake. A diet high in simple sugars and starches can create your blood levels of cortisol and insulin to spike. These two hormones harm your body's production of testosterone. Eat more fruits and vegetable. Avoid consuming too many saturated fats and completely avoid trans fats. You can find good fats in fish such as salmon, flaxseed oil, nuts, and avocado.  Foods high in fiber are also good such as oatmeal. Don't eat too much estrogen which is often found in poultry.

Every time you ejaculate, you lose nutrients such as vitamins B6, B12 and E, calcium, magnesium, selenium and zinc. You also want to replenish these vitamins and minerals. Taking vitamin C is also important.

Exercise is also important. Whit exercise you can also control your weight. Excess weight will elevate you estrogen level.

Testosterone gets released in your body when you sleep. You need plenty of sleep preferable between seven to nine hours.

If you are not sure about your testosterone level visit your family doctor, a simple blood test will do it. 

How Much Water Should I Drink?

Water is essential to stay alive, there is no doubt about that. About 60 to 70 % of our body is water. Blood is mostly water and your muscles, lungs, brain and other organs need water to be able to function properly. Water helps to regulate your body temperature and water makes is possible to provide nutrients to your organs and tissues. Water also transports oxygen and removes waste. It also protects you joints and organs.

We lose water thru urination, respiration and by sweating. We lose more water when we are active. Alcohol and certain medication will also increase the amount of water your body loses.

If we lose water from our body and we don't replenish it we can get dehydrated.  The symptom of dehydration is muscle and joint pain, lower back pain, headache and constipation. If your urine have a darker color and a strong odor, that's a sign that you are not drinking enough water.

If you are healthy you know when you have to drink water. Although some doctors say that you have to drink 6-8 glasses of water, there is no sense to "force" yourself to drink a lot of water. Many times water bottling companies want you to buy their product. Their claim that water cures or prevents illnesses and help you to lose weight are not well founded and often simply marketing gimmicks.

You don't always have to drink water to replace the water you lost from your body. At least 20 % of the water comes from the foods you eat. With soft drinks the problem is too much sugar and extra calories. Juices are good source with the added vitamins and sport drinks help keep your electrolytes in balance. Caffeinated beverages count too but too much caffeine is not necessarily good for you.

What Does the Prostate Do? – How Can You Reduce the Risk of Prostate Cancer?

The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system. Its main function is to secrete prostate fluid, one of the components of semen during ejaculation. It surrounds the urethra just below the bladder. During ejaculation the prostate contracts, closing off the opening between the bladder and the urethra and releases fluid into the urethra and pushes semen thru.

Due to its location, a swollen prostate compresses the urethra and irritates the walls of the bladder causing abnormal urination. A growing prostate can be benign also called Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. It can also be cancerous.

You cannot prevent prostate cancer which is the most common cancer diagnosed in men but changing your lifestyle you can reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer.

Healthy diet is important. Below is a list of what you have to include and exclude from your diet:

• Avoid fatty foods. Low-fat diet has other benefits too.
• Stay away from animal fats as much as you can. Use olive oil, nuts or seeds in your diet.
• Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are also full of vitamins and nutrients. They not only reduce the risk of prostate cancer but have many other benefits too.
• Eat fish such as salmon, sardines, and tuna. Fatty acid from fish called omega-3 can also reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
• Reduce the amount of dairy products such as milk, cheese, butter and yoghurt from your diet.
• Green tea has a supplement which reduces the risk of prostate cancer.
• Tofu, soy beans, kidney beans, lentils and peanuts have a nutrient called isoflavones which reduces the risk of prostate cancer.
• Drink alcohol with moderation.

Maintain a healthy weight. This is something you have to watch anyways. Healthy weight is good for the overall health.

Exercise regularly. Include exercise in your daily life. Regular exercise will also help you to lose weight.

There is not enough proof that frequent ejaculation will reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

Why Do We Need a Good Sleep – Every Night?

Sleep Stages

When people need extra time to keep up with the demands of everyday life the only answer seems to be cutting back on sleep. When you understand sleep you’ll find out that this answer could be very damaging to your health. You need a healthy sleep-wake cycle.

How much sleep do we need and how many hours we actually sleep? A lot of people sleep only about 6 hours a night. An adult needs about 7.5-9 hours to completely restore physical and mental energy.

There are two types of sleep, REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and non-REM sleep. Non-REM sleep has 4 different stages going from transition sleep to deep sleep. Non-REM sleep restores your physical energy, REM sleep restores your mental energy. During the night your sleep goes back and forth between REM and non-REM sleep. One cycle last about 90 minutes. If you don’t get enough sleep you have to pay the price with REM sleep since the body wants to restore physical energy first.

What happens if we don’t get enough sleep? We don’t have enough energy throughout the day and we probably forget how it does feel to feel good. But there are other more serious effects too:

• Fatigue, lack of motivation
• Moodiness
• Inability to cope with stress
• Concentration, memory problems
• Weight gain
• Increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and other health problems

With sleeping in on the weekends unfortunately you can’t solve your sleeping problem. You need at least eight hours quality sleep every night.

Is Fat Good or Bad?

When we think about weight loss and fats we are sort of confused. We hear many  times that in order to lose weight we have to cut fat completely out of our diet  or limit it to just a small amount. If we follow this we are going exclude healthy fats from our diet too.

We heard about bad fats, trans fats that we shouldn't eat in order to lose weight and stay healthy. Most of us don't have enough information about healthy fats, the good fats we should eat which are essential to our health. A lot of people believe that all fats are bad.

Yes, we need to eat fats to stay healthy. And we also need fats to lose weight which sounds contradictory. Here are some good reasons why we need fats:

• It's hard to believe but fat can help you to lose weigh. Fat is filling, fat will prevent you from overeating and will help you to feel satisfied.
• Essential fats will help you to reduce the risks of cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, fatigue and allergies due to their anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting properties.
• Omega-3 fats help you to reduce the chances of developing depression. Depression is a frequent trigger of overeating. Omega-3 fats have mood enhancing qualities.
• Believe it or not the brain is made up of 60% fat! Fat forms an essential part of your cell structure. Without them your cells will be unable to replenish and you will not be able to function at your peak capacity.
• Fats can influence your blood sugar balance. Balancing your blood sugar level will reduce your cravings and will also prevent mood swings.

As you can see, as long as you are eating the right fats you can still lose weight. You just need to know which fats are which. Some of the best sources to receive healthy fats are flex seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, avocados, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil and wild salmon.