A More 'Holistic" Approach To Your Immune System

The definition of "holistic' is essentially to take an approach to one's well-being by addressing the body and mind as a whole being. So much modern medicine is focused on the individual symptoms when someone is feeling a bit under the weather. Holistic healing deals with the symptoms on a level that nourishes the whole system, including the spiritual aspect. It's not religious, and maybe slightly 'new-age'.. but despite the title, it's actually quite an old practice. Science has us believing that we must be the consumer that applies everything we see on television about feeling un-well. You can read a bit more about Holistic Healing here.

Lately I have been shifting my health and wellness practices to a more natural approach. Over at my more personal blog - Splitting Tens I wrote about my favorite new breakfast drink.. You can check that out here. It is something that I have always wanted to incorporate into my day, but I guess I never looked into just how to make it happen. I have discovered a recipe that I share with you there.

I have been ingesting more vitamins and even worked some Goji Juice into my day.. which just makes me feel great! I have someWarrior Food on the way to take the place of my protein supplements.. and the O.N.E. Coconut Water in my shakes are really a hydrating and delicious way to deliver needed proteins for regular exercise. (you don't even taste a coconut flavor, but the rewards are great for your body!)

The things is, as a result of the new system changes within my body and what I am ingesting daily, I feel there has been some shift that has occurred. I am currently feeling flu-like, (read freezing in 100 degree weather,) and achy all over. I have made the point to ingest plenty of tea.. as I always have.. especially Green Tea of the Karigane variety... and I have been eating as much organic and raw food as possible. Tea has always been a major part of my day. You can read a post I previously wrote about tea here. I have been assured that it is merely a shift in my immune system..and since I work in an environment that is prone to an occasional pass of a bug or virus now and then.. I have been advise to stay clean, eat right and remain in a restful state.

I understand that as a result of the ingested O.N.E. Coconut Water, I am experiencing what is known as the Herxheimer reaction.. which essentially occurs when large quantities of toxins released into the body as bacteria (typically Spirochetal bacteria) die, due to antibiotic treatment or rapid detoxification. The cocnut water is a potent antibacterial agent for your system.. but it does take some getting used to. I am feeling 100% better since these symptoms have appeared less that 24 hours ago.. so I will stay on this path and be well! I will keep you posted. See you on the next post!

Red Wine, Aging and the Common American

I have been doing a little research as to what works for anti-aging and all around better health. As a man now in his mid-thirties, it becomes more and more evident to me that I am aging. Over the years I have done what I can to be healthy, even losing something like 65 lbs at one point and getting back on a track of wellness for myself. Diet, exercise, and proper nutrition .. all the key factors you hear about regularly, have been the main components of my healthier lifestyle.

Recently, I was doing more research into the supplementation of Resveratrol. I had seen a special on 60 Minutes about it, and subsequently I looked up more information about it all. It is said that the most potent form of Resveratrol (Wikipedia) comes from the grapes used in the making of red wine. But it started someplace else.

There was a study done some years ago on the what is now being called the French Paradox
- it suggested that French people that had high fat diets and drank high quantities of red wine, were still living longer and had alot lower incidences of heart disease, compared to Americans. In that light, scientists found that there was a substance in red wine being called Resveratrol , that they believe, might do more than just protect the heart. In high concentrations, it could significantly extend life - but preventing a number of age-related illnesses.

So I began to do a bit or reading on the web. I looked up different brands of Resveratrol and different reviews from many people all over the World. It would seem that the reviews are aligned in many different points. Many people claim it has helped with everything from arthritis to spider veins on their skin.

Researchers like Dr. Kristoff Westfall and Dr. David Sinclair (Harvard) are now looking to provide the supplement to Cancer patients. Together they launched a research company called Sirtris. The company was put together to study the a gene called Sirtuin, and what effects dfferet natural stimulus could have on Humans. You can read m ore about Sirtris here. They are finding promising results.

I am now doing my own research into the supplement Resveratrol. I am going to be taking this supplement...linked here... and I will be following up on it in the weeks and months to come. This particular supplement is a recommended dosage of 2 vegetarian capsules. Each serving contains: 50 mg Pomegranate Extract (standardized to 40% ellagic acid), 100 mg Resveratrol (Japanese Knotweed¿polygonum cuspidatum) (from 200 mg Resveratrol 50% Extract), 200 mg Açaí 4:1 Extract, 25 mg Red Wine Extract (standardized to 30% polyphenols)

I am anticipating positive results ..and you will know as soon as I know. Have any of you ever looked into supplements such as this one? Let me know if you have any supplements like this version of Resveratrol. I am looking forward to your feedback.

Threadless HeatWave Sale!

Threadless.com is having another one of their great sales with t-shirts starting @ $5! Go check it out!

On The Go Photo!

So after my first mobile post over on "Splitting Tens".. I was inspired to work on a new project/social experiment. The idea is to have people from all around the U.S and the World.. upload their mobile photos to a single page. The site is moderated by a few different bloggers. We are calling it "On The Go Photo".. and you are all invited to join. All you have to do is send your mobile uploads directly from your phone to the address - otgphoto.onthego@blogger.com .. it will upload the picture from your phone to the page and create a great site to check out in the meantime. Remember to title your photos and even a short description would be a great thing! I hope to see you all there and I look forward to some great photos from your daily lives!

The Benefits of Tea

Tea is the most commonly consumed beverage in the world after water. Among all varieties of tea - black, green, white, oolong, red, herbal - which one offers the most health benefits? (HealthCastle.com)

Benefits of Tea

Many different studies have shown the superior and anti-cancer properties of antioxidant polyphenols. Some studies have suggested that tea's polyphenols may greatly reduce the risk of gastric, esophageal and skin cancers, ibaesd on if someone can consume 4 to 6 cups daily. In another study, it was shown that just 2 cups of tea may lower the risk of ovarian cancer by 46 percent in women. Other studies have found that polyphenols help prevent blood clotting and lower cholesterol levels. One Japanese study found that green tea lowers death rates from heart disease.

Tea: Black, Green, White or Oolong?

Black, green, white, and oolong teas derive their leaves from a warm-weather evergreen tree known as Camellia sinensis. The leaves from this tree contain polyphenols. The more processing tea leaves undergo, the darker they will turn. Green tea and white tea are the least processed tea. They are simply steamed quickly. According to Dr. Doug Balentine, Director of Nutrition Health with Lipton, white tea is derived from the young new leaves from the Camellia plant in early spring. These young leaves contain no chlorophyll, so they are silvery white. Black and oolong teas are partially dried, crushed and fermented. As we have mentioned before, regardless of the processing method, black, green, white and oolong teas all contain polyphenols. In fact, tea ranks as high as or higher than many fruits and vegetables in the ORAC score, a score that measures antioxidant potential of plant-based foods.

What about Herbal Tea and Red Rooibos Tea?

Herbal tea is not derived from the leaves of the Camellia plant and so does not have the particular health-promoting properties. Indeed, most herbal teas in the market are NOT tea at all. They are only infusions made with herbs, flowers, roots, spices or other parts of some plants. The proper term for this type of beverage is "tisane."

The recently popular South African red Rooibos tea also falls within the herbal tea or tisane category. "Red Rooibos tea is not really tea as it is not derived from the Camellia plant," Dr. Balentine said. They may not contain the same beneficial flavonoid compounds as found in black and green teas. In fact, Dr. Balentine said that "no scientific evidence yet has shown the health benefits of red Rooibos tea."

Although tisane does not contain as any polyphenols, it does promote other various health qualities such as relaxation and calming effects.

Theanine: A way to a better sense of well-being! (wikipedia)

Theanine is an amino acid commonly found in tea (infusions of Camellia sinensis), and also in the basidiomycete mushroom Boletus badius.^[1] In 1950 the Tea laboratory of Kyoto successfully separated theanine from Gyokuro leaf, which has the highest theanine content among all teas. Theanine is related to glutamine, and can cross the blood-brain barrier.^[2] Because it can enter the brain, theanine has psychoactive properties.^[3] Theanine has been shown to reduce mental and physical stress^[4], may produce feelings of relaxation^[5] and improves cognition and mood when taken in combination with caffeine.^[6]

Theanine is speculated to produce these effects by increasing the level of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) production. Theanine increases brain serotonin, dopamine, GABA levels and has micromolar affinities for AMPA, Kainate and NMDA receptors.^[7] It has also been found that injecting spontaneously hypertensive mice with theanine significantly lowered levels of 5-hydroxyindoles in the brain.^[8] Researchers also speculate that it may inhibit glutamic acid excitotoxicity.^[7] Theanine also promotes alpha wave production in the brain.^[3]

Studies on test rats have shown that even repeated, extremely high doses of theanine cause little to no harmful psychological or physical effects.^[9] Theanine showed neuroprotective effects in one rat study.^[10]

L-theanine may help the body's immune response to infection by boosting the disease-fighting capacity of gamma delta T cells. The study, published in 2003 by the Brigham and Women's Hospital, included a four-week trial with 11 coffee drinkers and 10 tea drinkers, who consumed 600 milliliters of coffee or black tea daily. Blood sample analysis found that the production of anti-bacterial proteins was up to five times higher in the tea-drinkers, an indicator of a stronger immune response.^[11]

Tea: Caffeine content

According to the American Dietetic Association, a cup of tea contains an average of 40 mg of caffeine, compared to 85 mg as found in a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

What about Decaf Tea?

We do not know whether decaf teas have the same polyphenols, and thus the same health benefits. It is not yet known if removing caffeine also removes polyphenols in the decaffeinating process.

The Bottom Line

Tea is a healthy beverage offering many health benefits (if you skip the cream and sugar). Brew your tea for at least 3 - 5 minutes to bring out the beneficial polyphenols. Enjoy the aroma of tea! Also beware of bottled green tea beverages, like Enviga, that claim to help lose weight! No solid scientific evidence has proven its efficacy in burning calories.