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Showing posts from May, 2024

Many chocolate products contain toxic heavy metals: new study

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This is a bitter pill to swallow. Many cocoa products in the US contain concerning levels of toxic heavy metals, a new study from George Washington University warns. Many cocoa products in the US contain worrisome levels of lead and cadmium, a new study from George Washington University warns. Picture Partners – stock.adobe.com Researchers analyzed 72 cocoa-based foods — including dark chocolate, often praised as a heart-healthy treat — over eight years. They found that 43% of the products contained an amount of lead that tops recommendations, while 35% exceeded cadmium limits. Surprisingly, organic-labeled products had higher levels of lead and cadmium than non-organic products, the researchers said. Contamination can come from soil or occur during manufacturing. A single serving of these cocoa items may not pose significant health risks, but several servings might. Leigh Frame, director of integrative medicine at GW, led the testing of 72 cocoa-based products. The George Washingto...
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Unraveling the Benefits of Vinyasa Yoga for Mind, Body, And Spirit

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The earliest practices of Vinyasa Yoga date back to the Vedic age, which was several thousands of years ago. Here, we will understand the history, philosophy, and benefits of Vinyasa yoga — a broader term describing many different types of yoga. It is like a dance where you connect one yoga pose to the next synchronizing it with your breathing. This dynamic form of yoga can be curated to be beginner-friendly as well as stimulating to the experts. Therefore, one must first consult an expert before practicing a new form of yoga, especially if one suffers from certain physical conditions.  According to Bayu Prihandito, Founder at Life Architekture, Certified Psychology Expert & Life Coach, “Consulting an expert before embarking on your journey is like seeking a guide for a safe and enlightening exploration of the body and mind, ensuring a path of alignment, mindfulness, and well-being.” In Vinyasa, you transition from one pose to another, and these transitions are considered pos...
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Fish oil supplements may increase heart disease, stroke risk: study

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Time to scale back? Steady use of fish oil supplements might increase the risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke for the first time — but it also might slow the progression of existing cardiovascular health problems and lower the risk of death, a new UK study finds . “Regular use of fish oil supplements might be a risk factor for atrial fibrillation and stroke among the general population,” the study authors wrote in their findings, published Tuesday in the journal BMJ Medicine . Regular use of fish oil supplements might increase the risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke for the first time — but it also might slow the progression of existing cardiovascular health problems and lower the risk of death. Getty Images “But [it] could be beneficial for progression of cardiovascular disease from atrial fibrillation to major adverse cardiovascular events, and from atrial fibrillation to death,” they added. Fish oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids , which have been ...
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Benefits of Savasana: Practicing Stillness for Greater Vitality

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Lying on the floor and doing nothing for a specified duration of time either sounds like the perfect activity or an excruciating ordeal — what it doesn’t sound like is a yoga pose, but that’s exactly (well, almost) what Savasana or the Corpse Pose involves! The final resting pose at the end of a yoga session may appear to be an unnecessary waste of time during yoga class, but nothing could be further from the truth. The benefits of Savasana are multifold, affecting the physical, emotional, and spiritual deeply, despite its apparent simplicity.  Simplicity, of course, is a loosely used term here as many will find Corpse Pose to be an extremely challenging pose, including those who do their splits and bends as picture-perfectly as possible. “Some of the common hindrances (in practicing the corpse pose) could be caused by the mind. Thoughts regarding daily life could pop up which could lead to distractions and restlessness. Moreover, you might have bodily discomforts for example your bo...
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Teen girls' stunning smartphone usage revealed in new study

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This news is nothing to cell-ebrate. Some teen girls are clocking more than five hours a day on their smartphones — most are likely addicted to social media , a fixation that has been tied to poorer health and wellbeing, new research from Finland finds . “The implications of nearly six hours of daily smartphone use and its associations with adolescent wellbeing are serious,” the study authors wrote in findings published Tuesday in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood . 1,164 Finnish female students 15 to 16 years old were recruited in 2022 to provide data about their screen time, which the researchers used to calculate phone usage and social media consumption. MNStudio – stock.adobe.com In Finland, 1,164 female students 15 to 16 years old were recruited in 2022 to provide data about their screen time, which the researchers used to calculate phone usage and social media consumption. Average daily smartphone use was 5.8 hours, and average time spent using social media was nearly...
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Dancer Pose Yoga: How to Do, Benefits, And Variations

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An advanced pose in Hatha yoga practice, Dancer Pose yoga is a revered heart-opener that gloriously embodies the interplay between movement and structure and helps cultivate openness, strength, and beauty in form and action. Like all Hatha yoga, Natarajasana — a heart and hip opening yoga pose , asks us to become aware and mindful — of how we breathe, move, and embrace stillness. Also known as the King Dancer Pose ( nata =dance/mime, raja =king, asana =pose), this challenging intermediate/advanced asana symbolizes the dance of Shiva, the Lord of Dance.  Our contributor Anna Passalacqua, a certified yoga therapist, and yoga teacher, says, “Natarajasana, or Lord of the Dance Pose, isn’t right for everyone. It’s a deep backbend that requires significant flexibility, as well as underlying strength and balance. Mastering foundational poses that build flexibility, strength, and balance can be a sign that you may be able to try Natarajasana. A qualified yoga instructor may also be able to gi...
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Potential early warning sign for autoimmune disease revealed

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Nightmares and hallucinations — or “daymares” — may be early warning signs for the onset of an autoimmune disease or a flare-up, new research shows . “For many years, I have discussed nightmares with my lupus patients and thought that there was a link with their disease activity. This research provides evidence of this,” senior study author David D’Cruz, of King’s College London, said in a statement. Twenty-four million to 50 million Americans have an autoimmune disease, which is when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissue. There are more than 80 types of autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis , Crohn’s disease and psoriasis . Three in five lupus patients reported experiencing disrupted dream sleep — a third of them said this symptom appeared over a year before the onset of the disease. TheVisualsYouNeed – stock.adobe.com This study — published this week in eClinicalMedicine — focuses on lupus, a condition that can cause inflammation thro...
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How Many Calories Does Yoga Burn? Decoding Yoga for Weight Loss

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You aren’t that much into huffing and puffing your way to a slim physique (think jumping jacks and sprints on the treadmill that almost make you throw up your heart) but you also want to shed some pounds — no wonder you are wondering “How many calories does yoga burn?” Yoga does sound like (and can be) a wonderful alternative to crazy cardio routines; just chill out on the mat, and stretch and bend your way to the waistline of your dreams! After all, yoga is very widely used as an alternative therapy for weight loss and can be effective when combined with a balanced diet ( 1 ).  During a yoga session, you are involved in active (and some passive) physical poses, breathing exercises, and mindfulness techniques. All of these combined can have a positive impact on your weight loss or weight maintenance goals. The active part of the process is what helps burn the calories — but the amount of calories burned during yoga does depend on several factors, including the style of yoga you practi...
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