Are You Well?

Some people believe that an occasional glass of red wine can benefit your health. Regardless of the merits of this view, too much red wine is a recipe for disaster.

Alcohol can impair decision-making abilities and motor skills. It is frequently a factor in vehicular accidents, violent behaviors, unplanned pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases. Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to the lethal danger of alcohol poisoning, too, which negatively impacts your health and may even cost you your life if it’s not properly addressed.

Ladies, we all know those moments when we feel angry, frustrated and emotional, sometimes for no apparent reason. Often we blame this on our hormones. And that’s not just a lame excuse, no matter what your partner says. Hormones, do in fact, play a very important role in women’s health and well being. When hormone levels fluctuate, this can impact on your mood, sexual desire, fertility and ovulation.

Human beings live in harmony with many types of creatures, big and small. Several of these organisms live on or in our bodies, and we maintain a symbiotic relationship of give-and-take. For example, good bacteria in our digestive tracts help us to stay healthy, providing aid in the digestion of food that cannot be effectively done by enzymes alone.

Your thyroid gland plays a very important role in your body. It is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck, just above your collarbone. It is one of your endocrine glands, which make hormones that control many activities in your body. There are a number of possible thyroid diseases and disorders, and the two of the most common thyroid disorders are hyperthyroidism (when your thyroid gland makes more thyroid hormones than your body needs) and hypothyroidism (when your thyroid gland doesn’t make enough thyroid hormones). Other diseases include goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland), thyroid cancer, thyroid nodules (lumps in the thyroid gland) and thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid gland).

Most people know that the key to weight loss lies within what you eat. What many don’t know is that a key component might be collecting dust on your spice rack.

They may seem small and insignificant but spices offer much more than a kick of flavor to your meals. Many of them have ingredients that serve as potent weight loss aides when used correctly. Consider adding a natural weight loss catalyst to your diet by including some of the spices listed below into your daily routine.

Your thyroid is a hormone producing gland located in the middle of the lower neck. It has an impact on every cell, organ, and tissue of the body. It regulates your body’s temperature, body weight, heart rate, metabolic rate, and production of energy. Although it a very small organ, it optimal function is vital for your overall health and well-being.

You may enjoy eating processed, supermarket-bought foods because they taste good, but what if you find out that these products contain a dangerous sweetener that may have long-term effects on your health? This sweetener is none other than high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the leading source of calories in the United States today. HFCS lurks in many so-called "healthy" food products – even some which are not naturally sweet.

While a nutritious diet accounts for about 80 percent of the benefits derived from a healthy lifestyle, exercise cannot be ignored, and there's evidence suggesting that exercise protects against telomere shortening as well. Yet another lifestyle strategy that can have a beneficial impact is intermittent fasting.

I find it troubling that the average man now consumes roughly 35 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup and 47 pounds of cane sugar every year. It's no wonder a large portion of the population suffers from health conditions brought about by a high-sugar diet, such as:

• Obesity and insulin resistance
• Elevated triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Depleted levels of vitamins and minerals
• Arthritis and gout
• Liver disease and cardiovascular disease
• Cancer