Around 8,000 to 10,000 years ago, an unknowing soul accidentally let the juice of a sweet fruit - perhaps dates, figs, or even grapes ferment. The outcome: The sugar in the juice fermented to alcohol and wine was born. Since then, wine has been a staple beverage of many cultures. In Mediterranean countries, for instance, people sip wine daily with their meals, and it's believed to be one of the reasons heart-disease rates are low in this European region.

The notion that wine may be good for you is not new. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, referred to wine's attributes in his writings. And today, we know from many research studies that people who drink one or two glasses of wine daily with meals have lower death rates from heart disease and stroke.

Wine's health benefits appear to be twofold. The alcohol in wine, whether red or white, helps protect the heart; and the phytochemicals from the skins of grapes that end up in wine, especially red varieties, also provide protection from heart disease. These two "attributes" raise wine above other alcoholic beverages as a good- for-you drink. But as with anything, especially alcoholic beverages, moderation is the key. In this case, more is definitely not better.

Wine provides heart-healthy benefits. Grape skins contain a class of phytochemical called flavonoids. When red wine is made, the juice ferments with the skins allowing the flavonoids to leach into the wine. This process imparts both flavor and color to the wine. As a result, red wine contains flavonoids. (Grape skins are removed during the making of white wines, hence a very low flavonoid content.) These flavonoids help take care of your heart by protecting your LDLs and preventing dangerous blood clots. (Red or purple grape juice also contains flavonoids but only about one-quarter to one-third the concentration found in red wine.)

Research from the University of Wisconsin shows that red wine flavonoids also help keep the blood platelets from becoming sticky. This means blood clots are less likely to form, lessening the chance of a heart attack. The heart-healthy benefit of wine, primarily red wine, should be put in perspective. Studies that confirm red wine is good for the heart also reveal that those people also typically consume their wine with meals.

Therefore, the timing and amount may be crucial in how both alcohol and flavonoids impact heart health. In fact, in regions of Italy and France where heart disease is relatively low, moderate wine drinking is learned from an early age around the dinner table. Displays of drunkenness are virtually nonexistent, and finding pleasure in sipping wine slowly at meals is typical.

However, drinking an entire bottle one night and then dividing this by seven for a "moderate" average over the week is missing the point. The key here is moderation at all times. Before you rush out and buy a bottle of Merlot, proceed with caution. Alcohol consumption, and this includes red wine, is not without risks.

Regular drinking may impair mental function and memory. Moreover, heavy drinkers (4 to 5 drinks or more per day) have a greater risk of developing hypertension. This increases the chance of stroke and kidney failure. Heavy drinking also increases the likelihood of liver damage and liver disease. In addition, keep in mind that alcohol consumption increases the risk of injuries and accidents at work and on the roadway.

For women, the increased risk of cancer (particularly breast cancer) with drinking must be weighed with the potential benefit of lowering the risk of heart disease. Talk over your cancer risk with your physician before you decide on moderate alcohol consumption (one drink per day).

1. Do modern concrete structures present a hazard to our health? Some people notice traces of rheumatism and neuralgia after only a few weeks, or an increase in stiffness of the limbs or in the neck. Even depression may set in, although unknown before. If shortly after moving into a concrete structure, you notice these or other disturbances, you should experiment by spending a holiday with friends or relatives who live in a wooden or brick building. If your symptoms disappear while you are staying there, it would be reasonable in the interests of health to exchange the concrete structure, despite its modern conveniences, for a healthier dwelling place.

A humid home with little exposure to the sun can damage our health just as much as a concrete building. Pain and psychological suffering can be avoided if, in questions of where to live, we consider not only the cost but also the effect on our health. Living in a healthy home is of greater value than having modern conveniences.

2. Are We Watching Too Much Television? Television has intruded into our everyday life to such an extent that most people cannot imagine life without it. But what about its effects on our health? Cathode rays from the screen are really not harmless. They can damage our health in accord with our own susceptibility. However, rays particularly affect glands and the nervous system. You should therefore consider well whether a program is really worth seeing before you expose yourself to such damaging rays.

One should watch from a distance of about 12 to 18 feet. People subject to lymphatic trouble and those with poor nerves should expose themselves to the rays as little as possible. Watching television is particularly widespread among children, so little wonder that these show signs of striking ill-health. A very unfavorable effect on the nerves and mind has been noted. But instead of paying close attention to the symptoms and removing the cause, many doctors unfortunately disregard them, prescribing medicines to suppress the symptoms. Relief is expected from psychiatric drugs, but sadly in vain, because the harm done is too great to be completely removed.

Even youths are not always strong enough to get over such consequences, and nervous breakdowns have been reported. Parents should be more sensible and see to it that their children do not become addicted to television and exercise necessary control in supervising their viewing carefully.

Modern conveniences can make things easier but, on the other hand, they can put a greater strain on our nerves and minds. Let us select only worthwhile programs and use the rest of our time getting much required rest and relaxation.

Do not leave your television set running without thinking, for it is not good either mentally or health wise to soak in all these harmful things. Particularly in these times of stress, we should take care to get necessary rest, relaxation and quietness to help us recover and rally the forces needed to maintain a healthy mind and body. Though radio and television provide food for the mind, we should not thoughtlessly indulge.

The rays a television screen emits, especially from a color television set, are in no way harmless. Some of them are equal to X-rays. They can cause sensitive persons radiation damage to the skin similar to what is found in nurses working with X-rays. This could be mainly a chronic skin inflammation that does not easily heal. Remember that this can happen when we expose ourselves too long to rays coming from a television screen.

Too much abuse to our body can lead to serious health problems. These abuses come from our daily activities such as improper diet, lack of exercise, smoking, excessive alcohol intake, and a stressful environment. Here are some practical tips to keep our body in shape:

 

An apple a day

Today's environment is filled with pollutants. We can help protect our lungs by merely eating an apple a day. Apples are high in antioxidants, which help clean the lungs of harmful substances that are inhaled.

 

Eat to the Beat

Eating while listening to slow music can help you eat more slowly. Eating too quickly can cause you to over-eat.

 

Eat More Calcium

 Calcium promotes healthy bone growth, but it also helps protect your intestines. The risk of colorectal cancer can be decreased with a high calcium and high vitamin D intake.

 

Drink in Moderation

Alcohol also plays a factor in developing tumors in the colon or colorectal cancer. Large consumption of alcohol is bad, but a moderate intake of alcohol can be beneficial.

 

Skip the Antacids

Antacids may relieve gas spasm and stomach acidity, but it can interfere with normal digestion and can increase the risk of food allergy.

 

Take Vitamin E

Alpha-tocopherol, or Vitamin E, can prevent development of stomach and esophageal cancer.

 

Hit the Cafe

Coffee, which contains antioxidant, can help prevent damage to your intestines.

 

Stretch Your Muscles

You can avoid back pain by doing some stretches. Lean and bend down occasionally to stretch you lower back muscles, shoulder, and chest. It can improve your posture and increase your flexibility. Bending you chest down to your thighs while seated will do.

 

Keep it Even

 Use  both sides of your body to carry  loads, or alternate sides. Overworking one side can cause back and neck injuries. Always stand erect. Do not make it a habit to put all your weight on one leg. It can cause lower back pain and muscle imbalances.

To enjoy life, you need a healthy body. This can only be achieved with a healthy lifestyle. Although your diet is a major factor, stretching and working-out will not only maintain your health, but strengthen your body as well.

Carry some weight. Strength training can improve your bone strength and help prevent joint pain caused by arthritis. It will also shape your muscles and give you a better body shape. For your regular exercise, you should keep some variation in your routine. Using the same workout every day can exhaust your body and lead to muscle wearing and tearing. Instead, rotate multiple routines throughout the week. Try other exercise techniques, such as Yoga. Yoga is an exercise that can increase your muscle flexibility and strength. It is a workout as well as a meditation that can relieve stress. It is also a good therapy for arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Our body is protected by the immune system. It fights-off viruses and bacteria that try to invade our body. However, it needs some aid to fight all those invaders. The body is also protected by the normal flora. These good bacteria live inside the body and help the immune system. We need to boost the immune system as well as the good bacteria. We can boost these bacteria by eating yogurt. Yogurt contains live lactobacillus, good bacteria that aid in proper digestion and protection from harmful invaders. Vegetables are known for their nutritional contents. Eating them is a good thing, but vegetables should be eaten raw, steamed, or half-cooked. A recent study revealed that it is not good to microwave your vegetables because it removes essential substances, such as vitamins and minerals, stored in them. When we get sick, we often run to the drug store and self medicate our selves with antibiotics. This is not a good idea. You think that you will be treated once you take some medicine, but the truth is it cultivates drug-resistant bacteria. Improper antibiotics can make the bacteria immune to drugs, which makes them harder to fight and kill.

In order to keep your skin healthy, try consuming citrus fruit, such as lemons, oranges and grapefruit. They are great in reducing the risk for skin cancer. Tanning may make you feel more attractive, but it is better to avoid tanning beds. Too much exposure to UV light can greatly increase your chances of developing skin cancer.

Grocery shelves are packed with bars that claim to promote the “low-carb” lifestyle. But many of these bars have are not what they seem. In 2001, consumerlab.com tested 30 nutrition bars and found that half of them contained more carbohydrates than they claimed. One product that supposedly contained only 2 grams of carbohydrates turned out to have 22. Most of the carbohydrates in these products come from sweetening ingredients like glycerin. Manufacturers claim these forms do not count as carbohydrates because they do not impact blood sugar levels.

However, the reality is they are still carbohydrates, and they can form up to 70 percent of a bar’s total calories.

The FDA requires all bar manufacturers to list total carbohydrate counts on their nutrition labels. However, many low-carb bars can be loaded with fat, which is even worse. Some bars contain 10 grams, or about 15 percent of your RDA, the same as a Milky Way bar. They may be high-fat candy bars in weight-loss packaging.

Energy bars are good fix for a no-time-for-lunch crunch

When you do not have time to breathe, let alone eat lunch, grabbing an energy bar is better than skipping a meal entirely, right? Yes, but they are appropriate in emergency situations only. They usually do not contain enough calories to keep you full, so you may end up overeating later. You are also missing healthier foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables.

They are a healthy grab-and-go snack

These bars claim to be great anytime snacks, full of vitamins and minerals. And many of them deliver. Luna bars, for instance, contain 100 percent of the daily requirements of 11 different nutrients, from vitamin C to riboflavin and niacin. Zone Perfect bars have at least 200 percent of the daily value of vitamin C, E and B6. However, nutrients are not all these bars contain. They are also chock-full of calories, an amount somewhere between a snack and a small meal. You may find that you are even hungrier after eating it because refined carbohydrates cause blood sugar levels to rise in your body. When they drop an hour later, you will be ravenous.

 

As if that isn’t bad enough, many of these products also contain 7 to 10 fat grams, usually in the form of unhealthy saturated fat or trans fatty acids, which clog your arteries and increase the risk of cancer and heart disease. While companies must list both total fat and saturated fat on the label, they are not required to include information on trans fats until 2006. Until then, check the label for the words “partially hydrogenated,” which indicate trans fats.

Health trends today are numerous and constantly changing. Many of these popular diets are too complicated to follow or simply not effective. But what some people do not know is there are numerous ways to stay healthy without disrupting your daily routine.

In our busy world, everyone wants to take the fast track. Multi-tasking is the most valuable skill, but these high speed habits can cause various health problems. Even when talking on your phone, cradled between your ear and your shoulder, you could be damaging your body. Simple tendencies like this  can cause muscle spasms and pain in the spinal joints.

Night shifts are another popular and potentially hazardous lifestyle. One study showed that exposure to light during the night can affect the normal body process of producing melatonin, a hormone that can stall the growth of cancer cells. A sedentary lifestyle is another major factor in getting illnesses like cancer. The chances of developing health problems increase when a person has no regular exercise. A walk each morning is sufficient and can reduce the risk of cancer up to 20 percent. Your diet is also essential. The more conscious a person is about his diet, the better health he will have. Proper diet can lower the risk of having cancer, as well. If you do not have time for a walk, then try skipping the elevator and taking the stairs. Eat 10 servings of nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables to stay healthy. These will help maintain your body tissues and protect them from toxins and free radicals that can predispose you to cancer. Most of the women who eat a proper diet have a lower chance of getting ovarian cancer.
 

Take care of your heart. A healthy heart is a secret of a long life. You can avoid stress through meditation or other exercises. This will relax your mind and body. It can also help lower your blood pressure and reduce the risk of thrombus, or blood clots that can lead to stroke. Include antioxidants in your diet to help cleanse your arteries from plaque. Pomegranate juice and bananas are high in antioxidants. Arterial plaques can accumulate when there is a high intake of cholesterol and fat in the diet, or the person  smokes heavily. Soy is also proven effective in reducing cholesterol levels in the body. Soy can be found in tofu, soybeans, and soy milk.
 

Buy yourself a pet. Pets are great medium for relieving stress. Taking care of and playing with your pet will help reduce stress, thus decreasing the level of your blood pressure.