By Tess Thompson

In the 1970′s, Dr. Ben Feingold developed what came to be known as the “Feingold Diet” after he thought he noticed a link between certain foods and hyperactivity in children. The ingredients he flagged to avoid were mostly food additives which he thought were causing allergic reactions in some of his patients, but sugar was also on the list.

For years following, Dr. Feingold’s theory grew in popularity and acceptance, but the theory was based only on his patient’s testimonials, and a link between sugar and hyperactivity has yet to be proven in studies.

While there is not overwhelming conclusive evidence that any particular food will cause or prevent hyperactivity, a well-balanced diet that is rich in a variety of brain-healthy foods will benefit anyone, and some preliminary studies have found certain food types to have a positive effect on children with ADHD.

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Most people are aware of the importance of a healthy blood pressure level. Often of lesser concern though is the heart rate. For good health and a long life you should aim for a resting pulse of about 60 beats per minute (bpm). A normal and healthy heart rate should fall within the range of 70-75 beats per minute for an adult at rest. This is known as the resting heart rate (RHR) and is an important indicator of physical fitness.

If you tend to live a very sedentary lifestyle your heart may beat 80 times per minute or more. Sitting in front of the television instead of getting a sufficient amount of exercise can cause the heart to work harder than it should. Your heart and lungs will be continuously overworked. This is especially the case when under physical or emotional stress. This can cause serious damage to the heart muscle and blood vessels. Other bodily organs may suffer damage as well due to not getting enough oxygen.

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Clinical depression is radically different from a passing feeling of sadness. It is a phase of low mood that lasts for more than three to four weeks at a stretch. Typical symptoms of depression are social withdrawal, insomnia, change in appetite, weight gain or loss, extreme pessimism and a feeling of worthlessness.

Passing phases of sadness can potentially lead to clinical depression if not attended to. It is imperative that you arm yourself with some protection to avoid such a situation. Some simple procedures including natural remedies for depression can prove very helpful in boosting energy levels and avoiding depressive moods.

According to the ancient Indian therapy Ayurveda, disease is caused by an imbalance of the three aspects. These aspects are the basis of the healthy functioning of a body. They are vata (wind), kapha (phlegm) and pitta (heat). Depression occurs when this imbalance is accompanied by â��œlack of awareness of one ‘s deeper, inner Self.â�

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Times have changed since you were a teenager; you’ve probably recognized some differences. Teens face so many things you may never have had to deal with. Rather than spending hours outside like you probably did, many teens are sitting in front of the television, computer, or sitting down texting. You want to know how to keep your teenager in shape, right? Well, these ideas may help you.

No matter how much they complain, it’s important to keep your teenager active. One way to encourage this is to limit the amount of time they can spend in front of a monitor of any kind. Move their computer and television to an open spot so you can begin to control the amount of time they spend there. If they want their privacy, that’s fine. Simply arrange the area so you can’t easily see the monitor as you’re passing by.

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When we see symptoms like cold hands and feet, low body temperature, sensitivity to cold, a feeling of always being chilled, headaches, sleeplessness, coarse skin, swollen eyes, loss of hair, fragile nails, joint aches, constipation, mental tedium, fatigue, repeated infections, croaky voice, ringing in the ears, dizziness, loss of libido, or uncontrollable weight gain, we hardly associate them with any thyroid dysfunction.

This, above all is the main reason behind thyroid diseases like hypothyroidism being amongst the most under diagnosed diseases. There are convincing indications that thyroid diseases are assuming alarming proportions in lot many countries without people being aware of it. The worst part is that the laboratory blood tests too lead to confusion, as even normal levels of hormone balance are not definite indications of absence of thyroid dysfunction.

There is usually a hidden fear that makes a majority of people avoid clinical investigation since they do not want to undergo hormonal thyroid medications. The irony is that the thyroid treatmentcan be as simple as a regulated change in diet. Although the matter needs more research, it is generally accepted that diet plays a significant role in thyroid health.

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