Though it is often ignored and abused, your liver is critical to your health and is essential for breaking down carbohydrates, making glucose, and detoxing the body. In fact, the liver performs over 500 functions and is the largest solid gland in your body. So what exactly makes the liver so special, and how can you protect it?
The Top Veggies that Really are Not Veggies at All
It is easy to classify any sweet produce as fruit and toss all the remaining savory produce into the vegetable category. However, there’s a lot more that goes into determining whether a vegetable is actually a vegetable. Hint: It is not just all about how they taste.
Easy 3 Ingredients Snacks That Give You All Day Energy
There is nothing that hampers productivity more than constant hunger pangs. When you’re hungry, it is easy to become distracted, lethargic, and irritable. Not to mention that the midafternoon slump usually hits around the busiest part of the day and in your haste, its easy to grab an unhealthy, sugary snack or fast food. These type of indulgent treats such as fancy coffee drinks, chips, and french fries give your body the illusion of being full and can increase your hunger, leading to a vicious snacking cycle. You will receive a momentary sugar and carb-induced spike in energy levels and then experience a dangerous blood sugar crash.
5 Containers You Can Recycle And Turn Into Gardening Pots
Your garden is the perfect place to express your creativity! Backyard gardening is also healthy for the mind, body and soul. It gets you outdoors and gives you the satisfaction of growing your own food. What’s better is that you can control what goes into your plants and you know exactly what you’re consuming. I encourage you to add an eco-friendly touch to your garden when you can and consider these five ideas for recycling containers for planting pots. [Read more…]
What Are Eye Floaters and Are they Bad?
Do you ever see black lines or dots floating across your field of vision? If so, you’ve probably experienced eye floaters. Contrary to popular belief, eye floaters are not just an indication that you need more sleep or the first sign of vision deterioration. These floaters are also not just a trick of your imagination. In fact, they are incredibly common and could mean more than you think…
What are eye floaters?
Eye floater is an incredibly general term that describes several different vision interruptions. You may see small, dark specks, cobwebs, rings, or strings floating across your visual field. Or you could see small gray or black specks in your peripheral vision that disappear when you try to look at them. Most people first notice eye floaters when they look at a bright, plain area like a white wall, paper, or the blue sky. This phenomenon can be incredibly annoying because you are unable to look directly at the floaters, even when they stick around for days or weeks.
What causes eye floaters?
These strange specks can be caused by a number of conditions; however, the most common is age-related vitreous changes. Don’t worry; it’s not as bad as it sounds. Simply put, your eye is filled with a gel-like, vitreous substance that will shrink and become stringy, as you age. The loose fibers floating throughout the eye then cast a shadow onto the retina, causing irregularly shaped specks to appear in your vision.
Who is at risk?
You are more likely to develop floaters if you are above age 50, are nearsighted, have diabetes, have had any medication injected into the eye, have had eye trauma, or have had a cataract operation.
Are they harmful?
The majority of the time, eye floaters are nothing to worry about. They are painless, easily ignored, and will often dissipate on their own after a few weeks or months.
Though it is unlikely, eye floaters could be a sign of something more severe than mere vitreous separation. Rarely, vitreous body fibers will pull some of the retinal nerve cells with them as they detach, causing a retinal tear that could lead to retinal detachment if left untreated. Retinal detachment could lead to severe, permanent vision damage. Floaters may also be caused by infection and inflammation of the eye or blood leaking from vessels in the retina.
When to consult a doctor
If eye floaters become incredibly dense to the point where your vision is obscured, they come on suddenly, or if you have any other eye-related symptoms, such as peripheral vision loss or flashes of light, make an appointment with your eye doctor as soon as possible. Usually, they will abate on their own; however, a sudden onset of floaters could still be cause for concern, so it is important to keep your appointment even if the floaters start to dissipate. It is always a good idea to play it safe when it comes to health, especially ocular health.
How to protect ocular health
Your eyes are incredibly valuable, delicate, and, unfortunately, often ignored. Don’t take vision problems lightly and follow these tips to ensure that you are giving your eyes the attention and care they deserve.
Receive an eye exam
Every person should have an eye exam at least every year or two. This is especially imperative if you have known health problems or wear corrective lenses. Don’t wait to see the eye doctor until you notice worsening vision or a problem with your eyes. Take preventative steps and prioritize your ocular health whenever possible.
Drink more water
Just as the rest of your body needs water to function, your eyes need it as well. Be sure to stay hydrated and drink before you’re thirsty.
Rest your eyes
Eye strain is a real issue in this technology-driven world. Follow the 20-20-20 rule when you are on your phone or computer to protect your vision and keep your eyes from drying out or weakening over time. Every 20 minutes, look up from your screen at something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Eat a healthy diet
Fresh vegetables, real whole grains, fish, and fruit can all help protect your eyes by preventing vision problems and macular degeneration. Incorporate leafy greens, salmon, and citrus fruits into your diet to stave off eye disease and keep your peepers happy.
-Susan Patterson
How to Ruin Your Smoothie: What You Should be Adding Instead
Just because something is blended into a smoothie, doesn’t make it healthy. That “power smoothie” you enjoy for breakfast can quickly turn into more of a dessert treat depending on the ingredients contained within. Do you want to drink a milkshake for breakfast or something that is actually nutritious? Here are a few things that can quickly ruin a good smoothie and what you should add instead to boost the nutritional value and contribute to your health.
7 Kitchen Hacks to Create Healthy and Quick Meals
I get it; your schedule is busy. You work, you exercise, you run errands, you spend time with your family and friends. Taking the time to eat can be hard. Taking the time to eat well is even harder. Or is it? In fact, cooking and preparing healthy, whole foods can often be just as quick as ordering takeout or popping in a frozen pizza…without the dangerous ramifications. If you’ve always wanted to start cooking healthy food at home, check out this article to help you create delicious meals even on the busiest nights.
5 Steps to Successful Kitchen Waste Composting
Rich compost is often referred to as the “black gold” of the garden, and with good reason! Compost can enrich your soil, add much-needed nutrients and help your plants grow strong and healthy. The average household produces a whopping 200 pounds of organic kitchen waste each year that is often wasted by being sent to a landfill.
25 Seeds You Should Be Starting Now and Tips for Success
Just because the ground is frozen and you can see your breath on the frigid outside air, doesn’t mean it’s too early to begin thinking about spring planting. Starting these seeds indoors will help encourage a strong, healthy plant when it’s time to move them outside. Grow your own indoor garden today to get a jump on the season and expand your gardening repertoire.
Preparing for the Spring Garden: What You Should be Doing Now
The winter is often a discouraging time for gardeners. Windy days and grey, gloomy skies, not to mention whether that doesn’t exactly support outdoor activities. January and February can be the most difficult times of the year, as you can almost taste spring and are filled with the ambition and motivation of the new year. So should you just forget about gardening for the entire winter? Certainly not! There are many things you can be doing today to prepare for the busy spring garden season, even when you’re staring at 4 inches of snow covering your dormant beds. Take some time to do these simple tasks that will make the planting season more organized and efficient and will help your garden flourish.