There are people who hate celery, its specific fragrance and taste. But many people like chewing on its crunchy sticks believing that they assist in calorie burning (according to a common myth). In many world’s cuisines celery, its root, seeds and leaves, are used as a spice for such dishes as soups, stews, salads and even bakery. This plant originated from Mediterranean Europe and the Middle East, where it has been used as a decorative and edible plant for more than 400 years. In the nineteenth century, celery was planted and harvested in the US for the first time. Read the rest of this entry »

Cellulite, or orange peel syndrome, is something familiar to almost every woman over 25-30. It is estimated that more than 85% of today’s ladies suffer from cellulite, a problem caused by the accumulation of extra fat and fluids under the top layers of the skin and visible through the skin as those terrible lumps and bumps. Cellulite formation is attributed to various reasons. Those are, first of all, problems with blood and lymph flow in such body areas as thighs, hips, buttocks, low legs, stomach and even arms. Poor or unhealthy diet, bad eating habits, lack of physical activities, insufficient water intake, hormonal shifts, constant stresses and genetics are also among the leading reasons of orange peel syndrome. Read the rest of this entry »

“Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world.

I know because I’ve done it thousands of times!”

Mark Twain

Smoking is one of the nastiest habits, which, unfortunately, is very common nowadays. It is really hard to give up this habit, and thousands of people, who wanted to quit smoking, tried using many various techniques to reduce cravings and get rid of nicotine addiction once and for all. Usual stop smoking efforts include using a special chewing gum, pills or medications, exercise, meditation, being involved in some entertainment activities, making some substantial changes in the life-style, and many others. However, not many people are aware about the fact that what we eat and drink can actually help to enhance or worsen cigarette taste. Therefore, there are certain foods, which can make us feel bad about cigarette taste and this way assist in giving up this terrible habit. Read the rest of this entry »

Modern business life is very dynamic and competitive, and in order to achieve success in business, managers need to develop certain professional habits and personal qualities. Such factors as being a hardworking, ambitious person, bold in decision making, striving for receiving immediate results, as well as having great abilities to think critically and the capacity to overwork are among the key traits of modern successful managers of top levels. Working hard is considered a habit of some people, and many of their friends and colleagues call this habit “an addiction”. It is absolutely true, and, as any addiction, this one also requires certain “treatment” and control. Otherwise: have you heard about Karoshi? No, I do not mean a PC game here… Read the rest of this entry »

Honey is one of the most useful and valuable natural remedies for a great number of health problems. It has a unique pleasant taste and for centuries it has been helping the humanity in combating various diseases and ailments. In Ancient Greece, honey was used for its remarkable anti-bacterial, anti-viral and wound-healing properties. Apitherapy, or treatment with honey bee products, has many therapeutic effects on our body and mind. Antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-allergic, expectorant, cancer-preventing, relaxing, sedative, to name a few, are the main healing properties of such products. And, according to many specialists, the main advantage of honey as an effective natural remedy is the absence of serious side effects (allergies and other negative reactions of the body are possible mainly in the case of overdose).

Honey is a beautiful sweet golden liquid rich in nutrients, antioxidants and antimicrobial agents. It has a special natural composition, including such minerals and elements as magnesium, calcium, iron,  phosphorus, copper, sodium, potassium, iodine, sulfur, manganese and chlorine, Vitamins E, D, C, K, Vitamin A and betacarotene, B-group Vitamins, folic acid, caffeic acid and other organic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, hydrogen peroxide and many others. Some people try to avoid eating honey believing that it is a very caloric food which can cause extra weight gain. However, 1 teaspoon of a high-quality honey has only 25-30 calories, and honey has a property to be converted easily into energy causing no extra fat storage. Eating 50-100 g of honey a day allows everyone to enjoy the healing benefits of this magic food.

According to the findings and results of recent studies and researches, presented a year ago at the First International Symposium on Honey and Human Health, honey is valued, first of all, for its anti-microbial activity. Australian scientists discovered that 2-16% honey solutions are effective against a broad variety of fungi and bacteria. Honey is an excellent remedy for healing wounds, burns, insect bites and skin diseases, as it can deprive the bacteria from air and water it needs to thrive, resulting in diminishing the activity of viruses. Honey improves our immune system, stabilizes hemoglobin levels and boosts the capacity of our body to regenerate damaged cells.

In folk medicine, honey is also known for its positive effects on our respiratory system and for its capacity to relief cough and symptoms of cold. This property was researched by the specialists from Penn State College of Medicine in Pennsylvania, who studied the the effects of honey as a cough suppressant. This group of researchers also reported about very good properties of honey as a sleep stimulator. An experienced pharmacist Mike Mclnnes presented the results of his research, showing that eating a little of honey before going to sleep can stimulate the function of sleep through creating glycogen stores in our liver, necessary for our brain, and relieving metabolic stress in our body.

Besides, small doses of honey can be used by diabetes patients as a safe natural sweetener. Specialists from the USDA Agricultural Research Service Beltsville have been studying human body’s tolerance to honey, which proved to be better than tolerance to glucose or sucrose. A group of experts from the University of Waiketo (New Zealand) was studying the effects of honey on anxiety, memory and weight gain. According to Dr. Nicola Starkey, regular consumption of honey can assist in weight management, improve HDL cholesterol and blood sugar levels, lower oxidative damage, decrease anxiety and have positive effects on human memory. Finally, the abundance of antioxidants containing in honey make this food a source of beauty, youth and vigor.

Now, we can see that honey is not just a sweetener. It has scientifically proven nutritional and medicinal benefits. It can provide us with a variety of vitamins, antioxidants, nutrients and other useful elements, improve our skin and immune system, have positive effects on our liver and lower heart disease risk, help us to calm down, as well as give us a plenty of positive energy and boost our athletic performance. Mike Mclnnes says: “Honey is an intelligent food, an informed food, and it must be differentiated from other sweeteners“. Every morning, drink a glass of warm water mixed with a teaspoon of honey, and you will feel perfectly ready for starting a new day. Also, if you use honey as a sweetener for your morning tea, remember that honey loses the majority of its healing properties at the temperature over 60C, so before adding this beautiful source of perfect health into your cup of tea, wait until the beverage gets a little colder.