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Monday, February 22, 2016

Fight Cancer with This Diet


Foods you eat have a big impact on your overall health and wellbeing. Did you ever wonder why your doctor recommends healthy diet or tweaking eating habits whenever you have an appointment? They don’t do it because it’s something they just “have to say”, it’s something that is extremely important for your health. Everything you take into your body can help you preserve or improve your health, or it will deteriorate it if you are addicted to junk food. The power of healthy diet goes beyond improvement of immune system; it can also help you fight cancer. How? What foods can aid in fighting cancer? Answers to these questions are below.

Cancer and nutrition

Back in time, people didn’t have medications or painkillers to alleviate the pain. Also, there were no doctors to conduct necessary tests, make a diagnosis, and propose adequate treatment. To stay healthy, they relied on healthy foods. To these people, the food was more than a fuel for the body to increase energy levels and banish the hunger, it was also a medicine. Numerous studies have confirmed the link between diet and cancer and scientists are still working on other studies to inspect this relationship thoroughly and create new ways of treating cancer.

For example, Maryam Farvid a fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health conducted a study which discovered that healthy diet high in fiber can prevent breast cancer. Findings, published in the journal Pediatrics, were based on long-term study which included 44,000 women who were surveyed about their eating habits in high school.

Participants of the study also had to complete questionnaires about their eating habits every 4 years. Results of the research showed that women who consumed high levels of fiber had 24% lower risk of developing breast cancer before menopause. The lifetime risk of developing breast cancer in women who ate high levels of fiber decreased by 16%.

This study is just one of many examples which show that diet can play a massive role in preventing and fighting cancer.

Diet rich in fiber

High fiber diet, which was mentioned in the study included above, is one of the healthiest diets you can eat. It benefits your health in many ways. For example:
  • Has cancer-prevention properties
  • Regulates healthy weight
  • Helps you lose weight
  • Improves digestion 
  • Controls blood sugar levels
  • Improves heart health
  • Lowers risk of getting stroke
  • Lowers risk of hemorrhoids
  • Provides relief from IBS etc.
When diet high in fiber is mentioned, to get all benefits it has to offer you have to make sure you take adequate amount of fiber throughout the day. Below, you can see daily values of fiber for both men and women:

Age 50 or younger – Men 38 grams, women 25 grams
Age 51 or older – Men 30 grams, women 21 grams.

High fiber foods

Now that you know how healthy this diet is and how much fiber you need during the day, let’s see what foods are rich in fiber and therefore, perfect for you, particularly if you want to improve your health or fighting cancer:

Pears – contain phloretin component which inhibits growth and induces apoptosis in lung and colon cancer, melanoma, leukemia. Phloretin also increases anti-cancer effects of chemotherapy drug Taxol thus contributing to cancer treatment.

Strawberries – study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry revealed that quercetin from strawberries (and other types of fruits) causes apoptosis of cancer cells. Plus, they are rich in antioxidants that attack free radicals and protect your body from oxidative damage (which could also contribute to cancer).

Avocado – is rich in fiber as well as in healthy fats, and a wide array of vitamins and minerals all of which are needed to improve your overall health and wellbeing

Apples – contain variety of phytochemicals that have anti-cancer properties. Apple a day keeps doctor away isn’t just a random saying.

Other foods rich in fiber that can help you improve your health and aid in fight vs. cancer include:

  • Lentils, beans, dried figs (even healthier than fresh figs), raspberries and other berries, dates, sweet potato, almonds, chia seeds
  • Dark chocolate, bananas, carrots, beets, broccoli, artichoke, whole grains quinoa etc.

Guidelines to eating diet high in fiber

  • Start your day with high-fiber breakfast cereal
  • Include more beans and legumes into your diet while cutting back on refined, processed, greasy and sugary foods
  • Fruits and vegetables should be about half of your meal
  • When in mood for a snack, opt for fruits instead of chips 

Conclusion

The most important thing when fighting cancer is to listen to doctor’s orders and suggestions. Remember, as your body is weak during this time, it needs healthy diet to become healthier and stronger. In fact, healthy diet is important aspect of any disease treatment, including cancer. Diet rich in fiber is also abundant in vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that provide immunity-boosting, cancer-fighting properties while stabilizing bowel movements and helping you manage healthy weight.

References
http://www.examiner.com/article/how-plant-based-diet-protect-the-skin-from-sun-damage

http://community.healthywomen.org/profiles/blogs/does-high-fiber-diet-prevents-asthma


Tuesday, February 16, 2016

6 Ways to Get Rid of Puffy Eyes


Puffy eyes come about when your eyes appear swollen because of retention of water, sleep deprivation and genetic issues. Puffy eyes can greatly affect our general appearance. The eyes are what lights up the face. With puffy eyes even putting eye makeup can seem not to work as the swelling is more visible. Having puffy eyes doesn’t mean it will just stop there. There are hundreds of ways to get rid of them and give your face a perfect look. Here are some of the ways to get rid of puffy eyes stay tuned:
1. Use tea bags
Waking up with puffiness under the eyes can get you frustrated. Any kind of tea bag can take away the puffiness under the eyes. They contain tannin which is an astringent thus works by restricting blood flow to the eyes. Reduced blood flow help reduce the swelling. Moreover the tannin evens the skin tone getting rid of the dark circles for a radiant complexion. Eye puffiness cause the skin to get loose giving it an older look. By using the tea bags the skin is tightened up for a young look. To use the two tea bags put them in warm water then place one on each eye. Stay for 20 minutes then wash off with cold water which further constricts the blood vessels to limit the blood flow to the eyes. You can do this twice a week for desired results.
2. Do the cucumber slices
Get a fresh cucumber cool it for sometime in the fridge then slice some two pieces and put them on your eyes for a half an hour. Before putting the slices on your eyes ensure your face is clean. The cucumber slices are coupled with very strong antioxidants which are good at curbing any sort of swelling and reddening. The cucumber also helps for skin care to reduce any kind of itchiness and tighten the skin. With their cooling effect, the cucumber limits blood flow to the eyes further inhibiting and reducing the swelling. After removing the slices clean your face with cold water. If you fail to get the cucumber, raw potato can perform the same function. Peel and clean the potato slice it and place it over your eyes for a quarter an hour. The potato contain properties that drain water. Thus, it will take away the retention water reducing inflammation.
3. Apply some egg whites on the affected area
Get one egg beat and extract the white part. With your fingers apply the egg white below your eyes and leave it for 15 minutes. This is until it dries up. The egg white tightens your skin and reduces the swelling. By making the under eyes tight, the egg white encourages more circulation on the lower part of the face. This results in less flow of blood to the eyes reducing the inflammation. Wash of the residue with some cold water.
4. Ice cold spoons
Before going to bed at night put two spoons in the refrigerator. In the morning after cleansing put each spoon on the affected areas. You can wrap the spoon with some cloth to avoid the burns from the cold. Allow the spoon to stay over the affected area for 5 minutes. The cold feeling will constrict blood vessels around the eyes. Reduced blood flow will help reduce the swelling.
5. Fresh chilled milk
Put some fresh milk in a refrigerator to get chilled. With a clean towel apply the milk over your closed eyes. Let the milk stay on for ten minutes. The milk is rich in lactic acid and fat which have soothing properties thus help in reducing the inflammation under puffy eyes. The milk also contains vitamin A and D, which can help curb dark circles by toning the skin and also keeping it tight. Wash off with cold water.
6. Hydrate
Take plenty of water to reduce the swelling. Water hydrates your body avoiding any kind of water retention, thus helping get rid of eye puffiness. Curb the salt as it can lead to dehydration encouraging water retention. Limit intake of dehydrating drinks like the caffeinated ones. Also, avoid carbonated drinks. Get enough sleep to help alleviate the water retention and swelling up of the eyes.
Conclusion
Do not let eye puffiness be a headache; ways to get rid of them are very simple. All you have to do is schedule sometime to work on them. Moreover, you should avoid unhealthy lifestyles like depriving yourself of sleep this will not only cost your health but also appearance. Allergy is what mostly causes water retention resulting to puffiness; get some medicine to manage the allergies. Make some healthy changes and improve your looks.
References
https://www.consumerhealthdigest.com/eye-skin-care/natural-cures-for-puffy-eyes-the-most-popular-tips-and-methods.html

Monday, February 15, 2016

How Cinnamon Leaf Oil and Vitamin E Oil Help Plump Your Lips?


Many admire to have those plump full kissable lips just like some movie stars have. There are various ways to make your pout look plump. It’s not all about the expensive, painful lip plumpers but there are other easier affordable ways that one can use. These range from cosmetic to home remedies.
Nice lip plumpers can add shape and volume to your lips without necessarily looking as if you got punched in the kisser. When carefully chosen, one can achieve fuller, bee-stung lips like Angelina Jolie’s that women crave. Nasty lip plumber can leave your lips with red, flaky and burning effect.

Cinnamon for Plump lips; how it works?
Cinnamon causes a slight irritation when applied to the lips. It consequently increases the blood flow. The increase in blood flow leads to slightly fuller lips. The primary reason as to why it is not advisable to use cinnamon on busted lips is because this would result in adverse reactions. Whenever cinnamon comes into contact with an open wound, then just like a lemon juice, it will cause a burning sensation that is usually painful to the lips.

How to achieve gorgeous, plump lips?
Method 1
Using Cinnamon oil and Vitamin E oil
  • Get vitamin from the nearest pharmacy.
  • Get the cinnamon leaf oil from a health food store. Note that this is very different from the cinnamon bark oil.
  • Remember that as you will apply it to the lips, there will be some minor irritation since the lips skin is very soft and tender. Do not apply too much of it as it may distort your lips instead of plumping. 
  • Put one part of the cinnamon oil and two parts of vitamin E into a cup and slowly mix it.
  • Once you have achieved the mixture, apply it gently to your lips using your finger, a brush or a cotton swab. In about 3-4 minutes you will have a stinging, itchy feeling on the lips. Do not rub, be patient and bear the sense for splendid results. In 15-20 minutes, you shall have achieved your plump lips. Gently and carefully wipe off your lips. If the cinnamon is not enough for the mixture, you can slightly increase the ratio.
Tips for using cinnamon leaf oil for Plump lips
  • Use little cinnamon if you have sensitive lips
  • Cover the dead skin cells with a good moisturizer or lip balm. Alternatively, you can let them wear off.
  • Gently brush your lips to wear out dead skin cells as you do a daily brush at night.
  • Use real cinnamon as different types may yield different disappointing results.
  • You can as well add a little cinnamon to your lip gloss.
Safety Precautions when using cinnamon for Plump lips
  • Do not apply cinnamon to damaged lips
  • Do not rub the cinnamon too much to the lips as it may cause sore lips.
Method 2
Hydration 
Taking a lot of water makes the lips always hydrated hence gradually achieving a plump look. Drink water as often as possible to have fuller lips. Dry lips grow thin and easily form cracks.

Method 3
Exfoliation
It is a process of shedding off the dead skin cell to give room for growth of new cells. One, you can make an exfoliation mixture of honey and brown sugar. Rub gently onto the lips for 3 minutes. Gently wipe your lips with a paper towel. Once dry, apply a layer of Aquaphor.

Two, you can use your toothbrush to rub your lips after brushing your teeth. It also helps achieve a temporary swell on the lips.

Lastly, if your lips are dry, apply coconut oil before and after bathing for about a week. Use any face cream to your lips for 10 seconds, wash off and apply coconut oil again. Repeat this for two weeks. After this keep applying water using a brush or finger to your lips. This procedure helps plump your lips, gives a pinkish color and moisturizing effect. Also, the dry skin on the lips falls off thus a new growth that gives a gorgeous look.

Method 4
Use of commercial products
You can opt to plump your lips using commercial products. Nice lip plumper contains ingredients like hyaluronic which are less irritating. Apply this plumper with your mouth wide open to ensure maximum effect. Apply two or three times a day.

Not all lip plumpers are good; some are much more irritating to the lips and can cause severe damage to your lips. In place of this, cinnamon is better as its irritating effect is not so bad when used in proper way. Also, note that surgery is not advisable for a lip plumping. There are some natural solutions rather than opting for surgery. Above all, one should be very careful when choosing a lip plumber to avoid disappointments like sore red lips.

References
http://www.articlesbase.com/skin-care-articles/products-hydrating-the-chapped-lips-could-be-poisoning-you-7387127.html

http://www.lifeandexperiences.com/lip-contouring-get-fake-big-lips/

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Is Makeup the Reason Behind Your Acne?


Acne is a condition that affects many people worldwide from the US, India to far-flung Africa. It has no boundaries. What should concern many is the fact that there is no accurate information about acne instead myths fly around with misleading methods of clearing up acne. An acne-prone individual may lose self-esteem, miss social events or even avoid dates. In the hunt to obtain a solution to this condition, many people resort to traditional methods of dealing with acne that inflicts more harm to the skin. One of those fairy-tale kinds of statements is that makeup causes acne. To set the record straight, we need to look at relationship between makeup and acne;

How makeup affects your acne condition?
Do you change your pillow case on a regular basis?
The question sound odd at first but point on. When you sleep, your face is pressed down on the pillow for close to 8 hours for those who have regular sleeping habits. What you aren't aware of is you sleeping in dust and dead cells. An acne-prone person is susceptible to collecting bacteria from the pillow to the skin through their pores. Other forms of exposure include using a bathing towel that may harbor bacteria that causes acne.

Sleeping with makeup on
It is bed time, and you feel lazy and postpone bathing or washing the face while makeup is on. At night, the skin renews itself when put to rest. The makeup will contribute to clogging of the pores causing bacteria to build up and skin to inflame. When you feel that you are too tired to wash your face organize to have a makeup remover besides your bed to wipe all the makeup for skin care.

Too much cleaning of the skin
You may have used too many cleansing products. Stick to one. You don't have to wash your face more than twice a day to treat acne. Some go as far as scrubbing excessively injuring the skin. There are formulas for your oily skin, not harsh abrasive cleaners. Excessive cleansing is harmful to the skin. The real problem of acne is the production of sebum in excess by the sebaceous glands in response to environmental factors that assaults your skin. So your skin becomes irritated when you bombard it with more cleanser and start to produce more sebum to counter the new enemy (cleanser). It is a better idea to use one cleanser once or twice a day in conjunction with an acne cream.

Unclean makeup brushes
You might be wondering what exacerbates your acne. Alas, your soiled brushes and makeup kit which you have ignored to clean and sterilize. Acne bacteria can live in the sponges and brushes comfortably and keeps on infecting you all the time without noticing. Wash your tools at least once every week using a cleanser without chemicals.

Check the ingredients of your makeup
Have you taken note of the ingredient in your makeup? Be certain of the composition of the makeup you are using that includes the sunscreen, moisturizer, and toner. Whenever you feel slight irritation upon applying the product, discontinue immediately. Makeup with Alcohol ingredients dries up the skin surface. The point is read the labels carefully before purchasing any makeup. Keywords to look out for include "oil free" or "alcohol-free".

Sharing makeup kits with sisters and friends
You may be doing it out of ignorance, but when you share the kit with friends and sisters, the sponges and brushes may carry acne bacteria and infect your skin unknowingly.

Conclusion
If you have acne prone skin, you need extra care when applying makeup on your skin. First and foremost when shopping for makeup lookout for its ingredients and ignore the ones that are harmful to your skin.  Know what is triggering your acne it is not true that make is the only cause of the flare up. The flare-up may come due to an allergic reaction to cosmetic ingredients, makeup kits hygiene or even your pillow. Learn your skin it will be easy to trace the causative factors and avoid them in future. If you a pick cosmetic and you are acne-prone, first sample it on a section of your skin if it turns red, flee from it. Always remember not to overdo your face cleansing because it is not a treatment for acne and blemishes on your skin.

Makeup is not the reason you have acne so don’t give up on it just look for the best product for yourself. Seek professional help from a qualified dermatologist to treat and control your acne. It is not enough to rely on home remedies if the acne keeps on recurring. Some of the home remedies are old wife tales that don’t work but aggravate the condition. Women who use makeup improve their self-esteem so don’t shy away from it.

References
https://www.consumerhealthdigest.com/beauty-skin-care/11-effective-hacks-to-fix-makeup-mistakes-new-year.html

http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1083862

Saturday, February 6, 2016

How Wine Helps You With Your Weight Loss?


To avert the risks of contracting various chronic diseases you have to check your weight all the time. Taking care of your health should not be a choice, but a must do thing because without a sound health state you can’t perform your daily activities efficiently. According to specialists and doctors, accumulation of excess body fat is significantly contributed by the food that you take. Although practising routine workout is effective in toning your weight, you have to check whatever you eat to tone your weight effectively. Although heavy alcohol intake is highly discouraged for your weight, minimum and controlled intake of alcohol is vital for your weight loss process. Some of the wines such as red wine are very significant drinks for your weight loss process. Wine intake is linked with many health benefits including cardiovascular benefits. But intake of wine cannot be used as a sole way to cut and tone your weight because wine is very expensive for the daily consumption.

Red wine for weight loss
If you wish to cut weight effectively and tone your body fat capacity, you have to engage in two major activities, and they include healthy diet plan and routine workout. A combination of the two activities is very successive in your weight loss process because you are observing whatever you intake as food and at the same time burn extra calories through engaging in physical exercises. The secret to a successful weight loss process is observing whatever you intake as food because engaging in physical activities does not need similar amounts of calories compared to whatever quantity you intake through your dieting habits. For many years, there has been a debate of whether incorporating red wine in your weight loss process can produce successful results. Although there is no scientific proof that red wine enhances your weight loss process, the wine contains vast nutrients, low alcohol percentage and low calories. These properties make red wine a successful candidate for your weight loss process because it provides the body with the most needed nutrients while maintaining a low calories profile.

Alcohol weight gain
High alcohol intake is not only harmful to your weight loss process but also your body’s immune system.  Heavy intake alcohol depletes your liver and another organ hence weakening your body’s defensive system. The liver is one of the paramount organs in your body because it helps the body in the detoxification process. Also, continued consumption of alcohol leads to addictive behaviour. Alcohol is a beverage that contains high levels of calories. Therefore, incorporating wine or other alcoholic drinks with your meals produces an addictive behaviour while at the same time increases your calories intake on a daily basis. Hence, it is vital to observe your wine intake to minimal and regulated levels avoided an alcohol addiction and increased calories intake. Keep in mind that excess calorie consumption is the major cause of excess weight gain.

Wine and long-term weight control
For your weight loss program to be successful, you have to have a plan. The plan contains your long-term and short-term goals and objectives. These objectives serve as your references during your weight loss process. Also, they help you make appropriate adjustments and changes to your program where necessary. Alcohol is a tricky component for weight loss; therefore, it should be handled with the delicacy it deserves. Wine is an effective long-term weight loss component that produces effective results when taken in the right and regulated quantities.  One glass of red wine after your meal can go a long way in toning your body weight. According to the recent weight loss tips, people who drink a glass of wine daily are less likely to be overweight and aged compared to those who don’t drink wine at all. Also, you have to note that you are not supposed to substitute wine as the source of your alcohol with beer or liquor because they are not effective for weight loss.

The bottom line on wine
All said and done; minimum and regulated alcohol intake is vital for your weight loss program. On the other hand, excess and uncontrolled alcohol consumption is harmful to your health. You have to be disciplined to use alcohol as a measure to cut and tone your weight to avoid the alcohol addiction problem. Lack of discipline when it comes to alcohol intake can be very harmful to your health. There is no conventional quantity of alcohol that you should subscribe to because alcohol affects people differently. Depending on your body, you should ensure you understand the right quantity that does not put your health in danger. To avoid having an alcohol addiction you can incorporate some products such as plexus-bro-cleanse with your wine.

Conclusion
Excess body fat percentage is the major cause of various chronic diseases that include heart complications, obesity, arthritis and blood pressure. Therefore, it is crucial to check your weight always to stay fit and keep these diseases at bay. Although there is no scientific proof that wine is an effective component in the weight loss process, low alcohol intake significantly boosts your weight loss process. But the intake should be moderate and regulated to avoid addiction.

Reference



Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Super Weight Loss Juice with a Secret ingredient!


Obesity has become the new age threat to the mankind. Obesity has slowly and steadily increased in the past few decades. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers obesity as the most prevalent and dangerous disease in the world. Obesity is also seen as a growing health concern in America as 2 of 3 adults are obese.

Weight loss is an important step in obesity management. Many weight loss programs with planned diets are preferred by people along with a good exercise routine to lose few pounds. Fruit diet, protein-rich diet, low crab diet, …., etc. have made their way into the world of fitness. One of the most interesting ways to lose weight of all others is the juice diet.

What is juicing?
Fresh fruits and vegetables are crushed to obtain fresh juice to consume for weight loss. Juice diet consists of eliminating some food sources in the diet such as white bread, rice, pasta etc. to make room for the nutritious juice. The free diet plan will aim to cleanse and detoxify the body through fresh juice consumption.

The juice obtained contains all the vital nutrients and antioxidants that seem to improve metabolism and digestion. The resulting pulp is discarded by some and others chose to use it to thicken the juice.

Juice dieting and health
Many people question the effectiveness of the juice diet. The juice-only diet can sometime deprive people of protein and increase sugar cravings. Extreme juice dieting is not that healthy for the body though the results of weight loss are seen.

Advantages of juice diet
Jennifer Barr, RD, Wilmington opines that fresh juices are the best way to consume fresh fruits and veggies. If one is not a big fan of eating, they can always resort to fresh juice and include the missing component in their diet.

Through juicing one can consume sprouting vegetables and reap the benefits in its concentrated form.

A possible improvement in the insulin resistance
Nutrients are better absorbed by the body through certain juices like mango juice and papaya juice.
According to a study conducted by Fujioka K, Greenway F, Sheard J and Ying Y, California, grapefruit and grapefruit products are beneficial to include in a weight loss diet. The study consisted of 91 people suffering from obesity. The study subjects were group as placebo and non-placebo groups.

The placebo group received placebo capsules while non-placebo groups were asked to consume grapefruit juice, fresh grapefruit juice and grapefruit capsule. The non-placebo group study participants were divided into three teams consuming grapefruit juice, fresh grapefruit juice and grapefruit capsule.

After a span of 12 weeks, study subjects’ metabolic parameters were measured and it was found that subjects who drank grapefruit had lost around 1.5 kg, those who drank fresh grapefruit juice had shed 1.6kg while subjects who consumed grapefruit capsules were found to have lost 1.1 kg. The placebo group subjects’ weight loss was almost non-significant at 0.3 kg. The study concluded that there was an improvement in the insulin resistance in obese patients.

The right way to lose weight from juicing
  • Juice diet is a good way to get nutrients into the body, however, there are some concerns such as loss of fiber intake as the pulp is often not used while consuming juice. The pulp should not be discarded and can be incorporated into other recipes to ensure the required fiber intake is met.
  • Another concern with juicing is that of the lack of protein. One can add protein powder and supplements to the juice to make it nutritious and delicious. Almond milk, yogurt, flax seeds or peanut butter can also be added for the protein punch in the juice.
  • Juicing for weight loss should not fall flat by consuming more calories as fruits contain many calories. With veggies, calorie consumption is often less. Hence, it is important to watch the kind of fruit/amount of fruit used in the juice preparation.
  • It is better to start juice diet after consulting with your nutritionist or health care provider to rule out any health concerns.
  • Extreme juice diet without proper diet planning is not good.
  • It is better to use fresh juice to reap maximum benefits.
Super juices for weight loss
  • BeetrootBeetroot juice is one of the powerful detoxifies that cleanses the liver and helps in the removal of toxins from the body. Other detoxifying juices are prepared from spinach, kale and celery.
  • PineapplePineapple has anti-inflammatory properties and is often used in juice diet for its cleansing and soothing benefits. It is also loaded with antioxidants and helps in losing weight.
  • Grapefruit and blackberriesGrapefruit has been considered effective when used in a weight loss diet program. Fresh grapefruit juice seems to improve insulin resistance thereby facilitating good metabolic activity in the body resulting in weight reduction. Alternatively, one can also add blackberries for added punch of antioxidants.  
Conclusion
Super juices for weight loss are good source of nutrients that help the body cleanse and detoxify. Many studies have supported the importance of juice (grapefruit) in the diet for weight loss. However, it is better to consult with the health care provider to make the juice diet beneficial.

References:

http://familylobby.com/bestdeepwrinkletreatment/journals.asp

https://www.glozine.com/lifestyle/health

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

7 Exercises to Relieve the Pain and Stiffness of Arthritic Hands


Arthritis is a medical condition that causes the cartilage (basically the cushioning between the joints) to wear away, and this causes stiffness, pain, and inflammation.  It can become difficult, if not totally impossible, to successfully complete simple tasks, such as turning a doorknob, writing, typing or grabbing an eating utensil.

There are some options to treat arthritis pain, such as over-the-counter and prescription medications, and surgery.  But, hand exercises have been proven to provide some relief to patients.
Overtime, arthritic hands will lose strength, and will benefit from some of the following hand exercises.  Exercise will help to keep tendons and ligaments flexible, range of motion will improve, and so will the entire function of the hand.  As an added bonus, specialized hand exercises for arthritis and joint pain may increase the production of synovial fluid, and this will have joints working more efficiently with less swelling, stiffness and pain.

Below are seven (7) hand exercises that can reduce the chronic pain and stiffness, associated with arthritis.

1. Make a fist.
Position your hand as if you were going to shake someone’s hand (without extending your arm).  Now, slowly and deliberately create a fist with your thumb outside of your hand.  Do not squeeze your hand tight.  Release the fist, so that your hand is in the starting position.  Do this ten times on each hand.

2. Finger Bends.
This exercise being in the same manner as the previous exercise – with your hand in a position ready to give a handshake.  Now slowly, bring your thumb down toward your palm, while keeping all other fingers as straight as possible.  Hold for five to ten seconds and release.  Repeat with each finger on both hands.

3. Thumb Stretch.
Similar to the finger bends, but this time, your goal would be to bend your thumb toward the base of your pinky finger.  Stretch it as far as comfortably possible – hold – release – repeat. Ten times.

4. The Claw.
In this exercise, the starting position of your hand should be with your fingers spread and pointing upward.  Your palms should be facing away from you (like you are preparing to give/receive a “high five”).  Now, curve your fingers downward until they touch, resulting in an “O” shape of your hand.  Hold for ten seconds and then slowly release.  This exercise should be performed several times a day, and is most effective, when your hands begin to feel stiff and/or sore.

5. Table Bends.
Rest the pinky side of your hand on a table, with your thumb pointing toward the ceiling.  While keeping your thumb stable, slowly try to bend your other fingers toward your wrist.  Repeat ten times with both hands.  The table provides stability for the hand, which is needed for this exercise.

6. Finger Lifts.
Start with your palm on a flat surface and your fingers should be spread apart.  Slowly raise one finger as high as possible, while all other fingers remain flat on the table.  Hold and lower that finger.  Repeat for each finger on both hands.

7. Wrist Stretch.
Your wrist will also be affected by arthritic pain, and it should be stretched on a regular basis to minimize pain.  With your palms facing downward, hold your right arm out.  Using your left hand, gently and slowly press down on your right hand, until you feel a comfortable stretch in your wrist and arms.  Hold this position for three to five seconds.  Repeat this stretch sequence ten times on each arm.

In addition to the above effective hand exercises, that are excellent in keeping your fingers flexible and relieving stiffness in your hands, below are some addition treatments that you can do at home, to aid in relieving chronic pain associated with arthritis.

1. Ice is a known reliever for swelling.  To avoid potential frostbite, it is important that you use cloth as a barrier, between the ice and your skin.

2. Warm Epsom salt baths are a soothing way to relieve minor pains.  Epsom salt is rich in magnesium, and this is known to reduce nerve pain and built-up bone mineralization.

3. Ginger and honey have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and these make a wonderful warm beverage.  If using ginger, boil a small piece of fresh ginger in a cup of water for at least ten minutes, strain and drink (do this several times a day).  For a cinnamon and honey tea, combine a tablespoon of honey with just a half of teaspoon of cinnamon to your regular tea, and enjoy first thing in the morning.

4. A tablespoon of turmeric can be added to a cup of warm milk, or boil a tablespoon of turmeric in a quart of water for ten minutes, and enjoy later as a cool beverage.

References

https://medium.com/@daisygrace/3-powerful-drinks-to-treat-arthritis-and-joint-pain-cb5271a14c9b#.bsq67xm0w

https://www.jointhealthmagazine.com/consuming-soy-protein-can-prevent-osteoporosis.html