Page 23 - Florida Sentinel 2-26-16 Edition

Health
Natural Remedies
End Pain With Apples And Pears
To reduce joint and muscle pain by 30% or more, eat two apples or two pears (or one of each) daily.
Both fruits are great sources of phe- nolics – safe, powerful pain-killers and anti-inflammatories.
Soothe Upsets With Evening Primrose Oil
If PMS or menopause are causing discomfort, consider taking 1,000 – 1,500 mg. of evening primrose oil daily. This will help relieve: cramping, breast pain, mood swings and hot flashes.
Evening primrose oil is rich in a fatty acid that soothes your nervous system’s reaction to hormone fluctuations. It helps with eczema and rashes.
Lower Blood Pressure With Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Substituting 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil for other dietary fats will help get your blood pressure under control within 6 months – and can potentially cut the need for pre- scription meds.
Extra-virgin olive oil is rich in a compound (hydroxytyrosol) that keeps arteries healthy, flexible and relaxed.
The compound also stimulates the formation of new bone tissue.
Relieve Constipation With Epsom Salts
Drinking 8 oz. of water mixed with 1 tsp. of Epsom salt (+ 1 tsp. of lemon – for taste) can cure constipation in 30 minutes. It is loaded with magnesium, a min- eral that encourages in- testinal tract muscles to contract normally.
Soaking in it will lift levels of magnesium, relax your muscles and calm overactive nerves.
Coping With Low Vision
Currently, 4.2 million Americans ages 40 and older are visually impaired.
Approximately, 188,000 African Americans have low vi- sion and 366,000 may have it by 2030. For the millions of people who currently live or will live with low vision, the good news is there is help.
What Is Low Vision?
Low vision is when even with regular glasses, contact lenses, medicine, or surgery, people have difficulty seeing, which makes everyday tasks difficult to do. Ac- tivities that used to be simple like reading the mail, shopping, cook- ing, and writing can become chal- lenging.
For people with low vision, maximizing their remaining sight is the key to helping them con- tinue to live safe, productive, and rewarding lives.
What Should You Do?
The first step is to seek guid- ance about vision rehabilitation from a low vision specialist. A low vision specialist can develop a vi- sion rehabilitation plan that iden- tifies strategies and assistive devices appropriate for the per- son’s particular needs.
Vision rehabilitation can in- clude the following:
• Training to use magnifying and adaptive devices.
• Teaching new daily living skills to remain safe and live inde- pendently.
• Developing strategies to nav- igate around the home and in public.
• Providing resources and sup- port.
How To Know If It’s Strep Throat
If you have a sore throat that you just can’t kick this winter, be careful. You might have streptococcal pharyngitis, commonly known as strep throat.
Here’s a quick and dirty run down on strep throat, how to spot it, and how to handle it.
• It’s painful.
• It’s confirmed by a swab test by a medical professional. • It’s an infection treated with antibiotics.
• Stay away from other people for 24 hours.
Fall Asleep Faster
Do you have problems falling asleep? Do you think aches and pains are the reason? The real culprit may be the Aleve, Motrin or other non-steroidal anti-inflam- matory (NSAID) you’re taking. Switch to acetaminophen, and you’ll fall asleep faster
and rest better.
The Proof: NSAIDs reduce your body’s output of sleep-promoting
melatonin, plus they block the release of other temperature-regulating hormones, preventing your temperature from dipping low enough to trigger drowsiness.
Note: Also, limit your caffeine. Having a caffeinated beverage within 3 hours of bed delays the rise in melatonin by almost an hour.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 11-B