Foods That Help WIth Arthritis

Unfortunately, arthritis is common for 1 in 5 adults (2009 CDC report). Medications can help with the pain and inflammation, but did you know that there are foods that can help with inflammation?

These foods, when added to your diet, can help lessen the symptoms of arthritis.

• · Blueberries. These babies are packed with nutritional punch.
• ·      Brazil nuts. Easy to carry snacks!
• ·      Citrus fruits. Vitamin C can help, but be careful not to have too much of it.
• ·      Cruciferous vegetables. Huh? We know. Try broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage and more.
• ·      Extra virgin olive oil. There are antioxidants in some of the fats in the oil that can reduce inflammation.
• ·      Ginger.  Try adding it to drinks, desserts, side dishes, etc.

Try sautéing some Brussels sprouts in extra virgin olive oil for dinner, or make a smoothie with blueberries and ginger.

What do you do to ease that inflammation of arthritis?

When Exercise Hurts

Yosef Meystel has seen doctors, news outlets, and everyone else tells us that exercise is good, do it 5 times a week at 30 minutes a time and exercise helps our health in many different ways.

But what if we’re harming ourselves?

In cases where exercisers are training chronically or exerting more than their body can handle, that’s when it’s hurting one’s heath. Healthy exercise is exercising at a level, intensity and frequency that your body can handle.

“Chronic extreme endurance efforts, like marathons, ultra-marathons, and long-distance triathlons, can cause cardiovascular damage over time,” says researcher James H. O’Keefe, MD, director of preventive cardiology at the Mid America Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Health System,Kansas City. “Healthier exercise patterns involve not such extreme duration or intensity.”

Moderation is key in exercising. It’s best to consult a doctor before starting any exercise or training programs, and it’s important to listen to your body. For more health tips and news, visit our website

The doctors, news outlets, and everyone else tells us that exercise is good, do it 5 times a week at 30 minutes a time and exercise helps our health in many different ways.

But Yosef Meystel wants to know, what if we’re harming ourselves?

In cases where exercisers are training chronically or exerting more than their body can handle, that’s when it’s hurting one’s heath. Healthy exercise is exercising at a level, intensity and frequency that your body can handle.

“Chronic extreme endurance efforts, like marathons, ultra-marathons, and long-distance triathlons, can cause cardiovascular damage over time,” says researcher James H. O’Keefe, MD, director of preventive cardiology at the Mid America Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Health System,Kansas City. “Healthier exercise patterns involve not such extreme duration or intensity.”

Moderation is key in exercising. It’s best to consult a doctor before starting any exercise or training programs, and it’s important to listen to your body. For more health tips and news, visit Yosef Meystel's website http://yosefmeystel.wordpress.com/

6 Ways To Save On Prescriptions

Yosef Meystel knows that we have enough to focus on in our lives than to worry about how we’re going to save on prescriptions. We have to worry about our families, jobs, financing in other areas of our life as well as dealing with the day-to-day things.

Here, Yosef Meystel has some ways that can help you save on your prescription.

1. Talk to your doctor. Your doctor is aware of what prescriptions you are on and they rather help find their patient the proper medication than not getting a prescription filled.
2. Shop around. Look at different pharmacies, grocery stores and online locations that can help you find the best price for your prescription. Don’t forget to look into discount programs.
3. Sample. Ask for samples, this’ll save you some money and you will also get to find out if this prescription is right for you.
4. Coupon cutting. Look for coupons! There are a lot of coupons out there, you just have to look.
5. Ditch the brand. Look into the generic brand of the prescription you’re taking, that can save a lot of money each refill.
6. Split it. Ask your doctor if they will prescribe you a higher dosage so you can split the pill. This way you don’t have to fill up as often.

Warning Signs of Dehydration

Yosef Meystel knows that just because it's a cool summer week and the temperatures aren’t rising, doesn’t mean you can’t get dehydrated. It’s important to know the signs of dehydration.

Dehydration is when the body lacks enough bodily fluids and can be prevented with enough consumption of water. While there is no specific amount of water that everyone needs to consume; Yosef Meystel read that it’s suggest about eight 8 oz glasses of water or enough water that keeps your urine clear or a light yellow.

The signs of dehydration are:

• Thirst
• Dryness of the mouth or tongue, skin and lips
• Sluggishness
• Sunken appearance of the eyes
• Light-headedness or dizziness
• A high fever
• Dark urine/decreased urine output

Water is the best choice when it comes to hydrating the body, while soda pops are the worst. Dr. Oz suggests drinking one glass of water for every caffeinated drink. If a fever, confusion or rapid breathing happens it’s best to call a doctor for further assistance in the dehydration.

Prediabetes – What Is It And How Can You Treat It?

Yosef Meystel wants you to know, most people almost always have a ‘warning sign’ before they are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. What’s their warning sign? It’s prediabetes.

What is prediabetes?

Prediabetes is when “blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes” according to the American Diabetes Association. The good news is there are ways you can prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes if you catch your prediabetes.

There are three different tests that can be done to test for prediabetes, they are the AC1 test, the fasting plasma glucose test (FPG), or the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).  In these tests, the blood glucose levels are measured to determine whether you have prediabetes or diabetes.

If your blood glucose level is abnormal following the FPG, you have impaired fasting glucose (IFG); if your blood glucose level is abnormal following the OGTT, you have impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Both are also known as prediabetes.

So you did the test, what happens if you have it?

The good news is that you can prevent the development of type 2 diabetes by making changes in your diet, exercising regularly and staying in communication with your doctor. Also, losing weight can help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.

If you have more questions about prediabetes, contact your doctor.

Stress & Your Stroke Risk

Stressed out? Well, aren’t we all? But that doesn’t help our stroke risk, Yosef Meystel has found out. But we can work towards lowering our stroke risk by lowering our stress levels according to researcher Ana Maria Garcia, MD, of the Hospital Clinico Universitario San Carlos in Madrid.

When dealing with stress, it’s best to deal with it by using The Four A’s:

• Avoid the stressor.
• Alter the stressor.
• Adapt to the stressor.
• Accept the stressor.

There are a few ways you can manage or reduce your stress. One suggestion is a stress journal. In this journal you write what is causing your stress, how you feel about it, how you are reacting and how you can make yourself less stressed about the situation/what made you feel better.

Other ways to relax is by exercise; go for a walk, job it our or jump on the bike. It’s best to do this outside because fresh air and nature can have a calming effect. You can always try calling a friend to talk things out or to lighten your mood, take a long bath, have a warm cup of tea. Pets are also great de-stressors and can help keep blood pressure low and moods high.

Next time you’re stressed, take a few deep breaths and use one of these stress relievers to tackle your stress to lower your risk for stroke.

Melanoma in Older Men

Even though it’s not summertime, it’s important to be checking your skin. Yosef Meystel has found that in a recent study done by American Academy of Dermatology, it was found that older men have an increased risk of developing melanoma. But most older men are careless about skin protection and they do not know how to properly check themselves for signs of skin cancer.

The American Academy of Dermatology is concerned about this because nearly 132,000 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in 2012. In an online poll, it was found that most men do not protect themselves from the outdoor sun (which is still relevant in the winter time) whereas women knew how to and followed through. It was also found that majority of men knew that they should be checking their skin for signs of melanoma but did not.

“Men need to examine their skin and see a dermatologist if they spot anything changing, bleeding or growing,” said dermatologist Dr. Thomas Rohrer, a clinical associate professor of dermatology at Brown University School of Medicine. The study noted that the five-year survival rate for people who had the melanoma diagnosed and treated early before it spread to the lymph nodes is at 98%.

Yosef Meystel knows that it’s important for everyone to wear sunscreen on the face, ears and lips year round, to wear hats or sun-reflective clothing in the summertime, to regularly check skin for any growth in moles, new ones, and to regularly visit a dermatologist.